Count down

 I am counting down the days till a birthday. I have found the months leading up to this event have brought many deep thoughts on life, analyzing what things mean the most to me. I mentally inventory things I have done and yet wish to accomplish and enjoy. It is the stuff that I thought I would have had opportunity to do thus far but not yet had the chance or time to that seem to most of all dominate my thoughts. I hope I can still do many of those things.

 I find I am a young-thinking person, I am younger in my imagination than the mirror shows me (although, many people swear I don't look my age. I thank them for the compliment... or the good talent of being a great liar!).

I was shopping the other day, with my daughter. I love to have one-on-one time with each of my 3 kids. She reminds me a lot of myself in many circumstances. And I swear it was just only yesterday I was her age at her same school. Really! I was on the hunt for new work shoes for me (boring, ugly ones- darn it!).  In one store we found a great dress for her. I like that she enjoys pretty clothes and pretty shoes, in addition to her fun casual wardrobe.

We also included a visit into a rather off-beat store that sells everything from pin-back buttons to novelty t-shirts to dresses to funky jewelry. It was at my request. I love almost every item in there and told her if I were 20 years younger I would buy nearly one of everything!!.... and she said "Wow Mom!, I would never guess you like the stuff in this store!" She did not say it in a way that she was shocked, but rather that she was happy I liked it!

She bought a dress, very unique and perfect for her.  I bought a dress for myself (which I wore already last night for a birthday dinner out) that is basic, pretty, and age appropriate in style for any young-thinking girl. I think dresses are a super wonderful part of a closet collection, especially when they can be worn for varied occasions. I love empire waist, hemline above the knee-styles.

 I ended up finding some (ugly) perfect for work shoes-- non-slip bottoms, comfortable to wear 9 hrs-on your feet, moving constantly --kind of a deal. My new job of about 6 wks' time has been a learning experience and fun too. I am back to full time work after not having that since last June. What an ordeal that was to live through. Finding you are wa-a-a-y older than your co-workers, and even your bosses too, is a sobering revelation. Middle age has its advantages. I have discovered many. What I have decided is this-- having accumulated more life experience helps me more greatly understand responsibility, prioritizing, and understand what is important and what really isn't, whether on the job or in every day life.

The resume/job search world has changed since my first days in the workforce. The days of face to face meetings and firm handshakes and a well appointed paper resume offered in person seem only an event that occurred in past history, now frequently replaced with fill in their online formatted one size fits all resume and see if a computer program decides to let you be worthy of further consideration or be dumped in the "sorry, no go" bin. My opinion is that many programs of weeding out inappropriate candidates only prove to weed out a certain amount of very worthy ones as well. Real life setting problem solving, strategizing, organizing, and budgeting is acquired through years of first hand experiences. That degree comes only with age, and some failure, and learning day by day to be better, and learn from mistakes. Some online resume applications do not lend themselves to showing complete attributes of one's skills and talents.

My blog used to be a place to sort out my thoughts and review my dreams for days and years ahead. I fell away from that for a time, many times over the years, since my blog started. Maybe this week I will (try to) get back to that, as I do my count down.

I found these ads for products I've used and loved at one time or another. I am a scent-driven person, and I can recall in my memory the way these items all fed that sense. The F.O. shampoo/conditioner was one of my all-time favorites and I used it on my long blonde hair until the product could no longer be found on store shelves. Wish it could come back like some of the retro soda pop brands that have made their returns for nostalgia. I would love that, I would buy a case worth!!

Flash Back-simple memories

Now that Summer is getting closer to its end and changing looks, grass grows more slowly and the crickets and cicadas are being extra noisy especially at night, I find myself being reminiscent of times when I was a young girl.

--getting on the bus the first day back to school, deciding where to sit
--new stiff shoes, maybe with a (grown-up feeling) 1/2 inch heel
--the smell of a new box of crayons
--weekend slumber parties with friends, playing board games until way past a normal bedtime
--doodling in spiral notebooks using lots of different colored pens or markers, while listening to the radio
--flowered cotton pajamas, sweet smelling from the laundry line
--playing outside using imagination for hours, without a care in the world
-- lying on the floor next to the sleeping cat in the patch of sun shining through the window, wondering how she makes that purr sound

Memories are such a strong therapy when grown-up-ness gets too hard.

rough diamond

Finally got N's hair cut yesterday at one of those discount hair cutting places. I had been cutting it at home for several years, since he stopped going with my friend's dad, Mr. S., to the old style barber shop.

