It's Always Something...

An oil change and groceries were on my schedule today and when I got home, Mr. kenju met me in the garage and asked me to go under the house and listen for leaks. I walked through the yard with some trepidation; opened the door to the crawl space (which, fortunately, is a walk-in at that point) and heard not one leak but what seemed a deluge (and remember, I'm nearly deaf.) I went into the house saying...."Call Leonard."  

Leonard is our plumber. He bonded with us  almost immediately, since he and his wife  are (as I am) originally from the state of West Virginia. We've known him for several years now and he is always at the ready when we have a problem. He came around 6pm and this time, he brought his wife with him. Had I not known he was bringing his wife, I would have thought she was his daughter. This woman looks to be all of about 25 and I found out she has children older than that! She is originally from a town near Huntington, WV, about 60 miles from where I grew up. We enjoyed talking to her while he was under the house. It took him about 2 hours to make the repairs. I don't yet know what the damage was (money-wise) but I'm sure I'll find out tomorrow. I didn't ask Mr. kenju before he went up to bed - because I didn't want to lose sleep over it.

I just had a weird snack. I looked in the fridge for something I could eat quickly. I put a handful of naked pita chips in a bowl and added some leftover  crumbled pepper boursin cheese and threw a handful of blackberries on top. It was so good that I wish I had more!

Centennial Stories

Edited below.

In 1961 or 62, when West Virginia was planning its Centennial Celebrations, I was a college student. Someone (who supposedly had something to do with the planning process) asked me to design and submit a seal that could be the official state centennial seal, and used on state materials pertaining to the centennial. This was not to be the official state seal - that was adopted in 1863. The above was my submission, and it was supposed to contain items which would symbolize West Virginia's strengths. I included our state flower, the state bird, coal, the steel and chemical industries, forestry, fishing, bears, etc. I was told I'd get paid for it if my seal was selected. I never got any money or heard any more about it - but years later I saw a design they used in 1963 and it was very similar to this one.

**--**--**

Pride, like laudanum and other poisonous medicines, is beneficial in small, though injurious in large, quantities. No man who is not pleased with himself, even in a personal sense, can please others.

Frederick Saunders, librarian and essayist (1807-1902)

--**--**--

I'm off to the doctor's this morning. Catch you later!

The doc made it official - I have a sinus infection, just as I thought. I've had too many of them over the years not to know, but I was stupid to wait this long to see the doc. Now I'm on two scripts and one behind-the-counter thing that had to be signed for. I hate taking antibiotics, but hopefully they will do the trick and my headaches will go away. Thanks to all who left comments; it's so nice to know that people care.

Meme ~ Meme ~ Meme ~ Meme

My blog friend Bob-kat has tapped me with another photo meme. This is the one where you open your sixth folder and post the sixth photo in it. Since I have already done that one, I chose 2 other photos which I haven't posted yet.

Above is a dresser, mate to the bed in the photo below, that my mother bought at an auction or antique sale in West Virginia back in the 60's. It was completely black with grime and the wood was so cracked and dry it was shrinking. She put the set in the garage and waited until warmer weather, and that summer, she completely refinished both pieces. I really wish she had thought to take "before" pix, because you might not have believed your eyes. I had to lighten this photo quite a bit so that the detail would show up, but it didn't essentially change the color of it.

You can't see it here, but the foot board on this bed is just as ornate as the head board, and it has lots of grooves in it. I remember being home that summer for a visit, and watching mom use wet/dry, very fine sandpaper wrapped around a metal nail file to get down into the grooves, corners and curlicues. With her, it was a labor of love and she slept in that bed for many years before I brought it to our home.

I took these photos recently, along with a few others, to submit to Ant*ques Ro*dsh*w, since they are coming to Raleigh this summer. If one of my pieces gets chosen to be on the show, I'll let you know. Wish me luck!

Golden Oldies from the Kenju Files

NOW go over here to read something originally posted on my old blog in 2005. I hope you enjoy the re-run!

Ephemera: West Virginia Review ~ 1941

Another of my mother's keepsakes that I couldn't bring myself to toss out. It isn't an antique yet - but it is well on the way (as am I.) It has an article about all the governors of WV, starting with Arthur Boreman, who became the Governor of WV in 1863, on June 20th. The man on the cover, Matthew M. Neely, was the 21st Governor of WV.

Click to embiggen! This is a page inside the review; showing the WV State Capitol Building and the Governor's Mansion. The state capitol stands today as one of the most beautiful in the United States, with its gold dome and stately appearance.

This ad is on the inside back cover, and extols the pleasures of a hot shower (provided by electricity.)

I have always had a lot of liquids to drink every day, even when I was a kid. (No, I am not diabetic.) Offer me coffee, and I'll likely drink 5-6 cups in one sitting, if you have enough. Iced tea or water? I can down 8-10 glasses with lunch, and recently, back home for my reunion, I did just that.

My hostess and I and three of my classmates were sitting outside at Soho at the Capitol Market in Charleston. Every time the waiter came by the table my glass needed to be filled, and he willingly obliged me, at least 10 times. At the final pass before the bill was tendered, he asked if I wanted more tea, and I said no. He answered....."Well, I'm glad, because you are just going to float out of here!!" I was more amused than piqued with his forwardness. I suppose he thought that the restaurant lost money on me that day......LOL. If you ever go there to eat, have the 10" Marguerita Pizza. It is so good you'll eat the whole thing! I did.

^^^^^^^^^

Remember my fleas? They aren't going away, despite my most stringent measures, like spraying the carpets and vacuuming every other day, changing bed linen every 3-4 days, washing blankets and throws. I have become a (not so) lean, mean flea killing machine. I sit down at the computer and within seconds, I feel the familiar sting on my ankles. Reaching down, I pluck the flea from my leg and run down the hall to the bathroom, where the commode awaits. I keep a small amount of bleach in that toilet and it kills the fleas instantly. You can all say.....EWWWWWW now......I know you want to. Desperate times require desperate measures. The one bright spot is all the exercise I am getting while I run to the bathroom.


Tomorrow, I am going to call the pest control people, as well as the vet's office again. It seems obvious now that current flea meds are not effective anymore. The vet told me they might not be, since fleas seem to be developing an immunity to them. Fleas (and ticks and all other vermin) are proliferating in this heat and since we had a warm winter, they didn't get killed off as usual. I am praying for a hard freeze or two this coming winter, so maybe they won't be as bad next summer.