Z is for Zero Dollars #AtoZChallenge

$0 is how much I’ll have to spend to fix my dryer this week because I did it myself! Some kind people on a forum gave me advice and a copy of the service manual. With that and many viewings of YouTube videos, I was able to get the job done.

What a nice feeling to be able to fix it, especially after my initial attempt at DIY repair left me despondent a few days ago.

Hooray for achievement, hooray for the Internet, and hooray for the end of the A to Z Challenge! Thanks to everyone for checking out my blog!

Y is for Ye Olde Dinner and Show #AtoZChallenge

Give ’em hell, Green Knight!

Took the kids to Medieval Times for the first time recently and they had a blast. I’ve been a few times and it’s always fun. The story and food may not change much, but I enjoy it each time I go.

For those of you whose only reference point for Medieval Times is that scene from The Cable Guy, please be assured that audience members may not join in the show, and that there are no Star Trek weapons either 😆

X is for Death #AtoZChallenge

This gravestone can be found in the Trinity Churchyard at the Trinity Church Wall Street in New York City. (The site is also home to the remains of Alexander Hamilton.)

Under the bones crossed in an X reads the inscription:

Here lies the remains
of John Bates
who was Born March
ye 30th 1730 & Dep’td this
Life Decem’br 27th 1770

I wondered about the crossbones above the inscription and it seems that they are simply a reminder of death and mortality. People used symbols such as skulls, bones, scythes, as memento mori, or reminders that all living will also die someday.

For more about gravestone symbolism, visit:

thecemeteryclub.com
and
graveaddiction.com

W is for Windblown #AtoZChallenge

You could no longer bend with the wind. Yesterday it broke you down, revealing that you weren’t as strong as we thought. You had a weakness that you kept hidden. Was it worms that did this? Or maybe insects or fungi that caused this weariness?

We wept for a moment near you, wished you well, and walked on, past the wasted part of the wood.

V is for Vectors​ #AtoZChallenge

What was it that I learned about vectors? It was a long time ago. Something about triangles and movement and direction. Then you draw an arrow over the letters and call it bar? Didn’t really come in handy I guess.

I wish I had learned more at school about how to fix things in my home. I feel helpless when something breaks because I’m not confident I will be able to finish the repair job and afraid that I’ll make things worse.

This fear was reinforced yesterday when I tried to clean some lint out of my dryer. It seemed simple: take out three screws, remove the thin metal plate and take out the lint. Well, it seems that those screws were also holding the drum in place and now we can’t get it back together. We’ll probably have to call a professional. I’m trying to research how to fix it but not having much luck finding info.

I feel defeated by my dryer, by the mystery of what makes appliances go, and by home repairs in general. Why couldn’t I have spent more time learning practical things?

U is for Under December Clouds #AtoZChallenge

Under December clouds
I looked to the west
and saw Lady Liberty​
contemplating the sunset.

T is for Terraria Pajamas #AtoZChallenge

What an​ exciting find! I didn’t know Terraria clothes existed. I remember seeing toys a couple years ago, but they haven’t been on shelves for a while. It was such a small selection of items that I figured the merchandising efforts had dried up. I never thought to look for clothes, let alone matching pajamas for the kiddos!

S is for S-Iron #AtoZChallenge

Anchor plates, also called wall washers, tie plates, and pattress plates, help reinforce masonry walls and prevent them from bulging. These s-iron examples are one of many different styles such as stars, diamonds, circles, crosses, and ovals.

R is for Rearranging

I couldn’t​ decide how to arrange the leaves on the pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving so I took a few shots before serving.

I was so happy that I actually remembered to bake the leaves with the leftover pie crust scraps that I didn’t know what to do with them. It’s such a simple and cute idea but I always forget. I end up using the scraps to make a few tiny jam roll ups for a snack.

There are times when I am too eager to taste my food to bother taking a quality photo and this was one of those times. Sometimes you just gotta dig in!

Q is for Quiver #AtoZChallenge

Dry, yellowed beech leaves
like parchment quiver and shift, crinkle and twist,
on each flowing breath of wind.
Last year won’t let go.