Of an Update on my Brother's new/old home~~~~

Dear Darklings,

Well last evening I had a chance to go over to my brother's new/old home.

The reason why I say that it's new/old is that it's new for my brother and sister-in-law but it is an old Victorian.

In touring their home my brother remarked that for its age it has been kept up very well, and since they will be living in it when the storm comes they will see if there are any leaks, but from what he's seen there doesn't appear to be any but it does have a 3rd roof, so time to take it down to basic's and have a new one installed.

Most of the previous owner's furniture has been left behind, she didn't want it nor did her children want it except for some pieces of it as well as valuable dinner and silverware and some paintings.   My brother had to move in their old bedroom furniture from their old house since the previous owner took hers, so it looks a bit strange in their bedroom but Monica said she plans to eventually get period furniture but they will need a queen size bed.  My brother has a tendency to spread out while sleeping. LOL.

The other things that they've done is move the mattresses from Corallines room into her new bedroom, but they had to buy new mattresses and box springs for the boys since each have now their own rooms and beds, well the twins are in one bedroom and Chris has his own, which I've been told he is very happy with.

Coralline is extremely happy with her new and much larger bedroom, she doesn't want to change a thing in it, and both she and Chris appear to be very happy with the arrangements.

The twins complain because new rules have been imposed upon them, the antics they use to do can no longer be done except down below in the "Club Room" as it's been called, my brother has taken over decorating it along with Chris but I noticed a lot of the sports memorabilia has been toned down and doesn't looks so garish.   Their former living room couch and chairs have found their way down there as well.  Monica said "They can do what they want except bounce on it like a trampoline".

The children still stay the week at their grandmother's and great grandmother's house and on the weekends stay in the parents house Friday through Sunday evening.  The gasoline bill will be high because of this commute,  but with both parents working they can take care of it.

The sale of their house is completed and quickly too, everything except what is immediately needed is in storage but in the "maid's room" off of their kitchen I've seen boxes opened and things sorted and boxes labeled "yard sale", "toss", "donate", and also labeled which room to go in if they are keeping it.

Monica told me that a lot of the boys toys are being donated "they've out grown them and a lot of their clothing as well, so might as well give it where it will do the most good" she said.

The maid's room is also going to be a work area for the kids to do their homework, since it's right off the kitchen Monica can keep an eye and ear out for any trouble.  

But the children are working hard to keep their grades up, and their new school is lined up as well. 

Coralline is a little apprehensive about the new school and is concerned about making friends, I told her to focus on school work, the friends will come later and to not be to quick about that part, get to know them first.  Chris will be in his first year in high school and fortunately the grammar school and high school are on the same grounds but separated by fences, it all being part of the Church's total facility. 

But both my brother and Monica want to keep Coralline back a year in school, I asked why and they felt that she had not matured enough yet, she's very smart but still a bit naïve, she understood the ways of the girls in the other school but they want her to have a chance to understand them in this new school. 

Monica told me that she felt it was a mistake to have Coralline in an accelerated class, she's bright intellectually but needs to gain a bit more "defense mechanisms "  socially.  Maybe that's not the right word to use but I understand what they want to do and Coralline even told me that she felt better about being held back and was not embarrassed about it.

The boys are fine, which is good and with Chris being in the lead to keep an eye on them it works out very well.  And their aunt that lives near by will be able to pick them up since she's retired or I can but Aunt Judith lives much closer to the school and said she doesn't mind.

I asked Monica if she's going to do much changes in the house and she said except with a new coat of paint in the Twins bedroom and the"maids'/homework room"  and on the ceilings of Chris and Coralline's room not very much, they are even keeping the wall paper---she told me it all goes so well, she just have to find pictures that will cover the faded area's---something tells me we're going to have fun antique shopping.

And there is so much more to do, they are going to upgrade the electrical in the "club room" and "homework room"  but for the kitchen and laundry areas it's just fine---May need to install a larger hot water heater as a 50 gallon might not do the job with 6 people in the house.  But that's for future.

I can see a brightness on Monica's face, even my brother is happy, the sales and the purchases have worked out well financially, and the move hasn't been too bad, Monica is in a routine and with my brother's help is going through things quickly. 

I've been able to offer suggestions on a few things but frankly there is very little that needs to be done,  and new rules are being set down for the children mostly the twins, I think as they get older they'll understand the value of things but right now it's all fun and games, but they'll learn.

