No Ugly Christmas

“Christmas waves a magic wand over the world and suddenly everything is softer and more beautiful,” said Norman Vincent Peale, American minister known for popularizing the concept of The Power of Positive Thinking. Christmastime filters daily life through a magic, sparkling haze that blurs the rough edges of splintered rhetoric and unveils cold, hard eyes to truly see splendor.

A Visit from St. Nicholas (‘Twas the Night Before Christmas) by Clement C. Moore is the classic poem that moves the night visitor’s story to conclusion in easy rhyme. Then, overcome by the late night’s beauty, Papa pauses, amazed at “The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow (giving) a luster of mid-day to objects below.”

The ability to envision a frosty, full winter moon that provides a sparkle on fresh snow comes with conscious watchfulness for the beauty that surrounds us.

The charm of Christmas is easy to behold when the world is seen through appreciative eyes. By adding sprinkles and twinkles, it’s possible to make each day more beautiful and festive. Once, ladies who could afford gorgeous, beaded and sequined sweaters with secular and religious Christmas motifs were enviable fashionistas. Beauty had no real competition in December.

Then, after a decade of glitz and glam, the fashion hackers went to work. Invitations to parties stipulated attire: an ugly Christmas sweater. Ugly and Christmas used in the same phrase posed a puzzle. Boxed away sweater treasures fell from the shelf and became a popular source for sweaters that would win an ugly prize, hands down.

 To quiet those garish, ugly sweaters, glorious melodies like

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, the morning lawn with a glistening frost, and the words to new songs such as Isn’t He Wonderful by John Wimber, highlight the season. Personal Christmas playlists and Sirius satellite radio provide familiar tunes to lift and soothe moods throughout December. Let There be Peace on Earth, rousing harmonies, organ music, and silver bells create loveliness all around.

And then out of nowhere, Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. Grandma’s misfortune was not pretty; she had hoof prints on her forehead and claw marks on her back. From a grandma perspective, it seems rather tacky to sing and laugh about how happy grandpa has become since grandma met with an unimaginable end, and on Christmas Eve, of all times.

When looking for cheer and happy times, to get beyond Grandma’s fate and the mental health of the girl who wants a hippo for Christmas, Hallmark Christmas movies uplift the spirit with happily-ever-after, all day, every day of December. Each movie ends when the girl chooses the hometown boy, sending the Wall Street tycoon packing. Stringed instruments play and diamonds float to earth. Orchestras crescendo and “every kiss begins with K(ay).” A sentimental sigh is natural and Christmas beauty wins another round.

Drawing crowds to the box office, however, are movies that spoof everything about Christmas and good tidings of great joy. Bad Santas starring Billy Bob Thornton and Bad Moms with Christina Applegate use dark humor to suggest Christmas is nothing but a wholesale, retail extravaganza driven by panic and stress-filled nightmares.

After a hectic trip to the mall and worries about Grandpa’s spiraling behavior, families can open the mailbox and check out the greeting cards for some relief. Currier and Ives and Thomas Kinkade visit homes through cards with scenes of Americana and familiar Christmas locales like Bedford Falls. The cards trigger memories of Christmas Eve candlelight services, every late-night drive for batteries to whatever store is open, and all those Christmas mornings with the kids when Santa got it exactly right. Visions of sugar plums, the Christmas spirit, giddy grins, and family traditions provide joy.

A new tradition, though, has become downright creepy for many moms. Santa needs no help in making his list and checking it twice. He does not need that ill-behaved escapee from the North Pole known as Elf on the Shelf. Banishment may be the real reason the Elf is absent from the North Pole. The elf has wild, creepy eyes, looks terrible in a skirt, and is a lousy house guest to boot.

The beauty of Christmas is subject to being stolen by spoil-sports and party-poopers like The Shelf Elf and the Grinch. Everyone knows a Mr. or Ms. Grinch who wants to stop Christmas from coming, stop the merriment and celebration altogether. The Grinch learned a fitting lesson from all the Whos in Whoville who didn’t need packages with bows to celebrate Christmas love.

Nothing and no one can stop Christmas from coming. Christmas came a very long time ago, and the Love that came down lives in hearts all year long. Wimber poses, “Isn’t He Beautiful” and Amy Grant sings about “love that circles around us like the gifts around our tree.” Polar experiences whisper "I Believe!"

