Random Saturday Musings

Hi All,

We interrupt our travelogue to do some Saturday chatting - still lots more pics and stories to come over the next few days!

However, I have a bit on my mind today..

1) A House does not clean itself

This was our first time leaving our pretty-much-adult children home alone for a week.  While the house was generally neat, it is clear that it has not been cleaned at all in 10 days, which was when I did it last.

Ick.

As I sit here and write this whilst I drink my morning coffee, I look at the floor.  The stuff everywhere.  The empty hummingbird feeder.  We will all (well mostly Barry and I and the son, who is not working and who was in charge of the cleaning) clean and straighten today.  I can hardly stand to walk on my floors.

On a positive note, they kept Indy the wonder dog alive, my garden has been cared for and the house is actually still here...

which makes me wonder...

2) Am I the only one who returns from vacation and wants to redecorate?

I don't know if it is the shops you visit, or your friends' homes, or the hotels and inns you stay at, but every time I return home, I am ready to move furniture, straighten up, clean out.  Never fails.

I got oodles of inspiration from that little shop in Elora.  I also got some good ideas from Anne and Dani's places.  And other little shops I hit.  Oh yes, and The Mount.  And there is a duvet cover from Pottery Barn I am set to order.  I know what I am doing all weekend....After I clean.....Am I the only one who does this?

3) and I will be detoxing....

If it was on a plate, I ate it.  If it was in a glass, I drank it.  You got it - this was the vacation where I became Alice in Wonderland...

This would be a completely true image if this were a bottle of St. Germain...

After having never had a drop in my life, I tasted this magical elixir at Dani's.  Oh it was divine.  So of course when Barry and I were driving home, we genteely entered the Liquor Barn off the highway in New Hamphire and bought ourselves two fine bottles of this elderflower liquer.  And then proceeded home at which time we mixed ourselves a St. Germain cocktail, which is basically just St. Germain mixed with champagne.  We had to drink people, the house was a mess.

But that was yesterday.

Why is it when you decide you will begin to cut back that you eat and drink more immediately preceding the beginning of your healthy regime?  Well that was me.  But as of today, I am going to cleanse for a few days with veggies, fruits and no alcohol.  Only for a few days, and then I will just keep cutting back.  sigh.

 4) It's not the heat, it's the humidity

Actually, it's the heat.

Yesterday, it was 100F in the parking lot of the Maine Mall in Portland, where we stopped for 15 minutes to run into J Crew (for me - only bought one thing, which I will model in the next day or so and which Ruth will think is funny!) and Newberry Comics (for son).

The entire time we travelled the termperature was at least 85, and most days was 90-100 degrees.  It got to be quite oppressive and while we were lucky because we stayed in nice places with air conditioning, it did impact some of our choices about what we would do.  No long hikes for us on this trip.  We did take a late evening walk in Stockbridge the night before last and were accompanied by dozens of fireflies and a couple of bats, so it was quite magical.

Because of the heat, I only wore about 1/3 of the clothing I packed.  The rest would have been too warm.  sigh...

Rumour has it that the heat will break this week.  Am crossing fingers and toes.

5) Chipotle

a takeout order from Chipotle is really all that my kids wanted (though they got more!).  They are crazy about this healthy take-out place and we ended up taking a cooler with us, and buying ice packs so they could have their bean burritos, etc.

A fast-food place self-described as "food with integrity", I have never had a bad order from this place.  My daughter would move in here if she could.  I think they thought we were crazy, we ordered so much!

6) And finally, where is my baby?

I was sure we would be talking about the royal baby today!  Guess not.  Maybe by next Saturday?

And that is all - what are you all up to this fine day?  Anyone feel like dropping by for some cleaning?

Stay safe (and cool!) out there!