The best laid plans

posted by Helen

I had plans for some good blogging this week -- about the train ride we took on the White River Flyer last weekend, and how you should go this weekend (particularly since Dave will be playing guitar down there at the station before the train leaves and hope to play on the train as well). And about seeing "An Inconvenient Truth". Oh, and I completely forgot to post about Wimbledon (and how it is not Wimbleton or Wimbledown). Other stuff too: I'm writing a town news column for our local paper every week now. I'm a little panicked about what to write for next week. I need to get out and talk to some people.

Instead I've been spending time visiting a friend who broke his leg. It was a big break. He is in the hospital, done with surgery and beginning recovery. My folks are still here as well and it's been nice being with them. Mom and I are watching DVDs of the "Upstairs, Downstairs" series from the 70s. We watched them back then, too, but I never saw it from the start.

They're here for another week but I'm not sure we'll have time for the next disc. Netflix is doing their deliberate thing to slow down my viewing. They have me returning discs to Worcester, MA this week. Last week it was Manchester, NH, and before that White River Junction. I expect we'll jump to Kansas City next.

I'm not sure I understand their need to slow me down in particular, but I get the concept. Apparently this is some kind of standard business practice of theirs. They start you out with a nearby facility so the discs during the trial period are exchanged swiftly. Then as soon as you are a paying customer, they find ways to delay your shipments and keep you to whatever they think is a reasonable number of discs. I haven't decided to get irritated about it yet. Frankly, the discs arrive and I don't exactly have time to sit down and watch them immediately. That and there are so many other things in life to irritate, why focus on that?

Polo anyone?

posted by Helen

We've had quite an exciting weekend, not the least of which was the Quechee Polo Club match we attended Saturday. I've never been to a match and it was easy to get caught up in the fast-moving action. Our home team was down substantially when we first arrived, but they recovered quickly and won the match 9-7.

Cammy of Ottauquechee

posted by Helen

It's taken me a long time to do it, but I finally edited and posted the second Cammy of Ottauquechee book that Dave wrote. It isn't perfect, but as Laura at DCI used to say "Perfect is pretty but done is beautiful." Hope you like it.

posted by Helen

The past week has been a bit of a blur. I was constantly in motion and yet don't feel I accomplished much. Frustrating.

My parents seem to be enjoying their stay with us. It's nice to have them here. The house was seeming so big since the girls left that it feels good to be making full use of it.

Our "adopted" daughter, Caroline, came to visit the other evening. We enjoyed sitting outside with a fire crackling in the fire pit. Just a quiet evening, talking about nothing in particular and everything.

I've been trying to keep up with my reading. I'm on my 23rd book for the year. I realized a while ago that even if I were to read 2 books a month for the rest of my probable life, it would be less than 1000 books. That's just not enough so I've been making a conscious effort to read more.

Right now I'm into a collection of Janet Flanner essays published in The New Yorker magazine's "Letter from Paris" from 1925 to 1939 titled "Paris Was Yesterday." The book I most recently finished was Joyce Carol Oates's novel "We Were the Mulvaneys."

I am simultaneously reading a book on violin technique by Ivan Galamian recommended by my violin teacher. It's been a little tough getting started. My big mistake is picking it up late in the evening, just before bed. God knows I need a help with technique so I think I'd better start reading it in the mornings instead.

Yesterday my sister, mom and I went on an excursion to Woodstock -- a little shopping, dinner and a movie, "A Prairie Home Companion." The Woodstock Town Hall Theatre is an ideal movie venue, good movie selections, small town feel. Next week they're showing "An Inconvenient Truth." We will probably go see it, but it might be a little too much reality for me. I only hope it offers some solutions and isn't just fear-mongering.

Today we are thinking of going to Saint-Gaudens in Cornish, New Hampshire. It is the site of the home, gardens and studio of the sculptor, Augustus Saint-Gaudens. It's a beautiful place. As a bonus, on Sundays in the summer they have a concert series.

But first ... the Wimbledon Men's Championship! Mom and I watched the Ladies' Championship match yesterday. I was happy to see Mauresmo be the first French woman to win in 81 years. I thought it was interesting to see the difference in tennis dress of the last French champion, Suzanne Lenglen, and Mauresmo's. I like Henin-Hardenne equally well, though so I would have been glad to see her win, too.

Today I'm torn. Of course, being Swiss, I like Federer a lot. But Nadal has been playing so well, he deserves to win, too.