Celebrating and decorating with love, singing and accessorizing with enthusiasm, and keeping God’s greatest Gift as the centerpiece of the season offers opportunity to witness astounding beauty in daily life throughout the Christmas season.

So, if there is anything ugly in 2017 Christmas, let it be accidental.  

Life Dictates How and When to Downsize

What is "downsizing?"
 - Letting your real life dictate your living area and storage space. Downsizing progress becomes obvious during the weeks before Christmas.

1. Downsizing has begun when Christmas accoutrements are missing, when red and green storage boxes are reduced to 3 labeled boxes, when they are emptied twice, when those green chargers are lost forever. Downsizing is moving right along when sets of red chargers take center stage, sets that were in the pantry, and no one knows the green ones are gone.

2. Downsizing is underway when certain Christmas placemats are missing, when sixteen placemats in various motifs are unaccounted for, when a brainstorm signals where four favorite placemats are located, and when 4 similar placemats in same fabric are found in a highly unlikely place: Clearance aisle at TJMaxx.

3. Downsizing calms when wrapping paper and ribbon are in plentiful supply. Hidden away under the bed in a red and green wrapping paper container are four rolls of coordinating Christmas paper and five rolls of wired ribbon. No wrapping paper anywhere else, no bows in dresser drawers, no tissue paper stuffed away in a box labeled 'tissue paper.'

4. Downsizing is fun when the baking and cooking essentials of the season are readily available and it's not necessary to unload the pantry to find and use them.

Step 1 in the downsizing process has been accomplished. Proof: when it's a challenge to find 'white elephant' gifts once stashed away on multiple closet shelves.

The Next Step: As Marni Jameson, Arkansas Dem-Gaz columnist and author of Downsizing the Family Home, said, "Life is not supposed to be a snowball of stuff that keeps growing as it rolls along."

She has two rules that struck a chord with me:
     1. Do not be a storage facility for your children or parents. If you are 65 and still have your son's Cub Scout uniform, you have issues.

     2. Those who have aging or deceased parents are not responsible for being the family museum.

I am challenged to move toward Step 2 in the Downsizing process.

Pilgrims - Before America's 1621 Thanksgiving

   

     These Pilgrims have been with me for almost 30 years.The story of why I still have Coca~Cola bottle Pilgrims is one I enjoy telling.
     Back in the day...when I taught English language and literature with a creative flair, students had the opportunity to bring something from their own imaginations to the most recent study, to show understanding of the important concepts. No need for paper and pencil.
     One of my students did not like coming to school. Period. She presented plenty of doctor's notes when she did show up. Her mom would collect assignments from the guidance office for two weeks at a time. One of the assignments in the list from me was the culminating project following the study of Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, one of the most important early pieces of English literature.
     A study of human nature and relationships among the pilgrims who traveled from London to Canterbury was shown in the classic.The characters are fictional but they offered insight into the time period and a study of the various social classes, revealed in each pilgrim's tale.
     While these two Pilgrims help with November decor every year, I remember why they grace my table. It would be downright weird to have the Wife of Bath and the Cook central to the decor for my Thanksgiving dining room table.

It started with Cinderella's Glass Slipper

Fall fashion floods Facebook. So cute. So coordinated and in great colors. 

However, check out the SHOES. They are stylish, up-to-date. 

The wrong shoes can ruin any outfit, regardless of how well put together you are from the ankle up. 

The Southern Girl’s standard greeting, “Cute Shoes! How’s ya Mama? Think _______(your team) gonna win?” originated with The Sweet Potato Queen's Book of Love. 

Jill Conner Browne inspired me to get my own crown and my own majorette boots, living life inspired by both. 

Therefore, I am on a quest for Fall’s cute shoes!

A Few Moments in Time

            First a gasp in awe. From the mountains to the prairies, to the oceans white with foam, America experienced a total solar eclipse, the first in ninety-nine years to stretch diagonally from the Pacific to the Atlantic: Oregon to South Carolina. Those who gathered to witness the Great American Eclipse cheered and applauded the celestial wonder as the shadow of the moon on the face of the sun passed over their locations. 

