Contributing to My Addiction

I got a package last week from my friend, Doo Yi. Packages from friends, particularly when they are unexpected, are the best. Inside I found these things.

Ohboyohboyohboy! Look at the stickers! With the Pipsticks monthly subscription Carole and Larry gave me, and the addition of these, I'm set for a bit, although, maybe not. I sent out a couple of small packages this week and those used quite a few stickers. I have a reputation to maintain, you know.

There is a pair of compression gloves which I have already used this week. They made a great difference in my achy finger joints.

I had to laugh. I went to the Itasca post office to mail a couple of flats of inspection reports. The client does not use UPS. We've asked for a UPS address and they say, "Just mail it." So, although they had 12 reports, I couldn't package them up and ship UPS. Whatever, I guess. They shipping cost is built into the cost of doing business.

But the clerks at the post office know me now. We've been at our Itasca location for 18 months and we really like it here. One of the reasons is how friendly the PO clerks are. I walked in with these two parcels and Tim says to me, "I can't accept these for mailing. There are no stickers on them." After I stopped laughing, I explained these were for work, not personal, and I didn't think my boss would like me sticking shark stickers on customer flats. "Well, okay, then. I'll take them for mailing."

I asked about the dog he was thinking of adopting. He did adopt the pit bull who had been rescued from the streets of Chicago. The poor thing had to have hip surgery and had an ear infection and was covered in fleas. A rescue group nursed him to where he could be adopted. I got to see photos. This is service, when you can stand around and talk rescuing animals and share photos of your four-legged friends.

The package arrived on a day when I was feeling achy and tired. Talk about a day brightener. I owe a bunch of people letters. I better get writing. I don't have the excuse that I don't have stickers for the envelopes.

Beverage:  Klarbrunn Black Cherry Seltzer

Deb

Perfect Gifts

Santa Baby,
Just stick some stickers under the tree
For me.
Been an awful good girl.
Santa Baby,
Hurry down the chimney tonight.

(I hope you know that song, but if you don't, here's a link to Eartha Kitt's version.)

As I age, I realize the gifts which make me deliriously happy are simple. One of them is stickers. All boxes and mailers and letters leave my house with stickers attached; unless they are mailers from Target. Those things require me to glue my stickers on. Not going to do that.

Christmas was a magical time. Carole sent me a whole bunch of stickers. I think she went to Hobby Lobby several times to accumulate this mass.

My friend, Liz, and my sister also got in on the act.

Liz's were all from Disney, thanks to her trip to Disneyland in November, and Sharyn's were all 50 cents or less.

I vowed, this year I would be better about writing people. I was gifted with some lovely note cards which don't take hours to draft a note. Thanks to this and a vow to be better about sending cards, I've used up 80% of this stash. I had to buy more stickers in March because I was running low. I put together Easter baskets for my great-nieces and nephews and bought stickers to put in those, which gave me a few more. But I realized I'd need to, probably in June, set aside some cash and hit up Hallmark. They have neat stickers, even though they are a bit pricey.

Enter Mother's Day.

The last three years, Carole has sent flowers. While very appreciated, 1-800-Flowers was not sending me good blooms. She would get a credit because the flowers would arrive with brown edges or would fail to open. After last year, she said, "I'm never ordering from them again, mom." There are a lot of things which would be great if she wanted to send me something, but she didn't ask so I didn't volunteer. When the Mother's Day card came, she said I have been gifted with a 6 month membership to Pipsticks. Huh?

Pipsticks. This is one of those subscription crate services which are popping up all over. I get a package every month. The clear mailer holds a pouch which contains stickers;

oodles and oodles of stickers;

all sorts.

I don't know if you can see them. On the left side of the keyboard are translucent colored raindrops. I'm not sure about the big rainbow piece at the bottom. It might be a place to stick stickers onto. I haven't tried to see if it's one huge sticker itself which would be awesome on the back of a mailer or flat or on the side of a box. I have a method for stickering packages and I just haven't gotten to that piece, yet.

