Summer Mud

After a three year hiatus, I'm finally back in the studio.  Ok, ok.  I couldn't resist that last sentence.  Doesn't it make me sound like a semi-professional, once-had-a-really-good-thing-going-but-life-got-in-the-way-and-prevented-me-from-producing-amazing-ceramic-wares-that-are-sold-in-the-thousand-dollar-range?  

Now, here's what that sentence really implied......after three years, I found a local summer course where I could ruin a lot of clay, get really messy, attempt to center a lump-o-clay for at least 30 minutes of each class and hope that at the end of the three weeks I have something to bring home so Sweet Sarah really believes I was doing something.

Top left corner.  That's my bowl.

I also happened to rope Mama C in to it.  Her first pottery wheel class.  I think she's hooked.  But she's also tired from making the drive twice a week.  Don't you know how exhausting it is to golf three times a week, be a regular concert goer [Darius Rucker in the rain for her last night], have perfectly preened containers around her garden and maintain an active social life on the weekend?!  Retirement is EXHAUSTING, PEOPLE!!!!!!!

That look?  Yeah, that's the look I got when I was six
and I did something I was told not to do.  Same look.

It's been fun to spend time with Mama C [don't let The Look scare you.  She's all bark, people!]  And it's been delightfully frustrating and re-training [some of it came back to me, but I learned a LOT] and a nice reprieve for my brain to think about something other than work.  

Classmates!

Ready for the kiln

Ready to glaze! [why did I just use an exclamation mark!?
The picture above shows ceramic wares that are ready to be glazed.
There, much more aligned with the first sentence. ]

Tonight we glaze.  More pictures to come!

The Stewarts Visit The Drayer

Well, it only took us two and half years, but we finally found a weekend that worked with all of our schedules!  [and it really didn't happen this past weekend, but since it's Jaime's birthday the timing couldn't be better!!!!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR SWEET COUSIN!!!!!]

The Stewarts came to The Drayer!!!!  That's a pretty big deal folks.  Combine the weekend schedules of an assistant high school principal [I totally had to revert to my elementary verbal cheat sheet for a second...."the principal is YOUR PAL!"  thankyoumrs.kettering!], a man who works Sunday through Wednesdays and moi, the one who thinks we're boring and useless on earth if we don't have plans!!!!!  [Yes, please send your condolences addressed to Sweet Sarah, c/o The Drayer].

Anywho, they came.  And........

And........

Welp, we had a BLAST!!!!!!  [well, minus someone, who shall remain nameless, losing her salvation on the 12th hole.  Her name rhymes with Amy.  But I'll never tell...]

A few cosmos to start the day, a walk to FlipSide [check it.  It's awesome!]

Followed by a round of nine.  [Pretty sure I won!  What???  WHAT???!!!  I did win.  I'm sure I did.  So, what that I happened to be the one keeping score.  Someone had to do it.  Sheesh!  Ok, maybe I didn't win, win.  But I'm pretty sure I won....]

From there we headed to Melt.  [Again....check it.  Awesome!]

Then to Pickwick and Frolic.  And that was, well......weird.  A bomb really.  A comedy act gone wrong.  Bad wrong.  Like, embarrassed to tell anyone you were there wrong.  Let's just say the guy rolled out of bad, threw on last week's dirty clothes he found under the bed, attempted to slick his greasy hair back, got on stage because he told the doorman he was funny and then FORGOT TO ZIP HIS FLY!!!!!

AWK.

WARD.

AWKWARD MY FRIENDS!!!!!

The minute, THE minute he got on stage Sweet Sarah and Jaime turned in to 11 year old girls laughing at the poor kid at the front of the classroom who was too nerdy to even know he had a zipper.  Out of control those two!

In spite of the bad comedy, we still found a way to laugh.

Sunday included the famous Sweet Sarah Drayer Pancakes and a bit of geocaching.

It was a good weekend.  Let's hope it doesn't take two more years to make it happen again.

Flip Side Happy!!!!

There are NO pictures of golf.  We're serious golfers.  Ain't nobody got time for pictures on a golf course.  You're out taking pictures on a golf course that's a DEAD GIVEAWAY, dead giveaway you're an amateur.  [that quote is also a shout out to Spencer who made that the quote of the weekend]

Oh I forgot!  Jaime stopped in to get a quick Irish Dancing lesson in before golf.  She likes to keep up her practice since the annual recital is just around the corner.  So committed, I tell ya!

