Coffee Break # 97

Do NOT leave because of this crappy format....keep complaining & hopefully they will fix it!!! Don't want to lose any of you, as you are my therapy, & best buds all in one.......Louise, love the avatar of the girls!

They fixed the journal search feature and made it wide enough to see all the columns. I was in a panic for the last few days, so I will figure out a way to take all my journal information and back it up some how. I am terrified that they might just close up shop someday without notice. I don't care how the site looks, just that we don't loose features. Patti

Here is the name of that large white perennial that Robindog asked me about earlier on this thread, but without my journal I could only remember its common name. Patti
Persicaria or Polygonum polymorpha White Dragon

Thanks, Patti....it's lovely....I don't have room for it, but my son does.......I tried to fix this site, but all that happened was I lost my Bookmarks.....

I just tried to switch to Mozilla Firefox to see if a new browser would let me delete the ads, since it does autoclear, and I can keep the histories open for the other browsers. No luck there clearing the extra ads that seem to be part of the new format. Since many web sites require ActiveX I'm not going to delete that and have a family rebellion, I think it's just another indignity to try to get used to.

Thanks, RD. 😌

The thing I dislike the most is all the wasted space on each side so that everything has to be scrunched up and smaller. For gosh sakes, go back to using all the space on the screen, why doncha!? Help us out here!

Don't worry about losing touch, there is always that "other" alternate universe. It seems like lots of us are coming up for renewal soon. Hmmmmmmmm. Not sure what I'll do. It depends on how annoying and difficult it is to me. No one needs to elevate the frustration level....my game plan is to select activities that reduce frustration, so I just don't know. I have always found Melody and Terry to be very responsive, so I suspect it has more to do with other decision makers. It looks like someone inexperienced with setting up websites to me. Oh well.

A daughter cleared it for me so I now see it in new form. She lives on the west coast so don't get help as often.

I do find it better on mobile devices, the white sides make scrolling easier.

Sure...just like I said....it was done for mobile devices. I have to get my DIL over here to fix things....I'm afraid to mess it up any more than it already is!

My DS, that has been on the Appalachian trail since the 23rd, called this evening. I am to pick them up a day early. Am anxious to hear about his hike. Weather-wise it has been terrible. I know they skipped some parts of their planned trek. Hopefully they aren't too discouraged. Who knew this would be such a wet June?

That stinks Jan the rain has been a pain and looks like July if off to a wet start too.

Sorry they had such a wet time time, Jan....certainly no fun camping or hiking in this weather! Bugs everywhere, I have many bites! Jan, Sharon, the town I sent you through, had 4" of rain yesterday afternoon!

Wow!!! Hopefully this doesn't hamper any future plans of hiking other sections of the trail.

When I went up to Vt over the weekend, I went by the Brattleboro Clay Works where I am now renting shelf space to do some more pottery. I got my first batch out of a kiln which is a gas reduction kiln unlike the electric kilns that I have use in Boston. Here is the first batch of work. Pleased, as nothing blew up or is horrible, of course, I didn't include two that I didn't like. I can't wait for the next dozen that are glazed and set to be fired soon as they include some covered casseroles that I was happy with at least through the bisque phase.

Out to do some weeding, but fear the bugs as they were dive bombing me yesterday, big time. But at least I am not trying to go on a hike or camp out in the woods. I once walked a whole mile, maybe two of the the Appalachian Trail, but it was on my bucket list until I got realistic. Patti

https://picasaweb.google.com/107604936655818861781/BRATTLEBOROCLAYWORKS2013?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCIbI06v47rachQE&feat=directlink

I like the pots Patti. humid here also.

Nice job Patti!

Those pots are wonderful, Patti......you should sell some!

I love the pots too, Patti.

If I were made out of stronger stuff I'd still be outside working.

Just graduated from my oncology appointments! 5 years with no reoccurrence.

Oh Debbie that is WONDERFUL news!!!

Patti love the pots too!

Another wet dreary day...cripes by the time we get the pool up for the girlies they will be back in school.

We may be going horseback riding on the fourth...something on my bucket list but don't know if I can do it with my back...a bit nervous.

Wonderful news, Deb! Cannot believe it's five years already!

How perfect is this?!!

That does look inviting!

Great Deb!


