A Potpourri Of NOT Much Happening Around Here

/ Ally Bean

You know, my little sugarplums, that I enjoy writing posts here, right? I tell you about what’s going on in my life. But that premise is based on the idea that something interesting is going on in my life.

And sometimes THERE AIN’T MUCH HAPPENING HERE.

However I feel like writing & using emojis. Muse is getting antsy waiting for it to NOT be January, so here’s what I have to tell you, interesting or not.

THE WEIRD CONVERSATION

While I was shopping in Kroger as I was standing in front of the cheese case a woman wearing a mask walked up to me to ask a question.  She pulled down her mask [🤨] and asked me: “do you know what uncured ham is?”

It sounded vaguely familiar, like something from my childhood but I couldn’t tell her what it was.  This didn’t stop her from sharing her woe about not finding it, an ingredient in some special sandwich, the recipe for which she waved before me as if it was a magic wand that’d spark my memory.

When I assured her I did NOT know anything useful about uncured ham, but maybe someone at the meat counter did, she wandered away, visibly disheartened.

I felt like I’d failed a pop quiz.

THE GOOD NEWS

The 30-foot tall dead tree in our neighbor’s yard, a tree that has loomed ominously over our screened-in porch for 5 years, fell down NOT on our house.  Instead it keeled over into the wooded ravine behind our houses.

There said tree shall remain for eternity… with my blessing [😇].

THE REMODELING MEETING

We finalized remodeling plans for our 2 bathrooms.  Having already had the kitchen and the primary bathroom and the laundry room remodeled by this company, it was easy to pick out the cabinets.  We’re rather familiar with them [🙄].

The cabinets won’t be here until May;  NOT sure I believe that, but I’ll try to be positive.  The rest of the decisions about tile and sinks and knobs and wall color are yet to come when we closer to the project start date and the interior designer is ready to work with me.

I’m jazzed because that’s the fun part, oh yes it is.

THE PHOTO PROJECT UPDATE

Last April I started taking a monthly photo of our backyard + a little of the neighbor’s backyard;  the previous photos are here.  They are to document the changes of the seasons.  I snap them while standing in the same place on our deck.

While this is NOT my usual higgledy-piggledy photo style [😁], it’s a fun harmless project that might prove something… yet to be decided.

These photos are the next installment.

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

JANUARY

~ ~ 💚 ~ ~

194 thoughts on “A Potpourri Of NOT Much Happening Around Here”

  1. Having just finished (almost) a kitchen and laundry room, I send my best wishes. The laundry room change was almost as amazing as the kitchen. The former owners put in a new floor several years back that was just plain ugly. Technically it was in very good shape, just so dang ugly. It’s gone! Love your monthly pictures. I should do that because there is a tree line at the back of my yard that changes with the seasons. Maybe I’ll start with January!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Kate, I KNEW you’d relate to this project. I understand about changing your house to make you happy. If you’re living there ALL THE TIME then why not? I’ve enjoyed taking these photos. Give it a whirl.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. First, I appreciate being called a sugarplum. Thanks for helping to get my day off to a great start. And…I think uncured ham is just pork, isn’t it? Shame on you for not having that answer ready just in case you were ever to run into the woman who needed that specific information at a moment’s notice 😉 (I felt like using an emoji too!)

    Liked by 1 person

    • Laurie, you are, of course, a sugarplum and as such need to be called that. I’m feeling really silly today. As for uncured ham, I haven’t researched it. I don’t know why she didn’t ask at the meat counter… isn’t that what you’d do? Go to the primary source, so to speak.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Uncured ham is NOT just pork . . . although that was my first thought too. Instead, uncured ham is ham cured with salt and NO chemicals, NO synthetic nitrates, and NO synthetic nitrites.

      BONUS INFO: Boar’s Head Cooked Uncured Ham is slow-cooked for a tender taste and pre-sliced in a resealable package for on-the-go convenience. The perfect entrée to a quick meal, Boar’s Head Boneless Smoked Uncured Ham Steak is slow-roasted and provides all the flavor of a traditional bone-in ham.

      PS ~ I’m a vegetarian so you won’t see any of the above in my shopping cart. 😀

      Liked by 1 person

      • Nancy, you have figured it out. Pity you weren’t there to talk with this woman. It’s almost like you found the Boar’s Head website to learn all that you share here. 🤔

        We eat meat but I don’t think I’ve had any uncured ham since I was a girl. I don’t know why my parents served it back then, but they were foodies. I’ll look for it the next time I’m in the mood to try something different.

        Thanks for figuring this out.

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  4. I am frequently stopped by people who want to know about an ingredient in the grocery store. We must have a look of someone who knows these things, I guess. The one that was the funniest was last summer. A young man, big and burly and heavily pierced and tattooed, walked up to me with a bunch of ruby Swiss chard and asked me if it was rhubarb. I explained the difference to him, and told him I thought it was too late in the season for rhubarb. He looked really dismayed and told me his wife was pregnant and craving strawberry rhubarb pie and would probably kill him now. I did some searching with him, and we found some frozen. I think I saved his life that day!

    Liked by 1 person

  6. One of my comments went missing ~ addressing your bathroom project and putting that dead tree to good use in creative ways. I think WP thought I had exceeded my allotment or quota of comments. 😀

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  7. I love the photo project! Nature is captivating, even when it’s just a small section you see daily, and I too love watching my little slice of nature transform across the seasons and years.

    I feel strangely invested in uncured ham woman. I hope she found her happiness.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Suzanne, I started the photo project on a whim– and continue it on a whim. After one year I’ll find something else to focus on monthly, although not sure what.

