The Haasienda on Shroyer…

I finished my house manager duties, last night, early enough to make my way over to my favorite Chinese buffet on Fifth Street.

I wish I had thought to pay attention to my pedometer on my phone so that I could’ve made seven more steps to accomplish an even 8,500. I finished at 8,493. When I complete 5,000 steps a day, I feel great, but when I have such great counts as last night’s,, I feel triumphant.

My goal for this Thursday is to maintain a steady writing process for the early morning and afternoon. I am just teaching two online college classes this morning for a friend.

Last night, we finished the Bluey show at the Schuster Center. I still did not watch the production from my lobby’s balcony monitor, but again, I especially loved seeing all the dads invested in dressing up, or wearing T-shirts from the show. What an experience, as well as a lifetime of memories they are offering their children.

On this day, in 1908, my beloved theatre directing mentor, Joshua Logan, was born.

Okay, on with my day. I hear the school buses pulling in next-door to deposit the students for their school day.

Make it a great day!

PHOTOS: the Schuster Center & Joshua Logan

BLUEY’S BIG PLAY is cute, and the production brought in 1,500 patrons to The Schuster Center, on Tuesday evening. The children and many parents were wearing T-shirts or dressed up. I was astonished to learn just how young so many parents were! Many looked to be as young as a high school junior or senior – they were not, but I realized: I AM OLD! While seated outside in the loge lobby, I didn’t pay much attention to the show but the 50-minute production garnered much excitement and laughter from the audience. I will return for Round 2, tonight.

Tuesday night was a beautiful evening, and the 80° temperature could not have been more pleasing. I enjoyed some deck time with the pooches, probably our last for the season since the weather will soon take a turn and dive into the 60s. I will miss my warmer weather.

Two weeks ago, another writing project fell into my lap. This one, is a children’s book that combines the world of adoption and my dogs, focusing on Colonel Deeds spending time in a foster home with one of my former students before arriving at his new adoptive home. I decided that each of my dogs would have their own voice, and it’s been a hell of a lot of fun, creating their dialogue based on their personalities.

I have a meeting at noon and will return home to feed the dogs and prepare for another evening at the Schuster Center.

Time to get the day moving. Make it a great day!

William-Adolphe Bouguereau (French, 1825 – 1905)

Sunday was such a nice day. The weather was warm and pleasant, almost imitating summer but with the dryness and changing foliage of autumn in its infancy.

Studio lessons were packed with hard work, great attention to methodology detail, and exploring new areas of the voice, especially some mixed voice for younger men who’ve been hesitant to step forward into that pool. I am so energized when I teach, thanks to the students who are prepared for lessons, hardworking, and attentive.

I am curious to house manage Tuesday and Wednesday’s Schuster Center performances of BLUEY’S BIG PLAY which is a brand-new theatrical adaptation of the Emmy award-winning children’s television series. From the photos on the production page, there are brilliantly created puppets and sets as Bluey is brought to real life. I am betting the children will be flooding to this show. I love seeing children involved in the performing arts in all genres.

Monday promises to be sunny and warm. We shall have highs in the upper 80s through Wednesday before dropping to 78, 70, and 58 degrees on Saturday. The 60s will be upon us for over a week.

Yesterday, on October 1^st, President Jimmy Carter celebrated his 99^th birthday. I shall never forget spending the day traveling with the former president around the campus of Ball State University. He’s a true national gem.

On this day in history October 2, German troops crushed the two-month-old Warsaw Uprising in 1944, during which a quarter of a million people had been killed. In 1869, political and spiritual leader Mohandas K. Gandhi was born in Porbandar, India.

It’s moving on 6:45 AM and I am ahead of schedule by fifteen minutes. I may get dishes unloaded from the dishwasher… and then, again, I may not. There are so many interesting things to read and to discover!

Make it a great day!

Welcome, October 2023!

I am fifteen minutes behind in my morning routine as I hit the snooze but twice, something I almost never do. In fact, I am typically up and moving by 6 AM, beating my alarm clock’s first-morning announcement.

