The Keys to My Karma*

*That's the name of my current toenail polish - but it makes a great post title, doesn't it? Click photo to embiggen.

I found all these keys on Tuesday when I was cleaning out a cabinet in the garage. All of them came from my parent's house after they died, and the last one was in 1995, so it's been over 14 years. The one on the upper right is my old skate key, and it says "Chicago Skate Co." on it. It's at least 63 or 64 years old. I got my first set of skates when I was about five.

The round thing to the left of it is a screwdriver, made to be placed on a key ring. I used to have it on my key ring and then took it off. Of course, I needed it the day after I removed it. (and then misplaced it). Always happens, doesn't it? I think you can read it if you click to enlarge. The opposite side has a four-leaf-clover and says Made in U.S.A.

The one in the middle, with a "handle" is a clock key. It says PM (enclosed in a circle) and the words Made in West Germany, with the number "7" on the opposite side. The key just to the lower left of the skate key says Atkinson Long Mfg. Co. New York, NY, with the number T6662. The opposite side says "Everlasting Lock".

Two of the skeleton keys say "Corbin" ; one has the number P12 and the other says H50.

Thanks to a tip I got from Grannymar on Wednesday, some of these keys will be spray painted, and hung on my Christmas Tree with ribbons come December.

I wish I'd remembered this during the election.....

I found some interesting old stuff when I was cleaning out the file cabinet in the garage. I wish I'd been able to post this during the election. I'm sure it would have been perfect for both sides!!

Click to enlarge!

I bought a package of these bags many years ago, and I still have six of them. You want one?

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At the dump this week, I ran into one of my neighbors whom I don't see often. She's always dressed as if she's going to the White House for lunch, and today was no exception. Seems her mother passed away recently, and she's been cleaning out her home. I remember going through that when my parents died, and it's no picnic, but since my mom was such a pack rat the process did have benefits (as well as disadvantages). I did most of that work alone, but I still could be heard to say...."Where on earth did she get that?" and Why on earth did she keep it?" When I did some more cleaning and sorting in my garage on Tuesday, I found a bunch of keys that came from my parent's house - just more stuff in the long list of things with which I cannot seem to part. You'll see those soon.

Six and one-half Hours Doing What?!?

The garage cleaning-sorting-tossing out started just after 10:00 am yesterday, and with only two small breaks, I finished for the day at 4:40. These photos show you the parts I got done, and it amounts to only one half of the garage. This is where I design flowers for weddings and parties. All the supplies I need, plus inventories of vases and other supplies are resident here. The only thing I needed over the years to make it complete was running water, but that was available either in the kitchen - a few short steps away - or from the hose on the front of the house. Needless to say, no one has been able to park in here since I officially started my business - Tickle Your Fancy - in 1984. I have a small wedding this weekend, and now I have a clean, neat area in which to work.

Need any spray paint? I probably have your color.

When I am designing, I stand behind the station to the left here (the white cabinet with the cubbyholes). It has a laminate top and is okay for getting wet. I bought this piece from a business that was closing. It was their cashier's stand, and the cubbies were for invoices and receipts - but it is perfect for my knives, etc, and for watching TV.....lol

Here's a better view of my station. When I have other designers with me, they work on the tables to my left. My folding tables got so cruddy that I covered the tops with Cont*ct paper, and I re-do them every year. When the weather is good, I open the garage door, which is very nice - not only for the fresh air - but because I admit to being nosy, and that way I can see anyone who drives into the cul-de-sac.

You wouldn't believe the pile of stuff I packed into my car for transport to the county dump today. I should have taken a photo of it before I packed it. I have been saving plastic wares for years; margarine tubs and the like, because I can use them for liners in some containers that might otherwise leak, or if the client wants to take the flowers, but not the fancy container. It saves money to use them, rather than buying liners from the wholesaler. I have saved multitudes of them, and I know now that I will never be able to use them all in my lifetime. So, off to the recycle bins I go, with hundreds of those and boxes galore. I also have a tendency to save boxes, and about every 4-6 months I have to sort them and take the excess ones to the dump for recycling. I still have one other cabinet to sort through before I move to the opposite side. When I finish the other side, I will show you the whole thing. It should be much neater when I am done!

You may remember that I've mentioned recently that my excesses (saving/hoarding) have begun to weigh on me heavily. I know it might not look like I got rid of much, but it is a good start. When I close my business (probably next year), I will begin to divest my house of all this inventory. I plan to have a garage sale for both business and personal goods, advertising it to florists as well as through the usual channels. The thought of doing it is overwhelming, but I have to start somewhere. Wanna help?