I used to help my friend's parents with transportation. Then Mr. S. passed away and Mrs. S. moved 3 hours north into Mi. to live nearer to her daughter, my school friend. I miss them both, I miss them all.

N. has fond memories of sitting with mostly senior men at the barber shop which was like a time capsule, frozen in time. N. had history there as well, being that his very first "real hair cut" as a toddler was done there by Mr. Larry, with Mr. S. looking on. N. was concerned that this new experience would be too girly. After all, there was no smell of that tonic stuff they put on your hair or the "tickle brush" the barber whisked your neck off with. Thankfully I saw his look of relief when another gentleman walked in to wait for his cut.

N. wanted his hair to be "cool". My definition of his current look- "homeless long"- so it was time for a compromise; I would not cut it at home this time since he swears I cut it too short. I was all for "cool" but not when I could not see his blue eyes. Not when he was constantly flinging his head to get it out of his eyes. Not when he was "parting the curtains" of his bangs...that was really not a cool look, I commented incessantly. Not when I truly wondered what the teacher must think of me and my obvious neglect. That's the one that escapes a 10 year old, but not the mother.

I am happy to report the young lady did a bang-up job (haha, bang...bangs!) and my boy looks "way cool"! Maybe it is alright after all to have a young lady cut your hair instead of a stodgy old barber... or your mom.

You can borrow the photo above for your crafting pleasure. Please play nice and don't sell as is. Click to enlarge then right click and save. I love these diamond shaped cards. This one has a slight irregularity in the photo cut on one side. Adds to the charm, I think. I also like the aged grunge on the border. 

thrifting

This is what I got when I went thrifting for myself the other day.
This little cream pitcher with no chips or cracks and it has snowflakes on it!!!

These little polka dotted etched glasses in 2 different sizes. There are 10 of them!!! If all 10 end up getting broken (which I hope they don't 'cause they're so cute) at least they were cheap. Glasses don't seem to be eternally lasting in our house.

This little hankie which is so thin you can see the piece of sheet music through it. The flowers are so sweet and it reminds me of my Grandma's purse which always smelled like Wrigley's gum when you opened the fancy clasp and was sure to have a powder compact and lipstick tucked inside too.

All this thrifty loveliness came home to live with me for a grand total of $1.65.

10 or more thoughts...

in no particular order...

(Our babies from a few springtimes ago.

Just a random cute photo to go with a random post)

1. I am looking forward to a trip coming up soon.

2. I have so much to do before upcoming trip.

3. The slush and piles of dirty snow are slowly disappearing, as the air smells like springtime.

4. I love fresh white snow covering everything.

5. I also like the smell of springtime.

6. I am going to eat a BMT. This is my boy N's coined abbreviation for bacon, mayonnaise and toast.

7. I should probably skip the heart clogging bacon, heart clogging mayonnaise, oh- and the toast too. But then I would have no fun heart clogging flavor to savor. At least the bread is whole grain wheat, give me some credit. The tomato was beyond saving and the lettuce has had better days.

8. Note to self: buy a fresh tomato and some non-wilted lettuce.

9. Do you ever write on the bathroom mirror in the foggy steam after your shower? I yell at the kids for the streaks after it dries when they do it, but boy is it fun to do anyway. Maybe I'll do that today. Write on the mirror, not the yelling at the kids part.(Yes, then I wash it!)

10. Oh did I just admit I have been known to yell at my kids? So sue me! They sometimes "forget" to pick up after themselves either. See, I knew you'd be on my side.

11. I read to N. the other night while we were cuddling on the couch. He got very quiet and I read 2 more chapters before I realized he was sound asleep.I read one more chapter to myself after that.

12. We finished the book last night - after I back tracked to find the paragraph in which chapter he actually recalled last hearing.

13. I will miss the times when N. wants to cuddle and be read to.

14. I know I am not supposed to end a sentence with the word to.

15. I am going thrifting today in my window of opportunity. Translation: The shop is along the route from one place I have to be to the next place I have to be...with 40 minutes in between the two location responsibilities. How 'bout that for a relaxing session of browsing? Sometimes you have to take what you can get. My budget is $2.00.

