Hello dear. Do come in and sit down for a bit. I've been trying to have a morning coffee chat all week long but the week just wouldn't fit the desire. How about some gingerbread and let's have an afternoon chat over coffee? We can sit on the back porch if you'd like and listen to the rain. It's not cool in the least but it's comfortable and dry and unless it's raining quite heavily it's nice to sit there and listen to the drops on the metal roof.
I went out this morning, in an attempt to have quiet time long before the rain began. Well, a squeaky storm door hinge ended those hopes mighty quick! Sqqquuueeeeaaaakkkk! Meow! And while Maddie didn't whine or bark there was the immediate sound of her running and diving over the steps and galloping across the porch. Sigh, lol. Between trying to guard my toe from Maddie's stepping upon it, there was also the cat who tried to jump into my lap from the porch rail at every angle possible and finally settled upon just stepping right down into the midst of the geranium and across into my lap from there, sigh.
John was late, so I slipped back indoors shortly after the cat found her way to my lap, changed my shirt, washed cat drool off my arms and went out the front door to feed them. Have I ever said I was allergic to my pets? Not horribly but the longer the exposure the more I am affected. Sometimes my breathing but mostly hives and blisters which itch...sounds fun, huh? Well I haven't had too much concern with the cat as she was rather reluctant to have human love, unless Katie was home. Something changed, though I'm not sure what. Here in the past few months the cat has finally decided she is MY cat, not Katie's any longer, and it only took 4 years of Katie living elsewhere for the cat to decide perhaps she wasn't coming home again. Hence she must now have her daily share of love and some days nothing but sitting in my lap and purring loudly and drooling all over me will satisfy her need to give love as well as get it.
However, the first thing in the morning, I am more interested in waking up, having coffee and praying a bit rather than having demanding creatures of four or two legged sort pounce upon me demanding anything. Not that you'll find me snarling at anyone but I do enjoy that more gentle approach to beginning a day and find I have far more to give if I can have that 15 minute period of grace. Alas, it's too seldom available. And this morning the moment I heard that door hinge squeak, I sighed, knowing the possibility was over. I could have turned around and shut the door again and avoided the pets altogether but I hate to disappoint anyone, including them, when they are so obviously happy to have my company.
I thought feeding the animals would distract them and settled back into my chair to contemplate prayer time when the phone rang. It was John. I chuckled. Obviously my plans were nothing, it was God's plan to surround me with the animals and people who love me and thrive on my attention, so I quietly gave up the struggle. It's better that way, lol.
Yesterday was meant as a fun day. I'd told John all about my plans for fun, but it wasn't exactly and it was. I mean, when I tell you about it, it sounds a very nice day overall. But it wasn't. It just felt off somehow and the ending wasn't happy in the least.
I was up early with John, seeing him off to work. I felt fine. I'd slept great. So why did I keep dozing off over Bible reading a little later. And that left me feeling depressed somehow. I wouldn't give in and go to bed, nor quit trying to read my study. It's telling though that this morning, I'm pretty sure I re-read several of yesterday's sections and they didn't seem in the least familiar.
I did light housework and wrote three of my girls a note and included clipped recipes and coupons in them. I fed the animals and gathered the trash. I did all I could do to make sure this trip out was productive. I had my shopping list in my head and was assured I'd forgotten nothing. And I didn't.
I went by the flea market to put a few stock items in to my booth and if anything at all has sold, I'm doggone if I could see it. I wanted to check with the store owner but she was busy as could be. I might add her husband was in the shop at the time. He has a store a little further up the street and one reason they have two businesses is that they differ mightily in organization. She likes things neat and orderly and he says his way is orderly you can just ask him where anything at all is. It IS stacked neatly mind you but his place is so crowded there are whole sections you can't get into to at all to see what's what. Well yesterday she was playing secretary for his business and her store was busy with booth owners playing with their stock. I just didn't feel like hanging out so I placed my few items and left after checking to see if paper work for last month was ready (it wasn't). I did do a scan of the store while there to see if any treasures stood out but no, my treasure-ometer didn't detect a single thing.
So after running my local errands, I headed two towns over to my favorite church thrift store. They have nice things there...and they used to be cheap but someone decided the place could make a little more money so they started looking up the value of things on eBay. They are still a bargain overall but not a steal by any means. But they at least have quality items which my seldom turns up in my Goodwill store areas.
I also stopped off to drop off some clothing items I'd pulled from my closet a couple of weeks ago, items that I seldom or never have worn. They were much too nice to put into the house drawer so I thought I'd pass them on to thrift store in the hopes someone could use them.
I found for myself a brand new pair of Aerosole shoes and a lovely Italian silk scarf. The photo with the scarf was taken with the flash. It's not quite a true color of the scarf as what photographs dark green is more a gray with a hint of green color in it best represented in the first photo with the shoes.
I found a much needed lamp...and now I'll return to my lamp saga. I bought the new lamp, a solid ceramic piece that is heavy as can be for $5. I asked if they could plug it in so I could see if it worked. It did. She let it stay lit while a detail was worked out for a customer. I bought the lamp, happy that it worked. This morning I decided (even though I mean to paint it) that I'd set it up in the living room between mine and John's chairs. I put in the light bulb from the lamp that wasn't working, which has been sitting on the other side of the room sans shade for two weeks. I plugged in my new lamp and went to unplug the big lamp and the new lamp light went off. Then it came on again and then it went off...and came on and went off. I thought, "Hey, they tested that for me yesterday at the shop, it worked just fine!" and then I thought, "How odd that two lamps would have the same wiring problem..." Huh. I went and got a new bulb and it was a wonky bulb after all. Something to do with a bad filament. That makes three from that box that were no good. And means that my other lamp can be used somewhere. I may even return it to the table between us but must get a new shade for it. Perhaps this new ceramic will do nicely in the guest room. I may paint it mercury glass silver...we'll see.
