What are your treasures worth?

I frequently browse both Ebay and Etsy for three reasons--1) to see what cool things people have for sale; 2) to see just how much they're charging for said cool things; and, 3) to see how much people are charging for stuff I have and use all the time!

 

 

link to Etsy listing

For those of you who remember my Cleanup in the spice aisle post, you'll recognize the jars above as vintage McCormick spice jars.  Who knew that four of them were worth $15 on Etsy?  Guess I should go dig some of those puppies out of the "bin of random jars I've saved" and sell them, huh?

Or how about this set of restaurantware (china that was used in restaurants--heavy-duty, break-resistant, vitrified china)?  I have--literally--cabinets full of this stuff.  I never paid more than $15 per piece, and that was for the largest platters that I have.  This set is $115, also on Etsy.

 

link to Etsy listing

Or these two cute little containers: 

 

link to Etsy listing

I have ones just like them.  $37 on Etsy.  Someone else is selling the strawberry alone for $22.  That strawberry is particularly popular right now.  I saw at least three of them for sale. 

And this brown pitcher?  Yep, got that too!

 

Link to Etsy listing

 

My favorite find from this evening's browsing, though, is this:  an ice bucket (which I also happen to have somewhere)--advertised as a compost bin!  Oh, lord have mercy!  At least it was only $9.99.

 

 

Link to Etsy listing



What cool stuff have you found recently?  Have you found anything for sale that you use all the time? 

(please note that the images above are not my own and are from the Etsy listings)

Happy Father's Day!

 

To the best dad in the world:  I love you and miss you every day of my life!  Even though you've been gone for 24 years, you--along with mom--made the biggest impact of anyone on my life! 

 

I can still hear you sing those country western songs you loved so much.  Whenever I hear one of your favorites, I can just picture you strumming your guitar and singing along! 

 

I remember, too, how much we liked to talk about what we were reading.  Mom taught me to love to read, but you reinforced that love with your own.  We didn't read the same things, but that never stopped us from talking to each other about what we read.

 

In my mind, I see you dressed two ways--in a well-fitting suit, or in your jeans and cowboy hat.  Each were just as much "you" as the other.  You fit into both worlds so effortlessly, but I think you were always a country boy at heart. 

 

I'm glad that you were able to enjoy the good life that your profession afforded you, especially considering how difficult your early years were.  You worked extremely hard for everything that you had--and you were so generous in sharing what you had with those you met.  I still have the afghan that was crocheted as a thank you from an older lady whose surgery you did for free because she needed it and couldn't afford to pay.  I remember that it was always displayed proudly on the back of your office chair.  Now it is also proudly displayed in my living room. 

 

One of the best things you ever told me?  "If that's the worst that ever happens to you, you're doing pretty good."  I think of that a lot--and it helps keep things in perspective, although it was more comforting when you were here to say it to me!

 

Daddy, you were, and are, an inspiration to me and to others that were fortunate enough to cross your path.  You came from very little, but made yourself great.  Not because of your job, or the money you made, but because of how you lived and how you treated others.  You didn't go to church on a regular basis, but you lived as the Bible taught us to, without being "religious."  You were generous, loving, and kind--oh, you had your faults too, but I don't remember those, not like I remember your good qualities. 

 

I hope that you and mom are having a ball up in heaven--strumming your guitar and singing those songs you loved.  No angel could sing a song any sweeter!

Back to the grind--part one

Well, the company is all gone--Martha left this afternoon to visit her brother and his family in Indiana.  I did have to check her bag to make sure she left Poquito behind, though!  We are all sad to see her go--the puppies love her just as much as I do.

I just realized that this was the longest vacation that I've had since I began working full-time in 1987!  If I hadn't had to have those dratted tests right in the middle, I would have enjoyed it so much more.  But you have to do what you have to do, right? 

