I Want to Live in Three Pines

Three Pines is a fictional town in Québec province just north of the Vermont border. It's not on any map, but is featured in Louise Penny's mystery series starring Armand Gamache and an interesting array of characters.

I'm now reading The Long Way Home, the tenth book in this series. M. Gamache has just retired from the Sûreté du Québec. He and his wife Reine-Marie have moved from Montréal to Three Pines.

There is a town green surrounded by quaint businesses: a bookstore, a bistro, a bakery, and a market. There is also a funky B&B as well as a more upscale spa a little way off, but still basically in town. Small houses and cottages are also around the green, each has its own back yard. People meander around the green, kids play games on the green, others sit on benches to the side of the green.

I'd love to stay at the B&B, have breakfast there among the antiques. Then I'd take a walk. I'd probably go beyond the green. It would be nice to go just far enough to see the whole town all at once and get an overall feeling.

By then, it would be lunchtime. I'd go to the bistro for that. If the weather was chilly, there'd be fires in the two fireplaces and I'd sit near one of them. If it was summertime, I'd be out on the terrace so that I could enjoy the fresh air.

Everyone in Three Pines knows everyone else. It's not unusual to have several people gather in someone's home for dinner. Perhaps they'd invite me. Afterwards, we could all go to the bistro for a nightcap. There would be stimulating conversation, lots of witty repartee, and many laughs.

Given the last 6 weeks of social distancing, I'm longing to spend time face-to-face with people. I'm already planning some parties and deciding the best combinations of friends who would enjoy each other's company. I've even started planning the dinner menu. It's been cooler than usual lately, and it's difficult to work outside. I'd prefer to have a tidy yard before inviting people to share time there.

In the meantime, I've been sending long emails or writing letters to some friends, calling others I haven't seen in a long time, and generally keeping in touch as much as I can.

And I'm already looking forward to the next installment of life in Three Pines.

I'm Getting Tired of My Play Clothers, or, What Day of the Week Is It?

Play clothes are those pants and shirts that are old, worn, stained or otherwise not something I would want to wear in public. They are, however, perfect for cleaning house or working in the yard. So what if they get dirty? They're already dirty. Wearing play clothes for dirty work keeps my other clothes cleaner longer.

But since I'm now wearing play clothes every day, all day, I'm getting a little tired of them. I'm looking forward to wearing my office clothes again.

Another side effect of staying home all of the time is that I tend to forget what day of the week it is. For so many years I've had a routine. I like routines. I'm a routine kind of person. Monday, Wednesday and Friday I get up, go to exercise class, then go into the office to work on the MassCat catalog. Tuesday and Thursday are for various appointments, meetings and stuff like that.

Now there are no meetings or appointments except, perhaps, by telephone. I exercise most days, as soon as I get up. After that I work on the MassCat catalog in 1-2 hour shifts and make sure by the end of the week I've worked the same number of hours I would have had I been in the office.

It's a strange time and a strange feeling.

Still, I have a lot for which to be thankful. I'm still healthy. I have a lovely home and a lovely yard. I have an income and continue to pay my bills.

Not a lot has changed since my last post. I'm still waiting for May.

Waiting for May

When the weather turns cold and dreary, usually around November or so, I begin to anticipate the month of April.

Ah, April, when the temperatures begin to rise and the daffodils pop up and the days get longer.

Yes, it's April and those things are happening, but now I'm waiting for May.

May is when we might be able to relax the social distancing and see people more often. May is when I might be able to go back to the office to work instead of telecommuting. May is when I may be able to begin leading my exercise class again. I'm waiting for May.

In the meantime, I'm avoiding contact with the outside world as much as possible. I do go out to buy food once in a while. I'm pretty well stocked with canned and frozen goods, but fresh fruits and vegetables need replenishing.

I'm doing more cooking than usual since we're not going out to dinner a couple of times a week. Going out to dinner often means doggy bags as well, which is an additional meal I don't have to cook. I like to cook and I'm reviving some recipes I haven't made in a while and trying out a few new ones. I have a large supply of recipes I've collected from various places and haven't yet tried. Now's a good time.

It's still a little chilly most days to work outside, but I do that as much as possible. There are old plants to be tossed into the woods and leaves to be gathered and tossed in the woods too. I'd like to start some geranium cuttings, but space in the house is limited and it's too cool for them to be outside. Sometimes I wish I had a greenhouse. I have lots of good sunny windows, but I can only put so many plants in front of them. By May, I'll likely be able to fill the decks with flowers. I love all of the color.

Yes, I'm waiting for May.

The Best Thing

The country - and the world - is in a state of emergency.

Here in Hatfield, the Senior Center has been closed to the public, as have all town buildings. Exercise classes are no longer being held.

This morning, I went for a walk. Since I live on a dead-end road, there is only one way to walk. My daily newspaper is delivered about 1/2 mile from my house where the gravel road turns to one lane - though there are a few places to pull over so a car going in the other direction can pass.

It's a pleasant walk, gradually downhill - which means it's gradually uphill on the way home. I sometimes see deer - though not today - and other wildlife. There is a stream that runs under the road which always produces a lovely sound.

Even though the temperature is hovering around the freezing line and it's sort of raining/snowing, walking was the best thing for me to do to begin my day.

It's a difficult time for everyone. The office has been closed and I'll be working from home. I had lots of things planned, both business and pleasure, for the next few weeks. Those have all been canceled. My three days/week schedule of exercise class and work was perfect for me and prevented cabin fever. That no longer exists.

