A house vs. a home

 

There is no question that I love stuff.  I love my stuff, and I love collecting.  I have now for 40 years.  And I have a lot of stuff and do not regret any antiques and collectibles purchase that I have made.  And I use my stuff. That's part of the fun of having it.  I look back at the hours I spent growing up and going to houses and just looking at the stuff.  Aunt Sara's house, Aunt Billie's house, Grandmother's etc. And our home on Brookgreen Drive as well.  I would occupy myself for hours, sometimes days, just going through the stuff because I thought it interesting.  And it was.  I would learn the history behind things and document it either in my mind or on paper. I still do that.

But as I grow older, I am realizing a big difference in my house and theirs.  Now, I am not going to say this because it is a bad reflection on myself, but it is more of a starting point.  The difference to me is that their houses were truly homes.  Mine's still just a house.  Those houses were filled with memories of people and occasions and daily life.  While I have some of those things as well, it is not the same yet.  Their homes were comfortable, and people often just visited for no reason other than to just visit.  That doesn't happen anymore much these days. I would like to see that change.  While, yes, I do have birthday parties and Sunday dinners here occasionally, I want my house to be a place people want to come and just be.  A place where people are comfortable just sitting and talking if nothing else.  A place that I can share my stuff with them.  It may not make sense how I'm articulating this, but it definitely makes sense in my mind. 

Bottom line, I want my house to be more of a home. It takes many things to make a home, and I am working on that, one piece at a time. Stop by sometime and sit a spell and visit! That is all. 

Capstone Update

 

This past weekend, I finished up my capstone proposal and got it submitted to my professor.  Now, I play the waiting game.  While I was quite nervous about the proposal when I was writing it, now I find myself pretty calm about it. It's not as if I am not nervous about it, but I have decided that I will accept whatever the decision is.  Hopefully the proposal will be accepted.  It's possible it could be accepted with rewrites. Or it may be rejected.  Either way, I will be fine and move forward.  If it is rejected, then I will do it all again next year.  I am ok with that.  It would not be ideal, but things could be worse.  

I should hear by tomorrow, so now it is just a waiting game. Wish me luck!

Quote of the Week

 

Yesterday at work, I received a compliment from one of my insurance vendors that I work with. It was a great feeling. The people in my department work very hard together and we have a great time.  It shows and it's hearing the good things that make it worth it all. 

Thought of the Day

 

I often wonder what this country would be like if people were kinder to each other.  People often say that kindness costs nothing, but I disagree.  For some people, kindness takes a lot of time and effort.  Not everyone is inherently kind. It is like hate in a way.  Not everyone is inherently hateful.  You have to be taught to hate, just as you have to be taught kindness.  Often the examples set for us are not ideal anymore because kindness has fallen by the wayside for many people.  Replaced with greed and not letting anyone stand in their way of success...whatever that means anymore. It works both ways:  hateful people can do kind things and kind people can do hateful things.  Nothing and no one are perfect.  I just think that if we started to take the time to make more of an effort to be kind, the world would be a better place.

That is all.

Recipe of the Week - Shrimp Etouffee

 

I found this recipe in one of the cookbooks that June gave me last year.  She's cleaning out her collection and I always welcome new additions to mine! This is definitely a homemaker's version of etouffee, but it turned out delicious and I will definitely make it again! Enjoy!

Shrimp Etouffee

1/2 cup chopped onions

1 1/2 cups chopped green peppers

1 clove of garlic

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 stick margarine

1 can cream of celery soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 small bunch of green onions chopped

1 small bunch of parsley, chopped

1 lb. cleaned cut up shrimp

Cook chopped onions, peppers, celery and garlic in margarine until soft.  Add shrimp and cook 20 minutes.  Add soups, green onions and parsley.  Cook 20 minutes over low heat.  Serve over cooked rice.  Serves 4-6.

Shrimp Etouffee over rice with steamed broccoli and jalapeno cornbread

Thought of the day

 

I know that one of my daily challenges has been to get more aerobic exercise into my daily regime, but it is time for me to seriously look into losing weight.  I know a lot of the reasons that I have gained so much weight since October.  I won't go into them now but just know that I am highly aware of them.  Let's just say that the time has come to shed the unwanted pounds.

