Morning Glory Studio

august is *hot*...

 

 

 

It is August - the 17th to be exact. Here I sit, inside Zeke's, at the counter facing the window, looking out on the Avenue. 

It is August - and H-O-T! 89° F, to be exact and just barely Noon! The weather app says it feels like 98° F. I don't disagree.

It is August - I recall, decades ago - perhaps July 1983,  I was attending the annual American Library Association conference. At these conferences, publishers have their new wares on display and provide free copies of books they expect will be hot  (pun intended). Judith Rossner's August was being released and the give-away was not only the book but a really cool book bag that said August is HOT! complete with an appropriate graphic. Yes, I got the book and the bag! Read the book, donated it to the library. Used the bag til it wore out.

We have a quiet weekend on tap - the forecast calls for rain and cooler temps. That will be a welcome relief.  And in my reading queue, I have several "cooler" books .

Enjoy your weekend!

Cheers~

 

this day was made for walkin'...

 

       This morning we awoke to a cool  68 degrees. Today's forecast : sunny skies, most of  the day. I decided that this was going to  be my morning to walk to Zeke's  for a caramel latté and a sit out on the Avenue. I hadn't been in over a week and I was feelin' the need. Armed with my journal, a pen, iPhone, a book  AND money, I headed out for the not quite a mile walk going (tho' it's over a mile returning, depending on the way I go...). I had a delightful walk and sit out, including meeting a delightful young woman and her two young sons; she's  starting a blog - but that's a story for another post.

Going and coming, I took 56 photos; a few of my favorites  included:

• a day care taking its young charges out for a ride...
• photos of art made by disabled artists of all ages and abilites, on display in a window ...
• my caramel latté, mais oui...
• #blueskyblooms  -crepe myrtle trees -abundant in bloom and color, especially against the dazzling blue sky...
• a yellow door ( I secretly covet one for my house) ...
• a monarch butterfly perched atop a flower...
• US and DC flags, flappin' in the wind (the DC flag needs replacing - it's a tad tattered)...
• children playing on the jungle gyms, monkey bars, swings

I neither read or journaled, but that's just fine for the moments spent are indelibly inscribed in my mind. I hope your day was filled with many colorful and memorable #tinytinymoments, too.

Cheers~

 

FriYAY | 5.25.2018...

 

 

YAY!  The weather's been 99% perfect. Blue sky; sunshine and  low to mid 80s temps! Perfect invitation for a walk to Zeke's for an iced caramel latte´ (made with decaf and almond milk) and a sit-outside on the Avenue ( Rhode Island/US 1 in DC). 

YAY! Journal Club resumed today... a good reason to schlep my iPad and iPhone, journal and pens/colored pencils with me to Zeke's.

YAY!! For inside and outside WiFi at Zeke's; outside was too iffy so I easily gathered my stuff and moved inside and perched at the counter with a full view of the Avenue and easily continued with Journal Club. 

YAY! A wonderful start to the long holiday weekend. Family comes Sunday - Elias'  first visit! Enjoy your weekend!

Cheers~

a couple brilliant ideas...

 

Tu 8 May

7 am:  Fiddle around in CR, straightening up…downstairs for MSQT…make tea.  N gets up, shortly after 8 am (early for him)…there goes MSQT! TV goes on (of course); we kibitz…he finishes his breakfast and goes downstairs to his computer.  I eat b’fast…grateful for the resumption of  MSQT!

10:18 - Catch up on notes for WiTL  Appreciate the quiet sounds in the room (and my ears - which long thought was “static electricity,” turns out to be tinnitus~ a mild case) … Thinking I'll  use Pages  for notes -   I can C + V for blog posts, etc…guessing I’d best clear up my space and get ready; we're going  to Lowe’s and Home Depot - fence hunting … Remind myself : take paper and plastic bags and books  to  car…and definitely take a walk this afternoon... 67 degrees @ 10:28 and sunny…

1 pm: Return home. Our trips to both home improvement stores futile - not really any inventory and definitely no inspiration...frustrating -  as this saga with replacing the now fallen fence continues with no end in sight.  I decide the time to take a walk is now!