16. Those bunnies we raised, shown in the photo above, were so cute (and so fun to dress in Barbie doll crowns), but I am actually happy to say "Been there, done that."

17. Random thoughts can be fun to record.

party

(vintage milk glass dishes and aromatic White Pine cuttings from the yard -there are more pine cones but they didn't show in this pic )

The teenagers were here again the other evening, and so the snacks were set out. Snacks never last long with 6 hungry kids- they're always hungry. This was just the center piece and small sweets- white chocolate covered pretzel balls, Snowcaps, inside out Junior Mints, and Tootsie Rolls-, thank goodness for the dollar store! There were bigger bowls of other salty goodies too. Minutes before the party started, 2 huge trays of homemade cookies were sent over from the neighbors..."We heard you were having the teenagers over again!"
Remember when you could eat anything you wanted and never worry about calories?

Karaoke and Rock Band and of all things....they all curled up on the furniture under warm quilts near the crackling fire for a showing of Mary Poppins on video until about 1:30 am !! There was a loud sing along for each and every song. This is a very musical group.

Food and music and they are set!

coloring

I connect a lot of memories with smells. A new box of crayons when you first crack open the flip top is one of my favorites. Crayons represent endless possibilities for art and expression. I still enjoy coloring in a coloring book or on a piece of scrap paper. Is it ok if I never outgrow that love? I hope so!!
And at this back to school time I am always reminded of that vivid memory and smell. That was what I was thinking of when I did the photo shoot shown here.

This photo is all about bright cheery colors and the love of coloring.
Grab some crayons -whether they are fresh and full of that new box aroma or old and broken in a coffee can- and settle in for some coloring time before the back to school morning routine is here to stay for another year.

A Road Trip

We went on a road trip to Ann Arbor and stopped in some places we like to see when we are visiting. One place is this store which is in the downtown campus area. They have lots of silly novelties and cards (Don't go there and read everything unless you take your sense of humor. I warned you!) and jewelry and great postcards and lots of retro candy.

I am sure you can find these band-aids in other places too, somewhere, but I got a chuckle out of seeing and reading these fun items. My kids love special band-aids and used to often get some from the East bunny and in their Santa stockings...each kid a different theme... not necessarily any of these themes!!

Hey! Check out those cupcake band-aids in the top right corner, above. Pretty cute, huh??

How about these tin banks, aren't the people groovy? The one on the left looks like the 1970's Penney's catalog!

The store has tons of postcards of movie stars and music people from today and yesteryear. I browsed through Clark Gable and Catherine Hepburn and Audrey Hepburn and some others. Didn't get any, just had fun looking.   E. bought some Beatles and Johnny Depp postcards. Just to satisfy our pure curiosity, we looked in the "J" section to see if we could find postcards still in stock of a certain singer/dancer with the initials MJ. Nope. Not even one! You're not surprised though --are you?

A. bought some fruity scented erasers and N. bought a couple of pieces of candy.

Then we went to another fun place. Zingerman's. It is a place like nothing else around our neck of the woods. You go up some steep, well traveled, worn steps to go through the door to a crowded wonderful shop with time worn wooden floorboards. Wonderful smells greet you, blended from hundreds of individual foods. It is a deli, bakery, restaurant. It is fascinating, always filled to full capacity with people and very loud and bustling with activity! At least whenever we have been. It is super fun to look at all the specialty foods and cheese, meat, fish and baked goods and salads. You can taste test yummy new things too. We tested whitefish spread and smoked trout spread. Delish!! If you get there at the right time you will see the freshly baked breads of all types, shapes and sizes being tossed (tossed, I tell ya!!) from one employee to another to be placed on the shelves for sale.

Once you exit the sensory overload atmosphere and you take a moment to collect your spinning thoughts you just kind of think, "Wow! That's some place!" I have that reaction every time I visit!

Here's a hint: You can get really cheap baked goods/breads if you go late in the day, and the sandwich specials are a little more affordable especially if you just get one thing and share it like we did.