Also included is a picture to color, a pre-stamped postcard and a newsletter, which is the heart covered paper. I sent the postcard to a friend and added the coloring page to a color book I got last year.

I am thrilled. I have not used these up. I've been really busy and haven't written a lot of letters. I sent out some parcels right before and right after Memorial Day and it was so wonderful to adorn them with stickers. It was hilarious because I sent a flat to someone who had never received a letter from me. His reaction was priceless. On the guild Facebook page he typed, "OMG! You guys! Letters from Gimm come covered in stickers!" A large number of people responded, "Yes, yes they do." The postcard is blank on the other side so you can use your stickers to create a scene. I just covered the side with anything which would fit.

My subscription runs through October. This might become my birthday and Mother's Day gift, I was told, assuming each pack stays as great as this one. In October, I'll have the rest of these to use up.

I bought these to use in achievement books when my guild goes to Disney World in October. (See below.)  I have two boxes full of stickers. We won't use all of them and the boxes are small enough to carry in my purse for stickering on the go.

This makes me so happy. I'm trying to get my life in order so I can sit down and write some notes. If I have to take boxes to the post office, I go to the one near the office. The clerks there get a big kick out of what I mail.

Beverage:  Klarbrunn Black Cherry Seltzer

Deb

Framed

Remember the minion poster I had all my guild members sign who attended the meet-up last month?

I finally framed it and put it on the wall. First step was deciding exactly where I wanted it. I have a poster from the "Who Framed Mr. Burns" The Simpsons' episode. It was in TV Guide, back when that was still an extremely popular magazine. A friend kept the poster and gave it to me. It hangs in the hallway in the house above a plaque reading, "Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons for you are crunchy and good with ketchup." I had considered moving The Simpsons poster to a different wall and putting the minion one in its place. But this is bigger than The Simpsons one and would require a readjustment of the plaque and new holes and an eventual repainting and I didn't want to mess with that.

Then, as I was leaving for work one day, I remembered how I wanted to repaint the back entry.

My kitchen has been yellow since Carole was little. The apples were added a year after the kitchen was painted. I thought one of my goals would be to repaint this space a lighter, brighter yellow, a more Minion yellow. The door frame and the back of the back door would be painted yellow. The ceiling would be painted yellow and I'd paint over the apples and put strategic minions around the space. And the old, very old, cork board, which is really just a catch all for paper junk, would go. Tell me that's inviting. I double-dip dare you. It just looks junky and I never use anything stored on the board. Time to give it away.

So Pam and I found a frame at JoAnn Fabric that I felt would work. It more than worked. Look at the space now.

What a difference a piece of art makes. I almost don't need to repaint the walls as the color complements the poster. I still think I'd like a coat of a lighter yellow just because it would give the space a fresh feeling to it. But there is not the feeling that painting HAS to be done now, you know. I can still paint through October and leave the door open so the space can breathe, if I get better and have my energy back. The cork board went to a local Veteran's group that takes donations. Someone will be happy with it.

Now, whenever I leave the house via the back door, I smile. I will stop and read the names of guild members on the poster. It makes me happy and that's what spaces in your house should do, make you happy.

Beverage:  Water

Deb

The Most Expensive Socks I've Loved

I want to tell you about something I found.

You know I love socks, the wilder, the better. Way back in September (you do remember that month, right?), on my Animal Rescue Facebook feed, a sock company was publicized for having socks for causes. If you bought a pair of special socks, all proceeds when to animal rescue. The company is called Soulmate Socks.

When the company motto is "Life's too short for matching socks", you know I'm going to pay attention.

At the time, I couldn't afford a pair. They are pricey. So, I cut some discretionary spending and had the cash to get one pair. It was really hard to decide from all the offerings.

I ordered a pair called "Cosmos".

I love color, adore color. It came down to my assigning a number to the potential pairs and then rolling a 20 sided die. (Gamers will understand.) I mean, look at all the choices.

The only thing I knew was that I didn't want ankle socks. Beyond that, any pair was going to be good.

