Posted tagged ‘couch’
November 20, 2017
It is 2:15, and because I’m wide-awake, I figure I can get started.
My computer is cold to the touch. My nose too is cold as the house is chilly. The setting on the thermostat automatically turns down the heat at night. I just haven’t gotten up to warm the house, but I’m getting close. Neither Maddie nor Gracie cares one whit about the chill as both are asleep. Before I go to bed, I’ll have to disturb Gracie by moving her so I can have enough room. She tends to stretch out on the couch and take far more room than is her due.
My dance card is empty until Thanksgiving. I still need to catalog the gifts I’ve gotten so far as I expect to send boxes to Colorado around the end of the first week in December which is coming closer and closer so I need to get busy cataloging. My Christmas preparations are on the move. I ordered gingerbread houses for my grandniece and grandnephews in Colorado. It is a tradition that started when my oldest nephew was 3. He is now in his thirties and is the father of two. He gets to watch them decorate. My niece’s two boys get the other house to decorate, to showcase their artistic talents, just as their mother did.
The house is warming. When my fingers started to get cold, I gave in and turned on the heat.
There is one house that at Christmas outdoes all the other houses. They have every surface, tree or bush covered with lights. There is even a TV out front which always has a Christmas movie playing. I went pass the street the other day and noticed the house is ready. I figure Thanksgiving may be the big reveal night, to use a little HGTV term.
Tonight I watched mostly Hallmark. They were actually two movies I hadn’t ever see before, and they starred two different female leads than their usual. The happy endings, however, were unchanged.
Well, I’m finally getting a bit tired. It is late, after three, or maybe it is the start of early, hard to know. I have to take the dog out one more time. I hope she’ll be quick.
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Categories: Musings
Tags: 2:15am, cold, cold fingers, couch, Gingerbread, House, sleeping cat, sleeping dog, wide-awake
Comments: 4 Comments
November 17, 2017
The sun has decided to reappear and the blue sky frames it perfectly. The wind is strong enough to make the day seem colder than it is. I was out early this morning, at 7:50, when the wind was so strong it made me run to the comfort of the car to get away from the cold.
Gracie had her first acupuncture appointment at 8:10. She did quite well. The vet had some tasty, or so I assumed, dog food frozen in a small jar. Gracie kept lapping and was totally unconcerned about the vet and the needles. Gracie stood there until the very end when she decided it was time to sit down. The vet has the gentlest manner and she spoke softly and soothingly. Gracie gave tail wags. We go back in two weeks for another session.
When we got home, I went back to sleep as did Gracie, and the two of us just woke up. 6:45 is far too early to get up unless it’s Christmas or I have a flight to catch though getting up that early gave me time for one paper and a cup of coffee. I’m about ready for another cup. It is sort of my second morning.
I need to go through a few catalogues I’ve saved because I dog-eared some of their pages for second looks at possible presents. Making a list of what and for whom I’ve already bought gifts still hasn’t been done so it is the only item on my to do list. I’m figuring this weekend.
I watched the Celtics last night. I used to watch them all the time, but my interest had fallen back in the lean years. When I was a kid, I used to go to games at the garden. It was a quick bus ride to Sullivan Square then the subway to North Station and the old Boston Garden, the one which once fogged up during the playoffs. The last time I saw them live was about three or four years ago. Last night they won their 14th straight. It was against the Warriors, the world champion Golden State Warriors, and the game was jaw dropping. It was a test of sorts for the Celts to show how good they really are. They came back at one point from a 17 point deficit to win with a score of 92-88. Charles Barkley, never a favorite of mine, now an analyst for TNT, was all over the Celts before the game and at half time. I just hope when he ate his words they soured his mouth.
I’ve chosen today to be a quiet day with some music and some more of the mystery I’m reading, The Crossing Places, by Elly Griffiths. Gracie will have to fight me for the couch.
