Accomplishments

I have accomplished much this afternoon

and

am finally able to relax

and

enjoy a bite to eat before a nice warm soak.

There were boxes of small items to be cleaned and sorted and inventoried and priced.

There was laundry to be washed, folded, hung, ironed and put away.

There was vacuuming to be done.

Dusting away some cobwebs.

There was the dishwasher to run and dishes to be replaced in the cupboards.

Just the ordinary household and work chores that we all have to cope with.

It's been a pleasant time of tidying and rearranging some pretties that I had been taking for granted.

I think I have a sweet little nest

and

am living the good life.

I enjoy refreshing my bookcase displays and counter top collections

and

organizing my closet

for the coming week.

Now

home made soup

 and good bread

and

a cup of tea.

Time to pick up my book and nestle in with my late supper

and enjoy the beauty of all that has been accomplished.

I'm so easily pleased with small touches!

Baby it's Cold Outside

Baby

it's

COLD

outside

In the negative digits here in Colorado, and the windows are icing up

inside as well as outside!

This is a day for doing 

just what you feel like doing

and keeping warm and cozy in every possible way.

I'm taking to time to count my blessings.

It's the day for building a fire if you have a fireplace

 or cranking up the thermostat

just

a

little

and brewing a pot of

 Swiss almond coffee

 and baking brownies or homemade bread.

My vegetable soup is simmering

I've lit my delightful

 Votivo 

candle

and chosen a nice thick to novel to transport me.

My music is playing in the background

I have on an extra thick pair of ski socks

and

I'm enjoying the big leather chair and the mohair throw.

I'm feeling blessed

and

warm and cozy!

Hope you get to take advantage of the day

 and do

 whatever you wish.

Neutral Position

I've been collecting textiles and other items of interesting texture 

since I was about . . .

well,

never mind how long,

but 

for a

  really

long time.

I'm a lover of textures,

and this, 

possibly,

is why I live in a world of

limited color and pattern.

Many of us collect "things" and then struggle to find the way to show these "things",

without being over run with clutter.

Containment, organization and appropriate display

are not always easy.

Harmony is delicate . . . requiring a trained eye.

A subtle and limited color palette is one solution.

I'm currently

in love

with

concrete

putty

dirt

mud

stone

and similar

"greige"

shades of taupe - y

grayish

brown.

These

 "dirty", 

muddied tones 

are

simple and calm.

Easy on the brain.

They are found everywhere in nature.

They are the neutrals I'm using in many spaces

and

 upon which

I am able to display

many collected treasures.

I find my eye searches for 

innuendo and detail

in this neutral palette.

Weathered 

barn wood

galvanized metal

river rocks

gray seashells

heather

flax

twiggy bird nests

Ahhhh . . . 

You Will Change the World

Okay,

so it's apparent that this time of year begins to be stressful for a lot of people.

I heard that yesterday was a tough one for several friends

for a variety of reasons,

and I've had 9 requests for prayer 

for people I know

who have either fallen off ladders and broken bones,

or had their two year olds hospitalized,

or been diagnosed with cancer,

or lost their job,

or had something terrible and destructive happen

in their life,

or who are just plain stressed to the breaking point due to a series of little issues.

Friendships have teetered on the brink after a lifetime,

couples have separated,

and in general it's seemed like a really hard week for a lot of people!

I cannot hope to solve any of these problems of course,

but I can address the fact that many are hurting 

and in need of an extra dose 

of

TLC

and prayer.

Here's what I propose . . . 

Go out today with the intent to be a catalyst for change 

in your circle of influence.

Now, I know you can't solve any of these problems, either . . . 

But . . . 

If I know this many folks who are having a hard time, then you do as well.

Multiply that by several tens of millions of folks around the world,

 and it all might just seem a little hopeless . . .

Now

consider that you have a sphere of influence

which includes every person you see today.

Yes, YOU!

Your smile

your gentle word

your helpful hand

the cup of coffee

or the inclusion in conversation

or whatever kindness you can afford to extend

may be the effort that saves that person in some way.

Let someone merge into traffic,

give them a hand,

touch their life in some soft way

and

it may remove the one straw that would have

 'broken the camel's back'.

A touch on the arm or the shoulder is risky in our society

and I do it every day.

Human touch is healing to the spirit.

A well chosen kindness is theraputic.

You know what I'm talking about.

Someone once did that for you.

Pass it along.

Tip the waitress a little extra,

smile at someone,

say thanks, in a big way that lets someone know their job makes a difference.

Let the person with three items get in line in front of you at the checkout counter.

Sacrifice something, for someone else's joy.

A compliment will change someone's whole outlook on life.

You might never know how much.

I challenge you to do this for a day

and to see if

you might just like it so much you do it for another day.

I will suggest that if enough of us did this for a month,

it would change the world.

To the world you may only be one person,

but to one person, 

you may be the world!

Update On My Crazy Life on Scopolamine

This might alternately have been entitled,
"THINGS I LOVE".

Day 15

If I'm counting correctly . . . 

this would be day 15 in my recovery from 

whatever the issue was

that knocked my socks off

and changed life as I know it

after my surgery.

According to my myriad of physicians.

there is nothing they can account for

that would cause my world to be tilted at approximately 30 degrees.

They claim no understanding of the spinning or the rocking.

There is no medical cause for my dizziness,

the coming and going of peripheral vision

and extreme light sensitivity.

THE FACT THAT WHEN READING, WORDS WOULD MORPH INTO STRANGE LETTER COMBINATIONS WHICH MADE NO SENSE.

Tpy vufow rhinls alpwnef suygxxl.

(I love to read.) 

And how about the fact that I still could only randomly depend upon my

 motor skills 

to eat or brush my teeth or scratch my head?

