Friday, January 6, 2023

A Lightness Of Being


 It's been a perfectly lovely day. I did get to hang the sheets on the line and as always, Maurice had to come and observe. I wonder if she grades me on my performances. I personally think I should get an A on sheet-hanging. 
Gardening? Eh, probably a C. 

I went to the post office and Shelly was there. She's the lady I see on walks when I go a route that I haven't been on in a long time. Of course, me, with my face blindness, did not recognize her but I don't think she was offended. I told her about the face blindness thing and she graciously accepted that. We chatted for a few. She seemed to be in a good mood and I was glad to see her. We hugged. 

I've been waiting for weeks and weeks for three Christmas presents to arrive and they finally did today. And oh my god! I have laughed and laughed at this situation. 
First of all, the website I ordered them from seemed perfectly legit and the photography for the items was terrific. The prices weren't so low that I was suspicious of a scam and you know how I was before Christmas- crazy! And I'd actually gotten some shipping updates in the last few days so I was pretty sure that all would be well. Quite late, but well. 
So the package came today and I go to open it and notice that it is from China, and I do mean, FROM China. The return address and shipping information was all in Chinese (I assume) except for my name and address and I suppose that's why it took so long to get here. And then getting into the wrapping was insane. I have never seen so much bubblewrap and plastic wrapping and weird styrofoam in my life. Also packing tape of several colors. And when I finally got to the items themself I was at first a little disappointed but then I just started being amused. Really, the things are not so bad. Well, except for one of them which is a complete piece of shit. I figure that the kids will just enjoy the funkiness of them and laugh too. I mean- I can't send them back. There wasn't even a return package slip. Or any sort of paperwork in the box for that matter. 

So that amused me and I am tucking the whole experience into the "lessons learned" file, and honestly, except for the terrible one, they are acceptable. 

In literary news (haha!) I had downloaded "Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone" by Diana Gabaldon, not realizing that it was part of the Outlander series. I spent about a year listening to most of those books and I enjoyed them. I even tried watching some of the series on TV but even though the eye-candy was delicious and the sex was pretty hot, the violence was more than I cared to deal with. There was an awful lot of that in the books too but the blood just isn't as red in books as it is on the screen. And I spent about a week listening to this new book and it was okay but I realized early on that it was something like 49 hours of listening (not kidding- 928 pages) and after listening to about fifteen hours of it, I was doing the audible version of skimming and would find myself wondering, "Now wait. Hold on. Who is this? What's going on? Are we in North Carolina or Savannah?" 
And today I returned it to the library. I was falling behind on my podcasts! This is not to say that I didn't find a lot of what I did listen to interesting. Jamie and Claire still make wild passionate love under the stars, which I found to be charming, and I do still very much appreciate the huge amount of research that Gabaldon does on everything from history to herbal medicine to life in the colonies before the revolution to Native Americans to the butchering of wild hogs. I do not have a clue as to how she does it. And she's not a bad writer. Perhaps I'll go back to it at some point but now is not the time. 

With my eyes I'm reading "The Morning Star" by Karl Ove Knausgard and I am not sure why. It sort of has me spellbound, even as it depresses the fuck out of me in that Norwegian, angsty way. I've never read any of his other books and I take it that this one is quite different from those which are auto-fiction? I think we call it? 
It may be time for me to go back and reread another Larry McMurtry book soon. Perhaps even his "The Morning Star" which, although sharing a title with Knausgard's book, has nothing in common with it. 

I finished Maggie's blanket! 


It is ten billion miles from perfect but it is cheerful, it is soft, it is warm, it has mermaids, whales, dolphins, and sea turtles. Her MerMer made it for her. If I had more time I would blanket-stitch around the different panels but as it is, I don't. I can't believe that little girl will be seven tomorrow. I remember her birth so well, and perhaps we shall tell that story tomorrow again. I know that the midwives who attended both Lily and Jessie love our family for their quick and easy (relatively) births. We are blessed beyond belief, our babies born at home and touched and loved and welcomed from their first seconds by the people who adore them. 

