Tag: Doright Manor

Checking on the Faeries

A couple of years ago Studly Doright and I helped our visiting grandkids build a faerie house. We carefully placed the house on a small tree stump, and then waited to see if any wee folk would move in.

At first I checked the fairy house on a daily basis with no luck, then a wise friend suggested that perhaps we should give them a little time and some space, lest we scare any potential residents away. Finally our patience was rewarded.

If you look closely in the photo above you might see a tiny winged creature to the right of the ladder.

Over time we learned to give the faerie folk privacy. Honestly, until our grandkids came for a visit in early August I hadn’t given the little guys and gals much thought. They went about their business and Studly and I went about ours. Yesterday, though, as we were working in the yard I went over to take a peek.

I didn’t see a single faerie anywhere, but just look at how much the tree has grown up around the house! Someday, after Studly and I are dead and gone, the new owners of Doright Manor may discover this little abode tucked away in the woods. I just hope they’ll give the faeries their space. Maybe I should leave a note for them, just in case.

Peace, people.

A Real Fungi

Monday is Labor Day here in the states, and Studly Doright has the day off work. Since he’d played golf on both Saturday and Sunday, Studly decided to do yard work on his holiday. I was drafted to assist. Oh joy.

My job was to drive the lawn mower around the yard and load fallen branches into the trailer while Studly used his manly skills to chop branches that were too big for me to lift. We’ve had two fairly severe thunderstorms this past week, so I filled my little trailer multiple times.

Once I’d finished my part I handed over the reins of the mower to Studly who insists that he’s better at the job than I am. Hey, I only almost backed over his foot twice today. That’s a real improvement over previous performances.

Doright Manor sits in the middle of a forest on a small lake. I grew up in the Texas panhandle where trees are few and far between, so I never get tired of exploring our woods. Today, while Studly was mowing I found this little party animal:

Yep, they tell me he’s a real fungi.

Peace, people!

How I Spent My Week

  • Around 8:30 on Thursday night I realized I had written nothing for the blog for Friday. There wasn’t even a decent draft to polish up for my readers. So, I’m taking the easy way out and giving a recap of my week.
    • Sunday afternoon Studly Doright and I went to see Alpha. We both enjoyed it, but had a lengthy discussion about whether the characters were computer generated or not. We refuse to google it.
    • Monday was a beach day since Studly had to travel for work. It was wonderful day, and I returned to Doright Manor refreshed and slightly sunburned. I also slept well even though Studly was gone.
    • On Tuesday I went to see Crazy Rich Asians at at a theater in Tallahassee. It’s a fun romantic comedy that made me desperately long for a trip to Singapore.
    • Wednesday was spent doing household chores and followed by shopping for an after five dress for an upcoming special occasion. I was unsuccessful, so the search will continue.
    • On Thursday I made a second foray into Tallahassee. I stopped by the Aveda Institute and took advantage of their customer appreciation day, booking several spa appointments for future dates. I ate lunch at Newk’s and then in the evening I hosted a Meetup group at the Wine Loft in Tallahasse. It was fun! Now that I’ve gotten to know some of these ladies better we’ve begun letting our hair down a bit. We got a little silly.
    • Tomorrow (Friday) I’m having a facial at Aveda, and who knows what’ll happen next? Maybe a nap….

    I might be a bit spoiled, but I am worth it.

    Peace, people

    What a Great Day!

    Monday was about as perfect as a day could be. I’m too pooped to write much, so instead, using a series of bullet points and emojis, I’ll share my experiences:

    • Dressed in my 👙 and a long 👚
    • Drove to the post office to mail two 📦 📦
    • Cast a 🗳 for Gwen Graham for Florida’s governor in the Democratic primary
    • Drove to St. George Island 🌴
    • Ate yummy scallops at the Blue Parrot 🌊
    • Set up a chair on the 🏖
    • Watched 🐬 🐬 frolic in the 🌊 🌊
    • Ran into 👩‍👩‍👧‍👦 from Tallahassee on the 🏖
    • They gave me a bottle of 💦
    • Visited with a nice lady from Georgia who shared her ☂ with me
    • Got a bit of 🌞 on my lily white skin.
      Ate 🍦on the way home
      Showered and petted two anxious 🐱 🐈 upon returning 🏠
      Getting ready to eat dinner with a🍴
      Really must go now, so I can chow down, but there’s no emoji for leaving. There is for 👋🏻 👋🏻, though.
      ✌️ , people!

    Chef’s Choice

    After Studly Doright’s round of golf yesterday and my round of garage sale foraging we both returned home to Doright Manor and took well-deserved naps. Actually, I’m not sure I’d done anything to merit such a good nap, but I enjoyed one anyway.

    Studly awakened before me and went out to do some work in his shop. Apparently I had been snoring too loudly for him to continue sleeping. I am woman, hear me roar!

    After he came back into the house Studly took a shower and then harassed me until I woke up. He wanted to go into Tallahassee for Italian food, so I wiped the drool off of my chin, the sleep out of my eyes, and tried to make myself presentable for dinner out.