      Media had addressed traffic concerns and warned drivers who made pilgrimages to see totality for themselves. They forecast gridlock. Not knowing what to expect, we packed the truck for potential Super Bowl-type crowds, packed as if driving to Fayetteville for a sold-out Razorback  game. Gridlock did not occur as we drove north along Hwy 57 and Hwy 51 toward Carbondale, prepared to stop in Anna, IL, if necessary.

After a couple of hours, with the traffic being light, we chose to drive on toward Eclipse Central. While the Saluki’s football stadium at Carbondale, Illinois, was filling with ticket holders three hours before the cosmic event, other group venues offered the crowds unobstructed views from natural amphitheaters, golf courses, and private hilltops…for prices that ranged from $20.00 to $100.00 per car to park and look at the sky. We were among those eclipse viewers who avoided throngs of people. We exacted a U-turn at the stadium and returned to a little graveled area we’d spotted.

            We parked there; it was conveniently located across the road from Dollar General. Within an hour, a total of thirteen additional cars parked in that small lot. People from Lafayette, Louisiana, western Pennsylvania, Tulsa, Chicago, Dallas, New Orleans, and Heber Springs joined the spontaneous watch-party. The couple from Tulsa had vacated Kansas City the day before and St. Louis early Monday morning due to forecast storms. Across the road, the Dollar General manager planned to close her store just before totality so the employees could gaze at the sky from the vantage point of the store’s curb.

         

   Group photo ops, with everyone peering skyward outfitted in
special eclipse glasses, included lively conversations with new friends. Contributing to the festive atmosphere, the anxious solar-spectacle-pilgrims unloaded snacks, water, sodas, bug spray, and folding chairs.

           Waiting for the moon’s shadow to take a bite of the sun’s orb, people also unfolded towels to create tents, raised umbrellas to block intense rays, attempting to turn the oven to Bake rather than Broil. Feeling like chocolate chips in a home baked cookie, some of the group wandered through the weeds to find shade under scrubby trees forming a property line. Most observers hoped for a wayward breeze forecast to bring a cold front into the area.

At Saluki Stadium, the packed bleachers became a giant, scorching, crowded solarium. Some parts of Carbondale had views obstructed by large, cumulous clouds building in the afternoon heat; our observation point boasted a mostly clear sky, especially when it mattered.

            Gradually, the atmosphere began to change, appearing as if the surroundings were painted with chartreuse watercolor. Shadows forming at vehicles appeared distorted. Spectators, observing the solar event through eclipse glasses, saw the moon’s shadow as it crept across the sun’s face, creating cut-away shapes. First like a wheel of cheese with a small chunk missing, the sun soon took on the shape of the ghost-eating Pac-Man. The protective solar glasses filtered out the harmful sun’s rays so viewers could see it later look like a crescent; then, a thumb nail, as if the sun had become the moon in those familiar stages. The temperature began to fall a few degrees and someone said, “Here it comes!” Indeed, totality slowly occurred. People who witnessed this cosmic magic stood transfixed.

Words do not do the image justice. For a few moments, the day became dark enough to trigger the street lights. Venus, the evening star, appeared. The cheering crowd became quiet as the moon’s shadow completely covered the sun and the evening-like mid-day sky hushed the birds and summonsed the crickets. The sun’s corona announced itself in a flash extending over a million miles into space. A glow appeared at the horizon. At Carbondale, the eclipse lasted a whopping two minutes and thirty-nine seconds; consensus was it did not last long enough. Soon, the shadow moved on and the sun reclaimed the sky like a brilliant diamond ring; it was time to go home.

           People loaded up their cars, bid good-bye and safe travels. Before the groups headed north or south, our little crowd shared in the wonder: a spectacular experience united America, if only for a few moments in time. 

July 4, 1776: Gratitude to the French

         As the War for Independence progressed, France pledged to help the colonists’ rebellion against their arch rival, Britain, the empire that had defeated France on numerous occasions. Supporting the American Colonial Army seemed a great way to accomplish the goal of retaliation against the British. (Rather like cheering FOR whatever team is suiting up against Alabama.)

Therefore, today, in honor of America’s celebration of its declaration of independence, I am preparing a meal in salute to the French influence in America’s struggle for independence from England.The American colonies declared independence from Britain in Congress, on July 4, 1776. That’s today and for 241 years. 

