Walk in the Park, Foggy Glasses, and Giant Pick Up

After it snowed last week we tried to walk in the park but didn’t stay very long. I’d rather not break my neck on the ice or slip in the mud. This morning it was so much better, but the mud remained. So we stayed on the more habitable paths. What was curious were tiny little snowbird creatures that someone fashioned. I’m sure there were more but I happened to notice only two. One had a beak and a little hat. There is usually some article of lost clothing. This time was a pair of blue gloves stuck in the branches. I wonder if anyone really ever finds their lost gloves or hats again? Of course there are always dog walkers. Every time I see a pooch I am reminded of our beautiful Borzoi Tatiana and the painting I still need to get done for someone before the end of the week. I’m getting really tired of foggy glasses. It makes it very difficult to focus on taking photos, but also it’s very difficult just to see. While we were out walking we got our email notice that the groceries were ready for curbside pick up at Giant. So the morning was full of activity and there is still the bed making and wash to do. It’s the never ending cycle of staying at home these last nine months. You’d never know it was Christmas week. 

GWHOLE Ring Size Adjuster Set

It’s bound to happen to just about everyone. Your wedding ring seems to shrink so you can’t take it off of your finger. Unfortunately, my husband’s ring finger joint has a bit of arthritis and it has expanded to the point where it was near impossible to remove. The ring really needs to be enlarged but it’s the last thing he wants to do but eventually may be the only solution. He took the ring off and said it felt too strange to keep it that way, and I agreed! So we looked on Amazon to see what solutions there might be - even temporarily. We came across GWHOLE ring adjusters. They are tiny little plastic spiral pieces that are wrapped around the ring to make it tighter. He wanted to put the ring on his pinky finger because it was essentially the only one it could possibly fit. The kit arrived yesterday and we ended up putting a small size spiral layer on first followed by a large size spiral layer to close the gap between the finger space and the ring. The kit also comes with a silver polishing cloth “made in England.” So far the plastic spiral pieces are working ok but I’m hoping we aren’t sorry we tried this route. The last thing we want to do is lose this ring for all the reasons you can imagine. It’s been a part of us for far too long. 

The Four Promises Children’s Book

It was eight years ago! My children’s book “The Four Promises” was transformed in to an app by StoryChimes. Shortly thereafter I turned the story in to a self published book on Amazon. I not only wrote it but also painted all the art work. Thinking back on it I don’t know how I did it. “A Tiny Fish Tale” was also turned in to an app. That was my first book. What’s so special about “The Four Promises” is that it was published in December, and the story is about my grandson and the words of wisdom his father shared with him before he was deployed to Iraq as an army surgeon. Since the app has never been updated to meet current operating system requirements I decided I should save the story by recording a bit of it off an old iPhone that still supports the rudimentary elements. I was so tickled to have the story accepted and created. Back in the day having an app was really special. It sold for ninety-nine cents! This week I sent the saved movie that was made of the app as it we playing to our grandson and asked him if his dad had had that conversation with him lately. He’s 17 years old now and has a lot of other things on his mind, but at least he remembered it. His mom had a much different take on it. It was a tough time for any family to be separated. That’s why it was so easy to write about. And being the holiday season, it’s a great story to think about it at least once a year. 

Mailing Christmas Cards

Yes, we could drop the outgoing mail in to the slot in the lobby of our building. Since it’s such a rare occasion we prefer to walk or drive over to the post office. It’s about a block away. As a youngster I used to help my mom with her Christmas cards - sealing the letters and putting on the stamps. As an adult I always sent them to an ever changing list of contacts. But once email came along that was the end of the hard copy Christmas cards. I always keep a box of cards on hand for the usual Christmas gifts for the people we want to thank for their help over the year. Handing over money in an envelope and card is so much nicer. But there are a couple of people left who still use the old system. One of them is a colleague of my husband who sends an update about his personal life rather than the mutual colleagues we both knew. I really hate the generic letters that are written once and sent to everyone without a personal note of some kind. This year I sent a card to my mom’s best friend who was much more than a friend - especially this last year before my mom passed away in February. She doesn’t have email and is in her 80’s, so it’s just the right thing to do to remember her kindness. So this morning before our walk we drove over to the post office. It’s always busy regardless of the season. Then we kept driving over or the park to dump the glass bottles in the recycle bin by the library, then slid our way through the paths in the park that were muddy and icy thanks to the snow this week. We may get a couple more cards this year but the number dwindles. It’s kinda sad, but at least we can still stay in touch in other ways. 

Rear Window

It’s not exactly Rear Window, but the scene across the street reminded me of it. After the snowfall yesterday everything took on a different glow. The yellowed lights in the offices and time of the day seemed to showcase whatever was going on behind the glass windows, separated by horizontal and vertical lines of the building. The first thing I noticed was the Christmas tree. Then someone sitting at his desk, then another. Someone else was putting a mask on and heading out the door. A snow plow came by to clear up the icy, snowy streets - careful not to hit any of the parked cars. I can only imagine what the people over there see of the people living in our building. Usually I don’t pay that much attention, except in the evening when the lights become the focal point and draw your eyes to the activity. We much prefer having an office rather than a residential building across the street. Our doctor’s office is there but on the other side. At our age the convenience is everything. We closed on our house in that building too. So we have a connection to it. Maybe that’s why I find it more interesting - especially    in the evening on a snowy night. 

52Frames Black and White Minimalism

I’ve been at it now for about a month. Our friend in the Midwest told me about the 52Frames website that he has been using. The idea is to take a photo every week based on a specific subject, upload it to the site, then get and give feedback. It looked like a lot of professional or near professional people participated, so I was a bit nervous about it since my only camera is my iPhone. I take photos all the time for this blog, so having a “project” every week seemed like a good idea - especially since we take morning walks every day. This week the challenge was black and white minimalism. I’m not much of a black and white photo taker, so this was a bit daunting. After reading the definition, I thought the best place to capture something might be in the city. So we drove in to DC yesterday and searched for some options. The Jefferson Memorial was one idea, perhaps the Capitol reflecting pool, or a rooftop of some sort. I wasn’t very inspired by what we saw except we got a closer look at the Capitol Christmas tree as a diversion. Once we got home the inspiration struck. There were several window washers doing their thing across from our condo building. The back drop was perfect - the plain building, the lines, the minimalistic subject matter. So I took a few photos and hoped one of them might work. Then I needed to transform the images in to black and white using the app on my iPad. It always comes down to two photos that I really like and my husband ends up being the tie breaker. He really is a great support for all of my endeavors and helps me come up with ideas for each week’s challenge. So I’m thanking our friend for the idea, and my husband for his help - and the opportunity to think about something else. 

Capitol Christmas Tree

We’ve walked by it a couple of times already this year. But we could never get close enough to it. So today, the blockades were finally removed and we could get within several feet of the Capitol Christmas tree. There is a rope around it, so getting really close just isn’t an option. The inauguration platform is still being built behind it. That platform gets put up and taken down every four years. This year’s tree came from Colorado. We would oftentimes see it rolling in on the truck and get installed in the west front lawn when we lived in the neighborhood. I think I liked the Colorado license plate ornament the best. The Capitol police guarding the spot was quite talkative - looking forward to retirement next year. The police are usually not so friendly nor chatty. We still need to come by in the evening to see the tree lit at night. That, and the Eisenhower memorial should be spectacular if we ever get back before the end of the year. That’s the one thing I miss about living on Capitol Hill. It was so much easier just walking from our condo two blocks away. Now it takes a drive, finding parking, and hoping you don’t need the bathroom - especially since everything is still closed.