(I love to eat.)

For the most part, I used to be able to do those things.

Generally speaking.

Prior to surgery.

(I love being able to do the simple things in life, 
like wash my face without poking my finger into my eye.)

Post surgery, my speech declined to a rate of

 v..e..r..y

S . . . l . . . o . . . .w.

Now it's just s.l.o.w.

Last week I demanded,

"I want my chiropractor!"

I told Dr. Chiropractor,

"Look at my condition.

You saw me several days before I had surgery on July 18th."

"What's happened to me?"

Dr. Chiropractor listened carefully, did a series of tests, 

and told me exactly what was happening in my central nervous system.

(I love when a doctor really listens to what I'm saying.)

He has seen this sort of reaction to drugs before,

and because he has spent a lifetime studying and teaching about the central nervous system,

he has a well thought out, researched and documented

 therapeutic 

plan

 for helping my brain and nervous system recover!

Turns out there have been studies done about people who suffer this sort of drug reaction.

Who knew?

(Should someone call my neurologist?)

I don't claim to understand what's happened, but he does.

He is helping me make progress.

Now my fork gets to my mouth most of the time.

I have stopped bumping into walls.

I'm only having to correct every third word when I type.

I am able to read somewhat more easily than I could last week.  

My taste buds and sense of smell rebounded within an hour of his first treatment.

Withing several hours, my stomach began to growl and things started happening!

I was alerted by my brain for the first time in weeks that I was hungry!

After his second treatment, my speech has improved dramatically.

The metallic, poisonous taste in my mouth has all but gone away.

I'm not tripping like I was.

(I'm referring to my ability to walk 

without stumbling into or over objects.)

(I love to be able to walk)

My hands stopped shaking.

Not everything has miraculously returned to normal,

but

 I'm no longer afraid and ashamed to answer my phone 

because people won't be able to understand my speech!

Movement,

 especially in a car where landscape and light and

 other moving objects

fly past in my peripheral vision,

enhances my dizziness,

but

I can recover from that dizziness by sitting still for some time.

Calmness, stillness and dim light promote the leveling and steadying of my world.

It is still awkward to try and achieve much

in my day.

I'm puttering about the house more,

doing some housekeeping

 and personal grooming.

(I love it when I smell clean.)

Friends are driving me to doctor appointments.

I took out the trash.

I walked to my mailbox

(hey - it's a block away!)

My bed gets made.

I'm checking email every few days.

My friends are holding down the fort at 

Patina Antiques!

Bless you Anne and Deb.

Rox has been in and out delivering and shuttling inventory

and getting my deposits made.

Lisa calls me three times a day to be sure I'm still breathing and upright.

(I love my friends.)

The thought of blogging crosses my mind, but as you can see,

I haven't been achieving very much.

I have been focusing on the expedient

rather than the creative . . . 

So, today my friend Zoe took a batch of phone photos of my spaces at 

The Gallery.

She suggested they might need some consideration

because they're beginning to miss me.

I'm looking at the photos via her text message!

(I love my phone that can do text photos.) 

I called brother dearest, who has been remodeling my daughter's 

house in Evergreen while he's visiting from Florida.

(I love my family.)

Tomorrow, after being shuttled to the doctor,

I'm going to attempt my first foray into 

the world 

and see if I can lean against some solid, steady object,

 and 

give direction to these kind assistants 

who will be my hands and feet.

Perhaps . . . 

I will accomplish something creative and productive

we'll see . . .

(I love my chiropractor.)

French Soap

Many years ago, I was introduced to an incredible soap from France.

Incredible because it has it all. This soap was purported to be the reason French women have such beautiful skin.

I tried it immediately.

I loved it!

One day I was sharing my "find" with an old friend, and she claimed this was the soap her mother swore by, for removing stubborn laundry stains from delicate fabrics.

I tried that immediately.

I loved it!

I began searching for the wholesale source for these soaps, with no luck. I purchased as many at retail as I could afford, and put them in my shop.

(They sold for an unheard of price, I'm ashamed to admit.)

Women liked them so much that they came back for more . . . .

and more . . . .

Finally, I found the French source connection, and began buying wholesale.

For the past 12 years or so, I have carried these delightful French soaps at a

reasonable price.

They are chunky and natural, and loaded with lanolin

and embossed with

FRENCH WORDS!

(how much better does it get than that???)

LOL!

Recently these soaps became unavailable, and now they're back!

I should say, they're being shipped.

From France.

I recommend them. They make wonderful gifts, too!

Significant Virtues

Happy Saturday! My trip out to Kansas was pleasant, and I returned with several delightful items for the Old Glory Antiques Show!

You'll have to wait to see them, though . . . .

here are a few hints . . . .

I have a habit of collecting onesies.

I tend to pick up odd jars, chairs, pillowcases, picture frames . . .

where most sensible people choose to have matching items, or sets of things.

I like the odd plate or cup, unmatched glasses and silverware . . . the survivors.

This rough woven country curtain intrigues me.

The

texture

is lovely, but more than that,

for me, the essence of simple, unpretentious things has a decided charm.

I like to believe that this curtain was once used for some other purpose,

and now is in it's second

or third

life.

There is an honesty and vulnerability of self which we hide from others, possibly fearing that we will be laughed at, or judged to be too naive and unsophisticated. The nature of my decor may reveal much more about me than I would ever like to think.

I am, truly, a simple, unsophisticated person, at heart.

While my forebears may have had to use mismatched dishes out of necessity, and recycle dresses into aprons and quilt scraps, I choose to do so.

I love these pillows and tote bags, from a French firm, using old flour/grain/coffee sacks!

They are the ultimate in recycling and repurposing what one has.

They are also the essence of the simple life and some

very

significant

virtues.