         Arkansas became part of the United States in 1836, after Thomas Jefferson’s presidency made the deal with France in 1803 to purchase the land around the Port of New Orleans. To everyone’s surprise, France said, “How ‘bout y'all buying this whole goo-gob called Luzi-ana?” Jefferson said, “Ooooh, la-la! Mercy me beaux-coo!”

         The French influence in Arkansas culture is well-documented: Water: Bayou, Cache, L’Anguille, St. Francis. Mountains: Petit Jean, Magazine. Delicacy dishes: Shrimp Boil, and Shrimp & Grits. Desserts: chocolate éclair with French vanilla ice cream.

In salute to the French influence in America’s birthday celebration:

                        Geaux forth and git some of these things:

                                           ·        4 small pieces of corn, either fresh or frozen (if frozen, cook a bit ahead of time)

                                           ·        4-6 small red potatoes, quartered (use microwave to soften a bit)

                                           ·        1 Eckrich skinless sausage cut into small slices.

                                           ·         1 small package frozen small shrimp, with tails OFF or whatever type and quantity shrimp you prefer.

                                           ·        Olive Oil

                                           ·        Old Bay Seasoning
                            Geaux ahead and put it all together to rest in the seasonings because it’ll only take 30 minutes in a 400 oven.

                                   (It’s too darn hot to fire up the grill!):

                                                     1.       Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

                                                     2.       In the center of a 12x17 inch piece of foil, place corn, potatoes, sausage pieces, and shrimp. I                                                                     put all in the foil, inside a roaster.

                                                      3.       Drizzle lightly with olive oil and liberally sprinkle with Old Bay Seasoning.

                                                     4.       Fold the foil over the contents, lifting and sealing sides tightly.

                                                     5.       Bake for about 25-30 minutes. Carefully {the steam will be hot!} unfold  packet to check                                                                              potatoes for doneness.

                                                     6.       Self-serve (take as much as you can eat).

The Lazy Gardener

         Inspired by friends who are master gardeners, I garden in my imagination. Imagining that a Roto-tiller plows up just the right amount of ground in the shape I've sketched, I dream about gardening. Beautiful back drop, mounded plantings provide just the right colors and withstand neglect. If I could wiggle my nose and nod my head like Jeannie, I'd have several marvelous garden areas.
         Last week, I bought two gorgeous ferns, full and sprouting babies. Been watering them daily and have placed them on the deck beside the deck door, flanking a welcoming door mat, "Hello."

     
      Today, I selected 6 varying types of colorful plants for the 6 levels of shelves on the metal plant stand I bought at a neighbor's auction. I donned gardening gloves, rounded up the watering pot and fertilizer, and set to work potting the plants. Now, on each level of the plant stand is a colorful flower pot: turquoise, purple, orange, terra cotta. Each contains new potting soil and a plant that also adds color to the deck area.
         I've dug no holes, tilled no soil.
         I have flowers, nonetheless.
         I am The Lazy Gardener.

Scam Alert for the Gullible

Tired and in a hurry. These enemies of rational thought caused me to jump right down the rabbit hole into a scam.

Bottom line: be careful of the various websites that claim to be Wal-Mart.  I was price-checking with retail, Amazon, Wayfair, and Overstock, almost ready to leave the house to shop. The screen went white and a box of warning computer-ese print appeared with a Microsoft logo and telephone number.

"Crud." The print explained that my computer had been overtaken, hijacked, taken by ransom-ware, hacked. In a lower right-hand side box, Microsoft advised to call the toll-free number to take care of the problem. I tried to X-out, close the window, do everything I could think of and nothing worked. (I could not find the OFF button.) Every attempt to shut-down brought more panic on my part. Completely unnerved. I called.

A person answered the phone (should have been a tip!) and, after my technical explanation, he sympathized with me (!) and gave me a code to type in so he could help me because "That is horrible," he said. It went downhill from there. The man overtook my computer. I said, “How do I know you aren’t the hacker?” “Because,” he said, “if I wanted to, I could have all your information in 5 seconds. But if you doubt me, I’ll take you to the Microsoft web site and show you my credentials.” Which he did.  

I was not convinced of these name-serial number-code number and accounts because he had a bad spelling problem (but who am I to charge you with hacking because you miss-type “moderm” and can't spell your own last name) If anyone would have permission to misspell Morrison, it would be Jim or Bill.  Jay Morisson from Tx.