Enjoying some QT.  Dead giveaway.

Pre-Melt Gluttony.  Jaime, by the way, is completely sober,
but apparently SUPER HAPPY to be there!!!

No words people.  That is a grilled cheese sandwich.
Oh yeah, it also has meatballs and marinara too, but it's a grilled cheese.

This too.  A VEGGIE grilled cheese.  Pretty sure it was good for me, since it was veggie.
I mean, look at it!  Pure picture of health food.

Here are the 11 year olds just after they picked themselves up off the floor from laughing!

Surprise Date Night

This my friends, was a GOOD one!  A good surprise  and a good date night.

We got home from work and grabbed a quick bite to eat.  [After the first debacle of expecting heavy hor's doveurs and getting a cracker, I always make sure we eat something before an excursion like this. Afterall, Sweet Sarah gave me a thumbs down for poor dinner planning for that night.]  So....nev-VER again!

We got to the train station just as they called "All Aboard".  I'm not really sure if they called All Aboard, but in my mind they did.  If they didn't they should've.  Hang on, let me ask........Sweet Sarah says she isn't sure, but says she'd back me up if I think they did.  So......well, they did, of course!  It makes for a better story.

Alright, are you still with me?  Now, just after Mr. McPheeley, (I think I got a picture of him) called "All Aboard!", we boarded.  We're compliant like that.

Once we were all settled in, we learned that they folks that run this program are all volunteers.  Completely impressive!  They were ready for the crowd and really made things run smoothly.

This excursion featured All Ohio Beer tasting and catering by Moe's.


It was SUCH a good time!

our complimentary tasting glass

The menu.  Yummy!!!!

The featured beers.  [or is it beer?  beirs?]

Sweet Sarah enjoying the first tasting!

One of the very cheerful volunteers.  Now pay attention here, because you'll see her later.

The full car.  I swear this was taken from my phone and not the security cameras.  Seriously, look at Sweet Sarah [Newscaster looking in to camera 1: "We've just received word that at approximately 7:45 the train car pictured here was boarded by train robbers, just minutes after the security cameras caught this image." Cut back to newscaster]

At this point, I should mention that the train DID blow an engine about 15 minutes into the ride.  Suddenly a woman came running onto our car and grabbed the fire extinguisher.  Yeah, it was comforting.  The volunteers of course, didn't miss a beat.  Never stopped serving or talking.  So we sat on the track for about 40 minutes while they sent a new engine for us.  It wasn't a big deal really.  Let's face it, everyone aboard was just there to drink beer while in a moving vehicle and not get a ticket!  

Ok, note the missing fire extinguisher to the right of the picture.  Cute little Ms. Happy face is trying to figure out what is going on.

This guy had a title, which Sweet Sarah informed me was no longer used on modern day trains.  So the whole get up was a farce I guess.  Harumph.  I believed it.

Here were are!  Just after the main course.  

I told you to pay attention!!!  Did you catch these dopplegangers in the previous picture????  She made 'em herself, she proclaimed.  No, really???  

There she is!!!

Post ride.  A good time!

CVNP also offers wine train.....Grape Escape.  Gonna have to try that one too!

The Joys of The Drayer

A house built in 1873 has some amazing qualities. Twelve inch base board. High ceilings.  Original floors and stained glass.  It's striking.  And the history. Oh! The history!!! If these walls could talk.  What did the Drayers do for fun?  And did they eat dinner in the dining room often?  And what about Alice the ghost?.....

It also has its challenges. Repairs and maintenance keep us busy.

Here's the latest.....

Over the last few weeks we noticed a sag in the upstairs hallway. The sag then became what appeared to be a hole, with the only thing keeping an "unsuspecting middle of the night bathroom run ending up in the dining room below" was the glorious 1984 aquamarine carpet.

Today, I could take it no more. I needed to know how bad the damage was beneath the carpet. Moreover I was concerned there were bigger structural issues.

This is what I found. Sigh. Looks like hallway carpeting has moved its way up the priority

The beautious aquamarine carpet is at the bottom of the pic.  The suspecting sag is dead center.

