Weekly recap of my ritual of existence in this liminal space called life. (See here for more info.)
- Weather
No rain (or snow) this week. Sigh. High temperatures were in the 70°Fs for the first three days, then 50°Fs the next three, and finally in the high 40°Fs on Sunday. The average high was 63.3°F. Lows followed suit, starting the week in the low 50°Fs, then in the 40°Fs for the next three days, then the 30°Fs on Friday and Saturday, and finally in the high 20°Fs on Sunday. The average low was 40.6°F.
- Beginnings/Firsts
Planted the garlic! Also, bought port wine cheese this week for the first time since forever, as something different from the cheeses I usually serve for guests, and I remembered I like it!
- Wild Things (Flora, Fauna, Fungi) in addition to others elsewhere in this post
Merlin heard these 15 species at or near Odiorne Point State Park; curiously, Merlin did not hear the many gulls we saw & heard, nor the plover shown above whom we heard calling — wind and lapping water really confound it (Merlin, not the plover)
- Wandering
On Monday, we walked the bog 1.5 times and then I took another walk afterward. On Tuesday afternoon we went away to the coast (Rye NH), walking at Odiorne Point State Park before checking in to the motel at 4:15. Wednesday we walked to Odiorne, climbing boulders along Route 1A onto the beach in some dense morning fog before checking out, then afterward walked the sand and shingle beaches at Odiorne as the fog began to lift. We drove to Salisbury, MA, for a late lunch at The Seaglass, overlooking the ocean, and then home. Thursday we took a shortish walk in town, to visit friends and to run a couple of errands. Friday I walked to Salon and back, with a detour to the farmstand, about 4 miles total. No walking on Sat. and a short in-town walk on Sunday.
bog walk
Rye, NH / Odiorne Point State Park
- Curiosity & Discoveries
A bone on the stony beach at Odiorne Point State Park (don’t know of what)
a lobster buoy about 200 miles from home (as the gull flies), also on the beach at Odiorne Point State Park
a pile of blow lugworms (Arenicola marina) ? on beach at Odiorne Point State Park at lowish tide
a large and intricate spiderweb inland at Odiorne
- Creating
Still collecting items for my whimsical planned digital piece referenced last week.
- Repairing and Maintaining (everything but the house & yard)
Body/Mind: Only got in two workouts (2 hours) this week. Walked more than 11,000 steps on six days this week, with two days over 14,000 steps. I had a negative Covid test on Saturday. On Sunday I participated in a Dharma Dialogues via Zoom with Lama Willa Baker and Olivia Hoblitzelle from 12-1:45.
Finances: Called on Monday, a couple of days after receiving the Irving propane invoice (for the one delivery we get each year), to get 10% off. I cancelled my Washington Post subscription on Friday.
Cat: I revised and printed the notes for the catsitter Monday for our overnight away.
- Gardening/Yard
The garlic I ordered from Fedco in July — Georgian, German extra-hardy, and Music hardneck — finally arrived on Wed. (poor gardening conditions where it’s grown delayed it) and I planted it on Sunday, using both our homegrown compost and a bag of Coast of Maine Quoddy mix compost. My husband collected and chopped fallen leaves to mulch the rows.
I also harvested all the scarlet runner beans, weeded part of that garden for about 1/2 hour, and removed the tomato plants and their cages, the cucumber, bean, and morning glory vines, the nasturtiums and sunflowers, and the herbs except the parsley and perennial thyme, which are thriving. I left the kale and the calendula, which is still blooming.
The 20 parrot tulip bulbs (two varieties) that I ordered in Aug. from Fedco arrived on Thursday — those I plan to get into the ground (somewhere) when it’s warmer next week, probably on Thursday.
My husband cleaned out the wheelbarrow and brought in downed branches for firewood on Friday.
in the garden this week (in addition to photos elsewhere)
- Nesting
Cleaning/Maintenance: I did clothes laundry on Monday and Thursday. My husband ran the robo-vac in the bedroom and vacuumed the hallways and kitchen on Friday. Got ready for two friends (LM, LD) here Friday evening for drinks and nosh, including cleaning the living room, making fresh salsa on Thursday, and making edamame dip and water-roasting romanesco on Friday.
