Welcome to Share Your World for the week of October 15th! This week’s questions include some food, some whimsy, something opinion-based and one, just because.
What’s the biggest screw up in the kitchen that you were responsible for?
So many, I can’t even begin to list them. Before I learned to really cook, the number of inedible meals I produced makes me shutter.
Now seriously, does anyone have just ONE kitchen disaster? Aren’t there at the very least, a series of them until either (a) you get it together with the cooking thing, or (b) you realized you will never get it together and go entirely to frozen things you can cook in the mini-oven or microwave?
Gingerbread
My mother moved to “If you are that hungry, cook it yourself,” and considering her cooking, we made it ourselves. Even when we were kids, it was better to do it ourselves. She was a truly appalling cook.
What, in your opinion, makes people believe absurd conspiracy theories?
Too many hours of watching Fox News. And being Republican.
In 40 years what will people be nostalgic for?
An earth to live on.
Is a hot dog a sandwich?
Meat between bread? Why not? I think these days, they call it a “roll” because it’s in a bun.
What wonderful thing happened to you this week that you’d like to share? It can be a gratitude moment or something that just made you feel very happy at the time or made you laugh.
And finally, the big guys — my son and his friend Dave — came and installed the door. It took months between one thing and another, but it got done. Phew.
Waiting for installationPreparationThe supervisor checks to make sure it’s being done rightJust about ready
AdjustmentsYup, it’s a door!Looking out, much better lightDefinitely a door!Don’t forget the dogsTwo doors — one for humans, one for dogsAnd finally, painted. Good job, guys. Brilliant guys.
Men at work, door installed, dog door ready. Great job! Thank you and again, thank you!
“Draw, you mangy dog,” snarled Blackie. No one could face down Blackie. He had the fastest gun west of the Pecos and a really bad temper too. And a bit of a drinking problem, truth be told. When he said draw, you could run, but you could not hide.
“Blackie, I was just funnin’ with ya,” he assured him. “No, really, just messin’ around widya. Puleeze, Blackie. I got a wife. A kid. A farm. I’ll never fun witya agin. No way,” he assured him.
Blackie was having a difficult morning. Charbucks had overburned his coffee and his pumpkin spice donut was stale. His horse had bitten him and he had trouble starting the car, too.
He had a really bad headache (too much hooch?) and he was pretty sure he was already late for work. He really needed to shoot someone, but this guy was so lame.
So he shot the bartender.
Then he went to work — selling stocks and bonds. Some days are just rougher than others.
It is the middle of October and it should be the peak of the peak of the color change. Usually, Columbus Day marks the peak of the autumnal glow in New England, but summer lasted longer than usual … like a month longer than usual … and there has been an awful lot of rain.
Along the Blackstone in Rhode Island
In fact, it has been raining heavily every morning for a couple of weeks. It usually dries out by evening, but we only get a couple of hours of sunshine and until last night, we have not had a frost.
Now, of course, it’s getting cold very quickly. It was 88 degrees (Fahrenheit which translates to 31.1 Celsius) a few days ago and last night it went down into the 30s … which is a pretty big drop. During the last heavy rains, a lot of trees lost their leaves. Green leaves, falling like autumn leaves. I looked out through the leaves and I realized that even if the leaves finally began to change, there wouldn’t be enough of them left on the trees to make much of a show.
Home
Today, when the rain stopped around noon, we went out and took a few more pictures. Because our autumn is ending before it really began.
Orange maple by the Mumford Dam
Still, it’s pretty. Not glorious. Not heartbreaking with the beauty of the colors … but it’s pretty. And to be fair, we don’t have a glorious autumn every year. It all depends on the weather. If we get a cold snap at the right time and we don’t get huge amounts of rain and wind, our world glows.
Leaves on the lawn
On a year like this? Imperfect, but pretty. And along the rivers, at least the yellows are gorgeous.
I need to start out by pointing out I will not wear anything that isn’t comfortable. Gone are the high heels, tight anything (skirts, pants, sweaters, forget it!) and in is anything elastic. Even my jeans are elastic. If it doesn’t stretch, I don’t wear it.
I hate “dressy” events because I don’t own dressy clothing. I did, back when we were both working and Garry had events to which we were required to go, but now? I have some dresses, but I can’t wear shoes to go with them. And pantyhose? Seriously?
We’ve invented telephones that rule the world, but we can’t do better than pantyhose?
In my life? Color is important. Not so much in my clothing, though. I wear grey, black, tan, taupe.
