We are still learning the ins and outs of our new house, including the HVAC system. We have a nifty heat pump system. Now, I know what you are thinking, because I thought it, too. “You live in New England, Johanna. A heat pump? What are you thinking?” We have backup radiators for when the […]
Where Is the Manual? Read More »
Mark and I have bought a house on the other side of town. It’s a one-story house. Here, it’s called a “ranch” style house. I think in the UK, it’s called a bungalow. In any case, all the rooms we will live in are on one floor. You know what this means, though. We have
Is Anyone Using This? Read More »
Mark showed me his bottle of CoQ10 was empty. He buys our groceries because you buy them in person. I buy our vitamins, because you buy them online. He looked at the label. “Antioxidants. I don’t want to rust from the inside.” He paused. “This must be why mid-westerners are so nice. They put these
Mark saw the orthopedist last week. He got the all-clear to wean himself from crutches. He did—in 20 minutes. He walked out of the hospital on crutches and came home. He put the crutches away and that was the end of the crutches. I am happy to report he is doing well, gaining strength and
Becoming Boring Again Read More »
In the past two months, Mark and I have had more than our share of problem solving and character-building. I want my boring life back. At the end of April, I sprained my right ankle. I do this often. I have vertigo. Vertigo is orthopedically challenging. I have no idea when I wrench an ankle
For Better, For Worse, & For Lunch Read More »
Several weeks ago, I decided that I wanted to cook hazelnut muffins from Low Carb-ing Among Friends. Well, it took me until the weekend before Christmas to buy hazelnut meal from our local Whole Foods supermarket. Our normal grocery store doesn’t carry almond meal or hazelnut meal. I finally had all the “special” ingredients. I
Adventures in Cooking Hazelnut Muffins Read More »
No matter what, Mark and I are moving into a smaller house. That part is clear. So we need to clear out some of what I fondly refer to as our Stuff. When I was traveling last week, Mark told me sternly that we needed to declutter. I agreed. “My name is Johanna and I
My Stuff, Your Junk Read More »
Mark and I went house shopping this past weekend. We are looking for a new-to-us home. We were looking for a 3 bedroom condo with an attached garage, so we can have everything on one floor. I’m willing to have the extra bedroom on another floor (up or down) as long as I never have
Overconstraining the Problem Read More »
Last week, Mark and I had The Talk. No, not that talk. We’re parents. We know about the birds and the bees. This talk was the “how do we live in this house when I can’t walk out the front door, or down the driveway, or take in the mail? How do I deal with
Having The Undiscussable Conversation Read More »
Mark leaves the house before I do in the morning. That’s because my commute is downstairs, to my home office in the basement. He wakes up earlier, he works out earlier, he showers earlier, he eats breakfast earlier, he leaves earlier. And, he leaves his detritus—banana peels, cereal remains, fruit pits, whatever—in the disposal for