Wanderlust....

I don't know where I am going,

I just know I need to go somewhere!

Rabbits Reign

With the new calendar year comes resolutions, we all know how those work…oh, they don’t- plus the zodiac and the Chinese new year.  I saw a piece the other day regarding the zodiac and the fact that over the billions of years the sun and earth have slightly moved and therefore I am no longer a Gemini but a Taurus.  I don’t think so.  I have far too many traits of the Gemini to be a Taurus.   So enough of that phooey I am what I am! 

Today I read that the upcoming Chinese new year (2/3/11 this year) is the year of the Rabbit.  People born in the year of the rabbit are going to experience great wealth this coming year. Damn, I am a pig!   Just missed it by a hare!  Ha ha  The Chinese calendar is a centuries-old system based on natural elements, marked by fixed colors and assigned a dozen animals.  So it must be true!  I like to think so, except what about us pigs?  I have always been intrigued by the Chinese and their way of thinking.  Several years ago I did my best to feng shui my home.  I have a shelf of books on the subject and find the reasoning behind placement of objects fascinating.    I have my odd number of lucky bamboo growing, the love corner of my home cluttered with the objects that bring love and harmony to my life, the wealth corner, the wind chimes and the mirror placements occupy their proper locations.   A little yin and yang never hurt anyone!  Since it’s not the year of the pig, I am going to just have to make do with buying those lottery tickets in hope of having a year full of wealth.  Never mind getting a job.  The next time the pig rules is 2019, that is a long time to wait for peace and harmony.

Making it through winter with my pretty boots on.....

This has been a busy week for me, even though I am thoroughly immersed  in the bowels of winter.  This time of year is excruciatingly painful for me. It’s cold, boring and Spring is still so far away. It is how depression was born.  So, imagine how happy I was to have a week packed full of fun.  My first born daughter, child #2, celebrated her 27^th birthday.  Well, I’m not sure having your child celebrate their 27^th birthday is fun, because that is a slap into reality that you are no longer twenty something….  Nor have you been twenty something for quite some time!   In true birthday celebration form, we all gathered for dinner to celebrate.  Of course, it was Tuesday night when the driving conditions were deplorable.  We managed, and had fun at Mongolian BBQ, the birthday girls choice!  Child #4 came home for the festivities and stayed a few days.  Wednesday, another birthday celebration with my friend Rose.  It was a little belated celebration, but heck, every girl should stretch that into a birthday week after you hit the mid century mark (sorry Rose, I disclosed the decade you were born in).  We discovered a nice little spot to lunch.  Baxter’s Café right in Trafford Square.  I have been eyeing that place for several years now, wondering just what it was.  The windows are mirrored so I never could settle my curiosity by being a window shopper.  It’s attached to the church that occupies the old supermarket in that strip mall.  They have a menu similar to Panera with an array of yummy soups, salads, sandwiches and flat bread pizzas.  The young man behind the counter was delightful and we enjoyed ourselves holed up in a booth for several hours.  I think it will be my new lunch place….I went to church, are you proud of me!   Wednesday led to Thursday, which was January’s Townhall date.  My partner couldn’t make it, so I asked Laycee to join me in picking up the speakers.  I wasn’t real excited about the speaker, because quite frankly, I didn’t do my homework and until that morning, didn’t even know who I was picking up.  I received my instructions and I was off.  “Pick up Klea Blackhurst and Michael Rice at the Comfort Inn.”   Hmmmm, they don’t sound very interesting, it’s cold outside and I had to spiffy up my car the night before in the frigid weather.  Not in the mood.  I ran into the hotel lobby and there I was greeted by this woman who was a slight bit younger than me, red hair and full of energy.  She was an instant pick me up.  She had a strong cup of coffee karma.  I liked her!  Michael on the other hand, seemed a little sleepy eyed.  As they later stated, this was really early in the morning for them to perform, they are used to Broadway, and night clubs.  9am in a downriver community was a change of pace for them.  But, hey they were gonna give it their best shot.  And that they did.  A tribute to Ethel Merman. Wow, talk about a performance.  I loved it.  Klea with her booming voice and Michael so talented on the piano.  Laycee received an education on the days gone by and the entertainers of the past.  She got to meet a lot of my mature lady friends and I think she had a good time!  I on the other hand reminisced about the days when my sisters, and our neighborhood friends would perform the play Gypsy.  Belting out the Ethel Merman songs, horribly off key.  It was fun to pretend back in the day.  The ride back to the airport let us take a peek into the lives of two people who live among the glamour of NYC.  Ahhh, I envied that, or so I thought!  The day was winding down and we were invited to go up to the pilot house to listen to some music and sip a little wine.  This was the glamour of living in a small town.  We made ourselves comfortable in a dimly lit room listening to a guitar player and his drummer.  No hustle bustle, just great music, great friends and the realization that there is no place like home!  Dorothy was right.  Tonight, a little card playing, like the old folks do -and a weekend of football and some more birthday’s to celebrate.  Not a bad week for mid January!  

Silly Caveman!



“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”

Nothing lovelier than a beautiful bike... As some of you know, I have been searching for a vintage adult trike for several years!  (Is there a pattern here, I'm always searching for something!)  I had plans of wrapping it with bamboo attaching a large wicker basket to the front and back, line the baskets with a fun fabric and add a bell!   Pedal Power at its finest!  But look what I stumbled upon!  I think I have new plans for that trike!  A little modification by my "bike boy" (aka Les) and what a sweet treat it will be! As you can see, I can buy one already made up at Neiman Marcus for a mire $4500. Holy cow, that is more than I paid for my last car!  So the search has intensified for that vintage trike sitting in someone’s garage, abandoned, ignored, unwanted..... all those adjectives bring the price down!  Haha  Or maybe I will get very lucky and find one during my curbside recycling adventures!  So, "Hey Bike Boy, I have another project for you!" xoxoxo

My buy of the week!

There aren't to many things I enjoy more than setting an awesome table.  Thus my basement has been transformed into my china cabinet.  Down the two flights of stairs not only will you find my laundry room (obviously my house was built before women had a voice in the placement of this dreaded room) but you will find my collection of hundreds of dishes, serving pieces and glass wear.  My weakness.  So any embellishment I come across that can add that special detail, I jump at. 
I am also a collector of cake plates.  I love the presentation of layering food on a buffet table with the different heights of pedestal cake plates.  For about the last year I have been searching for mini cupcake plates.  I have found a few mismatched ones that I use from time to time, and some that were over my budget, so just imagine my squeal of delight when I came across these little beauties at the Christmas Tree Shop!  I have visions of a spring dinner party using these little jewels.  So, I’ve done the math, and it looks like I saved a whole lotta money!  That’s good right!  Can’t wait for the snow to melt and spring to arrive it’s going to be a beautiful table!

Miss Liz, that is!

Today is an important day at our house.  Our adopted little girl has had a bowl of food and bowl of water whenever she wants.  It has been exactly one year since she was rescued from the streets of Grand Rapids.  This little street walker ended up in a shelter cold, hungry and scared.  My, my how much has changed in a year.  She has her own wardrobe, a collar with bling, her own bowl and bed.  Lot's of lovin’ and so many cousins she never knew she had!  Life is good for little Lizzie!  She is our little sunshine and we saved her from death.  Feels good!  She is a true princess at heart!  Glitter fell on her a year ago and it hasn't lost its shine!