On the Horizon

Months can pass at Doright Manor with nothing of interest happening. Okay, so occasionally I set my underwear on fire and once I sent a green bath rug to a total stranger because I thought she needed it…

https://nananoyz5forme.com/2019/09/24/beware-the-green-rug-or-be-careful-what-you-ask-for/

Sometimes, though, I have lots of good stuff on the horizon. This weekend I’m flying to Illinois to see my daughter and her family. We chose this weekend because all three of the Illinois grandkids have stuff going on: Grandson Garrett will be marching in the high school band playing saxophone just like his Nana (that’s me!) did. Granddaughter McKayla is a high school cheerleader, so I’ll get to see her in action, while the youngest grandchild, Harper, will be cheering before the game. I’m almost too excited to sleep!

But that’s not all, folks! In late October, I’m meeting a group of friends in Nashville for a weekend of shenanigans. Of course we’re all in our late 50’s to mid 60’s, so the shenanigans will be kept to a quiet minimum, but still, it will be fun.

I love having stuff on the horizon.

Peace, people!

A Wilde Find

My dear husband, Studly Doright, doesn’t quite get my fascination with estate sales. Or rather, he doesn’t understand my non-competitive attitude toward them.

I don’t arise at the crack of dawn to go pawing through the belongings of some recently deceased dowager in order to find items of value. No, I’m quite content to wander through homes looking for books and/or small objets d’art to add to my collection. Now, should I happen onto a rare first edition hardcover in mint condition, or a unique piece of jewelry, I’d likely snap it up; however, there’s a whole different mentality involved in the search for pieces of that nature.

I see these people at every sale. They arrive even before the doors open and walk around with a no-nonsense air about them. They block the bookshelves until they’ve examined every vintage book, and their bags are filled with promising finds to list on eBay.

On the other hand I wander through rooms picking up nonsensical items and looking for the next book in the Harry Potter series (currently I need book 4). This isn’t to say I never find anything that’s been overlooked by a more avid shopper, but my goal isn’t to turn a profit.

This past weekend I discovered a couple of fun items in addition to The Prisoner of Azkaban. One was a small piece of art that I thought was interesting:

The other was this book of fairy tales by Oscar Wilde.

Neither is worth much, but I couldn’t leave without them. I pictured both probably going to a Goodwill shop somewhere, and thought surely Doright Manor could provide a better home for them.

Of course at some point my kids are going to have to go through my stuff and decide how to deal with my treasures. At least I won’t be around to see how they are disposed of. I hope they’ll be treated kindly.

Peace, people.

Snapshot #269

I love a good bumper sticker, but Studly Doright frowns on me putting any on our cars. When I saw this well decorated car at my favorite vegan cafe, I was struck by a case of “Bumper Sticker Envy.” Oh, to be this visually outspoken.

☮️, people!

Uno, Dos, Tres!

My Quest:

Find and purchase copies of the Harry Potter novels

Criteria:

  • Hard cover in excellent condition
  • Purchase in order of publication
  • Purchase only from estate sales, garage sales, or secondhand stores
  • Purchase only one book at a time

Purpose:

To replace a mismatched set of Harry Potter books that I donated to a school library several years ago

Justification:

I’m a crazy person with way too much time on my hands.

Current Status:

After several weeks of searching I located book three at an estate sale in Tallahassee. I can’t explain how happy that makes me.

Fun Side Note:

Refrain from trying to explain to anyone at a estate sale or garage sale or secondhand shop what I’m doing. People look at me like I’m annoying or crazy or both..

Peace, people!

Day Tripping

Studly Doright took Friday off work, and we drove to Destin, Fl, to hang out with his sister, and her husband from Texas, and friends of theirs who are vacationing in Destin with them. While the men played golf we ladies went to see Downton Abbey. Here’s where I admit that I’d only seen an episode or two of the television series before yesterday. Shameful, I know, but I enjoyed the film. The costumes and sets alone were worth watching for two hours.

From left, Angie, me, Michelle, and Lori, waiting for the movie to begin. I’m secretly wondering if there will be light sabers used in the film. Spoiler alert: Nope.

We shopped for a bit after the movie, but I didn’t buy a thing. I couldn’t resist taking pictures of this little guy playing with the water at a splash pad in the shopping center’s courtyard.

After the guys finished their round of golf, we met them at Margaritaville for dinner. I took these photos from the dining area while we waited for our meals to be served.

We drove the two hours home after dinner and went straight to bed. I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow. Great day, though. I might have dreamt in a British accent.

Peace, people!

My Scout, My Shadow

Since Scout has been sick she’s barely left my side. When I sit, she sits. Where I walk, she follows. When I stand, she tries to coax a treat out of me. Treats are currently forbidden.