2:16: Sitting outside @ Zeke’s; a lovely, sunny, low-to-no humidity day... Drinking a decaf caramel latte´ made with almond milk and reading my Monday new book purchase. NTS: next time I come to Zeke’s, bring my own coffee mug (I think the cups they use are too small). Brilliant Idea! I almost blurt out loud. 

2:46 : I decide to take a different path home from Zeke’s: walked down Jackson St and met Jackson, a Westie?! And his owner…she invited me to attend the local garden club meeting; perhaps I will.  Arrv’d home as N was leaving for his walk… drafted/published  blog post and started LOAD - 8.

Later in the early evening, discussed with N the idea of installing  a chain link fence... and use bushes/trees  for privacy. We both thought that's the best solution and congratulated ourselves for our brilliant idea!

Finished my layout and watched TV.  To bed shortly about 11:15 p. Loving those brilliant ideas!

Cheers~

Fri-YAY | 4.13.2018 | Indeed!

 

 

 

Absolutely nothing - not a thing - out of sorts with this day. For starters, the temperature reached 85 degrees under bright blue sunny skies...I decided, (after a lengthy trip to the post office to mail a slew of packages) to take a walk to Zeke's. I took

• my journal (Fri afternoons' Journal Club sessions are in recess til mid May, or so...)
• my iPhone to a- listen to this week's Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast; b - take photos, of course and c - map my walk (an app) - which reminds me, I still have to get my Apple watch!  This weekend? 
• my Haiku magnetic poetry kit.

Of course, I chose to sit outside; it was, however,  just a tad breezy to play with the poetry magnets... NTS: take a surface that the word magnets will stick to...hmmm. After I  finished my caramel latté, soaked up the sun's rays and delighted in the day, I packed up and left to go home, taking a slight detour through a neighborhood. My oh my! A feast on this bright, sunny, super warm #blueskybloom day:

    

I wish for you a weekend that's just as filled with brightness, color and spring temps as was my  Fri-YAY!

Cheers~

 

a saturday adventure...

 

 

I had an interesting walk this afternoon:

• I decided to go to Zeke's, my local coffee shop, and sit outside...the day was warm - well hot (how 'bout 90+ degrees in the shade - and tho' a tad humid, bearable) and watch the activity on the Avenue (Rhode Island/US 1).  On my way, there was a noticeable increase in traffic..and as I got closer to the area park, music and lots of people, arriving and/or situated there. Food stands, classic convertibles; children; families; young/old...all gathered to honor and celebrate Chuck Brown, the Founder/Godfather of the  Go Go music genre.  I realized that when I'd walked through the park earlier this week there was a lot of grounds' maintenance going on: grass and  hanging tree limbs cut; additional  porta-johns and trash receptacles being situated, etc...curious, I thought then and dismissed it...

 

• At Zeke's, I ordered a cold brew and definitely decided to sit outside...their A/C is on the blink...second time this season! Despite the temp and humidity, it was definitely cooler out than in. Just as I sat down a woman sat down at the table next to me...we struck up a conversation and she shared with me lots of history about the area. She's lived here for nearly 55 years. We talked for a good 45 minutes and then walked towards home -  we discovered we were going in the same direction as we live  about 8 blocks away from one another. Small world ...

 

• Just as I arrived home, I saw the mail carrier and waited til she got to the house. For me: happy mail! Inside? Stay tuned...

 

• Hot - did I share the temps were in the 90s? - I immediately went upstairs to shower (Norman was on the phone with his son) and realized I'd gotten sun burned! My face, arms, hands . I was wearing a hat, sunglasses -but no sunscreen. I wonder if the coming eclipse has anything to do with the strength of the sun's rays...After my shower, I parked myself on the bed to catch up on email and read a tad...A perfect ending to the day's adventure.

 

Cheers~ 

on a rare day in JULY!

 

Sunday 30 July 2017 83 degrees

This has been a day to be outside, taking in the sights, sounds, sensations of an absolutely rare day in June... July!    Mother Nature has truly blessed us.  My day started with my usual MSQT and a nice chat with friend Pat. About 10:20am, Norman and I left - he going to Mass and I,  to sit out on the Avenue@ Zeke's Coffee Shop.  On the way, I stopped at a neighborhood grocery store and bought a filling and delish lemon ricotta-filled muffin and some bananas (we were out). Figured I'd have breakfast @ Zeke's.