      I know what you mean about the uncured ham woman. I felt bad that I couldn’t help her. Like I’d defeated her with my ignorance.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Ellen D, yes this property is secluded and somewhat wild in the back while very proper in the front. I call the lot a mullet, after the men’s hairstyle– short in the front, long in the back. Fingers crossed about the remodeling.

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  9. I envy your home improvement projects, Ally. We have not been able to get a contractor to do any small projects (adding a room and remodeling two bathrooms considered small) for we’ll over a year. I will try not to covet your new spaces. I love your photo project. For me, my goal was to simply read more this year. And why do people pull down their masks to talk to us? Smh

    Liked by 1 person

    • Maggie, the only reason we got this company to come talk with us is that we have a long past history with them. We’re reliable, they’re reliable. On the other hand we cannot get a soul to talk seriously with us about rebuilding our deck that is getting shakier all the time. This pandemic has pushed that project back to infinity.

      I’d love to know why people pull down their masks to talk, too. It defeats the entire purpose of wearing one, which is to NOT infect someone else.

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  10. I desperately want to remodel our full bathroom…but it’s our only full bathroom in our very small house. The metal corner is literally rusting and flaking sheetrock in front of our eyes, but I shall have to endure it longer. Or at least until we can shower somewhere else safely.

    I will watch your remodel enviously!

    Liked by 1 person

    • AutumnAshbough, well phooey about your bathroom situation. Endure you will. We’ve slowly been upgrading this house over the years. It takes planning and patience to make this so, but I’ll admit that after the remodels I’m giddy happy. You’ll get to it eventually.

      Liked by 1 person

  11. Uncured ham. I didn’t think it was that elusive to find in the store.
    Yay for the tree falling where it should; we’re waiting for one in our not.so.friendly neighbors yard to fall on our fence. *sigh*
    I love your backyard view; beautiful in all seasons.
    YAY for getting the rest of your updates started.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Suz, I’m not familiar with uncured ham, but apparently this woman was having difficulties finding it. Call my overly pragmatic, but asking at the meat counter seems like the way to find it. I suggested that, even.

      I sympathize with your waiting for the tree to fall scenario. It was a matter of time. I hope your neighbor’s tree falls NOT on your fence.

      Liked by 1 person

  12. You have no snow!

    I love remodeling photos – will you post any?

    Ugh, so glad the tree didn’t fall on your house. Aieeee. I also do not know what uncured ham is. I would also fail that quiz.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Nicole, at the beginning of the week we had snow everywhere, but it melted in two days. So WEIRD for this time of year.

      I’ll post photos of the projects once they get started. When that’ll actually be is anyone’s guess. Seems like half my commenters know what uncured ham is, the other half [our half] haven’t a clue.

      Like

  13. I, too, am invested in the story of the uncured ham woman. It must’ve been one good recipe.

    I’m glad the dead tree fell in with the other trees in the woods. I feel like it knew just where it wanted to be. 🙂

    I’m also a fan of your progression pictures.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Kari, people talk to me so having someone I don’t know walk up to me and ask me a question isn’t new. BUT I had no idea about what uncured ham is, let alone where to find it. And she was so sad.

      I agree the dead tree went to where it needed to be. Hallelujah! I have two more months on this project, then I’ll have a year’s worth of photos. Glad you like.

      Liked by 1 person

  14. I often get invited into conversation from strangers, usually telling me their life story. Perhaps I don’t look like the recipe kind of gal😂. Love the pics but where is your snow?

    Liked by 1 person

  15. I still remember the day a fellow approached me in the grocery store, asking about the difference between buttermilk and regular milk. At the time, I didn’t have a clue, and said so. His delight was obvious — as he put it, “Thank goodness. I thought I was the only person in the world who didn’t know.”

    I really like your series of photos. As for emojis… Well, I’ll confess it here. I often skip comments or posts that include them, and edit them out of comments on my blogs. I know, I know. I’m old and sometimes crotchety and more often than not just plain weird. But my reaction to them is visceral. I never criticize anyone for using them, but they always make me feel like we’re heading back to pictographs on cave walls. I do understand they’re useful for short replies when texting — but I almost never text, either. See? Weird.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda, I wish the woman who approached me had been more happy with my reply to her question. But she seemed so defeated– and I didn’t mean to bring her down.

      AS FOR EMOJIS, I don’t use them alone in any space that is about writing. I use them in conjunction with my words, as seen in this post. I understand about wanting to delete any beginning comment on a blog post or on a tweet that is solely an emoji. It’s half-assed communication.

      However when it comes to texting [with friends and family] and on Instagram that is all about visuals, I do on occasion just use an emoji. I think they’re cute, but I don’t mistake them for clear heart-felt communication.

      [You’re the second person I’ve had this conversation with this month, btw.]

      Liked by 1 person

      • I will admit I was amused to see the opening paragraph of Moby Dick ‘translated’ into all-emojis. What really was funny was that the person who did it kept the source secret, and asked readers to guess what the passage was. Believe me, there were some interesting guesses! I’m going to try and find that again. It wasn’t a post, it was in an article somewhere. I hope I can find it.

        Liked by 1 person

  16. I’m excited for your home improvement projects especially since you have a good relationship with your contractor. That sounds rare to me – I’m in awe. We experienced such a nightmare when we did our kitchen addition and remodel. I’m hoping our next home project will be a new front door, which is something we’d done at our old house. Wish we could’ve figured out how to take it with us. Sigh. We need two cars, not one, but TWO. So, a new front door will have to wait.

