I didn't leave the house yesterday. Apparently we were all in need of some downtime. Even Olga refused to go on her morning walk -- I finally coaxed her to the door and got the leash on her, but we only ambled about ten yards up the street before she dug in and turned for home.
Which is not to say I wasn't busy. I don't think I've ever washed so much stuff in my life -- more dishes, tablecloths, clothes. (The broiler pan wasn't as difficult as I'd feared.) I vacuumed the house again. I always forget that having people over means cleaning both before they arrive and after they depart.
After leaving the dahlia tubers and the amaryllis bulbs to dry out for a few days, I finally potted up the dahlias in dry compost and stashed the amaryllis bulbs in a bag in the shed. Now I'm done with them until spring. The bird feeders have been going crazy the last few days -- I guess our feathered friends are fueling up before winter. I saw the parrot again yesterday morning, and there have been tons of starlings and tits and even a great spotted woodpecker on the peanut feeder. (Of course I didn't have my camera handy.)
Speaking of birds, for lunch I had turkey. And for dinner I had -- turkey!
We continued our Inspector Clouseau movie theme by watching the first "Pink Panther" film, from 1963.
(I know -- you're probably thinking, "Didn't I read this post before?" No, it's just very "Groundhog Day" around here at the moment.)
Finally, I talked to my mom on the phone last night. My brother arranged to be there when I called, so he could answer and have her talk to me. I called at the appointed hour, and still no one picked up -- so I e-mailed him and said, "Are you there?" He was, but it turns out Mom's phone wasn't ringing. It hasn't been working all this time! No wonder she never answered it.
(Photo: Some turreted buildings on Finchley Road near our flat.)
Your Thanksgiving guests must have been pretty dirty people if you had to clean up after them. Maybe next year you should make a point of only inviting clean people. Dirty people can be interesting but you don't need them messing up your home.
ReplyDeleteHa! The phone wasn't working! Well. There you go. One never knows.
ReplyDeleteYour work yesterday on getting your house all back together is one of the reasons I don't have big gatherings here any more. But I will say that when it's all over and everything is back in place and tidy again it's a very good feeling.
sometimes my phone won't ring but it's always because I put it on silent for one reason or another and then forget I put it on silent. sometimes Minnie doesn't want to go for her walk. she'll get about halfway down the driveway and just stop. amazing how strong a 12 pound dog can be.
ReplyDeleteNon-working phone, that explains it! Glad you found out.
ReplyDeleteI got to see two movies this weekend, Knives Out and The Good Liar. Both were very good in different ways however, The Good Liar was my favorite.
I'm so glad you talked with your mom and figured out that her phone hadn't been ringing. Yay!!
ReplyDeleteHaving company is very satisfying but it's a lot of work. Today many people are not willing to do that much work to make a huge dinner for people. I like the Olga story.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you boys have discovered that Mom's phone isn't working properly. I'm sure it made you both feel a lot better. Hopefully once it is fixed, you'll be able to talk with Mom more often. You've worn me out with all that cleaning and clean up. I'll be making turkey salad today with my left over turkey. It's a nice way to use it up. And tasty too. You have a wonderful day, hugs, Edna B.
ReplyDeleteThough YP has a good suggestion I think mine is even better. On your invitations specify the party is BYOCA, Bring Your Own Cleaning Ability. Then put them to work before you'll let them go home. Of course the amount of alcohol consumed might put a flaw in that plan.
ReplyDeleteAh, yes, I am another who is always forgetting that entertaining entails a double cleaning. It doesn't seem fair, somehow, does it?!
ReplyDeleteReading that your mother's phone wasn't working reminded me, too late, that this has happened in the past to both of my parents' phones and I should have thought to suggest it to you. Glad you and your brother figured it out. Hopefully you'll be able to get in touch with her more easily now.
So happy that you were able to talk to your mom. I am sure it made you feel much better and it is nice that your brother was able to be there and discover your mom's phone was not working properly.
ReplyDeleteWe are still cleaning up and as far as the turkey goes it went bye bye over the weekend. We had so much left overs it made great meals and then last night we all had Turkey sandwiches with what was left.
The ham went really quick.
I have to get busy and work on my own blog but I am just so tired. Drained actually and my son bought a new 48 inch tv and I know how to use this remote and have been watching it since Friday.
I am binge watching The Universe on the History channel. I just find science so intriguing. When I get tv over load on that I then watch Cold Case Files on Netflix. It is good to know that these cases are solved even if it took over 30 years in some cases.
Speaking of which I think that I will lay down on the sofa and watch something..
Have a great day/evening...
Usually when my Mom hasn't answered the phone it is because she has forgotten to put it in her charger. Is is not unknown for me to call the front desk at the assisted living to ask them to make she her phone is charging, or turned on, or whatever. Her dementia makes it easy for things to "not work", for whatever reason, and the front desk is your friend.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you got through and discovered a fixable problem with a solution.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you were able to talk with your mom and discover her phone problems. I am sure she was happy to hear from you and your brother.
ReplyDeleteCleaning is just never ending. I could use a magic wand most days. I am sure your guests enjoyed the wonderful meal and good company.