Question to all my thrifting buddies

I was out thrifting yesterday and found this incredible set of sugar and creamer. I did some research and found that a company called David Douglas produced glass items such as carafes with the same pattern, aqua and gold pinecones. However, I could not find an identical sugar & creamer set. Furthermore, I am puzzled by the fact that the only marking at the bottom is a stylized L in a circle, like a handwritten L, which leads me to think they might be from a different manufacturer perhaps?

I

If anyone knows anything about this sugar and creamer set, please do share your wisdom with me. Regardless, I think it's an awesome set and I can already see it on a Thanksgiving tablescape, with my Pyrex gold acorn dish and perhaps a butterprint Pyrex!

Give credit where credit is due

I must set the record straight. The lovely Jo from Secret Garden Cottage, bless her heart, thought I made these gorgeous cards that were featured on my post of two days ago:

I wish! No, I shamelessly uploaded the picture onto my blog because I thought it was so pretty. I am new at this blogging thing and not quite familiar with all the blogging etiquette, but I realize I have to give credit where credit is due. These cards are in fact from this lovely Etsy shop.

And her cards are so pretty that her shop is presently sold out! But please, to relieve my guilty conscience, lol, do visit her shop now and again and perhaps buy her incredible cards! I know I'm adding her to my favourite shops!

As an Etsy shop owner myself, I work hard and I know I would want to be credited for my work.

Have a great day all!

P.S. I now have 10 followers! Although it is a modest number compared to some of you, I am still proud, pleased and humbled that even one person wants to read me!

Happy Hearts Day!

Just a quick hello to wish all my followers and visitors Happy Valentine's Day!

I have mixed feelings about this holiday. I don't like the fact that it is made up and commercial, and I don't feel like I should be made to spend $6 on a Hallmark card and chocolates to express my love. By the same token, I'm a hopeless romantic, I love pink, red, hearts, lace and chocolates.

Solution? Give handmade cards and crafts, to me they are more of an expression of love, because you took the time to create something for the ones you love.

Also, don't limit your love to just one day: celebrate love in every form and every way every day of the year!

2011 Niagara Icewine Festival

A couple of Sundays ago, our friends and us went to the Niagara Icewine Festival. For those of you not familiar with the Niagara region or Icewine, this region of Ontario is an optimal fruit and grape growing area, thanks to the Niagara escarpment which extends for miles and offers a good protection from the elements. This with the right mix of soil creates the ideal condition for wine grapes. And somebody clever discovered some time ago that if you harvested the grapes after a deep freeze, you could make this wonderful, sweet, deep, syrupy nectar called icewine. Yum!!!

Most Icewines produced in the region are made with Vidal or Cabernet Franc grapes. This is a Cabernet Franc Icewine:

Don't you love this gorgeous, deep caramelly colour? It tastes heavenly. I find the Cabernet Francs to have a richer taste.

With the purchase of a Discovery Pass, we had the opportunity to visit 6 wineries. All participating wineries were offering food samples to create a pairing with their icewines. (Of course, we had a designated driver, who just had a few sips here and there.) The food pairings were heavenly, from roast pork to risotto to icewine marshmallows roasted over the fire pit (just divine!), to a delectable chocolate ganache tart. More yums!

Even if you're not into wine, it is always worthwhile to take a drive up to that gorgeous area, regardless of the season. There's so much to see on the beautiful countryside roads. In the spring, all the fruit trees are in bloom, in the summer, everything is growing, in the fall, the leaf colours are simply breathtaking. But as you can see, even the winter scenery is spectacular:

There's something peaceful and ruggedly beautiful about these dormant vines, all in neat rows.

All in all, we had a wonderful day, good friends, good food, good wines.

.........

Speaking of grapes, I recently found this oddball. Yes, this is a grape! I figure it must have grown beside a pumpkin patch and as a result, it has an identity crisis. It doesn't know what it wants to be. A grape or a pumpkin? Make up your mind!

It came from this bunch. What a funny dude! If it was not such a perishable item, I would try to sell it on Ebay!

Kitchen Reno so far

Yesterday, I showed you before pictures of the kitchen, all wired and ready for the cabinets and the new floor.