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Categories: Musings
Tags: 6:45, acupuncture, blue sky, catalogues, Celtics, Christmas, couch, flight, frozen dog food, Gracie, North Station, presents, reading, Sleep, sunny, tail wags, windy
Comments: 8 Comments
June 5, 2017
Last night was a long one. It rained the whole night. Gracie and I went out at about ten. I got a bit wet and so did she. I was still wide awake an hour or so later so I watched a Hallmark movie. Yes, it had a happy ending despite arson, theft and a murder. At one, after the movie, I roused Gracie to take her out again. She got to the door and backed away, but I was insistent. I should have paid more attention. It was a deluge, but she needed out for the night so I pushed her out the front door with me unhappily behind her. Though I ran as quickly into the house as I could, I got soaked anyway and so did she.
This morning at about eight, Gracie was restless, and she woke me up. We went outside. It was wet but not rainy. It was cold. We came back inside and I went back to bed, or back to couch to be more specific. I snuggled under the covers and the cozy warmth lulled me to sleep. Gracie joined me. I woke up at ten. Gracie was still asleep so I rousted her to get her outside. I led her to the yard then ran inside the house and made coffee. I read the papers and had two cups of coffee. It was a leisurely morning.
Rain is expected again today so the sky is mighty dark. What a surprise! I have some errands, and it is chilly enough for Gracie to come.
When I was a kid, rainy days always seemed different than other days. My classroom seemed quieter. The rustle of papers sounded loud. The rain on the windows caught my attention as the drops slid down the glass and disappeared. The day seemed longer. Lunch was inside, but we didn’t really care. The rain seemed to drain our energy.
In Ghana, I loved the rain. After the dry season ended, every rainstorm was a bit of a miracle. The brown turned green. The dust became soil. Trees sprouted leaves. The fallow fields came alive with the tiny shoots of corn and millet. Rivers sometimes overflowed their banks. I always felt the rain and never minded getting wet.
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Categories: Musings
Tags: 1 AM, backyard, beck to sleep, bed, couch, deluge, dry season, Ghana, Hallmark, late night, poured outside, rainy day, rainy season, school, snuggling
Comments: 12 Comments
June 2, 2017
Yesterday stayed warm and beautiful. It didn’t even rain. I was outside reading for a while in the sun, and before I came inside, I emptied the water from the deck furniture covers so they’d dry and be ready to store for the summer. Today is just as lovely as yesterday, sunny and warm. The tiniest of breezes barely stirs the leaves. I have only one item on my to-do list: buy my garden and deck plants.
Gracie slept well last night. I didn’t. First off, she was snoring while I watched TV so I kept nudging her. She got annoyed and went to her crate where she fell asleep. I could hear her snoring from all the way down the hall. At 11:30, I turned off the TV and fell asleep. Around midnight, Gracie woke me up so we went outside. Other than my house, every other house on the street was lost in the darkness. The star on my fence was still lit and illuminated the way to the gate. After we came inside, Gracie got on the couch and fell asleep. I couldn’t get comfortable so I kept moving my feet hoping for a comfy spot. I didn’t find one: not on the floor, the table or the couch under the dog bed. Gracie slept while I tossed and turned. I’m tired. She’s sleeping again.
I wish I could make things, build stuff. I’d make some sort of ride for Gracie to go down the outside deck steps. It would be similar to those people chairs that go upstairs. Gracie would enjoy going and coming whenever the mood strikes her.
Today is national donut day. Dunkin’ Donuts will give out a free donut with each drink. My favorite is a butternut donut, but it goes fast. I sometimes have to make do with a Boston Cream. Make do and Boston cream seem incongruous.
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Categories: Musings
Tags: couch, darkness, dog crate, lights, lovely day, national donut day, nighttime, outside, Sleep, Snoring, sunny, tossed and turned, uncomfortable, warm
Comments: 10 Comments
April 18, 2017
Today is cloudy and chilly. We are back to the 50’s with a high of only 51˚ and a low tonight of 36˚. I have nothing planned for today.
