Tag: Doright Manor

Minimalist Challenge, Lizard in the Mix Day 21

Today’s haul came mostly from my closet. Included are two pair of seldom worn shoes, along with my defective motorcycle boots (I lost the sole from the left boot on Saturday https://nananoyz5forme.com/2018/02/18/anyone-know-a-good-blacksmith/), a T-shirt, and a couple of bags, a book on tape, several cosmetic items, and three heart shaped paper doilies. And then there’s the lizard.

Here’s a closeup:

He’s dead. Apparently one of the cats brought him in and left him as a precious gift for me. I damned near stepped on him while carrying fresh sheets from the dryer to the bedroom. Nothing good would have come from that.

So Mr. Lizard, along with the piece of toilet paper I used to pick him up are being tossed today. Never a dull moment at Doright Manor.

Peace, people.

The Struggle is Real. And Purrs.

Our cat, Scout Elizabeth, has a fondness, and an almost radar-like detection ability, for freshly laundered sheets. No matter how much I attempt to make the bed without Scout’s assistance I never can pull it off.

I’d just gotten one of the fitted sheets on the bed this afternoon, thinking maybe this one time I’d get the job done with no interference, when Scout popped up and acted like she’d been there all afternoon by casually giving herself a bath.

She knew I’d continue making the bed, but did she care? Nope. Note the lump.

And even as I added the bedspread she stood her ground and purred.

I love this lump.

Peace, people.

Minimalist Challenge, Day 17

You’re going to have to trust me that there are 17 items pictured for Day 17, plus four more to offset the motorcycle I bought yesterday. Within thirty seconds of my placing this collection of stickers and cards, receipts and brochures on the dining room floor I had a great deal of assistance from the felines who reside at Doright Manor.

Not only did they help me spread the items out, but they then proceeded to guard them from further interference. So, while all this detritus (with the exception of the cats) will go into the recycling bin, disposal will have to wait until Scout and Patches say it’s okay.

Peace, people.

My New Toy

Studly Doright took Friday afternoon off of work and we drove to Crestview where I purchased this beauty:

It’s a 2010 Can Am Spyder RT and it’s stunning. Both Studly and I took our riding gear along. I’d intended to ride the bike home, but after Studly took it for a test ride he suggested that I drive the pickup home while he familiarized himself with the quirks of the Spyder.

The three wheel configuration requires a completely different style of riding than a standard motorcycle, and my guy didn’t want me getting used to it on a busy interstate. I didn’t grumble much and we took separate paths home.

Once we were both back at Doright Manor Studly gave me a tutorial and I put the Spyder through its paces on the narrow, twisty roads running through our neighborhood. It’s a blast, and while I still have a great deal to learn, I think the bike is a good fit for me.

Now, though, since the Spyder is definitely a “want” and not a “need” I have to get rid of four extra items on this 17th day of February, in order to meet the requirements of the Minimalist Challenge. Might be time to clean out the holiday closet. First I’m going for a ride!

Peace, people!

Minimalist Challenge Day 5

Five items for day 5:

Odds and ends–a dot to dot book, a deviled egg dish, an art book, a bottle for oils, and a cosmetics bag. The only thing these items have in common is that they must go.

I’m always baffled by the items I’ve thought worthy of purchasing. That egg dish is ugly beyond imagining, but it was on clearance. The oils bottle might’ve been a gift. I’m fairly certain I bought the art book at a thrift shop, along with the cosmetics bag. I have nary a clue about the dot to dot book. Truly, a mind boggler.

I’m feeling lighter by the day.

Peace, people!

Hanging Out In Quincy, FL

Doright Manor, where I reside with my husband, Studly Doright, is in a rural housing development about eight miles west of Tallahassee, Florida. We have a Havana, FL, address, but we’re geographically closer to the town of Quincy.

Typically when I shop I head to Tallahassee, with Havana being my second choice, but on Wednesday I needed something small (eye liner) and decided to see if I could find it in Quincy at the CVS. Sure enough they had what I wanted and much too soon I was driving home.

Quincy is the county seat, so I drove around the courthouse square to see if there was anything of interest. I noticed a business I hadn’t seen on any of my previous visits. Could it be an antique/junk shop? It was! Be still my heart!

My photos aren’t great, but the shop is. It’s called The Junktion and it’s been open for a couple of months. The delightful owner, (whose name I’ve forgotten thanks to my advanced age) is still sorting through things and she has some treasures.

I couldn’t quite keep myself out of the photo above. It is always all about me anyway.

And the owner is in this one above. She is adorable and has big plans for her shop. The photos, as I said, aren’t great, but the shop is.

Just next door to The Junktion is the Gadsden Arts Center. I wasn’t in any hurry to go home, so I popped in there for bit.

I’d never taken the time to properly stroll through the galleries of the arts center, having in the past merely popped in for directions or to ask a question, but now after spending some time there I realize that the Gadsden Arts Center is a real gem. In addition to the galleries, the center is adding a gift shop, and they offer classes and studio time. I’m not much of an artist, but it would be fun to take a class.

http://gadsdenarts.org/exhibitions.aspx

I definitely need to spend more time in Quincy.

Peace, people.

A Lizardless Winter

We’ve been living at Doright Manor for four years now, and I believe this is the first winter we haven’t had a small lizard living in the mailbox. Every day I open the mailbox with anticipation and a bit of trepidation, and every day that there’s no lizard I feel a little let down, but also a bit relieved. Sometimes those guys scared the crap out of me.

