Month: August 2024

To Bennington

We had to give up on the truck – it won’t be ready until next week – so the seller in Bennington kindly made arrangements to deliver the wardrobe to us for a small fee.

The pivot bars we got at the glass shop are too short so we’re back to square one. We were able to get both sashes rehung for now so at least we are not without a window.

Christine took pictures of the driveway. I invited her to see the first floor of the house. Nice to meet her.

We got coffee and a few other groceries. Picked up paint for the living room, on sale at Aubuchon. Inadvertently shredded one of the outdoor rugs – we will toss it – and did some sweeping and rearrangement on the deck.

I watched most of the Harris/Walz interview with Dana Bash on CNN.

Planters – What to Grow and Not Grow

Radishes, peppers, cherry tomatoes, carrots, snap peas: https://www.gardenary.com/blog/five-of-the-best-vegetables-to-grow-in-the-kitchen-garden

A list of plants not to grow in your raised beds:

  • Potatoes
  • Asparagus
  • Artichokes
  • Rhubarb
  • Corn
  • Wheat
  • Rice
  • Winter Squash
  • Watermelons
  • Broccoli
  • Cauliflower
  • Romanesco
  • Perennial flowers
  • Blueberries
  • Blackberries
  • Raspberries
  • Lemon balm
  • Mint
  • Anise hyssop
  • Yarrow

Window Sashes; Driveway!

We brought the top sash to Dave to extract the pivot bars. He installed a couple of new ones, but they seem to be too short.

We were able to put both sashes back but the top doesn’t “hold”. I sent a picture to an online supply house, hope to get an answer back in a few days.

Meanwhile, received word that our second grant proposal was approved! Christine will visit tomorrow to take pictures. I broke open the bubbly but had forgotten to take my meds until afternoon. Uh oh.

The photo of Trump and his bimbo supporters at ANC sent me into a rage. Those bimbos posing with a rapist/felon with their thumbs up at a gravesite: what does that mean, they’re glad their family member is dead?

Ron can’t explain why I was not good enough for him but a diseased adulteress with a thieving boyfriend was. He has no answer and it drives me nuts.

I wanted to celebrate anyway so picked up a pizza at Olympia.

I Was Busy, But Ron?

Ron’s right leg is bothering him and it looks swollen from knee to toes. He had a checkup today and is waiting for the results of x-rays.

I picked up meds at Walmart and drove through Adams to the outskirts of Cheshire. Gorgeous farms and views on East Road.

Ron dropped me off at writers group and picked me up at 3.

No word on the truck; it was still in the parking lot.

I got our vegetables and ate one of our own tomatoes – delicious!

Yesterday we tried getting the screws out of the top window pane in the sunroom but no luck. We’ll have to bring the pane in so Dave can figure out what it needs.

Leftovers for supper: eggplant parm and cucumber salad from yesterday.

Weekend Cooking

Grilled – rather, incinerated – the remaining veg hotdogs and fries for Ron on Saturday after he finished mowing.

Made a spinach casserole and white bean lasagna yesterday (Sunday).

The littles invaded the house yesterday and refused to leave. Their parents were not happy. The littles especially like Ron’s toys – understandable.

It looks like we may qualify for fuel assistance and I’m vexed with myself for not waiting on the oil tank replacement.

Christine called; she’s resubmitting our HMLP app, wanted info on accessibility changes made to the house. I told her about the cement stairs, the furnace return and bars in the bathrooms.

Reattached the legs of the little plastic Dutch boy doll, sewed him back up.

Received and deposited check from Insight.

Ron did laundry, I changed the sheets. Made the third bedroom a little neater in preparation for setting up the guest double bed.

We moved the planters to the far end of the garden. Fingers crossed.

$27.72 for One Month?!

Ron is doing the lawn. My big outdoor chore was to plant the new coneflower.

Spoke with a customer service rep at the Globe this morning (Saturday). Cancelled my online subscription and will receive a refund. He also removed my credit card info so I won’t be charged again.

I totaled the expenses for fixing the house: over $100,000, not including $10,000 in grants for vermiculite removal and insulation paid for by Mass Save.

This does not include the cost of moving.

This is for carpentry, plumbing, electrical, bulkhead stairs, roofing, windows, ductwork, arborists, the oil tank, the garage doors.

Someone told me the other day that he couldn’t afford to own a home in Williamstown.

Neither can we.

Cooked Yesterday

Ron made rhubarb sauce. I cooked a bunch of vegetables from the farm: celery, tomatoes, dragon beans, bok choy, garlic and a store-bought onion.

Too much to clean up.

Watched every night of the DNC convention and applauded many of the speeches. First rate production, each night was too long for my taste, although not Ron’s, he stuck with it.

Back and forth on repairing the truck but decided we’ll put the money into it.

This afternoon, we picked up soil for the planters and a coneflower at Home Depot in Bennington.

I dropped by Spring Street for the “End of Summer” event.

Black Walnut Tolerant Plants

https://gardenerspath.com/plants/landscape-trees/black-walnut-juglone-toxicity

Tolerant Fruits and Vegetables

You’re safe to grow these around your black walnut tree:

Tolerant Flowers and Vines

The list of flowering plants that can handle being planted next to black walnut is rather long. Enjoy these blooming plants and vines without worry:

Truck

$2000 to fix the truck.

Met with the cardiology doc and doing without the anti-cholesterol med this week to see if that eliminates or at least attenuates muscle aches.

Late for the writing group yesterday.

Little boys out and about after dark wanting to fetch their toys from our back yard.