Last night, after finishing house manager duties, my excusal missed the 9:50 PM bus by three minutes. I checked Lyft and it was $15 from 2^nd & Main Streets to my house. I decided it was worth it. But, first, I made the stupid mistake of walking several blocks to Arby’s which is across from Neon Movies on Patterson Street and Fifth Street. Their interior was closed. I checked Lyft and within fifteen minutes, the newer price range for a trip home was $31! That’s how Lyft and Uber work, especially with The University of Dayton so close. So, back I walked to the main terminal where I worked on some research and ate my PB&F, popcorn, and orange diet Fanta. It was a comfortable evening, but one filled with my own stupidity of not heading home immediately upon leaving The Schuster Center.

The furry creatures at The Haasienda were excited to see me and I, them. Bailey, Harrigan, and Colonel Deeds sat eagerly on the bed as I changed clothes. I warmed up a bowl of the cabbage and sausage soup I made earlier in the day, and that made my 12:20 AM approach to sleep much easier.

I have three more Dayton Live shifts this week on Tuesday, and Wednesday, with a children’s program, and Saturday night with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra and “The Music of Queen.”

Make it a great day!

I am waiting at my regular downtown bus stop No. 17 to take me on its southern route to Kettering. I don’t think I could have created a better evening with the time spent on the deck.

Tonight’s show is great for families with young children. There were lots of children and many parents getting into the theme of the show with their personal apparel. Adorable.

It was a beautiful day, in general, and I loved the bright blue sky over the Miami Valley.

For some reason, this does not feel like Tuesday, and yesterday did not feel like a Monday except for the avalanche of things I found that needed to be completed. I still have a few items to attend to that were carried over from yesterday.

There’s much I intend to accomplish today before rushing downtown at 2:30 PM to work the children’s show. I have no idea what the attendance will be but I hope there are tons of families.

Yesterday, Monday, was an exceptionally long day of teaching as I packed in a number of rescheduled lessons due to the Internet going out Sunday evening. With the exception of a few for tonight, I am all caught up. That’s a great feeling, but I’m feeling, the residual effects of additional hours.

During Justin‘s piano lesson, I looked over to see Colonel Deeds kissing and then snuggling with Chief. I love the great affection The Colonel has for his older brother.

The weather is quite comfortable this morning on the deck, and shall reach 86° by 2 PM.

Make it a great day!

It’s a beautiful warm day, but it is obvious the enthusiastically colored summer season has been banished by the earth tones insignia of autumn. Regardless of the season, I will maintain my artist Bob Ross attitude in welcoming them all.

It’s a bit muggy, but I have managed to accomplish a number of things around the house. The kitchen is cleaned up, ready for me to push the button on the dishwasher. The laundry is waiting to be taken to the basement for washing. I still need to tidy up the bathroom and sweep the carpets and rugs.

I sat down to lunch with cabbage, sausage, and spiced tomato soup, along with three hard-boiled eggs. I rose from my desk, where I am dining, to grab my tea, and returned to the one remaining hard-boiled egg half eaten. Five dogs refused to admit who bit into it, so I gave it to Chief who is the one who physically cannot jump up to retrieve items. Erma probably would not, but Harrigan was the pooch most likely to do so.

I would love to attend to some yard work, however, in an hour I need to prep for house management duties at The Schuster Center.

The leaves above the deck are exchanging their colors. Farewell, September 2023!

Make it a great day!

Yesterday was a fine, fine day to establish my sixtieth life anniversary in this world. Social media greetings, phone calls, text messages, cards, and shout-outs are appreciated and cherished.

Aside from the daylong celebration, it was a typical day indulging in historical research and teaching. I wrapped up my day at 12:10 AM after completing a band/vocal backup arrangement for one of my senior students and allowing myself some additional rest after feeding the pooches at 6:30 AM.

At 6:03 PM, Monday evening, Mama Kay came over to continue the tradition of Mother’s 6:03 PM birthday greeting, making my new year official! I love that this tradition has not ceased with Mother’s passing and that Mama Kay has stepped in to continue it.