The temperatures have been colder than usual this year, so I’m not sure if it’s simply too cold for the lizards or if they’ve moved to better digs. I can’t do a thing about the weather, but I can do something about the accommodations. Maybe I’ll redecorate the mailbox before next winter, put in a nice recliner and a rug.

Or perhaps I’ll knit a sweater and attach a note with care instructions.

It couldn’t hurt, right?

I do hope the lizards are somewhere safe and warm.

Peace, people.

Candlelit Mindfulness

Don’t be fooled by the title. This post is neither romantic nor particularly mindful; although, if having an abrupt wake up call makes one more mindful, then maybe it’s partly an accurate title. The thing is, I kind of set my underpants on fire this morning.

I lit a candle to start the day off with a pleasant wake me up ambience, and placed said candle on the counter in the kitchen. Then I went about my morning chores. I was putting away Christmas decorations and doing loads of laundry while awaiting the arrival of a service man, keeping one eye on the clock so I didn’t forget to watch for the Orkin guy.

The dryer buzzed, and I took out a load of clothes that included a few pair of my undies. As I turned away from the dryer, the doorbell rang signaling the service man’s arrival, so rather than carry the clothes with me to answer the door, I plopped them on the kitchen counter.

As I opened the door it occurred to me what I’d just done. “Come in!” I cried at the startled Orkin man. “Shut the door behind you, I think I just started a fire in the kitchen.”

Thank goodness only one piece of clothing had fallen into the candle. There were no flames, just a bit of smoldering cotton. And fortunately my mistake only affected a pair of undies that should have been relegated to the rag bag a long time ago.

Nevertheless, I learned a lesson here. Be careful where you drop your drawers.

Peace, people.

Jumanji You Say

I was spectacularly unmotivated yesterday. There was laundry to be done that I didn’t do, a closet to clean out that I left cluttered, and a blog post to write that was left unwritten. It’s a darned good thing I don’t get paid for any of the above tasks, else I’d be holding a pink slip instead of a paycheck come next Friday.

After an entire day of doing nothing except drinking coffee and petting our cats, Patches and Scout, I was on the restless side by the time Studly Doright got home from work. One might even say I was whiny.

“I’m bored!” I complained, in my best imitation of a ‘tween girl on a random summer Tuesday.

Studly countered with, “You can come out and help me work in the shop. I’ll find things for you to do.”

I huffed, “Oh, that sounds fun. Not!” I followed him outside anyway and sulked just within the realm of his peripheral vision.

“It’s too cold out here. I’m shivering. My fingers are going numb.”

Studly held up the thermometer. “It’s 62°. You’re not likely to freeze.”

I held up one of my fingers. It might have been a middle one. “See, it’s blue. And shivering.”

“If you get to work you might warm up.”

“Fine,” I sulked, still channeling my inner twelve year old. “But I’m sure I won’t warm up. The kids will find my frozen body in this shop next time they come for a visit. That’s if they ever come for a visit.”

Wisely, Studly ignored me. We worked for a bit while I grumbled under my breath, and he kept up a running commentary about some of his projects in progress. I was enjoying my role as the petulant pre-teen, so when Studly said, “That’s all we can do for now, how about we see if there’s a showing of Jumanji?”

Crossing my arms over my chest and pouting as prettily as possible, I said, “Fine. But I probably won’t like it.” Of course my smile ruined the effect, but I had to add, “I probably don’t have a thing to wear, either.”

And that’s the story of how I got Studly to take me to see Jumanji. It’s a fun movie, and given my earlier performance I could have been a character in the movie. I guess I won’t get paid for that, either.

Peace, people.

Christmas Recap

Doright Manor was too quiet this Christmas. Studly Doright and I had gotten together with our kids and grandchildren in Texas at Thanksgiving, so we had to suck it up and spend Christmas without them. I’m going to be honest and tell you, Christmas for just us two isn’t much fun.

We tried to be as festive as possible. We took in a movie on Christmas Eve and then drove around Tallahassee to view the holiday lights, returning home to open gifts from each other. We’d agreed neither of us needed any big gifts this year, so I bought Studly books (he really isn’t a reader, but I always hold out hope), and T-shirts featuring vintage motorcycle brands.

He bought me Star Wars stuff: a Resistance leader’s jacket, a BB-8 handbag, and several pieces of jewelry in the shapes of light sabers and droids. So if anyone in Tallahassee sees a late middle aged woman sporting any of the aforementioned gear, you can be fairly certain it’s me. Say hello and we’ll go find some First Order thugs to put in their place before heading for coffee.

Our dinner on Christmas Day was outstanding, even if I do say so myself. I ran Studly out of the house to work in his shop, opened a bottle of Chardonnay, and made a meal for the ages. I’m a much better cook when fueled by wine, and that’s a fact. Studly went back for seconds and thirds which I took as the highest compliment. And the pecan pie, oh my word! It was one of the best ever. Studly said I was going to have to stop telling people what an awful cook I am.

We went to another movie after dinner, getting home much later than is our norm (10 p.m! Absolutely decadent!) and then spent a quiet post-Christmas Tuesday. I had planned and executed the perfect turkey and cheddar sandwich on soft white bread for dinner, while Studly warmed up the leftover turkey and dressing for a repeat of Christmas Day’s meal.

So, while nothing exciting happened, and we missed being with our children, we had a pleasant holiday. I’m writing this on Tuesday evening and thinking I might have to have one more piece of pecan pie. Wednesday’s post most likely will deal with how none of my pants will button. Exciting stuff. Stay tuned.

Peace, people!