Here is what has been done so far.

The ceramic floor is in, as well as the cabinets, the island, the sink, the tap and the counter tops. The lighting is done except for the fixture that will go above the island.

We picked a traditional style, but not overly fussy. I love the contrast offered by the light cabinets and the dark island and countertops!

This is a little study off the kitchen. It too had dilapidated cabinets. We opted to have them replaced with matching cabinets. This will be handy to store all sorts of papers like bills, as well as recipe books and other odds and ends. A good place for my laptop too! I love the decorative columns, they add class, don't you think?

But the one of the main reason we fell in love with this house is this amazing feature:

Yes, it's an indoor pool! Now, we don't have a cottage and we don't get away very much, but we love to swim. Our present house has an outdoor pool and weather permitting, we swim everyday, but as you know, up here, it is a very short season.

Now we will be able to swim whenever we want to. Even on a blizzardy day like today! It will be our little cottage at home, our little oasis of peace.

Aaaah, Heaven!

Stay tuned for further progress!

Thrifting Away and Renos at the New House

Thank you to all who have left such kind comments on my recent posts. I now have 6 followers! I am read! Yeah!

As I explained in my very first post, De tout, de rien means Everything and Nothing, as I want my blog to be about anything I feel like writing about on any given day. I realize though that since joining the Pyrex collective and reading the blogs of the other contributors, I am somewhat of a closet thrifter myself. So I will occasionally post my finds and share them with all of you.

Today, I was disappointed that I didn't find any Pyrex, just the same old scratched bowls that have been there for a while.

There was a Colonial Mist bowl in mint condition like the bigger one on the right, but as you see, I have one already:

But the whole day was not wasted. I did find a glass cloche not unlike the one Sherry posted on her blog here. I paid a whole dollar for it! (Thank to Linda at À la Carte for showing me how to post a link! See, I'm really good at it now! :^)

As I told Sherry, I love cloches because you can create cute seasonal vignettes with them. So there's another project for me. (That would be project number 1,567, lol!).

I have to show a lot of self control however while out thrifting, as my husband keeps saying that things should be going out, not coming in, since we are moving. Well, I still manage to buy here and there, I just sneak things in and hide the evidence, lol! He should be grateful I'm a thrifter and not a clothes horse, it's not like I'm spending $500 on a pair of boots or a Coach purse, I buy $2 trinkets!

Meanwhile, the renovations are going strong at our new (to us) house. Here's a before look at the kitchen:

These were taken a few weeks ago and there has been a lot of progress since then, however I am keeping you in suspense till tomorrow, as I haven't taken pictures recently. In fact, I am mad at myself for not documenting every step, but I am at times either too lazy, too busy or too forgetful.

This new house is just down the street from our present house. We are lucky to be in a position to still be able to live here while the renos are going on, which saves a lot of aggravation and stress!

We were not looking for a new house, but it came up for sale and we went to the open house and then I could not stop thinking about it! It was absolute insanity to even do so, as our present house is more than adequate, but the more we thought about it, the more we could see ourselves living there! And we did it, we bought it. Chalk it up to midlife crisis.

The kitchen was very dilapidated but I looked beyond that and saw the potential to build my dream kitchen.

Tomorrow: the almost completed kitchen and the main feature of the house will be revealed! Stay tuned!

Does anybody remember clackers?

Clackers were a fad in the 70's. I remember I had to have them. Mine were made of an opaque lime green plastic. I just had a flashback to my youth recently about them and it occurred to me what a lame and dangerous toy that was!

The object of the game (if you can call it a game) consisted in holding the clackers by the ring and swinging them up and down so that the balls would knock each other, therefore "clacking". It required a certain amount of skill to master the movement.

Well, before I did master the game, let me tell you, I acquired quite a set of bruises on my forearms! Not to mention that they occasionally went flying, narrowly missing breakable targets and human beings in the process!

According to Wikipedia, they are similar in appearance to an Argentinian weapon known as "bolas"! How they were ever allowed as a child's toy, I don't know!

Aaaah, good times!