These are so much win. They are smiles for my feet. I spent a lot of time, that first day, looking down at my riotously colored toes and smiling.

Loud? Check.
Sturdy construction? Check.
Comfortable? Check.
Washable? Absolutely check.

The only thing that prevents me from ordering more is the cost. Since colors are repeated, you can buy several pair with overlapping colors and they will go together. Or follow their mantra and just wear what you feel like.

I'm thrilled with these. They will be go-to socks now that the weather is dropping into single digits.

Beverage:  Water

Deb

Images

Here's a collection of random images taken in my travels over the past month.

This reminded me of a flamingo.

The room was dark. From the doorway, I could see the cord for the light bulb. When I turned on the light, there stood these. I was startled. I probably would have actually gasped had it been the other half of the body; that feeling that I'm being watched. This was like walking into Salvador Dali's store room.

Abandoned. Tell me you don't see the face. It reminded me of Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel, only that has a happy ending.

Built in the 1930's. How many people walked up and down these stairs? Admittedly, these went to a basement, so not all that many, but if they could talk, what would be the stories they could tell?

Autumn in Chicago. A typical tree along a busy street.

There was no spider to be seen. Given the state of the shed, I'm thinking this web dates from summer. It's been awhile since I've seen a web like this. Such beauty.

Usually, you see the old Airstream campers on the road. This one is new.

I'm not much of a camper. My dad loved to camp and we went out and about at least twice a year. It was never as luxurious as this although one year we rented a cabin for a weekend. I think it was a Memorial Day weekend in northern Minnesota. The only things I remember are that it was cold and damp and when dad tried to get the wood burning furnace going, out poured all these mosquitoes. There was a leak in the flue which had allowed rain to come into the belly of the furnace where it sat in a pool. He couldn't see the standing water, perfect mosquito breeding grounds, so when he tossed in the first sticks of wood and the kindling, the mosquitoes poured out the open door. We never rented a cabin after that. You can rent Airstreams for camping. My idea of "roughing it" is Motel 6 so this might be a step up from that.

Found on the ground while adjacent to a job site. Someone is not king of the world.

If I knew more chemistry, I probably could figure out what chemical reaction is going on here. Maybe it's just the salts in the plaster leeching out. I don't know. It's cool to see, however.

Finally, I should have saved the tag from these. I don't remember what they are but they have been a source of happiness all summer. They seem to like this pot and I love the way they drape over the side. I think I watered all of three times this year. We got enough, sometimes more than enough, so things didn't dry out.

Beverage:  English Teatime Tea

Deb

On Vacation - Friday Night Eats

On Friday night, we decided to go get something to eat. Carole had driven me through downtown Warrenton, which wasn't as spectacular as I expected.

I admit to having preconceived notions of what the downtown of an early 19th century town might look like. There would be lovingly preserved buildings, which there are. There would be stores which have been there for a long time, probably true. But there were a lot of offices and not many restaurants. There weren't many shops. It's not a downtown for parking and wandering. This is a product of the location and how the roads have to come into and go through downtown.

The city is built on rolling hills. This makes it quite picturesque. Owning to the city's age, homes and businesses are built very close to the road. It's a remnant of the time period of founding. Wide front yards just aren't that common. The road has to wind through the town, following the trail which was laid out in the years after the war of 1812. The downtown is a slight mishmash of roads and directions and not four-way stops. There are a few things to see, some eclectic and the buildings make for a lovely visage, but for tourists, it's not a downtown for them.

So, in deciding where to go for supper, we went out to the main drag, which is the highway that loops around the southeast side of the city. That's where the big box stores with their attendant strip malls have landed. We wound up at a place called El Agave. It's in a strip mall near the branch of SunTrust Bank where Carole works.

That is two chicken chimichangas with refried beans, lettuce, sour cream, guacamole and a tomato. It's topped with shredded cheese and fried.

