Mosaic Monday #48: The (brief) Interval

On the last day of September, friends and family members from outside Montana were texting me.  Are you snowed in?  How much snow did you get? Apparently, erstwhile news outlets reported Montana with deep piles of the white stuff, an outcome of the September 29 storm.  To set the record straight - we woke to a dusting.  Areas east of us, such as Browning, had four feet of snow.  Those schools were closed on Monday and our Governor declared a state of emergency for certain localities - both rare events in a state that prides itself on making it to school and work and Costco no matter the weather.

Down by our lake

As I reflected on my pictures from September, I had to wonder - is that it?  Was that our Fall?  Was that THE INTERVAL between Summer and Winter?  The current forecast calls for highs in the 40s for the foreseeable future - yep, feels like Winter to me.  So I am grateful that I captured a few Fall photos while I had the chance! 

In September, plants featured berries and fresh technicolor coats.  Mushrooms sprang up, the birthright of bounteous precipitation.  Some insects seemed to slow down with cooler temperatures, such as this dragonfly that I encountered on the road during a run.

In honor of the changing seasons, I replaced the summery flag in front

of the house with the fall-themed Moose Lodge

I didn't know it at the time, but a kayak on the lake on September 22 with Dear Neighbor Friend may be the last of the season for me.

We attended the Celtic Festival in the middle of the month.  It was one of those days when you really don't know what to wear.  The morning started off brisk, but then the sun bore down and you wished for shade.  And just for good measure, we had a light rainstorm in the late afternoon!  We loved watching the athletic events, the dancers and the musical groups.  Nothing could match Amazing Grace on the bagpipes.  The video below does not present the performance in justice - one bagpiper started it off, and after the first verse, the rest joined in.  Stirs my heart every time. (And sorry it's sideways!)

Just for fun, I have included this video of the Sheaf Toss.  A bundle of straw weighing 20 pounds is tossed over a ever-rising bar, using a pitchfork.  The highest toss wins.

I haven't taken the opportunity to play the piano much this summer, but anticipating a smidgen of indoor time, I followed up with the Piano Man on the repair of the "action" on our upright piano.  I am pleased to report that the piano has now been restored and re-tuned as far as he could take it without breaking any strings.  Just look at the fresh new leather strips, and the unblemished felt hammers!

On a recent volunteering day in Whitefish, I found myself with extra time and I enjoyed a stroll around town as I used to do when we lived there.  It was quite nostalgic, and I might have even sucked up a tear or two!

With the onset of fall in Montana, it is critical to pick fruit that can be an attractant to bears.  With great joy we plucked apples from my Mom's Goodland tree for the second year (see first year story here and here.)  It was enough for an apple pie, and I can't put into words how I felt when I dove into it.  How do you express cinnamon and love, apple and childhood memory, butter and the miracle of the fall harvest?

As long as we are on the subject of food - Head Chef has turned to some of his fall favorites, and as always, I am glad I have a strong workout regime or my waistline would be expanding!

Upper left: Roast Beef, Yorkshire Puddings, Mushy Peas    Upper right: Pizza with home-made crust

Bottom: Zuppa Toscana with home-made bread

Inevitably, cooler temperatures inspire my inner craftsperson.  I have taken to sending hand-drawn and hand-written birthday cards.  Imagine!

I hosted my first Munch and Make session since April.  In Montana, summer is precious and most folks wouldn't be caught inside when the mountains are calling!  Now, with shorter days and questionable weather, crafty birds flock together.

April Munch and Make - my neighbor, who is a hula dancer, works on a raffia headband.  The hula group makes

every element of their costumes.

September Munch and Make: A friend brought hand-made ceramics and glued them to narrow wood pieces

Bottom pictures are the finished product on her bedroom wall

For my part, some new Christmas ornaments are underway.