At one point, this scam artist got past my Webroot security system and told me Webroot was “incompatible” with Microsoft. Then he said, “For $149, I can fix your computer and give you a contract for free service for one computer forever. For two computers, it’ll be $199.” I was sure I had a shyster on my cell phone. I told him, “I’m not paying you anything.” 

“Are you saying you don’t want to clean and protect your computer?” 

“My computer is protected and I am hanging up.” Which I did. 

Shaking and angry, I called the Geeks who told me that most likely nothing was tampered with on my computer; it was a money scam and they had heard of this ploy. I took this new computer to them and the Geeks made sure all was well. They told me that when I typed in the code, that code opened the door to my computer.

 I’m not that stupid, but gullible is altogether different. Seeing a Microsoft logo, having not clicked on any questionable website, I was taken by surprise. At least, I stopped before I gave Jay Morisson any credit card numbers.

Beware of letting down your guard. Scams happen.

Agent 86 and Me

My action surprised me.
"Would you believe..." I caught myself talking into my watch.

Yep, held it right up to my mouth and yelled at the watch face.
Purchased from Verizon to sync with the Android phone, this Gear 2 is especially designed to keep up with me.
I always said, "I need a keeper."
Three of us laughed that we combined to form one brain.

I would often forget to turn on the volume of the cell phone ringer after church or a meeting or a movie. I'd miss calls and texts. And, I am going so fast and crazy sometimes, I leave the thing at home and then I'm really "out of pocket."
"Sorry about that, Chief!"

Now, I put on this fabulous watch (Gear 2), which reminds me to put my phone in the car or in my purse. When the watch "beeps, tweets, or whistles," I need not search through my purse or fiddle with the car's sync-radio-map screen to answer.

Today, my cell phone was working especially hard and lost its juice; the battery was in shut-down mode. I told hubby to call me on my "secret decoder watch" if he needed to reach me. I shared with him the secret decoder watch phone number and only "missed it by that much!"

(Thanks, Anne Winchester. I was confused with numbers. Thinking of Car 54, where are you! LOL)

Practice Listening 101

       With pleasure I accepted a new challenge with the Clay County Times-Democrat. The editor asked if I'd like to try my hand at reporting on school board meetings and city council meetings. "Sure," I said. "Anything to help out." The editor said he'd proof my reports and give me tips on wording, etc. I love to learn new things (not electricity or construction), so I ventured into new water. I smiled at one chairman's remark when I entered the conference room, "We are pleased to welcome a member of the Press."  "Hmmm," I thought, "That's me!"
      As the articles must be written in a different style, I learned quickly how to phrase the reports to give the facts in a readable style but without emotional words. That's part of the pleasure of writing: choosing the one right word to covey the action without "saying too much."
     Yesterday, I had a revelation.
     This new assignment is about more than learning a new writing style. It's about learning to listen.
     The assignment revives my note-taking skills, allows me to revisit sitting, listening, and writing down what is being said by others.
      I've decided that God is using this writing assignment for another lesson. "God gave us one mouth and two ears," I've heard stated.
     

New learning for me: Keep Your Mouth Closed-101.
      Imagine me sitting in on a school board meeting for over an hour, listening and writing about school policy, financial decisions, staffing, on-line course offerings, and keeping my mouth shut. Oh, how I want to share in their discussion. But, I can't. That's not why I am there. I'm there to listen and report.
      I have no experience in city government, so I give close attention to how the councils conduct business, what is important to them, what they struggle to solve. I do not raise my hand to be recognized, to share in the discussion. I'm an audience member, a reporter, and I am biting the inside of my mouth. I am there to listen and report.
     What a wonderful exercise in self-control.
     What an opportunity to practice listening without responding.
   

Milk Chocolate and Wilton Armatale

Chocolate.
    Milk Chocolate
    Hot Chocolate with marshmallows
       and whipped cream
       and caramel

Coffee.
    Cafe Latte
    Iced Coffee
Silver.
    Sterling.
    Silverplate
    Arthur Court
    Wilton Armatale


These colors chose me.
An over-abundance of choices led to an overwhelming desire to go shopping and an inability to make a decision.
However, Marvin and I have found kitchen and bathroom tile we both like, a subtle touch of glitz, and an understated palate of Brown and Silver.