Not only was this the longest vacation I've had in forever--it was very busy and eventful.  The first week of the break, my cousin Kris visited.  Kris is from Oklahoma and is the only one of my Oklahoma relatives who is brave enough to battle the Dallas traffic to visit me.  If you aren't used to it, Dallas traffic can be quite intimidating.  We did some shopping, in which she actually talked me into buying some new clothes (I abhor shopping for myself!).  We went to a party where she was definitely out of her element, but she fit in like she'd been in the same situation a million times.  We visited some antique stores, ate a lot, and just generally hung out and talked.  Unfortunately, she had to cut her visit short due to some impending bad weather in Oklahoma.  The day before she left, I slipped in my kitchen and fell; I managed to badly wrench both of my knees when I landed quite awkwardly.  I've been hobbling ever since!

On the 31st, I picked up Martha from the airport.  We had one day of fun, and then I had to get ready for those dang tests.  Let me just tell you, I was a complete and utter cranky-pants!  Not being able to eat was bad enough, but then having to drink that salty, grape-flavored stuff was just awful.  Not only that, after drinking 16 ounces of that (two CUPS!), I had to drink four more cups of water over the next hour.  So I was slightly nauseous, bloated, and dashing to the bathroom every two seconds!  I give Martha credit, she's a real trooper, and was so patient! 

The tests themselves were no big deal because I was sound asleep before I even realized that I was about to be put to sleep!  I woke up and felt like I'd had the best nap ever! 

Stay tuned for part 2...

Getting ready for guests!

Next week, I will be playing host to my cousin, Kris.  She makes the trek to Dallas about once a year, assuming there are no family emergencies.  I am so proud and happy that she leaves her comfort zone of Oklahoma to come visit me.

 

I'm kind of a terrible host, though.  I never have food in the house, and try as I might, I'm usually struggling to get the house just clean enough not to be embarassed, let alone grocery shop!  When I visit her, her house is always clean and smells so good, and she has a pantry and refrigerator full of food. 

 

This year it's going to be different!  I have already been preparing for her arrival by starting to clean.  And my schedule will actually allow me to grocery shop as well!  Yep, I'm all about being prepared this time.  Not only that, she's going to be so surprised when she sees how different the house is from the last time she came! 

 

Doing the excited, happy dance!

 

And, as a bonus, my bestie Martha is coming the week after that.  I am very excited and happy to see her; however, I am not excited about why she's coming.  The doctor's keep finding (more)abnormalities in my blood tests, so I have to go in for some tests.  She's coming to provide moral support.  And probably because I cried on the phone!  She's amazing to fly all the way from Seattle to Dallas at the drop of a hat. 

 

I'm trying not to be too scared about the tests, and just keep thinking about how happy I'll be having my two closest friends and relatives coming to visit!  I'm sure there will be pictures!!

 

Happy Mother's Day

To all the mothers out there--happy Mother's Day!  You have one of the hardest, most thankless jobs on earth, and yet one of the most rewarding. 

 

I would also like to say a special thank you to my own mom, even though she isn't around to read this.  I like to think that somehow, someway, she knows what I'm saying and how much I still love and appreciate her!

In her honor, here are some of my favorite things about her:

1.  She was a talented quilter.  She had made a few tacked quilts before my dad passed away, but when he died, she started quilting in earnest.  She was a member of her church's quilting group, and entered several quilts in competitions.  For every competition she entered, she won a ribbon.  In one instance, she won Best of Show. 

2.  Not only was she a talented quilter, but she could also paint china, sew clothes, embroider, crochet, and carve wood.  Basically, everything she ever tried, she mastered!  Honestly, it was quite daunting growing up in her shadow. 

3.  A long-time smoker, she quit cold turkey in 1989.  However, she always kept a pack of cigarettes in the house, as though to prove to herself that they could be there, yet she didn't need them. 

4.  She was my Brownie (Girl Scout) leader--and was an amazing one (naturally).

5.  Most of my life, my mom was 6 feet tall and weighed 110 pounds.  By the time I was in middle school, I was too big to wear her clothes.  Obviously, I did not inherit her body type!

