Author Archives: tbavendam

I started volunteering at Nashville Tools for Schools in December 2021. For the first 6 months I worked on the bigger school projects and then I was asked to start working with Harry in the “Fine Furniture Department”. Harry was 91y/o at the time and a legend in volunteer carpentry. He helped start the SupervisorContinue reading “Satisfaction”

Craig and I spent several days together at The Garden. We entertained for the first time, had our second date to an outdoor Singer/Songwriter Festival in Hendersonville, picked out colors for redecorating he was already planning to do, gone shopping in Lowe’s and Harbor Freight and have thoroughly enjoyed the simplicity of spending time together.Continue reading “When will a shoe drop?”

I am sitting out on the porch which is shaded and there is a nice breeze. I amazed at the sense of comfort I feel in this rural setting. A month ago was the “match” on Match.com. To go from just really wanting to meet a man and have a cup of coffee to nowContinue reading “What a difference a month can make”

This is the view from the porch as I drink a cup of coffee and reflect. Banana bread is baking. The Barbie Movie comes at an interesting time for me. I am finding myself content with cooking/baking for someone – gender stereotypical after decades of living the opposite. I cooked for my family growing upContinue reading “Reflecting on Barbie – The Movie”

Hopefully most of you understand the reference to The Courtship of Eddie’s Father. I don’t remember much of the details of the show except that it was very sweet. While we have gone to a couple of afternoon movies (Sound of Freedom and Barbie), we had not gone out in the evening until last night.Continue reading “The Courtship of Carli’s Mother”

Carli is learning to grudgingly share her space with Buckley – a 14 month, 50 # poodle/terrier mix. Buckley is sweet as can be with a lot of puppy energy. Carli has been her usual aloof self with intermittent outbursts of anger.. My covered deck is a nice place for Buckley to hang out asContinue reading “Carli and Buckley and Brady, Oh My!!”

When I (let’s be honest, rather Danny), created my Match.com profile, I was looking for a playmate who cycled. I was not looking to upend the life that I have built over the past few years. What appears to be in front of me is something way more than I thought I was looking for.Continue reading “Wonderment”

Spending time in the presence of someone I am so comfortable with is such a joy. Match Dude has been pleasantly surprised by how “rural” feeling my “city” place is. His dog Buckley is coming for a visit today. Buckley spends much of his time at The Garden outdoors with an electric fence or inContinue reading “Letting time go lightly”

While I was driving through the 5 miles of rural Tennessee between the interstate and The Garden, I was transported back in time as I drove by a field of very tall, good looking corn. It looked every bit as good as corn grown in Iowa – which is not supposed to be possible. IContinue reading “Match.com profile coming down!!”

Here is the apple pie and pecan tart things. Things went pretty much according to plan except that I forgot to protect the edges of the pie so it go a little brown. This morning I blind baked the crust for the quiche with pie weights and it went great. I sautéed shrimp onion, spinachContinue reading “A bit distracted this morning”