sprite writes
broodings from the burrow

September 18, 2010


giving up for the night…
posted by soe 1:51 am

I’ve now tried to write reviews of two books and neither is working out. I’m tired. I’ll try again tomorrow.

Category: life -- uncategorized. There is/are Comments Off on giving up for the night….

September 16, 2010


all to ourselves, the end, and souvenir
posted by soe 8:02 pm

Thursday again, eh? I’m not quite sure how that keeps happening, but I can hear echoes of Zero Mostel going through my head.

Here are three beautiful things from my last week:

1. When we arrived at the beach late Sunday afternoon, it was practically deserted, leaving it empty for Rudi and me to splash in the warm water, dance in the sand, and watch the sandpipers.

2. For the final jazz concert of the summer, Susan came down to join Rudi, John, and me. I arrived early enough to snag a blanket-sized space next to a nice guy who offered me a swig from his hip flask.

3. My coworker Sarah returned today from two weeks in Australia. She brought chocolates — mine have honeycomb in them.

What’s been beautiful in your life lately?

Category: three beautiful things. There is/are Comments Off on all to ourselves, the end, and souvenir.


quick catch up
posted by soe 1:56 am

Now with bullets:

  • I have been doing a lot of reading recently and have not written about any of those books. I hope to do a bit of that soon as books need to go back to the library.
  • I’m feeling ambivalent about D.C.’s primary results yesterday, as I didn’t like any of the candidates for mayor or council chair — and my write-in candidates didn’t win. However, I am pleased that Phil Mendelson, one of our at-large councilmembers, won re-election. He’s wonky and throws roadblocks at large projects that probably haven’t been studied adequately or funded fully and chairs the committee that got marriage equality moving forward. Plus, he faced a competitor who seemed to be pulling a play from The Distinguished Gentleman and capitalizing on name confusion to try to win election.
  • I have other posts that I’d like to get up, but the card for Rudi’s camera doesn’t seem to play nicely with my card reader. Obviously I could demand he wake up and tell me how to fix that, but it doesn’t seem likely to lead to a happy household.
  • Danny and David are coming to visit in a little over a week. They will not be sleeping in my bathtub. This probably makes all of us very happy.
  • I pulled up the beans this past weekend in the garden and planted more lettuce and spinach. I did not harvest the peanuts, but will consider doing so this weekend.
  • After having avoided the vet for eight years, I am apparently trying to make up for that all in the month of September. Their suspicion is that Della has a thyroid disorder — a manageable condition. We’ll know more Monday.
  • Fudge from Bethany Beach is very good. It’s probably even better that the store that makes it is three hours away.
  • We will be keeping the kitten, pending major problems. More on that in another post.

Good night!

Category: life -- uncategorized. There is/are 2 Comments.

September 13, 2010


you’re holding it upside down
posted by soe 1:09 am

Rudi and I had planned for several weeks to spend today out on the DelMarVa Peninsula at the beach. But as the day approached, our string of beautiful days looked to be disrupted by clouds and rain.

However, when we went to bed last night our plan still was to head out to Delaware first thing this morning. But this morning went as most of my mornings do, with a slow start and procrastination. We hit snooze. We decided to go to the farmers’ market. We ate a late breakfast. We watched today’s Vuelta stage. We dawdled.

And so it was suddenly one in the afternoon and we were still at home, three hours away from the beach we wanted to go to. It was grey and drizzly and the temperatures in Bethany were only supposed to reach the low 60s. We thought about calling it a day or, at least, switching to a different, closer, less satisfying beach.

But then we just decided to go anyway.

We threw stuff in bags and headed out.

When we hit traffic en route to the highway, we switched to a different road.

When we were crossing the Bay Bridge and saw lots of traffic heading west, we congratulated ourselves on getting a late enough start that we weren’t already tired of being rained on and in that mass of people going home.

When we missed our turn and the aforementioned traffic prevented our turning around to it, we picked a different, more rural route.

As we were driving along, I turned to Rudi and said, “It’s probably better if we think of today as a lovely afternoon for a drive in the country when we’re lucky enough to get to stop at the beach.”

And, you know, it absolutely was. If we’d kept thinking of it as a day at the beach, it would have been a mess. But changing our perspective — an afternoon spent together driving along and, late in the day, spending a couple hours playing at the beach — made a world of difference. Instead of being annoyed at what we’d missed, we realized what we were getting.

I tend to get stuck in a rut and am slow to accept change, which means disappointment creeps into my life far more often than I’d like to admit. Being able to turn the picture around and getting to see the day for what it was, rather than what I thought it should be, made today a success in more ways than one.

Category: life -- uncategorized. There is/are 1 Comment.

September 9, 2010


heaviness, harvest, and happily ever after
posted by soe 10:15 pm

Two long busy days at the office leave me ready for the weekend. But first, it’s time to share three beautiful things from the last week:

1. The kitten lies on my lap with his head resting on my arm. As we drive home, I pet his head and can feel him get heavy in the same way a baby does when it falls asleep.

2. Sarah, John, Rudi, and I head out to a pick-your-own farm to celebrate Labor Day and the coming of fall. Rudi and I come home with a heap of apples and 11 pounds of tomatoes, most of which are currently in the oven turning into sauce.

3. Amani and Marcus have seemed like such a good couple since they started dating at our annual conference four years ago. And on Sunday night, they looked so … content … to solemnize their relationship and to finally begin their life together.

What’s been beautiful in your world this week?

Category: three beautiful things. There is/are 2 Comments.

September 8, 2010


thwarted!
posted by soe 12:35 pm

To update the last post: Washington Area Rescue League won’t take strays. They said we could take him to the Humane Society, but as they’re an overcrowded shelter lacking a no-kill policy, we opted not to partake of that option.

They also said that his behavior toward our three cats might not be one of aggression, but more one of fear and lack of prior exposure.

Their advice was to call the P.G. County Animal Shelter and file a formal lost cat report and ask to foster the cat in our home during the waiting period. They said after that time had elapsed the cat was ours and they could legally accept him as a surrendered pet at that point.

I understand that they don’t want to adopt out an animal that could belong to someone. But the whole, we have to make him ours and then give him up is just a cruel trick designed to make us feel guilty and keep him.

I’m not saying it won’t work, but merely saying it’s a mean-spirited response to what was, essentially, a well-intentioned act.

And in the meantime, the kitten is back in the bathroom…

ETA: The woman from P.G. County just returned my message from yesterday. She’s filed the report, but says their policy says the kitten doesn’t legally change ownership for 30 days. Again, I understand the policy, but c’mon people! Work with us here!

Category: cats. There is/are 1 Comment.