It has been the usual uneventful weekend. I went to the drugstore this weekend. I packed up several loads of "donatables" to benefit a local women's shelter and moved them downstairs, in several loads. I have an order to ship tomorrow and a trip to the dentist on Tuesday.
I haven't updated the construction outside my window. It has continued, in abbreviated fashion, all winter. It has been a very mild winter, almost as if the only effect was some discomfort. There was one snowstorm, and past that, unending rain.
There have been small crews working, two or three men. The snow was swept off several hundred square feet of flooring when necessary. Once the second floor was begun, snow and rain were less of a problem.
You can distinguish the units: window, door, next door, window, etc. The skeleton crews spent a lot of time getting the second floor laid and mechanics lowered under the floor and covered. Then the time has been spent downstairs.
There is a lot of mud and a small amount of water visible in the previous picture, but a lot of water in this longer view of the length. The crews seem to be accessing the building site from the opposite side.
Here's some cat news: Kitty now voluntarily approaches my outstretched hand, but will not take a treat from my hand. I messed up the other day; she approached my hand dangling over the chair arm with the intent of head butting my hand. At the first butt, instinctively I slid my hand to her head to stroke her, and she bolted. I must remember this is all her show, not mine.
On the other hand, the former hyper-allergenic, Toby, remains very happy at Bec's house. I cannot make out the surroundings, but the general state of chaos has Toby pleased. He is a boy, after all.
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Ahh, Kat is finding is harder to ignore you. Won't be long now. As for expectations, I think children have a hard time accepting that their parents are no longer the force they are used to, a reluctance to recognise that we are winding down. Especially you who are and have been a force of nature.
ReplyDeleteCats do need freedom of choice. So do people.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad for news of Toby. He's looking quite pleased with life. And your current kit will ever so gradually come around. Can't rush these things.
ReplyDeleteI think it's surprising to adult children when you start to please yourself more! And when you may need a bit of help instead of always giving help. A gradual exchange of roles.
I like pistachio: that was the colour of my previous car, the one that was written off by the insurance company. But I can't justify the purchase of any more of your lovely towels!
ReplyDeleteHari Om
ReplyDeleteAw, Tobes... looking totally in place! Kitty will find her settlement with you yet... and I am just so impressed you have been able to continue with your weaving at all, there should be no complaint about numbers! YAM xx
Toby is looking very comfortable. I'm impressed with Kitty headbutting your hand already. I had Lola five years before she would head butt me.
ReplyDeleteBeth will have to get used to your slower pace, there is nothing else you can do about that.
Toby looks quite settled in.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad Toby is happy in his new home and that New Kitty is starting to come around and be a bit more friendly. How wonderful that you are helping local Women's Shelters, a most worthy cause.
ReplyDeleteMore on pistachio from today's paper:
ReplyDeleteA superfood fad not just for brunch, but face-masks, fragrances & even clothes
We’ve had the avocado and the almond — now pistachios are set to be the next superfood fad.
But the nut won’t just be for meals, as makers of face-masks, lip balms, fragrances and even clothing increasingly embrace the fashionable kernel.
As a foodstuff, pistachios are rich in protein, fibre and antioxidants and have several health benefits. They are also ecofriendly, as they can be imported with a relatively low carbon footprint, and do not have the environmental problems over illegal forestation linked to avocado farms.
Foodie website Eater has declared that the pistachio is having a “moment” as it offers a “welcome indulgence”.
Journalist Amy McCarthy wrote: “A pistachio has more pizzazz than a boring peanut, more visual appeal than a pale cashew, and a rich flavour that feels inherently luxurious.”
That last point may explain why they are becoming increasingly popular with beauty experts and fashionistas, with muted shades of pistachio green becoming an on-trend hue.
Even makers of kitchen goods are adding pistachio shades to their selection. Online fashion retailer Net-a-Porter has an extensive new range of designer pistachio clothing, including a Bottega Veneta maxi dress in a “vibrant” shade of pistachio for $4070 and a wool Jil Sander cardigan in a more ‘muted’ tone for $525.
Next week , upmarket London store Liberty will unveil its first pistachio fragrance, a $285 bottle by DS & Durga described as having an “edible”, “gourmand” scent. Pistachio face-masks and lip balms are top sellers at Rocco Forte hotels, which plans to launch a face and body oil made from the nut.
And that’s not all.
Candle manufacturers have also begun dripping pistachio oil into their wax, while, Starbucks is preparing to launch a pistachio frappuccino latte, in Europe this year, following its success in the US.
Toby is a handsome guy, so relaxed as he posed for your photo.
ReplyDeleteGood to see a happy Toby...Kit will get there eventually.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that most offspring are the same....we are supposed to be indestructible and unchanging....
So you have a fine lesson in patience, from a feline Zen-master, Joanne :-)
ReplyDeleteI console myself when others expect that we can do something as quick as ever that they see a glittering younger version of us - and that is nice!
I have the same problem with my family. My 'please look at me when you are talking' as they throw off cuff remarks I do not catch, and the expectation that I can walk as fast as all of them. Toby looks like he is luxuriating like a prince, and your new little kit will soon settle in with you.
ReplyDeleteGood news about the cat.
ReplyDeleteIn no time at all she will be snuggling on your lap.
ReplyDeleteWe don’t do things. As quickly as we once did, and not for as long either.
ReplyDeleteOur cat stil cringes a little when a hand approaches her head, particularly in a moment when she is not settled in our laps and expecting pets.
Toby looks happy...and Kitty is coming round....No problem with getting slower as we get older - as long as the animals have their meals on time!
ReplyDeleteIn some ways it is gratifying to me that my children think I can do what I've always done but it's not the reality of it. And to be honest- it's not easy for any of us to accept that. And the grandchildren- one minute they're saying, "You're very old and will probably die soon," and the next, "Why don't you ever jump on the trampoline?"
ReplyDeleteI am as confused as they.
I can't wait to hear that your cat has found your lap.
Toby is quite the gentleman.
ReplyDeleteSpeed and pace is very individual. Beth should consider firing up her own loom todouble output. A combined effort would work well. Just as Beth has expectations for you, you can have expectations too. Toby looks very happy and comfortable. New kitty is progressing and soon will sit on your lap and purr.
ReplyDeleteHe might be a boy but he is gorgeous with it! Glad you are letting your new acquisition take things at his/her own pace. I am sure one of these days you will find a cat on your knee.
ReplyDeleteCats are indeed more like people, teenagers perhaps. They like to run the show! Glad that she's warming up to you though. A head butt is a good start.
ReplyDeleteDH gets an occasional head butt from an outside feral... it is progress.
ReplyDeleteWe got a purr out of our new cat yesterday! Still a lot of skittering away when we get too close, though. Takes time!
ReplyDeleteYour Katharine is making faster progress than Houdini. I predict by the end of the month, you'll both be fast friends.
ReplyDeleteUpdates are good. Soon you will have new neighbors. Sounds like Kitty is becoming less skittish with time.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter has no idea that I got old, even as she talks about her own aging process. I'm reluctant to tell her.
ReplyDeleteI think young people in general expect we oldies to do everything just as fast as they do, and they get impatient if we don't. If I'm buying something in a shop, any fumbling for change or a credit card invariably brings fidgety behaviour from any young person waiting behind me. What's the big hurry?
ReplyDeleteThanks for all of the updates, Joanne. Especially Toby. It has been a bit since I have heard his name. Take care.
ReplyDelete