This morning, I am planning my grocery store run.  I need to fill my cart with fruits and vegetables!  I definitely need more salads and fresh vegetables in my life.  That and smaller portions LOL I am one of those people, no big shock here, that doesn't throw things out when they're still of good use. Use being the important word there.  I have so many clothes that are good that I simply cannot fit into anymore.  I will ultimately donate them if I have to, but I would love to be able to fit into them again.  My wardrobe has become very limited because of my weight gain.

Yesterday, I went to visit with my Dad and June.  When I was getting ready, I tried on a pair of shorts to wear.  I had not worn them since last year because there had not been a great need yet.  Now that the weather is warmer, that has changed.  Well, I couldn't even get the button anywhere near the buttonhole.  It was rather pathetic to me.  I got very frustrated but let it go because I was on a time clock to get out the door.  And I like these shorts.  They have plenty of wear left in them!

During our visit, Dad and I went to lunch.  I could barely squeeze into the booth at the restaurant.  That was embarrassing.  I managed to push the table towards Dad as much as I could without him being pinned in.  At least I was able to breathe even though my stomach was still touching the table LOL  Took them a cake, like I always try to do.  Dad had a piece.  June had 3 pieces, so it was good. I declined. I just couldn't bring myself to do it.  Ah, well.

Time to get off my butt and do something about this.  Who knew being able to look down and see my shoes would become a life goal!  That is all.

Golden Girls collectibles

 

If you know me at all, you know I love The Golden Girls.  I have loved them from the beginning when the first episode aired on September 14, 1985.  That began a tradition of Saturday night appointment television.  How I miss those days! As I grew older, my love for them has grown.  One reason is that as an adult, I have a better understanding of their situations, and their humor hits on different levels.  It's brilliant writing. I remember being so excited when they began releasing the seasons on DVD.  This was before streaming and you had to catch reruns when you could.  And that really began my collection of Golden Girls stuff!

And one of the best things about this collection is that almost all of it came from friends.  My friends know of my obsession. 

I have often said that Dorothy Zbornak is my spirit animal and that is so true! I have received wonderful GG items for Christmas, for birthdays and sometimes just out of the blue.  I have figurines, Christmas ornaments, puzzles, magnets, books, etc.  It's just something that fills me with such joy that it never gets old to me!  Now, I wonder what my next item is going to be!!  Let's have some cheesecake and find out!

Quote of the Week

 

Going into the weekend, I just liked what this quote has to say!

Needing Some New Shelves

 One of the purposes of my one drawer at a time exercise is to think about how things are organized.  Right now, I am working in my laundry room.  As I have said before, there is stuff all over the place in there. Not necessarily in a bad way, but it definitely can be better organized.  I have two shelves full of different kinds of things.  There are lots of cleaning supplies on both shelves.  I have chargers for tools, batteries, tools, light bulbs. They just are not well organized.  Groups of the same types of items are in different places and often it takes a while to find something because I am looking in the wrong group of items.  I need to get them together!

So, I am looking at some new shelves for my laundry room.  One of the shelving units I am using right now is very old.  It came from the laundry room out of my great grandparents' house.  I love it. It's really more like a bookcase the way it is shaped.  But it holds a lot of stuff, that's for sure. It is just not practical. I have more wall space along that wall that could be better utilized. I need a shelf that is about two feet wider than what I have now.  And I could also go up at least another foot.  That would give me more room to get everything together and organized.  I can find a use for the antique shelf somewhere else; I've no doubt about that.  So, it's time to start looking for some new shelves and saving up.  I like when things are organized, and it will do me good. 

Jesus is the Song - David Danner, arrangement by Mary McDonald

 

I first heard this around middle school age. The North Carolina Baptist Association Men's Choir, made up of ministers of music from across the state, came to our church to perform a concert. This is one of the anthems they performed.  While it couldn't find a men's choral version, it's still a beautiful anthem. Mom bought their cassette tape (yes it was that long ago) after the concert and this was one of her favorite tracks on the album.  It's a beautiful anthem and I always enjoy hearing it.