    The meat counter, such a logical place to ask the uncured ham question. I wouldn’t have known the answer either.

    Your backyard is beautiful and so private. We are on the corner and can see cars drive up as they approach, which does help us know when a ride is coming to pick up a kid: ARE YOU READY? THEY’RE HERE! Instrumental, but not pretty.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Ernie, I have my fingers crossed that his third home improvement project with this company goes smoothly. If nothing else I know a few of the men who do the work so that’s encouraging. They are good guys.

      I’d have asked at the meat counter, too. And I doubt that I’d ask someone standing *miles* away at the cheese case about meat… but that’s just me.

      We live on a nice lot if you like hillsides. It’s not for everyone, but it works for us. And our neighbors who we rarely see.

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  17. Even if I knew what uncured ham was, after exposing me to her unmasked face would have only allowed that strange woman to get a very curt “no I do not” and be dismissed. You have an entire forest behind you and some sort of gulch or gully? Natural barriers between neighbors. I like that!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Deb, I was taken aback by the way she lowered her mask and stepped away when she spoke to me. Still I felt sorry for her, she seemed so lost on her search for uncured ham.

      Yes we live on a wooded lot that goes down to a creek in the ravine. It’s a perfectly natural way to keep away from neighbors.

      Liked by 1 person

  18. Good God amen to it being NOT January. It’s been Covid Hell around here (today I am canceling my semester final exam because there are too many students who are sick or have been sick or will likely get sick today) and I am SO looking forward to the months in which your backyard trees are going to sprout buds and leaves. I couldn’t stop fixating on the detail that the woman took down her mask to ask you about freakin’ uncured ham, so I think I likely missed the point of that anecdote. The idea of new cabinets and the fun parts of remodeling distracted and soothed me. Thank you. Now, off to the races–which is going to be more like a limp over the finish line of this semester.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Rita, I’m sorry to read about Covid Hell in your school. Not surprised but it seems like this pandemic should be under control by now. Of course, when you have someone like that woman in the grocery who pulled down her mask to talk to me, I have a clue as to why this pandemic may never end.

      I agree that this remodel, whenever it happens, will be a good distraction for me. I look forward to having two reliably functioning bathrooms. Not to mention, pretty ones.

      Like

    • Lynette, the photo project is a lark, but a fun one. I don’t think this woman would have mistaken me for an employee. I wasn’t wearing an official uniform, but who knows? She didn’t seem intent on harm, just shall we say? clueless in many ways.

      Liked by 1 person

  20. Thanks for sharing the photos, they’re beautiful. I miss changing seasons and watching the color show that nature delivers. I live in the high desert of northern Nevada. Our primary color is what I’ve named Nevada Green. Not really green, but closer to a light tan color, kind of, or perhaps a drunken blending of the two. Anyway, thank you Ally for brightening my day.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Johnny2Toes, I love your description of the shade of green you see. I understand what you mean about green and tan getting drunk. The SW USA has natural colors so different from here in the midwest.

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  22. Not much going around here either. I love the changing of the trees and lawn. No snow? Remodeling is exciting yet challenging. Lots of decisions to be made and too much chaos. Workmen here are good about wearing masks; I don’t even have to ask them. Hope it’s the same for you! Uncured ham is just a pork roast, right?

    Liked by 1 person

    • Margaret, we had snow earlier this week but it melted away in two days. I know about the chaos to come but I can’t help but be enthusiastic about these projects. They’ve been a long time in the planning. I think you’re right about uncured ham; apparently calling something sliced pork roast is too plebeian. 🙄

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  24. Ah, I’d forgotten about the monthly project – and the fact that I thought I might do likewise. I shall have to visit my local park and select which vista it shall be. Thanks for the reminder Ally (and the lovely pics).

    I did not know what uncured ham was, so thank you to your commenter who so ably educated us all. What you can’t learn here at The Spectacled Bean sure isn’t worth learning 😉 But I’m still puzzling over why the questioner felt the need to remove her mask to ask her question…?

    Good luck with the remodelling and I envy you the fun bit of choosing tiles and all the doodads that make it Yours. We’re doing nothing here as it’s a rental, but I look forward to the day when I will let myself loose once more. Himself won’t know what’s hit him! 😀

    Liked by 2 people

    • Deb, this monthly photo project has been fun. I started it just to see what I’d see. No real reason. If you chose to do one yourself, I bet you’ll get a kick out of it.

      I have no idea why this woman asked me, in the cheese department, about meat she couldn’t find. Nor do I know why she pulled her mask down when she spoke to me. It was weird but what isn’t these days?

      I hope that we’re able to start and finish these projects by the end of summer, but supply chain logistics seem to be the issue more than willing workers. I can decide things, but I have to have something from which to choose. I’m laughing at the idea of Himself stunned by your decorating frenzy. 😊

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  26. What the hell is with people who wear a mask and then pull it down to talk to you? Drives me nuts. I have noticed waiters doing it sometimes, on the rare occasion that we eat in a restaurant. My daughter heard something on the radio about waiters being told by clients to pull down their mask so they could see how good looking they were, to know how much to tip. What a HORRIBLE thought, and likely also true. I suspect that for waiters, a big part of their tip relies on connecting with the patrons, and the mask gets in the way of that. Which is really why we should just pay them a decent wage and get rid of tipping altogether. But that’s a whole nother subject entirely, ESPECIALLY since the person who did this to you was not looking for a monetary tip, just some help with the uncured ham. I love that you said you felt like you failed a quiz. What a strange woman she was, to be sure.