Settled at an outside table with my coffee, muffin, banana, iPhone/iPad and journal, I spent the next hour and a half or so enjoying conversations with others seated in the outdoors portion of the coffee shop and just enjoying the moments:

• Most amusing: a young mother with twins, a boy and a girl, about 14 months old, just starting to walk. The girl, steadier on her feet and less adventuresome; the boy: wobblier and adventuresome - off he'd go. Poor mom, trying to take a few minutes and drink her iced coffee - he had other thoughts. T'was funny and finally, Mom decided to put them both -especially him- in their strollers. He was an unhappy camper...
• Most enterprising: a guy washing and detailing cars, just a few yards down the street...this could only be done on a Sunday morning, I'm sure...traffic too dense and fast on weekdays...

I might have stayed put all day but I closed up shop about 12:30 pm and walked home. Norman had returned from Mass and we watched a couple Sunday talk shows...

About 3:30 pm (Norman had gone for a walk - to the grocery store), I heard a commotion on the street and  went to check it out... and there for the entire block  were at least seven fire, hazardous materials trucks and an ambulance! Apparently, neighbors about 7 houses down thought they smelled/detected carbon monoxide - fortunately, not. The trucks left, I returned to my perch at the table; shortly thereafter, Norman returned home from his walk to  the grocery store. I'm thinking as I wrap up this post, he's now probably taking a nap. Just like the cat has all day. It's just been one of those lazy summer days. 

Cheers~

 

she persisted...

Our respite from the heat was short-lived but lasted long enough to take a walk to Zeke's this morning; fortunately, their A/C has been fixed. 

"Energy and persistence conquer all things." ~ Benjamin Franklin

Right on Ben! I am delighted to share that I figured out where I was misconnecting with the tea wallet! T'was a simple mistake that a fresh look after a good night's rest and cooler temperatures, tho' the latter is short lived, revealed. Karen suggested in her comment that maybe the moon was having an effect; could be...even tho' "Science" may  debunk... I'm game for considering it as an influence. ..Yesterday was the "new moon." I did a little research and ran across this article; quite interesting reading...

One of the new books I received last week is: A Writer's Guide to Persistence by Jordan Rosenfeld. I started it this morning and I think I shall go bury my nose in it, now!

Enjoy your Monday!

Cheers~

 

more rare june days...

 

                    Monday's weather was near perfect...so I grabbed my journal, iPhone and headed to the pool at our neighborhood regional park. T'was a pleasant walk and even more pleasant once  I arrived - about 2 pm, spending a lovely 45 minutes or so watching the kids play and jotting an occasional thought or word in my journal...

Today, Tuesday, dawned even cooler - 69 degrees; I grabbed a few index cards, a pen and walked to Zeke's - local indie coffee shop - for a brief sit out on the Avenue, taking in the sights and the weather. Moms with babes in arms and toddlers in tow, make quick stops for a cuppa java...this little girl very much amused me, in her jammies ...Christmas, yet! If you look closely, you can see an angel right about her elbow.Wonder what she has in that big bag...

I''m not sure where the day has gone since I returned home - or what I've done.  But, that's OK...it's summer and the living is easy. 

Cheers~

on father's day | 18 june 2017...

 

 

Norman and his son Myron have had a wonderful afternoon:

• working on a special project;
• watching and listening to the Nat/Mets game - Nats lost;  
• chatting - their favorite  pastime - and solving the world's problems; no headway there;
• staying cool and most importantly -
• enjoying one another's  company!

Before Myron arrived, I walked to Zeke's and spent about an hour there  - inside! Too hot to sit outside. The coffee shop was busy - a seat or two left. On my way home, I stopped at the library. Home, I took another shower and lounged on the bed, reading and journaling. Just cooling it...and remembering my dad  - with a huge smile on my face.

 

Hope your Father's Day has been a good one, filled wth old and new memories.

Cheers~