6.  She loved to clean house.  Yep, she loved cleaning! 

7.  She really enjoyed working in the yard too.  We always had the prettiest yard on the block.

8.  She loved dogs, and dogs loved her.  That was why I was so shocked that Poquito didn't take to her right away.  Of course, it had nothing to do with her, but it was still surprising.  I was so relieved when he finally cozied up to her.

9.  She liked to read, but she did not love to read, so it usually took a back seat to her other hobbies.  She much preferred to work with her hands. 

10.  If you can't tell from everything I've written, mom was pretty much a "Super Mom," and not only that, she was a super mom.  As I always used to tell her, "You're the best mom I've ever had!" 

 

 

Relay for Life

This past Saturday, I participated in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life.  This is my third Relay, and the first where I was actually cold!  Usually, we are all burning up.  Not this time; by 9 pm, it was in the low 50s, which doesn't seem that cold until you're out in it.  We were all bundled up like a bunch of mummies!

 

It was gratifying to see the number of people wearing purple shirts (meaning that they're a cancer survivor).  On one hand, it's kind of depressing to know that that many people have or have had cancer, but on the other hand it's nice to know that they are still around to attend an event such as this. 

 

If you'd like to donate to this very worthy cause, it's not too late.  Here's the link:  Relay for Life--Garland--2013.  All money received goes to the ACS to find a cure!



Portrait of a malamute

I finally did it!

If you remember back to the first of the year, I told you about my resolutions for the year.  One of them was to finish reading the Bible.  Well, I did it--I finally did it!  I read it cover to cover, just as though it were any other book.

 

It was a powerful, interesting experience.  I also have to say, it was the most challenging book I've ever read.  The first five books--Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy--were fairly easy.  But then it became a lot less like a "story," and therefore much more difficult to read. 

 

The lists and chronicles were challenging, as were the Psalms.  Reading the Bible book to book is very different than purposefully studying it, I discovered.  I was relieved when the New Testament rolled around after the long hard climb of the Old Testament.  Again, the first four books--the Gospels--were a fairly easy read.  Then the "stories" gave way to letters, also not as easy to read as a straightforward story. 

 

Reading it, it becomes quite obvious that it was never meant to be read in this fashion.  This is not to say that I don't recommend reading it straight through.  I do--and I think anyone who does so will find it an educational experience.. 

 

More vacation pictures...

 

Cautious bovine--there was a longhorn here too, but he took off when I got too close.  This one was the bravest of the lot, and stood his ground to see what I was going to do.

 

Spring flowers in Waxahachie

 

Battle Creek Burial Ground historical marker off Highway 31 in between Corsicana and Waco

 

 

Detail of the fence surrounding the burial marker

 

 

Battle Creek Burial Ground grave marker (with a Texas flag)

 

I don't know what this piece of equipment is, but it was trucking down the road

 

The old Texas Texas theater in Hillsboro, Texas. When I was in middle school, I was staying with my aunt, uncle, and cousins in Hillsboro.  My older cousin told my aunt that we were going to a movie here.  My aunt dropped us off, and no sooner did she pull away, than my cousin's friends came and picked us up.  I spent the entire evening terrified that we were going to be found out and in terrible trouble.  But her friends dropped us back at the theater just as the movie was letting out, and my aunt picked us up, with no one the wiser.  I felt like such a bad girl!

 

 

Beautiful old home in Waxahachie

 

The 1926 Italy, Texas city hall--now their fire department

 

 

Waxahachie train depot

 

Caboose outside the Waxahachie train depot

 

Feed store in Waxahachie

 

 

Rogers Hotel in Waxahachie

 

I had a such a good time travelling around central Texas.  I love looking at historic places. And for the first time ever, I just took whatever road looked good to me.  Those roads took me to places I've never been, which was sort of the idea.  I had forgotten how much fun it is just to set out with no real purpose other than enjoyment. 