Many of the items used for accent in our remodel I have owned for decades. By re-framing, pulling them out of boxes, I am giving them a new look and a new place to shine.

 Wilton Armatale coffee collection - It's going to be great on
the coffee bar in the kitchen.

 The pineapple motif has been a favorite of mine for - forever. The fountain in Charleston,
South Carolina with its oversized pineapple is iconic.

The pineapple as a symbol of hospitality speaks welcome to visitors as they enter our home at the carport. The photo of cotton I took just out Highway 49 and I framed it in a great black frame.

 The soaker tub with tile surround will be highlighted with a framed photo showcasing sunset on the Pacific Ocean. That art is from our trip in October 2015. Still going to sew some fashion curtains for the bathroom. Have not selected the fabric or style.

My vanity area has a marble countertop in "tweed"- gray and brown with some black. Silver accents with a tile backsplash, two silver-framed mirrors, and a make-up vanity complete the look.

Many things remain to be done, but we're on a roll. Pictures need to be hung in the best place with a new look.

More remodel adventures to come.

Fixer-Upper: Blame it on Joanna

A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

Give me a D - 

Route 66 and Ford plus framed puzzle

Gimme an E -   

How 'bout a C -   

Oh!----rate!

Designing mentally, making sketches can go only so far and then, the big D gene takes over. 

Decorate erupts. It bubbles out. Uncontrolled.

Fun family moments

I arranged some photos in the back entry, mudroom and
laundry room.
Wooo-Hooo!    That was fun!

Cotton, Laundry, Love

Fixer-Upper: Shower of Most Unfortunate Events

The instruction book that Marvin and I will write about installing 12"x 24" shower tile will begin with a question:  Are you a professional tile installer?
                Yes - proceed as you will.
                 No - hire a professional,
                         or return immediately to the store and exchange the tile for a smaller size.
The larger size tile is quite popular on DIY and HGTV programs. We were excited to find such great looking tile at Floor and Decor in Memphis.
                 Here are a few other tidbits for future tile projects:

The larger the tile, the greater the headache. Everything is magnified.
Out of square a bit equals out of square a bunch. Who knew.
Not I.
I thought larger tiles would cover more space more quickly.

HGTV shows don't mention the extra work required for extra size tile installation.
Chip and Joanna use subway tiles. They don't mention that they use these little rectangles because large size tiles bring quite a bit more work.
If they knew, they did not share.
 Friends don't let friends install 12 x 24 tiles.

Places of business such as Floor and Decor in Memphis, people who make a living selling tile, do not say, "Are you out of your ever-loving mind?" Instead, they suggest really heavy-duty thin-set so the tiles will not fall off the wall or ceiling. I won't even go into how heavy-duty that stuff is.
The sales folks and helpers affirm, "This tile is very popular. It's stunning in a shower. It's going to be sleek and stylish...very up-to-date."

Marvin is the master of making things work out and he's done just that.
When everything is completed, I'll post and add some photos on Pinterest.
Beautiful ideas and inspiration from Pinterest encourage DIY'ers, but rarely offer "Here's what to avoid."

Never again, though,..at least never for large size tile.

Fixer-Upper: Loving a Remodel

bath counter tops and back splash
ceiling tile for shower

Love in February and Love of a Remodel: it's all relative.
I love the selections I've made regarding bathroom vanities and sinks, tile, flooring, and back splash.

WINDOWS!

The new windows are awesome.
They made a huge difference in the overall appearance of the house.
Blinds have been selected and I really like them; they'll arrive mid-March. The curtains for the master bedroom, dining room, and two guest bedrooms are terrific. Can't wait to install the rods and hang the curtains - got grommets - very modern looking.
Kirklands has a clock that's got my name on it, but I have to determine if it "ticks" all day and all night before I commit.
Gathering family photos and rearranging them with different themes is fun and I love how those collections are going to look.
Today, I purchased a great sign made of reclaimed barn wood. The Laundry sign and a several other selections will go in the laundry area.

12 x 24 tiles are very difficult to manage. Marvin is a genius
to get this project done.

We've learned a few major lessons in the master bath. Though it's all the hot trend, "24 x 12 tile is super difficult to use."  Seems as if Chip and Joanna have no difficulty, but if you could see the mess we've made with pink/red goup for waterproofing and this thin set that's anything but thin because it's designed to be used with large tile....
All the finishing work seems endless.
And we have not even started on the kitchen.