Occasionally red or orange … and navy. Not a thrilling palette. But the house has color — in pictures and statues and pottery.
Q2] What is most favourite colour to wear?
Denim.
Q3] Is there a colour that you wear that brings the best out in you and in others – in so far as compliments?
Photo: Garry Armstrong –
Black.
Q4] Are you a person who likes to overdress for the day or are you a follower of the credo, less is more?
I don’t OWN fancy clothing anymore. I can’t wear dressy shoes — and I can’t balance on high heels.
So overdressing is unlikely. If it requires that level of dress? I probably won’t go.
PQ5] What are five of your best items of clothing that you simply couldn’t be without? [and l don’t mean underwear/socks]
Sleep tees in the warm weather and flannel nightgowns in the winter. And don’t knock socks. I have the world BEST sock collection.
Q6] Do you dress for the season, as in colour wise, or just throw on whatever is warm and practical?
We live in New England. I have hot weather clothing, warm weather dress, cool and chilly weather clothing, cold weather clothing, very cold weather clothing, brutally cold weather clothing, and arctic-level clothing.
PQ7] If you were going for an evening out and the dress code was ‘smart casual’ what is your ideal outfit and why?
I tell them I was sick and not go.
Happy anniversary!
Garry might go alone, but if he had to wear a tie, I doubt he’d go either.
Q8] If you were having to attend an important meeting or appointment and the dress code was smart – what would your outfit be then?
At my age, I don’t have those meetings or appointments. If they are my age, they are also wearing sweatpants.
Q9] How many pairs of shoes do you own, and what is the breakdown [as in casual, smart, evening, leisure]
More boots!
I have maybe 20 pairs of shoes, 10 of which are really old and I don’t actually wear them but they aren’t worn out, so I keep them. Mostly, I wear sandals in the summer and Uggs in the winter. In between, I wear SOCKS.
Q10] Do you have classic clothing or classic items in your wardrobe that you have had for years and never go out of fashion if so name three?
I consider it classic. Others might say I’m a slob. Sweatshirts, tee-shirts, and jeans. I’ve been wearing this same clothing since I was a young teenager. Oh, and I have not one but three Navy Peacoats.
Q11] Are you into plain colours, wild colours or outlandish designs or a mixture and which do you favour more?
Plain. Elastic. Washable. Dryable.
PQ12] Do you have a favourite quote with regards fashion or design – if so what is it?
No.
Q13] Knee high socks, ankle socks, shin socks or no socks?
Ankle socks with sticky bits on the bottom when I’m in the house. Knee high in the winter and if that isn’t warm enough, it’s too cold to go out.
Q14] Can you see the connection between colour and music and if so does it influence your dress code for the day in any way?
Not really. I wish I could say yes, but really, no.
PQ15] If you are going out somewhere special and want to listen to some music to put you in the mood whilst getting dressed up, what do you listen to? [Provide link please]
I don’t think I’ve EVER done that.
Q16] How often do you buy new clothing for the season or the year?
When I try to put on the nightgown and my finger goes through the fabric, I figure I probably need a new one. Also, as I get older and everything droops, I have to buy different sizes.
I’m also getting shorter (we shrink with age), so that’s a factor. But otherwise? I have winter and summer clothing. This is New England. It’s all about the weather.
Q17] Remember tie-dye from the 70’s was it a thing you followed, bought into or worse, how do you feel about it now?
Nope. Byt the time tie-dye was in, I was a mother working full time. I missed that whole dressing thing.
Q18] What is the brightest coloured item of clothing you have in your wardrobes/drawers?
I have an orange dress.
Q19] What is the most expensive item of clothing that you have in your wardobe? How often do you actually wear it?
I have a deep winter coat from Land’s End that cost me about $250. I wear it when the temperatures fall significantly below zero (Fahrenheit, NOT Celsius).
PQ20] Are you deleting any questions, if so which ones?
No.
Q21] Is being ‘fashionable’ important to you, or is being comfortably attired more so?
I like not looking like I just crawled out of a ditch, so clean matters. I only wear the hairy, dog-hair covered stuff at home. The dogs do not care. And anyway, Garry is similarly attired.
That’s kind of how I think of my house, these days. The roof doesn’t leak and the basement doesn’t flood. The heating system still works and I have a functional kitchen.
I even have some flowers in my wild garden.
I know it’s not going to be my personal mansion and I do not set forth from it thinking of it as the backstage area to the forestage of Life. This place is pretty much all of life and we could be doing a whole lot worse.
