Home › #Photography › WORLD SHARING: V 07.23.2018 – Marilyn Armstrong

WORLD SHARING: V 07.23.2018 – Marilyn Armstrong

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Share Your World – July 23, 2018

In regards to puzzle what’s your choice: jigsaw, crossword, word search, mazes, logic or numeric puzzles, something else, or nothing?

Puzzles used to be crosswords, but it’s hard to find good ones anymore. They are either way too easy, or way too hard. I like ones that are challenging, but not impossible. I used to be a serious devotee of the crosswords in the New York Times, but the guy who wrote them passed on and no one else has done nearly as well with them.

These days, I settle for almost any word game. Again, most of them are either far too simple or close to impossible. Otherwise, I can play pretty much any card game including bridge and any board game, even digital versions. But mostly, I haven’t had any time to play anything lately.

I feel just a little bit like a hamster on a wheel. I keep running and the wheel keeps turning. I sure hope I’m at least generating some electricity!

List at least five favorite treats and it doesn’t necessarily have to be food.

Sushi is always a treat unless it’s really bad. One of this week’s more astonishing moments was when Owen and I went to the cafeteria and discovered that they had three REAL LIVE JAPANESE SUSHI CHEFS preparing FRESH sushi. At UMass Memorial Hospital cafeteria.

You could have knocked my socks off.

It was one of the strangest meals of my life: perfect futomaki … and a great cup of New England Clam Chowder.

You got two treats right there. Great New England Clam Chowder — there are several other types of clam chowder including New England, made with milk or cream. Rhode Island, made with a sort of spicy broth, and many others which use some kind of broth or a tomato-soup base.

They all include clams and potatoes, though. Which makes them some kind of clam chowder. New Englanders might challenge that assumption.

In the rain – Photo: Garry Armstrong

Other treats? That depends on the season, the time, my mood, and what’s available. In the fall, I’m thrilled by the change of color of the foliage. A lot of times, the treat is the opportunity to photograph something sublime.

On a good day, it’s getting out of bed and realizing nothing hurts! That’s a very BIG treat.

Clean — for at least 10 minutes!

Vacuuming the rug and watching the dog hair vanish and realizing the rug really isn’t gray, but actually, is a black background? That’s a treat!

Waiting to be put on the bed! These are great AND not expensive (Amazon).

Fresh, brand-new percale sheets are beyond a treat. They are a luxury. Nothing feels as good as they do, especially if you have just taken a hot shower.

What is your favorite type of dog? (can be anything from a specific breed, a stuffed animal or character in a movie)

Terriers and hounds are my favorites, though, in the name of continuing our sanity, we have moved on from hounds and have two black Scottish Terriers, Bonnie and Gibbs. We also have a very strange cross-breed named (by Garry so don’t blame me) The Duke after “Mr. Tall In The Saddle, Duke Wayne.”

Crazy Duke

Gibbs

Bonnie

Duke is not tall and doesn’t ride a horse. No one knows what he is, but the consensus is that he is a cross of two Asian breeds, possible both purebred. An accidental love match of maybe a Chin and … a Lhasa Apso? Something mid-size because Duke is just about 35 pounds of wild enthusiasm, stubborn determination to do it his way, and a passionate eagerness to be the family’s Top Dog.

Lucky neither Bonnie nor Duke is a fighter. For that matter, lucky for everyone Duke is stubborn and smart, but not a fighter. If we were more agile, Duke is a dog who would like being trained.  He needs a job and unfortunately, we don’t have one for him.

I suggested he rewire the house, but Garry didn’t think that was such a good idea. I can’t imagine why not.

What did you appreciate or what made you smile this past week?

Right before Garry’s surgery, we took Duke and Mr. Gibbs in for grooming. Duke had never been groomed. He isn’t a dog who really needs it. A regular brushing and the occasional bath would do it for him. Or, as the groomer said, “He is a once-a-year customer.” Gibbs has finally calmed down and stopped giving them a really hard time, but that’s okay since Duke tore the place down.