And now I need to get back to paying bills.  That is never done.

Later Darklings

I'm afraid that this was Monica's and Coralline's feelings about the Super bowl, when told that Super bowl 50 was going to be played nearby, they both groaned and said "365 days of listening to 'the super bowl is coming' no, no, NOoooooo!' "

Of Labor Day weekend~~~

Hello Darklings,

Today is after Labor Day and it  was a very lazy day for Doyle, Sis and myself, just the way it should be.

Doyle took me Friday to this out of the way place to eat, I didn't even catch its name and we meet Sis there, Sis had been in contact with our Brother, he tried to get through to me at work, but the lines were busy, the upshot of the call is that we would not have Coralline for the Weekend, they had planned to go on a mini-camping trip at the last minute, the Boys (aka "The Three Stooges") were demanding it and they wanted Coralline to come with them. 

Coralline did leave a message on the home phone for all of us "I'm going to be suffering in hell with the Brats, but I'll do my best to enjoy Mother Nature, if I don't push them off a cliff".   Coralline does love camping but not with her brothers,  when she went with another little friend and her parents it was a totally different and enjoyable experience for her, so she realized what spoils the camping experience is "The Brats".   I'm going to have to have a talk with my brother.

By dinning in San Rafael we managed to avoid the worse of the communte traffic considering that I left work late, but later Monday evening we saw that the new bridge was finally open!  We watched the ceremonies on T.V. with Gavin Newsome our Liut. Gov giving his speeches---Doyle said "Blah, Blah, Blah"  he never did like Newsom has always thought him a phony.   But we did see the last car go over the old bridge with Cal-Trans escort and the first car, a 1934 convertible with police escort go over the new bridge, followed with a parade of vintage cars,  simple and befitting.

Tuesday evening Doyle came to pick me up at work and drove my vintage 1940 Buick, as we drove back over the new bridge, I found it to be lovely, elegant even, but I looked over at the old Cantalivered Bridge, such a workhorse, doing what it was suppose to do, not elegant like its western half cousin, a blue collar bridge, to be taken apart piece by piece because it out lived its usefulness, too many cars, too many demands upon its structure.

I remember as a little girl, taking a Key System train over the lower parts of the bridges, later those lower parts were converted to be the Eastern traffic and the rail lines taken out, the light and electric towers remaining for many years, forlorn, their use forgotten.   Then either driving or taking the Bus over the old bridge with my Mother to meet Dad at his work.   And yet still seeing an occassional car ferry, then they faded from view.

Then I going to work in my later years, either driving, car pooling, taking a bus over that old structure, watching the traffic or when on the bus looking at the sights, and subconsiously taking in the bridge.
The crowding, the back up as increasingly more and more cars came to use the bridge, people becoming enamoured with the extra freedom of the private car, and yet being trapped by it.   Then the Loma Prieta Earthquake,  people discovering the Ferry system, BART the modern version of the old Red Trains becoming the way to travel.  Rising gas prices making the expense of a car and the freedom to just go anyway difficult.   Yes even I have to plan our car errands, to maximum the gas use.

And I felt as we drove back on the new bridge a nostalgic tug at my heart looking at the old, tired, hard-working friend, now in the process of being dismantled, piece by piece, section by section.   I heard that eventually they will sell pieces of the old bridge as souviner's and I want  a piece of that history.  A tangible reminder of an old and faithful friend.

Labor Day weekend was really very quiet for us, we did have a chance, Sis and I to go to the Spirit Store and I spotted several things, yes I'm afraid I spent a bit too much but its only once a year,  however Sis did point out that since Spirit has a web site, to in the future, over the year, purchase what I like,  like DUH!!!  She is so right!!  Why wait until the physical store opens to buy things, when I can buy it on line.   Espeically if its something that I am familar with and like.  Imagine the hand smacking the forehead with realization.

Sunday, a neighbor brought by a large basket of freshly picked apples, so Sis in an enterprising move decided to put up apple slices for pie or general desert,  she said she wanted to do it herself, since I was going to be doing some hand mending of clothing, like re-sewing a button or mending a hem, I had about a dozen things to take care of, so since Sunday was nice a peaceful I sat out on the back porch with my mending basket and basket of threads, needles and pins and using the sunlight to provide a good viewing of the items to sew and yet be near Sis incase she needed my help.