Daily Challenge - pedometer

 

This morning, I uploaded a pedometer app onto my phone.  I used to have one years ago on an older phone and never put one on this one.  I think it is going to be a good way for me to keep track of my aerobic exercise.  At least it will be during the day. Now that I am doing a lot more walking at work, it will be interesting for me to see exactly how many steps I am taking in each day.  One of my friends told me yesterday that he tries to get in at least 10,000 steps each day. I don't know if I will make it that far, at least in the first few months, but that is a great goal to have.  I do much better with things like this if I can see the numbers of how I am doing, and this pedometer app will definitely help me to track that.  I will probably start recording some of those things here so we will see how it goes!!

Old Photos

 I love looking through old photo albums and old pictures.  It is fun to take trips down memory lane to when my life was simpler. Of course, I know now that a simple life for a child is produced by very hardworking parents.  The world that they and my family created for me was an incredibly loving environment and how I love to remember those times. 

The Bivens Family at Christmas 1955

I have a lot of old pictures all over the place.  Some of them are in albums.  Those are mostly ones that Mom put together.  I have a few of my own as well. I believe that Uncle Bill got all of Grandmother's photo albums, but I used to sit in her den and study those pictures for hours.  Of course, lots of times I was looking at the antiques in the pictures LOL But it was still fun, and I always felt like I learned something each and every time I went through those albums. 

Aunt Sara, Uncle John, Aunt Billie

These photos are such wonderful records of history. Looking at pictures from different eras and seeing how people lived and how they dressed and what their homes looked like. I try to carry some of those things with me currently, being the old soul that I am! My Great Aunt Mary Lee and her husband had more professional portraits taken than anyone else I have ever known. I believe it must have been something they did every year from the time they were married until Bunyan's death. 

Bunyan and Mary Lee Tyner Wedding Photo 1909

I love looking at pictures, not necessarily of myself, and seeing how people aged.  I feel like people from my Grandmother's generation aged so much more gracefully than people do now.  I don't exactly know why that is, just the way that I feel.  But I like to see pictures of my relatives as young adults and how they evolved throughout their lifetimes.  It fascinates me.

Dorothy B. Laney circa 1927

As much as I enjoy looking at pictures on my phone and seeing what people post on social media, it is just not the same as flipping through an old album. It is the same way I feel about reading.  I would much rather have a book in my hand than to read an ebook.  I'm old fashioned that way and would not change that for anything.  I wish I had more photo albums to peruse but I am happy with the ones that I do have.  They are good memories and fill my hearts with gladness when I open them up. 

Quote of the Week

 

We all have something unique to contribute and this says it best for me!

Prayer for Today

 

As difficult as maintaining this mindset can be on a daily basis right now, I need to keep moving forward and be the best I can be. 

The Ceramic Turkey

 

While I do not have a great picture of this turkey, I have great memories of it. It was a piece of Grandmother's.  It came out every Thanksgiving and was a centerpiece on one of her tables.  Usually, it was on one of the card tables that were set up in addition to her dining room table.  Each year she had two or three card tables, depending on the number of guests.  But each table had a centerpiece of some kind and this turkey was always among them.  

I don't know if this was considered a candy dish or a planter of some kind, but the turkey's head is the lid. She never put flowers in it for the centerpiece but left the turkey intact LOL For years I thought that her great friend Deane Baucom had painted this for her like she had so many things.  But it's an actual bought piece.  I cannot remember who produced it, perhaps Lefton, but I'll need to do some more research into that.  When we divided Grandmother's things, this came to me.  And I treasure it.  I keep it in my oak china cabinet so that I can see it all the time.  I am looking forward to using it next Thanksgiving!

One Drawer at a Time - Gloves

 

When I am going through a drawer or a shelf, I will sometimes wonder to myself why to I have so many of "fill in the blank"? Sometimes it makes sense to me, like plates.  I have a lot of plates LOL But then there are times that I'm like how did I accumulate so many of these? Do I forget that I have them and keep buying more?  Do I keep finding sales and thinking it is a good bargain?  So many possibilities.  I am now working in my laundry room. It's amazing how things tend to pile up in there as a catch all kind of room. But it is mostly things that belong in there.  I don't just come home and throw random things in there.  Everything that is out there is there for a reason.  

