I knew that once the weather turned a bit nicer, the tomatoes would start back up again, and they didn’t disappoint. I picked probably a half a bushel–mostly small ones, so there were more than it seemed–plus about a half a bushel of peppers as well. I dug what I think were the rest of the potatoes, found two cucumbers hiding in the volunteer’s dying vine, and ate a bunch of cherry tomatoes.

I left one cucumber behind so perhaps it can volunteer itself again next year. And I’m also tossing rotten tomatoes into the spot where I can’t really till (between the spruce tree and the forsynthia) in the hopes that a volunteer tomato grove sprouts up next year as well.

Which leads me to an interesting point: If you can pretty much end up with tomatoes every year by only actually planting them one year, and the same with potatoes, cucumbers, and the like, then why really bother to plant more plants, unless you want a specific variety you don’t already have growing? All you have to do to get volunteers is leave some behind. I wonder why peppers don’t seem to work the same way?

It’s so nice outside, though, that I had to get out and pick stuff this afternoon. Earlier, I spent about an hour playing Morgan, since I’ve cleaned off my comfy pink chair in my office (by piling all the fabric in front of my closet. Not the best solution, but it works.)

Now I am wondering if I have enough of the grey velvet to make myself a frock coat out of it, instead of using a wool quilt top like I intended (although I’ll probably do that as well.)

I haven’t done monthly goals for a while, but since there are some things happening in the next month or so that I can’t forget, I think I need to do them again.

And since October starts tomorrow, let’s see what I can come up with!

1. Go through what craft show stuff I have already, and decide what I need to make. Then make it! I want to be finished with the craft show stuff by Nov. 1 at the latest.

2. Go see Loreena McKennitt Oct. 13!

3. Practice, practice, especially once I get the harp books I ordered.

4. Order a Christmas carols for harps book, if I can find one that has enough carols to keep me busy for a while.

5. Write Full Moon, which still needs a plot. Or at least it feels like it does. Either it’s going to be a Very Long novel or else it’s going to peter out in a bit; I haven’t discovered which yet.

6. Continue to clean. I need to get done in my office and the dining room especially, since it will be time to bring in the plants after a while here, and I don’t want to be rushed for that.

7. Decide which plants to bring in.

8. Put the garden to bed, which means picking the rest of everything, digging up potatoes and sweet potatoes, and waiting for the first frost.

9. Don’t turn on the heat until Nov. 1, which has been my goal ever since I moved here, but I’ve missed it every time. Try to make it this year, weather-permitting.

10. Submit Heart’s Desire and The Seventh Secret.

11. I have edits for Ladybug, Ladybug that need to be done as well.

12. Either:
a. Work on my frock coat from one of the patterns I ordered
b. Make the wallhanging (appliquéd) that I’ve been wanting to make
c. Start thinking about and making or ordering Christmas presents

13. Gather up stuff for the rummage sale (Oct. 6th) and take it up to church.

14. Continue to weed out the clutter in my house.

15. Continue to keep rooms that are already ‘done’ relatively clean.

16. Finish the art books that I’ve been procrastinating about.

17. And have fun doing everything, since October is my favorite month!

I went to see 3:10 to Yuma with Mom and Dad tonight–reading Territory made me want to see it, mostly for the setting. It was funny in places–some of the dialogue is great–and very, very bloody. Having not seen the original, I had no idea what to expect, but I thought it was good.

Both leaving town and coming back was interesting, because of the fair; leaving town I passed a long line of cars coming in, and coming back I passed a long line of cars leaving. And there’s either a tractor pull or a demolition derby tonight. Still going on. *sigh* Oh well. I don’t have to get up early tomorrow, at least.

I got some stuff sorted in the dining room today, but the day was mostly sorting and not much else. I got a late start and didn’t get very far up to speed over the course of the day. However, I did find a couple of things I thought I had lost, so that’s good. And I did remove one leaf from the table. I’m not sure if I’ll leave it like that or not, since the chairs don’t seem to fit very well with only one leaf. But we’ll see.

Tomorrow, I do have to get out into the garden and see if there’s anything worth picking. I’m not sure how many tomatoes I’ll end up getting before the frost (which isn’t going to be anytime really soon, at least) but I do have some potatoes to dig up and I have to decide about the sweet potatoes. In the backyard, the peanuts are starting to die back, so they should be about ready for harvest as well. And I know I have peppers to pick.

