Bring on the chickens

If you are like me and have been married for more than, oh, let’s say 15 or 20 years, then you may need new stuff.   A few years ago I replaced all my towels.  My old towels went in to the rag basket, making hubs a happy man and my new towels, purchased one or two a pay period over a few weeks, went in to the linen closet.  This made me happy.  I also replaced a set or two of sheets,  when they were on sale and when the color was right.  I even bought extra sheet sets! Since the kids were all grown up and out, I even had a guest room. 

My towels are okay as I have since remodeled bathrooms and have a few newer towels and the sheets are holding up just fine.   But, my appliances.  Goodness.  Replaced when the kids were in high school, they are not doing so well.  I have duct tape on the bottom of my microwave door, a broken handle on the fridge and last week an oven knob tumbled to the ground and rolled around my feet.  

That brings me to the television.  A few years ago we purchased, along with dining room furniture and our bedroom furniture, a beautiful oak entertainment cabinet for our modest television.  This again was purchased after saving, planning for it,  and while the kids were in high school...so 10 or 12 years ago.  We’d like a new television, a flat screen to mount on the wall, which would save quite a bit of space in our small living room.  But, what about this beautiful oak cabinet? It’s too deep for the flat screen, too deep for a blanket cabinet, can’t be converted to a china cabinet...but, it can’t be worthless, can it? 

It’s a dinosaur and on one hand, it’s holding me back.  On the other hand, its beautiful, solid, oak and matches all my other furniture.  I’ve talked to the amish furniture makers, where I purchased it, and they said it would cost as much to repurpose the wood as to buy another, more modern and appropriate cabinet for today’s technology.  But besides that, they weren’t really interested in the wood.  

Then I realized that this is how it happens.  This is how things become the antiques of the future.  Have you ever wondered why people in the past put dining room cabinets out in the barn, or out back or even used as firewood?  Why the victrola was in the chicken coop?  I guess I am going to have to get some chickens, so this entertainment center will have a useful life.  

Changes

Who would have ever thought we would have a winter as mild as this one has been?  I know its not over yet, but, this has been truly unusual.  I haven’t really decided if I am happy or not about it.  If I had known in advance, there may be some things I would have planned a bit differently than how I actually spent my January, and this much of February. 

One thing I would not have changed is the amount of time I have had to spend with my kids and their families.  Having a new baby keeps one family a bit closer to their home, and another expecting her baby any day brings so much excited anticipation.  The son and his fiance are getting their next phase, the wedding, planned and organized.  Even with all those “goings on” there has been much time spent together, and that’s a good thing.  There’s a lot going on in my little corner! 

So, I decided to shake things up a bit and had my hair cut shorter this week.  I’m not sure I’m 100% in to it but its only hair, right? I found myself remembering about those days when I was younger, with friends who were obsessed with their hair.  Were you one of those girls? Or were you like me, a bit more cavalier about the whole hair thing? Keep it clean and brushed, and you are good to go?  As a teenager, I had friends who were in tears over too short bangs or a tease job gone wrong.  

Last week a relative posted a picture of herself and a return to her naturally curly hair.  She’s been straightening it for years.  I remember her older sisters with irons...literally ironing their hair, on an ironing board.  You see, my cousins really had some curl.  They also use to roll it on cleaned out frozen orange juice cans...never could find rollers big enough for their needs.  I don’t know if they cried over their curls as I didn’t see it, but, I bet there was a level of frustration there that I could not do justice in the retelling!  

Actually,  hubs has naturally curly hair, too.  He would work to straighten his hair, and that’s what I met.  But, I saw pictures of his wild, crazy hair and tried to place the guy I was just getting to know into that scene.  He was a bit buttoned up you see so it was hard to tie the two together.   Shortly after we started dating, he went golfing with a friend, and it rained.  He came in with his hair sticking out all over his head.  I thought it was adorable, and much easier than what he must have been going through every morning.  I convinced him to let it go “natural” and since it was the days of disco and bell bottom pants, he looked just right.  

I’ve tried different things with my hair over the years ~ perms, dyes and cuts.  I have tried getting my hair to do something it doesn’t naturally want to do, like curl.  I am the opposite of my cousins and hubs in that department...but I tried. I’ve always thought “Why not?” and hear the words of my dad in my head “Nothing between a good haircut and a bad haircut but 3 days” so would be game for almost anything.  