Yeah us too, pool is still not up

where is that Victor?

great news Debi

Congrats Deb!!!!! I hope your celebrating!
Beautiful work Patti, I agree you should sell them.
Jan, glad at least that they were safe, rainy weather on those trails can be very treacherous!

Don't know, Jen. Got a late start with my pool but fine now. :)

Yippee, Debi.....Celebrate for sure! Ronnie, hang in there....if your back feels fine, go for it.....

Deb. whaaaaaawhoooooooooooooooooo! Great news. I have my fourth year this month, but I had a good check up in May, so I figure I am just about a year behind you. I am looking forward to the graduation day next summer. Hope you did something to mark the occasion.

My renewal of doing Pottery after a 40 year hiatus started the week I started radiation. I found a studio near the hospital that would rent me space and had classes. I figured I needed a total distraction and something positive to do while I was living in Boston for a couple of months, so I began the day that I had my first treatment by going to the pottery studio. . I got hooked and found that pottery was in my blood again as were the new friends I found working in this group studio. I have been selling my wares for the past couple of years at the studio shows that happen for 3 weekends twice a year in Brookline Ma, however, I still mostly do it for my love of playing in the clay not for the sales, though it is a nice validation to sell lots of work to total strangers. I even have had some commissions. But using the things I make is also way cool and emotionally satisfying. Food just seems to tastes better in one of my bowls So playing in Clay and in the Dirt of our gardens are my main passions after family and friends, followed closely by books and food. Life is good. Patti

Debi and Patti - so sooooo good to hear your good news! I suspect your positive focus and "glass half full" personalities have much to do with your health! Patti, your pottery is amazing! I hope we can connect at last sometime soon. We are still up in the air as to where we will be when until our house sells in Florida... But we'll be off that roller coaster at some point, hopefully.

Victor, that doesn't look like a real place. Is it?

Doing a happy dance, Debi!! And looking forward to another happy dance next year, Patti. Definitely worth celebrating.

Looking forward to hearing about the riding, luvs.

Love, the pottery!!!

Very inviting pic, Victor

Well, the weary hikers are off the trail. Dropped Ken at a hotel near Newark airport. We got home and Andy went straight to bed. They smelled pretty rank. My nose doesn't work very well, but, whoo! Andy got sick in the night and hadn't told the other guy he didn't feel good and when he heard Andy heaving in the woods he thought a bear had gotten
Andy. It really freaked him out. Today he saw a rattlesnake that had about 12 rattles. The other guy got about 2' from it when it reared up. Their adrenaline had kicked in big time!!!
Looking forward to hearing stories tomorrow. They met about a dozen thru hikers coming from the south. Several women traveling solo included.

Thanks everyone!
Wow Jan! I bet you'll get some good stories.

Cool, Jan!

I think it is real, Louise.

Patti, so glad your news has been good as well! Louise is right, immersing yourself in things you love helps tremendously.....Jan, scary about the rattler.......St. John's Ledges, in Kent, where the guys started is known for being a rattler haven.....Hope Andy is feeling better.

Yes, he is, thank you. Once he got a shower and slept for over 12 hours. He said the 'bug' only lasted about 12 hours.

Great adventure story Jan. I sure wouldn't want to be a solo woman hiker. Just the rattler story alone would make me think twice about that.

Patti, please tell me when you are selling in Brookline again!

Victor's pool shot is so amazing. Is it local? Considering how my DS photoshops tropical plants into our yard, I thought maybe it was a fantasy. Is there a fog maker there?

Glad the trail folks avoided the rattler and bears. So many people here in the east don't know about Eastern Timber Rattle snakes. I grew up in Okla so I when I ran into one up in Vt, I knew that it was to be avoided as it had a black tail with rattles. Once you hear one you always remember the sound, but milk snakes which are harmless also rattle. Snakes can lunge a long way so being only 2 feet away was a tad close. Great story. Makes me want to reread bill Bryson's book about his hike. Patti

The pic was from a Twitter account that posts cool,pics from around the world.

Wow - my BIL's sargent's son, who just graduated college and was to start working on Wall St., was at a pool party Saturday. Dove in head first. Broke his neck at C7. Surgery done. Off vent. Likely a quadriplegic. Awful.

Oh how horrible!

Yes. I am guessing alcohol was a factor.