Veseventures

It rained last night. Not one of those hard rains that wake you up with the noise of it pounding on the roof, but more of a gentle rain that helps wash away all sorts of stuff and in the aftermath leaves the air smelling better, intensifying the earthy outdoor smells. When I got up this morning, it was still early enough that the sun hadn't had a chance to dry the grass or roads completely or to turn the day into a sauna, the way it does when it rains early on a summer's afternoon. Somehow, it made it easier to get changed and head out for a walk. The fact that a good part of my favorite walking/running route is cross-country helps a lot here. I headed south, figuring I'd start through the eastern edge of a nearby park. It's only a block away, if that, and has horse trails, riding rings for horse shows, picnic areas, a playground, the works. Usually, I only skirt the edge of it when walking or running, using a dirt path. There was a cool breeze and a definite eart...

Call me picky, but there are some things that I've come to expect in life: food, a roof over my head, a hot shower. I know I'm being a little weird, but you grow up having those things, you kind-of get hooked on them. Sure, there are other things that I thoroughly enjoy (sooo glad I bought some more coffee yesterday!), and probably always will. This morning, I went to take my shower and got cold water. Now, granted, the hot water usually takes a few seconds to get from the water heater to the shower, but then it runs predictably well: turn the hot and cold knobs, and whoever is in the shower gets water that's neither too hot nor too cold...but just right, sort-of like Goldilock's porridge in the three bears' place. (Don't get me started on trippy lit for kids...) The other thing is that if you leave the hot water knob on too long, you'll eventually need to turn it off and let the water heater work its magic. No big deal...unless the water heater has d...

I went out for a walk this morning. I used to run and hope to get back into running. Unfortunately, I haven't been out walking or hitting the gym the way I used to and the way I know I should. I'd started walking a little before friend hubby and I got married, when we were simply seeing each other. Back then, I walked maybe all of half-a-mile, then got ready for work. Sometime after P. and I got married, I started running. Actually, I think it started off as walking Osha, our Cocker Spaniel. She loved going for walks. For her, it was a big deal. But then, I got to the point where I'd walk her several days, then go out for a run on the other days. Got to where I was really getting good at it, and enjoying it. Even started a running blog about how my runs (or walks) had gone. After several deaths in the family, I slowed down on the running. Every time I'd start back, it seemed to take longer and longer to really get back into it. Then, on Halloween, 2010, I...

I spent the past few days making sand candles. That almost sounds like I've spent the entire day , several days in a row, making candles. But it's more like an hour here, half-an-hour there to come up with four nice-looking candles. As with most things in life, especially if one is past a certain age, there's a back story. One doesn't simply decide I'm bored, I think I'll make sand candles today and then jump in and do it. For starters, you have to have wax with which to make the candles, unless you're making soy or bees wax candles. Most of what is commonly called wax these days is actually paraffin , a petroleum-based substance. ( Candlescience.com is a basic site for candle stuff; for a short, easy to read blurb on paraffin, check here .) But back to the sand candles. Besides wax, you've got to have sand. I know, shocking, right? Sand candles, sand. You also need wicks so you can light the candles, and some way to anchor the bottom of the ...

This afternoon, while checking out Facebook, I noticed a post from a friend, K.C., that seemed almost cryptic: "Not. Cool. I hope everybody's okay!" She then included a link, along with the headline that read "Explosions Reported At The Boston Marathon; Dozens Injured [Updating]" . At first, I didn't pay any attention: didn't read the headline, was aware of a photo but didn't look close, didn't check the link. But when another person, a professor that K.C. and I know from school, posted a comment: "This looks really bad. Here's another link to what's going on in Boston right now:" and a link . I went back and looked at K.C.'s post, followed both links, then turned on CNN, then, after a few minutes, turned to MSNBC. What had happened, what is known so far, is this: The Boston Marathon ran today. It runs every year on Patriot's Day (the third Monday in April), beginning in 1897. This afternoon, two bombs went off at ...

My daughter, M.H., stopped by this afternoon. She couldn't stay long, but she did want to drop off some stuff, as well as pick up a few things. Nothing earth-shattering. Sometimes, though, she'll drop off craft stuff, or we'll go out and pick up a few odds and ends. It's always kind-of fun to figure out what crafty, artist-y things we'll end up with. I'm still wondering what kind of painting she did on the black canvas she picked up last month; I know what I'd paint on a one. ( Note to self: Must pick up a few black canvases ASAP.) Artistic talent runs in our family. Mom was a writer, though her writing output seems to have dwindled over the past few years. But when I was a kid growing up in New York (state, not city) decades ago, she had an old typewriter on a desk in a small out-of-the-way nook in the kitchen. I'd watch her write, then, later, as she started fixing dinner, I'd write stories on the same typewriter, hunting and pecking away...