Belladonna enjoyed the comfort of the porch, occasionally getting up to sniff, walk around and explore the garden.  Doyle was reading the Sunday paper and eventually fell into a snooze, later he woke up and made sure the water system worked.   I have it set to water at about 3 a.m. when its cool, and the water can perk into the soil.  But the scent of cooked apple slices was heavenly, and Sis didn't cook all of them I had an apple for an afternoon break.

Later when she was done she came out to enjoy the comfort of the porch,  I asked if she wanted me to do any of the clean up and she said she felt so energetic that she did it all, I felt bad that I didn't help with that part of it but she said to not feel that way, she really enjoyed the whole process of it that it was meditative.  I thought at first she was sort of joking but she was serious.   With that Doyle announced that no one would cook and would go and get Chinese in a couple of hours.

So we sat out on the porch, listening to our Sirius Radio playing Big Band music, reading, sewing, relaxing, talking.  Suddenly Sis looked at me and said "Let put a puzzel together tonight, we've got a bunch of them up in the 'cemetery' (aka 'lumberroom') Let's do that, something old-fashion"  We liked the idea and after dinner and doing the dishes we relaxed like we did as children enjoying finding the pieces that fit and laughing and commenting on life.

And we were happy to hear that the Yosemite Rim Fire is now 70 percent contained.  

I found myself enjoying the old-fashioned things, would that more people did.

Later Darklings



Yes, Darling I think Chines for Dinner tonight would be perfect.



Of the Scent of Fall in the air~~~~

Darklings, it's early,

But already for the past few mornings I can scent Fall in the air, and it makes me tingle.

Don't get me wrong, Summer is fun and lovely, but there is something about the anticipation of Fall that is special.

I love Spring with the rivers and streams running full, the flowers blooming, all that wonderful green vegetation,  Summer is the scent of laziness, of cicada's humming in the tall dry grass, of ocean breezes and seashore shells,  Winter is cold,  bone chilling cold of pumkin spice coffee and tea, of hot soups and comfort food, of wet winter storms howling and pelting at your windows so you draw up to warm fires and tell ghost stories.  But Fall is a sort of combination of all these anticipated things, of fruits to be preserved, of the hint of warmth and cold, of the tingling of things to come, of darkness slowly creeping back, pushing the Sunlight away. 

Fall is of dryness and wet, of warmth and cold, of the shifts of the seasons, of being prepared for things to come.

And I get tinglely.  Perhaps this is the same thing that birds and animals sense for migration, hibernation, and mating.  

Sis and I have been going over the pantry the other night, while we waited for Doyle to come home,  she wants to do preserving of fruits and stock up on veggies again, and also check for oil for lamps and batteries for flash lights, in case we have a storm blackout, which could happen given our electric company's problems of not trimming the trees in time. 

And she's right, I want Doyle and I to go over the house and property to anticipate any problems, having the gutters cleaned out and any repairs, the roof and chimney's checked, and the fire places cleaned out, so go over the check list and make phone calls. 

Things cannot all be fun and games, a sense of preparedness is important as well, which reminds me to go over our first aid cabinet as well. 

Sis will not be able to move into her house until late Spring, depending upon how long it will take to paint and wallpaper and other upgrades and repairs, she's not hurrying, she wants it done right.  At least Brian her caretaker, house guest/tennant is comfortable.  I don't mind how long she stays, but she's right she does need to have her own place.

So we are planning to do a major shopping event this weekend and maybe do some buying up in Brentwood later on.  I really will look forward to doing something old fashioned and comforting all for Fall.

Later Darklings

We've tried it and we've found it delicious, just right for Fall

Of Tragedy at S.F.O. and old-fashioned things~~~

Dear Darklings,

I'm sure that many of the National and International News agencies are carrying this tragic story.

Flight 214 from South Korea, crashed yesterday afternoon at the San Francisco Airport.

The miracle is that only 2 people died, 2 teenage Chinese National girls who I believe were part of a group of 70 going to a Summer Camp here in the US.

There were 290 passengers and a crew of I believe 16 I'm not sure, the only thing is that there were 309 people total on board, 307 survived.   At last count 181 were injured with various types of injuries, at least 16 critically, but at this time they are expected to survive.