Here's my weird mystery of the day. I took lots of photos of Zingerman's both inside and out. When I got home all I had was this one panoramic shot of the last 3 photos I took, all joined together. It shows what we ordered to eat out on the patio, and N. enjoying his food. I do not know how I did it. I didn't mean to set the camera that way--but I kinda like it. But all my other photos are missing!!

Now we will have to go back to take more photos.

Darn.

*silly grin*

FLASH BACK-The girl in the RED shoes...

Growing up, I was the baby of the family with 3 MUCH older brothers. Being the only girl and the youngest gets you three things: 1. new stuff like clothes and shoes, not sibling hand me downs and 2. toys you do not have to share with your older siblings and 3. your own room!

My mom was so thrilled to dress a blonde girl...but she didn't have an unlimited budget since she had 3 teen/preteen boys that were 1. filling stomachs that never seemed full and 2. outgrowing shoes at an alarming rate and 3. had pants that seemed to show their ankles each time she turned around!

My mom was pretty smart in the way she dressed her little blonde girl. In order to assure that I always had pretty little dresses and plenty of shoes for every occasion, she shopped ahead and shopped the end of season clearance racks. She did this from the time I was a baby.


I have lots of fond memories when she would take me along to the big Lion Department Store and we would gather many dresses- among them, Polly Flinders smocked front dresses and velvets and some with fancy collars or pinafores. Matching 2 piece Carter's play clothes with fun appliques and novelty pockets like apples or lady bugs. She would wait until they were marked WAY down and she could get them for a song. She had the attitude that whatever size was there at the end of the markdowns was just what we were meant to get...just as long as it was TOO BIG for me and could be put away to save and dole out whenever the item may fit. She was quite good at guessing my rate of growth for the items that were season specific. Dresses were the easiest as most were year round appropriate. When I was a little older, I remember going to a store called Jiminy Cricket at rock bottom price time and picking out pre teen clothing and anxiously anticipating being "grown up" enough to wear them.

By far my most favorite of all memories was the shoe department after Easter when shoes were reduced to sell the odds and ends of what was left. Once again, Mom felt that fate would provide the shoes meant for my feet in the future months --there among the boxes of 1. Stride Rite patent leathers with straps and buckles or 2. Buster Brown saddle shoes, some with pink or velvet sides and diagonally striped laces or 3. Keds or PF Flyers sneakers complete with the rubber toe cap, sure to make me run faster or jump higher than anyone! Some kids grew up trying on their Mother's shoes dreaming about some day when they would grow. I grew up trying on my own collection of shoes that were stashed in the closet, just like my own shoe store...dreaming of when I would grow.
There is something about that new shoe smell, when you take them out of the box and how about the distinctive sound you hear from that crinkly tissue paper that nestles them. I also recall, with much clarity, the tapping sound of new "high heels"- that were only about 1" but seemed very grown up- as I walked back and forth across the tile floor like some kind of a super model. There were many nights that a new pair of shoes were parked proudly at my bedside so I could keep them near and assure a gaze upon them when first my sleepy eyes opened the next morning.
Here's the very best part of shoe memories...they repeat when you have your own kids.
As a little girl, my A loved to do the same let's see how nice the "grown up high heels" sound as I parade across the tile thing.
And just a few weeks ago, my N purposely SLEPT IN his new tennis shoes!! Keeping them parked by the bedside was not good enough!
Hey, do you remember that baby boomer contraption that measured your shoe size when you inserted your sock covered foot into a machine and it squeezed your foot? As a kid I remember being very fascinated by it and maybe a teensy bit leery.
I think you can click to make these photos bigger. We always fed stale bread and crackers to the ducks at the cemetery. Gotta love a bouquet of Dandelions gathered with love! Palm Sunday palms need to be braided, don't they?My dog's name was Scarlet. The book I was reading is probably still in my library.