Today, it’s where we live, where we sleep and eat, and where we try endlessly to keep it from falling down faster than we can shore it up.
We have some lottery tickets. I could look them up, see if we got rich and I don’t know it yet. But when asked these days what we’d do with the money, I think ” A simple, bright house without steps and cleaning people to come in once a week and do the basic stuff.
It’s not just me who thinks so. No one likes it, not even the people who are paid to do it for other people. Maybe they like it the least, but I suppose getting paid makes up for something.
Last night, Garry sniffed and said: “It smells like ammonia here.”
The recently departed carpet
I knew right away what it was. A few weeks ago, my grandkid brought over a darling and completely un-housebroken puppy who — of course — pissed on the rug, directly in front of where Garry sits.
The rug before this one
I have cleaned the rug, cleaned the floor … but the dogs have great noses and they can always smell it and feel obliged to add their own personal scent at the same site. This is why I only buy cheap carpets, so even if I have to ditch them once per year, I don’t have to slash my wrists because my hand-tied woolen rug from somewhere in Asia has been ruined.
I pondered the possibility of getting the rug cleaned. It was only a 4 X 6 so it would not have been all that difficult to haul it to wherever they clean rugs (I am sure there must be a place that does it), but the price of cleaning it would be around $30. The rug only cost $40 in the first place and once the urinating has soaked it through, it never entirely comes clean.
The rug before the rug before the last one
I pointed out to Garry last night that we needed to do some cleaning, especially floors. Even though we clean up after the dogs, they can smell it. The whole urinating becomes a kind of canine party, you know?
So when the dogs started their morning barking: “GET UP GET UP GET UP,” I got up. I turned on the coffee, gave them biscuits, cleaned the water bowl. I tried to get Garry up to help with the cleaning, but he had gotten up early to put the dogs out. It was pouring again this morning, by the way, as it has been doing pretty much every morning for weeks. When Garry said he thought he might need extra sleep to compensate, I said “Whatever,” and got to work. If I waited for Garry, it would be dinnertime and we wouldn’t be done yet.
I took up the rug and its underpinnings — the thing that was supposed to keep it from sliding around on the floor. I threw it away. It stank. It was made up of some kind of sticky foam and I think it had effectively functioned like a sponge and absorbed everything. Yuck.
I rolled up the rug and pushed it off to one side of the room, got out the vacuum. Vacuumed everything. Since we’d done this a mere four or five days ago, it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. I vacuumed the living room, hallway, kitchen, then took the dustmop and cleaned behind the dressers in the bedroom, another one of those jobs which needed doing for a long time. Oddly enough, it did not disturb Garry who thinks I can’t tell if he is sleeping or awake.
Back to the kitchen, I dumped Murphy’s Oil in the bucket, let it seep into the mop, and washed all the hard woodlike floors. Then I did it again, moving all the furniture out of the way. By this time, my back was screaming at me.
All the pulling and bending was taking a toll. I emptied the bucket. Refilled it with the kitchen floor cleaner and started moving everything out the way for the next stage. I got halfway through the kitchen and realized I needed help. I was not going to get the rest of it done. It was almost noon. I figured since this big cleanup was his idea, maybe he could lend a hand.
Soon to be the new rug. It’s shabby chic, just like the rest of the place.
About an hour later, it was done. Garry hauled the old rug to the trash. I changed the covers on the sofas. Duke is shedding and being white, he leaves a trail wherever he lays his body. Which is everywhere.
Duke made out well, all things considered. When I hauled the end table out of the way, at least half a dozen tennis balls emerged. One was tossed for excessive slobbering and toothy destruction, but all the rest were salvageable. I put a few back in the box where I store new ones and gave Duke three previously lost balls. Bonanza!
That was approximately when I realized I actually couldn’t move. For all practical purposes, my back had seized.
I ordered a new rug. Another $40 plus a new non-skid pad for underneath it. I considered skipping the pad, but falling isn’t a really great idea.
I hate housework. It’s never finished. As clean as you get it today, it will need to be redone in another few days. And another few days after that. It is the task that is never finished and never completed
To participate in the Ragtag Daily Prompt, create a Pingback to your post, or copy and paste the link to your post into the comments. And while you’re there, why not check out some of the other posts too!
Now seriously, does anyone have just ONE kitchen disaster? Aren’t there at the very least, a series of them until either (a) you get it together with the cooking thing, or (b) you realized you will never get it together and go entirely to frozen things you can cook in the mini-oven or microwave?
