Meredith Kendall's Blog, page 66
June 29, 2013
struts
Regular oil change and irregular attention to power steering reservoir.
Oh no, look at that. The car was up on the rack and we stood underneath. Tons of greasy rusty metal.
The mechanic pointed to an oily swirl. "It needs new struts," he said. "New front tires too. These are bald, see? Look at the treads on the rear tires." He shook his head. "If it's raining real hard, you better pull over. I don't want you to hydroplane, you know?"
He pointed to some rusty spots and told me he could fix it all. Said it would probably cost just under a thousand dollars. I said I'd think about it and get back to him. My car was 11 years old and had 120,000 miles on it. I put $1000 into it last summer, replacing the driver's side rocker panel. Maybe it was time.
I went home and looked up on the Internet "How to buy a car."
All the things I thought I should say and do, I shouldn't. It was enormously helpful to read and study the tips and top cars. I still felt nervous. It's like a life landmark. I haven't bought a car myself since I bought my very first car: a Volkswagen Beetle. I bought it from a high school acquaintance. The whole interior was covered with shag carpeting. It was a cute fuzzy beetle. $800 cheap, all my savings. My kind of price. I was working as a cook. The baker was my dear friend Betsy, the night chef my friend Vicky, and the dishwasher was a college kid named Jim.
Anyway. I loved that car. It was so cute, and fun to drive. My own car.
It needed it's annual inspection sticker, so I took it to a garage; the one right on the lake. The mechanic said, "Hey, look at this." The fuzzy carpeting covered up the holes in the floor board. The thing was a rust bucket. Big holes all over. I got the sticker anyway.
Then it needed an oil change. A guy offered to change the oil in exchange for a haircut. I cut his hair. He changed the oil. "The oil light may come on," he said, "because I just changed the oil. It might not register the new oil just yet. It has to sink in."
I drove the car. The oil light came on. All the oil leaked out and I burned out the engine. My brother sold the car for me. I think he got $50 for it.
So I was understandably nervous about buying another car.
Oh no, look at that. The car was up on the rack and we stood underneath. Tons of greasy rusty metal.
The mechanic pointed to an oily swirl. "It needs new struts," he said. "New front tires too. These are bald, see? Look at the treads on the rear tires." He shook his head. "If it's raining real hard, you better pull over. I don't want you to hydroplane, you know?"
He pointed to some rusty spots and told me he could fix it all. Said it would probably cost just under a thousand dollars. I said I'd think about it and get back to him. My car was 11 years old and had 120,000 miles on it. I put $1000 into it last summer, replacing the driver's side rocker panel. Maybe it was time.
I went home and looked up on the Internet "How to buy a car."
All the things I thought I should say and do, I shouldn't. It was enormously helpful to read and study the tips and top cars. I still felt nervous. It's like a life landmark. I haven't bought a car myself since I bought my very first car: a Volkswagen Beetle. I bought it from a high school acquaintance. The whole interior was covered with shag carpeting. It was a cute fuzzy beetle. $800 cheap, all my savings. My kind of price. I was working as a cook. The baker was my dear friend Betsy, the night chef my friend Vicky, and the dishwasher was a college kid named Jim.
Anyway. I loved that car. It was so cute, and fun to drive. My own car.
It needed it's annual inspection sticker, so I took it to a garage; the one right on the lake. The mechanic said, "Hey, look at this." The fuzzy carpeting covered up the holes in the floor board. The thing was a rust bucket. Big holes all over. I got the sticker anyway.
Then it needed an oil change. A guy offered to change the oil in exchange for a haircut. I cut his hair. He changed the oil. "The oil light may come on," he said, "because I just changed the oil. It might not register the new oil just yet. It has to sink in."
I drove the car. The oil light came on. All the oil leaked out and I burned out the engine. My brother sold the car for me. I think he got $50 for it.
So I was understandably nervous about buying another car.
June 28, 2013
slugs
Weather forecast: light rain with periods of heavy rain.
That's been our weather all week, and for the days ahead. Rain.
Mushrooms and slugs.
The slugs in my garden love beer traps. Yum. Where are the chips and cigarettes?
They love eggshells. Great place to gather.
Coffee, not so much. No thanks on the coffee. So coffee deters slugs, but with all this rain, I have to reapply every few days. I buy bags of cheap coffee at the discount store. Sometimes I sprinkle the grounds around the stems. Other times I boil up a big batch and spray it on the leaves. Noticeable decrease in slug parties and slug damage.
Salt is another deterrent, but it can harm plants. And salt kills slugs, rather than discouraging them.
Coffee. They don't like coffee.
That's been our weather all week, and for the days ahead. Rain.
Mushrooms and slugs.
The slugs in my garden love beer traps. Yum. Where are the chips and cigarettes?
They love eggshells. Great place to gather.