Flash Back- paper dolls and lunch boxes

[ 1960's Little Women paper dolls]

I once had a set of these paper dolls. They were played with for many long hours. I made them walk, I made them talk. I changed their little paper outfits thousands of times. Darn, how I hated when the tiny paper tabs tore and you had to repair them with tape. They were never quite the same after being taped but I loved them no less!! I often wished the girls were all posed the same so I could have all outfits work on all girls. The coat that had the cape and hand muff was my favorite, but I think I gave equal rotation to all pieces. I was named for two of the sisters- my first and middle names.
My friends had paper dolls too. We would have great fun playing paper dolls together. Sometimes we would try to make new clothes for them too!
I bought paper dolls for my 2 girls when they were little. They loved playing with them and also felt the same about the tabs tearing off. I even made a carrying box for each of them with doll images cut from magazines and catalogs decoupaged on the outside and a little button/ elastic loop closure and a silky cord handle. They found them a few months ago and the elastic loop was not stretchy anymore. I teased that it meant they were getting old. The girls not the dolls!!!

[1960's Aladdin metal lunch box]

When I was in grade school I had a lunch box identical to this one called Junior Miss. I do think mine was less beat up though. I LOVED this lunch box!!!!!!! I would stare at this girl everyday at the lunch table in the noisy cafeteria and wish I had long BROWN hair and GREEN eyes like hers!!!! I LOVED her hat with all the flowers and vines hanging down. Even to this day, I often doodle flowers and vines like that with colored pencils!!!
Lunch in those days was usually a peanut butter and butter (Oleo) sandwich carefully wrapped by Mom in wax paper and an apple and maybe a cookie. I think my thermos broke early on (remember how the insides of those old thermoses would literally shatter if you dropped them?) so I bought my milk for 3 cents. 3 CENTS!!!!!
When I look at her long brown hair and green eyes under that wonderful hat I am instantly taken back to the sights, sounds and smells of the grade school cafeteria!!!
Surprisingly, I have many, many of my childhood things still. That's what comes of never moving around from house to house. That, and having a SAVER for a Mother. I do not know what happened to either of these things- the paper dolls or lunch box. I would love to have these items once again to hold in my hand and look at. Maybe someday I will again.
(These photos were borrowed from ebay.)

Road Trip-A2

We love to take frequent road trips to Ann Arbor, Michigan. We have many locations we faithfully visit there.

One place is the Exhibit Natural History Museum on the campus of U of M.

My kids have always affectionately referred to it as just- the dinosaur museum!
It has lots of other things inside too--
zillions of wonderful things to see, explore and learn. The very best part is that it is free. We like free!



Just the exterior details of the architecture is fascinating to me. I love all the wonderful craftsmanship that does not go into most modern buildings. I treasure the fact that years ago it was not all computers or machines doing this fancy work...it was the human hand and brain power behind it all.



I also love that inside the museum it smells old. Not stinky old but just old. Some of you will know what I mean. I am very much an olfactory nerve driven person. There's your vocabulary lesson for today= "olfactory nerve"!!

The sound of walking on wide marble steps and the feeling of my hand sliding along the smooth brass hand rail over the other heavy metals ornate banister thrills me. Weird, I know, go ahead and say it. "weird!" You won't hurt my feelings.

We never tire of going there. We always look at the same things over and over and never feel bored and we never fail to find something new to us within the 4 story tall building.

Come along with us (this is my daughter A. in the photo) and explore some of the museum.
I will break the photos into many different chapters. Put on your walking shoes and your learning eyes and ears.

Crazy Quilt

Do you like the crazy quilt I made? This is only one portion of it. It is actually a table centerpiece quilt which measures about 14" x 14". I made it yesterday while watching my Dark Shadows videos.

(I love to go to a local resale game/movie store to buy their 99 cent videos!! No one else but me is still thrilled with videos instead of DVD's, I must be their best 99 cent customer. Each video has 4 or 5 episodes of my favorite blast from the past - Barnabas Collins, the vampire!)

Anyway,back to my quilt... I think I am going to do fancy top stitch embroidery along each seam as I have not yet put on the backing fabric. I bought the fabric last year but never got around to putting it together. I drew 10 different quilt pattern ideas and had each of the kids vote for their 3 favorites by placing an x next to their choices on the paper. It ended in a 3 way tie - so I was the tie breaker and put my x next to the crazy quilt idea.

It is in the middle of our Easter day table and our Easter tree complete with miniature ornaments (thrifted from our new local Goodwill) sits atop.

Our glazed spiral sliced ham smells very yummy so I have to go... until next post. Good-Bye and a JOYOUS EASTER to you.

Red Review

I adore the color red. I don't apologize to anyone for this character flaw. It makes me happy when I see it any day of any year...

