Sparkling Clean
We have a pool. When we were looking for a house, we weren't looking for a pool because we'd had one in Florida and it was fraught with issues. We never used it because it was under a pool cage (better with which to keep the gators and skeeters out, my dear) and in the shade, so we decided we never wanted one again. But then we found this property. It had the acreage we wanted, and a house we loved, but also came with a lovely, sparkling pool, right out in the open and in full sun. Even though we didn't want it (and even talked about filling it in - gasp!), everything else was so perfect, we decided that the pool was not going to be a deal breaker. We'd just live with it even if we...
What is Life?
I've mentioned the work of Ken Burns, the great historian and documentary filmmaker, before. To me, there is no one else who comes close to him in this genre. A while back, we watched his body of work on the National Parks. There was a couple, Margaret and Edward Gehrke, who spent every vacation traveling to, and staying in, each of the Parks. They saved their money until they could cross another off their list, and throughout all of their travels, Margaret kept a diary. Many of her diary entries served as commentary during the films and she was quite a writer. And a noticer. I ran across some quotes I jotted down while we were watching and was struck, again, by how poignant they...
Just for You
I have a beautiful vintage watch that we won in an auction when we lived in Florida. It's worked perfectly until just recently, when the stem became disengaged, and I could no longer set the time. We found a jeweler over in Dallas, who worked on this particular brand and age of watch, so we dropped it off for an estimate a couple of weeks ago. After receiving the mind-blowing number this week, we (with shock and awe) politely declined and said we'd be by to pick it up, which is exactly what I did yesterday. When we'd entered the store the first time, the snootiness was almost palpable. The man who took our information, while speaking politely enough, seem to look down on us with...
Shifting Sand
As far as the world goes, it's been a weird week. There was the President's address about Syria, which is troublesome no matter which side you're on, and then the somber remembrance of 9/11 right on the heels of it. It seems there is a rumble just under the surface of the earth, a groaning that's threatening to explode. I just read about a friend's day at her place of business. It was the day of their biggest sale of the year, and when they arrived, ready to greet the masses, they found that there was construction happening around them that had unintentionally shut down the Internet to all the businesses within a certain radius. Their entire business is run by orders placed online,...
Where Have All the Flowers Gone?
Disclaimer: Sorry. You might be singing that title the rest of the day. But, you know, there are a lot worse songs out there to have stuck in your head! On my birthday a couple of weeks ago, I received some beautiful gifts, all of which I loved. But there are a few that touched me in an especially deep way. First, was a gift from my parents. A family party, the first from them I've had since I was 16. I was surrounded by precious people I've loved all my life. My mother set the table beautifully, prayed over me, and the afternoon was filled with laughter. I loved every second. It was such a special day. Thoughtful, from the heart. At that party was a gift from my aunt. I read the...