 

Because I was alone, I was free to do what I wanted, and I find myself just keeping up a rambling monologue with myself.  My cousin says I do that all the time.  Well, who else I am supposed to talk to?  I also amuse myself; I found myself laughing my head off a a billboard I saw advertising "fabric-free entertainment" combined with a steak house!  I also nearly fell out of the car when I passed a political billboard for a lady with the unfortunately name of "Molly Caudle."  Those two things were worth the trip all by themselves.

 

In my travels, I hit up every antique store I saw.  I found some items for my vintage desk, and I was able to replace the heavy, dark wood nightstands in my bedroom with two mini-dressers.  When I get everything set up, I'll post pictures.

 

I spent the rest of my time off trying to finish organizing the teddy bear room.  I have sadly overestimated the amount of room available, all the while underestimating the number of bears and other stuffies that I own.  Fortunately, they're soft and they sort of squash together! 



Mini vacation

I am spending some of my days off this go round taking a mini-vacation.  Instead of going one place and spending several days, I've been making day trips to nearby towns.  Today, I hit up Waxahachie, which--if you've read this blog for very long--you know is one of my favorite destinations.

 

 

The spire of the Waxahachie court house

 

The CW Gibson building, one block off the square in Waxahachie.  From what I can find, it seems as though it was some sort of a mercantile.

 

It was "real fine."

 

See?  It was enough food for three meals, and quite yummy!

 

Isn't this the cutest little chair?  It's a child's chair with the name "Herbert Martin II" and "February 11, 1950 Texas" needlepointed on the cushion. 

 

Isn't this a cute little dresser?  It was so cute, it came home with me. 

 

I've been looking for something just like this to replace the heavy, dark nightstands that mom had. 

 

 

Tomorrow's junket is to Corsicana and then maybe Hillsboro if I have time.  I've been looking for vintage desk items for my den.  I let a remarkable old adding machine get away last month, and now I feel like there's a "void" to be filled.  I told you I was a hoarder, didn't I?  

 

 

Flickr Explore

I was lucky enough to have another photo chosen for the Flickr Explore page: 

 

 

For the original, click here.  For the Explore page, click here.  There are tons of gorgeous photos!

I'm so proud!  Of course, I'm lucky to have a very photogenic model!

20 questions...more or less

While some of you may know me personally, there are also many readers who don't know me at all.  I'm assuming this from the statistics.  This little blog had 688 page views last month; even if some of those are repeat visitors, those figures would still equal more people than I know altogether! 

 

I'm pretty much an open book kind of person, so in the interest of full disclosure (and because I think they're fun to read when I read other people's answers), here are 20 questions answered:

 

1.  How old am you?--I was born in September 1963, so you do the math.  And, yes, I was born on September 11th.  This birthday is going to be one of the big ones!

 

2.  Where do you live?--I live in a suburb of Dallas, Texas called Garland.  My family moved here in 1965.  I lived in Waco and Denton while I went to college, and then Lewisville when I was married.  After my divorce, I moved back to Dallas, and then in 2004, I moved back to Garland and have been here ever since.

 

3.  Where did you go to college and what did you major in?--I went to Baylor University and majored in Library Science and English.  My Master's degree is from the University of North Texas, also in Library Science.  And, I also have a teaching certificate and post-graduate work in education from the University of Texas at Dallas.

 

4.  Where do you work?--I work at Wade College in Dallas, and I am the Director of Library Operations/Registrar.  I've worked at Wade since 1987!

 

5.  What kind of car do you drive?--A steel-grey Honda CR-V.  Hondas are my favorite cars--so durable!

 

6.  What is your favorite food?--Tex Mex, without a doubt.  Nothing even comes close.  I think I could eat it everyday.

 

7.  What is your favorite thing to do?--Reading, first and foremost.  A distant second and third would be shopping and sleeping. 