I run hot and cold on Mexican food. I don't care for tomatoes although I do love tomato soup and sauce. I don't care for guacamole or onions or sour cream although I use sour cream in cooking. These were soooo good. Mexican food can come in huge portions but this was just enough. Yes, we had chips and salsa. Their chips could have been from a bag but the salsa looked homemade. I would heartily recommend this place to anyone in the area. It's really good and reasonably priced.

From there, we went to a Warrenton institution, Carousel.

Every town should have one of these.

Larry said the store started in the 1980's. It used to be just a truck that would park at this intersection during the summer. (It's very easy to find. Take highway 29 into town. Where 29 intersects with 211, turn left. It's right there, adjacent to a strip mall where there's ample parking.) Eventually, they built the permanent structure which is open until Thanksgiving-ish. They reopen for the week of spring break, and then open for the summer around the middle of May. He said the original owners still own the place and still work it. There were a lot of teens manning the windows and I'm thinking Carousel gave a lot of teenagers their first job.

The menu is huge.

They do have a "lunch" menu with sandwiches but you go to Carousel for ice cream. When we were there on Friday, the line for full-service was 25 people long. They have a window for ordering just ice cream cones. So many flavors. All the ice cream is soft serve. I never knew soft serve could come in root beer flavor. Larry got a vanilla cone with chocolate sprinkles. I got a chocolate dipped cone and Carole got a cherry dip.

There is a lot of outdoor seating around the place, but when we were there, it was all filled so we retreated to the car to eat. It was so good, Carole and I stopped by on Tuesday afternoon, on the way back from our adventure and I got the cherry dipped cone.

The place just exudes happiness. The pink and blue and red neon of the trim just makes you feel happy. I half expected Pharrell Williams to jump up singing "Happy". You can tell the community is hugely supportive of this, too. The "Talk of the Town" bulletin board behind Carole had listings for all sorts of community and area wide events from concerts and plays to flea markets and festivals.

It's probably a good thing I don't live out that way. I'd have to sample everything.

Beverage:  Rooibos tea

Deb

Hi Mom!

I've been home a week now after being gone a full 8 days. (Yes, a full report on the vacation will be upcoming.) The girls were watched by my friend, Pam. Mija usually came to see her when she came in the front door. Pilchard has taken a spot on the bed and that's where she stays. Sometimes she comes to greet me when I get home, but usually not. She's grown into the "oh, it's you" state. I'm not quite used to that. I still get a momentary panic when she doesn't come. Having had one cat die at home while I was at work, when she doesn't come, I worry. Then, I go into the bedroom and she's sitting on her spot on the bed looking at me, giving me that look. Every cat companion knows that look. "I'm right here. Why are you yelling?"

Pam said that toward the end of my vacation, even Mija wasn't coming in the morning. She would go into the bedroom and they would both be on the bed. She took to giving them their treats in bed. Oh the luxury. There was only one "accident" on the living room rug while I was gone, but Pam and I both knew it was no accident. It was a statement. "Mom is gone. You're not mom. I'm registering my displeasure."

Since I've been home, both have followed me around. I expected this. It's the "Don't ever leave us again" syndrome. I blogged about Pilchard over at House Panthers. She's been quite clingy since I got back.

I haven't really seen behavior changes other than following me around. I did find someone's breakfast on the hall floor this morning. The worst thing was Wednesday night. I climbed into bed and smelled poop. It smelled close but there have been some whopper stinks coming from the litter boxes this week. I settled down and rolled onto my side to get comfortable and my arm hit something soft and spherical. You guessed it. I have no idea whose idea it was to make a deposit in the bed, but I know it was because there was displeasure at my being gone. I got up and stripped the sheets, sleeping on a blanket. Yesterday, I wiped down the mattress cover and replaced the sheets.

I thought I had prepared them for being gone, but time passes differently to cats than to humans. It must have seemed like a very long time; days changing to nights and no sign of mom. There was no one to play with other than one's sister, a fact I'm seeing in growling, hissing and spitting. I haven't had a full-blown cat fight, but given how pleasant they have been lately, I'm expecting that this weekend. I've made sure the bathroom floor is clean for the inevitable isolation of someone as punishment for the snarling.

