Life is a State of Mind

Sorry this is post-dated, wrote it some time ago and forgot to update the site.

Well, my forearms and lower back both ache, and I have lots of bug bites. Erci is in pretty much the same state. We’ve been reclaiming our garden and landscaping since Spring was so nice for so long. With this Memorial Day weekend Spring is over and the hot weather has finally arrived. First Mint Juleps have been served.

We planted phlox, peonies, mountain laurels, barberries, decorative grasses, lilacs, a lot of seeds, seedum, a rose, carnations, and more irises. We yanked the crab-grass and weeds from the front bed, and wow… what a difference. Still searning for a new pool maintenance company to come open our pool for the season.

Last night we visited Dave and Laura for an impromptu BBQ and house party. We got to meet many cool people and see Jeff, Dan, and Jonathan again as well. Saturday Sania came by to have dinner and borrow books for an upcoming long flight to India. Peter came by with his brother in-law in-law and took away the big red sofa and love seat and even the swivel/rocker. We now have room for the new loom which is in Manassas already.

We continue to add books to our Library Thing catalog.

I am so ready for a scuba vacation.

Just added a Library Thing widget to my sidebar. It’s disturbing how easy to use Library Thing and Delicious Library are, and how they integrate together. Enjoy.

I am reading Valis now, and thoroughly enjoyed The Artificial Kid (thanks Ant). I just watched V for Vendetta, awesomely riveting. Much better than I had hoped.

http://www.librarything.com/catalog/nolanhome

We are finally back from the 42nd International Congress on Medieval Studies at Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo). The drive was long, but seemed short because of good company. It was great seeing people and hearing so many great papers, and bringing home some excellent books.

The weather at Kalamazoo was fantastic. Bright and clear days, cool mornings, warm afternoons with light breezes. Difficult not to get Spring fever when sitting in afternoon lectures. Looking forward to my own bed though, and we missed Bailey the cat a bunch.

Life has been good, Erci and I have simply been enjoying the good weather and using cool, sunny weekends to garden.

We tackled the section of yard in front of the attached garage. Pulling up crab grass has been very challenging, but we’ve rescued some monkey grass and planted more. We had Merrifield Garden Center install a “Forest Pansy” redbud tree, and we put in more Irises, Peonies, and Phlox. In the back I have added Lenten Roses, some wildflower seeds, and Merrifield put in a Cedar tree. It’s amazing how fast 5 cubic yards of mulch is getting used up.

Erci and I are dancing two places regularly now, Arthur Murray Tysons Corners and The Ballroom in Centreville. Both are excellent studios and each has it’s strengths and weaknesses. We spent last Saturday night watching the showcase routines (kind of like recitals) at a third studio, called the Dance Factory. Our friends Cindy, Anne-Marie and Susan were doing routines, and we got to see many more and made lots of new dancing friends. There’s a bit of a dance renaissance happening in the United States lately, and it is wonderful to see. We have friends who rave about a new Fred Astaire studio in Merrifield, we’re already overloaded going to two studios, but it sounds interesting too.

Get out and dance!

Erci and I are getting ready to try Argentine Tango, and we’ll showcase our first fumbling start at this new dance in Centreville on the 19th. We are also working on standard Tango together at Tysons for June 2nd and we’ll also each do our own routines then too with our regular teachers (Sutragirl doing Viennese and me doing Mambo).

Work has been busy, busy, busy, but less than it was three weeks ago. I am slowly catching up.

Liz, Bob, Erci, and I are heading out to Kalamazoo to attend The 42nd International Congress on Medieval Studies. I look forward to meeting Joann, Deb, and Steve at the congress.

We are still looking for a new pool service company who will come out to our neighborhood, but once the pool is open we plan to have a dance/bar-b-que/pool party.