 

8.  What is your biggest pet peeve?--It's a tie between people with poor grammar and rude people.

 

9.  What is your favorite thing to do on your day off?--I love to shop for antiques and go out to lunch or dinner (maybe both).

 

10.  What do you hate doing?--Going to the doctor, standing in lines, cleaning.  My mom loved to clean; me...not so much!

 

11.  Where will your next vacation be?--My next vacation will be to visit my friend Martha in Seattle.  And then, next year...a biggie.  I'm planning to go to Australia!  Eventually, I want to go somewhere I can see the Northern Lights in person.

 

12.  Where is your favorite place to have visited?--In the US, I really liked Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and also Williamsburg, Virginia.  Outside of the US, I loved Switzerland.  It was hands-down, the prettiest place I've ever been.

 

13.  What is your favorite book?--A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.  I just love this book; it's insanely detailed, and the pre-WWI period that it captures is so interesting.

 

14.  What other kinds of books do you like to read?--Mostly fantasy books, like The Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter series.  I'll also admit to a liking for the relatively new genre, paranormal romance.

15.  what is your favorite flavor of ice cream?--Chocolate all the way, baby!

16.  If you weren't doing what you do now, what would you do?--I think I'd be a "picker"--you know, one of those people who go around looking for special items, either for their own store or for clients.  I think that would be a great job, if not necessarily a high-paying one.

17.  Who is your favorite celebrity?--It's actually a toss-up between Orlando Bloom and Hugh Jackman.  Orlando is just as cute as can be (well, he's more handsome now that he's older), and Hugh, well, just look at the man.  What's not to like about either of them?

18.  What is your favorite color?--To wear:  black, most definitely black.  It goes with everything.  I also like red.  To decorate with:  red, green, and yellow (right now).  My least favorite color right now is blue.  I don't like blue in houses, and I don't own one piece of blue clothing!

19.  Where would you live and what would you drive if money were no object:?--Ah, a black Ferrari, of course.  The F12berlinetta would be nice, but I wouldn't turn down a vintage 500 Barchetta Pininfarina either.  Although I love Dallas dearly, I think I would live somewhere with a more temperate climate.  I don't know where that would be, though.  It would have to be a big city for sure.  London might be a winner! 

20.  Who would you have at your imaginary dinner party (aside from relatives)?--Jesus, DaVinci, Shakespeare, Michelangelo, Moses, Queen Elizabeth I, Thomas Edison, Cleopatra, Tom Landry, Johnny Depp, and Walt Disney.  That would be quite a dinner party, wouldn't it?

Scary health stuff

Let me just preface this post by saying that getting old sucks!  Remember when you could do anything, eat anything, drink anything, and burn the candle at both ends--and all it took to recover was a good night's sleep?  Maybe you're still there; if so, enjoy it while you can.  

 

Last week, I had my annual physical with my internist.  And, like anyone who doesn't like to go to the doctor, I feel as though I now have all kinds of things wrong that weren't there last week.  I know they were there, but I was perfectly happy not knowing about them!

 

According to my blood tests, my vitamin D level is so low it almost doesn't register!  This means that I'm at risk for all kinds of bad things:  heart disease, cancer, multiple sclerosis, and broken bones, to name a few.  I now have to take prescription strength vitamin D for a few months to see if it improves.

 

My thyroid function is also abnormal.  I have been on synthroid for ten years now, but it seems as though every time they check it, it's abnormal.  I now take more artificial thyroid than my friend Martha who doesn't even have a thyroid gland anymore!

 

My cholesterol is up, although not severely.  And my glucose level is also up. Since I was fasting when they took the blood test, this means that I am pre-diabetic. 

 

Scariest of all is that my kidney function test was also abnormal, indicating I might have the beginnings of kidney disease! 

