Memory Lane

Now and again I will come across a photo that reminds me of my first apartment.























It was an Upper apartment with a quirky layout and odd storage space.
But I didn't have much back then, so it didn't matter much to me.
Rent was only $250 a month, so I was willing to put up with the tiny living room, and a heater in the kitchen that didn't quite reach my room with warmth.

And the bathroom was SO bohemian! This picture below reminds me of it because the ceiling was steeply slanted, and it was all clap board. Who would have ever thought that something that rustic could actually be in style right now?





















I remember hating the way it looked so much that I cut up my collection of Rolling Stone Magazines and created a giant collage of celebrities faces above the bath tub. It actually looked pretty darn cool. And I always chuckled when company would come over and comment that it was just too odd having Madonna and Springsteen watch them pee.

Would I ever go back? Hell no! I have way too much stuff now. We'd never fit! But it would be fun to just go back and furnish it in modern style to see how cool it could really look.

The master bedroom had a lot of potential. I felt rich because the previous owner had left behind a wardrobe which gave me so much more closet space. And I loved the double doors entering the bedroom. They had glass pained doors with lace curtains.
If I'd have had money back then, it would have looked quite posh.

The living room was just plain hopeless. I had an over-sized console television set that took up far too much space in that tiny room. And the curtains were actually bed sheets sewn to fit. They came with the place, and I'm embarrassed to say they sort of matched my couch. Yikes!

I've come a long way since then. But then again, that was 25 years ago. If I haven't grown in all that time, I never would!

I think the best thing about my first apartment was that because it was so small it was so easy to keep clean. Nowadays we just have too much stuff and too much space for me to keep up with.
It makes me wonder why we grow physically weaker as we grow older when we actually need more energy to keep up with what we've gained.

Leather Dreams

I've become a very big fan of Chesterfield Sofas in the past few years.
Now and again I log on to their web site and just browse and dream....

For example, the Chesterfield Mustang (above) is so amazingly Deco and yet it screams modern at the same time. But I think what makes it so alluring is the fact that this company really understands traditional upholstery techniques and is able to look forward in style and purpose.

Sigh!



















And the Phillip Stanhope Design (above) - Classic yet extraordinarily gorgeous! Just look at the quality of that leather! You find that at a furniture store in my neighbourhood!




















The RW Emmerson Collection - VERY Classic Chesterfield. Check out those sexy feet.
Any Chesterfield builder or re-upholsterer can tell you that the feet are just as improtant a feature as the sofa itself.



















The Samual Johnson is classic with a modern twist. What's not to love? Makes me want to fetch a good book and just lounge away!























This Stamford Model makes me drool as well.

And last but not least... who could refuse the opportunity to sit in THIS!


























It's not just a Sofa Company. It is a style built on tradition that will never ever go out of style.

So how did I stumble upon Chesterfield Sofas? Well, I went through a phase in my life when we had a very ugly sofa and I wanted to try re-upholstering it. Where does one begin to learn about upholstery? Why the interweb of course. Naturally, I learned that the couch I was attempting to cover should really have been chucked to the curb. The rule is if you remove fabric and batting and you find cardboard anywhere in the original insides, it was a cheap factory model to start with. But then I stumbled onto a now defunct web site called oldsofas from the UK where this company not only sold the supplies I needed to attempt covering my old couch, but they also had a groovy little business where they revived only mistreated Chesterfield Furniture. Why Chesterfields? Because they are so finely built. It was amazing to see the before during and after photos that Ruth would post of her latest projects. Some looked completely rotted and hopeless until she poured her love into them. I was so sad two years ago when they made their final web post saying that Ruth was hanging up her tack hammer for good. She was my hero!

Some day I hope to own one. When the child has grown and no longer spills. Unfortunately, this may also mean that Hubby would have to be granted his wish of having a recliner as well. It'll look like the set of Frasier. Sigh.

P.S. My first attempt at upholstery was a bust and ended up on the curb months later. But one has to start somewhere!

Dang! I think Elvis Left the Building!

I probably have more blogs bookmarked than a normal person ought to. But I never did claim to be normal.
The sad thing is, our internet went out at about the time MJ died. I was left with only a few resources to follow that entertaining tale - limited access to the internet at work, and watching Celebrity News shows on television. My poor brain!!!