Tomorrow I’m also going to work in the dining room and practice a bit as well, and put away my clothes. I also have to find another source for plain oolong tea, since Adagio hasn’t had any in stock for months, and I’m now out. Argh!

Well, I haven’t announced it here yet, but I ordered a harp from Blevins Harps–a double strung harp in walnut. It was supposed to arrive on Monday, which would have given me today and tomorrow to finish the dining room and set everything up. (Notice I said was supposed to arrive, would have–)

When I pulled into the driveway last night, there was a harp-shaped box on my porch, waiting for me. Needless to say, I didn’t get anything done last night at all, except for unpacking, tuning and playing.

And just a note on the packing–I have never seen something so well packed in my life. It took me 20 minutes just to remove all the packing around the harp. I felt like I was helping something give birth.

(Lots of packing is a good thing, of course!)

I had researched, and checked prices and such, and Blevins harps were very well recommended. I knew I wanted a lap harp for the portability, and I also knew that it wouldn’t be a bad thing to have a nylon strung harp–as well as a wire strung (yes, Stoney End had a double strung wire floor harp and made me a deal on it I couldn’t refuse)–but after reading everything I could about them, I knew I wanted a double strung harp.

When I found out that Blevins Harps had a discounted page, I went over there to look, and absolutely fell in love with the Skyedancer 52. And there was one on the discounted page! The picture definitely did not do this harp justice. Listening to it being played over the phone didn’t do it justice either. It has a fabulous lively tone. If I can, I’ll post a sound clip sometime this weekend.

And I have to mention that talking to Cindy Kleinstuber Blevins and Dwight Blevins as well really made me happy to be able to buy a harp from them. They are so nice!

I love the graining of the wood.

It took me about an hour or so to tune it last night, and then probably another 45 minutes to retune since the strings had been loosened for travel and they tend to have to adapt. However, this morning I detected no slippage at all–I might have to touch one or two up, but otherwise everything sounded good to me. Which is impressive!

I played last night, of course, retuning a bit here and there, and spent the better part of an hour trying to see if my fingers remembered harp strings after being away from them for so long. By the time I quit for the night (I can only serenade Chloe so long before she starts getting annoyed, evidently), I was starting to remember. Now, the trick will be to keep remembering. I’m going to purchase a couple of learn to play the harp books so I can relearn the proper finger positions, etc.

So anyway, my harp.

EDIT: My harp’s name is Morgan. That way, I don’t have to worry about the gender!

So I played with my paints last night to try to get finished with a picture I’ve been working on (for an art book swap thingy that I have been procrastinating about–with no inspiration at all) and I actually got something done that I’m pleased with. A few more small touches and I’ll have one book out the door and two more to work on. Finally!

I hate it when I can’t get any inspiration. Argh!

Okay, according to Bekah, she’s moving out sometime in May. That means it will be June before I can start anything pertinent in the house (destruction-wise), and more than likely fall before I really do start anything, due to the heat of next summer.

Here is my current thinking:

(I will have three extra rooms. The Green Room and two bedrooms upstairs.)

The dining room will become the music room, but I’m leaning towards just taking a leaf out of the table and leaving the table in place. It’s not hurting anyone, it’s a nice table, and it shouldn’t be in the way. I may move it a bit closer to under the center of the chandelier. That would give me more floor space in front of the fireplace for other things, like practice space. And practice space is easily moved if I need to add leaves when I have a dinner party, which happens so often, you know. /sarcasm

The current living room will become the library/computer room. My computer and desk will come downstairs. I will build those floor-to-ceiling bookcases Dad envisioned flanking the stained glass window for my books (not difficult; the woodwork is pine, so I’m not thinking anything fancy.) I am also thinking that it would be nice to move the china cabinet into the library instead of the music room. It could fit along one wall, I think. Basically, I envision this room with a comfy reading chair, plenty of books, and my library table, which is actually already in place.

The Green Room will become the living room, with a real couch (probably) and/or comfy loveseat. The only issue I see is that the only plug is on the wall where the couch would have to go, unless the couch sticks out from the wall, which would also work. A portion of the Green Room will become a cat tree/toy area. Mabel can have a pillow in this room as well. The pillow will probably end up being one of the cushions from the papasan couch with a slipcover that I can sew, now that I think about it.

The entry room will remain as it is, with the exception of the absence of Ethan’s computer and hopefully the desk as well (I’m going to insist, I think. *grin*) My bikes can be stored on that wall quite nicely, and with easy access to the outside door.

