‘Life is what happens while you are making other plans,’ so said John Lennon. Much of what I plan to do, little of it happens. I owed DH a Smoked Trout over salad with sweet potato and grated carrot-ginger salad because I lost the opportunity for that dinner. A week ago we lost power in the midst of a freaky summer storm about 3:30 pm and was after seven o’clock before the lights came back on. Meanwhile we had already had cereal, bananas and peanut butter on rice crackers to eat and were looking at anything else in the cupboard. DH was happy TV was restored in time for “Big Bang Theory’ but I was too tired to care and had been reading the portable Kindle as long as daylight held out. The smoked trout will have to wait for another day.


Thursday last week was a tiring If You Can Walk, You Can Dance class with Sue Wartell. I get ready, just aching to get limber and try to stretch some muscles and then over do it. the week before she choreographed a dance with umbrellas – something about all the rain we’ve had lately I suspect. Not quite Gene Kelly dancing in the rain but fun. As we danced I thought about those beautiful black lace umbrellas that one sees in New Orleans bereavement parades to the cemetery where the leader dances to “When The Saints Go Marching In.”

Believe it or not I found lace umbrellas on E-Bay, in black, white or red and for only $32, (vendor also had matching fans), or at least that was the bid this morning – the final selling price may be different.

Imagine this: a chorus line of dancing ladies (over 60), each with a black lace umbrella twirling and dancing to “On The Sunny Side of the Street.” Maybe not.

This week Sue planned to do English Country Dancing and even had a guest teacher booked for the class - but in spite of trying to make the class I never got there. Between shopping, appointments, getting into a hot car in August, loading, lifting and carrying bags of stuff - I just couldn't do a workout-dance class. Maybe next week.

Later in the week:

Never mention the idea of “Smoked Trout” to me again!!! Had the package in the fridge for a couple of weeks as “back-up” because I promised DH a fish plate dinner, made up a big batch of carrot salad and was all ready. Because I came home totally exhausted (no dinner on Thursday as a rule), I asked DH to help me plate the meal. Better I should have ordered take-out pizza. 

The trout package was cold, the trout was fatty and the nature of fish-fat is to turn white and seep to the ridges and edges; DH takes one look and declares it mold. That is NOT mold, it’s fat and you can scrap it off. No, way – he would not eat it. I scraped off the tiny spots of fat, ate about half of a small fillet and decided it was way too salty anyway. I don’t need extra salt to retain the swelling that my feet feel every day, so we threw it out. That’s it – no more smoked fish, no more back up packaging to store – if he wants back–up there’s granola on the shelf.

Yesterday was Day 5 of my 30n30 commitment for workouts in August began at 7:30 am and I am sore. Not necessarily because of the early morning workout but also changed the bed linens, did three loads of laundry, hung more pictures, moved a couple of boxes, unpacked Eva’s dishes that I brought home from Jan’s; re-arranged cupboards moving dishes out to accommodate the incoming dishes, was folding laundry this afternoon while the housekeeper was working when I realized that I needed to shop for groceries and be dressed for dinner by 6:15. Bummer. My back and feet hurt, my left leg was aching and I could not do one more thing.  Had a short rest and pulled it together to get to the dining room.  

An hour from now will be back at the gym for Day 6 of the 30n30 - determined to do this thing and still have helper Scott coming later this morning to help me out. Unpacked Eva's dishes (two full dishwasher loads), and now need to move our daily dishes out to the utility cabinets but since I cannot climb a ladder to reach the upper shelves - I will do the handing and Scott will do the shelving and stacking.  But first we will shampoo the silk Oriental rug in the foyer that is getting more spots every day. I can get down on the floor but with the 'boot' on getting up is nearly impossible.

One stop Thursday was Joann's Fabrics to buy some foam to make a padded cushion. Have begun a pieced, patchwork from two thrift-shop shirts, black backgrounds with beige leaf patterns, very masculine. The chair is a rattan side chair with a woven wicker seat. Made the side-cording and ties first and now working on piecing the top (back a single piece). Cannot continue until I get the foam cut to shape, wrapped in batt and determine how thick the cushion will be. No time tomorrow but maybe Monday.

Sunday will be a lazy day but have to take the Volvo to the garage in the evening for the annual tune-up Monday morning; and the time for my annual physical is also due. Got to call the doc and make an appointment, I may have only a small window of time between losing the 'boot' and getting ready for DH's upcoming knee surgery (likely late September).  

Watching the Olympics before 6:00 am, because of the time difference most of what is broadcast later in the day are reruns edited to show the last few winning seconds. The actual timing seems to be dis-jointed from live action - somehow NBC is not packaging the telecasts to sustain the minute to minute excitement. Caught some of the women's diving but missed all of the floor gymnastics. Bummer.

Time to pull on the gym pants, grab my bag and head out. The day begins in a few minutes. 

B