But now that we're back up and running, I'm surfing all of my favourite blogs, and have found that many of the features that made me love such blogs have been changed by the hosts. The fun part about visiting It's Lovely, I'll Take It was actually looking at the listings she found the humorous photos from. Now, she no longer provides a link! Why bother?

And it looks like Anna over at Door 16 is taking a break from major home reno chores and has instead chosen to accent the things she has already completed. Wah!

And YouTube removed my Most Favourite Andy Gibb video! (Don't laugh! He was DREAMY! LOL!)

At least The Superficial hasn't let me down. He's still filling his blog with wisdom and grit. Good man! He urged a good guffaw out of me when he mentioned that Kate of John and Kate Makes Eight is now sporting the Divorced Woman's Reverse FeMullet! Aptly put! That is one hairdo you will never see on my head!

I did a lot of beading while the net was down. And I'm still beading whilst catching up on television shows that I'm missing due to Hubby being home mending. Trust me. It's easier. Oh so much easier. Not the beading, the watching shows on the net part. The beading comes in play because I just can't sit and veg while watching a TV show. I have to keep busy. Or maybe I just need a refill on my Lorazepam. Yeah. That.

Meanwhile, my house plants had been worried that I'm going to re-pot them all out of boredom. I have a veritible jungle started. When I water on Saturdays, I go through 3 gallons of water on them because there is somewhere around 15 plants vying for my affection. And now that we have the net back, I can actually try to identify my latest horticultural acquisition. It had lots of flowers when I got it. Now, it's going dormant, whispering "put me in a bigger pot!" And I'm always starting clippings just because it's fun to do so. Anyone need a Pothos? I have some ready to plant.

I guess it's time to visit the hardware store next weekend for more dirt and bigger pots. And maybe now that the growing season is ending, I'll bet I'll see prices fall a bit.

In retrospect, I guess going without the net has helped me to become less obsessed with it. It's still fun. Don't get me wrong. And I could still spend hours on YouTube. But it's not so feverent.

I read today that kids who put in too many hours playing video games are more likely to become more susceptible to addictions in adulthood. I suppose I ought to stop mixing The Child Jim Beam and Cokes while he's building stuff on Roblox! (Joking!!!! I would NEVER waste my Beam on someone who wouldn't appreciate it!)

Such a Journey!!!

Hello, faithful readers!
Just wanted to let you know that we're finally back on line!
It's been a long journey these past few months.
I don't really have time to catch you all up right now.
I'll just give you the highlights for now...

1. Hubby had his surgery. He's still progressing. What a journey!
2. I'm going to be a grandma! Baby is due March 6, 2010.
3. School has begun and The Child is having a tough time with it.
4. Work is racing at an amazingly fast pace what with the flu season beginning early.
feckin swine flu! I'm up to here with it!!!!!
5. We have some very amazing friends. I don't know what I'd do without them.

Hugs to you all!
More updates to come!

I'm up on my soap box!

I had mentioned in my previous blog that I was going to donate blood on Tuesday.
I know there are a lot of people in this world - heck,even in my own family - who are unable to donate because they are on medications that make them no longer eligible to do so.

But I firmly believe that if a person is able to donate, they ought to give it a try at least once.
Yes, it's yucky sitting there with a big needle in your arm as you squeeze out that pint, but
since my Hubby has been on the receiving end of the blood donation scenario, we know just how
blessed a thing this is that there are people in the world who do so.

Hubby has a rare blood type. When he needed 6 pints, the blood center had to scour their network to find people in their files who had the same type and call them to donate so that he could receive it. And even then, they had to type and cross-match to be sure his body wouldn't reject it.

In watching this process take place, I also realized that when you donate, they fill the bag with a pint of blood, and have a little extra left in the tube that goes from your arm to the bag so that they can do the type and cross-match from what is in the tube so that the receiving patient will get a complete pint. I found that fascinating and appreciate all of the thought that goes into the whole process.

Those 6 people may never meet my hubby, but they saved his life. And all it took was the will to give up 30 minutes of their day to donate and then go on with their normal lives.

I try to donate every time there is a blood drive at work. And I'm glad to see they have increased the number of visits they make to my work. The rule is you can donate every 6 weeks, and they tend to show up every six weeks lately. I like that.

