Stools

Now, when you read that title, what did you think I would be talking about? Be honest! I'll bet vintage laboratory, "Ajusto Equipment" stools was not the first thing that came to mind.

I arrived here in Virginia early yesterday afternoon, after a wonderful LEAD conference in Boston.

Erika and Christian were proud (justifiably so!) to show off the wonderful kitchen island project they just finished.  They were in need of some stools to cozy up to the counter so after a quick lunch, we drove out toThe Copper Fox antique shop in Sperryville, VA (where I think I would love to live).

You'll see what they found below, along with a couple of shots of my grandchildren dogs -- whose stools are, as far as I know, just fine.

Weather

If you've been reading this here blog for very long you know I love weather -- because we never have "weather" in the San Diego area. 70 degrees with blue skies year-round is not weather. (I'm only exaggerating a little.)

I spent the first five of my 59 years in Michigan or on the East Coast and I truly believe I was imprinted with a love of weather (and trees) that has been frustrated by the last 54 years in San Diego!

I'm in Boston for a conference and haven't had much time for sightseeing. But I've seen more weather (in the form of beautiful clouds) in slightly less than 48 hours than I would see at home in slightly less than 48 days!

Here are just a few photos I've managed to take (from my balcony.)

Retirement income

I think I've mentioned that I am planning to retire on July 3 next year after 40+ years at the same organization.  While I have every reason to believe Glenn and I will be just fine with my retirement income, because I am retiring young and healthy (I think; Please God!) I do have second thoughts now and then that maybe I should just keep working and earning income.

But, yesterday I realized I had an untapped source of income.

I think the TSA might be interested in leasing Darby and Pumpkin.

Of course, I would have to teach them not to leave nose and slobber marks on the contents of the suitcases they inspect, like one of them did on that little black case.

And I'd have to teach them to be careful about burrowing in up to their ears in case there were sharp objects in the suitcases. 

But, aside from a few small issues I'd need to iron out, I think I just might have a good plan for picking up a little retirement income.  Don't you agree?

I'm off this morning for a wonderful conference in Boston.  The Kennedy Center has been hosting LEAD -- Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disabilities for more than ten years now.  One of my colleagues and/or I have been attending for seven of those years.  A couple of years, I took part in presentations and in 2010 we co-hosted the conference at the San Diego Zoo!  It was a lot of work but a lot of fun, too.  This year, I get to attend and have no responsibilities at all!  Well, of course, I need to bring back information that we can use to make the Zoo and Safari Park as accessible as possible to people who have disabilities, but that's all I need to do -- soak up information.  That will be easy to do at this fun and informative conference.

After the conference, I'll fly down to visit Erika, Christian, Bonnie and Bailey in Virginia and will be home next Wednesday.

Glenn will be holding down the fort and taking care of the girls while I'm gone.  I asked him if he'd like to do a few guest posts and he said, "No."   There are usually a several dogs at this conference, but they aren't Corgis and they are working service dogs and it isn't always appropriate to take their photos, so I'll be posting when I have something interesting to show or tell -- which is SURE to be the case when I get to Virginia.

"Oh, One Who Feeds Us!  Say it isn't so!  You aren't leaving us again, are you?"

Wrong kind, but I don't care!

I don't know HOW I forgot another one of the fun parts of this past weekend.

My niece brought souvenirs from the weeks she and her family spent in Paris and London while her husband taught classes there.

In addition to this really pretty tea towel, I also received a tote bag with a similar logo commemorating the Queen's Jubilee! (The Corgi is the "wrong" kind, but I like the towel and tote bag just the same!)

Glenn received some yummy Cadbury Eclair candies that taste so much better (in my opinion) for containing real sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup and he is even sharing with me!  I'll let him use the tea towel if he asks nicely, but he'd better keep his mitts off my tote bag!!

Weekend -- nearly no Corgi Content

I love weekends. Especially when a weekend means a visit from family that have been too far away for awhile.  My niece and her family recently moved back to Phoenix after living on the east coast for a year, and they drove over for a quick visit with us this past weekend.

While they were on their way, Liz and I sent photos of the summer thunderheads from our respective sides of the mountains between San Diego from Phoenix.

From my side (taken while safely stopped at a signal) :

From her side outside Yuma (taken while safely riding shotgun): 

When they arrived at our house we all headed out for frozen yogurt and the kids got to take turns riding to and from  Menchies with Glenn in his cute little, totally re-modeled by him, Porsche (with the top off, of course!)

Saturday morning after breakfast out, the guys headed to the Lego store and the girls to Jared's Real Food for some watermelon and green beans.  And guess what we did with the beans?  We made Dilly Beans using the recipe from the Food in Jars cookbook.  This little missy trimmed the ends off two pounds of green beans all by herself!

And, then she took the scraps out to the compost bin and announced to her mom that she wished they would get a compost bin!  (She learned all about composting at school a couple of years ago.)

Her mom and I sterilized jars, made brine, packed the jars with beans, boiling water processed them then stood back and looked at our work!  While we didn't discuss it, I was thinking how hard life must have been for a  pioneer woman (not this Pioneer Woman!)  While we were working, the dogs, my sister and the men were watching TV and some of them were snoring!

Later, when it had cooled off a bit, my nephew helped Glenn with grilling dinner. 

Then a water-balloon fight followed by root-beer floats and a viewing of "Tangled" brought the evening to a close.

 

 

My niece and her family had to head back to Phoenix Sunday morning and we miss them already!  The dogs were in Seventh Heaven with all the attention and I know for the next few mornings, they'll be checking the guest bedrooms doors each morning to smell if there are small people on the other side of the doors!