All right. I do not need to start going down that particular rabbit hole tonight. I am going to go make some egg rolls for the man. He has been quite busy the last few days, working with our friend Chip to transport the now-aged walnut and cherry wood from trees that were downed right here, to Tom's saw mill and making planks or whatever it is that people make in order to transition trees to tables and so forth. They worked together yesterday but I did not know that they would be working together again today and when I went into the kitchen after getting the sheets in the washing machine and saw Chip sitting there while Glen made them both bowls of cereal, I was happy to see him, nicely surprised, and yet at the same time, not surprised at all. 
Chip is one of those people. He's in my heart and so why shouldn't he be in my kitchen? 

Happy Friday, y'all. 

Love...Ms. Moon

45 comments:

  1. Lovely day. I do like to see sheets on the line blowing gently. With a cat supervising it all. I should think Maggie will be very happy with her Mermermade blanket. I wonder if she'll try it around her dolls.

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    1. Who knows what Magnolia June will do? With the name blankets, I always figure that once I've made them and given them to the child, my involvement is over and they can do whatever they want with them. Unless one needs mending, of course.

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  2. I think that blanket came out so well! Maggie will love it and carry it with her forever and ever wherever she goes in life. Sweet!

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  3. that blanket/quilt is beautiful and most definitely suited for a Princess! I hope she feels well enough to enjoy her Birthday tomorrow......even with a scaled down celebration! She is one lucky princess to have a Mer like you!
    Susan M

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    1. I am so very lucky to have a Princess Maggie as a granddaughter!

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  4. Miss Maggie is seven, stop the clock!! Your blanket for her is delicious, the colors..the very soft looking underside. Splendid. Comforting.
    The sheets on the line is such a refreshing photo , at first I thought Maurice was a chicken, and got all happy. Please wish Maggie a happy birthday for us up here in the north. Meant tog et something off but ....later, for no reason she will get a surprise.

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    1. My goodness, Linda Sue! You have already given Maggie more presents than I have by far! She loves you so. Our whole family does! "Where'd you get that?" "Linda Sue."

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  5. How delightful that Maggie's blanket was completed just in time for her seventh birthday. Surely she will love it. Little Phoebe will be two years old in eight days.

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    1. Mr P....since I am unable to comment on your blog I will do so here......I cannot believe Phoebe is almost 2! I have followed her since her birth :-)
      Susan M

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    2. Two years old! Little baby Phoebe is not a baby anymore. Is there another child being contemplated yet? I know, I know. That is TOO nosy.

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  6. FRESCA here
    I was thinking, as a kid I’d probably prefer crap that came in a cargo ship from China to the most luscious handmade blanket of love
    And as an adult I feel a universe worth of the exact opposite— give me a stick you picked up off the ground for me,
    give me a pillow you stuffed with dryer-lint for me,
    give me *anything* your hand touched with love for me and I will be yours forever.
    And the cargo containers can sink to the bottom of the sea, good riddance.
    You done good by Maggie, by that calculus, whether she thinks so or not.
    —Fresca

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    1. I believe that mostly Maggie wanted a name blanket because her brothers and August all have one. She seemed pretty happy with it, especially when she saw her name.
      I'm SO with you on the gifts. Handmade is bestmade.

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  7. Maggie is seven, and born yesterday. I know because I was there with all of you. I couldn't believe Miss Lily was having another baby. It sure looks mighty perfect to me. Maggie will love it forever.

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    1. Time is just passing way too fast, isn't it? And yet, this is the way of it whether it seems crazy to us or not.

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  8. What a beautiful blanket. The China story made me laugh. You should show us what you ordered and what you received. I have had a couple of those experiences.
    In your heart and in your kitchen - perfect.

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    1. I might post pictures of what I thought I ordered and what I got. Honestly, not so different.
      Yes. There was Chip, eating Cheerios with Mr. Moon. I loved it!

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  9. Ugh. I just ordered a book 'Canons for Dummies'. Although the company was stated as being in Maryland, I think the book is being shipped from China and I have this sick feeling that it will be written in Chinese. I hate those Chinese scams, and there are so many of them.

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    1. I would not call this a scam. Just...not quite what I expected.

