As part of the renovation of my office space, we are redoing the wallpaper that goes from the foyer down the hall and up the stairs. It is a LOT of wallpaper. I have a really good wallpaper person, though. She's the one who was redoing the wallpaper in Small Boy's bedroom while I was in labor with him. ("Excuse me, just let yourself out, I need to ( Read more... )

I am happy that my husband got the smart home technology working in Maine, because that's how I was able to notice that the temperature was dropping in Maine. This limited our damage substantially. I love checking the temperature sensor from my phone ( Read more... )

Although it is 45 degrees and raining for Memorial Day weekend, it is not actually snowing at our house, unlike places in neighboring counties ( Read more... )

Today is the first day I've had in the office since... December, maybe?... when I haven't been scheduled with clients.  I specifically and on purpose tried to keep Tuesdays and Thursdays free for working on projects.  Working "on" the business instead of "in" the business.  Time to think, which for me looks like going for a long walk and/or getting ( Read more... )

River is nearly a great dog. She is calm and graceful and beautiful and affectionate. She is happiness incarnate.River is playful. This deserves its own paragraph. She is intensely playful. She is utterly focused on tennis balls, which we call the yellow orbs of power. A squeaky toy is fun. A garbage bin that can be rummaged through is diverting. ( Read more... )

Should people be allowed to sell their kidneys?

Let's say you are really healthy and a friend of yours is really unhealthy.  You are inclined to help your friend, but really can't afford to take the time off of work and - honestly - want a little sumpthin sumpthin for your effort.  You hear that other people get $10,000 in other countries for a good ( Read more... )

Today was Small Boy's first morning ever on a school bus.  Yes, he is 13 years old and in 8th grade, but for his entire life I had been walking him, riding him there on his bike, or his father had been driving him.  But it's ridiculous to drive him now; B. prefers to take the bus to work himself.  And, as much as I loved walking him to his ( Read more... )

One of the reasons I'm so out of shape is that Ela was too sick to go running this year.  I just didn't have the heart to go for a run in the park without her, somehow.   But River is six months old now, and Small Boy is going out for the cross country team this fall, so yesterday we resumed our regular runs in the park.

( Read more... )

( I love the sky there. )

You know all those times I've given Ela dialogue in my posts?

Ela spoke more eloquently than any dog I've never met, although perhaps it's just because I understood her better than any dog I've ever met before.


( Read more... )