While I started on one of my shelving units in there, I came across the garden gloves.  And then another pair of garden gloves.  And then another.  And another. I totaled 8 pairs of gloves. While that is not a huge amount, for someone who doesn't work in the garden all that much it definitely is.  Honestly, I know these are all Michael's because he loved working outside.  He still does but does not currently have a yard of his own. He was always buying new garden utensils of one kind or another.  Gloves included. 

I am going to use these gloves to motivate myself to get outside and work in the yard and the flower beds.  I have absolutely no clue what I'd be doing, but it would be good for me to get out there and do it.  Who knows?  I may find myself to be good at it.  Or at least learn to be good at it.  I was never a huge fan of yard work growing up.  I mean, seriously, who is?  But now as an adult I find myself enjoying the time I spend out there. I am just not used to that because Michael took care of that while I took care of the inside of the house.  Sometimes places were switched but not often LOL  So, I have organized the gloves and placed them neatly back on the shelf.  They were in a big heap before.  And now I will use them and get myself outside and making the yard look good.  I love it when cleaning a space can inspire me!

Recipe of the Week - Hamburger Steak with Onion Gravy

 

This started out as a recipe I found for Salisbury Steak that did not work out well.  I always follow a recipe the way it is written the first time, then will make adjustments as needed.  Well, I followed the directions exactly and ended up with a burnt pan and no gravy at all.  I still ate the steaks because they were salvageable...with a lot of ketchup! But there were enough elements in the recipe that I tweaked it and made a very good hamburger steak with onion gravy recipe.  Hope you enjoy!

Hamburger Steak with Onion Gravy

1.5 lbs ground beef

1 10.5oz can condensed French onion soup, divided into 1/3 and 2/3

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

1 egg

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 tsp cornstarch + 1/3 to 1/2 cup of water for slurry

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup water

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp dried mustard

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine first six ingredients using only 1/3 of condensed soup.  Shape into 6 or 7 patties.  Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with oil.  Bake at 400 for 25 minutes.

In a saucepan, whisk the remaining ingredients except for the slurry.  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 5 minutes.  Add slurry and stir until sauce thickens.

Walking Across the Parking Lot

 

As I am waiting for the weather to warm up and stay warm, I am using different things at work to help to get some aerobic exercise in.  Now, it may not seem significant, but for me it does wonders. I have already talked about using the stairs instead of the elevator.  So far so good on that one! I have also started parking my car as far away from my building as I can.  It started last week when my schedule changed slightly.  Our memory care community is a secured unit.  When no one is at the front desk in that building, people simply push a button to let the front desk in independent living know to let them in.  We can see people on the cameras who are waiting to get in. Lately, we have been having issues with our buzzer, so I now go in at 8 to the memory care until the front desk person gets there at 10:30.  That way, there's a better chance that no one will have to wait to get in.

Anway, our memory care is on the opposite side of our communities from our assisted living, where I work normally. The first day I was in at 8, I parked at memory care, naturally.  I decided that I would not drive my car across campus to assisted living, but instead I would walk over there.  And then, at the end of the day, I walk back over to memory care.  It's working for me and I'm definitely getting my steps in!  So, I am happy with the inclusion of that daily aerobic exercise into my regime. 

Thought of the Day

 I really don't understand why Sundays have become so difficult for me. But the past few weekends have been the same for me.  By Sunday night, I am an emotional mess.  Even when my weekend has been productive, which this weekend was.  Is it because I have been by myself most of the weekend?  I have a standing date with my neighbor every Sunday afternoon, which I love, but that is my almost always my only human contact on the weekend. Maybe it is because the things that I have accomplished are insignificant in the overall scheme of things.  And by insignificant, I really mean that these things are mostly chores around the house that no one else, but myself, benefits from. I just don't know but I want to find out because I cannot keep doing this every single weekend. I will drive myself crazy. 