Here's why it's sagging.  A board used to cover what I suspect used to be a ventilation port was toe-nailed in.  TOE NAILED PEOPLE!!!  Really?  Did the seriously think that would hold?  On second thought...I guess it did since 1984.  [rightly humbled]  Also note that beautiful original floor.  A peak a bit further reveals sub-floor butted right up against it to complete the look.  boo!

Here's the hole.  It's about16 inches deep.  WHOA~!~~

Welp, looks like hallway carpeting just moved its way up the priority list.

A faceplant, A Smack in the Face and a Clear Re-Direct....TGIF

My day started with a faceplant.  Well, that's not how it actually started.  If you have to get all literal on me....it started with the usual morning routine: getting ready for work; chatting with Sweet Sarah; etc, etc.  I left the house rockin' a cute spring pink jacket, light gray slacks and cute Jambu sandals.  I was ready to take on this last day of a week that hasn't let up.

Just as I was headed in to my first appointment of the day, inside a VERY large parking garage.... down I went!  Head First.  Knees to hands, with a swift forward inertia of the downhill grade around came my loaded down briefcase to assist in the final fulcrum point tipping to my HEAD!  WHAMMO!!!!!  Aaaannnndddddd.....GOOD FRIDAY MORNING TO ME!!!!!

Thankfully, I was not hurt, nor, amazingly enough, did I ruin a single article of clothing, including the thin gray slacks and pink jacket.  Overall, I'd give myself a 9.8 for sticking, completely sticking the landing----Head to Pavement is NOT an easy thing to pull off, people!!!!

My second appointment, I spent time with someone who is very sick, but has not positioned themselves [yes, I realize I should be using himself/herself, but I'd prefer to protect the innocent.  So back off grammar police!] to make decisions for retirement and taking care of family members.  So, so, so sad.  I drove away feeling as if I'd been smacked in the face---a reminder of how precious life really is and what's important.  As someone else said to me yesterday..... "Life and health are the most important.  The rest is just window dressing."

Yes, that's right.  Remember this people....we work so we don't have to work.  It's a pretty simple formula.  Play hard.  Work hard.  Plan for the future---you're going to be spending an awful lot of time there, after all.

As I drove to my next appointment reflecting on these deep thoughts, staying just above a concussed level, wondering if I'd at least have a war wound to show off for the headache and smirking at the absurdity of the metaphor of my downhill sprawl given the week that didn't give up, my phone rang.  On the other end was a very excited person, calling to thank me for the help I had given him this week.  The very things we had worked on yesterday were already paying off and he was excited to share them with me.  Many, many days it's hard to determine if what I do is making a marked difference.  This week was no different.  But today, I know for certain that at least I made a difference yesterday.

Isn't it funny how God works?  [no, not ha ha funny.  Just curious funny.  Well, I guess it could be ha-ha funny.  Sometimes the stuff He does is pretty belly laughing, knee slapping ridiculously funny.]  During the week that felt like it won, fair and square.  Throw in the white flag, uncle.  uncle.  UNCLE!!!!!!!!!  And then just like that.  A right!  A LEFT!!!  JAB!  JAB!!!  WHAM!!!  The week stumbles to the corner of the ring, leans on the ropes and WHOOMP! is down for the count.

And as for me, my head is screwed on a little more straight [I still would argue I didn't need a full faceplant to sit up and pay attention] and I'm listening a little louder to Him today.

A Humble Prayer of Thanks

Somewhere along the way of my "thrice weekly church meetings, weekly teen devo [yeah, we called 'em devo,  cuz' we were cool like that.  Don't judge!], acapella singing [because David had NO idea God doesn't like harps!], women can be CEO's but not preachers [ummm, that's an entirely different post altogether] upbringing" I learned the value of walking prayer.

Walking prayer, as I use it today, is my version of the passing thoughts--good, bad, thankful, worries, that float through your mind and you release them to God.

Today my I share my humble prayer of thanks......

To the soul who created this stuff.....

source: easysewingrepairs.com

Bless you for making my morning three outfit changes less than it needs to be;
For the mercy of believing that not all women enjoy the mundane details of a whip-stitch;
For seeing the need to assist those who seem to pull out a hem as a normal course of her work week;
For understanding that there are those in the world that need even petite length shorter;
May the Lord find favor on you and your heirs.

Amen.

Little Miss Muffett

Just a little insight into the end of my work day today.  So, I'm running late for my appointment.  FIFTEEN MINUTES LATE!  Yeah, nice.  And to top it off it's with a potential candidate, whom I have never met.  Classy and Professional, Spann.