This has been a bad morning for Gracie. She slid on the kitchen floor and fell. I pulled her up by the halter, but she was wild and wide-eyed and it took a bit to settle her down. She panted for quite a while. She is now resting on the couch. I have moved the treads from the indoor stairs and placed them all around the kitchen floor and right in front of the dog food and water. The tiled floors in the kitchen and bathroom are tough for her with the slipping of her back feet so I’m hoping she’ll get used to the treads in both rooms.
I am now permanently sleeping on the couch. It is actually comfortable for both of us. Gracie doesn’t have to worry about the stairs, and she can sprawl at one end. The couch is good for my back, and I get to lie in bed and watch TV. The bathroom is close and so is the kitchen so my immediate needs are easily met. I do this because it is best for Gracie. That is the least I owe her for all the love she gives.
I guess all the anxiety about Gracie has taken its toll on me and left me with a malaise I can’t seem to shake. I hope today is just a bad day not the beginning of everyday.
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Categories: Musings
Tags: 51˚, adjusting, cloudy, cold, couch, dog panting, Gracie, slipping
Comments: 20 Comments
April 11, 2017
This early in spring is the only time I regret living near the ocean. The cold water keeps spring at bay. Look at today: Boston will be in the high 70’s and may even reach 80˚ to break the record temperature for the day. We are in the 60’s with a chilling breeze. All records are safe.
I’m sitting on the couch with an afghan wrapped around me just because it feels good. I had a 9 o’clock meeting this morning, and I wasn’t happy when Alexa woke me up. I’m thinking a nap later.
I’ve been sitting here trying to come up with a bit of history for today, a story of growing up or of growing older. I have tons of stories. I remember my 16th birthday. We were in Maine, in Ogunquit. My aunt and uncle were there as well. My birthday was their anniversary. They got married and I got born. I was a bit put out by their being in Maine with us. I wouldn’t have minded sharing any other birthday, but I minded sharing my 16th. I didn’t show up for the joint cake. I think it was one of those cut off your nose to spite your face sort of decisions.
My 21st birthday was memorable. I got to drink legally for the first time. One of my friends sent me a magnum of champagne. Other friends took me out to dinner. It was a fun meal until the bill. I expected my dinner to be paid for. It wasn’t. My friends had split the bill among the four of us, but they forgot the tip. I paid that. My friends found out when trying to reimburse one another for my dinner and drinks. They were horrified, and a bit embarrassed.
I feel as if I am emerging from hibernation. The sun and the warm temperatures are drawing me outside. It is too soon for an open window, but I can hardly wait for the closed air of winter to disappear and be replaced by the clean fresh air.
The other morning, for the first time, I heard the birds greet the new day. That smacks of spring.
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Categories: Musings
Tags: 16, 30, 60's, 80, afghan, Birthday, chilly breeze, couch, irony, ocean, Ogunquit, record warmth, turning 30
Comments: 12 Comments
March 4, 2017
Winter is rearing its ugly head. Today is downright cold. It is 20˚ right now and today’s low will be 8˚. Gracie and I were going to the dump, but I think now I’ll just stay comfy and warm at home. Gracie is asleep on the couch beside me, her usual spot this time of day.
When I was a kid, my mother had a picture with a little boy in a blue bathrobe standing by a soapy tub. There was also a poem in the picture about taking a bath and cleaning up after yourself. That picture hung on the wall across from the toilet. I used to read the poem every time I sat on the throne as my dad used to call it. The bathrobe had a fuzzy texture as did a towel on the boy’s arm. I don’t know what happened to that picture; I’m thinking it was probably thrown out when my parents moved. I saw that same picture, with the fuzz, hanging at a B&B in Ireland, in Youghal. I tried to buy it. They didn’t want to part with it.
I had to memorize all sorts of things for school when I was a kid. The worst was when I was in the eighth grade. I had a crazy nun named Sister Hildegard. She used to eat candy from her desk drawer. It was no secret. We knew she did from her chewing. Once she even spit nuts on my paper when she talked to me. She called us devils and said she would write thanks be to God across the whole blackboard when we graduated. She made us memorize the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. I got through all of the Declaration of Independence and part of the Constitution when I decided I’d had enough. My desk was directly across from Sister Hildegard’s desk with only a small space between us. I put my history book on the floor opened to the Constitution. Every day during history I’d recite a new section, but I cheated by looking at the book on the floor. Soon enough anyone who could get away with it did the same thing. Sister Hildegard would have called me an occasion of sin.