Busy clipping

But when they came out and after I tried not to faint from the price (it takes at least two people to work on Gibbs and it took three for Duke!), they felt delightfully soft and clean.

And they SMELLED good, too.

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37 replies

  1. Taswegian1957
    07/26/2018 • 02:38

    Cindy has a short coat but a dense undercoat. I generally brush her outside and collect an icecream tub of loose hair each time. any stray stuff that blows away birds often take. I think half the birds in Geeveston have feathered their nests with Cindy’s hair. There is a mobile groomer who comes around but he charges about $80 a visit for Cindy and I can’t afford to do that every month. I wash her in the bath if she gets too muddy but I miss going to the dogwash at the service station in Huonville which was much easier and not that expensive.

    Like

    • Marilyn Armstrong
      07/26/2018 • 13:50

      My dogs would be cheaper if they weren’t so berserk. I can’t do them myself. They are too strong for me. I used to do them, but they also really do need to be cut down. But we have had MUCH hairier dogs. These aren’t too bad, considering some of the others who were really AWFUL.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Marilyn Armstrong
      07/25/2018 • 20:00

      It’s the least expensive rug I could find on Amazon. It is also quite small. I gave up costly rugs after our many dogs and cats ruined them. We have one nice one left in Garry’s office. Everything else is old and tatty — or relatively new, but really cheap. That way, when finally the dogs do it in, I don’t have to feel guilty about getting rid of it. But I do like the rug a lot. I was surprised that even with a really low price tag (I think was about $40 including delivery), it’s a nice pattern. Very popular, too. I see it in a lot of offices.

      Like

      • Covert Novelist
        07/25/2018 • 21:41

        I had one similar, but the cats did it in. I don’t have one atm, but I’d like to. We have hardwood floors throughout, which makes the AC exceedingly loud, add a fan to cool the bedroom and you can’t hear the tv or anyone talking for that matter. I’m thinking area rug even if it’s small might assist with the noise.

        Like

        • Marilyn Armstrong
          07/25/2018 • 22:05

          We just have this little one right in front of the loveseat. I vacuum it and 2 hours later, it’s covered with hair again.
          It’s Duke. He is a heavy shedder.

          Like

          • Covert Novelist
            07/25/2018 • 23:03

            Porsche is a rare breed. Chantily something. He has 4 or 5 lengths of hair, you might think persian but long hair. He has a beautiful face it’s not long and pointy but difficult to explain. That explains the constant shedding. It everywhere all the time. I washed the floors this morning and within two hours there were big balls of cat fur, from where? the place was spotless, lol jokes on me, not for long. Then Abbey sheds too, shorter hair but sheds a lot and between the two, it is endless. Food freshly served can end on the table with a cat hair. I’ve pretty much given up worrying about it. It is what it is. lol

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            • Marilyn Armstrong
              07/25/2018 • 23:21

              We had a “medium” long-haired cat (and two dogs)(and two ferrets) and his hair was EVERYWHERE. It was much worse than dog hair. Much stickier. VERY hard to get off of furniture or any fabric. And short haired dogs shed too, probably more than long hairs. It depends on the breed obviously, but we had Dobermans when I was a kid and they shed ALL the time.

              Like

              • Covert Novelist
                07/26/2018 • 00:42

                I finally threw the last rug because I seriously couldn’t vac it any more. It simply wouldn’t come out. It was time, it would have begun to stink otherwise. It was to big to take out and hose down. I couldn’t do it anyway. Still, I’d like to quieten the place down a bit. Had a doberman when I was a kid and a terrior and a cat. Always had a cat. Until someone poisoned every cat in a 10 block range.

                Like

                • Marilyn Armstrong
                  07/26/2018 • 00:54

                  Haven’t met many kids who grew up with Dobermans. I think they are very misunderstood. Ours were extremely loving … but also very protective. Not at all vicious, but if they thought someone might hurt us, they got serious about it. They needed to be taught when to protect, and when to stand down. But they were GREAT dogs.

