Exactly what I was looking for
September 22, 2008 | Stuff
I spent eight hours at an estate auction Saturday to get this. I’ve been looking for something for this space in my kitchen. I had something in mind but couldn’t explain it. I looked at a few things, and they weren’t quite right.
This? Perfect.
Since it was furniture, though, it was one of the very last things sold at the sale. I had all day to think about it, and I wasn’t about to go home without it.
That’s one thing I’ve missed about living in these parts — a good auction. I love the banter and standing across from someone who wants the same thing you do — bidding, nodding and mulling it over. (Not to mention wondering, “How on earth can I explain spending $150 on a hand-painted Italian coffee set?” Usually, I can’t.)
An auction is often bittersweet. It’s usually a sale of the belongings of someone who died. The woman who owned this cabinet was 97 when she died. I met someone who was her neighbor for almost 50 years. Many of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were at the sale. They actually helped me load the cabinet into my truck at the end of the day. After looking at the massive amount of belongings for sale, I got to thinking about the things the family did not sell — photos and family heirlooms — and all the things we accumulate in a lifetime.
I hope this cabinet has some happy memories attached to it. I hope to add to them over the years.
Posted by Becky @
10:50 pm |
Dear Los Lonely Boys
Hey, Henry, JoJo & Ringo!
It’s probably not really y’all’s fault, but I recently moved and had to switch cell-phone companies. You know the most important ringtone I had on my old phone? Your song Senorita (only because I couldn’t find Texican Style). You know … every time my baby calls me, I get to hear, “You’re my little senorita …” and your voices and music. Suh-weet.
But now? Nah. Something’s all messed up. Sony apparently doesn’t have an agreement with Alltel. Or you don’t. Or … oh, I don’t know. I don’t care, really. I just want the dang ringtone I paid for before. I mean, hey, it’s free advertising every time my phone rings and people within earshot hear your song … right?
So … for now, Elvis tells me how good I look when my phone rings. I ain’t got no diamonds … or LLB … but I got Elvis, baby.
Posted by Becky @
6:39 pm |
What are hedge balls, Alex?
September 15, 2008 | Stuff
Cathy was right. They’re called hedge balls here, but they’re also known as hedge apples, as she said, or Osage oranges, as Bob said, or even and horse apples, as Becky said — although, ahem, horse apples meant something different where I come from.
Other fun names include wild orange, bois d’arc, bodark (or bowdark mainly in Oklahoma and Texas), bodart (in northwest Louisiana), bodock (mainly in Tennessee and Alabama), and bow wood, monkey brain, monkey ball, monkey orange and brain fruit.
You’re supposed to put them around the house to keep the bugs away, although some governmental agency apparently gives hedge-ball harvesters a hard time because the whole bug thing is not a scientific fact. Oh well.
I take it back about sending one in the mail. Bob was right. They’re getting pretty darn disgusting. They’re slimy, and they smell worse than they look. I’m guessing it wouldn’t be the most pleasant thing to get in the mail. Besides … ewww.
In any case, here’s some fun and amusing information about hedge balls.
Posted by Becky @
10:18 pm |
Oh, deer!
I saw deer this morning at sunrise, running along the edge of the cornfield … one big one, two small ones. I guess those deer crossing signs really mean something around here.
Posted by Becky @
7:30 pm |
Books: Recent reads
September 10, 2008 | Books
Everything You Never Wanted Your Kids to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid They’d Ask): The Secrets to Surviving Your Child’s Sexual Development from Birth to the Teens by Justin Richardson and Mark Schuster ~ Interesting; good resource.
The Giver by Lois Lowry ~ Kinda creepy.
Entwined Lives by Nancy L. Segal ~ Jam-packed with information. I’ll review this on You’ve Got Your Hands Full soon. Same with the next two books.
Indivisible by Two by Nancy L. Segal ~ A more in-depth look at some of the people Segal interviewed for twin studies.
Identical Strangers by Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein ~ An incredible story of separation and reunion of identical twin sisters.
What have you been reading lately?
Posted by Becky @
2:58 pm |
Working Mother’s Best of Congress awards
Remember back in November 2007 when Working Mother announced that it would be accepting applications for its Best of Congress awards to be given this fall? Well, that time is here. They were announced in the August/September issue, and they were celebrated at a this morning in Washington, D.C.
P.S. Carolyn B. Maloney is on the list.
If you missed how this worked with the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers, here’s some of the PR buzz about the “Best of Congress” awards.
From a press release:
Fifty members of Congress submitted applications for this inaugural award. Applicants were judged on their voting record, sponsored/co-sponsored legislation, and efforts to promote legislation that supports working families. In addition, applicants were asked to submit policies and practices within their own offices that support working families and flexible workplace options.