Like I said, loving a remodel, even in February, is pushing the envelope a bit.

Fixer-Upper: The Camark Cat's Tale

     I am not, nor have I ever been, a crazy cat lady.
     Except maybe once.
     For reasons undisclosed, therapy, perhaps, I took up collecting Camark Pottery.
     Maybe because I'm from Camden and grew up with the stuff (ooops, pottery) on every flat surface of our house, there was a degree of nostalgia involved with these mid-century art pieces. There was a green cigarette box with a gosh-awful blooming rose on the lid. A few Camark ashtrays were strategically placed on side tables, one in the shape of a small skillet. A cream pitcher sported a colorful parrot handle, and a red Razorback snarled and grunted atop a football. There was more, of course.
      In an area of south Arkansas known for its winding Ouachita river and stately, sheltering pines, catty-cross Truman Road from our house, lived the Wagnon family. Their front yard boasted one of the largest pine trees in the neighborhood. On that giant pine-straw and pollen producer, forever in mid-climb, rested a now-rare Camark climbing cat. These cats were not just at Johnny's and Anna's house, they were everywhere. After all, Camark Pottery employed over 100 people in its heyday and the inventory was extensive. Camden residents owned and used Camark Pottery pieces, especially the French-influenced climbing cat.
     Noting some garish colored pieces, I thought the overall collection was knick-nacky-tacky and a real throwback to Ward, June, Wally, and the Beave. However, hunting for it, finding it, and escaping with a treasure while paying next to nothing for it was diversion. Collecting Camark Pottery provided an outlet for stress and was far less expensive than nerve pills.
      On one trip to Paducah, KY, I found the iconic S (salt) and P (pepper) shakers for a pittance. During the 1950's,the S/P pair lived on formica-topped kitchen tables all across Camden, originally designed to encourage Sales and Profit among Camark employees.  I could not, however, find a Camark Cat.
     That's when I became a "crazy cat lady."
      Telling my fellow collectors that I'd steal the cat from anyone's tree should I happen to see one along the side of the road, I had my eyes peeled for just such a treasure, anywhere and at anytime. We girls were known to screech to a halt should a treasure appear on the side of the road, as long as our hair and manicure did not get trashed.
     One day, while on a Spring Break excursion to Gulf Shores, we ventured toward a little collecting before down-right shopping the Foley Outlet Malls. In an antique shop on a back street in Daphne, Alabama, I spied a white cat with tell-tale green eyes. My knees buckled; I almost fainted. Could it be? Might I have stumbled upon an honest-to-goodness Camark Cat?
     Employing all the stealth of my candy-stealing days at my family's drug store, I moseyed over to examine the cat. No sticker, but I'd memorized Letitia Landers' book about Camark Pottery and knew in a heartbeat this cat was the real deal. How I managed to steal this collector's dream for such a bargain price is part negotiating skill, part fake disinterest, and part good humor. I think the shop owner was having a slow day and our venture into his domain provided entertainment.
     That Daphne, AL, adventure took place about 15 years ago and only today did the Camark Cat once again climb a substantial pine tree.
      In my yard this time.

Fixer-Upper: Unpacking the Dining Room

dining room

     Being able to unpack the dining room boxes today felt like a visit with long-time friends and relatives. I wrapped and packed these family treasures in early November, 2016, almost 3 months ago.
     From providing temporary residence to a washer and dryer, and an array of brim-full boxes, the dining room finally claimed its purpose. Uncle George's linen chest, two dining room chairs, and the old Regulator Clock have surfaced and are now "at home."

wedding gift

     The china hutch holds special memory-pieces like  "don't you ever sell or give away Banmama's celery dish and cake plate" which have been cherished for generations. A vegetable bowl from Mother, another from my Nana, and Gordon iced tea spoons along with a serving spoon engraved J. Ritchie complete the visit with relatives.
     Each time I look at the wedding gift from Tom and Lois, I have warm thoughts, "May Love, Joy, and Happiness be with you always!"

Camark cat

And then there's the famous "Brick Betsy" from Mrs. Plunkett's estate to my mother, and the Camark Cat which longs to climb one of our back yard pine trees. I have just the spot for him...maybe today.