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Categories: Musings
Tags: -20˚, 8˚, bathrobe, bathtub, cheating, couch, Declaration of Independence, dump, Eighth grade, freezing cold, little boy, memorizing, poem, sin, Sister Hildegard
Comments: 4 Comments
November 17, 2016
Maddie and Gracie are fast asleep; however, I am not. It is now almost 5 AM. I have been awake most of the night on and off. These animals are killing me. Maddie howled, but it sounded strange so I got out of bed and checked. She was just fine. By then it was close to one-thirty. I turned off the light and fell asleep. Gracie woke me up by moving around the bed. She was panting. I turned on the light to check on her. She came up to me and leaned against me. I patted her and her stub of a tail wagged, but she was still hovering and leaning. I got worried and decided to go downstairs with Gracie. It was about 3:30. I let her out. When she came in, she wanted a treat. I gave it to her then she got on the couch and went to sleep. She is even snoring. I’m exhausted.
Television is awful in the early morning. Not even Hallmark tempted me with its description of a runaway dog bringing two people together. I also had other choices like Bubble Boy which is not to be confused with The Boy in the Plastic Bubble and Delta Farce which is not to be confused with Delta Force. I must have gone up and down the channel numbers several times before I settled in at On Demand where I could choose the bad movies I wanted to watch.
Well, this paragraph is a continuation. I fell asleep around 6:30 despite how loudly Gracie was snoring. I tossed and turned several times as the couch, where I ended up, wasn’t comfortable. I woke up around 9:30 and hurried to make the coffee. I needed it in sort of a life’s blood kind of way.
Nothing of any import is on my dance card. I may do a bit of unnecessary but fun shopping. I definitely will take a nap.
Today is cloudy though the weather report said partly sunny. I guess I don’t live in the right part.
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Categories: Musings
Tags: cloudy, couch, Hallmark, howling, insomnia, morning programs, On Demand, panting, sick dog, sleeping, sunny, Television, The Boy in the Plastic Bubble
Comments: 10 Comments
November 14, 2016
Last night I slept on the couch. Gracie had an upset stomach, and I needed to be near the spider plants. I threw all the cushions on the floor, grabbed an afghan and tried to get comfortable. Gracie slept right through the night. Maddie did not howl. She slept on the chair, and because I was close, she too slept through the night. I was the only one who kept waking up.
Last night I kept going outside to see the moon. I didn’t want to miss it. I’m glad it was a warm night. Tonight I’ll do the same.
My television viewing has changed lately. I’ve been avoiding the news and have conquered my addiction for MSNBC. I’m watching mostly movies, mostly documentaries. Yesterday I watched documentaries about World War II. I watched the US leapfrog across the Pacific taking island after island from the Japanese. Now I’m watching December 7, a film by John Ford. It is Hawaii before, during and after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The battle scenes in all of these films have been difficult to watch. The deaths of the servicemen are real.
Today will be close to 60˚. It is not a day to be inside, not a day to be doing laundry. I think Gracie and I will take to the open road. I’ll open her window so if she gets the urge, she can stick her head outside. We’ll keep to 6A, a slower road, a pretty road filled with old captains’ houses and real trees lining the sides of the road. I never tire of 6A.
My neighbors were raking leaves yesterday. Both of them are in their late 70’s. He has Alzheimer’s. His job was to hold the bag for the leaves while his wife raked. I stopped to chat when I was leaving to go to the dump. He always says hi. When I got back home, they were gone from the yard, but there were still plenty of leaves to rake. I think there will always be leaves. They are the bane of fall.
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Categories: Musings
Tags: 6A, battle scenes, black and white films, captains' houses, couch, documentaries, Gracie the dog, leaves, moon, raking, ride, sleep through the night, upset stomach, warm night
Comments: 10 Comments