This morning, I did realize that I am living in a combination of fear for myself and grieving for our country and what it has become.  And that is exhausting. I cannot keep doing that either because the toll it is taking on my mental health is just ridiculous. I need to find better ways to cope, or at least different ways of coping. I need to not allow the hatred permeating this nation to infiltrate my soul. It is making my feelings snowball around every mistake I have made in my life.  And that is definitely not good!  I will get it figured out with the help of others.  It will just take time.

That is all. 

The amber glass bud vase

 

It is always nice when a friend gifts you something that they found and thought about you. I love this little amber glass vase. It was given to me by my friends Gina Rhyne several years ago.  Actually, I think it was gifted to both me and Michael, but it is obviously something more along the lines of my personality than Michael's.  No offense, Michael :)  I am not sure who the maker is of this vase.  I need to go back and look at the bottom to see if there is any kind of marking.  It stands about 6 inches tall and is just charming. It has a beautiful swirl pattern on its body. The top is fluted with opalescent coloring on it.  It is right up my alley.

I actually have a decent number of vases that I need to bring out and use. I love having fresh flowers in the house and I need to start having them more. I am not very good with house plants, but flowers I do love.  This little bud vase would look so good with some flowers in it, so maybe I'll cut some daffodils from the yard and put it to use.  Either way, I really enjoy this vase and am thankful for friends who think of me.  That is all. 

The budget

 One of the lessons I learned late in life is the importance of a budget.  Better late than never, eh?  The older I get, the more deliberately I spend my money.  I went through a period, I think most of us did except maybe my dad, that I just bought whatever I wanted whenever I wanted it. I got that from Mom in some ways, but that's another story all together.  Still, spending money like that, especially money I didn't have, put me in a financial bind several times in my life.  Credit cards are dangerous when you spend that way.  I do have a credit card again, but I use it much more smartly than I did twenty years ago.  Thank goodness!

Anyway, I have started to put myself on a stricter budget.  I have mapped out the areas that require money each paycheck. I decided to do it by paycheck instead of by month because sometimes I get 3 paychecks per month but mostly just 2. I have divided it into 4 areas:  bills, groceries, gas and miscellaneous. I look at the bills I will be paying out of this check and submit that total to my budget.  Then I give myself a limit for the other three. The goal is to not have to use my overdraft so that I can build up my savings. So far, I am doing well with it all and it is keeping me in line.  Let me tell you, not going on Ebay is pretty tough but oh well LOL.

I have several financial goals this year for my 50 at 50 list. One is to build up my savings to a certain amount.  Another is to pay off my credit card by a certain amount.  I know that with hard work and perseverance I can achieve both of these goals.  Another escapade in adulting!

Quote of the Week

 This just made me laugh

One Drawer at a Time - Which room is next?

 

I am done in the kitchen and now I have to decide which direction to go in.  I like to work in the room next to the previous one. So, if I go clockwise, I will work in the dining room. If I go counterclockwise, then I'll go into the laundry room. Both have the plusses.  The dining room has a lot of stuff in it.  But overall, it is fairly organized.  And since I have been working on my household inventory, I can take advantage of that during this process. The laundry room, on the other hand, is more on the messy, disorganized side.  That is probably the direction that I will go in because, honestly, it needs it more than the dining room.  And even though I enjoy my dining room more, I probably spend more time in my laundry room.  What does that say about me?  I have no clue LOL  But I do know that there are things in the laundry room that can get tossed.  And better organization will be a much-needed improvement. 

It seems that I have just answered my own question.  It's the laundry room for the win!  I'll let you know how it goes!

James 3:18

 

We need more peacemakers in the world.

Thought of the Day

 

The other day, I made a post on Facebook that I have been dissatisfied with my life lately.  And that is true. There are things in my life that I am quite happy about.  I have an amazing family.  I love my job. I love my little house.  I have a few good friends in my life.  But, somehow, when I add it all up it does not equal something fulfilling to me.  There are things missing I just am not sure what they are.  I know what they could be, but I do not know if those things would make me happier with my life.