Today has been overcast, but comfortable in the upper sixties and lower seventies. I didn’t need to check for approaching rain as my sinuses and body have been slowly edging into the physical effects of such weather conditions. While we have this fleeting dip in temperature, we shall return to the eighties this weekend and throughout the following week.

I have been listening to episodes of THE NAKED ARCHEOLOGIST. I love his approach to ancient and Biblical archeology. After TNA finished on Pluto, I began listening to a documentary on The Boston Tea Party. There are some items with The American Revolution with which I am well versed, but I’ve never truly investigated the Boston Tea Party. It’s remarkably interesting.

Well, I need to continue with my day. My spinach, black bean, and sausage omelet was delicious, and I am filled to the point I fear a nap might be for the afternoon. But I don’t think so. The dogs, however, are enjoying their lounging about the study.

Make it a great day!

Sunday was a good day. The weather was perfect with the most elaborate blue sky, and the coolness of the morning warmed to very comfortable conditions.

The students arrived at each lesson with a good deal of hard work already under their belts and what we built upon and polished was incredible.

The 54 degrees at this moment will give way to adding twenty more by afternoon so that we’re at 74 degrees. It is currently chilly and damp and I am eager to see the 80s that will visit the remainder of the week.

My Lenovo Thinkpad is not working and I have brought back out my Surface Pro 3. I ordered a keyboard for typing with my Surface but accidentally ordered a Surface Go – not a Pro. The keyboard does not work with my Pro and I have ordered one to arrive today. I need to return the other keyboard to Wholesale Foods where they take care of Amazon returns.

It’s nearing the time to begin my day and I am eager to get going with it.

Make it a great day!

TODAY’S ART OFFERING:

The meeting in the forest, 1903.
By Heywood Hardy (1842–1933).

September is rapidly winding down and handing over the reins to October. I find it hard to believe we’ve only three months remaining of this year. 

It’s a chilly morning with dampness on the ground and in the air. I had hoped to tackle some leaf removal in the front yard but the wetness is prohibiting that. 

Today and tomorrow, we’re expected to have temperatures in the mid to upper 70s, followed by five straight days in the 80s. A week from tomorrow the temperatures will plummet twenty degrees, resting in the sixties for the near foreseeable future. 

My friend, Jeffrey Carter, recently spent some time in Nashville, Tennessee, and toured President Andrew Jackson’s home, The Hermitage. Since childhood, I’d always wanted to visit the plantation but time and travel never worked out. In 2004, on our Spring break return from Florida and Disney World, we cut across Tennessee to pay a special visit to The Hermitage. 

I loved the spacious home. While we were there, curators and restoration artists were meticulously cleaning and touching up the mural wallpaper in the front hall and up the winding staircase. They worked on one square inch at a time and they were kind enough to allow me to observe them for quite some time  It was impressive and fascinating and much like the restoration that was being conducted on the legendary Fort McHenry Stars and Stripes at The Smithsonian Institute of American History. 

I’m in the bus to place an Amazon return of one of the several keyboards sent to me. I think I shall grab some lunch while I’m in this neck of the woods – near the Dayton Mall. 

Make it a great day!

Today feels like a mid-October day, chilly and wet.

It’s been quite rainy over the past twenty-four hours, and it is expected to continue for a few more hours this afternoon.

I have alternated working and relaxing this morning. I slept well but had a gap of being awake for over two hours. I believe I am now caught up on sleep.

And that’s all there is for today. There’s little on the docket other than my grocery delivery which has been completed.

Make it a great day!

Friday was a relaxing, productive day, spent entirely at home. It was a nice dose of perfection in so many ways. The FabFive seemed to appreciate it, as well.

I was in bed by 10:30 AM, and slept nicely, only rising for one bathroom break. Colonel Deeds always loves to stretch himself out in spooning fashion when I lay on either my right or left sides. Well, I was on my stomach, and he could not decide how to make this work for his familiar positioning. Finally, he settled but stretched out across my back. He was heavy but it gave me an opportunity to exercise my breath control that I demonstrate and preach with every voice lesson.

