Monday, October 1, 2018

Miscellaneous Musings No. 14

Welcome to Panoply. Today's topic is Miscellaneous Musings. I see things, hear things or do things that make me remember each for one reason or another. As random as they may seem when strung together, eventually I take time to spill them in one place through a post like this. You are more than welcome to join the conversation on any or all of these random subjects by commenting below. You're also welcome to read any or all of my past musings with this link, hereThis one is no. 14, so let me begin.......(Any links are NON-affiliate. Remember, this is an ad-free blog, always).

In the Things I Like/Love Department......
For my first musing in this collection No. 14, I couldn't love the video below any more (well, unless I was dancing in it, maybe). It is National Ballet of Spain's Antonio Najarro, Artistic Director, teamed up with men's fashion designer team, Oteyza, for the Madrid catwalk in July 2018. If you're so inclined, watch this four minute video of flamenco dance to see both the pure style of dance and a unique sales marketing technique at their finest. You're welcome.
Meanwhile, in real life, have you noticed lots of Retired Old Men Eating Out (ROMEOs) in the mornings at your local fast-food restaurants? Here's one group my sister M and I spotted while heading to Ohio on our shopping trip back in August.

Nothing like a good slip-n-slide in the summertime, right? That is, unless it happens to be on your interstate! This happened in July on I-79 in West Virginia. Apparently, someone lost some soap, and it was raining. 😨 I wasn't there or else this would be on my things I don't like list.
Recently at my local grocery store, I noticed this lighthouse in the middle of a parking lot (we are in a land-locked state). It used to be a live tree that became diseased. When life gives you lemons.......
School's back in session. Having been taught by nuns most of my life, I find this mug below quite amusing. I bet Sister Patrick wouldn't think it was so funny.
In the Garden Department.........
This is that time of year, just before the leaves die, that the kudzu weeds take on a life of their own. Pictured below is a utility pole completely covered (and then some). It looked like Bigfoot to me.
Have you ever seen remote controlled grass cutting? The photo below was taken from my riverbank (looong distance), looking across the (muddy) river, near our state capitol grounds. Those arrows point to two city workers (in green t-shirts, one at top, one at base of the steep, grassy riverbank). In their hands, they are each controlling a lawn mower (red). How cool would that be to own one of those?
I've shown you praying mantis hiding in my container plantings in a previous garden post (here) this past summer. What I didn't know is they molt! Pictured in the top half of the collage photo below is the skin I found one afternoon on the brick step near the container plant.
The bottom half of that collage above shows where the bigger praying mantis (at least that's what I'm claiming) ended up soon after - in my house on the ceiling crown molding! I nearly killed myself while on a step stool when the thing did a flying leap toward me as I was maneuvering a cup to catch him. I eventually got him out through a nearby window.

Saw this big guy below trying to hitch a ride on the buggy on the Kohl's parking lot one day.
We've had a waterlogged hot tub lid for over a year now (when Mr. P tried opening it a few months ago, the weight even snapped the hydraulic lid lift). When the vinyl covered styrofoam lid works properly, it keeps the hot tub water level and temperature even, as filled and set, respectively. Ours was damaged by Mr. P. scraping snow off hail hitting and damaging the lid, and sun exposure over time. It was finally replaced this summer, and the repair guy couldn't even lift the lid because it was so heavy with water (and the hydraulic was already broken). When I suggested slicing the lid (it folds in half) and again on top to let water escape first (I know, brilliant, right?), the guy didn't have but something similar to a tiny little Swiss knife in his toolbox. Enter moi to the rescue!
And guess where that knife came from? Yep, it was the Dollar Tree knife mentioned as one of my garden tool hacks, here. Betcha the hot tub guy stopped at the DT on his way back to his shop, ya think?
Now that it's fall, I'm rolling my change and putting it away for next year's planting. I save all the change I find, most of which comes from our walks every day.  What I don't use for my garden, I'll put toward retirement trips. 😃
In the Things I Don't Like Department.......
I do not like seeing recalls - almost daily - of things we ingest, or things our pets ingest, whether foods or medicines. Here's a checklist so you can keep up with them yourself. You may want to pin this one (from the original source, at the link provided):
U.S. Food & Drug Administration 2018 Recalls, Market Withdrawals

With kids being back in school, I noticed something new this year. I noticed parents of schoolchildren "adopting" teachers to help them out with the endless list of things they fund for the classroom themselves. Great idea. What I don't like is the failure of parents to launch their children. I actually saw a friend post on Facebook a link to an online wish list from which people could purchase supplies for her newly (college) graduated, gainfully employed school ADULT teacher DAUGHTER. Come on, man!

I do not like to get insulting offers on things I place in my antique booths, or even yard sales, for that matter. If you are that person, all I can say is have some couth. If you're a dealer making the offer, as a fellow dealer it's maddening to get an offer that's 70% of or less of an asking price. I would say that's true for just about anything that's being offered for sale. Think about it. If you were selling your home, how would you feel if someone made that kind of offer?

Where in the world do those big, bushy FAKE eyebrows come from these days? And who in their right mind thinks those are attractive? I understand a natural line drawn if you have hair loss from things like thyroidism or other conditions, but to make one's eyebrows look like this...
You remind me of this....
.....and you may as well do this
It just looks ridiculous!  In case you can't tell - I do NOT like the current bold eyebrow trend that makeup manufacturers are pushing. Ladies, please don't let your mothers, daughters or friends do this! And stop the duck lips already, puh-leaze. They remind me of those wax candy things we had as kids.
Source

And here's one more thing I don't like that's going to be blogger blasphemy to a lot of you. I do NOT like Halloween. It's okay if you do, and I love seeing how you decorate to the nines to amuse and entertain me, but I just have never liked it and I guess I never really will. I dread trick-or-treat each year, but participate because I want the candy don't want my house to be "that" house.
And even though I like getting rid of things in yard sales, I classify them right up there as the next closest thing to Halloween trick-or-treat. Everybody wants to come get something for nothing, and they want the very best of what you've got.

I'm thinking about working my way into a capsule wardrobe. My problem is letting go of everything that's in my closet(s) now that has fit me for most of my life. I just know those bold brights with shoulder pads of the 80s are coming back soon. Won't they look great with the latest, peekaboo shoulder tops? 😉 Meanwhile, Mr. P has it down pat, courtesy of L.L. Bean.
Ugh, why is accumulating so easy and purging so hard??? Except, of course, when it comes to brain dumps like this one. Then it's easy to purge my brain and prompt your reactions.

Your readership is appreciated, and your comments are always welcome.
Rita C. at Panoply

1 comment:

  1. The eyebrow thing: They startle me. They're unnatural. Creepy. Like an accident, I just can't stop looking at them. When I see them, I want to laugh. At least I nudge Katie and we have a quiet snicker and say what you did: who thinks that's attractive?

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