MaryAlice Musings and More

Half-time in Game 1 of the WNBA finals!  Seattle is looking very good, and Washington is looking tired and trying to hang in there.  It is fun to watch the game and feel the cool breeze. Today was a picture perfect fall day.  Started out very cool, and it took me awhile to sort out what I was going to wear to the volunteer huddle at 9 a.m.   It has been over 6 months of wearing warm weather clothes, have hardly put on a jacket, but today I put on jeans and long sleeve shirt and brought along my corduroy shirt just in case I was cool. Fun meeting today,  lots of laughter and camaraderie and of course Matt brought Dunkin' Donuts (which I did not eat). Before the meeting I made almond banana bread.  Having the oven on helped to warm up the kitchen and the smells while baking filled the house.  I enjoyed my hot tea that I drank on the porch while the sunlight poured in through the windows. I had to do some planning when I got home from the mee...

What a day.... I started the day with a new package of tea sachets -- Morning Blend - it was great with milk!  I do love my Harney Teas.  Made fruit smoothies for my morning meeting.... Then had a grant application brainstorm.... Laundered my new organic sheets....hung them on the line.... Then had a couple of appointments.... Then went to do a library shift... Took laundry off the line.... Worked on Volunteer Applications and scheduling interviews.... Went to Trailside Country Store and picked up this weeks organic veggies!  Yum... Made a salad...ate it.... Went to LUPC meeting -- oh the remembering of being responsible for public rule making!!! Stopped at Scootic - ordered a to go pizza, had an Allagash White Came home, finally, ate pizza, watched tennis good women's game....Osaka played an awesome game!!!! Good texts from Daughter...fun wonderful little connection.... Finish Blog and off to Bed.... Good plans for weekend - Tomorrow Bango...

I took a little ride today out of see some friends who have a camp on  Ambajejus Lake.  It was a beautiful morning, crisp and brilliant sun that heated up the day very quickly.   The camp view was breathtaking, and I am hoping to stay there in October when I have friends coming from WI and MN.... After checking out the camp and visiting headed to Northwoods Trading Post and the Northern Restaurant at Abol Bridge.   After my little tour I had errands and chores that waited.  I am almost done with many of the "to do's" on list and wanted to take a moment to get today's blog posted! A highlight this evening was getting a call from my freshman in college granddaughter,  she had just returned from the post office and had opened her present that I sent last week.  She had gotten a message that she had a package last week, but she couldn't pick it up until yesterday.  Yesterday she went to get her package and they couldn't find it, an...

I have spent the morning keeping busy,  trying to locate things that I couldn't find at first, and remembering.  In 1991, my dearest friend Perry Tilleraas was at home would the next day die from AIDS.  The "Perry Helpers" had been doing round the clock help, assistance and vigil for many days, I am not sure what day it was that I was in the kitchen and Perry was sleeping he had not been out of his bed for awhile and we all knew including Perry that he was very close to passing over.  He had been talking out loud to people on the other side,  had scolded folks for praising the lord over his bedside and was being his most profound self to the very end.   In the kitchen was a little cabinet style television, and I was sitting at the small table watching the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearing.  Anita Hill was testifying, and I found myself crying in that kitchen.  Crying for Perry's imminent death and my feelings of loss, crying for Anita Hi...

A Picture of Things to Come - Not Today Though!  Still Green and NO Snow! Today is Labor Day,  in years past I might have gone to a Labor Rally.  It would mean the last day of Minnesota State Fair .  The unofficial end of summer.  The day I would leave for a week at Stout's Island Lodge !  I have had a very low key holiday weekend.  Yesterday I had some good phone check in's:  Kathy and Irv, Katherine and Robert, and Sasha.  Besides talking on the phone, I did a little "transitioning" - taking the most summery of my clothes and put them away, and got out a few more light sweaters and long sleeves!  I made a Pear Upside Down Cake that I took for supper with the Moscone's and the Fanjoy's.   After phone calls and baking I watched the 4th games of the WNBA Playoffs , wow what basketball!  Both teams that were facing elimination won and we are on to game 5 on Tuesday night.  What a series!  I am still rooting ...

After an evening of up and down basketball, with both of my teams losing.  I went off to bed very late.  I read for awhile, until I finished the book and then fell promptly asleep.  The coolness was welcoming and the weather today had been an exquisite mirror for the last day of August.  You could feel in the day the wonders of summer and the coming of fall.  I think that August, September and October are my most favorite months.  And we are just getting into them.  I woke early this a.m. checked in on the world and once again fell right back to sleep, and slept for another 2+ hours.  I could not believe what time it was when I woke up.  Now I have had a cup of my favorite tea some toast with almond butter and peach jam (from the Amish farm-stand) and am ready to resume me Tour de loop while sitting on the porch watching the clouds float by along with a few planes dropping people out for a little parachute jump.  Ok,  the ...

As you turn off the Hwy 11 Scenic Hwy (aka the Grindstone Road) and head towards this monument,  this is the view today.  I like to stop all along the way to snap photos from my phone.  Today was beyond postcard picture perfect.  I was able to do my "loop tour" with my friend Betty.  Betty had not been on the land since before the monument was designated and when she asked if she could come with me I was so very happy to say yes. We had a fine ride up the Grindstone, traveling along next to the East Branch of the Penobscot River. And it was fun to make the left hand turn onto the logging road that heads into the Monument land. 1st Stop Sandy Bank Stream....No one camping there, walked out to the water....bliss. I am blogging and watching the WNBA Game Washington/Atlanta on the computer, I just accidently closed the blog site after I had downloaded all of the pictures I wanted to use on my Tour de Loop for you.  When I download a photo, ...