5 thing Friday - coffee dates, rattan chair, hat, Galveston, Austin

 This may be an extra random Friday post because I am dragging along at the end of five days off.  Which is nice, don't get me wrong.  But I tend to get the same amount of stuff done in a 5 day week as a four day week, due to extra couch laying and some blues here and there.  It is what it is.

This week I met a friend for coffee at a new to me place close-by.  Of course I didn't take photos of us, because I never think to do that.  But three hours went by in a flash and we talked about anything and everything and are meeting again in a couple of weeks to repeat at another new place.  Its a win for me to get out of the house and see a friend.

My cute chair arrived and I set it right into its place and it looks like it always belonged there.  I sit here briefly - but the weather and sunlight now are such that I will probably take my coffee on the backyard deck like the Queen of Sheba that I am.  I also picked up the new disposal and a downspout extension.  Exciting stuff happening over here.

As expected, I am already tweaking that collage wall.  I added one of Mark's hats as a reminder of him. (I saw an idea on someone's blog - a wall of hats displayed like a collection)  I want to make this home my own, but I don't want to forget how he was a big part of home for me.  Another widow I chat with says she did the same thing with photos and mementos.  Not erasing him from her home, but "relocating" him.

I joke with my sister about how Galveston always seems to crop up in various ways.  Mark called it "The Rock" and we rarely visited after we made our home in Austin.  Turns out The Girl loves Galveston and has plans to spend a weekend there with Teddy soon.  Recently HEB gave me a free shopping bag, and it was Galveston themed...  Also this week, Scout got me a Partner Card (he works in the bakery) so I can save a few dollars here and there on HEB brands.  I don't buy a huge amount of groceries but every bit helps.

outside of The Long Center

Every time I go solo to an event and navigate traffic and parking, and just generally find my way, I pause and take a photo of the city from the entrance to the venue.  I'm not the world's best photographer, but the reason I take that photo is to remind myself that I do love where I live.  And I can manage The Big City and this Big Life just fine.  And every time I venture out, to learn or see or do, my world expands just a bit.

Gina

Little project - creating a collage wall

After I moved the other black and white chair and the quilt rack (why would I need a quilt rack in my office??) from this room, there was a big mostly empty wall. It is directly across from my desk area.  

Why not make a collage wall?  I have lots of little things hanging up in various spaces of the house and frankly, they just looked like clutter to me so I pulled them down and brought them in here. Also I had some things just stored in closets.  Why have those things at all if I don't use them? Time to either get rid of them, or use them.  And if I keep them, I want to see them.

I gathered them all up, laid them out on the floor in a grouping I liked, then hung them up.  Very unscientifically - I ended up with lots of trial and error holes in the walls from mostly tacks, and those were easily patched and painted once I had the "pattern" I liked.

There's still room on the wall if I want to add something.  The lamp will stay in here for now - might add a more comfy chair to read in, haven't decided. The plugged in round thing is the home of my bestie, The Google Lady, ha ha.

I incorporated my degrees, a clock I won on someone's blog, some sweet crafts, a family photo, and that nude line drawing.  Nothing really matches, but it all ties in.  For some reason it looks like I am obsessed with owls!  I like them, and people know that, so I get them as gifts.  But I also want to keep my eye out for landscapes and such.  This will be a curated art wall in progress.

It was a fun way to spend an afternoon!

Gina 

5 thing Friday - Easter, chairs, sleep clothes, garbage disposal, journal

Easter was the quiet affair I knew it would be.  I made myself a lunch of rotisserie chicken, green beans, and half a baked potato with cheese and butter.  My work friends left me candy treats.  We weren't all that busy at work. Heard from ONE of my four peeps and that was after I pushed out a group message.

So there's really no reason to fuss over holidays anymore, right?