Nora and the Frog

This little guy was resting on the top of the pool skimmer this morning. I think he was trying to decide if the water was too cold for a swim. I could have told him it IS!

On the way back into the house, I decided I ought to show you the newest plants. They got a late start, but I hope that by the end of August they will be lush and hanging over the sides of the pots. See how nicely they are being guarded by the green frog? His job is to keep insects at bay.

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Cat lovers and pianists should go here fast and see Nora! Then come back and tell me what you think.

Leftovers

Edit below!

Storm, on my sandals while I sit at the computer.

Are you sensing a trend? I have taken at least 8 photos of her in the same place all with different shoes.

My miniature crape myrtle has powdery mildew this year, which is odd, since we haven't had much rain. I didn't know what to do for it, but the article I found says to remove all infected plant parts. That means I have to cut back to the central stem, and since this plant is over 5' tall, I'd lose all of it and get no bloom this year. This variety blooms in late July and August. I really hate to cut it all off. What to do?!

An old friend sent this photo of a double rainbow over her home in Colorado. Beautiful!

These tiny blossoms, which look like lily of the valley, were blooming on a tree in my backyard this year. It is just off the deck at the place where the foxes came onto the deck back in the spring, so I had a hard time getting over there to take the photo. I don't know what kind of tree this is, do you? Edit: I did some research; it is a sourwood or wood sorrel tree.

Last but not least, another of my granddaughter's original art. She gave this one to her aunt because they both love the beach.

Here's hoping that each of you had a great Fourth of July and the rest of the weekend will be even better. We stayed home and read/napped/blogged/cooked/ate and will probably do the same thing tomorrow.

Look Who Came to Visit! + Happy Fourth!

We were sitting on the deck yesterday afternoon with friends Tiff and Biff Spiffy, and I kept seeing movement beyond the fence in the woods. I thought it was a large dog, but when I went to investigate, I saw a fawn. Biff spotted her sibling back a little further in the woods. The boys got out of the pool and we all gravitated toward the fence, mesmerized at the sight of this beautiful, innocent baby.

The one you see here was very curious about us, I think. She stood still and watched us for a while, and then she lay down in a patch of ivy not 3 feet behind the fence. I gave Biff the camera, and he slowly walked closer to the fence, hoping to get a really good shot of her, but his approach scared her off and she bolted into the woods behind the other one. I wonder where her parents were? I am fairly certain they would not have let the babies get this close to us had they been around. I really hope that these two were not orphaned.


We wish a happy Fourth of July to everyone, and while you are eating your hotdogs and potato salad, do not forget the reason for this day - Independence!!

Luncheon, Phones and Great Music

We went out to lunch yesterday; a slightly fancier one than usual, to celebrate our anniversary.** After telling myself twice to take the camera, I left it in the kitchen at home, so there are no photos of the scrumptious crab and shrimp cakes with crusty potatoes or the eggplant parmesan with spaghettini. And of course, no photos of the Caesar salad or the Caramel Creme Brulee either. Bummer. It was excellent and the service was good. The maitre d' placed us in what she said was the coolest booth in the place (in temperature, not socially) and we appreciated that, since outdoors, it was 91*. I recommend Brio and although I've only been to the one in Raleigh, I know they are scattered all over the country. They are worth a try, wherever you find one.
** Thanks for all the nice wishes for our anniversary!

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I posted about switching from a land-line phone to a cell phone yesterday. It was all mr. kenju's idea (you can go back one day and read the post). Since his stroke, he often has trouble with short-term memory loss. I was on my cell phone with my son this morning, and he wanted to speak to his dad, so I walked down the hall to the bedroom. Mr. kenju said, "If you'd plug that phone back in, you wouldn't have to walk down the hall to find me." I quickly reminded him that the phone plug was for the old AT&T land line, and I couldn't "plug anything in" since that line is now disconnected. It struck me as really funny that he would say that, and I laughed so long and hard that my stomach muscles fairly screamed with pain. I haven't laughed like that in a long, long time. Then he asked "What about the phone in the kitchen?" and I lost it again; laughing another 3-4 minutes. Of course, I could tell him about the phones until I am blue in the face, and he still might not remember. I think the only solution is to buy another cell phone (using the same number) and put it in his room so that he can answer that line if need be. I don't think he really thought it through when he was complaining about having to pay for that line, and had he done so, he might have decided we should keep it anyway. C'est la vie!

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Several people sent me this link in email and all music lovers should go there without fail. It is a performance of the song "Africa" by Perpetuum Jazzile, an a cappella choir from Slovenia. It starts very low, so don't turn the sound up too loudly or you'll get blown away when their volume returns.