In the meantime, we are back to our usual routine. I go off to work and return home. I do a couple of chores and then sit down to watch the news or read the current book. Mija hops up next to me and "talks" to me about her day. I extend my right arm and she flops down on top of it.

It's one of the highlights of the day, actually. She purrs and purrs and kneads the blanket on the recliner or, if she's close to me, my pants. She will monopolize my hand for a good 45 minutes. Pilchard, meanwhile, jumps up into my lap and complains about disproportionate scratches until I scratch her ears and she settles down in my lap.

Wednesday was Hug Your Cat Day. I hug them every day and I do believe they know how much I love them. This fighting is, I think, just like kids in the "Mom loves me best" derby. I hugged them both on Wednesday and told them I loved them. It's hard not to want to hug them when I have this face waiting for me when I come home.

Beverage:  Water

Deb

The Bestest Place

I enjoy writing my weekly post over at House Panthers. It gives me the opportunity to take more cat photos. They know that sound of the camera and, sometimes, cooperate. I got a couple of great photos over this past month and the cold snaps we've endured.

They like to be next to me now. When I'm in the recliner, I usually have Pilchard in my lap and Mija asleep to my right. Sometimes, she climbs up onto the back of the recliner and stretches out by my head. She has a loud purr but it is so comforting.

I try to leave a chunk of time on Sunday afternoon for "lap time". I read or watch TV and Pilchard gets an uninterrupted block of time to be in my lap.

This seems to be hugely important to her. We do this at night when I come home from work, too. I sit down and watch the news. She commandeers my lap for an hour and then I make her move because I have to make supper and continue on with my evening. If, for some reason, that hour doesn't happen, she will 'yell' at me later in the evening and try to sit in my lap. Maybe it's a calming thing. Maybe it's just a ritual. Whatever it is, it's important and, seriously, what is more important than giving my cat an hour's nap time in my lap. Lowers my stress from the work day, too.

Look at that face. You tell me animals don't show emotion. She is really happy.

Beverage:  British Breakfast Tea

Deb

The Anti-Resolutions

It's that time of our lives when, as one year leaves, we look back, take stock and think about the good, the bad and the really ugly. We are assaulted with lists of what was "trending", what "needs to die", what to look for in the upcoming year, what to ignore, you name it, there's probably a list for it. We're also assaulted by articles explaining resolutions, how to make realistic ones and how to keep them. Every psychologist willing to talk to a reporter has a way to keep your resolutions. But, let's face it, even the best intended ones can be rough to integrate into life. 

As I look back over a life of failed resolutions, I decided to approach the process differently. I'm calling these my anti-resolutions or the things I will not do in 2014.

I will not learn Esperanto. I'm going to have to think of other ways to communicate with people than trying to learn a manufactured language. 

I will not learn to make haggis. It may represent a part of my heritage, but the ingredients are very hard to find. This is going to force me to cook other things for myself. 

I will not follow the Cardassians, mainly because they don't exist. No, I didn't misspell that. Google it. You'll see. I will not waste time trying to keep up with these fake celebrities. The really important people, the real rock stars, the real cinematic superstars are my friends. I will not contribute to the "cult" of celebrity. I will not buy into popularity. You'll need to pardon my cluelessness when I ask, "Justin who?"

I will not allow poisonous people to leech their relationship rot into my life. I've made excuses for a long time. I will no longer continue to make excuses. They are what they are and they are welcome to it. I will not be caught up in them. 

I will not obsess about my weight, nor will I  neglect my health. I will not miss a meal under a misguided notion that skipping cuts calories. I will not stock the cupboard with chips, crackers and cookies because I'm too tired to cook, but neither will I not buy them. 

I will not ignore the signs of depression and I will give myself latitude to cry, scream or curl up in a ball and sleep. But I will not use depression as a weapon against others. I know what that looks like. 

I will not obsess about the "I shoulds" and then beat up my self-esteem because I "should" have done x and I did y. I will not fail to realize that I am human and, as such, am prone to doing stupid things and making stupid decisions. 