I have never been a blonde... 

That was super!

I’m going to jump on a band wagon here and say congratulations to Indianapolis for doing an outstanding  job hosting the Super Bowl this year.  We had the opportunity to go downtown on Saturday night before the game and really had fun.  It was cold, wet and crowded…three of my least favorite things ever, but, Indianapolis showed us a fun time. 

Returning to more normal, you may remember a few months ago when around my birthday I said I took stock more at birthday time than at New Year’s as far as “resolutions” or whatever.  I don’t make resolutions as I break resolutions and then I feel bad about myself and that’s not very cool.  However, I do commit to what I will call “try to dos”.   So,  I made a couple around my birthday and well, it’s not going great but no one is keeping score.   I hope.

My first one is to keep my email accounts cleaned up.  Oh my word, like junk mail on my countertop, my inbox is a fright.  (Yes, junk mail on my countertop is also a try to do and is going less great than my email inbox.) Here’s the thing, I haven’t mastered the fine art of what to keep, setting up folders and clicking delete.  I have cut way back on my work at home jobs so I don’t get nearly the email in from those clients as I had been getting and I maybe could even close one of my email accounts…but not yet.  I forget about the email account I have with Comcast and if it weren’t for my iPhone, I probably would never read what comes into it.  Why does a little ol’ grandmother need so many email accounts?  I ask myself every day, folks, every day.  Don’t judge.

My second try to do is to use my iPhone the way it is intended.  I’ve mastered Words with Friends, and have finally been able to maneuver my way around the on screen keyboard…sort of…but I know there are many apps out there that would be of some benefit, if I only learned how to use them.  That’s going to be a big one for me in 2012.  There are a lot of apps out there that are of absolutely no benefit and the key will be to know the difference.  I’m trying out a couple now and this really maybe could work…if my eyesight holds up.

I will fill you in on more try to dos as time goes on, and update you on my progress of the two mentioned here today.   Before I forget,  I will also tell you I am still using the WEN hair care product and things go well.  With my thinning hair it’s not easy to see much difference, but the youngest daughter who is still using it tells me she can go longer between shampoos (oops! Cleansings…not shampoo, shampoo means lather and there is no lather)  and has also discontinued using a straightener as likes what she  now achieves with just a blow dryer.  It took several cleansings and getting use to the product to get to that point, which is one of the things others say about it, but she likes it.  

Surprise!

I love unexpected, good, surprises. 

The first.  I was asked to sit at a booth representing my workplace at an event.  The event was on Sunday, I said sure and then almost immediately regretted it.  Tying up several hours on a winter Sunday? Was I nuts? But, I went, sat, spoke and smiled and had a generally okay time.  

My surprise came near the end of the event.  I had not taken the time to walk around as I was seriously not that interested in what else was on display but, a booth started to dismantle late in the day, opening my view up a bit across the room.  Looking past the dismantled booth I saw a familiar little face of a friend of my youngest.  Someone I hadn’t seen in a few years...at least, I thought it was her.  I sat there for a bit and thought, gee, she looks more grown up than when I last saw her.   Her hair a bit different but those are her high cheekbones and I’ll know her gorgeous eyes and smile when I get closer.  Now, its risky to walk up to a young person and say “Hey” as they may turn a blank stare to you...it’s happened.  But not this young lady, she grinned and gave me a big hug.  I was so glad to see her and it was so unexpected.  Made my day. 

The day got even better when I returned home and found hubs had put a pot of chili on the stove and totally cleaned the kitchen.  Oh my word, what a treat, and also unexpected.  When you come home every day to cooking and cleaning up, sorta, the kitchen, to walk in to a meal already underway is divine.  To also have a clean kitchen, golly.  

I hope you have equally good surprises this week! 

To be, or be what?

Using the right word or phrase is such an amazing and tricky concept, isn't it? Finding the right words to say, the right phrasing, the way to put together a sentence so that you aren’t misunderstood.  Its a gift for some and a challenge for others, to be sure.  

I often am misunderstood, and misunderstand, both the written and spoken word.  Sometimes, I scramble to apologize or explain.  Sometimes, I struggle to make it through the end of the sentence before I blow a gasket...only to find, phew, I’m glad I didn’t react as I was headed down the wrong path to the meaning behind the words.  