Pinterest Ruffle Skirt

But I am most excited about the Christmas tree skirt.  I mentioned it in my last post about Josie, and now it is appropriate to tell you more.  Last year, we bunched up some burlap around the base of the tree, in keeping with our rustic theme.  But I wanted something a little more formal, and Pinterest came to my aid with a ruffle skirt design.  You would be so proud - I have been able to take the basics of the design and ADAPT it - not usually my strong suit!

The skirt is six feet across, with brown felt as the base.  Per the Pinterest design, I began cutting the burlap I had into three-inch strips, using conventional scissors.  After my hand nearly fell off, I invested in a rotary cutter and a cutting mat.

Using my superior math skills, I created my own pattern, assuming 13 rows of ruffles and utilizing the burlap on hand.  Here you can see Josie helping me measure the radius.  No problem. 

Not so fast!  I dramatically mis-calculated the amount of burlap required.  It's the pleats, you see.  A seven-foot piece of burlap becomes a 3-foot piece once it's pleated.  I need A LOT more burlap.  And does Hobby Lobby have the color I need?  Nope.  I can't really blame them; burlap dyeing is variable, to be sure.  So I went back to the drawing board and I believe I have a workable pattern that doesn't waste the burlap I have.  You are sure to hear more about this in a future post, whether you want to or not!  I might have been a little (!) frustrated, but Candy Corn helped me get through it!

By now you have forgotten (like me) that this post started with snow.  But one thing's for sure - my plants are not coming back.  While the snow may have been shallow, the temperatures were in the deep freeze, and shriveled fleshy plants.  

Left - Pink Poppy on September 27                                                       Right: Same plant on September 30

You might expect me to be outraged, or at least disappointed, about this.  As you know, animals who nibble my plants can have that impact.  But somehow, I am taking this in stride.  Maybe it's because we head out of the country in a week - I am not going to be here to enjoy the garden anyway.  Or perhaps I accept that this is a force I can't control with chicken wire or a spray.  Or possibly, just possibly, I am growing excited about the Winter - skiing, snowshoeing, the Christmas season - did I mention that both of the kids are coming for Christmas?  That's enough to tip me over the edge and past The Interval. 

Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.
Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.
The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Monday (U.S. Mountain time).
Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog.
Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back.
As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by.
Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully.
Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Be the Tapestry

It's Wednesday night, and I am nursing a Cosmopolitan while the radio plays popular music.  Spousal Unit is downstairs, reviewing Game of Thrones episodes in advance of the Season 8 premiere this week.  A perfect time to pen my next post.

My options are legion, but I lean toward March's lingering photos, and perhaps a re-cap of my 2019 resolutions.  Or I could do both!  Don't you like to get two for the price of one?

You're right, I did write about some of my resolutions in my March 14 post ... but don't worry, dear reader, this is new material.  Are you sitting comfortably?  Then let's begin.

And already I have writer's block.  I would like to share my efforts in the area of "true charity".  As you may recall (or not) I am committed to working on this virtue throughout the year as a result of an event I attended in January.  So why the hesitation?  Well, is it charity if you blow your own horn?  I think I can convince myself that it's not self-serving, but in fact might inspire someone out there in blogland.  OK.  Here goes.

Once a week, I assist several fifth-grade students with math.  This came about through one of my neighbors, a teacher in the school.  I told her about this calling to true charity, and she described a long list of students at her school that could use help.  I was ready to jump in.

Reading our Church bulletin one weekend, my eye was drawn to a paragraph about Sparrow's Nest, a homeless shelter dedicated to ensuring safe supportive housing and resources for unaccompanied homeless high school students in the Flathead Valley.  I contacted them and my support thus far has included writing thank you notes and organizing donations.

Environmental issues are critical to me.  Last year, I collected signatures for an initiative to expand alternative energy sources in Montana, but we did not garner enough support to place the initiative on the November ballot.  I am still deeply interested in these issues, but I am casting about for the best way to have an impact.  During March, I attended the kick-off presentation for the Montana Lakes Conference, held in Whitefish.  I think we can all find an action to implement from this list.  You may ask, what does this have to do with true charity?  Well, don't we all want to leave the planet in better shape for our children and grandchildren?