    We went to Riccardo’s for dinner. I’d never been before, but Studly and his workmates eat there fairly often. The place was packed on a Saturday night, but we got a table and ordered fairly quickly. I ordered a caprese salad and a glass of wine, but Studly ordered a pepperoni pizza with pineapples and onion.

    After the waiter left to turn in our orders Studly told me about a time he’d been in Orlando on business, and he stopped in at a small pizzeria on his way back to his hotel after work.

    He said, “I ordered the same thing I did tonight: pepperoni with onions and pineapple. The waiter frowned and said he didn’t know if they even had pineapple, but he’d check. After a few minutes the waiter came back to my table and said, ‘Sir, I’m sorry. We do have pineapple, but the chef said that’s a horrible combination and he refuses to make it.'”

    I was kind of shocked. Wouldn’t one go with the theory that the customer is always right? Shouldn’t the chef have made the pizza as requested?

    Now, I know that pineapple on pizza is controversial. I’m a fan, but apparently not everyone is. What say you? Yay or nay on the pineapple? This is a matter of great importance.

    Snapshots #213, #214, #215, and #216, or “Before and After”

    Last Saturday I brought home this piece from a garage sale:

    The above photo is titled, Studly Doright Will Just See an Ugly Old Chair, while the photo below is, Surprise! It’s an Ugly Old Hamper, Too!

    It was a bargain at $5.00, and I figured even I was up to the task of making it pretty again. And contrary to the title, Studly actually thought I’d found a gem!

    Just look how beautiful it is all cleaned up!

    Besides finding a colorful new cushion for the chair, I also applied a bit of oak tinted furniture repair paint to the white splotches, and then rubbed tung oil into the rattan. I am incredibly pleased with the results. I call these photos, Bare, Beautiful Chair, and Ta Da! respectively.

    Now I just need to find a place for this beauty. None of my bathrooms has a vanity table or counter, but the chair might find a spot in my bedroom. I can picture the cats making themselves comfy on the cushion. Studly suggested selling it. Maybe he was just pretending to like the chair. Harrumph.

    Peace, people!

    What Would You Remember?

    This morning while Studly played for the final day in his club’s golf tournament I decided to take myself to brunch at the Canopy Road Cafe on Apalachee Parkway in Tallahassee. It’s a bit of a drive from Doright Manor to this cafe, so I had plenty of time to listen to an entire episode of NPR’s RadioLab on Sirius/XM.

    The segment that gave me pause was one about a music conductor who suffered an illness that resulted in him having the worst case of amnesia ever recorded. He literally could not remember what happened from one minute to the next. He attempted to keep a journal at the urging of his nurses, but the entries went something like It’s 8:02 and I am fully awake. This was followed by, It is now 8:03, and I’m truly awake. Then, It is 8:04 and I am awake!This pattern continued until something else occurred in his routine.

    Since I was driving I didn’t write down his name, but I do remember that of his wife, Claudia. I remember because she was one of only two touchstones in his life. He might not always remember her name, but he lit up when he saw her and he wanted only to be near her, to kiss her, and to enjoy her hugs.

    He also remembered how to read music and could sing lyrics to familiar songs. Claudia brought his choir members to the facility in which he lived, and her husband was able to conduct their performance as if nothing had ever changed.

    All I could think of as I ate my omelet this morning was what would I remember if inflicted with a similar fate. Would it be Studly Doright’s face? Those of my children? Would it be my favorite books or movies? What would survive an almost complete memory loss?

    There’s no way of knowing, of course, and I hope I never have to deal with Alzheimer’s or dementia, or any other memory stealing event. Still, maybe I need to begin reinforcing pleasant memories. Note to self: Give Studly a big hug and kiss when he returns from golf today.

    What do you think you’d remember? Are there things you wouldn’t mind not being able to recall? That’s dangerous territory.

    Peace, people.

    Suffering from a Severe Lack of Oomph

    I surrender! I have all these photos of the grandkids’ visit, but not the oomph needed to write about them. My oomph evaporated on Monday afternoon when I left the kids at the airport in Panama City Beach, and I’m not sure when it’s coming back.

    Life continues, though, as does this blog, so I’m going to take the easy, less oomph reliant path and just post photos. If the spirit moves me, I might even comment on them. If not, well, make up your own captions. Oh, I started at the end of their visit and went backwards for some reason.

    Here are a few from our morning in Panama City Beach before we headed to the airport:

    Dominique and friend, Sophia, pose outside Dick’s Last Resort.

    Enjoying a pineapple drink on the promenade.

    Dominique pushing Jackson in a beach wheelchair so he wouldn’t get sand in his cast. I pushed him out to the beach and she pushed him back to the pavement. Hey, I think I know the moment my oomph disappeared!

    Ahhh! The sun and the sand and the water.

    Dining at Dick’s Last Resort, where the waiters are rude on purpose and the giggles are non-stop.

