I received a lot of positive feedback on my first ever
post on miscellaneous musings. It wasn't intended to become a series type of post, and I don't even know how to label such posts. However, life really does seem to be a panoply of happenings, sights, and just random things. Sometimes things and events fill your bucket, and the contents need to spill. And so, I bring you Miscellaneous Musings No. 2.
I'm a lifelong fan (well, since I was 13) of James Taylor's music, and when I saw this guy in the photo below cruising down the river recently one evening with his dog on a paddleboard, I immediately thought of one of my old JT albums.
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| Paddleboarding on the Kanawha |
Here's the cover of JT's 1972 album with similar image. Wow, hard to believe that was 44 years ago, but the concept of love between man and best friend never wanes; neither does my love for JT's music.
Teddy Roosevelt was a man with a passion for all animal life. Recently, my son-in-law's nephew participated in a 4th grade wax museum, wherein the kids were challenged with choosing an American hero to emulate through costume.
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| Teddy Roosevelt Interpretive Costume |
Little did I know when, the day before these photos popped up on my Facebook feed, I was in the antique mall assisting a local gal with finding vintage items to help her daughter with a Helen Keller costume for the same event. The mom ended up purchasing a cotton half slip, crochet purse, lace collar and cuffs, and a hat from our Panoply booth - all vintage - to complete her daughter's look. Turns out, Teddy and Helen are classmates, friends, and were both part of that 4th grade wax museum. Aren't these costumes totally awesome?!
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| Helen Keller Interpretive Costume with Vintage Panoply Accessories |
Speaking of kids....remember the twin boy and the Lacrosse story from my last musing? I wish I had a video of his most recent antic, but try to visualize what I'll describe. These boys are into bikes, skateboards, hover boards, remote control cars - all the gadgets and gizmos (phones, too). While sitting at my desk, as the last time, I see this
flash! out of the corner of my eye on the avenue, outside my window one evening. I look out, and here comes the twin, riding his skateboard, but with a string attached. The string is attached to his remote-controlled car, which is pulling him -
really fast! - down the avenue! Next scene, about thirty minutes later, I was driving out of the alley and, here come the mom and the twin, walking toward me from the ER direction of the hospital....he's with his arm in a sling. The next day, when she confirmed it was the remote-controlled car and skateboard mishap, she said the twin told her, "Mom, I'm gonna make this thing go 80 miles an hour!" Close enough.
I love all my magazine subscriptions, and I've just added another one to my list of many I receive each month, thanks to Joyce Olson (aka Jemma) from
At Home With Jemma. The subscription was one of the inaugural series' gifts from the gals who team up to host the link party "Thoughts of Home on Thursdays". Wonderful southern ladies, hosting a wonderful weekly party - you should go!
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| Southern Lady Gift Subscription |
I found a few other things recently which I loved and couldn't resist buying. Part of my morning breakfast ritual consists of a mug of coffee and a big jug of water with lemon slices (I stock and cut lemons regularly). All of these items were purchased to make that part of my day just a little happier.
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| Recent WS purchases |
I only bought one mug because...well, there can only be one Queen Bee per household. Haha, I just noticed the tulips (which also make me happy) in the background of the Queen Bee mug, looking like they're potted in the mug. They are potted, but not in the mug. I bought them at the grocery for a table display, and planted them in the ground after the blooms were spent. Flowers with benefits.
Something that does NOT make me happy, and I got on my soapbox about in the last musings, is the power company's contracted tree cutting service - if you can even call it a service. Well, a couple weeks ago, I saw those guys in my alley, pulling out the cones, getting ready to have their way with my maple tree behind our brick wall. I was able to negotiate a stay of execution - for how long, I don't know. I mentioned the last time they came around (2013) they knocked on my door to notify me (and I declined their service, hiring my own), but they had not approached me this time. The guy I spoke with said there should have been someone this time, and without a signed order, he seemingly winked with his choice of words when he said he'd come back after they got my signoff. Below is a picture of my tree and their truck driving off. They're still in the neighborhood.
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| Stay of Execution for the Maple Tree |
Leave it to beavers.....speaking of trees, last fall I mentioned in
this post from November, 2015 that we suspected our sassafras saplings on the riverbank had been gnawed and carried away by the semiaquatic rodents.
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| Sassafras sapling....now you see them...now you don't |
Well, it seems the nocturnal nuisances have become a real problem for our city, as
this article explains. Thank goodness there's already a town in West Virginia named
Beaver, or I could see our current legislators trying to rename the city after the eager critters. I can still see them trying to establish a state holiday in their honor....ah, those state holidays.....
You've heard of the shoppers of Walmart, I know. Well, this yard sale shopper from the community
yard sale in which Panoply recently participated is worth another look. Maybe she was looking for a vintage hat to go with her outfit....
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| Shoppers of Yard Sales |
It wasn't even as if she needed to get to the sale early and jumped right out of bed....this was near the sale's end, toward noon! But wait.....there's more. In my post on
WV History, Geography, I mentioned the little restaurant, Tudor's, where biscuits are the famous food fare until 2 pm daily. When President Obama came to WV last fall for a
community forum on opioid addiction, he states in the beginning (at the 0:30 second mark), "one of these days I'm gonna finally try a
Two Doors biscuit". I digress, but stay with me. We eat at Tudor's frequently, and I took this picture of a customer at the counter in the winter of 2015.
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| Shoppers of Tudor's Biscuits |
Whaddya think? Is it the same lady who came to the yard sale nearly fourteen months later??!! The people of Walmart have got nothin' on this lady.
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| Hmmm......Coincidence? I think not. |
Speaking of hats, we recently celebrated my son-in-law's achievement of completing pre-clinicals for his Physician Assistant's program by attending his white coat ceremony. His sister captured this photo of him (below), standing on the school campus, with our capitol building's dome in the background. He was donning his tiny golden hat. :)
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| Tiny Golden Hat |
I leave you with this imponderable.....why is it, when, now that I'm retired, if I have more than one appointment or other commitment, the week seems so terribly busy?? I used to consistently work 10 hour days, managing nearly 60 people, and answering hundreds of emails daily. I also juggled getting my girls where they needed to be, did laundry, cooked, cleaned, shopped groceries...Sometimes I feel a little guilty when I decline invitations simply because I don't want a calendar filled with obligations. Do you get where I'm coming from? Isn't retirement a beautiful thing? Don't wanna? Okay, don't have to!
Here's hoping you have a great week, and if you're retired, a week full of any darn thing you want to do. :)
Rita C. at Panoply
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