I will not pretend to be an astrophysicist, a bunion surgeon or a Pullet-surprise winner, but neither will I neglect my intelligence. Learning is important to me and I've felt my gray matter declining because I don't tempt it with new ideas. So, in the interest of feeding my brain, I'll not be posting as many Facebook updates as I did in 2013. I will not pretend that social media is the way for me to stay connected. 

I will not neglect the little things that bring me happiness and joy. Toward that end, I may be less here and more out there because out there is where reality lies. 

Lastly, I will not have no hot cocoa in the cupboard. If you will excuse me now, I need to find a source of good instant hot cocoa. It's the little things that bring us joy, you know. 

Beverage:  Sparkling grape juice

Deb

I Wuvs You

After clearing everything off the deck on Sunday which was after running a bunch of errands, you can imagine that I was rather wiped out. So, I sank into the recliner, put on some Sunday afternoon movie that looked mildly interesting, picked up my current scarf project and proceeded to crochet. Pilchard settled onto the settee across the way and Mija jumped up into the recliner next to me and settled down.

Cats have this innate ability to go from wide awake to sleep in minutes, whereas I have to toss and turn before sleep comes. I can't remember what I was watching but I had been ear scratching so my arm was at my side. I felt something and looked to my right.

This is love. I'm convinced that's a smile on her face.

She's so incredibly happy. I was achy at this point. I knew I'd done a bit too much, but aches and pains go away when you are loved like this. I reclined just a bit in the chair and the next thing I knew, it was 5 p.m. I am so very blessed to share my life with these two.

Beverage:  Berry-flavored seltzer

Deb

Sunday Breakfast

Summer weather has finally arrived. The air conditioning is on and kicks in about 4:30 to keep the house a reasonably decent 80 degrees. These summer mornings are perfect for deck sitting. It's a comfortable 70 degrees at 8:30 and the deck is shaded until around 11 so I sit out there with my breakfast and read or stitch. This past Sunday, it was read.

Hot tea and fresh cut cantaloupe. The melon was so sweet and juicy. I wound up eating two thirds of it over the span of 3 hours spent reading. I pulled open the screen across the back door and that allowed a visitor onto the deck.

This was the chair I was sitting in. She stayed, very happily, behind me where I could reach up and give scratches. She went to the deck steps only once. I looked up from my book as she started down the steps. "Pilchard! No!" She backed up, jumped up into the chair next to me and didn't make any attempt to leave the deck. She spent the rest of her time outside with me lazing on the railing. She even stayed put when I'd go into the house to cut up another slice of cantaloupe.

These are the days that recharge my soul. There can be so much stress in life that we can forget to stop and breathe. For me, having the ability to stop and sit and read on a bright summer's day resets my equilibrium. Having four-footed company also helps.

Beverage:  Yorkshire Gold tea

Deb

Dawwwwwww

This is my annual June post. I realize I'm preaching to the choir of the few of you who are regular readers but, if you are so inclined, please pass this along.

June is "Adopt a Cat" month. Why should you adopt a cat?

Because they look so adorable sleeping on your right arm while you're trying to read.

Because they lower your blood pressure.

Because they give you unconditional love.

Because they will kill flies if they can catch them.

Because they will let you know where the fly or moth is by sitting below it and staring.

Because they don't need to be walked.

Because they are extremely content to be in the house even if you're sitting outside on the deck.

Because having a purring cat sleeping next to you is pretty close to heaven on earth.

And because some of them don't want anything more exotic than a box or two or three or four...

Beverage:  Lady Gray tea

Deb

Mini Luxury

You know how I love the little things, the odd things in life because it is those things that can make a person so ridiculously happy in an instant.Witness this.

