JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Dear Readers, I had a really cool subject to write about for today, but I have to admit to you right now, I'm just too bushed to tackle it.
The Shih Tzus and I drove to and from Logan Airport (Boston) to pick up Virginia yesterday (I did most of the actual driving), and either the lengthy drive or the pork chop bone I gave them yesterday morning caused an upset to their systems, because they woke me up two times last night with an urgent need to get out and do their business. And, uh, the one time I didn't wake up. At least that was in the bathroom...
Then it was teaching today, and cooking (Virginia: "You're going to make all my favorite meals, right?") and laundry and hauling in wood etc. etc. and the upshot is, my brain is transmitting thoughts about as well as a pot of slightly underdone polenta.
So instead, we're going to catch up on what our plans are for the weekend (and beyond, if you want!) Tonight, I'm headed to a get-together/birthday party at a friend's house. Gotta make brownies for that. Maybe decorate them, if I an think of an easy way to do so?
Then Saturday, it's a funeral for a formidable elderly W.A.S.P. lady who took me under her wing when I was newly widowed. It'll be a nice service at our church, and then afterwards, Victoria and her wife are coming over to see Virginia (more cooking.) I'm going to insist on board games after. Gotta take advantage of having a total of four people in the house!
Nothing Sunday, yet, but on Monday I'm off to a friend's non-Inauguration brunch, where we'll stuff ourselves silly and drink mimosas and not watch TV. I'm beginning to think this may be the best plan for every major televised event. Superbowl? Brunch and mimosas. Ball drop on New Year's Eve? Brunch and mimosas. I'll give a pass for the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, because that's designed for brunch and mimosas.
How about you, dear readers? What on your calendar for the weekend?
Weekend plans? Church on Sunday . . . otherwise, nothing but a bit of cooking and lots of time for book-reading . . . .
ReplyDelete[Glad Virginia arrived safely] . . . .
Glad Virginia arrived safely!
ReplyDelete“What’s the weekend?” Reminded me of Lady Violet Crawley.
Weekend plans - taking a break from social media. A brunch sounds good to me! Plan to stay busy. Plan to watch a funny movie after a medical appointment.
Glad Virginia arrived safely. No plans but staying away from TV and will celebrate MLK day instead.
ReplyDeleteGood morning, Julia. I know all about sleeplessness connected to dogs. For decades now we have had a big dog and a little dog. In 2015, after 30 years of labrador retrievers, I decided I was done with dog hair layering the house and bought a standard poodle as our big dog. He is a love but he eats like a persnickity cat (I'm cooking for the dog?!! my husband stands by his bowl to encourage a few more bites?) and his intestinal tract is gossamer. The slightest, often undetectable, disruption leads to bloody disaster. After decades with the Sherman tank appetite and constitution of labs this was a considerable shock. My parents had standard poodles once we children were grown, and there was none of this delicacy. I have to believe this is just a feature of this (thankfully well-loved) dog. But it means I am often up and down at night.
ReplyDeleteI think on Monday I will be cleaning the garage while listening to hymns to elevate my thoughts or a good audiobook to take me far away. Hooray for Virginia's safe return! (Selden)
After a busy week, the term weekend should be spelled weakened.
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing when you ask about plans for the weekend, you don't mean for us to include the housework like vacuuming and laundry?
ReplyDeleteFor me, I'll be going out to pay a bill in person, then hitting Market Basket for Stop #3 on my weekly 3 stop grocery shopping schedule. Then I'll be off to my weekly stop at Twilight Comics in New Bedford.
I'll pick up my weekly stash of comics, we'll get lunch from Subway, we'll shoot the BS a bit, watch something on TV (last week we watched the Bruins game) and we'll film one or two matches in the wrestling card game that we play as the other guys try to dethrone The One True SRG God...that would be me...from any one of all 13 titles I hold...BWAA HA HA HA HA!
Then I'll be at home and when not doing the aforementioned housework, I'll be reading, watching a LOT of TV and probably listening to and writing about music as I try not think about how the world is ending next week.
JAY: wrestling card game? Sounds intriguing. Can you give some details?
DeleteIt's on the same general principle as Magic the Gathering and Pokemon, that kind of thing. Here's the link the website: https://supershowthegame.com/
DeleteAs a retiree, the weekend doesn't mean much.
ReplyDeleteI am kind of stuck at home though waiting for 2 deliveries, one needing a signature. The latter travel accessory item was ordered during a Black Friday sale on December 1 but was not mailed out until January 5 due to Canada Post's prolonged strike & backlog!
