MORE TROUBLE THAN IT WAS WORTH

I decided to rearrange stuff in my cupboards this afternoon, for no good reason other than to kill time. I am bored. I admit it. In order to do this chore I needed a little help. I am short. I got out the step stool because it’s the only way I can reach the shelves. I wanted to make a dent in the clutter, since I have neglected the shelves for too long. I knew I had some packages of egg barley up there that must be 10 years old. So I wanted to throw them away. But accidents happen. When I was trying to get them down,  my hand caught on the edge of something else. The next thing I know…. my hair, stove, countertop and kitchen floor are totally covered with the contents of an open bag of coriander seeds.  It was one BIG mess. I was slipping and sliding trying to walk. The seeds were everywhere, in everything. I was spitting them out of my mouth. They are teeny tiny little things and took at least  a half hour or more to clean up. It was a painstaking task. And since we love Indian food and these seeds are an integral ingredient in most my recipes… it was a loss that hit us in the gut. They are hard to come by in our neck of the woods, so I was devastated my stash had been cut. So having less to work with, means fewer of our favorite ethnic meals here at home. That realization made me mad at myself. I wish I had just left well enough alone and found something else to occupy my time today, other than attempting to clean a cupboard. It was more trouble than it was worth. That is for sure. Have you ever had a similar mishap?

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Thrifting Threads and Things

STRANGERS, SCARABS and KISMET

Life is funny. Things happen when you least suspect them to. Our weekend was plotted out and we were attending to business when I asked my hubby to make a side trip to a local store. As is customary, in our relationship, he sat and waited in the car while I went inside to have a look-see. I had gathered a few things in my cart and was rounding a corner when I almost had the wind knocked out of me. There was a lady coming towards me with her cart and she could barely squeeze by. They do not make the aisles BIG enough for two customers to be side by side. As she was passing I sucked in my gut. Then I happened to look down at her hand. My heart almost stopped. There on the middle finger of her right hand was a lovely vintage SCARAB ring. I LOVE Egyptology and particularly scarabs. But what caught my eye about this one.... was the fact that I had EXACTLY the same ring on my right hand and middle finger. So I reached out tugged her sleeve and said, “We are kindred spirits.” She looked surprised and said, “Why?”  I then pointed to our rings. Her heart skipped a beat too. She said, “I can’t believe it. You know how old these pieces are?” I told her, “I did.” And  added,  I had gotten mine when it was brand spanking new. She said, “Me too.”  She called for her daughter who was in another aisle and we showed her our hands. Her daughter was tickled by the mutually shared rings and said, “It is a small world, isn’t it? MATCHING SCARAB RINGS, same hand, same finger. What are the odds?”  And I added, "Not to mention being in the same store, at exactly the right time to see it." Our happy threesome then exchanged names, chatted for a little bit, and we went our separate ways. Life sometimes throws you curves. During the past year, my life has been full of them. But today life gave me something back, a winning inning. Something sweet to savor. I made a new friend. And that is priceless. 

WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES

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(will still be doing TaryTerre and Scooter Lady Rides Again)

Thrifting Threads & Things

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MUG SHOTS, A COLLECTION

Life is too short to drink your daily cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate out of a vessel that does not speak to you. So throughout the years I have taken to collecting MUGS, as opposed to cups. I find them here and there. Some are expensive. Some are cheap. Some have scenery, or unusual designs, others have inspirational verses or holiday decorations.  But they all cater to the mood I’m in at any given moment. This allows  me to enjoy the brew of my choice,  in a unique way, every time I reach for a different mug. What about you? Do you have a favorite mug to drink from? Or are you like me and vary it day to day? I have so many mugs I am running out of  space to store them. They line the cupboards, the walls, the countertops and tables. And one always sits on my desk. Take a gander. 

bears, balloons, flowers, cats

to name a few motifs

mugs spill out on the counter

stack up on the shelves

an anniversary mug is there

hidden away

a mug tree

anchors one end of the counter

holiday mugs

hubby's mugs

the one with planes

features the poem 

HIGH FLIGHT

on the back

fitting because my hubby was a pilot

mug wall

they go all around and under the cabinets

today I needed a little christmas

given the COLD temps and snow

outside...

(with spring nowhere in  sight)

BUT was I drinking something warm

like TEA?

NOPE.

This mug in my hot little hands 

is filled with ICE WATER.

 but the teapot is waiting...

RECYCLING CLOTHES. IT PAYS TO STRETCH A BUCK.

I have a new hobby and it’s driving me to distraction. It’s affordable, fun and trending. When I recently lost 100 pounds, my closets were bare. I could not afford to buy new clothes to support the weight loss, so I had empty hangers from one end of the closet to the other. But then I began THRIFTING.  Now my closets are overstuffed with brand name shoes, purses and a stunning new wardrobe courtesy of Goodwill, Plato’s Closet, St. Vincent De Paul, Salvation Army and Value World. (All unconventional shopping experiences in their own right.) I love the fact you won’t see my new outfits coming and going on someone else. It’s a unique closet chosen especially for me featuring the things I like, that are akin to being, one of a kind, because they’re vintage.  I love it. Everything was purchased at bargain basement prices. Shoes for $2. Purses for $3. Shirts, pants for $1.99. And blazers for $4. The thrill of getting something for next to nothing is exciting, you have to admit. But this goes beyond that, it helps those less fortunate. People who are disabled and poorer than me. Recycling clothes is an admirable endeavor and I’m on the front lines doing my part to help. What about you? Have you ever thrifted?  If your answer is no, why not?

some of the shoes

one of my outfits head to toe

purses

another couple outfits

It pays to know how to stretch a dollar.