I wish I had a nickel, as my dad was fond of saying, for everytime I misunderstood someone’s intention behind a word or words.  As difficult as it is to understand the spoken word at times, it is even more so to grasp the meaning of the written word. 

My example for today? I have been checking out blogs and websites this morning and came across an entry I thought I would be interested in as we approach spring...”Tips for the distressed curvy dresser”.   Cool..that describes me and my fashion sense!  I could use some advice, a tip would help me understand straight legs vs. boot cut maybe, or how long (or not) my sweater should be.  I am perfectly distressed over some of the decisions I have to make every day! This is awesome! 

Nope, refinishing an antique chest of drawers, folks.  

Iowa, anyone?

Rewind to a couple weeks back when I posted about my vegetable dicer thing...I had done up some vegies I had on hand and browned some hamburger and placed in a freezer bag for making soup later.  I had seen a recipe on a website (which I linked for you).  Made the soup yesterday and it was very, very good.  I can see why it won the contest.  I made it pretty much as the directions outline...no tweaking of the recipe for me but I did use parmesan cheese at the table.  I also had gotten a little carried away with my dicer and had enough for two batches so the rest remains in the freezer for another quick meal - which I find myself having to rely on more and more frequently these days. 

I have started a list of things I would like to do.   I am not calling this a bucket list so much as things I just want to do list.  To me the bucket list, from the movie, is comprised of things you just feel you must do or life will not be complete and that’s not what my list is.   My list is more dynamic than that, I hope.  An item that is hovering around on my list is quick trips..you know, to just anywhere I can get to in a day.  Stay for a day or two and home.  I think this may speak to a certain level of boredom with my surroundings.  I know I am in trouble here as its only January.  What am I going to feel like in March?  

We use to travel a little bit in the winter months, thanks to customer incentive trips that were scheduled through hubs’ work and we miss those trips.  Traveled with some great people to some great places.   We also had a bit more discretionary spending money in those days so while we didn’t do it often, we could just take off if we wanted.  Day trips usually.  My goal for 2012 is to return to those kinds of trips, places we can get to without having to take out a loan and enjoy a meal in a different city.  

I have been presented with an opportunity.  Husband wants to attend a two day auction of his particular interest in Council Bluffs, Iowa.  Seriously? I am not familiar with Council Bluffs but he invited me to go.  At first, I was reluctant as um, well, it didnt’ seem too oh, metropolitan, lets say.   Besides, he has a group of fellow collectors that he attends auctions with and I don’t want to rain on his parade,  and most certainly I do not do the fifth wheel thing well.  But, I do want to get out of Dodge for at least a day.  

So Council Bluffs it is,  folks.  Not Cancun or Ocho Rios, but, I’ll take it.  Discovered that Council Bluffs is right across the Missouri River from Omaha, so I’m getting two cities, two states, in one! I’m looking forward to a bit of travel and something other than what I know, and the opportunity for some night life and a steak! 

    

Painting.

After putting it off for a very long time, I think I may actually paint the living room this winter/early spring.  I have had a color picked out for a while but we have not set the time aside to do the deed.  We also have not always agreed to a time frame.

This is an ongoing "issue" in our home maintenance and redecorating.  We discuss things to death.  Then we wait and see.  Think it over.  Take our time.  Then, not do it. There are many areas in our lives that hubs and I are the attracting opposites everyone has heard about.   Home decor is definitely one of them.  I get an idea and want to talk about it.  He takes a "wait and see" position and I have to remind him that I am not saying "Lets go to the store and get the stuff right now! I want to spend $100 of your money!"

I really do think that's what he hears as soon as I say "I've been thinking..." I think he really hears "Get in the car, let's go buy this or that."  If there is one thing I know about this guy it's that he doesn't want to go buy this or that.  But one other thing that I have learned about this guy is that he hears what wasn't said.

One thing I know about myself is that I like throwing ideas around. I also know I have a boat load of ideas. 

Isn't it funny how we hear things that weren't said? We get to write that sentence in our own mind? The painting of the living room is not one of those things, however.  I clearly announce I want the living room painted, now, and I suggest someone get the checkbook and start the car.