I'm a person who functions best with a certain amount of regularity, but nothing is regular right now. I also tend to be a worrier; I didn't sleep very well last night.

The only normal thing for me right now is to take those morning walks. Morning walks are the best thing.

I'm in Love with Bennett Cerf

For the last several months I've been on a nostalgia trip - ever since I discovered episodes of What's My Line on You Tube.

I remember watching the show on television when I was a kid. I also watched it when it went into syndication late in the 60s, but the original version - which ran from 1950-1967 is the best.

The regular moderator was John Daly. Regular panelists were Arlene Francis, Dorothy Kilgallen and Bennett Cerf. There was a rotating guest panelist every week: often Steve Allen, Ernie Kovacs, or Tony Randall.

While everyone on the show was articulate, urbane and witty, by far the most adorable was Bennett Cerf. I love his impish grin.

Bennett Cerf was the founder of Random House. He was also an author. Know for his puns, he had a great sense of humor. There was constant teasing between Bennett and host John Daly.

Publisher, wit, theater goer, avid reader - what librarian wouldn't love him? Every few days I sit down at my computer and watch an episode (or two or three) of What's My Line.

An update on other aspects of my life: I just finished reading The Shape of Night by Tess Gerritsen. My stack of reading was getting low and this was on the New Book shelf at the library. While I'm generally not interested in books with a supernatural or paranormal theme, this one was gripping. I couldn't put it down! Not all of the "loose ends" were completely tied together, but I don't care. It was a totally absorbing read.

Writing down my intention of practicing Yoga regularly has worked - at least so far. I think maintaining the habit will be easier as I continue. I took the time twice last week and again today (it's only Tuesday) to listen to and work along with my favorite Yoga CD.

And at work, I'm still plugging away on the letter S. There are lots of words that begin with that letter, so this may take me a while. Yesterday I worked on merging duplicate records of items with titles that began with "Sigmund Freud", books and other media by and about Sigmund Freud, and any other record I happened to spot along the way. Then I began on the word "sign". MassCat has lots of books in its catalog on American Sign Language and baby signing.

I think the best part of my job is serendipitously learning about so many different things and being about to follow up by borrowing a book and learning more. I keep saying that this is the perfect job for me.

Yoga

Once upon a time, I got up  every morning (or so) and did a session of Yoga or Pilates. I'm not certain why I stopped, but likely it was because I've been leading (or attending) the senior exercise class three days each week.

The Yoga "class" was on several different audio cassettes. I would rotate among four different ones for a variety of exercises and stretches. The cassettes are getting very old and sometimes they'd get "eaten" by the player. I could usually extricate and rewind them but I began to get anxious about playing them.

I found some of them on CD (which I can play on my DVD player) so two of the sessions are now available worry free.

Today is a holiday and there is no senior exercise class. This morning, first thing, I pulled on my sweats and spent the next half hour stretching and strengthening my back using Yoga poses. I feel great.

About a year and a half ago, I strained by back. I don't know how. One day, my lower back was feeling stiff, but that usually goes away in a couple of days. This time it got worse so that I couldn't lean forward or backward without extreme pain. I also could not cough or sneeze without extreme pain. I could sit, stand, lean from side to side and lie down. My PCP prescribed an NSAID, recommended icing by lower back (fortunately it was summer; I refuse to ice any part of my body in winter) and the spasms eased.

My acupuncturist recommended some exercises which are some of the same ones included in the Yoga CDs.

Though I no longer have pain, my lower back still stiffens if I'm stationary for a long period of time. I often wake up during the night with a stiff back. In the morning, my back is stiff.

I really need to stretch more and strengthen those back muscles. Obviously senior exercise class is not enough. I often tell the participants in the class that Mother Nature is working against us and we need to keep active to offset the effects of aging. Clearly I need to take my own advice.

I'm hoping that 2-3 days each week when there is no senior exercise class, I'll pull on my sweats first thing in the morning and stretch and pose while listening to my Yoga CDs. Writing my intention down will help make it a reality.

The Worst of Times?

Homelessness. Income disparity. Mass shootings. Unending wars. Imprisoning refugees who seek asylum. Polarization. An egotistical, arrogant, belligerent, hateful president.

I've heard people bemoan that our country is in terrible shape; things have never been this bad.

There is a lot I don't like about my country and what is happening now, but I don't agree things have never been this bad.

I remember the Vietnam War years. The country was extremely polarized.

I vaguely remember the Cold War years and the McCarthy era. I've read a lot about that period. It seems half of the country was terrified of Communists and the other half was terrified of being accused of being a Communist.

The kidnapping and enslavement of Africans is nothing to be proud of. Neither are the Jim Crow laws.

During Colonial times, there were the Salem witch trials; a pretty horrible situation. People were flogged for not attending a specific church. Quakers were executed for being Quakers.

As for egotistical, arrogant, belligerent and hateful elected leaders, I'm appalled and ashamed of our current POTUS. But reading about previous presidents, vice-presidents, senators and other elected representatives, he's not much worse. Even the leaders who did great things (think Lyndon Johnson and the Voting Rights Act of 1965) had their dark sides.

As bad as many things are, I don't think these are the worst of times. They are the times.

That does not mean I'm complacent. There are things I can do to improve the situation and I do all that I can. I'm realistic. I doubt I can end homelessness or the current war, but I can support organizations working towards those goals. I can support the people around me. I can be kind.