This morning, I shall head uptown to the Dayton Metro Library for an author and writer’s symposium. I have looked forward to this for several weeks. My lunch and some snacks are prepped and ready to go. Two of my favorite local authors, Christina Consolino and Katrina Kittle, will be presenting.

I should return home by 5:15 PM where I will enjoy more pooch time and hopefully incorporate new ideas and methods into my writing.

Make it a great day!

It was a Sunday filled with tons of rest, a bit of work, and some fantastic work from students. Several of my high school students had homecoming events and dances this past weekend, and they were still thrilled and shared a bit of their key points.

Allergies have made me a bit congested but nothing miserable. One fairly new student arrived, very congested in the head, but after several exercises, she was clearing up. At first, she was hesitant that she’d even be able to sing but midway through her lesson, she was amazed at how good she was singing. When we sang through “Think of Me” from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, I raised the key a third. I feared she might crack on the upper notes, but she was strong and sounded lovely. By the last few minutes of the lesson, she was so fired up and determined that she wanted one more swipe through the last page of the song and those upper notes were even more outstanding. I love these moments that can be turned around with self-confidence and determination.

Today, I officially begin my  60^th year in this life. Tonight, at 6:03 PM, Mama Kay will come over, standing in for Mother, to give me my official birthday greeting, the time of my birth. It did not matter where I was or what I was doing, I always made sure I was ready to take Mother’s call if we were not together on my birthday. One year, when I was on tour in JOSEPH, she surprised me by showing up for the Sunday performance held on my birthday. She was brought onto the stage at 6:03 PM as the theatre’s official greeted the audience and I was called out from the wings where I was awaiting my official entrance toward the end of “Jacob & Sons.” It was truly a memorable moment for us both.

Today in history, BEWITCHED premiered in 1964, as did THE ADDAMS FAMILY and MR. MAGOO. The Warren Commission for President Kennedy’s assassination was released to the public on this date in 1964.

It is moving onto 7 AM and I need to prepare for the day. The temperature, at the moment, is 63 degrees and will only climb ten more degrees.

Make it a great day!

For me, there is nothing so ecstatic, so invigorating as being surrounded by creativity, especially involved with creative minds.

At 10:30 AM, I joined an author and writer’s symposium/conference sponsored by the Dayton Metro Library. It was an excellent event. From my perspective, it was well organized, well attended, and staffed with some incredible panelists/authors.

I knew several authors on the panel, but got to enjoy some time with friends, Kim and Belinda. Kim is the mother of two of my male students, and Belinda and I are house managers for Dayton Live.

There were three major divisions of this conference, each lasting an hour with visits to all author tables in between. The areas covered were: character development, plot development, and, the working writer. Not only did the professionals on the panels offer excellent commentary and advice, but I learned quite a bit from my fellow audience members. 

Learning from other creative souls and minds is something I’ve always valued and respected about my life and career in the fine and performing arts. There is always an element of learning in whatever we are doing, and with whomever we are engaged or working. It’s thrilling. I yearn for these moments, more and more. For many years, I was surrounded by those in the performing and educational arts; now it’s in an entirely different area of the creative arts: writing. There are numerous similarities and overlaps in all the genres and I’m certainly embracing and loving this new arena of novel writing. I’ve been edging into it for 10+ years. 

I needed this booster, today. I feel some slight exhaustion, but I have an incredible amount of creative energy festering within.

True to my prediction, I was in bed by 10:15 PM. It was a good sleep with only one bathroom break. The Colonel never left my side all night, always adjusting to each of my turns. If I flipped to the other side, he was immediately snuggled back against my chest, often offering a kiss to my neck or cheek.

I am still astonished that I folded and put away laundry on the same day I washed it. That almost never happens at The Haasienda.

At the moment, we have a temperature of 58 degrees, but it still feels comfortable to me. By the afternoon, we shall be seeing a high of 82 degrees. The grass is dry, very crunchy, and straw-like. We don’t expect rain until Wednesday and Thursday.

