Room at Rest

The Room is going to take a nap for awhile. I won't have access to a computer for awhile (except at work, and I don't like blogging on the sly), so I can't post and I can't get to email, either. I hope to be able to stop by your blogs from time to time, so I'll still be around.

See y'all soon!

Oops, I did it again...

I've been Home Alone this week, and, wouldn't you know, I set the alarm off again last night. Happened somewhere around 1:00 am. It only went off for about 5 seconds before I got to it, so maybe it didn't disturb anyone too much.

Sorry neighbors!

Landslides and Moonshine

Someone sent me various versions of Landslide (the song that seems to follow me lately), including the Dixie Chicks' version, which I like as much as the Fleetwood Mac version. I've burned all 4 to CD, along with a sweet little song called Kentucky Moonshine by Pure Prairie League. I heard a friend sing it today, and I had to track it down. Guess there's been a country theme to my day today.

Thanks very much for the Landslides and for the beautiful Kentucky Moonshine. Now I really AM going to bed! Goodnight!

Alarm Me! And everyone else...

Errrg. Just set off the alarm taking one of the dogs out. Boy, does that hurt your ears! Turned it off pretty fast, so I don't think I annoyed the neighbors too much. And NOW, I get to try to go to SLEEP.

GOODNIGHT!

Another Weekend Gone

Another weekend gone: one in an endless procession of nondescript breaks from work. Nondescript was OK with me this time around; I needed the rest. I nearly fell asleep while driving on Friday, less than half a mile from home. I know it happens to everyone sometimes, the sudden jerk of the head, but this was worse than usual. Let's just say that my car would have lost in a match-up with the oncoming SUV. I was seriously sleep-deprived last week. I think I totalled about 15 hours Sunday night through Thursday night. I'd fall asleep each night, but I had trouble staying asleep.

Today was an OK day. I did a bit of shopping at the mall and at Borders (had to try to find the song that made me cry when I was walking through Walmart on Friday), and I took a ride past my old house late in the afternoon. It's out in the country, and it's a pleasant drive. I'll post about that house one of these days; it was the only home I ever really fell in love with. I call it my Manderley, for those of you familiar with Daphne DuMaurier's Rebecca (though not because it's a mansion, or has a seaside cottage on the grounds; I've never been that rich).

Anyway, I turned off of my route home from the mall to head up Cumberland Avenue. Doesn't it sound green and bucolic? It is! I was immediately distracted by a small sign with an arrow that said, "Yard Sale." I made a quick left onto who-knows-what road, intrigued by the concept of a yard sale in the middle of nowhere.

Half a mile or so up the road, on what I think was a farm (I didn't stop to look too closely) some folks appeared to be clearing up the last evidence of the sale. It was late in the day (5-ish), so I guess it was silly to think a yard sale would still be in full swing. Wonder if they pulled in any business? This is truly a back road through the woods, with very little traffic - lovely and peaceful, but not yard sale territory.

I turned around a little way up the road, went back to Cumberland Ave., and cut over to my old street. It has an equally lovely name, but I'll leave that detail out. ;) You really can't see much of my old house from the road - it sits WAY back in the woods. The driveway appears to be in need of a new load of stone, and weeds seem to be poking through. Oh well, it is the country.

Still not ready to go home, I cut back up Cumberland Ave. This time I rode through with the sun roof and the windows open. I wanted so badly to just pull over and enjoy the peace and quiet, but it didn't seem like a sensible thing to do, so I headed for home.

I finally ate dinner (which was also breakfast and lunch today - I was so distracted by shopping that I forgot to eat) at about 6:30. As soon as my laundry comes out of the dryer, I'm for bed. 'Night all! Sleep tight.

Pandora's Box

I found Pandora's Box in my attic last week. Having reduced a bit lately, I've been shopping my attic for clothes that fit (as well as several local department stores; have you heard the scream of anguish from my bank account?) I came across a box packed several years ago marked, "small clothes." All things being relative, most women will recognize that the clothes we called small several years ago would qualify as absolutely miniscule today.