Glad Virginia made it back home.
Following the USPS tracker aa the package moved from TN to FL to MI to Toronto. Then no updates since Canada Post doesn't provide one, lol.
DeleteGrace, for all its many faults, USPS has one good thing. One can E-sign for mail requiring a signature. Because of building security and an inside mail room, I need not hang around all day. Realize that not everyone has this set of safe circumstances, I am very grateful for it. Sending patient and safe delivery thoughts your way. Elisabeth
DeleteI like the idea of a non-inauguration day brunch with mimosas! I'll be writing, and then having friends over for drinks and appetizers on Sunday.
ReplyDeleteHappy to hear Virginia made it back home safely.
ReplyDeleteMy weekend will consist of seeing the play WAITRESS at the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre on Saturday and enjoying the music and laughter. After church on Sunday I will curl up with a book and a mimosa! Cheers 🥂
I love love the weekend clip Julia! You deserve time off with your family! Lottie and I are going to the Weiner dog parade, though if she behaves badly, we'll head right home. otherwise a friend for dinner, church, lots of catching up with work for me!
ReplyDeleteNo plans for the weekend. We are retired. I'll read, listen to books, cook, maybe bake. Go for a walk. Same old, same old. Next week is Irwin's birthday. We'll do a couple of dinners out, the first one with friends.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you will have enough family for board games. The combo of family and games is always a treat for me.
ReplyDeleteWeekend looks busy: Our Saturday walking group is going to change it up and start on the east side of the river about 9 (we usually start at 7:30 or 8) and walk downtown to meet up with the People's March (reincarnated version of the Women's March) that starts at 10. Sunday, I'll probably be at church from about 10 til (eek) maybe 3. I'm going to stay through the Spanish language service and the convivio afterwards. We're trying to quickly pull some things together to support our immigrant members. Monday I have a massage appointment. I hope Aaron can help me with a hamstring or sciatic nerve problem that's been bothering me since November. Then perhaps I will come home and read. No TV news on Monday.
Hubby and I are taking our nephew and his wife (the parents of 3 1/2 year old twins--boy and girl) out for an adult's dinner Saturday. They need a break from parenting and we need an excuse to get out of the house. Can you say "Cabin Fever?"
ReplyDeleteThat is a huge kindness, Aunt Annette!
DeleteSo glad you've got some time with Virginia! My weekend will consist of half-day work Saturday morning, then home to the housework I've been putting off all week. Sunday I'll cook (still trying to fatten up Youngest Nephew). I'll get in some writing in the evenings when all the chores are done and animals content, and at some point watch the other half of Ken Burns' excellent Leonardo da Vinci documentary. I've seen the suggestion to have tvs turned on to anything but the inauguration on Monday, in order to tank his ratings. I love the idea, don't know if it would really work.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy that time with both daughters there! That sounds truly delightful.
ReplyDeleteOur normal routine since our son moved to Japan is a Zoom call with him on Saturday evening (our time). But this week we have conflicting plans, so we're going to talk to him about 10 tonight, as he drives home from teaching Saturday morning enrichment classes.
Tomorrow, we are attending a special Mass at 4 pm for the 200 couples attending a special couples dinner afterward. Last year was the first time for this dinner, and the space at church could only accomodate slighlty fewer than 100 couples. It sold out in about a minute, so this year they moved the dinner to a nearby event space. The 200 slots there sold out in about five minutes, it seems. There is clearly demand!
Sunday, we sing in the choir at 11 a.m. Mass and that is our only commitment. So overall, this is an unusually open weekend for us.
Oh, and on Monday we have the distraction of the College Football National Championship game. Yeah, I know, it's crazy late for football and I probably wouldn't be interested either, except I live in Columbus, Ohio, where everyone lives and dies by the fate of the Buckeyes.
We will also have the game on here, Susan! My brother, who attended OSU, even has his garage tricked out in their colors and insignia, is losing his mind.
DeleteYour visit sounds like ‘So nice to have you visit, and so much nicer to see you go’.
ReplyDeleteAs for the weekend – probably the usual – nothing. I hope Celia is presenting us with a new recipe, so it may be that I will make that. Other options include, finish reviewing the seed catalogues, or think about cleaning up, or maybe since we are getting our passport picture done this morning, thinking of where we could go. Where are we going you might ask – probably the back yard! The passport expires, so just in case…
Just sugar dust those brownies – that is all they need.
Leftover candy canes crushed and sprinkled atop are also good.
