Saving Basil

Wow, I can't believe how long it's been since I've been here. So sorry...

The main excuse I have is that my camera cord was missing and I had to get another one. But, that's really just an excuse...

Anyway,

by now you know it's the middle of September. Almost Rosh Hashanah. It's starting to really feel like Fall now, chilly at night and sunny during the day. Really Nice. But Summer is pretty much gone. I feel like a lot of us in that we didn't have much summer, only July and August, 'cause June was All Rain. :(

My basil plants are on their way out, too. Leggy and seedy, I've made some freezer packets of basil leaves like my father-in-law used to do for me. It takes a little while to do, but the leaves stay green, and you have little perfect size portions that you can slice into basil ribbons, or shred into whatever you want.

Just take some leaves, put them together, layering the leaves, like they're spooning.

Then, roll into little loaves, and rubber band together. Then, just freeze in a zip-lock bag, and they're ready when you need them.

Mad for Mimi

Mimi Kirchner's dolls are absolutely beautiful.

Recently because of her amazing work, she has given me the inspiration to make my own dolls.

I never thought I would want to make dolls. I always painted, did mosaics, lots of crafts, and I actually thought people who made 'art dolls' were haughty and pretentious, but now I think they're underappreciated and extraordinary. Exploring so many art medium and techniques, these artists often combine wit, magic, whimsy, kitch, feminism, and relevance. The dolls or figures, become metaphors for the artistic id. They often combine sculpture, painting, sewing, and mixed media to tell inventive and imaginative stories through their creations.

Mimi's dolls are both playful and vintage-looking, familiar and exciting, so well crafted and designed, to me they are here and now, and always.

I hope I can summon some of my own creative juice to make my own dolls, and use the colors in my paint box that are me.

Mimi was featured on Etsy last week, Take a look.

my favorite things

I can't find my camera cord, and I wanted to post some pictures, so Ill just make this a short post instead.

You know, I always thought that apartment buildings were kinda creepy with food odors in the hallways, and other stuff, but the aroma of food cooking is actually one of the things that I really like about my building.

The people who live here are so many different nationalities...Greek, Indian, Asian, Mexican, African American, West Indian, Spainish, Romanian, Italian, ....and more. And sometimes, when they're cooking, it smells so good in the hallways...really warm & spicy & homey. It happens at different times, and not everyday, but,

It's one of my favorite things about living here.

Moving to 119.

So, we moved August 1st, & then I got the flu on August 2nd. That kinda put the damper on our new place for me, for a while. I was so sick I couldn't unpack, so now I'm staring at a lot of boxes, and they're staring back. I open one, look in, and close it back up. The only thing worse than packing, is unpacking.

One of my better ideas was borrowing a shopping cart from the supermarket. Asking the manager was so embarrassing, but it was such a winner. Since we were only moving upstairs, I knew I could load it up with clothes and food and stuff, and just go up in the elevator, and into the condo, and unpack it, without putting stuff into boxes.

not bad.

Rich stayed home one day to take care of me and help unpack , and wait for the cable guy. He was such a big help. I sent him to the drug store for immodium, toilet paper, chicken soup, and ginger ale...and he came home with it all, like a champ.

A big hassle about moving is calling everyone and changing addresses for my doctors, and all that crap. So, I'm gonna do that Friday. I think. The mail will keep

getting forwarded to our new place

for a month, and our phone is still the same number , so that's great.

This is the view from our balcony now, we're up higher, so that's ok, but it's noisier, 'cause now, 287 is within our sights.

So, I was gonna unpack this past weekend, but Jesse decided to come home for a visit with his bf Jason. He asked first, if it was not a good weekend to come, and of course, it wasn't , but I adore him, so of course, I said , No Problem. And they came, went to the beach, came back, brought pizza, saw friends, and I loved every minute.

And Joey loves Jess to death. After he left, Joey was so sad, he just laid around all day and moped.

sorry seems to be the hardest word

Just wanted to say ,"sorry" I have been away. We moved on the 1st, and on the 2nd I got the flu!

But not just the flu, the 'I can't move, or sleep, I'm keeping Richard up, cause I'm moaning all night 'flu. And it went on & on & on. so, just wanted to say I'm feeling better, got a ton of boxes to unpack. but I'll be back tomorrow with some better stuff. Have a good night y'all.

Moving Day...minus 3 days and counting...

So, we're moving on Saturday, and, even though its only upstairs in the same building, it seems like a huge deal anyway. Of course, it isn't. Considering that I already packed up a whole house last year and moved to a 1 bdroom apartment, this is a lateral move, and relatively easy. The condo we've been renting has sold, and we had the choice to stay til our lease was up (Oct.) or go now to a bigger one, upstairs, for the same price, for a year. Not much choice, really, but its cool.

I've been packing cartons all week, kitchen stuff, bathroom, & living room. All I have left is the bedroom, and the last day stuff we're using of the kitchen & bath. Not too bad. And today I went to the A & P, and asked the manager if I could borrow a shopping cart, and he said YES!

So, that will be great for just loading it up and taking it to the elevator and into the new place.

The new apartment is on the second floor, in the middle, so we're gonna be using the elevator, or walking up the stairs a few times a day. No biggie. Actually, more exercise!

And I'm thinking of other advantages now:

1. No one can look into the apartment, like on the first floor, so more privacy.
2. Still the Southern exposure that we like so much, sun all day in winter, shady in summer.
3. No more 'screaming mimi' neighbor next to us, ('though, not sure who is up there yet.)
4. Bigger living room, bigger walk-in closet in bedroom.
5. Still in the same building we like, in the back, not facing the parking lot.
6. We won't have to move in November, new yearly lease til next July.
7. The builder is moving us.
8. We're kinda doing the builder a favor, which can't hurt.

So, once we get up there, I'm sure there will be others, & I'll let you know when I know.

Gotta go pack some more boxes. Not sure how Joey will do, but he sure got used to the tiny apartment, so I'm not worried about him, he's adaptable. I guess we are, too.