* The cookie jar on the high shelf above the danger of a 6 year old boy. It has been around as long as I can remember... with its tole painted flowers and all-over red speckled background. I always hated the way it made the cookies taste old and stale, however.

* A brilliantly colored male cardinal bird when he decides to rest in our tall pines. I am doubly tickled when he brings his best girl along.

* The wonderful smell of apples piled up in a wooden bowl. My Grandma Bubbles always had bushels of apples in her basement and barn. I love when a smell connects a memory!

* My house. Well?... isn't it fitting I should live inside a snug red house?!

* The frame of an Etch-A-Sketch. A very creative yet frustrating toy. I had great fun with mine until it scattered that yukky gray powdery junk all over the kitchen floor in front of the stove while Mom was trying to get dinner on the table!! This is one thing I CAN'T blame my brother for! Guilty party=me. If only we lived in 0 gravity, I would still have that toy. Of course, my kids have one too. I live in never ending fear that it will crash to the floor. Note to kids: don't play with it while I am trying to get dinner on the table.

* Bright, happy tulips stretching tall toward the sun. I was told the story of how I was about 3 or 4 when the neighbor's dog came and knocked me down and bit me as I played among the red tulips along our driveway. I don't remember. I do have the scar... ever so close to my right eye. I also think that part of the story was that my Grandma said she worried about Mom "living way out in the middle of nowhere with no car". Somehow it all worked out alright. Only a few of those same red tulips strain to errupt each year, all these years later. I hold no grudge against those tulips or that dog [ whom, by the way, I'm sure has enjoyed himself long since going to doggy heaven dispite his bad behavior!].

* Weather-worn barns against a backdrop of fall leaves painted by nature...or, even more awe inspiring, [to me, at least] against a backdrop of fresh fallen snow. The kind of snow when it looks like the pines have frosting on their needled branches.

* Crisp red embroidery on soft white linen. {Redwork} I love to draw pictures and then stitch them. I'm sure I must have too many pillows like this. I have a tiny pillow about 5"x7" that my Grandpa embroidered in red. The white fabric is thin and delicate. The best part of this story is that he did it when he was recovering from black smallpox!

* Raggedy Ann dolls may be dressed in different frocks but every Ann always wears red yarn hair. This gal never has a bad hair day!

* Puddle Duck boots. I am a firm believer in allowing kids to go out and jump in puddles! Why not? Growing up quickly and without this opportunity should be a crime! If thunder and lightning is absent- go out with an umbrella and play. I do this even as a grown-up! Arrest me.

* I can't resist a kid on a red tricycle. I don't know why.

* A red Corvette. In my next lifetime, maybe.

* Those ugly little felt elf ornaments with a plastic face [made in Japan in the 1950s] called "knee huggers". I love those in a kitschy kind of way. Also, the fact that my Grandma had some. I have some now that I have picked up along the way while thrifting. They are a high priced collectable going for upwards of 10-25 cents!

10 Things About Me

1. I have an ocean of creativity sloshing around in my brain.

2. If I had known that being a "stay-at-home mom" was going to be harder and more stressful than running a business and managing 10 employees, I never would have submitted my resume! Heehee! You can't just tell your kids "you're fired!".

3. I would enjoy traveling to lots of places in the world, but I most enjoy the fact that my feather pillow is still in the same place it has remained for all but 2 years of my entire life.

4. Some people marry for money, I sure didn't.

5. One of the best ways to spend a summer morning is to dig in the garden and get thoroughly dirty from crown to toe and then shower clean and put on perfume. " Spend an afternoon. You can't take it with you."

6. " Quiet please" is what I was raised to say, never "Shut up"!

7. Books are a treasure. The older the better. I have been known to purchase a book just because it is old and has a red cover! Only if it fits into my book buying budget, though (50 cents or less).

8. What could be better than a pot of homemade soup simmering upon the stove for hours? Not much.

9. I have oodles of fabric and all good intentions of assembling it into marvelous things! Some day when there are 25 hours!

10. I am just CRAZY about the Romanov's [the last czar of Russia and his family]. I voraciously devour anything I can read about them. I have my own N. and A. in my ancestors' family tree. To carry on the names to yet more genealogy branches, I have recycled the names to two of my children.