On a smaller scale, I think sometimes the people in our very neighborhood may need support.  I don't know why my friends come to Munch and Make, but part of me sees it as a community service.  Is that a stretch?

OK, I am feeling pretty good about that goal.  What about one that's not going so well?  Drinking 64 ounces of liquid a day.  Keeping in mind that alcohol and coffee do not count, I have managed to achieve this approximately 15% of the time.  I just like coffee too much!  It probably doesn't help that I asked Spousal Unit to buy me a Pour-over Coffee Brewer so that I can make just one cup of coffee at a time, particularly in the afternoon.  Otherwise, I would be reluctant to turn on Mr. Coffee for just one or two cups!

Let's keep on with "not going well."  Archiving my blog.  I conducted a web search and found a process for saving my blog content and theme.  Of course, this does not create a document that you can view, but you can use the resulting XML file with Blogbooker to fashion a book.  I say fashion because the initial output I saw was low resolution and poor formatting.  A fellow blogger recommended Blog2Print.  My investigation revealed that you can order a book from the site (expensive at $34 for 20 pages) or create a pdf for only $9.95 (up to 60 pages).  As a trial, I created a pdf and was disappointed with formatting that does not reflect the actual look of my blog, such as captions that are out of place, and it lacks the border elements of my blog.  To be fair, I have not had a chance to follow up with the company about this.  That's my next step.  In the meantime, I am hoping against hope that the bugs in the machine don't decide to nibble away at my blog anytime soon.

OK, let's wrench this out of the gloom.  I am faithful to my daily reflection using Streams in the Desert by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman.  Here is a poem from February 12 that struck a chord.

No chance hath brought this ill to me;

'Tis God's own hand, so let it be,

He seeth what I cannot see.

There is a need-be for each pain, 

And He one day will make it plain

That earthly loss is heavenly gain.

Like as a piece of tapestry

Viewed from the back appears to be

Naught but threads tangled hopelessly;

But in the front a picture fair

Rewards the worker for his care,

Proving his skill and patience rare.

Thou art the Workman, I the frame.

Lord, for the glory of Thy Name,

Perfect Thine image on the same.

Practice piano for 30 minutes every third day.  My track record on this one is fairly solid, and I have improved enough to play a song or two for my Mom during a Skype call, per her request.  I also received a call from our Piano Man, Daryl.  He investigated our piano and learned that it was manufactured in 1909.  Sounds pretty good for 110 years old, doesn't it?

For a while it looked like the stalagmite and stalactite might

actually join up

Continuing on an upbeat note (pun intended, LOL!)  Sit in a different spot every day.  I am hitting this about 50% of the time, but this will be easier now that it's staying light longer.  (Quite often, by the time I get "around to" sitting, it's gotten dark and there's not much to see.  I probably need to move past the idea that it's about "seeing", and I could also make more of an effort to park myself somewhere else earlier in the day.)

Regardless of my location, I try to be more observant, such as when a bird strikes our windows, necessitating a rescue.  This pine siskin recovered quickly, but many of the birds end up on their backs.  Almost always, if we turn them over and put them in a sunny spot, they survive.  A neighbor of mine told me this may be because birds' lungs collapse easily when the bird is on its back.  By flipping them over, we prevent this from occurring.

Being in the moment allowed me to notice that the bluebirds had returned in search of nesting sites.  This occurred sooner in the month than we expected, requiring a quick fix to our bird boxes that had been gnawed by squirrels last spring.  Thanks to the birder who suggested adding the metal washer - we have seen some ongoing interest, but no nest-building yet.

What is your most satisfying accomplishment thus far in 2019?  Can you "Be the Tapestry?"

