The Best Nest

Spent last week working in the yard, repotting plants, and generally trying to squeeze more hours in to the day than the clock allows.  Saturday was the day we put all the pieces together and cleared out some junk under one of the awnings so our hanging laundry has more airflow and our English ivy more encouragement to climb up the lattice instead of around bits and pieces of life.  Our faithful trestle table that served us so well through all the growing up years has finally been put to the street.  It's time to let her go before she comes apart and squishes a cat.  Second son trimmed back, shaped up and raked, swept and did it all again after a gully washer came through.  He also re-arranged my flock of flamingos in a lovely spiral around the bird bath.  It is totally spiffy!

In Living Color

I've been absent from yeoldeblog for sometime now.  This was due to a sudden health incident a bit over two years ago. I've adjusted to the new normal with only the occasional, "O that was stupid" pause to figure out how to get this or that done.  I will not bore anyone with details except to confess I avoided confronting a bit of depression by hiding out in good, bad and indifferent e-books.  Reading is an excellent addiction, right up there with creating yet another playlist with the perfect balance of energy, amusement, and soul sustaining rhythms.  Like my playlists, my reading is eclectic and seldom of interest to anyone, though I do blather on about both if anyone gives me an opportunity.

I've also re-discovered a new hobby.  Coloring.  Yeah, that's right, in books, in sketch pads, on the desk calendar, on 3x5 and 4x6 cards, on postcards, etc.  Although it's supposed to be relaxing and calming, perverse creature that I am, I find it energizing.  Creation that moves from black lines on paper to bright and colorful 'art' charges me up.  I actually feel buzzed after a certain point, almost high with delight.  So, another addiction to add to my list of functional dysfunctions.  Learning to work with your flaws while weeding out the crap with a ruthless hand is a Big Plus of Old Biddy-hood, just mentioning.

Dr. Who Weekend & Cosmic Moments

Family and I were @ConKasterborous in Huntsville, AL over the weekend for  #ConK2018 and had a wonderful time! It's the second time we scrimped and saved for a year and dealt with the challenges of everyone getting days off at the same time [harder than you might imagine for 6 people], booking rooms, not getting lost or missing the exit, and walking much farther than my oxygen starved legs thought they could -ha! amazed myself, I did.  We forgot the world beyond the Con existed for a while, enjoyed our twisted family humor, and ate waaaaay too much good food -hmm, is that possible? -and spread our savings among many talented vendors displaying and selling talismans that will make us smile throughout the year, especially on the hard days that come to all of us.

I recognized some faces from last year, met some new folks, had and listened to several excellent conversations, and remembered to make time to thank the hotel staff at the Westin who seem to take us all in stride; the Security folks that might have been laughing at us but still seemed to enjoy it all anyway; and Ms Bonnie Auten.  You might have seen us ... we were all wearing T-shirts that matched on Day One.  There were So Many groovy t-shirts and costumes and Much Loving Laughter!

Highlight for me was the two question and answer sessions @Mark_Sheppard gave.

What I Did - And Didn't Do - For Summer Vacation

Natter, gabble, nonsense, stuff, blah blah blah

Coming as soon as I can import my fat file without blowing a hole in the space time continuum.

Until then .... pretty image to gaze at (click to see the larger image by Thomas Ender Blick Vom Nussberg)