Randomly She Rolls Along

For the record (remember? we have established that there IS a record.), I am going to list twelve random thoughts. They would not necessarily need to be random thoughts if it wasn't for the fact that random is all I have. Stringing cohesive thoughts together in a pleasing manner escapes me lately.

So, here they are:

Random thought number ONE -

I wish I were still on vacation. Last week was lovely, but I spent the majority of my time trying not to cough my fool head off. See those steps in the picture? I DID manage to climb them. And the view WAS worth it. But it caused paroxysms of hacking which caused THGGM to walk away from me so no one would know we were together. Of course, we were the only two people there, so maybe that wasn't why.., anyway.., he also had a cough. His is gone now. I am still coughing, although a bit less dramatically.

TWO -

Let it be recorded here that I have a new favorite magazine. It is Country Living - the British edition. It was my beach-reading material one warm and sunny afternoon that I spent coughing in the shade on our hotel patio. I do believe that I read every article in it. And I learned that there are more than just moors in Great Britain. Also, the ads are wonderful. I now want an English-looking kitchen with a bright red Aga range, please. The recipe section was wonderful, but I would never be able to figure out the AMOUNT I was to add to things, not that I cook or bake much, but you know how it is, when one is on vacation one forgets things like the simple fact that all one tends to cook is home made macaroni and cheese for the grandkids.

THREE -

I am successfully working my way through a stack of books. Someday, I intend to write a book. Now that I've found the perfect patio on the East Arm of Grand Traverse Bay, I like to picture myself writing a lovely memoir about the most boring person on earth, which would be me. Of course, no one would actually BUY it, but I would imagine I'd have a fabulous time writing it while a lame duck, an injured gull, a baby mourning dove and a flock of ducklings circled around me begging for the crumbs of my graham crackers. So, I'm reading a lot of memoir-type books.

FOUR -

For my birthday, I used a Cost Plus-World Market gift card to buy the cutest EVER drinking glasses. They are clear glass with two red-embossed roosters on them. Charming! THGGM seems to think that now I can stop my frantic antique store searches for the perfect 1950's glasses. No. I don't think so.

FIVE -

It's been WEEKS since I have been in my basement work rooms. I get a little bit crazy if I don't have a project going. I had been making doll clothes, but the grandkids prefer their dolls to be naked. Actually, I'd forgotten what I had been working on, and went through this blog until I found the doll clothes. Oh, yes.., that was what I was up to...

SIX -

I'm still trying to decide if I want to go with a screen door on my pantry. It would have to be special ordered, as the stock kind at the hardware store only come in two sizes, the smallest being two inches to big. Also, looking around my kitchen, one would wonder why I would want to expose more of my nonsense and foolishness (as ms. nash would say). Yet I DO think I would like a screen door on my pantry. Seriously, I DO.

SEVEN -

I want a dog. First, we would have to fence in our yard. Second, some agreement would have to take place between THGGM and me about what constitutes a dog. He would love to have a miniature dachshund. My criteria is that the breed is larger than any known rodent.

EIGHT -

My hands are numb again, and I am dropping things at an alarming rate. Yesterday, I dropped a plate full of cooked chicken that I was carrying from the kitchen table to the fridge. The juice glass I was drinking water from to swallow the medicine for my migraine slipped from my hands and landed in the sink, breaking into two jagged pieces. Next, I dropped my NEW birthday mug, which thankfully did NOT break, but the ceramic spoon that fit soooo cutely into a spoon holder on the handle broke in half. Hopefully, three's a charm.

NINE -

Someday soon I'd like to upgrade to a better digital camera. This would require that I sell something that I already have, and as I look around I don't think I own anything that would add up to the amount I would need for a really nice camera. And since I'm writing of 'things' I'd like, someday I hope to have my piano refurbished. I'm missing the clear sound of the high "D". Most likely it would be cheaper to just go out and buy a new keyboard, but I really like this piano. It is beautiful.

TEN -

Last week I spent one dollar on the sheet music for "A" - You're Adorable. Are you familiar with that song? I was not, when I bought the children's board book which only had the words. Now I have the music (which features perry como on the front) and I can actually play it! This is the part of thrift/antique shopping that I LOVE. How odd finds spread out over years link themselves together. It's amazing. Well. To ME it is.

ELEVEN -

Two years ago a sink hole suddenly appeared in our backyard. We promptly filled it with more than a dozen large bricks and all the dirt we could find. Last weekend it reappeared, and this time brought along a friend. Um. If I'm not heard from for a long period of time, could someone please come out and check the sink holes? Soon we may inadvertently have a walk-out basement. This may be the only way I'll have more natural light to work with.

TWELVE -

One might wonder how I am doing after the recent and unexpected death of my dearly loved mom. I'm not doing so well. But, I suppose that's just how it is. Last week THGGM and I were reminded of the lovely two day trip we took with my parents several years ago. We stayed in a walk-out right on the beach just a mile or so from where we stayed last week. It was a GOOD memory. Lately I've been thinking A LOT about all the support that our family was to each other during this year of losing both parents. At my mom's visitation, I was able to talk to one of my mom's cousins (she was the flower-girl in my parents wedding). She was an only child. Her mother also had Alzheimer's. Both of her parents were killed in a car accident when they were in their late 80's. I cannot imagine being the ONLY child and having to deal with all of it. Yes. I'm sure there are many benefits to being an only child, but this would not be one of them. Since it is still so recent for me, I am of course thinking about all of the insane amount of paper work, money, brain power and emotionally-taxing time spent in dealing with all things death-related. But more so as time goes on, I can't imagine not having someone to talk with about all of the 'family' related things in life. Who else would remember that trip to Gettysburg when my dad sang crazy made-up songs to keep himself awake and to drown out his daughters in the back seat singing all the verses to that song about the Titanic. Or, how he always took pictures of the four of us following the arrow that said, "Women". He used to say he planned to write a tour guide of the highway rest areas of America, as he felt he had successfully navigated to most of them, and in a hurry no less.

There. Twelve random thoughts.