 

Oh, yeah--there's also a lump of undetermined origins behind my ear (near lymph nodes).  This could be nothing, or it could be something severe like lymphoma.  I am at a higher risk for lymphoma due to my leukemia. 

 

And, to top it all off, I developed some kind of eye infection on Friday.  My eyelid is red and swollen, and my eye feels like someone poured the Sahara Desert in it. 

 

Now I'm depressed and scared!

 

Oh, 20s--how I miss you!

 

I feel like I'm two steps away from turning into this!

Let sleeping dogs lie...

Almost every pup was sound asleep this afternoon.  One in particular was even sleeping balanced on my arm.

D.I.V.O.R.C.E.

Seventeen years ago I was going through something that I never ever in my wildest dreams thought I would be going through:  a divorce.

 

When my husband and I were dating, we talked seriously about our beliefs.  We both had parents who had been married forever, and additionally came from families where divorce was almost unheard of.  During our discussions, we both agreed that we didn't "believe" in divorce.  As it turns out, my ex-husband didn't believe in divorce...until he wanted one, that is.

 

We met on a blind date in 1985--a set-up by two of our mutual friends.  I thought he was tall and cute, and nice.  We started dating, and a year later on our one-year anniversary, we got engaged.  We were together three years before marrying in 1988. 

 

The entire time that we were dating, he was seriously ill with Crohn's Disease.  He'd probably had it for many years, but it flared up about three months after we started dating.  The disease got worse and worse until he was forced to have surgery about six weeks before our wedding.  I jokingly told him that he'd better get well or I'd be pushing him down the aisle in a wheelchair.  Luckily, the surgery made him feel better almost immediately.  In six weeks, he gained nearly 50 pounds of much-needed weight.

 

Unfortunately, as his recovery progressed, an entirely different personality surfaced.  I guess I didn't truly know him until after we were married.  With his illness in remission, his sweet, loving side disappeared too.  And the longer we were married, the unhappier I was.  I gained tons of weight and spent too much money, both symptoms that something was really wrong.  During our last two years of marriage, I was fat and deeply in debt--neither of which are attractive qualities.  Of course, he intensely disliked both my being fat and my propensity for spending.  Always moody, his response to the situation was to shut me out.  I swear the year before we divorced, we probably didn't exchange more than a handful of words each week.

 

To be fair, I never said anything about how unhappy I was until it was too late.  I never realized that marriage was actually work.  Both of our parents made it look effortless.  I thought that in order to be a good wife, I should keep my mouth shut, and be as domestic as possible.  I ironed everyday; I made cupcakes for his football team and coaches every week during football season; I made Sunday dinner for the coaches at least once a season; and I hosted all the coaches and their wives at our house for dinner once a season.  Not surprisingly, none of that made the old magic return. 

We split, and he remarried quickly.  I--well, I've had enough of marriage to last a lifetime, I think.  After we divorced, I was still unhappy and lost.  I cried a lot!  A LOT!  In fact, once I cried so hard, I broke enough blood vessels around my eyes that it looked as though I had black eyes!  Even though I am no longer in love with my ex-husband, it still hurts to think how unhappy I was. 

Luckily, right about that time, the college where I work hired a new instructor.  He was my first post-divorce friend--the first friend I'd made independently in more than a decade.  Nicolas was (and is) so different than anyone I'd ever met before.  Artistic, talented, and confident, he gave me the confidence to explore my artistic side, something my ex had never done.  Nicolas and I have remained fast friends for 17 years.  We haven't worked together in many years, and we're both busy with our lives, but we spend time together whenever we can. 

Nicolas was just the first of many friends that I have been lucky enough to make since my divorce.  I've worked hard to make a life for myself that reflects ME, as opposed to someone else.  I am not anti-marriage for anyone except myself.  I salute those who can make it work--you did something I couldn't do. 

At one point, I thought that nothing would ever be the same again.  With the clarity that hindsight provides, I realize that I was correct; at the  time I just didn't know that it would be better than it ever was when we were together.