The bodies of the 2 girls were found outside the plane, which has us puzzeled.   It is described that the plane came in too low the pilot realized it gave it an increase in power but it was not enough to clear, the landing gear of the tail of the plane hit the rock wall that separates the run way from the bay,  and then the rest of the plane skidded and its jet enginges ripped off. 

The pilot at the last second managed to get word to the tower that replied that emergency personnel are on their way.  Police were tossing box cutters to the crew to help passengers get free of their seat belts, many passengers and the crew helped others remain calm even though there was fire, the airbags to slide to safety were deployed.

Doyle thinks that the 2 girls were sitting in the tail section of the plane and when it hit they were thrown out.  But that is only speculation.  Many flights are being rerouted to Oakland, San Jose Airports possibly Los Angeles as well. Any airport that has very long runways.

Yesterday evening as Sis and I were cleaning up from canning the fruits we were watching and listening to the news reports, it will be weeks before anything will be diffinet about this.  All we could do was pray for them and their friends and families.   Doyle told us that the Boeing 777 is a very "tough" plane and it might have been a good thing the pilot poured the power on to give the front end lift, it might have helped save many lives.

I know that I have many readers on my Blog who are from overseas, and this blog may help give them a quick overview of anything major happening in my area.  But Yahoo and Google News will have more information and updates.  So I'd have to refer you to those sources.

This event sort of deflated our day, one hates to be happy and enjoying things when such a tragedy takes place, it makes the events in our lives seem so trivial and silly.  Sis and I stayed up until late in the evening to discuss this, how we felt.   Doyle had put in a long day and said he was going to bed.

His comment was "This is in the best hands possible, all we can do is pray and if they need a blood drive or donations help out that way."   And really he is right, but still one cannot help but think that.  Sis said that if one goes on thinking that then we become too morbid in our minds to become effective in helping others, and even though we know Death is all around us, every minute of every day, we need to be able to see and understand that as tragic as it is we can only do what we can.  And she is so right, I know she was thinking that I was remembering what happened to me as a child, and every now and then she reminds me to carry on.

Yesterday morning we had an early start to our Day by going over to a friends house, she has been going through all her closets and her storage unit and what a treasure trove!!!  Hats, purses, clothing all from the 1940's and 50's and a few things from the early 60's (total Mad Men),  with several large mirrors and a wall mirror we tried on everything and made our selections, we bought over half of what she had,  but she'll have plenty to offer.   I found a number of hats that looked very good on me including a Shapirellie,  and the purses such a variety, it became hard to choose but I selected those that went well with my personal style,  but she had several suits that fit me just beautifully, one in Dark grey,  two in black, and one in a very dark green, then there was a black jacket with (I'm sorry to say but remember the suit is over 60 years old) a leopard print collar and cuffs, and it was just like new. 

Sis also found wonderful things as well and we were estatic with our finds, so over coffee and coffee cake we made our purchases.   Then our friend showed us her cosmetic purchases from Besame Cosmetics, such a deep purple lipstick almost like liquorish,  and the powder compact so sweet and totally retro.  I love Besame Cosmetics the colors are perfect for me.

Our friend said she had other things to go through but she was going to sell what she had left over first but she said she'd call us for first refusal.   That helped us with our Vintage fix for now.

When we got home and carefully put our things away we went to the Kitchen and started our canning project first with sterilizing the jars and lids and seals, we decided that with the apricots we'd wash and cut them in half removing the seed, cook them and put them up as halves, the cherries we removed the stems those were going to be worked on Sunday, once we got the apricots ready and the jars sterlized it was putting them in and carefully sealing them then allowing them to cool,  while that was happening we prepared the plums for Sundays project to make plum jam, we'd do that first and then we'd work on the cherries,  right now I'm taking a break and so is Sis, while Doyle is continuting to halve the cherries since the Plums are done, Dinner is going to be take out tonight, Doyle will get it while we clean up the kitchen. 

I preferr to make dinner as it's cheaper and healthier but with projects like this sometimes one has to do take out.  At least yesterday Doyle wrote out the labels and put them on when the jar were cool and has the rest of them ready. 

Sometimes doing old Fashioned things is very theraputic,  we forget the old ways so it becomes important to return to them just to remember how things use to be. 

Now I must go, we still have the cherries to finish. 

Later Darklings