    I’m so relieved the tree did not fall on your house or porch! A friend of mine had a tree come down on her house last summer in a big storm, and it has been a nightmare getting things repaired. Thankfully no one was hurt.

    I love your yard photos. Especially in the summer, it all looks so lush and green. The only places that lush and green around here are golf courses, and of course they don’t have nearly as many beautiful trees.

    Good luck on your bathroom remodeling. I will look forward to before and after pictures, come May or June…

    Liked by 1 person

    • J, I cannot figure the reasoning behind pulling down a mask to talk with someone, but there you go… it happens all too often. Your idea about waiters and why they do it rings true, but in an awful way. People can. suck. This woman seemed confused about many things, if you ask me.

      I cannot overemphasize how relieved I am to see that tree down. It’s safely away from the house, decaying as it should in the woods. It’s one less weird worry in my life.

      I bet your golf courses stand out when they are so dramatically green compared to the rest of the region. Around here they just look like lawns. I’m glad you like the photos. And I promise to share the remodel photos when it happens.

      Like

  27. I love the monthly photos, so fun to compare and contrast! Can’t wait to see May! Don’t you love when people pull down their masks to talk? Our neighbor also has a gigantic dead tree that we fear will fall on our house. Unfortunately, he is not a nice man, so there’s not much we can do.

    We also contracted to have two bathrooms remodeled, but with different companies. One is now complete. The cabinet was made in 3 months (a hanging vanity). I’ll post about it soon, as there were mishaps. Nothing ever seems to go smoothly for us. The master bath demo starts 1/31. We picked out everything in October at 3 different meetings. We have not heard that they’ve had any delays with materials, so here’s hoping!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Bijoux, I agree with you that the compare and contrast in the photos is cool. You know that the trees are changing, just not how much.

      I am VERY happy that the tree came down where and when it did. Our neighbors are nice, but busy with baby things so having this tree taken down professionally was not a priority for them. This way it’s a win-win for all concerned.

      I look forward to your photos and details about your bathroom renovations, the one completed and the one scheduled to start. It’s trickier than normal trying to get these projects going. What a thing, eh?

      Like

  28. Well, there are things going on around here but they are not fun. Love your photo project. Are you taking the pictures on the same day every month at the same time of day? Inquiring minds want to know.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Janet, I’m taking the photos roughly on the 20th of each month, usually in the afternoon, while standing in the same place on the deck. Kind of organized, kind of loosey-goosey. Two more photos and I’ll have one year, then I’ll be finished.

      Liked by 1 person

  30. Since I work in a grocery warehouse, I am expected to know these things (lolol); the main difference between uncured and the cured ham is the use of nitrates. These nitrates in cured ham, can lead to cancers. Uncured, in my opinion is the best.

    Let’s see, love the photos and much crossing my fingers on the cabinets. Here, there is close to a 6-12 month wait for anything…sigh

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda, thank you for that explanation. I remembered eating uncured ham when I was a kid, but that’s it. I was no help at all to this woman.

      The photo project has been a good distraction. I’ve never tried anything like this before. I’ll be AMAZED if the cabinets come in by May, but we’ll see. I anticipate a much longer wait.

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  31. That series of photos is beautiful. The changing sky and how it affects everything underneath it.
    I’m glad that tree didn’t come down on your house! now it will be home to all manner of animals.
    Finally, WHY do people think they are wearing masks if they pull them down to talk?!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Luanne, I knew the trees changed through the months, but I didn’t realize how much the sky did. These photos show that.

      I, too, am glad that big ole tree fell where it did. I’ve had my eye on it for years, fingers crossed it’d fall anywhere but on our house.

      As for wearing a mask, but pulling it down to talk, it beats me. Around here I’m just pleased to see people in a mask at all. Still wearing it PROPERLY would be great.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Janis, I knew the term but couldn’t remember a thing about what it meant. My parents were foodies and I know we had uncured ham but that’s about all. So unhelpful, was I.

      Thanks. It’s been a fun project to photograph this row of trees in the backyard. I’m two months away from a year, then it’s over.

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  33. I have no idea what the differences are between cured and noncured so I would have been zero help to that woman as well.
    Are you photographing the before, during, and after of your bathroom remodels? I love seeing those types of images and videos. I just love a good make over! 😀

    I like the photo project you have going with your backyard. I love the changes through the seasons so far.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Deborah, I wanted to help the woman who was asking me, but I didn’t know anything useful to say. Other than get thee to the meat counter. 😑

      I’ll take before, during, and after photos of the projects. I did that before with the bathroom and laundry room renovations, just to prove to myself that we were making progress because once things like this start, they seem to drag on forever.

      The seasonal photos are a whim. I just decided last April to do this, and now I’m two months away from the end of my project.

      Liked by 1 person

  36. Love the pictures at the end. Your convo about ham is truly bizarre on multiple levels, which means, of course, that I loved it. 🙂 Awesome about the tree falling safely, and yeah for remodels!
    And you said you had nothing to write about! Fun times with emojis. 🙂

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  37. I so love your monthly photos. It’s so beautiful there, and I love seeing the change in light and leaves by season.
    I was just thinking today about redoing our kitchen countertops. We once remodeled our kitchen many years ago when we still lived in Santa Cruz. It was totally fun to do all the planning and lay out the tiles. We were so much younger then. I wonder if we could do it. Mmmm… A project would be a nice way to spend some time.
    Looking forward to reading about your plans.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Robin, the changing seasons are part of the reason we figure we’ll stay here, even after Z-D retires. I like variety.

