Month: September 2024

Yesterday we met with the Housing people in Pittsfield to sign paperwork, one set of which was notarized.

Before that we visited the ReStore outlet, which is huge and impressive. Found a little medicine cabinet for over the toilet which Ron and I installed today.

We stopped to look at plants at Home Depot. I bought a nice phlox and planted it today.

Worked on the larger raised garden bed which is on the deck. Today I added some soil and the rest of the stinking compost that I put in a bucket last year. Letting it air before adding more soil.

Started transferring from the little bookcase to the “new” medicine cabinet, ended up dusting areas I haven’t been able to reach in the bathroom. Unbelievable amount of dust – not dirt, dust.

Roofer came over to check things out this morning and pointed out some things to be fixed unrelated to the deteriorating shingles, like bad flashing and another architectural problem that is probably causing leaks when it rains.

Heard from Matt, he will add us to his schedule.

Bought tickets to a jazz event at the Clark next month.

Got to Tanglewood very early, at 4, strolled around for a bit. They are not officially open, just for the Lenox Jazz Stroll so most of the campus and all of the venues except for the Linde Center were closed.

The tickets weren’t available until 6, the hall didn’t open until 6:30 and there was plenty of parking next to the venue so we didn’t need to get there so early. Considering that none of this information had been provided by the organizers, good to know for the future.

We ended up going back to Lenox center for snacks and a bottle of wine.

The concert was terrific: Bernstein & Bop: A Saxophone Colossus featuring Ted Rosenthal’s All-Star Sextet with a special opening set by Wanda Houston & The Convergence Trio.

I could have done without the lugubrious piano solo of “There’s a Place for Us” but the rendition of the otherwise cloying “I Feel Pretty” was a masterpiece, especially as performed by the formidable, youngish (32) alto saxophonist Erena Terakubo.

Up at 5, thought I heard a rotating sound in the house but couldn’t find the source.

Around 9 I picked up a good amount of nutritious food – eggs, produce, wheat bread and extras – at the Williamstown Food Pantry and stopped at the Senior Center afterwards to sign up for the pasta luncheon in two weeks.

No signup yet but Sarah asked if I wanted to try out the chair yoga class. It was excellent, terrific leader/teacher. I hope to return.

I finished loading up the raised planter on the deck with soil, worm casting compost from last year and peat moss. I planted the mums and grass that Ron bought yesterday at Stop & Shop. What a treat: planting without pain!

Later I steamed the kale from the pantry run and sauteed peppers and eggs for supper. Picked up this week’s produce at Wild Soul River; traded kale for an eggplant.

Arm is a little sore from the Covid19/flu shot. Ron got those and Shingrix but he’s not feeling any discomfort.

Peter is working today and I am laboring around the house.

Yesterday, though, I took the day off. I suggested to Ron that we not make the bed or cook but instead go for a joyride to see the Harriman reservoir in Vermont.

It was a pretty trip but Google Maps led us to a chained off dirt road so we never got to see the reservoir. Ron is having trouble with his right leg so walking, even a short distance (2/10 of a mile) was not an option.

We did come upon a Serenity Garden in Whitingham that has the biggest, most beautiful butterfly bush I’ve ever seen.

I finally figured out how to use the sound bar with the TV: what a difference! We indulged in several jazz videos.

The boys came over looking for a laser pointer and had fun making Pustefix bubbles.

This morning I moved things around the bar in the sunroom and brought the guest bed platform upstairs. It is in two parts and folds for storage!

I installed the liner and one of the bags of soil in the smaller elevated bed.

Picked a bouquet for us.

Made a vegetable tort of summer squash, peppers, tomatoes with basil, garlic and the mushroom/onion umami seasoning; a salad; and biscuits for supper. The mandoline saved time.

Ron bought wine and did a gigantic laundry.