Fifty-nine years ago, Mother began feeling labor pains, or “mild discomfort” as she put it. My father urged her to go to the hospital, but Mother said she would not go until “it was time.” For some reason, she set Thursday midnight, going into Friday, as her goal, which she met. Our doctor, Dr. Robert Ulrey, for whom Mother worked, was hoping I would arrive on September 24, his birthday.

It’s 6:50 AM and I want to complete a few things before officially beginning my day. Colonel Deeds has made his rounds of inviting the others to play with no success. On the bed, Harrigan was relaxing against my pillow but The Colonel persisted.

Make it a great day!

On Pluto TV’s Classic TV channel, I watch several well-known sitcoms. For several months, I’ve enjoyed reuniting with the beloved 1960s, FAMILY AFFAIR, starring Brian Keith and Sebastian Cabot. 

FAMILY AFFAIR is a lighthearted series about a globetrotting engineer and his English butler who fall heir to three Hoosier orphans portrayed by child actors, Kathy Garver, Anissa Jones, and Johnny Whitaker. The show aired on CBS from September 12,1966 to March 4, 1971, before being concluded for edgier sitcoms.

I remember loving this show when I was a child, and I am engaged even more, 50+ years later. As a single father sans, the butler, I can appreciate the adoption element, although my sons were not a surprise like Uncle Bill’s. While the children are undoubtedly adorable and magnetic, Brian Keith and Sebastian Cabot were a perfect pairing. Keith’s laid-back, fatherly charm, amalgamated with the composed, steady navigation of Cabot made this program not only entrancing but also presented a preview of a capable and effective two-dad home.

Of course, we cannot forget one of the most popular dolls sold worldwide, Buffy’s Mrs. Beasley!

One day, while my mother was in the kitchen preparing supper, she stepped into where I was playing the piano, at age four, and asked, “Are you playing the melody from FAMILY AFFAIR?” 

I was. 

Mother marveled that, for over a year, I could easily play a song after hearing it once or twice. But this song was a little more complicated. Mother later told me that she knew it was time to begin what would be 14 years of piano lessons with her former teacher, Catherine Rutledge.

I love beginning my day with this classic sitcom. It launches me into my research and writing portion of the morning. Some days, I have the bliss and bonus of relaxing with the pooches while surfing social media, writing my blog, drinking coffee, eating breakfast, and mentally preparing my day. 

As I look out the door to the deck from my bedroom, I can see a hint of autumn’s approach in the turning leaves of the trees serving as a visual fortress to the west. The temperature is in the upper 50s with an expected climb to the lower 80s. I’m hoping for some time on the deck to work at my favorite spot. Tonight, I will have my weekly supper with Mama Kay and Laura.

Make it a great day!

By 5:30 PM, I was on the bus heading uptown so I can grab it some Chinese food from the Buffay. I was supposed to grab the No. 12 bus but it pulled out five minutes early and it just as I was getting to the door.

No problem. I needed to get some steps in as I’ve been fairly lax this week. Normally I acquire 6000 to 8000 steps each day. I managed to squeak out 7932 steps this evening.

I finished my dinner and walked to Neon Movies to grab a bucket of popcorn  since there was a concert at Levitt Pavilion. To my surprise, it was Wright State University’s performing arts evening. I got to hear the pep band, see the dance ensemble, and hear several outstanding performances from Jerry Noble’s percussion ensembles. I wish I could’ve stayed for the remainder of the concert.

I am planning on turning in by 10 PM this evening. I may, or may not achieve this goal.

I am proud of my accomplishments these past three days and hope to carry them through tomorrow. I managed to also complete two loads of laundry, minimal organization of my study, and I got the dishwasher loaded. Just completing household chores can be my biggest accomplishment, some days. I’d rather be writing and researching.

Saturday I’ll be attending a six hour writing conference. I’m excited to do something different in this arena.

Sunday evening, I ordered a typing keyboard for my Surface 3 Pro laptop. It arrived Monday, but I had ordered a different model. I made the return on Amazon and ordered the correct model.