I actually let the box sit out for a couple of days, and I thought I had decided to return it to the attic unopened. I should have known better than to tear the packing tape off of it, but what would the world be like if Pandora had been a woman of good sense? I proceeded. What was inside? Rare treasure, indeed!

1)Tiny little chinos from the late 80's, with tapered legs and high pleated waistlines. Bought at The Limited. Black and khaki.

2)Two knit dresses barely big enough to fit my Charmin Chatty doll (I still have her, though she's in terrible condition). One green and slinky, one black and white striped above an empire waist, and black below the waistline. Both with the obligatory padded shoulders of the 80's. The black dress has two gold buttons just under the waistline, giving it a military flair. Can't believe I ever wore these to work!

3)Several pairs of shorts.

4)An acid-washed denim jumper with a high, tight waist. I remember wearing this on a date to a comdedy club in Philly, with a walk along the waterfront afterwards. I loved that jumper. Guess that's why I saved it.

5)One truly pretty outfit with a royal blue skirt in a silky fabric and an oriental-inspired wrap top in a matching print (same fabric).

6)A pretty black knit dress with long sleeves, an empire waist and a dirndl-style skirt falling from the waist, fuller at the bottom. This would be a great dress to dance in; it would flow with every movement.

And so, discontentment has been loosed from the box and into my world. I want to wear these clothes again, or at least be able to wear them. They'd look ridiculous out on the street in aught six, especially without the big permed hair to go with the shoulder pads.

I'd better take another look in the box. I think I may have packed hope back into it along with the clothes and sent the whole kit and caboodle back to the attic.

Followed By A Song

The song Landslide by Stevie Nicks seems to be following me these days. I heard it again last night just as I reached the end of a long wait in line. I don't believe in giving mystical power to happenstance, but I was a bit taken aback. I posted about this song back in July.

Hope the song can lull me back to sleep for an hour or so. I seem to fall asleep for a few hours, then wake up for a couple, mind in overdrive. I'm tired. A quiet weekend is just the ticket for me right now. Gotta make it through Friday first. An outing with the Breakfast Club should start the day off right. Pax, Zelda...see you at 8:00!

My Quiet Place

This is one of my favorite places. I've only been there once, and I'm not sure whether or not I'll ever return. It's a forest in Sitka, Alaska. This is where I send my spirit when it needs rest. I keep prints of this picture at work and at home.

Wordless

This week finds me at a loss for words. While I often cannot find just the right words, it's rare for me to find myself silenced. Right now, the words are locked in my heart, and my pen can't seem to set them free. I suspect that I am asking words to do something that words, no matter how fine, may never accomplish.

I think I'll rest a beat to refresh my heart. Maybe I'll find some wordless way to do what my poor, powerless pen cannot.

Fresh! Hot!

IT'S ABOUT TIME!

CNN is reporting that the US and France have agreed to a draft UN resolution to end the fighting between Hezbollah and Israel. What took them so long? Not enough death and destruction?

Has anybody heard any reports that the US government has called for a cease fire, aside from the pending UN resolution? The last I heard, we were saying something to the effect that we respected Israel's right to defend itself.

Yield Sign

Sometimes nature has a way of slowing you down when you need it. My weekend plans might be on hold because I'm exhausted. I was fragmented at work yesterday. It was a bad hair day, and my face is kind of splotchy - I think I'm allergic to something. I fell asleep right after dinner, and I woke up a bit after midnight feeling generally lousy. Maybe I'll pack my husband off to the barbecue today. That would allow me to spend a quiet day at home alone. Reading, sipping tea, enjoying the garden - mmmm, sounds nice!

I'm going back to bed now. Maybe I'll feel different about it when I get up later this morning. Maybe I'll feel like baking a pie and heading out to a barbecue. Maybe.

Whoever thought we'd be glad for a forecast high temperature of 93 because it meant a cooler day? Remarkable!

