A Morning of Spectacular Spring Chautauqua Sunrises

6:38

7:02

7:29

I was awake for some reason at 5:30, got up at 5:45, Evie followed at 6:15, reluctant early risers.  The sky at this hour is amazing, a band of changing colors hangs above the skyline.  We keep walking outside in the cold air and taking another photo.

Our painter, Barb Johnson, arrived yesterday morning at 9:00, just as I was leaving for yoga.  As I may have mentioned, with are painting, after 19 years, our upstairs again, our TV room, and all the bathrooms. She and Evie seem to really have hit it off, with lots of similar interests, grandchildren and gardens among them, so I wonder how much time will be wasted by the two of them gabbing (is that a sexist word?).  Just kidding, as she is extremely efficient and helpful, with picking out paints and trim.  As for me, yoga was more difficult than usual, just me and 17 women, a tough morning.  On the way home, I stopped at  Ryder's Cup, then Sherwin Williams, again, and picked up two six dollar sample cans of Muslin and Silver Sage.  When I got home, Evie had just returned from the Chautauqua Institution, where she picked up an old that door that was sitting next to the dumpster.  It weighs a ton and now we don't know what to do with it.  Back to the dumpster!

7:02

By lunch, our downstairs bathroom had its first coat, and it was time out to eat, get some advice from Barb, and then more painting.  I had soup and leftover pizza, then took off for Jamestown for a doctor's appointment, leaving the house to Evie and Barb.  First, I stopped at the Prendergast Library to pick up a book on reserve for Evie,  the sequel to THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY, THE LOVE SONG OF MISS QUEENIE HENNESSY.  After my appointment, I stopped, once more, at Sherwin Williams and picked up two gallons of Silver Sage, one of Muslin as we had decided that they were both colors we really liked.  We would use the Silver Sage in both our TV room and bedroom, with the Muslim on the trim and ceilings.  If this does not sound right, don't write to tell me!  We finally made a decision.  When I returned home, the bathroom was done, the TV room was prepped.

7:09

The rest of the afternoon went quickly and before we knew it, it was 'wine time,' well deserved after a grueling day of watching someone else paint the interior of our house.  Neither one of us had much 'pep' as my Mom would say, but we gathered up enough 'want to' to make dinner, spaghetti carbonara but instead of bacon, we used the leftover ham.  The carbonara was easier than we thought and,with a salad, a perfect Monday night dinner.  We could not make up our minds what to watch, so we turned to our standbys, Stewart and The Nightly Show.  Then, since Mad Men will begin its last six episodes in April, we went back and watched the first two episodes, from close to ten years ago.  It's fun to watch, having seen all of the following seven seasons.  We forgot how sexist the 1960's were and we don't even discover Don is married until the end of the first episode, after he has slept with his artist friend.  And all the men smoke like fiends, drink during and after work, and generally act as sexist pigs, hitting on Peggy, the innocent, soon to become their boss.  I don't think we will stick with all of it but perhaps pick and choose and watch some of the shows from various seasons before the final season begins.

7:10