Linking to:

All Seasons

Friday Bliss

I Like Thursday

Nature Notes

Saturday's Critters

Thankful Thursday

Wandering Camera

Willy Nilly Friday

Mosaic Monday #13 - A Different Window

Do you make New Year's resolutions?  Many people enter January as a time of renewal and deem it appropriate to select some resolutions.  Others eschew the practice as a fabricated custom that rarely succeeds.  This dichotomy triggered consideration of the difference between resolutions and goals.  If the word "resolution" has such a negative connotation for folks, would it be more welcome to characterize them as goals?

Resolution: a firm decision to do or not to do something
Synonyms: intention, aspiration, design, purpose, plan, commitment, pledge, undertaking

Goal: the object of a person's ambition or effort; an aim or desired result
Synonyms: grail, target, intention, aspiration, wish, dream, hope, raison d'etre

I may be splitting hairs, but it seems to me that the word 'goal' implies a medium- to long-term plan, an objective that can be sub-divided into bite-sized chunks that enable achievement.  A 'resolution' appears more binary - either you do it or you don't.  What do you think?

So, while I might have preferred to focus on goals rather than resolutions, I believe I have a few of each for 2019.  Here they are.

GOALS

1. Skype monthly with each of my siblings
2. Tidy the utility room.  I am sure you have a room like this - a 'dumping
   
   ground' visitors don't usually see that lets you keep the rest of the house uncluttered.  Well, in our case, it's that AND some boxes from the move that were put here "to be dealt with later".  That "later" is now.
3. Engage in true charity.  In January, I attended a women-only event at our church.  As part of the program, each attendee blindly picks a piece of paper from a basket, and it contains a virtue to focus on throughout the year.  I received "True Charity" - "true charity requires courage.  Let us overcome the fear of getting our hands dirty so as to help those in need".  I am still praying to discern what God is telling me with this … but I am pretty sure that He is ready for me to stop thinking and start DOING.
4. Archive my blog onto a flash drive or a remote drive
5. Reach out regularly to distant friends via text or email

RESOLUTIONS

1. One day a week without technology.  This one has already evolved.  Given

   

   Drawing - with help from Josie

   that I use my phone for even the simplest of tasks, such as checking the weather, I realized this was an unrealistic notion.  I mentioned it to Spousal Unit, and he asked a very insightful question - "What are you actually trying to accomplish?"  I want to make time for non-computer activities, such as knitting, jigsaw puzzles, drawing, reading, time with friends, etc.  So I have created a list of these activities, and dedicate a day a week to executing one or more of them.
2. Sit upstairs every other day.  This may seem an odd idea, but I have found that I tend to sit in the same dining room chair, or the same spot on the couch.  This resolution is about changing my perspective, looking out a different window, fully utilizing the house.  I will probably change this one as well, since I have recently discovered that I get a much better view of my bird feeders from the couch on the lower level …
3. Daily reflection using Streams in the Desert by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman.  I felt my approach to daily prayer was stale - this simple book has injected a Bible-based freshness that is inspirational.
4. Drink 64 ounces of water a day (well, any form of liquid - but coffee and wine don't count, folks!)
5. Practice piano for 30 minutes every third day.

What are your plans for 2019?  1 month down and 11 to go!

Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.
Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.
The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Monday (U.S. Mountain time).
Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog.
Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back.
As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by.
Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully.
Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us. 

Inlinkz Link Party

Mosaic Monday #4 - The Piano Man

Do you own anything that is 100 years old?  Last week, our upright piano was serviced by Daryl Frank, piano technician, and he confirmed that it was crafted at the turn of the century.  This was not a complete surprise since I know it originally belonged to my maternal great-grandfather Clem.  My mother inherited it, and the piano lived with one of my sisters for a time until I adopted it.

But Daryl was a veritable font of information, confirming some points I already knew, while adding facts about the piano that were news to me.

ONE: The piano is made from quarter sawn oak.  This corroborated an assessment by our good friend Neal, the general contractor for our house who knows a lot about carpentry.  Uprights made from quarter sawn oak were the most expensive uprights you could buy.  