We have a barbecue with friends on tap for this weekend. Yet another barbecue! I'm thankful for the end of each summer because I'm ready to forswear barbecues for awhile. It should be a balmy 87 degrees this time around. I know that's a vast improvement over the 97 degree temperatures we've had for the last several days, but I've never been one to sit out in the sun (I burn, blister, peel and freckle, but I don't really tan), so 87 sounds high to me. I'll find a shady spot, and I'll pack plenty of sunscreen.

I have managed to take the edge off of my glow-in-the-dark skin with Jergens Natural Glow Lotion. While I wouldn't qualify as tan by most people's standards, at least I won't be guiding ships into harbor when I go to the beach.

In spite of the type of gathering, I'm looking forward to seeing my friends. This is an annual event with a group of guys my husband has known since childhood and their wives. Of course, that means we're going to hear about their youthful exploits all over again. I seriously don't know how these guys made it to adulthood without death, dismemberment or incarceration. We'll hear the same highlights and the same squabbles over details we hear every time this group is together (several times a year). That's OK. The ladies can withdraw to another table to discuss modern history.

I've been asked to make a sour cream apple pie for the affair, and I will oblige. I'm glad all over again for the lower temperatures, since running the oven in the extreme heat is not my idea of a good time! Yes, we have air conditioning, but, still, the idea baking anything when it's close to 100 degrees outside is anathema to me.

So, what's on for your weekend? Anybody have super plans to make the rest of us jealous? Right now, I'd probably be most envious of the person who said they were going to stay home and read a good book!

In Her Element

Zelda at Garden of Eden posted about the allure of rain today. I love the rain. I don't mind getting wet, and I love the rhythm and freshness of it.

My favorite element, however, is wind. I love a strong, steady wind that washes over me. In Ireland, we visited Inis Mor on a windy day. The ferry ride to this island off of the coast of Galway was rough, what with the troubled waves of Galway Bay and the powerful winds that came with the day. We climbed Dun Aengus and stood atop a cliff, looking out over the Atlantic Ocean with no walls no fences no guards to interfere with the view, all in the wild, wild wind. One does not go quite to the cliff's edge on Dun Aengus; to do so could be quite perilous.

Maybe I connected with my Celtic heritage while I was there. Inis Mor is a hard, bleak place, with a rugged, determined beauty. I imagine in that place a Celtic maiden of a century past, with a hard life and few pleasures. A powerful wind would seem like a portent, like a god bearing strength and power. No wonder the Holy Spirit is compared to a mighty wind.

I imagine my maiden standing near the edge of that cliff, a dangerous, exciting place to be. The deep teal of the roiling waves below match her Irish eyes. The wind assails her, enveloping her while passing over her and through her, eliciting exhilaration to her very core. Alone on that cliff she would turn her face to the sky, lift her hands palm first into the air, and let wave upon marvelous wave of wind flood her senses, commune with her soul.

I must confess that in unguarded moments I am that maiden. I cannot help myself, I must turn my eyes to the sky, open my arms to the wind. The wind releases me, blows the dust from every forgotten corner of my neglected spirit and sets my restored essence free.

We've lost our connection with the elements, and we are embarrassed to speak of our reactions to them. What a waste, what a shame. Rather, we seek sophisticated pleasures and unnatural highs, things that serve to divorce us from the boldness of the wind and the cleansing of the rain. It is good to set contrived indulgences aside from time to time to allow elemental delights to take hold once again.

8/1

August 1st already, and September will be here before you know it. Big changes are coming over the next several months. Some of my very best friends at work will be moving to a different office soon, leaving Zelda and me outnumbered in the lunchtime melee (it can truly be an uncomfortable situation) at our office. Zelda, maybe we will have to seek out an alternative lunch site.

A massive reorganization of our services is on tap for this fall, and the entire office is expected to change locations late in the year. The reorganization will probably leave me with a change of supervisor (boo), making life much more complicated. The move will put me closer to home, which is a good thing, but I'm not so sure that the new location will be as convenient for running errands on lunch break and that sort of thing.