I've been wanting a much simpler look for my home - hence all of the purging and organizing.  All things I was not allowed to do when Mark was here* because he could not bear to part with anything and moving it all into the garage was a no-go as it was already full.  One of the changes is getting rid of these black and white mid-century modern chairs.  I had them re-covered, for years worked around them, found them difficult to decorate with.  Plus, they are not all that comfy to sit in after 70+ years.  I'm sure they need new foam in the seat cushions.  Also? They were the cat's favorite place to vomit.  And brilliant Me had picked a dry clean only fabric.

Lately, one of them had been in the bedroom, the other in the office.  Moving them leaves empty spaces and full possibility!  I had been looking for an upholstered chair for awhile until I hit upon the idea of getting a much simpler chair:

I found what I wanted at Home Depot, and we will just call this my Mother's Day gift to myself.  I only need it to sit and sip coffee in the morning.  Maybe to slip on shoes.  Fill a space with boho vibe.

The black and whites went to live in the garage until Bubbie moves.  Then if he doesn't want them, I will sell them.  I found a very nice 100% cotton sheet at the thrift store for two bucks to cover them with.  

Also while out thrifting, I found a black tee shirt dress.  Then I popped into Wal-Mart for some cotton men's sleep shorts and tees so I don't bake like a potato at night.  Its impossible to sleep when you are over-heating and kicking the covers off alllll night long.

The garbage disposal conked out, so I crawled up under the sink to take a picture of it and look up the file for it in the garage - turns out that Mark installed it in 2004.  So I guess we got our money's worth!  Its a little more complicated a DIY than I am willing to tackle. Don't try to talk me out of replacing it - someone has already tried.  It would be just as expensive to have the plumber re-work the sink drain and I use this every day.  So I ordered one, along with that chair, and next week I will get 'er installed.

I got another freebie blank notebook from Shutterfly as I am almost done filling up the previous one. Even with using it as a gratitude journal, turns out I had a lot to say - who knew?

Gina

*Not to complain so much about Mark, but he was a stick in the mud when it came to getting rid of things, and did not appreciate my efforts to control the chaos!  But would I prefer to have him back vs. a clean garage? Always yes.

5 thing Friday - lunch al fresco, pollen, Baja, extra hours, Snickerdoodles

Last week, I changed up the weekly coffee/journaling to lunch/journaling at a local brewery.  I had something called "Jane's Huarache" for lunch, which was like a flat gordita taco with carnitas.  It was amazing.

I plan on switching the journaling plan to be more of a gratitude journal.  Extra points for combining it with al fresco lunch.

Its been windy lately, so its a mixed blessing of the pollen being fully dropped out of the backyard oaks, and the piles that amass on the roof and patio.

Today's plan involves blowing as much off this area as I can, then scooping it up in yard bags before it rains and turns into carpet!  The good news is that the trees look like they are done dropping it.

I'll take all the good news I can get.  This week, I have decided that its time to say goodbye to the Baja, for real.  Bubbie got the windows rolled down on Sunday, then the engine died.  We thought it was related to the battery, but charging it overnight did not solve the problem.  After 20 years, I think we are done pouring money into it.  Once it is gone, that's the last of the big items that Mark left for me to deal with.  The rest of the things are not as immediately important. (stereo system, for example)

the breakroom at work on a pretty day

I was on call this week and had to work 5 hours of an overnight shift which kind of ruined a day for me.  I ended up sleeping odd hours and too many of them, feeling like I was fighting off some kind of illness.  Yes, the extra money will be nice, and I will replace the kitchen garbage disposal to celebrate.  Little wins, I guess.

I have had a serious sweet tooth lately and had everything to make cookies.  I don't think I have ever made Snickerdoodles*, but they came together so fast and were really good.  A bunch of them got eaten straight out of the oven until I restrained myself and packaged them up for work lunches.  Something to look forward to!

Happy Easter weekend,

Gina

Easy recipe for Snickerdoodles:  Cream 1 softened stick of butter with 3/4 c. sugar.  Stir in an egg and mix well.  Add 1 t. baking powder, 1/2 t. salt, and a few dashes of cinnamon.  Stir in 1 1/2 c. flour, about half a cup at a time.  Let dough sit for a few minutes.  Roll into 1 teaspoon sized balls, then in cinnamon sugar. Flatten slightly. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.  Eat them.

