Quotes and Thoughts on the Big Day

Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional. ~C. Davis~

I believe this. That is why I went to get a pedicure last week and decided to have the lady do my toes in black polish. Well, it's black in a very "dark red" sort of way. But it looks black and I love it.
This morning I stayed in my p.j.'s, had a second cup of coffee and read my new Romantic Home Magazine cover to cover, as I admired my new pedicure.

They say that age is all in your mind. The trick is keeping it from creeping down into your body.~author unknown~

Saturday night the Prospector and I went to the Golddiggers Annual Christmas dinner in Stockton. One of those few times that we go somewhere at night and stay up late. I wore my new shoes. For Farmlady this was quite a fancy occasion. The nail polish was just beautiful and sparkled through the nylon stockings. I wore my fancy jeans and won the 50-50 drawing of about $100.00 . Actually, my husband had given me his tickets and he was holding mine when they called the number. So technically.....
He gave me the money this morning in my birthday card.)What a guy!
When we got home we were so tired. Were did all my energy go? When did we get to old to dance all night?

Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what happened. ~Jennifer Yane~

Do my feet look that much different..., before the years of getting pedicures and before the scars of operations? When the arthritis and neuromas and neuropathy was just a minor annoyance. Does the nail polish really make these feet look better? I think that the polish is like a "Thank you" for all their hard work and the pain that they have gone through.
That's not an earthquake in that photo above. It's my "doubt" about the future and the uncertainty of old age. The nail polish will wear off and I will reapply it as long as I can, because it makes me face the challenges of getting old with a bit more sparkle and we can all use a bit more sparkle.

I'm 65 yrs old today. It's been a long year. But, I'm still here and have gratitude for the life I've been given. I have no wisdom to impart or advice to be given. It's just another day in the life of me...., and it's a good day.

Conversation With a Goat

"Hey Dude! How are you" What's that? Something's hanging from your horn."
"Don't go there Farmlady."
What? It's just leftovers from where they cut the rest of the horn. I can get my scissors and snip it off. It looks a little ragged."

"Will I have to go for a long ride again?"
"No Brownie, The scissors are in the house. It's not a big deal. I just think it would look better if I snip that leathery stuff off ."
"Easy for you to say. How do I know it won't hurt? How do I know you won't try to cut the rest of my horn off?"
" I wouldn't do that, Brownie. You worry too much. Don't you trust me?"
( No answer)
"OK lets just leave it alone. It's better than before. I'm sorry I mentioned it."

"Farmlady?"
"Brownie, I have to go feed the chickens and get started on cleaning the garage."
"Farmlady?"
"What Brownie?"
"Thank you for fixing my horn. I can see things better now."
"Your welcome sweetie. I know you didn't like going so far away from home. You were a good goat and we were proud of you."
"I know. I really tried to be brave."
"You were sweetie."
"Farmlady?"
"What is it Brownie?"
"Can I have some extra grain tonight?"
"Well, what about the other goats? They might not like that."
"They didn't have to have to go for a long ride and have to go to sleep and wake up without part of their horn."
"Brownie, they don't have horns."
"Oh,.., yea..., well, it was very hard. I think that I deserve something extra for being so brave."
" I will ask the Prospector about it but I don't think we can give you something extra and not give the others some too."
"But they didn't have to be BRAVE. I deserve extra."
" I said I will ask the Prospector. You can only have grain when you get your trace mineral stuff. Extra grain isn't really good for you."
"Oh. I didn't know that."
" Well, now ya know, Brownie. Maybe, later, when the other goats aren't around I will bring you a cookie. Just one. Just for you."
"Just for me"
"Yes , just for you."
"Farmlady?"
"What, big guy?"
"Can I have two cookies?"
" Oh, Brownie...."

A Poem

My sorrow, when she's here with me,
Thinks these dark days of autumn rain
Are beautiful as days can be;
She loves the bare, the withered tree;
She walks the sodden pasture lane. R. Frost

The Big Beautiful Antique Chair

One day last year my sister and I went into an antique store in Lafayette, Ca. We were just looking around. Sis was looking for a drop leaf table for her art room. I was just looking. Then Sis spotted this chair....
I don't know if there can be "love at first sight" with a piece of furniture, but my sister set her sights on something across the room. I saw her move toward a corner filled with armoires, buffets and tables. There was a different look in her eyes. I had seen this look before. It was "furniture lust".
There is nothing rational about it..., nothing reasonable or explainable..., it's just plain old fashion desire for something that's drop dead gorgeous. When we were young and foolish it was a good looking guy, but now it's FURNITURE. Sad but true.