I'm relatively philosophical about most of the changes (though I'll really miss a couple of friends). We will adapt, and the new situations will become normal to us once we establish new patterns. I'm a little bit concerned about the possible layout of the new office, since the folks in nearby cubicles (dratted world of Dilbert that we work in) have a huge impact on the quality of your workday. Oh, well, plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose is especially true in bureaucracies.

Antidote

Here's a little antidote for the extreme temperatures we're experiencing right now. This photo was taken in September of 2004. It is a picture of a section of the Hubbard Glacier in Yakutat, Alaska. Wish I was there now!

Mercy!

Tonight is surely the buggiest night since prehistory, nay, since the dawn of time. It is in my backyard, at any rate.

I just took the oldest hound out for her evening constitutional. She can't see anymore, and she can't navigate the two steps from the door to the ground, so I must carry her out into the yard. I can officially report that all of the insects have left the woods tonight to congregate on my back door. It's a veritable bugs' ball out there, and the toad patrol is missing in action once again! Not that they'd be very effective at climbing the door to get to these big bugs, but any help would be appreciated. I suspect the toads have been overwhelmed and carried away by the masses of giant insects creeping and flying around out there. I had to use a broom to sweep off the door before I could open it to come back into the house. The other dog had to go out, too, but he was on his own. I sent him out unescorted. He can make it down the steps on his own, so no way in tarnation was I going out there with him.

In spite of loving nature and the woods, I am an insufferable coward when it comes to most insects. I love my dragonflies and lady beetles, and I can tolerate most other creepy crawlies when they keep their distance. When they invade my space, I cry for mercy. I hope I didn't wake the neighbors.

If it were not for the potential for insect invasion, I could probably live alone in contentment. As it stands, if I lived by myself, I'd probably be found mummified in a corner some day, kept at bay by an errant wasp or spider. So now you know the quality I value most in a man: the ability to efficiently and effectively eliminate any and all insect visitors from the household as soon as my first scream for help is issued. A willingness to handle all outside tasks (like taking the dogs out) on buggy nights is a highly desired optional feature (one that wasn't functional tonight). Quite the job description, no?

What Women Want

Pax Romano posted today about Mel Gibson’s most recent public relations SNAFU. Mr. Gibson was arrested for driving while intoxicated. While in the process of being arrested, he is alleged to have made anti-Semitic and sexist statements.

I might not be able to speak for all women, but I know what I find sexy. This isn’t it. I confess to having skipped a few heartbeats for Mel back in his Lethal Weapon days, but sorry behavior and small-mindedness are too ugly to be outweighed by a pair of pretty blue eyes. While I believe in forgiveness (he has apologized), it’s hard to make a fallen sex symbol sexy again.

I am fortunate to know several good, kind and intelligent men. I think it’s the blessing of middle age to be able to see into a beautiful heart and love it. The wrapper is appealing because what’s inside is so attractive.

The title of this post is What Women Want. Well, to me, the most attractive things a man can possess are an intelligent mind, an interest in the world, and a willingness to consider his companion’s ideas while sharing his own. Discussions of religion, politics, travel, literature and world events are far more intriguing than flexed muscles, and a kind heart trumps everything, at least in Merci’s world!

Everybody Needs a Little Time Away

I'm in a frame of mind where I could use some down time - time to think, rest, and just be. I can't do it right now, since my Mom is here, and we have a family event this weekend. Next weekend there's an annual barbecue with friends to attend, so it won't happen then, either. Maybe I can manage an early trip to the beach one Sunday for an hour or so alone.

I'd love a real getaway - a couple of days in a quiet, beautiful place. It would be difficult to arrange an escape at this time of year without a bit of travel, since we're at the height of the tourist season, and I can't think of anyplace to go that isn't teeming with humanity. During the off season, I could probably find a quiet little B&B somewhere.

Where do you go and what do you do when you need some time alone?

Tended

Like a lover
Who comes
Late in life
Midsummer
Rouses
In my garden
Latent treasure
And elicits

In rich measure
Fiery blossoms,

Fervid pleasure

-merci