So as you know, I've been planning this guest room/craft room makeover since early last month. I've rearranged furniture, moved out donation stuff and neatened my booth stock. I have a couple items waiting to go out to the shed. I've moved a vanity from my room where I used it as a desk, and put the mirror back on it. I had that brainstorm that ended with me making a slipcover for the desk chair which turned out rather nice. It's starting to shape up. I've had this idea for sometime now of red/white/blue. Here's my inspiration board I made up for the room:
And then you see, I have this:
Well while out thrifting I bought this because the moment I saw it a whisper set up in my head "guest room, guest room, guest room..." sigh.
Isnt' it lovely? And then, I had these on the table behind the chair:
I found these sconces way back last summer when I was first buying up things for the booth. They were painted a brown color...No clue why. I spray painted them white and I was really surprised that they never sold even when marked way down from the original purchase price. I brought them home a few weeks ago and they are going to go either side of the vanity mirror.
I think this room is intent on telling me that it shall not be the red/white/blue room I imagined. It is going to be a cream and pink and who knows what room. What amuses me is that the Good Housekeeping covers will still fit in nicely with this color scheme of the room's choosing. There's a green shelf too, that I used once upon a time above the kitchen sink which didn't fit any longer when we put in the new faucet. It is the perfect color of green from the seat cover and the floral picture.
So it shall be interesting to see how this room turns out. It is apparently out of my hands, lol. Or rather what I find keeps jumping into my hands are the things that feel they belong together to make a room!
That lovely floral picture did some damage yesterday when I brought it indoors. I had everything in a basket, along with my purse and mail and such and set it all on the bed. I thought I'd just take my purse from the pile without unloading the basket. Then all of a sudden, everything sort of erupted from the basket. And the picture landed on my toe in a way that hurt mightily and caused me to cry and screech. It was that sort of unrelenting pain that doesn't stop anytime soon.
After the thrift store, I dropped off some donations at another site and picked up some much needed Repels All from Tractor Supply. We've had an armadillo tearing up the lawn looking for grubs. I get that the armadillo has to eat but they tunnel under things too...And the last time we had one get under the house it made a mess with our AC venting! There's been a rather persistent sort here of late who has dug down along the house foundation. John and I tossed rock and brick into the hole and we nearly fit a good ten brick in that hole. Now he's digging along the edges of the concrete patio out front. I'm willing to given him about 8 acres of land to dig on but he needs to stay away from my house!
So back about two months ago I picked up the granular type and tried it out. We had loads of rain and it's effectiveness went away after about 6 weeks. I bought the spray liquid type again this time, which is what we used the first time and we had no worries with Mr. Armadillo for the past four years. I recommended it to John's cousin who recently posted a photo of five skunks under her bedroom window.
From picking up pest control to Chinese buffet and then home. I wanted it to be a day full of fun and such but my treasure-ometer quit entirely after the church thrift store, it was warmer and humid and the air quite still and I decided I just wanted to come home. And so home I came with the result of banging heck out of my toe. And to add to my great joy in the afternoon, I went out to spray the yard, at least the bits where I was sure the armadillo had been lately and I got sprayed back. The very moment I sprayed in any direction, a breeze blew up from that direction and blew it all right back on me. I must have gotten some on the ground as Maddie went nuts rubbing herself all over in it. I explained to her that it was meant to repel her too, but she paid me no mind, she was ecstatic over the aroma. I told John later that my biggest consolation was that while I might not have kept the armadillo away from the house, there was no chance it was going to come near Maddie or me, lol.
Amie called and we chatted a bit and then I talked to the children. Ross told me 'I wuv oo' which was major. Josie chattered away with Lily demanding in the background to talk to Gramma and finally Josie gave over the phone in frustration. Lily, the little stinker, wouldn't say anything to me except "Yes" and "Good" neither of which answered any question I asked her. I finally told her to give the phone to someone else and let them talk, so I ended the call talking to her daddy. It was lovely to talk with them.
It wasn't a bad day yesterday, despite the toe and the stinky perfume I couldn't seem to wash off. It wasn't a bad day. It wasn't disappointing. It just felt flat somehow.
I thought you might like to spy on my little flower bed. It's changed a lot since last week when I finished that project. The warm air/cloudy skies/misty rains did their work to help it take hold.
I talked to John about those plants just in front of the brick line. I told him, "I could extend the bed and the mulch..." and he replied, "...all the way to the car port and you'd still have them just in front of the bed. So save yourself the work and skip it." lol! He's too right!
I have determined I shall add only one book to my reading stack this month: Tamar Adler's An Everlasting Meal. I have books from September left to read and I don't really want to put them away. I read only one book last month and it was most unsatisfactory. In fact, I sent that book off to donations this week, along with the Elizabeth Taylor autobiography which was a real pain to try and read. Free flowing thoughts however disjointed they may be are too confusing to me. I have trouble enough keeping my own thoughts in line without reading convoluted thoughts of an author, star or not! So two books off my shelves forever and good riddance. Life is too short for books that are not worthy of a re-read or even a first read! "Off my shelves!" I cry, in Red Queen fashion.
Well the afternoon has run away from me. It's time to do something towards supper, which will be easy enough and get the table pretty for Shabat tonight. I so enjoyed our visit!
1 comment:
Just a quick note before I need to go juice apples ... I enjoyed the book, "An Everlasting Meal." I hope you enjoy it too. Pam
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