This is the beginning of our hike (above), and here is the stream where I took my blood-numbing, but mercifully short dip:

Glorious, yes? And probably even more so for those of us who are urban dwellers whose only exposure to “nature” consists of our own rather small yards and public parks. Now, mind you, I [...]

Home again, jiggedy-jig….. and I am sooooooo glad that I took today as a vacay day, too! Even the thoughts of going back to work tomorrow are somewhat unsavory, but if I’d had to go back today, I would’ve been dismally depressed and disgusted. (Probably disenchanted, too. Possibly disoriented and definitely disorganized and emotionally and [...]

Oh, isn’t this just glorious? Picture me standing on that flat rock to the right in the foreground in my EMS shorts and with a walking stick in my hand. Real “Old Lady of the Mountain” stuff, eh? I have to tell you that I am REALLY looking forward to getting up there! I especially [...]

Very ethereal-looking outside my office window today. Since we are diagonally across from “the castle”, which was, in Boston’s early colonial days, a fortress of some sort, one might almost imagine a foggy day in London. But I keep expecting to see whispy bits of ectoplasmic wraiths floating along, dressed, undoubtedly, in Patriot’s garb and carrying [...]

Nope, I don’t like it any better, even after a break. In fact, I like it even LESS after a break than I did before a break. Sadly, I don’t think I’d like to be retired, either. I think DH would get on my nerves horribly, and I’m sure I’d get on his. So, I need [...]

Well. It’s been quite a week, I must say. Or an almost-week. Since last Tuesday. Just a few more days to go. <sigh> It’s been (and is - we still have a couple more days. I mustn’t start missing DS until he’s actually gone, after all) SO lovely having him here. I do miss that [...]

Yep. DS is still asleep, but it’s only 9:08. I doubt he’ll be up before another hour or more. Yesterday, he slept until noon, poor thing, and then we had brekkie together; DD came over from next door, and I made everybody egg beater omelets with sauteed onions, red peppers, green peppers and FF cheese. [...]

Oh, how positively luxurious and lovely NOT to be rushing about getting ready for work, and NOT gearing up for the long commute! DS is fast asleep, poor baby - he was still on L.A. time, naturally, when he got in last night, and so we were up chattering until 2:30 this morning. His flight [...]

Yep. DS is scheduled to arrive tonight, and I’ve taken a vacation week for the whole time he’s going to be here. Yesterday, I was in Pittsfield, which is in the far western part of the state (@ a two hour drive from my house) for several meetings. I got up there about 45 minutes [...]

Well, we stayed at DD30’s last night ’til about 10:00 because little Morgan’s hand was swelling a bit, and the cast seemed like it was cutting in a bit too much around the base of her thumb. So, we were keeping it propped up, and encouraging her to wiggle her fingers about to keep the [...]