The window is folded down. This is one of the reasons I'm loathe to replace the Jeep. In addition to, currently, being unable to afford car payments, I would have to special order a Jeep Wrangler with half-doors. Off-the-lot offerings do not come with half-doors. Most people buying Jeeps have no concept of removing the top half of their door. Possibly, they don't want to. But I can and that gives me a freedom completely lacking in a full-door Jeep. Yes, it's a headache and a half to get the new window covers over the windows, but when the weather turns nice, there is nothing, not one thing, more wonderful than removing the windows and tooling down the highway. On days where the threat of rain is very, very real, I can still feel like I'm topless without having to quickly (there's no such thing) put the top up when I encounter rain.

With the old top, the driver's side window was duct taped shut. You can barely see it here. I must have gone through a roll and a half over the course of last fall and winter in an effort to keep out the rain and, eventually, the snow, while I waited for the opportunity to get to Iowa and have my brother help me put on the new top. I haven't been able to unzip the driver's side window in over a year as first, the left zipper quit working and then, the right zipper quit. (Each window comes with two zippers.)

I adapted. I am really, really, really good at adaptation. It doesn't work. No matter. I'll figure something out. I went inside at the bank and fast food restaurants. There was no such thing as drive-up unless the window was off.

When we installed the new top, there was a bump in the zipper that prevented it from being opened all the way around. I thought I'd have to call Quadra Tec and ask what to do with one window unable to open. It turned out all it needed was to be in the sunshine. The canvas expanded and the zipper worked and I've had no problems at all since April. There also wasn't a desire to open the window due to the weather.

A week ago, I had banking to do. I combined that with a trip to Subway. As I was pulling into the bank parking lot, it dawned on me that I could go through the drive through. What a concept! What, for me, is a luxury! I have the window folded down and I can do all my banking without leaving my car. With the window folded down, I lose the "ledge" on which I usually rest my left arm, which is now dry because the window doesn't leak. But that just means I can do through the Dairy Queen drive-thru in downtown Wheaton and not have to contest with hordes of pre-teens loosed on an unsuspecting public at 3:30 in the afternoon on a Tuesday.

This is yet another thing to be happy about and grateful I have a brother willing and wanting to help. It may seem silly or odd, but it makes my life so much better. If I didn't have chocolate chocolate chip ice cream from Oberweise currently in the freezer, I'd head over to DQ after work. I haven't had a peanut buster in ages.

Beverage:  Water

Deb

Color!

The flowers by the deck stairs are doing well.

Some of the ones on the deck were sitting in soggy soil thanks to the inches of rain we've received in the last 3 weeks. I'm hoping I don't lose one of the geraniums due to this. I must have relieved the pot of a good quarter cup of water. A reasonably dry weekend past helped.

Any yet, the overwintered dianthus has exploded in flowers and color. The sweet potato vines are growing like the weeds in the yard and I've had to reposition several of the pots so they don't shade some other flowers. I deadheaded the marigolds and the zinnias, so, in another week, those pots will be riots of color. That is always my goal in flower planting. I want color, lots of color. It makes me happy. The day can be long and tiring, but, when I come home and pass by this container, my spirits are cheered.

Beverage:  Yorkshire Gold Tea

Deb

I Have a What?

It was the Printer's Row Lit Fest this past weekend. It could not have been better weather for it. I went on Saturday. It was clear and sunny for the whole day with temperatures in the mid-70's. I have been down there, walking amongst the throngs, when it's been 90 so the fact that it was in the 70's seemed, to me, to be a talisman for excitement and discovery. The camera went missing the evening before. Of course, I found it in the pocket of my messenger bag on Sunday, so I had to take photos with my cell phone. It doesn't look clear but trust me, there was beautiful blue sky with nary a cloud in sight.

I like to get there early because a loathe the crowds that don't allow you to look. A book fair like this, in reality, isn't a place for someone like me. I go with a list of books I am on the prowl to buy. That list, this year, included Erik Larson's most recent which is, now, 2 years old with a paperback version out; any Discworld books I haven't read and given that there are upwards of 25 in the series and I'm really not half-way through them, I should find more than a few I haven't read; and anything by Flannery O'Connor. My best friend, Patt, (not to be confused with my best friend, Pam) sent me a brilliant article discussing some of O'Connor's work. I know 'of' her, but I never took "Contemporary American Literature" while in college so never read anything she wrote. After reading this article, I need to get something and add it to the stack.