Tuesday afternoon, my new, correct keyboard model arrived along with a repeat of the one I was returning. I have until the end of October to complete these two returns, but I wanted to get it out of the way.

This morning I hopped on the bus to Whole Food Market near the Dayton Mall which is one of the stores that takes returns or exchanges from Amazon. For a previous return, several years ago, I had to make the return at a service desk, but now it is all handled by a computer and machine drop off. I was a bit apprehensive at first, but the computer easily walked me through the process, and each return was completed in under a minute!

It’s been a relatively quiet morning, and I spent most of the time working from bed. I feel fine, and have energy, but I just felt like keeping to my bedroom where several dogs snuggled beside me while I worked.

I am currently waiting at the little bus stop at the corner of McEwen Road and State Route 725. The day could not be more beautiful than if I had specifically ordered it myself. I considered grabbing lunch at the Mexican restaurant next to Whole Food Market, however, for once in my life, I was not interested in Mexican food. Plus, I really do need to chop up a head of lettuce at home before it becomes mushy. 

I am hoping to work from the deck upon my return, maybe grabbing Chinese buffet for supper. I did contemplate a hike through Woodland Cemetery, but decided otherwise. Perhaps next week.

Tomorrow, September 22, is the 59th anniversary of when my mother began labor prior to my birth, three days later. I loved hearing Mother and her parents reminisce about some of the hilarity from those few days.

Here comes the bus. 

Make it a great day.

I’ve been energized and motivated by a new audiobook, ATOMIC HABITS: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, by James Clear.

ATOMIC HABITS is a supremely practical and useful book. Author James Clear distills the most fundamental information about habit formation so you can accomplish more by focusing on less.

In the early 1990s, I became a devoted student of Anthony Robbins. Mr. Clear, a graduate of Ohio’s own Denison University, offers easy to apply methods to assist his audience in stacking stronger habits. He even shares the story of Dayton entrepreneur and legendary businessman, John Patterson of National Cash Register (NCR) fame.

I highly recommend this book!

It’s 10:30 PM, Tuesday evening, and I am just now remembering I never submitted a “Make It A Great Day” blog post earlier in the day.

I honestly believe I made it a great day!

There was nothing unusual about my morning, which promptly began at 6:15 AM as it does every morning. I knew I was going to El Toro for lunch so I opted not to eat breakfast. By 8 AM, I was at my desk, feverishly organizing my research notes.

The dogs had a great morning despite Colonel Deeds trying his damnedest to engage the others in energetic play. It was obvious that they were getting pissed with him so I hooked him up to his leash and had him snuggle at my feet beneath my desk.

I met Mary Loman in Mama Kay’s driveway at 12:40 PM and we retrieved The Mama from Saint Albert, the Great Catholic Church. We journeyed to El Toro and had a fun, delicious, and animated, lunch, together.

After feeding the dogs upon my return home, I utilized a good portion of my 90 remaining minutes to work on my note organization. By 5:05 PM, I landed downtown to be at the Schuster Center by 5:30 PM for further training. Tonight’s training was on emergency evacuation which we physically rehearsed with a group of volunteers serving as patrons while others assumed their regular duties as though we were in performance during an energy.

While this was a practice, or rehearsal, there was an elevated energy and nervousness. My Volunteers were superb. I am ever more appreciative of Mother who always modeled and exhibited a tremendous amount of calm and collectedness during a crises. I am convinced that tonight’s dress rehearsal is indicative of how I would conduct myself should I ever need to rise to the occasion.

I was excited to see David & Cathy Long as I was leaving. I had no idea they were volunteers for Dayton Live.

I joined J. for a late dinner at the Chinese buffet and return home to some excited pooches. I’ve packed more into this day than I normally do, but I’m feeling a good deal of energy and greater enthusiasm.

I’m hoping I can repeat tomorrow with the same degree of energy and passion. Some days are easier than others. These past few weeks, I’ve had folks say, “You are so busy!” No, I am not. Each morning, I read through my Facebook memories and grieve the days, 2006-2018, when I truly was productive at least eighteen hours each day, running on full energy. However, I do accept the current me and how my body’s energy reserves are greatly altered and unpredictable.

