leisure house

We see the most beautiful sunsets at our Leisure House.

{a neighbor took this photo of our winter home}

hometown

Glassy smooth along the Erie Canal 

to begin the day in Brockport, NY. 

{1867 Custom House Building}

photo by John Kucko

more joy with fewer things

Wish I had read this article in the 1980's.
Actually, it wasn't my kids who asked for more
it was I who gave them more.
My blog friends with young children should
definitely take a few minutes to read this.

{open article here}

the moment in the middle

the moment in the middle

hold your breath
here it is
Christmas eve
my favorite time of the Christmas season
the perfect moment between all the preparations and all of the celebrations

From the book Out to Cannan (the fourth book in the Mitford series)
by: Jan Karon

All is done yet all is yet to come . . .
"It was a moment of perfection he would probably not find again this year, and he sat without moving, almost without breathing. There was the upside of a garden, when one was digging and planting, heaving and hauling, and then the downside, when it was all weeding and grooming and watering and sweating. One had to be fleet to catch the moment in the middle, the mountaintop, when perfection was as brief as the visit of a butterfly to an outstretched palm."

yellow warbler

This little bird visits us in the mornings. 

Today: 6 a.m. - rocking that lime green.

Tap, tap, tapping on the window pane.

It has been everyday for a week now.
We will miss her if she moves on.

illustrated recipe

I have one of the dearest {and talented}

friends anyone could ask for. 

Thank you Debby Alianello.

{this is my mom's recipe}

"The recipe came from Dorothy close to 40 years ago. 

It may have morphed a little but is delicious!"

{Debby}

I encourage you to try it . . . 

porch sit

This morning we are enjoying our
morning coffee on this porch.

We look forward to a relaxing few months after . . .
a summer of moving from a house we loved for 35 years

We also look forward to reconnecting with our Florida friends
and searching out new volunteer opportunities. 

Then in the late afternoons we'll replace
our coffee with a cocktail 

and soon - hoping a few

friends and family will join us for a visit 

in sunny Venice, Florida . . .

The guest room is ready

IKEA

On a recent trip to the airport

the Sunshine Skyway Bridge was closed due to fog

 {photo credit: only in your state}

We had to detour around the bay

Low and behold it took us right past IKEA

We stared the morning with a one dollar 310 calorie breakfast

After 2 hours of wondering around the store
we came home with . . .

two orange pillowcases

a kitchen dish soap dispenser

drawer organizers for our three new babies {due this year}

fun trays for  hors-d'oeuvres

small bookshelves {to hold our spices}

a fun bottle for water {or an adult beverage}

We were tempted by so many things.

We may just have to go back.

seeking silence

There is a lot of background noise in my life.

When I sit down for my morning coffee I turn on "Good Morning America"

When I do my morning chores I listen to WHAM 1180

When I sit down to sew I watch a DVR'd TV show
When I drive to Jazzercise I listen to an audio book

When we eat dinner we watch "Jeopardy"

When I read in the evening I tune into a playlist from Google Play

When we have friends over for a game I pop in a CD

{Venice}

{Brockport}

After reading this article I will

"make quiet my new default" 

RealSimple Magazine - January 2016 

 article by Jennifer King Lindley. 

Can I have some peace and quiet?!

Noise can affect learning
. . . researchers theorize that the part of the brain that processes auditory signals is the same one that handles short-term memory
. . .mice raised in a noisy environment had a 70% reduction in blood vessel formation in their brains than those in quiet cages

Children
. . . even moderate background noise can interfere with the ability of babies to learn new words
. . . in one study children on the noisy side of a school (near train tracks) had reading sores that lagged a full year behind children on the quieter side of the school

Teenagers
. . . quiet time can strengthen internal focus
. . . this generation has begun to focus on external stimulation rather than reflecting inward

Adults
. . . quiet lets your mind wander and make connections between things not previously noticed
. . . constant noise pulls our attention ever outward and upsets our balance

The article also recommends ways to find quiet for all different ages from toddlers to adults.
. . . reduce background racket
. . . institute a daily quiet time
. . . have device free times
. . . dare not to talk

I hope I haven't quoted too much of her article (more that 20%) 

but I wanted you to get a preview of her thoughts. 

I hope that you can find a copy and read it.

{Prince Rupert}

I remember in my teaching days parents who thought their child was bored 

and requested more work/enrichment/challenge. 

What I really wanted to say to them - two things.

When will he have time to think?

and

Boredom is a choice.

retirement

Lately we have had some bumps in our road

but are so fortunate to 

spend most days 

doing what we want to do

{photo courtesy of Art and Sand}

How do you spend your days

"in between"   

the moment in the middle

Hold your breath.

Here it is.

Christmas Eve.

My favorite day of the Christmas Season.

The perfect moment between all the preparations and all of the celebrations.

All is done yet all is yet to come . . .
"It was a moment of perfection he would probably not find again this year, and he sat without moving, almost without breathing. There was the upside of a garden, when one was digging and planting, heaving and hauling, and then the downside, when it was all weeding and grooming and watering and sweating. One had to be fleet to catch the moment in the middle, the mountaintop, when perfection was as brief as the visit of a butterfly to an outstretched palm. 

From the book Out to Cannan 
(the fourth book in the Mitford series)

by: Jan Karon

porch sit

If all goes as planned  . . .

this morning we will be enjoying our morning coffee
on this porch.

We look forward to a relaxing few months
reconnecting with our Florida friends
and searching out new volunteer opportunities. 

I will enjoy a cup of coffee right here

while reading your blogs in the mornings

and then in the late afternoons 

perhaps a cocktail 

and soon - hoping a few

friends and family will join us for a visit 

in sunny Venice, Florida . . .

the guest room is ready

autumn walk

It was a beautiful walk along the canal

 The skies were an amazing blue

thanks for coming along Debbie P.

Another view from Jim and John

reboot

almost everything will work again

if you unplug it for a few minutes

including you

{quote from salon by ann lamott}