TWO: The piano was originally stained and shellacked a dark, almost black, color, as can be seen on the inside of the lid of the piano.  This was news (I am not sure I ever knew you could open the lid!)

THREE: Later, someone stained and lacquered the entire piano a cherry color, which still remains on some of the inside sections of the piano.  I remember this color - it was the shade I first recall on the piano, that is until my Mother decided to remove it in the late 1970s, revealing the marvelous oak grain underneath.  (She applied a protective coat of polyurethane to all the surfaces.)  Daryl and his wife Connie, who together run Daryl Frank Piano Services, remarked on the professional work of my Mother, to remove all trace of that cherry from even the intricate sections of the piano.

FOUR: Quarter sawn oak is also referred to as Chatter Oak, because of the way the saw leaves a 'chatter' pattern on the oak.  This was a new term for me; when I looked it up on the Web, most of what I found described how to eliminate chatter!!!

FIVE: The piano contains a serial number, which will allow Daryl and Connie to identify exactly when this piano was built, even though Price and Teeple has been out of business for decades.  Of course I had noticed this number in the metal frame of the piano, but I didn't realize it could be used for anything as important as this!


SIX: Daryl estimated that Great-Grandfather Clem paid $275 to acquire this piano.  In today's dollars, that equates to roughly $8,000.  I had no idea!

Detail stripped by my Mother

SEVEN: The piano is dramatically out of tune, by at least a whole tone.  Although I play, recognizing an instrument in tune is way beyond my capability.  Glad we have experts for this!  Daryl was cautious as he tuned the piano; with its age, the likelihood of breaking wires during tuning increases.

Detail stripped by my Mother

EIGHT: Humidity (or lack thereof) can affect the tuning of a piano, and Daryl theorized that the piano (moved from Ohio) might still be 'drying out' in Montana.  Until it is dried out completely, the tuning of the piano could still fluctuate.  So, partly for this reason, and somewhat due to the age of the wires, Daryl only tuned it partway and will return in the spring for another tuning.

NINE: The "action" on our piano will need repair.  The bridal tape, a component that moves the hammer back and forth to strike the strings, is made of leather.  After 100 years, those skinny bits of leather have started to deteriorate.  Also, the felt on many of the hammers (especially for those keys used frequently) has been crushed and will not be effective.  The good news?  Daryl can simply remove the action and take it to his shop, rather than have to move this massive instrument.  He plans to do this in the spring, after or as part of the next tuning.

TEN: Piano craftsmen often put pennies inside the instruments for good luck.  Another novel fact.  But, no, we are not going to tear it appart to see if we have one of those lucky pennies!

ELEVEN: Daryl pointed out the scrollwork inside the piano, which I had taken for granted.  Apparently, the decorations were hand-painted onto the metal frame.  The painter must have had a steady hand!

TWELVE: While packing his tools to leave, Daryl asked if we had any trouble getting the piano across the state border.  Spousal Unit and I exchanged puzzled looks, and he explained that some states are starting to explore legislation prohibiting the import of ivory, regardless of its age or source.  Oh my goodness - after all the trouble we had getting the piano into position (see previous post), I can't imagine what I would have done if someone wanted to strip the keys off the instrument!!!

If some of the edges are sharp, Connie advised that I could use an 

emery board to smooth the edges.  Acrylic, like that used for

nails, could be used to build up/replace the chips.  Vinegar

water can remove some of the staining without

affecting the ivory patina. 

THIRTEEN: It's irreplaceable.  Yep, I think I knew that.
(Although a physical item like this cannot be replaced, it is some consolation to receive monetary compensation from your insurance company if the item is destroyed, as in a fire.  Make sure you work with a specialist and your insurance company to document the value of such a specimen!!!)

Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.
Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.
The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Monday (U.S. Mountain time).
Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog.
Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back.
As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by.
Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully.
Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us. 

An InLinkz Link-up