This is where I really do fight to “make it a great day.”

Last night was fun!

The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance (DPAA), the circle of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, the Dayton Ballet, and the Dayton Opera, had their season premiere and it was a grand time. I loved seeing so many patrons dressed in snazzy attire. The production was enjoyable and the post-event was beautiful.

The best part was having a majority of the house managing team back at the helm after so many took off for the summer hiatus.

I was originally scheduled until 10:15 PM as a house manager, and it was later adjusted to 12:30 AM to assist in overseeing the post-event. The last bus out of Dodge was 11:40 PM and my supervisor kindly adjusted the schedule, and I was on the 9:55 PM No. 17 bus, home by 10:15 PM.

I was so eager to see the FabFive all the way home and as I opened the front door, I noticed an odd silence from the older four with only Col. Deeds yapping excitedly. Ahhh… there was a definite reason. The Colonel had chewed up his third pillow in less than a week. It was a smaller pillow I use… used while sitting at my desk. The stuffing was throughout my study and the hallway. When I got to the gate that blocks the living room and central hall, the older four were shirking in the study while the younger pooch jumped and wiggled as I opened the gate. The time I hoped to use sitting on the floor to pet the quintet was spent picking up the larger chunks of stuffing and pulling out the vacuum to sweep.

This morning, The Colonel is bugging the hell out of the others who are not receptive to his early morning playfulness.

I will have two full days of teaching from 4 PM – 11 PM, tonight and Monday, and Tuesday evening I will be back at The Schuster for house manager and volunteer training. Other than that, it appears to be a quiet week leading up to my birthday, one week from tomorrow. My goal is to accomplish a terrific amount of writing and research. I might even attempt a hike through Woodland Cemetery.

Make it a great day!

It says we’re supposed to reach the high of 77°, today, but that seems to be a reach at this moment when it is only 65° at 11 AM. I am even wearing a jacket! The sky is a steel gray and it looks as though it could start raining at any given moment. 

I hopped on No. 17N to go to one of my happy dining places. We got to the downtown terminal and the bus driver said that that bus was going back to the garage. Fortunately, it is only an eight minute wait until the next No. 17N arrives. 

Last night, I joined Donna McCreary, author of MARY LINCOLN DEMYSTIFIED, and others for a 90 minute Zoom book-discussion, followed by a fascinating Q&A. I love how investigative historians are still uncovering new facts and tidbits. 

Colonel Deeds, from 6:30 AM until I left at 10:45 AM, had pissed off the entire household. He was wanting to desperately play with all the pooches and they wanted nothing to do with him. There was a ton of growling, snarling, “you’re pissing me off” barking, and a few entanglements. I was tiring of shouting, “Deeds! Leave them alone!” Now, and then, he’d come snuggle beside me and give me apologetic kisses. 

Next Wednesday’s puppy boy surgery cannot come soon enough. 

I’ve a Dayton Live event to house manage, Saturday evening, and then a return to the teaching week on Sunday afternoon. 

Now, I’ll continue to make it a great day with some respite from yapping, growling, snarling, and barking.

TODAY’S ART OFFERING:

Oil paintiing Children at the Forest Pond by Fritz Ebel German, 1835-1895)

The forecast has the Miami Valley climbing to a high of 78 degrees, but I am skeptical with our current 67 degrees, cool air, and dampness.

It was a nearly sleepless night. The heavy rain shower earlier in the evening, combined with the cool air, sent my body into a typical weather response. This morning has been less physically aggravating, but I have been napping off and on.

My lunch consists of a salad, topped with mozzarella cheese, black beans, and Western dressing, and celery and carrots with my family’s favorite dip, commonly known as cauliflower dip, brown dip, or disappearin’ dip. Had I thought about it beforehand, I would have selected something more like warm comfort food.

Deeds is restless as no one will play with him. He wanders about the rooms, nudging each fellow pooch who ignores him, like Chief or snarls at him like the three girls. The Colonel has finally settled alongside the Chief on the floor of my study.