She was not leaving the store without this chair. It spoke to her. .., probably in French. It was saying "Buy me, you will never regret it. I will always make you happy." So she did and at a very good price. This is the most outrageously, over the top, elegant, well made, tapestry covered, carved chair I have ever seen. Look at it!
The fabric is in very good shape and the wood is beautiful. The seat has collapsed and needs to be braced, reconstructed underneath and re-filled with something. Other than the seat it's in excellent condition. I can't find anything like it on the Internet. It's one of a kind and it sits in a new corner; in my sister's bedroom in the condo in Pacifica. It's a love affair of the heart and it was meant to be.
Come..., sit...., have some tea and a brioche. It will make you feel like European royalty.

Go to Roomie's With a Past for other Past Due Tuesday posts that will delight your love of vintage and antique things.

Corraling the Clutter

This is what I have been doing all weekend. No blogging, no surfing the net and no whining about my messy house. I have been a busy bee and , with the help of my old Prospector, getting some furniture moved around.
I was in kind of a funk on Friday. That's what I call a small depression of the mind. I know from experience that the best thing I can do, when in a funky mood, is something physical. So, on the weekend, there was no blogging, or letting myself wallow in problems that have no solution at the moment or trying to find answers that haven't appeared yet. No! It was time to "get physical".

First we got the newly painted bookcase into the guestroom/craft room. Then we moved a few pieces of furniture, from other places in the house, into one location so that I can FIND everything without cruising the whole house for some lost container. At least this confines my madness to one room. I do still have to use the kitchen table for most artwork, so I will need a bigger table in this room.
There will be some shelves on the wall later and possibly another cabinet above the bookcase , if it ever gets painted. I have a table in the garage, also ,which needs to be painted. Will this ever end? I'm not willing to get rid of the bed so I can have the table under the window. But,this is where it should be and where it would have wonderful light and then I could put rolling storage bins underneath.
There are no photos of the other side of the room because..., well..., it's still a mess. But today is new day, folks.

My mother's beautiful buffet is in the house now. The top of it is still in the garage, in pieces, and waiting for a "rebirth of wonder" as Ferlinghetti would say. I call it sanding and staining. The Prospector calls it a lot of work. This is the "default" place for it right now, until I sell the piano( which I don't really want to do.). It may stay here for a while..., but it's in the house and safe. The black cabinet that was on that wall is in the guestroom now.
We moved a chest of drawers from the guest room to our bedroom. Now my husband has a more "masculine" corner; a place to sit and room for his socks and "stuff" (He has stuff too. I'm not the only collector around here). It looks much nicer than my old fufu dresser with the girly things on it but I do miss the mirror. We will have to work on that.
We moved the "gold" cabinet from the hallway into the bedroom. It looks a lot better than the old white hamper, don't you think?
Finally, after almost 13 years, things are falling into place..., sort of. Well, "falling into place" isn't quite the right figure of speech, but let's be kind about this, because soon they will have a syndrome with a special name for what it is that I suffer from. Something like the "clutter syndrome" or an "accumulation disorder". It will be as common as ADHD, and the cure will be to MOVE and take only half of everything with you. You have no idea how difficult that would be. Does anyone know if there is a twelve step program for this disability? I don't want an intervention..., so don't even drive up this mountain with a moving truck.



Now, for a little change of pace. Dinner Saturday night was mostly leftovers that were sent home with us from Thanksgiving but I made something else that I have to tell you about. ...
I have a childhood friend, who I found recently. Actually, she found me and it's a very long and wonderful story which I will tell you about in a separate post. Anyway, she sent me a recipe for TURKEY NECKS and you have got to try this. They are delicious. Here's what you do with them.

Boil the turkey necks for 1-1/2 hours in water with 2 chicken bouillon cubes, 1 tsp. poultry seasoning, slice of onion(size doesn't matter! just a chunk for flavoring),1 cut-up rib of celery. When done, remove and put in a roasting pan and baste with margarine (or, I prefer 3 Tablespoons of Olive oil & 1 Tablespoon of butter), salt lightly and bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes on each side to brown and crisp a little.

That's it. I'm telling you..., these were so good with all the leftovers ( especially mashed potatoes) and tasted so much better than "white meat" turkey. This is going into my "really good" recipe folder for future fixings.

Well..., got to go. I've got more clutter removal to do this afternoon. This is so satisfying. My friend "C" would be proud of me. She has the beautiful, white, uncluttered, simple living apartment down in Sacramento that I so admire. I will never achieve what she has done because I'm such a "furniture person" and a hoarder, but she is my shinning example and that goal , that "ring" that I reach for on the merry-go-round of my cluttered life.