From FAQs about the awards:
Q: What will they get when they win?
A: Winning Members of Congress will be:
• Profiled in the September 2008 issue of Working Mother magazine;
• Honored at a gala dinner in September 2008.
• Highlighted in an advertisement to run on the day of the gala in the Washington Post or Roll Call and their hometown newspaper.
• Profiled in Corporate Voices’ blog on the Working Mother website;
• Profiled in a press release announcing the winners;
• Highlighted on the websites of Corporate Voices’ 65 strategic partner organizations including the Society for Human Resource Management and the Conference Board.
In addition, CVWF staff will work with the Members office to highlight the award in local state media.
Q: How will this award impact a Members career or campaign?
A: Members of Congress awarded the “Best of Congress” Award will be highlighted when they win, and then again every two years as a past-winner.
Members can highlight their achievements that in Congressional updates to constituents, earned, and paid media.
Also in the FAQs: “Members will also be judged on employment practices or policies in their office that are designed to help working families.”
Listen to CEO Carol Evans speak on NPR about employees “in the trenches” of Congress working “extreme jobs” so of course things aren’t terribly flexible with those jobs. (Also on NPR with Evans were Jolene Ivey and Asra Nomani of Mocha Moms.) But, hey, not every job is made for everyone (working mothers in Congress, perhaps?), but members of Congress offer some “fun flexibility” to help their employees. Even so, they all agreed that “we need more women in Congress.” Hmm. How will that work? When Nomani criticized the lack of “family friendly” efforts in this country, Evans said, but women are excited about their jobs! Umm. OK.
The original press release
Everyone else’s press releases
Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr., D-Del.
Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio (”hometown coverage“)
Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr., D-Pa
Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, D-Conn.
Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C.
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, R-Texas
Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.
Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis. (Here’s his “hometown coverage,” written — with a byline — from a press release generated from his office.)
Sen. Gordon H. Smith, R-Ore.
Rep. Tom Allen, D-Maine
Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-Mo.
Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Conn.
Rep. Chaka Fattah, D-Pa.
Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, D-N.Y. (”hometown coverage“)
Rep. Deborah Pryce, R-Ohio
Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Wash.
Rep. C.A. “Dutch” Ruppersberger, D-Md.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla.
Rep. Allyson Y. Schwartz, D-Pa.
Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn. (announced on his Facebook page)
Rep. Ellen O. Tauscher, D-Calif.
Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif.
Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Ky.
Posted by Becky @
1:45 pm |
Tag, I’m It!
Alisa at Notre Vie Juteuse tagged me.
1. Where was I 10 years ago?
Probably living in a rental by now after selling our house and getting ready to move to Norway in a few months.
2. What is on my to-do list today?
Call about recycling (we don’t have garbage service here)
Call about the gas tank in our yard … when does it need to be filled?
Order pictures
3. What would I do if I were a billionaire?
I’m with Alisa. I would never, ever fly commercial again. I would never put my money in my old bank. I would build a home in Norway and visit often (never flying commercial, ever again, mind you).
4. Five places I have lived
Georgia
Florida
Illinois
Nebraska
Norway
5. Three bad habits
Procrastinating
Not reading instructions thoroughly
Cursing (see first two)
6. Snacks I like
Corn chips
Pretzels
Chocolate-covered peanuts
7. People I’m tagging
Anyone who wants to play.
Posted by Becky @
12:58 pm |
Project Runway is entertaining?
Who knew?
Sarah kept talking about Project Runway. I’d groan and think, “Are you kidding me?” But I’ve got all these channels now, so I recorded the show. Watched my first one tonight. One of my daughters kept saying, “Oh, they’re so pretty!” (It was the drag-queen episode.) Yeah. I might have to watch it again.
Go figure.
Posted by Becky @
10:38 pm |
Straight from the farm
September 4, 2008 | Stuff
I found these in the produce section at the local grocery store. It had a big sign that said, “DO NOT EAT!”
Know what they are?
The first person who can tell me gets one in the mail.
Posted by Becky @
10:19 pm |
Still on Eastern time
So I keep seeing this in the morning.
Oh, and we had a cold front come through. I dressed the kids in long-sleeve shirts and broke out the jackets. I just bought my first real winter jacket in years at a preseason sale. We haven’t even hit “fall” on the calendar, and I’m thinking the jackets we wore for Florida’s “winter weather” won’t cut it much longer. What happens if I don’t make it to winter before wearing that new winter coat? What will I wear for winter?
Posted by Becky @
10:16 pm |