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  10. Walnut and cherrywood! Oh I do love wood, wish I could see those planks.
    Maggie's blanket is so perfect, she will love it I'm sure.
    funny about that parcel coming from China but at least two of the items are acceptable. When I'm ordering from ebay I check to see where it is coming from and most often choose a local sender even if it means paying a bit more. I don't order from Amazon anymore, the delivery to Australia is horrendously expensive.

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    1. I've seen a picture of one of the boards and it is beautiful.
      I bet it is expensive to order from Amazon in Australia. But honestly, seems like they'd have figured out how to get the prices lower by now.

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  11. I hope that in spite of everything that Maggie has a good birthday. The blanket is lovely.

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    1. I am SO glad you can't see that blanket in person! I would cringe, knowing how carefully and beautifully you make your quilts.

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  12. Maggie's blanket is beautiful. You've inspired me Ms Moon!

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  13. The blanket looks great. I hope that Maggie loves it. I had to look up egg rolls.....it seems they are what I know as spring rolls! Delicious.

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    1. Yes. Like spring rolls. They were very good.

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  14. PS. Happy Birthday to Miss Magnolia June. I don't think I had found you when she was born but I definitely remember her as a toddler.

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    1. And she was the cutest toddler on earth! Well, in my very honest opinion.

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  15. Happy birthday tomorrow Miss Magnolia (which is now today here in the UK)....it's my birthday as well but I'm a smidgeon older than your lovely granddaughter. So old, in fact, that I'm now officially old according to the UK pension service but that, in itself, is not a bad thing as it means more dosh in the coffers to do what I please with. Love your blog, keep up the good work :)

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    1. Happy birthday to you! And more dosh in the coffers is always a good thing. By golly- we have earned it!

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  16. The blanket is beautiful! The kind you can scrunch up to your face in twenty years, with eyes closed, and smell the memories.
    We love eggrolls...
    hughugs
    Donna

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    1. I wonder if she'll still have that blanket in twenty years. I know I won't be around.
      Eggrolls are delicious and make a very fine supper.

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  17. Maggie's name blanket looks perfect to me. I doubt I'll read '...Bees...' I have read all the previous 8 books, each over 800 pages, but I think I'm done with Claire and Jaime. It's about time for me to make enchiladas and egg rolls again. If I make egg rolls again I'm going to borry my daughter's air fryer and try cooking them that way.

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    1. I hear you on being done with Claire and Jaime. I feel the same way.
      Egg rolls in the air fryer work nicely! I recommend that.

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  18. Maggie's blanket is beautiful. I hope she still has it when she's an old, old woman and it reminds her of her Mer.

    Happy Birthday Maggie!

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  19. Maggie’s blanket is just beautiful!😍She’ll treasure it forever❤️Re. reading- I’m Norwegian but have never been able to read more than a few pages of his first book! I keep trying but it just doesn’t work for me😂 xo, Ricki (my real name is Rigmor!)

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    1. Hello, Rigmor! aka Ricki! Welcome.
      I will admit to you that Norwegian literature in general seems slightly depressing to me. I had a very good Norwegian friend who lived with us for awhile and my god, she loved the sunshine in Florida! I think the darkness that y'all go through may have something to do with the literature's darkness. I keep wondering why in hell I'm reading this book but it has me sort of mesmerized.

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  20. 37paddington:
    Maggie’s blanket is beautiful, love in every stitch. As for Outlander, I was obsessed for a while but I couldn’t get through Bees either. Happy birthday tomorrow Magnolia June!

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  21. Glad it finally arrived. Love the blanket. It's just so sweet. Eggrolls, yum!

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  22. The blanket turned out great. You should be proud.

    I have vaguely heard of this Outlander thing but I haven't read or listened to or experienced any of them. Are they romances?

    I have read the first three of Karl Ove Knausgard's autobiographical novels and I enjoyed books one and three a lot. The second one, about his marriage and divorce, I wasn't all that into.

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  23. I can't remember when we lat put sheets on the line - but then it rains a lot here. I read The unbearable lightness of being recently , which has nothing to do with hanging sheets but I thought I'd mention it anyway - ha ha. It's way over rated by the way - the book that is, not the sheet hanging.

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