Last year, I got a Godzilla poster which, sadly, remains unhung. I just haven't found the right spot for it. So, visiting places with posters is a waste of time. I have no wall space without removing something I currently have on the wall. I have a lot of things unframed that I want displayed, so I passed those booths by. With a list of authors I wanted, I was unmoved by the hardcovers at $5 or the paperbacks at $1. And the sheer crush of people means taking the time I want to browse mean inconveniencing people behind me who also want to see what's offered. So, I wound up doing a quick scan of titles and moving on. I also wish, but I'm sure it's quite impossible, that sellers would organize their offerings better. It would save time for me. I think they feel that if everything is jumbled together, it forces you to linger, to look and will, thereby cause you to find something you didn't know you needed.

I always, always head first to one tent, Lake Claremont Press. This small press is regional publishing at its finest. If you are interested in Chicago and its history, their extensive list of books are sure to have something you will like. My interest in this publisher stems from finding, years ago, a book called "Chicago Haunts" by Ursula Bielski. I get announcements from them and I'm always excited to see what they have on offer, so my first stop at the book fair has always been their tent...except...when I can't find them.

That was the case last year. I walked all over the fair looking for their name on the tent and it was nowhere to be found. What I discovered, the next day by checking out their Facebook page, was that they had been sandwiched into a tent with three other regional presses. I must have walked by them three or four times and never saw the name on the proper side of the tent.

This year was different. Viola.

There is the Lake Claremont Press tent. Four sides of literary goodness. I walked all around looking at the books. I did get "Wrigley Field's Last World Series", a book about the last time the Cubs were in the World Series, 1945. My dad often talked about this event. It will be an interesting read.

But what I really wanted was to check on the upcoming book, "Graveyards of Chicago". I have a copy of this. I've had it for years. It's in the stack to be read. In fact, I found it, pulled it out of the stack and brought it along to show them. I enjoy Ursula's books. I'm pretty sure there are two or three on the shelf in the basement.

As I was standing there, chatting with a gal, a woman came up and I was told to talk to her. So, I showed her the book and asked about the upcoming one.

She looked at my book and said, "Oh my gosh. This is a first edition. Do you realize this sells on eBay for $100 because it's out of print?"

I was floored. (A subsequent search reveals that my pristine copy, which I hadn't gotten around to reading, was worth $150, although it could go higher if I did a bidding war on it.) I have never owned a first edition of any book. I've seen them. I've drooled over the idea of having a first edition, but usually those books are, as this lady said, $100 and up, and I can't really justify spending that kind of money on a book. To possess such a thing, on accident, left me speechless. When I mentioned that I was embarrassed to admit I hadn't even read it yet, the lady said, "Oh don't bother. The new one is coming out soon. I'm really proud of it. We put a lot of work into updating it with more accurate information." That's when it dawned on me. (I can be, admittedly, slow on the uptake sometimes.) I was talking with Ursula herself.

I hope my subsequent comments were not too effusive. I don't run in the circles where the meeting of authors would be commonplace. To actually meet the author of books I have admired and enjoyed was a thrill. I wound up buying "Chicago Haunts 3". It's the next book to be read this summer.

What was also a huge thrill for me was to have Ursula autograph my books. Here's the "Chicago Haunts 3" autograph.

And yes, I had her autograph, personally, the first edition. That does diminish its value, but I am NOT selling it. This falls into the "prized possession" category now. I have a personalized, autographed first edition AND I met the author.

I didn't find anything else at the fair and, actually, I didn't really care. This was an amazing set of occurrences. This 15 minutes made my whole day. In the grand scheme of finding things to be grateful for, I can live off this event for weeks. That might seem like hyperbole, but it's things like this that make me really happy. Now I have to make time to find the other titles I own by Ursula and arrange all of these on a shelf where they are visible.

Beverage:  Yorkshire Gold tea

Deb