The basement needs a dehumidifier, but I hate the thought of using up that much more electricity. I would like to finish cleaning it, though. There’s not really that much left to do, since we got the majority of it when Mom and Dad came to help clean that one day. I would like to go through and decide on what to do with the notgarbage containers, though.

I’m happy with the kitchen’s layout, so it can stay as it is, at least for the moment. It would be nice to build floor-to-ceiling shelves for the kitchen, however, but then I’d have to find a place for the shelves that are there now. So who knows. Ditto on the laundry room.

The bathroom will have the ‘new’ sink, and I will replace both toilet and tub eventually. Layout will essentially remain the same.

Upstairs, my bedroom will remain my bedroom. With the absence of my computer in my office, it will officially become my studio, and I will rearrange a bit so I’m not as tight since I’ll have an extra wall. This will also give me room for the Willcox & Gibbs treadle sewing machine that is now in an awkward position in the hallway.

I am thinking that since I like the fact that my fiction books are upstairs, I’ll leave them in the upstairs hallway and have nonfiction in the library. Or who knows? I might change my mind.

The upstairs bathroom will need some plumbing work to become a bathroom again. I’m in no rush. If I had my way, I’d take the clawfoot tub downstairs (hahahaha) and put a freestanding shower in the upstairs bathroom. I would need lots of very strong men for this, however, and it might not be a good idea. But maybe someday a circus will come to town and I can hire the strongmen. The toilet needs to be replaced or fixed or whatever, but I like the sink, so it stays.

I would like to have a chair and maybe a small table on the upstairs landing, perhaps, just to sit in if I want to do so, but we’ll see.

Bekah’s room will become the guestroom, since I really don’t need it to be anything else. I can store things, like the upstairs vacuum cleaner, in one of the two closets in that room. And one of the closets might become overflow for fabric, if needed.

Ethan’s room will become the ‘treasure room’, or, rather, the room where I stick furniture I don’t have space for yet, stuff that needs some work that won’t survive in the shed, or stuff like that. It will not be the junk room, but for example, it would be nice to have a spot to store my rope bed until I can strip off the paint and refinish it.

Outside, both the front porch and the side porch needs some rearranging. I want to put the garbage can out back to free up some space once I get a garbage can with wheels, and I’d really love to screen in the side porch. But if I do that, I’d definitely want a place to sit down, etc., so the current setup wouldn’t work. What I really need to do is make sure both porches don’t end up being catch-alls for stuff I don’t know what to do with quite yet.

And I probably shouldn’t even talk about the shed. We were supposed to put on a new roof this year, but there was no way in hell I would do that in 90+ degree weather. And there’s the small fact that we have to get into the neighbors’ yard to get to the other side of the shed, too. And their apple tree, which grows right up against the shed and which would have to be trimmed quite a bit. (I don’t really mind the apple tree, of course. It’s an apple tree, after all.) If I had my druthers, I’d take off the front half of the shed and save the back half (it’s a built-on shed, so that’s actually possible.) I’d then get one of those carpark thingys (What are they called?) and put it where the front half of the shed once was. Then I would have a place to park my car under something, and it would be fairly sheltered. But we’ll see. Every time I look at it I change my mind.

And that’s the plan, at least today.

It rained.

I had some really weird dreams last night, probably brought on by the fact that I didn’t get much sleep Sunday night and I went to bed at 8pm last night.

Needless to say, I’m wide awake this morning. If there was anything going on at the fair late last night, it didn’t even wake me up.

I did, however, have to turn on my air conditioner (in my bedroom) until 1:30am, because it was just too hot to sleep (even worse if you wanted to go to bed early like I did!) so I left it on until it got too annoying, and then I opened my window. Hopefully, this is it. It’s supposed to be hot again today, and then the front is moving through, and we’re going to see some more normal weather. As long as the nights are cool, I really don’t have an issue. But after another week and a half of HEAT, the nights tend not to be cool anymore. There’s a saturation point there as well.

So it’s humid, but comfortable this morning. I can deal with that.

I am listening to the Brown County Fair kick-off parade from the comfort of my own home. It’s over 90 degrees outside! There is no way.

I haven’t heard the sirens yet, but they just started 45 minutes ago. They have at least 45 minutes to go before it’s over.

And it’s my Dad’s birthday today, too, so Happy Birthday Dad!