I know there will come a day when I can no longer give. The older I get, odds are that my blood pressure will start raising because this simply runs in my family. But until that happens, I want to take that opportunity to subtly make a difference in people's lives. It's worth it.

One very major perk is that they offer gourmet cookies to all donors! I am so in love with their Cherry Chip cookies! Yum! Who could resist that?

Okay, I'll step off my soap box now. But I do hope that my little tome will encourage somebody to think about joining the ranks of regular blood donors!

Blisters? I ain't got no stinkin blisters!

This morning was our big 5K!
I can't speak for everyone, but for me, it was a walk filled with emotion.
We all met as a group in the hospital lobby where I handed out everybody's shirts, entry numbers and a badge that said "TEAM BROOKS - walking in memory of Lionel and Marlene Brooks". Everybody suited up and we then joined the rest of the walkers to partake in this venture.

For a few extra bucks, we had the option of having a small flag along the path noting the loved ones we were walking in honour of. Tears started to well up in my eyes as I saw the names of my parents on a flag close to the beginning of our route. Somehow that made it even more profound for me.

We didn't keep the best time, In fact, we were near- to- last in the walk, but it was so worth it!
Two of my coworkers had decided to join our team and walk with us, which I think is pretty special. As we passed MMC, we were all sort of reflecting on why we were doing this. I pointed out to Robin and Jewel which window of MMC was the room where my Dad had spent the last few weeks of his life.

Robin's comment was "Wow! So this really IS about your family, isn't it?" It sure is. And I'm very honoured that my sibs and nieces and nephew were able to join us on this day, the two year anniversary of my father's funeral.

We finished the walk in one hour, four minutes and too many seconds. One of my sisters said we need to remember that so we can beat it next year. Next year! Can you believe it? They want to make it a tradition! Awesome!

As we walked back through the hospital, I pointed out a sign on a wall and said "And Tuesday, I'll be giving blood! Anybody wanna join me for that?" You could have heard a pin drop. LOL! Can't blame a gal for trying. It's just something I firmly believe in doing as long as they're willing to take it. But that's another post, another time.

After the walk, most of us stopped down at Nigl's for a pitcher of beer and some free brats. Wow did that beer taste GOOD!!!!! And the brats were tasty too! I hadn't been to Nigl's in ages, and they had just re-opened after spending two seasons repairing the damage from an electrical fire. The beautiful thing is that Nigl's has been around for 3 generations so I'm sure they had good insurance to resurrect this old building and make it even better than it was.

When I was 18, my folks used to hold what they called "Union Meetings" each Friday night. There was no business transpiring, it was just a way for family and friends to get together at the beginning of a Friday night and share stories of their week and enjoy tipping a few beverages together. As a young gal, this was the launching pad to my weekend. Mom and Dad would stay until the music got loud and would then head home, while I would have my friends meet me at Nigl's and we would be off from there to whatever adventure we were up to. So stopping there today was a fitting part of our trek.

I probably would have been in better form this morning, but this is the weekend that our good friend Doug and his Son head off to Alaska for a fishing expedition. They'll be gone for 6 weeks and we had to give them a send-off. With Hubby on prednesone, alcohol is off his diet right now. So Doug and I basically polished off a big bottle of wine by ourselves. Yum. We got home late, so I didn't really get a good night's sleep. But that's why God invented naps!

I'm quite surprised that I don't feel nearly as stiff as I expected. I'm making sure to stay hydrated, though, so my muscles will stay lubed. I know that's important. Ah! The crap you need to know as your body ages! It sucks! Ha ha!

And while I'm in here reflecting on things past, Hubby is in the back garden planting herbs and various vegetation, planning for the future! Good thinking!

I cannot imagine a world without Youtube

I love surfing Youtube. I've got so many bookmarks lately that I'm running out of tab space.
The other night, I was looking at Adele videos and came across this very beautiful Bob Dylan cover that just totally captivated me.

Well, that lead to watching other videos by her, and lead me to searching to find out who the guitarist is that plays with her at her radio station gigs.

I didn't have much luck with that, but it did help me to stumble across Jamie T.
This song, silly as it is, get stuck in my head and puts a smile on my face.
I love the extra thick Cockney English accent and the cheesy bass playing. And the lyrics are
quite catchy. The official video for the song is equally amusing.

I hope you enjoy it!