DeleteSounds like we all have similar plans, or maybe non-plans. All my days are pretty much the same and this will be no different. I've heard that youtube Meidas may do a puppy live stream, which could be fun, especially since I no longer have a dog. I don't usually watch movies during the day, but a good comedy and some popcorn might work out very well. Board games sound very appealing to me, but rather tricky without more than one player.
ReplyDeleteGreat that Virginia is home! Now all your girls need to help bring in some wood!
Julia, I know you will enjoy having all the chicks back in the nest for a few days! Sounds like a lot of fun planned.
ReplyDeleteOur weekend began the other night, when we picked up the Athens daughter from her long flight. Yesterday she, who has been getting further and further into photography, asked if Steve and I wanted to go to the Cincinnati Art Museum to see the Ansel Adams exhibit. (It was wonderful, and the Museum was packed on a weekday morning, and not with students.) Then she and I went to pick up my mom, surprise her with Holly's early arrival, and we went for mother/daughter/granddaughter manicures (mine is uncharacteristically Barbie pink). Afterwards we had dinner, then Mother went with us to pick up middle daughter, who was delighted to see Grandma, who lives near the airport. Third daughter and family joined us for a short while back at home before we all turned in.
Today I get a break while they all visit local friends, and then we have a family dinner out tonight, Tomorrow is the main event: a family/friend celebration of Mother's 95th birthday, with 50 having lunch at a restaurant. We are setting up a photo booth so we can actually maybe get pictures. Possibly having supper here tomorrow night, with some kind of table game.
Everyone leaves at various times on Sunday, and I know I will be tired, but will really miss having the bustle in the house. On Monday I will be washing sheets and towels, vacuuming dog hair from the Berner granddog, and listening to Elly Griffiths' last Magic Men novel. No TV coverage of the debacle for me.
Glad Virginia got home safely. We will be installing a reverse-osmosis filter on the kitchen sink. Someone's coming to take a look at Koda's nails and see if they need a trim - he needs to go to the groomer, but it's too stinking cold. SinC meeting on Saturday. Final edits on this year's Laurel Highlands mystery. More words on the Jackson Davis #2.
ReplyDeleteAnd I need to go to the post office.
Do I know how to have fun or what?
Family time of the paw patrol and monster trucks variety. Life is good. Welcome home to Virginia!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your time with Virginia. My weekend should be fun. In the morning, I'll play tennis and then have my weekly coffee with a good friend at our usual coffee place in Bern's Old Town (it's a ten- minute walk from my apartment). In the afternoon, my husband and I will take a walk, and maybe (hopefully) I'll do some writing. Then we'll take the ingredients for a cheese fondue to my 89-year-old mother-in-law's house (she lives on her own in a village 20 minutes drive from Bern), and she'll make dinner for the three of us! Sunday, all the Bern Old Town art galleries are open (it's only one Sunday a year), so we'll make the rounds of them on foot after lunch. We usually shake our heads over most of the stuff we see, but we always like something. Not that we ever buy anything.
ReplyDeleteGlad Virginia is home safely, that the Shih Tzus did not do much driving, and you’ll have family time! I’m going with friends tonight to see/hear Sara Paretsky and Lisa Gardner at Belmont Books in Belmont, MA with pizza and wine before. Tomorrow night 30th birthday party for twin nieces, Sunday morning church. Some outdoor walks if the Polar Vortex hasn’t yet arrived. Monday I will NOT be watching TV until Midsomer Murders on PBS Monday night.
ReplyDeleteWow, an event with Sara & Lisa + pizza and wine sounds fabulous!
DeleteI'm on call to check in with the new weekend coordinator which I'll do around noon. Then I get to work on Monday. I could work from home but I think I'll head to the office. Other than that I will be doing a bit of cleaning, ironing of linens for church and I've been wanting meatloaf so maybe this is the Sunday I get it done. These action items will be done around reading and needlepoint.
ReplyDeleteNo special weekend plans…there is an art exhibit on Saturday, but it will be around for a while…and the weather is not looking cheerful for this Saturday. Cheers all, Elisabeth
ReplyDeleteMonday, January 20 is MLK Day, and a much more positive event to focus on. I intend to avoid all sights and sound of what's happening in Washington DC and to spend most of the day in our county's mostly Black community, which is hosting a major program to celebrate Dr. King.Other than that, I'm tending to my very sick cat.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your girls and your mimosas, Julia! I will be crazily running a 5K around Tempe in 40 degree weather. Gah!
ReplyDelete