      I enjoy interior design as a hobby, I guess. So I’m looking forward to the process of deciding what to put in the bathrooms. As for the actual weeks of workers traipsing in and out of the house… less enthusiastic. BUT it’ll be a good distraction from pandemic exhaustion.

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  38. Good to know the tree landed right where it should, but the owner should have taken it down when it died. Then again it would have cost several hundred dollars, and this was probably the cheap way out. Big remodel? Happy for you but glad it will be at your house and not mine right now. I hope it is a huge success. I love the August picture best, but you knew I would. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • Judy, the tree has loomed over us for two owners owners now. The first people were a little scattered, the current owners are consumed with baby-ness so I don’t think it occurred to them to pay to have the tree taken down. Many neighbors, I have learned, don’t care about such things figuring insurance will pay for any damage to adjacent properties. Uh huh. They’re young. The remodel will be great, when it’s finished.

      Liked by 1 person

  39. When we remodeled our kitchen a few years ago I’ll never forget the designer telling us to save the backsplash decision for last, because you want it to look good with several adjacent surface materials (countertop, cabinets, sink) so you should wait for all those to be installed first. We’re talking maybe ten square feet of backsplash but it ended up being almost impossible to match everything else. In the end, the designer chose the backsplash for us. Looks great. It’s why she’s a designer and we are not.

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    • Dave, good advice. I get the logic of it, and know from personal experience that deciding on those backsplash tiles can be… traumatic. I like the designer we’ve worked with before so I follow her lead. Oddly enough I enjoy this creative part of the process, even if in the end she decides for us.

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  40. I enjoyed your photo project updates, Ally. WordPress has an ‘image compare’ feature that lets you compare two images. I’m impressed that you’ve got some remodeling done already. Sounds like you’ve got a reliable company for the job. Great hiring!

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    • Natalie, I started this photo project for the heck of it. I have two more months to do, then I’ll have a year’s worth of photos and I’ll be finished with it. The house remodeling has been a slow ongoing project for about 10 years now. The results are wonderful, the process is laborious– oh yes it is!

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  41. I love being one of your sugarplums.☺️ The monthly photos are awesome, but I detect a distinct lack of icy white stuff in the last two images. (I won’t say “fluffy” because I have plenty of experience with Ohio precipitation.)

    Bummer about the cabinets, but I understand wanting to get to the fun part of remodeling.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Eilene, earlier in the week we had snow but by the time Thursday came when I was ready to take my pic, it had melted. The weather here is variable anymore. Not the super cold frigid white winters of my/our youths.

      Can’t do anything to make the cabinets show up any faster, so I’m putting the projects out of mind until the fun begins. 🤷‍♀️

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  42. For having nothing going on, this feels like a lot. Starting from bottom up: The photos are fun. Did you take them the same time of day? I agree that working with an interior designer, or whatever way you choose colors and other details, is definitely the fun part. How lucky that the tree fell in the ravine! And why did the woman have to take off her mask to ask a question?

    Liked by 1 person

    • Nicki, I take the photos in the afternoon around the 20th of each month. I let the interior designer lead me along, but I do enjoy seeing all the choices. Yes, yes, about the tree. You have no idea how relieved I am about its demise.

      I cannot explain why the woman pulled down her mask to talk with me, but some people do that. I don’t think they’re being malicious, just clueless.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Donna, it’s amazing how quickly and dramatically the snow comes and goes. Last Monday we had snow everywhere, but by the time I took my January photo later in the week it was melted. I’d love to see your backyard photos through a year.

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  44. Did you read “The Overstory” by Richard Powers. One of the storylines involves taking a photo of a Chestnut tree for something like 75 years. The task was kept up through generations. If you haven’t read the book, Ally, I strongly recommend it. It was my fav book of 2021.

    Liked by 1 person

  45. I was going to weigh in on uncured meat but others have beat me to the punch. That’s what happens when you’re the 312th person to comment, I guess!

    I followed a blogger who took a photo of the tree in her front yard every single day. Now, that’s commitment. And it was strangely compelling to see.

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    • Mark, I’ve learned about uncured ham now and am a better woman because of it. I only sort of remembered it from childhood. Obviously it didn’t make a big impression on little me.

      I admire anyone who had/has the determination to take a picture of the same thing every day. I found remembering to take one pic a month was almost too much for me.

      Liked by 1 person

  46. I’m a little late, but the good news is, I did get the notification! Good news also with the tree falling where it could do no harm. I don’t see any white stuff in those winterish photos… It’s weird to see green in December.

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  47. I am still snickering about your uncured ham conversation and how you feel like you failed a pop quiz. Maybe the entire point of that conversation was to give you something to write about when nothing seems to be happening! (Now we’ve all got uncured ham on our brain.) P.S. What a great idea to photograph something like your backyard in every different month or season. Intriguing!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Kathy, your logic is sound. If nothing else the conversation about uncured ham did lead to a blog topic. I plan on trying to find it in the store, so we can try it.

      The photo project is a whim. I started last April and have followed through. It’s been more interesting than I anticipated.

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  48. I’ve considered doing the same thing – taking a weekly or monthly picture of one of the trees in our yard to document the seasons. I think I’ll start that when I get back home. Thanks for the reminder!

    Liked by 1 person

  49. Well, if that lady had asked me what was uncured ham, I probably would have answered “a sick ham.” Oh, well. At least you’re polite 🙂 Great news on the tree not falling on your house! I’m so glad you like remodeling. Better yet, you have a company you like working with. It’s kind of hit-and-miss down here. We need desperately to remodel our bathrooms. We used Home Depot to remodel our kitchen several years ago and that worked out well, but no guarantee it would again. Yeah, I’m a skeptic.