Sigh.

Anywho, I'm running late.  I show up, introduce myself and then proceed to do the I'm-not-running-I'm really-walking-fast-but-really-trying-to-run five year old shuffle to the restroom.  I bust into the one staller and simultaneously lock the door with my left hand while unbuttoning my pants with my right hand, trying to expedite the process to relief.

And just as I spin around to execute my flawless public toilet hover [I totally own the pose because I have a 45 minute bladder, which we requires me to hover A LOT!], to what did my wondering eyes did see, there in the water a little site to taking his own pee.

Yep, this little dude, out for an afternoon swim.  Oh, he didn't mind a bit that I had come to join the party.

I, on the other hand, in a state of "half-spinning a%$ to the porcelain hover" was completely discombobulated.

ABORT!!!  ABORT!!!!  FLUSH IT DOWN!!!!  FLUUUUUSSSSHHHHH, HE CAN CLIMB QUICKLY!!!!  --my brain was saying.

DROWN THE SUCKER!!!! LET'S GO, YOU'RE LATE!!!!  ---said my bladder.

Seriously, people, whatever is a hovering lady to do in this scenario?????


Oh, a day in the life of deliberatelifespann.  Isn't it a joy?

Never turn your back...

This is the toaster that lives in a drawer.  [We don't do cluttery counters at The Drayer.....makes me CAH-RAZY!]

This is the drawer.  It's empty because I'm toasting my breakfast.  

Fast forward THIRTY SECONDS and Jack thinks he should live in the drawer.    Seriously?

What do you think he's saying to me in this pic?

Zucchini Bread and Scrabble

Today I will make the journey back home to celebrate, honor and remember the life of one of the moms in my life.

Kyle and her grandson Olly

Kyle was a high school mom.  My best friend in high school, Nikki, was an only child.  Nikki moved down the road the year after I did.  And the year after that, Heather joined us.  We became "The Berridgers"  [we lived on Berridge Road.  Original, huh?]  As the "new kids" in school we quickly became pretty tight.

Little did Kyle know she was getting two extra daughters when they moved in to their new house.  She rolled with the punches and kept three high school girls who trashed her basement, regularly emptied her pantry and rarely cleaned up after ourselves in line.

Kyle LOVED to play games, especially Scrabble.  She played with us a lot.  Looking back, I think it is more accurate to say we actually played with her a lot.  She also had no intention of letting one of us win.  Nope.  She kept the dictionary on the table and would make us look up words, too.  Oh!  Oh!!  And when she won, she gloated.  Big ol' smile.  Followed by this little happy dance and a laugh that drove all of us crazy.

I can't quite recall, but I'm pretty sure she and Nikki averaged at least two games a week.  It was an on-going feud and an even bigger love/hate relationship Nikki had with the game.  Very rarely, Nikki would win a game.  But when she did LOOK OUT!  EVERYONE KNEW IT.  Kyle would let her gloat....for about a day and then continue to pummel her for the next six games straight.

Kyle was green before green was a term.  She had her own garden, grew oodles of vegetables and baked amazing zucchini bread.  One day in high school I decided to make zucchini bread, since I loved hers so much.  But it turned out terribly.  It was dry and heavy and I'm pretty sure no one in my family would eat it.   A few days later, over a heated game of Scrabble [pretty sure The Berridgers were losing to Kyle---even if we combined our score] I told Kyle of my baking debacle.  After she handily whipped us, she got up from the table went to the kitchen and called me over.  She had pulled out all of the ingredients and showed me how to make her zucchini bread recipe.  Once it was in the oven, she copied it to a recipe card and handed it to me.  Twenty three years later I still use her recipe.   

A few days ago this is the text I got from Nikki....

Kyle has certainly left this world too soon.  Damn cancer has claimed another life that I'm just not happy about.  But Kyle is leaving behind a beautiful daughter, whom she raised to be a kind, caring soul with a pretty competitive spirit and great sense of humor, a sweet man of a husband and an adorable grandson.

And that's to say nothing of her zucchini recipe....

God bless you, Kyle.  May you rest peacefully in His loving arms and may you find the ultimate heavenly play of "Sesquioxidizing" for 2,069 points.  Just remember not to gloat in front of Jesus.