Food: Had a lovely (early) dinner at Atlantic Grill in Rye on Tuesday and a nice (late) lunch at The Seaglass in Salisbury, MA, on Wed. We got takeout Chinese from a local place on Sunday, which we will be eating well into next week. Otherwise I made veggie burgers (w/ lots of arugula) with sautéed broccolini on Monday, and tuna with farfelle, (our) garlic, onion, white wine, capers, and kalamatas on Thursday, which we also ate on Saturday. Friday we had people over and enjoyed appetizers for dinner.
dinner & lunch out
Supplies: Ordered toilet paper from Amazon on Thursday. My Darn Tough socks were delivered on Thursday. Items from Lands End were delivered on Sat. but the sweater and my PJ bottoms didn’t fit, so will be returning them for store credit on Monday. Ordered Yorkshire Gold tea and a few more reading glasses on Saturday (another pair broke on Friday evening).
- Sleeping & Dreaming
I slept an average of 7 hours 53 minutes per night this week, including a night of only 6 hours 22 mins and another of 9 hours 15 mins. Scores ranged from 71 to 93, with an average of 84. I got 13 hours 40 mins of REM and 8 hours 35 mins of deep sleep.
- Reading / Words & Ideas / Listening / Watching
Reading
BOOKS: Nothing finished this week but I’m in the middle of Agnes Sharp and the Trip of a Lifetime (2024), the second in a series by Leonie Swann. On tap: Plain Bad Heroines (2020) by Emily Danforth; Salt On Your Tongue: Women and the Sea (2019) by Charlotte Runcie (“as heard on BBC 4”); Blue Sisters (2024) by Coco Mellors; and The Book of Wildflowers: Reflections on Favorite Plants (2024) by Angie Lewin and Christopher Stocks.
OTHER:
Why some masking is better than none. This is an excellent essay on the considerations for and rubrics of masking, by an ER doctor. Unfortunately this is a paid post, but you can get a one-month subscription for $6 or ask me and I think I can give you a gift subscription. The factors he discusses are density/crowd; volume of the space (amount of airspace as well as floorspace); how does the air feel (stuffy and hot, or fresh and airy); what are people doing in the room (is it quiet or is there talking/singing/shouting); wastewater levels, hospital capacity; other people’s behaviors (“I figure if some people are masking, it’s reasonable to assume that they might be immunocompromised”).
and
Listening
A selection of my listening this week.
- Connections & Community
Local/Community Support: My husband volunteered at the car museum on Tuesday morning for 3 hours, for the last time this season. Bought Coast of Maine compost from a local NH hardware chain on Wed. Ate at local (to other areas) restaurants on Tuesday for dinner and Wednesday for lunch, and got takeout from local Chinese restaurant on Sunday. Bought some food at local farmstand on Thursday and bought treats at local café/bakery on Thurs. and Sunday.
Relationships: I had several garlic bulbs left over (my garden space is never as large as I imagine it to be) and offered them to permaculture friends on Sunday. Helped move garden and bulk items for friends on Monday and Thursday and we talked for a little while. Chatted with our neighbour (SF) who was walking two dogs on Thursday, and also on Thurs. talked for a while with a friend (LL) at the local farmstand. Missed permaculture Zoom on Thursday while helping friends. Attended in-person Salon on Friday for 2 hours with four others. Had friends (LM and LD) over on Friday from 5 to 8 for drinks and snacks. Got nice catch-up email from friend (RVN) on Sunday.
Donations: Renewed NH Audubon membership on Thursday.
- Endings/Harvest
Harvested all the scarlet runner beans and more Sweet Millions tomatoes this week. Pulled most of the rest of the plants out of the garden, except kale, thyme, and parsley.
- All This Useless Beauty
lobster claw
this stone
beach fog
and this
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