    Liked by 3 people

  50. I wholeheartedly understand emoji fever [🤒]! In fact, when I don’t have access to emoticons like 😈, I resort to creating my own };^>

    I really like the time lapse photos! Looks like you got snow last year and not this year? Would be really interesting to see them over a few years. And I’m stunned at how few leaves you have given the gorgeous tree “fence” you have… We probably have more leaves than that in our planter alone 😳

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    • Endless Weekend, I think emojis are silly fun. I use them when it suits my fancy, obviously. The photos are interesting in what they show, features of the scenery I might otherwise overlook. We had snow earlier in the week, but it melted by the day I got around to taking the photo. It’s been a bland winter so far.

      Liked by 1 person

  51. I like how you put together those timelapse photos in a row – we see them singly while you present them on different posts, but this way adds a huge new perspective!
    Tell me about that lady’s kitchen table series…sounds quite revealing! HA!

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  52. I thought you were going to say something about the offensive lady removing her mask to ask you a question… then I remembered that I accidentally committed the same faux pas once 😑 I was on my way home on the train and someone had asked me a question and for SOME REASON I thought she wouldn’t be able to hear me unless I pulled down my mask to answer her question… once I realized what I had done I immediately pulled up my mask… albeit, it was early on in the pandemic and obviously unintended but still… twas embarrasing! lol…

    ALSO!! Once, at my local grocer, I asked the lady next to me standing in the pasta sauce aisle if she knew the difference between canned crushed tomatoes and canned diced tomatoes were… I mean obviously can see the difference by the name but I was following a recipe that called for canned tomatoes and had no clue which one I should have bought… anyway she was kind enough to let me know! lol…

    Love the pics! I should do that for us (pic of my porch once a month)- we get a ton of snow here in the winter so it would be an interesting sequence of pictures! 🙂

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    • bosssybabe, I know that in the beginning of the pandemic none of us knew how to wear a mask properly. I can understand why you pulled yours down, but you caught yourself. The uncured ham woman wasn’t that astute, about many things, I venture. 🙄

      When you asked a fellow shopper about canned tomatoes you were standing in the same aisle, so that makes PERFECT SENSE to me. Uncured ham woman found me in the cheese department, which is far away from the meat case in our grocery store. I appreciate that I may appear to be a helpful sort of person, but she was way off base. [Please see last sentence in previous paragraph.]

      I’d enjoy seeing your series of monthly photos of your front porch. Any series of the same scene over time is interesting, just because it is.

      Liked by 1 person

  53. I really love your photo project. What a fun idea!! Wishing you luck with your bathroom remodels. We’re doing a second floor redo (or started as a bathroom remodel and escalated) this spring as well. I’m usually one who loves the picking things out but I’m not feeling it so much this time around. I hope you’re feeling more inspired.

    Like

    • Katie, the photo project is a whim. Just started it last April to see what I’d see. A neighbor did a second floor redo. I only know about it because the same company we’re using did her house. They told us about it. Maybe when it gets closer to the time of the actual work you’ll be more into it? Even if you aren’t I’m sure you’ll make inspired choices. How could you not?

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  54. That was a good post – see you do have interesting things to write about, or ordinary things written in an interesting way. I didn’t know what uncured ham is either, but I’ll have to look for it – no nitrates is good but it probably doesn’t have a long shelf life. You must have looked knowledgeable, but if someone had done that to me I would have taken two steps back and asked them to put their mask back on. Once when I was renovating and hanging out at the hardware store a lot, some guy came in and asked me where the 2X4’s were. I said, I don’t work here – those would be the people in the red t-shirts – but they don’t sell wood here – you have to go to Watson’s for that. I like your photos, but where is the snow?

    Liked by 1 person

    • Joni, thank you. I’m glad you like my potpourri. Sometimes I feel inspired to write posts like this one. I was sort of aware of, but not really, uncured ham. Now that I know about it I’m going to look for it, too.

      Funny about you being asked for directions in the hardware store. You looked knowledgeable– or maybe those guys were trying to hit on you. Had you thought of that? I love that you sent them elsewhere to the right store. We had snow but it melted, every last flake of it. Our winter has been almost entirely snowless.

      Liked by 1 person

      • No “hitting”! I think he was just one of those guys in a rush who asked the first person he saw! The weird thing is I was dressed up for work, not in my usual gardening gear, but the employees of Home Hardware (a Canadian chain) always wear red t-shirts.. My part of Ontario has been snowless too, compared to other parts of the province which have had some big snowstorms. I’m grateful as no shoveling. We are having a few inches right now, but the sun is out, so I’ll be walking later.

        Liked by 1 person

  55. Pingback: Now, now … have some ice cream – A Silly Place

  56. Ahh, remodeling plans ARE FUN! I’m hoping to start a remodel of the master bath this spring but if it’s going to take that long for cabinets, maybe I better start now! Picking the company to do it is the hard part so good you have that done.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Anna, I agree with you. The biggest challenge is to find a company that does good work and shows up as scheduled. Fingers crossed these people are still as good as before. As for the lead time on the cabinets, we didn’t pick anything special, but it still will be a long time until we get them.

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  57. LOL – you must look like a person with answers at the grocery store? Good to redirect to the dept that knows about the meat. Yay for the properly fallen tree! Sorry to hear about your delay in remodeling supplies. I have a girlfriend that remodeled her bathroom last January and is still waiting for parts to finish the shower surround. So slow happens.
    I love the photos – such fun leading lines. I was surprised to see the lack of leaf colors between October and November. I’m assuming they did change colors, just not on the chosen day of when you take the pictures?
    Way to tease the muse and keep the writing spirit flowing!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Shelley, I wish I’d known more about uncured ham, but asking at the meat counter seemed reasonable to me, a good place to start even. This woman was pleasant, but perhaps not too bright? Or maybe just tired?