I do not connect enough in real time with people.  I am working on that and when I am able to spend time with people, it is wonderful and then I come crashing down because it so rarely happens that I feel isolated. I don't really know how to make those connections.  Social anxiety is a bitch, and I hate that it plagues me. I don't go out to bars anymore, not because I think I'm too old for that, but because I just sit there and don't have it in me to try to make conversation with anyone. I would love to find a church that checks off all of the spiritual boxes that I need but I have not yet found one. And, honestly, most churches I have either been to or watched streaming all have points in their services where they ask the congregation to introduce themselves to the newcomers around them.  That petrifies me.  Ah, well.

I'm single and I always will be.  When I find someone interested, they are often far away....like another country LOL I have dated a few times since being single and it hasn't changed.  I have the "you're a nice guy but..." speech memorized and if I had a quarter for every time I got the "family emergency" excuse I could retire. So, right now it is not worth the effort to me. I have had two long term relationships, and I have learned a great deal from both of them.  Because of that, I will not settle for less than what I exactly want.  That does not mean I can't make concessions, but that is a two-way street, not the one way I went down both times. I have relearned a lot about myself over the past few years and I will not sacrifice that for someone else's happiness.  

I have things in my life that I find incredibly fun but no one around to share it with really. I cook but I rarely share my meals with anyone. I love music but don't have anyone to call up and say "Let's listen to some Mantovani".  Kids today won't know that because Mantovani isn't autotuned.  I may be too old fashioned for my own good.  Basically, fear of rejection has caused a mostly isolated life outside of work and I feel like the quality of my life has declined. 

I will hopefully figure some things out and be happier about life.  We shall see. 

Recipe of the Week - Strawberry Cake

 

This is a recipe that I got from Dad's wife, June.  She had clipped it out of a magazine and thought that I would enjoy it. And she was right!  I have made this several times and have loved it.  I like to bake one and take it to Dad and June when I go to visit them.  It's easy and very flavorful.  I have made it both with and without the glaze and it is great either way. I hope you enjoy it!

Strawberry Cake

Cake

1 box of white cake mix

2 Tbsp flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 3oz box Strawberry jello

3/4 cup Wesson oil

4 eggs

1/2 cup water

3/4 cup fresh strawberries, chopped

Glaze

1/4 stick margarine, melted

1/4 cup chopped strawberries

1.5 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour a bundt pan.  Mix all cake ingredients with a mixer until smooth.  Pour batter into cake pan and bake for 65 minutes.  Let cake cool for 12-13 minutes in pan.  Turn out of pan and let cool slightly before glazing while warm - about 10 minutes.

Combine glaze ingredients and pour over warm cake.

Nobody Loves Me Like You Do

 Tonight, I just feel like some Anne Murray, and this is one of my all-time favorites of hers. It brings up lots of different feelings, but all good!

Taking the stairs

 One of the ways that I am trying to get more aerobic exercise is changing the way I get around work.  I am trying to take the stairs more and the elevator less.  Our independent living building has four floors in it. Even though I am not in that building a whole lot now that I work mostly in assisted living, when I am there, I am doing my best to take the stairs. Of course, there are times when I have to take the elevator like when I'm delivering packages, but overall, the stairs are the way to go. 

It is these little things in my daily life that are going to make the difference. Thankfully, there are offices on each floor that I do need to go to from time to time, so that gives me motivation to take the stairs.  And let me tell you, it's not always pretty LOL  This is a good measure for me as to my cardio health. I admittedly get winded going up from the ground floor to the third floor.  And I have to look at it as a measure of what I need to do as opposed to a measure of what I cannot do. Otherwise, I will talk myself out of it and put my big behind on the elevator!

Now that the weather is warming up and the days are longer, I will be able to get outside for more walks.  I loved it when I was doing it last spring and very disappointed in myself when I stopped.  Even though there was a medical reason for it at the time, it was still disappointing.  Now, I am ready to get back out there and do it.  Thank goodness there are no elevators in my neighborhood to tempt me!

One Drawer at a Time - Still in the Kitchen

 

I feel like I am moving slower with this than I did last year and that's true haha! Mainly it's because when I come home from work each day, I am spending more time relaxing than being productive.  Oh, well.  First world problems. So I am over halfway through the kitchen with this process, and I really can tell a difference.  Currently, I am going through my utensil drawers one at a time and cleaning them out.  I am washing everything in the drawers because many of them have honestly not seen the light of day since last year when I did this.