A year of changes

Well, it's the last day of the year and I haven't posted much. It's been such a busy time lately: my father-in-law passed away, then we bought a new house and so there is a lot to think about and do.

As I reflect back, 2010 has definitely been a year of changes, some good (I lost weight finally!), some sad (my FIL's passing), some exciting (the new house).

I can't wait to see what 2011 brings us. So far I can predict that it will be great moving in the new house, even though it's in the same neighbourhood, it's still exciting. I'm looking forward to decorating.

I want to keep losing weight as my 42 lb weight loss so far has meant more energy and a renewed sense of confidence. I don't know why I waited so long to do myself this favour. To my amazement, I found out that while it's hard, it's not impossible!

I'm looking forward to blogging more and hopefully learning how to make my posts more interesting and insightful. I'm amazed at how the bloggers I follow manage to present their blogs in such a professional manner. I have still lots to learn, I'm afraid. Sigh! If you have tips and advice, I'll gladly listen!

I've already established some relationships through the blogosphere and discovering that there are quite a few kindred spirits out there. I hope we get to know each other better this year through our blogging adventures!

And of course, I'll keep sharing my finds on the Pyrex Collective. I didn't know until this year how much I love Pyrex and now I have close to 20 pieces! (That should be added as a fun change.)

I hope that 2011 brings a lot of good changes to all and that you all enjoy health, happiness and prosperity. And fun. Don't forget fun.

My Grownup Christmas List

As I get older, I find I want less and less for myself at Christmas. You learn instead to value the things that are really important in life: love, family, friends, etc. So, in that mindset, here is my Grownup Christmas List. Feel free to add your own Grownup Wishes!

I wish for:

- Yes, Peace on Earth, one can always hope!

- Religious tolerance.

- The abolition of discrimination in any way, shape or form.

- Everyone to have at least one excellent friend, the kind that even if you don't talk to everyday, you can just pick up where you left off, the kind who accepts you exactly the way you are, the kind that makes you laugh through your tears!

- No more need for orphanages, for every child to have loving parents, a good home where they feel safe and warm, where they are well nourished and nurtured.

- Ditto for animal shelters! And that every pet owner was as devoted to their pet as their pets are to them, that they would care for their furry friends from beginning to end!

- Everyone who can to give to a charity of their choice this Christmas, to spread some of that joy and abundance.

- Everyone to give green gifts in containers and wrapping materials that are repurposed and/or reusable, so that we leave less of a carbon footprint behind this Christmas. (Cookies in a vintage or interesting container from a thrift store, a beautiful old picture in a frame also from a thrift store, a vintage scarf or tablecloth, etc.)

- Everyone to in fact reduce the insane consumerism that occurs this time of year to instead focus on more important things (see above about giving to charity).

For some fabulous ideas on how to reduce waste this Christmas, I invite you to visit some of the blogs I follow. I'm so greatly impressed by some of them, their creativity knows no bound!

Celebrating Halloween without much enthusiasm and "I don't like it"

I am so sick with the most rotten cold I've had in years that this Halloween was more of a chore than anything. I carved the least creative pumpkin I've carved in years, didn't decorate much (I always decorate the day of), handed out candy without much energy.

Such a bummer to be sick, I have so much to do and had no energy whatsoever to do it. Somehow, by the grace of God, I still managed to accomplish a lot: grocery shopping and other misc. errands, laundry, laundry sorting and folding, tidying up, the aforementioned pumpkin carving and Halloween decorating, washing cat litter pans and washing the bathroom floor where the cat litter pans are kept. (This is in the basement, where my present foster cat family is kept: Mama and 6 seven week old babies who make a big mess, because, well, they are just babies!)

Today I am amazed at myself for doing so much. I was basically on auto-pilot.