      I’m figuring that it’s going to take MONTHS to get these bathrooms finished. On the one hand it’s a bummer, but on the other hand it’s not like we’re traveling anywhere so why not get the house updated.

      I decided to snap the photos around the 20th of the month, so what you see is how it was at that point in time. That being said, we had a dull fall this year. The leaves didn’t turn fabulous colors… as you noticed.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Uncured ham needs to be stored and cooked properly. The cured stuff can contain plenty of nasty chemicals. A local butcher is probably a better spot to find the uncured stuff. The cured stuff can last for a long time.

        Way to set the expectations about completion time to a reasonable level. Plus while you’re waiting you can plan your next travels, whenever they may be.

        That’s a good time of the month. I’ve been meaning to do that with our catalpa tree in our back yard. Since we have a few days left in the month, I think I’ll pick the 25th. Bummer that you didn’t have a lot of vivid colors this past fall. Hopefully, this year will be better.

        Liked by 1 person

        • Now that I know what uncured ham is I’m curious about trying it. If it’s not at Kroger, I’ll keep the local butcher shops in mind. Although in our case ‘local’ would mean a 30 minute drive because butcher shops are rare anymore.

          Good luck with your photo project. I like catalpa trees, remind me of my childhood, so I’d enjoy seeing your year round photos of one.

          Liked by 1 person

  58. Hmm – did you ask her if she thought you’d know the answer better if she heard the word “uncured” from her unmasked mouth? I’ve heard the term for ham too, but likely means without preservatives? Kate finished her remodeling and you start … IF the supply chain doesn’t go awry as May is bad enough. You had a long enough wait for the Adirondack chair and deck materials. I remember your project with the pictures as I did a similar series of four seasons into a collage at the entrance to Council Point Park – it was fun. Well we had snow last night and tomorrow another 1-3 inches so our landscape changed dramatically. I was fine with blah and cold as I was not slip-slidin’ away. Maybe the next picture will be snowy depending on Mother Nature’s moods.

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    • Linda, I can’t explain the uncured ham lady’s behavior, but she did surprise me on many levels. A good way to keep me alert, I suppose. As for waiting for the cabinets, there’s nothing else to do but wait. I’m not unhappy, just kind of indifferent. It’s very cold here now, but no snow. It’s not icy either so I’ll go for a short walk this morning. It’ll take me longer to get dressed for it than the actual walk!

      Liked by 1 person

      • Yes, I wrote a post detailing all the layers I wore one time – my fingers are what freezes more than anything. While shoveling this morning, the snow was sticking to the shovel and I remembered this incident, so I’m going to share it with you in conjunction with the uncured ham query. I am going to copy and paste a couple of paragraphs from a post I did about a woman at the grocery store. I didn’t think of it last night.
        ******
        Next, I hustled over to the cooking oils and sprays where I quickly perused the Pam … it used to be simple, one type of cooking oil spray, but now it comes in butter spray as well as oils like coconut, canola and olive. Sighing, I reached for a can, when a woman came rushing up next to me and said “oh good – they’ve still got plenty of Pam because they’re on sale you know?” I said “I didn’t know ‘til now and I just needed one can” whereupon she proceeded to tell me, somewhat breathlessly, just how many batches of cookies, and what types, she would be making over the next several weeks. I didn’t want to be rude, so I smiled and said “sounds delicious – your family is lucky they have you” and then she asked what I would be baking. “Um,” I stammered, while thinking I was no match for this Martha Stewart wannabe. I found myself blurting out “oatmeal raisin cookies” which truthfully sounded a little lame next to her Christmas cookie aspirations. She just said “that’s nice” and which condescending statement left me feeling like I was truly devoid of any domestic genes in my body.

        I started to walk away, when she saw the marshmallows peeking out from between the boxes of raisins which I still cradled in my forearm. She decided to try a cooking conversation again and pointedly asked “what do you do with the marshmallows?” as she gestured with her finger at them. I just blurted out “Rice Crispy Treat Christmas wreaths for my little boy” crossing my fingers that the answer pacified her, and then I said “gotta go – happy holidays to you.” So, I left the conversation somewhat dejected and feeling inadequate as a cook, which is basically how I feel most of the time, which is why I don’t subject myself to heavy lifting in the baking or cooking department.

        Liked by 1 person

        • LOVE THIS STORY! Oh, Linda, thanks for sharing it here. I’m laughing about the whole of it. “What do you do with the marshmallows?” is a question for the ages– as is your reply. And the real reason you were there was so pragmatic, not at all Marta Stewart-y. 🤣

          Liked by 1 person

  59. Wow its so easy to note the
    seasons by the colours of the flora. The changes are obvious in but its something we don’t see here in the sub tropics. Here there is only dry and wet seasons and a few weeks either side of slightly less intense heat. I think I would like to live somewhere where the seasons mark the passing of time more strongly and are more distinct.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Amanda, yes our seasons change with a dramatic flourish going from one extreme to another. Sadly this past autumn wasn’t as colorful as usual, and so far the winter has been almost snowless. BUT I can’t control Mother Nature so I take the pics of what is. I like to visit subtropics but don’t know how I’d feel about living there.