Coffee, not so much. No thanks on the coffee. So coffee deters slugs, but with all this rain, I have to reapply every few days. I buy bags of cheap coffee at the discount store. Sometimes I sprinkle the grounds around the stems. Other times I boil up a big batch and spray it on the leaves. Noticeable decrease in slug parties and slug damage.
Salt is another deterrent, but it can harm plants. And salt kills slugs, rather than discouraging them.
Coffee. They don't like coffee.
June 20, 2013
"Celebrate
all of it."
Tookie Bright
Tookie Bright
plant swap
Reiki Share and plant swap.
Traded raspberry roots for giant pumpkin and cucumber.
I love my garden.
Traded raspberry roots for giant pumpkin and cucumber.
I love my garden.
Pulsations
Reiki Share tonight.
My hands pulsed with the energy, as usual.
But usually I feel the pulsations equally in each hand. Synchronicity.
Tonight was new, different. The pulsations were sequential.
A beat in my right hand, then a beat in my left. Ba-boom. Ba-boom. Like a heartbeat.
My hands pulsed with the energy, as usual.
But usually I feel the pulsations equally in each hand. Synchronicity.
Tonight was new, different. The pulsations were sequential.
A beat in my right hand, then a beat in my left. Ba-boom. Ba-boom. Like a heartbeat.
Lovely
but a little chilly on the deck.
The sun is setting. I've been working 12 hour days. I teach, plan, and go to meetings. It's fun but long.
I get an hour of daylight at the end. I wander in the garden, admiring the plants. I sit on the deck sipping wine and answering emails. I watch the birds and continue to admire the plants. I plan the weekend adventures.
It's summer in Maine. The sunset was wispy pink clouds against a perfect blue sky. I'm cold. Time to go inside.
The sun is setting. I've been working 12 hour days. I teach, plan, and go to meetings. It's fun but long.
I get an hour of daylight at the end. I wander in the garden, admiring the plants. I sit on the deck sipping wine and answering emails. I watch the birds and continue to admire the plants. I plan the weekend adventures.
It's summer in Maine. The sunset was wispy pink clouds against a perfect blue sky. I'm cold. Time to go inside.
summer
in Maine. Bring a sweater.
June 16, 2013
enlightenment
Took a magazine quiz. Martha Beck in Oprah, probably published 2 years ago.
I'm a teacher, it's summer, and I'm catching up on my reading. I have a stack of novels and am working my way down the pile: Shreve, Kingsolver, and Lahiri. Also magazines. I quit subscribing, and rarely buy one because I just don't take the time to read them during the school year. I save them for summer and read at the beach. I'm currently making my way through 2-year-old Oprahs and Shambala Sun, a Buddhist magazine.
So I was at the beach. Popham Beach State Park in Phippsburg, Maine. It was hot and breezy. A huge long beach. My chair was near the waves. Surfers walked by. A few families. Found a quiz and took it.
According to the quiz; I have absent or very low needs for connection, security, influence, and accomplishment. I have a moderately strong need for enlightenment. That was strongest. The need for freedom, exploration, and enlightenment.
Bet you want to take the quiz too. Here's the link:
http://www.oprah.com/spirit/How-to-Determine-What-Motivates-You-Motivation-Style
I'm a teacher, it's summer, and I'm catching up on my reading. I have a stack of novels and am working my way down the pile: Shreve, Kingsolver, and Lahiri. Also magazines. I quit subscribing, and rarely buy one because I just don't take the time to read them during the school year. I save them for summer and read at the beach. I'm currently making my way through 2-year-old Oprahs and Shambala Sun, a Buddhist magazine.
So I was at the beach. Popham Beach State Park in Phippsburg, Maine. It was hot and breezy. A huge long beach. My chair was near the waves. Surfers walked by. A few families. Found a quiz and took it.
According to the quiz; I have absent or very low needs for connection, security, influence, and accomplishment. I have a moderately strong need for enlightenment. That was strongest. The need for freedom, exploration, and enlightenment.
Bet you want to take the quiz too. Here's the link:
http://www.oprah.com/spirit/How-to-Determine-What-Motivates-You-Motivation-Style
June 9, 2013
peonies
are about to bloom. They are my fav flowers and I was afraid I would miss the blooming, away in Virginia for a week.
thin
Not my body, no. Somehow I gained a few pounds last winter.
Thin. As in spreading myself. There are so many things I want to learn and do. I want to be a researcher, a writer, a teacher, a mom, and an Integrative Nurse. I want to share and teach Reiki. I love teaching nurses and nurses aids. I love to garden and travel. I want to explore, read good books at the beach, and meet interesting people.
So many things to do. So many sunrises to admire.
Thin. As in spreading myself. There are so many things I want to learn and do. I want to be a researcher, a writer, a teacher, a mom, and an Integrative Nurse. I want to share and teach Reiki. I love teaching nurses and nurses aids. I love to garden and travel. I want to explore, read good books at the beach, and meet interesting people.
So many things to do. So many sunrises to admire.