                  Like

                • Covert Novelist
                  07/26/2018 • 01:07

                  I loved ours. He was awesome and protected us well but never attacked just got the stance, the guard stance, lol

                  Like

                • Covert Novelist
                  07/26/2018 • 01:10

                  He was a very loving dog and such a character. He had a sense of humour. He did something silly once and my brother laughed at him. He bent down so his front paws were on the ground and his snout which he covered with his paws as if embarrassed. It became a running gag. Everytime he did something silly, he took the pose. lol

                  Liked by 1 person

  3. Covert Novelist
    07/25/2018 • 18:39

    I love all kinds of puzzles. You name it, I do it haha.

    Like

  4. Cee Neuner
    07/25/2018 • 13:12

    You are sounding so happy these days. Nice to hear 😀

    Like

  5. Kiki
    07/25/2018 • 12:22

    And your post is delightful in every possible way, clean smelling, funny, smart, interesting and one to make me smile 🙂
    I had a friend in Switzerland who was able to do the Times crosswords (UK) – my admiration was boundless….. I’m pretty good in the Sudoku section, and German crosswords but ‘null’ in F/E – don’t have the patience for them. Feel inferior…. probably 🙂

    Like

    • Marilyn Armstrong
      07/25/2018 • 12:24

      I haven’t done a really good one in quite a while, so I’ve probably lost the touch. When you do the same one every day, you get better at them. When the guy who wrote them passed, I’ve never found another one that was both challenging AND I could actually finish — eventually.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Marilyn Armstrong
      07/25/2018 • 13:48

      I couldn’t do Soduku on a bet. It’s all numbers and I never figured it out. I actually tried, but I was hopeless.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Kiki
        07/26/2018 • 09:36

        Marilyn; I’ve got gr8 news for you! I’m the world’s worst number-person and didn’t start Sudoku for the longest time. But seeing how it really, really did wonders for my grey cells, I went from total and useless beginner to getting pretty good and this is VERY encouraging. I mean, we need every encouragement we can get, no? 😉 Just start very gently and never ever do it without a soft pencil AND a good rubber gum….

        Like

  6. swo8
    07/25/2018 • 09:47

    Peter took me to Boston once for clam chowder. It was memorable.
    Leslie

    Liked by 1 person

  7. angloswiss
    07/25/2018 • 01:10

    I have never had a clam chowder and do not really know what to.expect

    Like

    • Marilyn Armstrong
      07/25/2018 • 01:34

      Clams, potatoes, other veggies (depending on the chef), but usually a few carrots and onions etc. Spices. Cream or milk. It’s really very good, when made properly. Made badly, it’s terrible. But most places know how to do it. It’s a regional specialty.

      Liked by 2 people

  8. slmret
    07/25/2018 • 00:50

    Wow — fresh sushi in a hospital cafeteria has to have been a real treat! It’s always a treat with life sushi-makers, but especially so when you don’t expect it!

    Liked by 2 people

  9. Willow
    07/25/2018 • 00:16

    I haven’t had our dogs groomed in ages. I have a nice lady come once a week to walk Brandy (she needs the exercise) and once a month she clips everyone’s nails. But the brushing I do myself. Luckily, they all have short coats, so I can get most of the dirt off of them with a good brushing.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Marilyn Armstrong
      07/25/2018 • 00:24

      If our dogs had short coats, I would take them in twice a year to get bathed and have their nails clipped. Unfortunately, they have coats that grow. Gibbs’ coat is slow-growing and I can do him twice a year, but Bonnie after a while looks like a pile of dirty black rags, so she’s a three or four time a year gal. Duke has never been groomed and he needed a bath. It’s going to be a long time before we do HIM again. He’s pretty crazy.

      Liked by 1 person