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      • It is different in the subtropics/tropics. The air and the conditions are different. The air smells different too and the humidity is something else in the summer phase. You have to be careful with your water intake and stay out of the sun in the middle of the day, or whenever possible. Tourists who lie on the beach or go swimming in the middle of the day might suffer heatstroke or severe sunburn which I suppose aligns with tourists in wintry climates who don’t know how to layer up their clothes, get caught in the snow, slip on ice etc.

        Liked by 1 person

        • Yes, it’s similar in that we know from childhood what to do with snow + ice, where the dangers lie. You’re the same way with your knowledge of tropical climates. Fascinating, isn’t it? We all adapt to what is.

          Liked by 1 person

  60. She pulled down her mask??? Some folks just don’t get it. I’m surprised you stuck around for the question. Glad you don’t have to worry about that tree anymore. Phew! I’ve never hired an interior designer before — it does sound like fun. Though I always imagined I would balk at someone else’s choices. Enjoyed your monthly pictures. I think I might try something similar. Hang in there, January will be gone soon. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • Barbara, it was a peculiar conversation, unexpected in all ways. You’re right, some people don’t get it. at. all.

      I’ve worked with 3 or 4 interior designers over the years. They were all good and not pushy. I’ve met others who were domineering, so it has to do with personality as much as knowledge of design. The one who’ll help with these projects is a delight, a people person who knows her design-y stuff.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Of course now that I write this I’m remembering the woman who we had to work with to have this house built. She was a nightmare of bad ideas who got us into a color scheme that didn’t work. So I’ve also dealt with some less than wonderful designers. Had put her out of my mind…

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  61. I’ve seen so many clueless people pull their masks down to talk, read labels, sneeze, cough…I don’t even have the strength to be outraged or amused or annoyed anymore. They are prolonging my agony in every single way.

    You are a brave soul to start a remodel of that scope. I admire your optimism and your capacity for patience. May they both serve you well.

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    • nance, you said it: “They are prolonging my agony in every single way.” Yep, they are. I am exhausted just thinking about them, let alone interacting with them.

      We figure that we’re not traveling anymore so why not get the house updated. We’d planned on doing the projects in 2021, but that fell through courtesy of Covid-19. So now, we’ll try it in 2022. The travel can wait.

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  62. Hi Ally, The first thing I think about, reading your post is “Seinfeld” – lasted many seasons, I still crack up – and all about nothing. Therefore you are onto something here.

    Trees falling can be a huge issue, as you well know.

    I love your photo instalments! A great reminder about the passage of time – a surreal feeling – yet, when documented – real.

    I appreciate all of your posts, Ally. Ultimately, life is Potpourri. ❤️

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    • Erica/Erika, you’re right! I hadn’t thought of Seinfeld, but this post has that vibe to it. Maybe my whole blog does. I’ll have to ponder on that.

      I cannot overstate how relieved I am that the tree is down, away from the house, no one hurt. I understand why the neighbors never had it taken down [$$$] but glad to see it gone now.

      Your last sentence is perfect: Ultimately, life is Potpourri.. True dat

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  63. I LOVE your photo project. We have a big tree across the backyard from us that I always want to do the same thing with, but I am shite at follow-through.
    How gratifying that the tree fell down NOT on your house. I am excited for you about new bathrooms and also hivey because the thought of renovations makes me break out anxiously. Our bathrooms – and several other areas of the house – desperately need work but we are procrastinators and also have two kids in college, so we will let things gently rot away for a few more years.

    Liked by 1 person

    • bibliomama, in truth I’m amazed that I’ve remembered to take the monthly photos. I put a note to do so in my datebook. I have two more months then this project is finished.

      The bathrooms need to be updated and we’re not going on vacations, so we decided to go for it. I anticipate that this’ll be a long drawn-out affair, with lots of twists and turns, but when they’re completed I’ll feel better about this house. I can understand why you’re waiting. Two kids in college is an expensive proposition– as is having two bathrooms remodeled. 🤑

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  64. I feel that I am the queen of the kingdom of nothing happening here. I’m rather behind in the comment arena, partially due to my responsibilities in the kingdom. It requires naps.

    A friend of mine has breast cancer and I am trying to send her supportive cards that encourage and, in theory, entertain. The entertainment is supposed to come from chatty little things in my life. Naps. Naps are the most interesting things in my life but are certainly not entertaining for my very stressed friend.

    I love your photo essay. I tried something similar but could never get the right perspective so that the photo didn’t just look like a mess of scrub and weeds. I love the way your yard looks!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hello Zazzy, Queen of the Kingdom of Nothing Happening Here. So well stated, made me smile with that one.

      I wish I could nap more but I don’t really feel the urge. Probably because I go to bed earlier than I used to, sleep later than I once did. If nothing else about this pandemic, I’ve gotten my sleep. Not much going on.

      Thanks about the photo project. The line of trees lends itself to photography. I said I’d do this project for one year, so in 2 months it’ll be over. Whether I do another one remains to be seen [pun intended].

      Liked by 1 person

  66. Hi ally, I am glad I made it to this post because I like seeing the changed in your backyard shot (such a fun photo series idea) and I did this with an area where we used to walk and reach the end of a road and see deer – – have maybe five photos of winter and summer. ‘
    well now the area is plowed over – a street has been put in and houses will go up. crazy.-
    and how exiting to get the bathrooms remodeled. Hope the cabinets make it by May

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yvette, the monthly photo project has been more, and less, interesting than I thought it’d be. I like seeing the scenery change, but I thought *for sure* that autumn would be stunningly colorful. Not this year, though.

      I have my fingers crossed that the wonky fixtures in the two bathrooms keep on working until May… or whenever we can officially begin this remodel.

      Liked by 1 person

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