I know at least two dozen friends who are battling the return of Covid and I wish them a speedy and sound recovery.

This evening, I have a house management gig at The Loft Theatre which is next to The Victoria Theatre. I wish, now, that I had secured someone to trade with me as I am feeling homebound, today. On Monday, all of the house managers will attend a training session.

I’m going to return to my napping mode so I’m well rested for tonight.

Make it a great day!

TODAY’S ART TO SHARE:

Oil painting By Ernest Charles Walbourn (British, 1872-1927)

So far, Colonel Deeds’ recovery seems to be going well. He is back to his perky, loving self, wanting to romp. Trying to keep him from trying to play is like trying to stop a bullet with a tissue after the trigger has been pulled.

Last night, he wanted to sleep with me. Harrigan was already up in bed, and I knew it might not be possible for him to join. The Colonel, his wide protective Elizabethan collar, made it onto the bed and figured out how to make it work. It did. What did not work was when he insisted on snuggling under my chin where his head could nestle into my neck. I thought I was reenacting the final scene from Marie Antoinette’s life with a dull blade hacking my neck. At some point during my gagging and cursing, he figured out how to make us both more comfortable to snuggle.

The little fellow has done a good job of learning his new choreography skills as he maneuvers through the house with his protective collar. Deeds really is an intelligent guy.

It appears that the mid to upper seventies will be with us for a long spell with only one predicted 82 degrees popping in to say, “hello.”

I am catching up on my lost sleep and my body is beginning to feel familiar to me, again. It will be a relaxing day with continued research and mapping out plots and storylines.

Make it a great day!

“The little brother”
By Felix Schlesinger (1833-1910)
German painter
Oil on canvas, 52 x 42 cm

Colonel Deeds appears to be moving along nicely with his recovery from Wednesday’s surgery, Again, he preferred to work around the protective collar to snuggle close to my neck and chest. However, when he would move, the collar would smack me in the face, pop me in the throat, or I would find my face inside the collar as he pressed his face against my nose.

Last night, upon returning home from a pleasant adventure in downtown Dayton, I sent in my Walmart grocery order to be delivered this morning between 8 AM and 9 AM. I decided to eat my usual 6:30 AM breakfast until after the grocery delivery, knowing I would be making an omelet. Whenever I dine with Mama Kay and Laura at El Toro at The Greene, I order a plate of nacho chicken fajitas with chips on the side so I can bring most of the dish home to use on salad or in omelets.

Well, someone decided my morning should go a different route!

Walmart sent a notification that my delivery would be delayed at least two hours, estimating an 11 AM arrival. I launched into preparing the omelet at 9:45 AM, heating the chicken fajita topping in the microwave while my omelet with black pepper and a nice amount of cayenne pepper cooked on the stove. With the omelet finished, I applied the topping as my cell phone showed an alert from Walmart saying my grocery order was now arriving.

Damn!

I shoved the omelet plate further back on the cabinet and brought in my first load of groceries. Aha! Someone with fur had gotten into my omelet to eat half of it. I finished bringing in my groceries and put them away.

Damn!

About one-third of my omelet had been eaten.

I knew Col. Deeds had not gotten into the omelet, nor Bailey, Erma, or Chief. My curiosity and suspicions were satisfied when I saw Harrigan draining the dogs’ water bowl.

Touche! Of course, this mouthful of cayenne pepper will not be a learning experience for my determined little girl.

I cut off the end that had been gnawed by Harrigan and had enough salvaged for a healthy amount for my breakfast, along with a small bowl of Raisin Bran cereal.

My lopsided schedule is struggling to get back on track. I had hoped to have 90 minutes of work completed. So be it. Go with the flow! As I prepare to work at my desk, I am listening to an audiobook, John O’Connor’s POSTGATE: How the Washington Post Betrayed Deep Throat, Covered Up Watergate, and Began Today’s Partisan Advocacy Journalism. The pooches are scattered about the study with The Colonel pressed beside his favorite pooch, Chief.

Make it a great day!