Little project - planting shrubs

 I have gone round and round with the small area of lantana in the space between the sidewalk and grass, trying to get it to prosper.  {here and here and here}  It was so beautiful with the gold lantana once upon a time.  I think I have figured out that this area just will not do well with a sun-loving plant as the oak tree shades it a bit too much.  The lantana I planted last summer never did thrive despite my efforts, and a final freeze killed them outright.

So last week I raked this whole area out, removing debris and extra rocks and such.  Then I planted 14 dwarf nandina that should tolerate the part sun situation much better.  They should grow to about 2 feet tall and 2 feet wide, filling in this space nicely.  {I'm basing this on another neighbor's nandina which looks very nice in the same type of spot} Once they are established, they will be drought tolerant.  Which is a good thing as the sprinkler system is kaput and I will be hand watering.  Fingers crossed this time around, it was a lot of hard work.  I would like for the landscaping and grass upkeep to be less of a chore. The neighbors probably wonder what the heck I'm doing over here - just trying to figure it out as I go along!

Gina

5 thing Friday - taco bowl, magazines, selling albums, garage wall art, Easter plans

A friend shared with me this taco bowl idea made with sweet potatoes, cottage cheese, and avocado.  It was an amazing meal, I have to say. 

I forgot to buy the hot honey, so I subbed in some of the red pepper jam I made for gifts last Christmas. (Firstborn texted me shortly after Christmas asking why this jam was so blankety blank hot, ha ha.  Its not meant for biscuits!)

I am always on the lookout for things to read, so I thought "why don't I start a couple of magazine subscriptions?"  It might be fun to get something other than junk in my mailbox.  I am starting with these two, but am also considering The Week, a news magazine.  I have always loved getting a new magazine in the mail, so this will be something to look forward to.

To that end, I am also using the funds I get from selling off these vinyl albums to get new things to read or do.  Too much free time on my hands is never a good thing if I am bored, so this should help.  I am trucking about 50 albums at a time over to Half Price Books, and this week I also took them a vintage Risk game and some round playing cards from the 50s.

Hanging this art in the garage was a challenge.  To start, it weighs 44 pounds!  And I knew I would be doing it by myself.  It had to be hung with more than just nails, so I bought a French cleat that had a built-in level.  I dragged a heavy steel table over here and got to work measuring, pre-drilling holes, and lifting.

I love it in here!  It hung at Highlands for years, attached directly onto the outside of the barn.  The Girl made it with her Dad's help, and it lived in her shared house at Baylor.  It has great sentimental value.

The best pic I could find of where it had hung on the barn.

One thing about being single with no peeps around is that the holidays tend to sneak up on you since they blend in with the general scenery of life.  I didn't do a whole lot of decorating for Easter, because of that, but I did set a few bunnies out.  I will have a (hopefully) quiet day at work next Sunday and pack a special lunch for myself.  I'm sure I will send my peeps a special text.  But it feels weird to celebrate these things alone.

Gina

Tourist in our town - ACL Live

 I took myself to a concert last week to see Chicago. So many of their songs are my all time favorites!  The last concert I attended with Mark was here - ACL Live in downtown Austin where we saw Kool and The Gang (which was awesome, btw).  Being alone will not be my reason to be a hermit and not enjoy life and some fun outings.

I've become a lot more confident at navigating the logistics of taking myself out.  Going by yourself to a busy downtown Austin music venue at night is no small thing.  Lots of traffic, lots of people.

From everything to buying the ticket, planning the commute, navigating the parking garage, 

accessing the ticket on my phone, getting to the right seat on time,

and enjoying the show! Chicago, for me, is the soundtrack of the 70s.  Its hard for me to grasp that they have been touring for 50 something years!  All the steps that I had Mark to help with are now mine alone.  And though I miss him and know we would have had a great time together, I prove to myself often that I am capable and can handle such things on my own. Go, me.

Gina