She’s so sweet. I’m not going to complain about her attempts at coercion, but I’m not going to give in to her demands, either.

Scout’s gone more than three days now without a treat, and today was a great day with no puking. I’m hoping we’ve turned Vomit Corner and are now on Wellness Street. Fingers crossed.

Peace, people.

Grace and Frankie

Netflix might be addictive. After Studly Doright and I semi-binged both seasons of MindHunter, we looked at each other, and simultaneously asked, “What next?”

So many recommendations have been offered that we are almost overwhelmed. Having watched a couple of episodes of Stranger Things at a friend’s house, I knew I wanted to watch that series, and was fairly sure Studly would like it, too. We are several episodes in, and enjoying it, even though it’s a bit too scary for my husband’s taste.

Studly had to be out of town most of this week, and I couldn’t very well watch Stranger Things without him, so I chose a series I didn’t think he’d be crazy about, namely Grace and Frankie.

In two days I’ve watched two seasons. It’s so good that I can’t find a stopping point. Studly will be home this afternoon, so I know I’ll have to put it on a back burner for a few days. But, until he arrives, no phone calls.

Peace, people!

Scout: The Inside Scoop

Our 15-year-old cat, Scout, has been under the weather the last couple of weeks.

To look at her you wouldn’t think there’s a thing wrong. She is as playful and loving as ever. Her bowel movements are normal, thanks for asking. However, she pukes. A lot. A portion of everything she eats makes a reappearance within 30-40 minutes of ingestion. Poor baby!

I took her to see the vet a week ago, and all of her vitals were normal. The doc suggested that we stop giving Scout her favorite treats to see if they were too much for her elderly system. Scout did not appreciate giving up her treats. She begged and wheedled and several times convinced Studly Doright to break the rules. I’m made of stronger stuff. I only gave in once.

This afternoon I took my Scout for a follow up visit. She’d lost a half a pound, and for a 10 pound cat that’s significant. I told the vet that Scout’s still puking a bit after every meal even without treats. She took some x-rays, and the great news is there’s no tumor.

However, one of her kidneys is smaller than the other, and her liver has shrunk. Neither of these would result in her puking, though.

The vet said Scout might benefit from a change in diet, so we’re going to try something new. She also said that maybe we could consider an ultrasound.

This is where it gets tough. My girl is 15. That’s 76 in human years. Where do we take this from here? Do I stress my kitty out with multiple vet visits, poking, and prodding? Or do we enjoy her elder years with me cleaning up vomit several times a day? Right now I think we’ll see if the food makes a difference.

Like Scout, I’m elderly. I have undiagnosed digestive issues. I’ve drastically changed my diet, and still I’m dealing with some discomfort. That doesn’t keep me from enjoying my favorite treat from time to time.

Scout’s treats look like this:

Maybe I’ll sneak her one every now and then.

Peace, people.

By, Bye, or Buy the Book

Estate sales are often the places where I buy interesting vintage pieces, but sometimes I find not-so-old stuff that could use a new home. This past weekend the estate sale pickings were pretty slim, but I did find one item that I could put to use immediately.

I know, most of you probably believe, based on my impeccable mastery of the English language and the rules of grammar that dictate its proper usage, that I would have no need for such a book. Then again, if you managed to read that last mangled sentence you realize that no one on earth needs the book more than I do.

Even if I didn’t need it, I’d still have wanted it. Words are the building blocks of life, right? Forget all that cellular level stuff, words are what make the world go ’round. One can never know enough about words.

From the very first two pages of content I could tell that this would be a valuable book.

Just look at “a while” and “awhile.” How many times have I used the incorrect word? I shudder just thinking of all the awhiles I’ve substituted for a while, and vice verse. Oddly enough, vice versa isn’t in the book, even though I’ve often seen it spelled “visa versa”.

And how about this duo: nauseated and nauseous? I know I’m guilty of using them incorrectly ad nauseam.

Plus, there’s the pesky “nip it in the bud” versus the butt. It’s always bud, by the way. No one wants to deal with butt nipping. Well, they likely won’t admit to it anyway. That could be construed as being sensual. Or is it sensuous?

Surely I have the ability to internalize this information.

I might be in love with this book. Or at least I feel affection (not an affectation) for it.

As a bonus, this newspaper clipping was tucked inside the book. I think I’d have really liked the person to whom this book once belonged.

Also, who knew there was a Grammar Man?

This purchase just gets better and better.

Peace, people!

This Sounds Like Someone I Know

I had to share this hilarious article I found on Facebook today. Friends, I promise it wasn’t me who made the news. But, oh, it could’ve been.

Peace, people!