I know that I should get rid of some of these because they are multiples, but I just cannot bring myself to do it LOL Who knows?  There may be a time when I am cooking, and I need three spatulas or four ladles.  You never know! And I found several vintage tupperware pieces that I had no clue what they are and had to look them up.  One is a cheese knife of sorts.  There's a green lettuce corer which I have no idea how that works.  I'll be looking up videos on that one later!!  And then there's this yellow tool that looks like an old phone receiver. Not sure what that is.  A melon baller maybe?  Hmmmmm

Picture is from the internet but has several of the pieces I have in it

Still, I am washing all of these things and putting them back for later usage.  Still, the drawers look better, and I know where things are and that is what is important in this process. 

Thought of the Day

 

There is an old saying that goes "you never get a second chance to make a first impression" and that is so true. There are different people to whom the saying is attributed to.  Some people say Oscar Wilde.  Some people say Will Rogers. I, personally, remember it from the old Head & Shoulders Shampoo commercials LOL But, wherever it came from does not matter because it is very true no matter its origin. 

For a long time, I have let go of putting much effort in first impressions. Everything seems to go back to the pandemic. I have gotten comfortable in being too casual with my appearance.  Yes, I do have a dress code at work that I follow but I have not been putting a whole lot of effort into it. Since I do not get out and socialize much anymore (I'm working on that one) I have not felt like I had a need to make myself look good.  By the way, I am NOT saying that I think I look bad at all.  I just used to take special care of how I presented myself no matter where I was going or what I was doing. And I have simply stopped doing that. 

Sometimes, though, it takes a good look in the mirror to change that. It happened to me a few weeks ago and really hit me hard. I was going to my first appointment with my new eye doctor.  I walked in feeling fine at first.  I looked around at the employees who were all really put together.  They were either in crisp black uniforms or they were dressed very well. And then I caught a glimpse of myself as I sat in the waiting room.  While I was dressed for work, as this was before my shift started, I just looked very unkempt. My hair was frizzy. My shirt was too tight and pulling at the buttons. I just looked like this big pile of slobbishness. I felt myself getting smaller and smaller as I sat in there waiting for my turn.  Mind you, no one made me feel this way it is just the way I felt about myself. 

So, I have begun to change how I get ready to go out each day. I am working on getting back into my exercise regime so the weight loss will take time. But I now am paying better attention to how I look before I walk out the door.  Even when I'm just going out to run errands.  I make sure my hair is done. I make sure that I am dressed to the best of my ability.  While some may look at it as vanity, I do not. I am feeling better about myself which, I hope, translates into a better first impression.  Either way, I am happy with this direction I am taking and plan on continuing it.  That is all. 

Finding treasures at a thrift store

 It is no secret that I love dishes.  Always have. And I love collecting them.  And not just sets of china, which I definitely have too many of. But I love serving pieces as well.  And when I come across pieces at good prices, I just cannot help myself.  There are worse things I could be spending money on so I am not ashamed of this addiction haha!

There is a local thrift store called Reconsidered Goods that I love to go to.  I try to hit it up about once a month.  You can find all sorts of interesting things there as they also take things that have chips and cracks and aren't perfect.  I don't mind those because they show signs of usage, and I love to think of my things as being once used by someone.  It gives them a history. 

Awhile back, I was perusing the store and came upon these two serving pieces by Noritake.  I do love me some Noritake haha.  And I have developed a thing for gravy boats as well.  I don't know why.  People rarely use them anymore, but I absolutely am fascinated by them.  And there was a matching platter to go with it.  And they had red decoration on them.  I have very few china pieces with red as the base color.  

I got both of them for less than $10 total, so I was happy with my purchase. I have not used them yet and they are now packed away in a box somewhere in the garage.  That happens during the holidays as I switch things out! The platter does have a tiny flea bite chip under the rim, but it's still perfectly good. I haven't decided yet whether I will keep them or let them go.  Still, I will enjoy them in the meantime!

Happy hunting!