    From our trip to Wild Adventures in Valdosta, Georgia on Sunday:

    Poppa (aka Studly Doright) and Jackson built a motorcycle during the kids’ visit. For some reason I didn’t take any “before” photos, but this bike was in pieces at the beginning of last week:

    Tallahassee Museum and Zoo is one of the grandkids’ (and grandparents’) favorite places to visit.

    While the two 15-year-olds embarked on the tree-to-tree adventure,

    Jackson, Studly, and I explored the zoo area:

    At Jackson’s request we went “thrifting.”

    And I took the girls sightseeing and swimming at Wakulla Springs:

    And that’s about it. The kids and I stayed up late to watch a scary movie one night, but I didn’t document that. I had crafts for us to do, but those ideas were met with little enthusiasm. That’s just fine. I’m not sure my limited supply of oomph would’ve allowed for much creativity.

    It’s awfully quiet around Doright Manor since they’ve been gone. The only one happy with the kids’ absence is our cat, Patches. Maybe she’ll help with the oomph issue.

    Or not.

    Wakulla Swim

    On Tuesday morning I took our granddaughter, Dominique, and her friend, Sophia, to Wakulla Springs. Sophia had never seen an alligator outside of a zoo setting, so we had high hopes for a sighting.

    When we first arrived at Edward Ball State Park rain was falling, and tickets for the boat ride weren’t being sold yet due to the possibility of lightning down the river. The girls donned their hoodies so we could go exploring.

    That’s the diving platform above.

    The small blue markers strung across the river are the only demarcation between swimming territory and all manner of wildlife including gators, manatees, and snakes. According to the park rangers the only real thing keeping wildlife out of the swimming area is the presence of people.

    Occasionally an alligator will cross the line and have to be removed. While the girls were swimming I watched two other swimmers each pull a snake from the water. They assured me that these snakes weren’t venomous, but eeek!

    Around noon we were cleared for the boat tour. The rains had cooled everything off, so while we saw a good many gators, they were all in the water.

    And I managed to fail at getting a photo of anything other than my fellow passengers, trees, and swampy water.

    After lunch the two Texas girls swam in the Florida sunshine for over an hour.

    Meanwhile I reclined on my brightly colored blanket and read.

    The girls slept all the way back to Doright Manor, while I sang along to the 60’s channel on Sirius/XM. Now, I need a nap!

    Peace, people.

    Stitch Fix Trial Run

    One of my favorite bloggers, “LA” at http://wakinguponthewrongsideof50.wordpress.com has repeatedly sung the praises of the styling company, Stitch Fix. I don’t know LA personally, but she seems smart and extremely organized, so I pay attention to her recommendations.

    I’d read the Stitch Fix ads on Facebook for months, and had even gone so far as to complete their questionnaire, but couldn’t quite bring myself to submit the form. That is until a week or so ago when the need for something new and adventurous hit me like a sledgehammer.

    Once I’d tapped the order button I became excited about the impending arrival of new clothes. It’d be like opening one of those grab bags in the old days where you didn’t know what you’d bought until you got home. Only in this case, I’d only be paying for the items I wanted to keep. I felt like Christmas was approaching.

    My box arrived on Saturday:

    Studly was out having lunch with his golf group, so I tore the box open, stripped down in the middle of my kitchen, and started trying stuff on. Don’t worry, I won’t share any of the those photos!

    Here’s what I received:

    A great, and I mean really great pair of Warp + Weft jeans. They’re a perfect length, and they fit as if they were made just for me. Definitely a keeper.

    This adorable button down by Kut From The Kluth:

    An interesting shirt dress from DM Collection:

    The dress fit me, but I don’t wear dresses often (as in once a year), and the pattern is a bit busy for my taste. I probably won’t keep it, but I’ll see what Studly thinks first.

    Then there was this V Neck knit top from Market & Spruce. It’s a green-hued grey, and I think it might be a bit muddy for my complexion. It looks a lot better on my frame than on the hanger.

    The top above would be great for Tallahassee’s mild winters, though. It might make the list of keepers.

    Finally, the box included a cute necklace from Marlyn Schiff:

    I’m on the fence about it simply because I own dozens of necklaces, but I tend to wear the one I purchased in Ireland every single day. Chances are it would spend many more days inside my jewelry box than around my neck.

    Purchased separately the items would cost $362.00, but if I bought the whole lot I’d get a 25% discount, bringing the total to $271.50. I’d already paid a styling fee of $20.00 which is deducted from the total bringing my cost to $251.50.

    Studly came home as I was writing this. He liked everything except the dress, concurring with my assessment of the “busyness” of the print. So, the dress and the necklace will go back and I’ll have two great new tops and a pair of jeans I already love for about $210.

    I’ll provide feedback to the Stitch Fix folks on the items I’m returning, so the stylist can adjust my profile for future shipments. Overall, this was a fun experience. I needed some fun right now.

    Peace, people!