At least I didn't have Halloween costumes to sew for little ones. I remember one Halloween staying up all night to finish not one but two costumes. You see, having 2 girls, my younger one would generally wear the older one's hand-me-down costumes, but at 3 years old, it seems the only words she knew were "I don't like it". She'd take one look at what I had cooking for dinner, and even if it was something she had never had before, she'd say "I don't like it". So when she saw the witch costume I had for her to wear that year, she said: "I don't like it". Also, back then I felt that I had to sew the costumes to be a good Mom. So off to the fabric store we went, we looked at patterns and she agreed to a clown costume. I started on a fairy princess costume for my oldest and the clown costume for my youngest. I was working full time back then, so I ran out of time and had to sew late into the night before Halloween. As if it wasn't enough I was working under pressure, the fabric for the fairy costume kept ripping up, getting me more and more frustrated and tired, my nerves more and more frayed. However, I did finish both costumes and I felt accomplished. The clown costume turned out so nicely. And all within budget! I couldn't wait for the girls to get up and see their costumes. My oldest loved her costume, but the little one took one look at hers and, you guessed it, "I don't like it". Overtired, I burst into tears. I told her she was wearing it anyway.

Funny thing is, she let me put the costume and the make-up on without a word and toddled off to preschool without so much as a protest. This is when I realized that perhaps she was using that stupid "I don't like it" comment without really knowing what it meant or without really meaning it, in a way that only 3-year olds can do!

Believe it or not, this didn't deter me completely from making more Halloween costumes.

Well, enough time has gone by since then that I can laugh at the whole thing with my youngest, now that she's 16 years old! (Besides I know that some day, hopefully, I'll have my revenge with my grand-children!)

NEVER ASSUME!

A few years ago, when my daughters were little, we were at the oldest's first soccer game of the season and I started chatting with a man who was there with a smaller girl. I asked him if he was the grandfather, and he replied, somewhat offended, that he was the dad! Boy did I ever feel like I had my whole foot in my mouth! (From then on, my friend and I referred to him as "Grandpa", lol, but no to his face!)

Another time, I was picking my daughter up at a school chum's house. I knew the Mom vaguely and on that day, she was standing in the driveway with another lady. I said hi, then I said to her, "Oh, this is undoubtedly your mother, you two look so much alike!"

Well, the other lady replied in a very vexed tone ( and I don't blame her): "Mother?!!!? I'm her sister!!!"

Again, I had another taste of my foot...

Anyway, I was thinking about those hard learned lessons recently one day on my way to the animal shelter where I volunteer, and how it is simply better not to assume anything until you know more about someone or a situation.

It is strange how I recalled these two incidents that morning, because as life would have it, that hard-learned lesson would come in handy that very day.

A seemingly middle-aged lady walked in with a little toddler. She was interested in adopting a cat. My first impression was that this was a retired lady babysitting her grandson. But with my "never assume" lesson freshly recalled, I went instead on the assumption that this was her son. The worst thing that could happen was I would have a very flattered grandmother.

Good thing I did. When I asked her how old her little boy was, she replied "18 months" and didn't correct me by saying, "Oh, he's my grandson, not my son. But thank you!" I was very proud of myself.

As my daughter is fond of saying, "Never assume. It makes an ass of "u" and "me."

Life lesson well learned.

CUTENESS PAUSE!

This adorable cuteness pause has been brought to you by one of the kittens I am fostering. He is 3 weeks old here.

Of cats, nursing and how-to books

I am fostering a wonderful Mama cat for our local Humane Society. This is the fourth Mama we are fostering and I absolutely love it. These mama cats are usually strays or abandoned and by going to a private home rather than the shelter, they have a nice, warm, safe, quiet place to give birth. The kittens can then also get used to house noises and be socialized before going to the shelter to be adopted, once they are weaned.

I am still in wonderment over the whole process, even after four litters. I love watching the kittens nursing happily, while Mama lies there purring gently, also looking quite content.

Mama cats know exactly what to do. Nobody ever told them a thing, they just know. When they give birth, they cut the umbilical cord, they clean the kittens who somehow know to find their way by smell (their eyes being closed) to Mom to start nursing. Mom cleans everything up.

I also observed that Mom lies on one side to nurse, and the next time, she switches to the other side. How does she know to do that?

She didn't read parenting or how-to books. She didn't take birthing or breastfeeding classes. And, gasp, she didn't even consult a lactating expert!

Could it be that us humans have lost the ability to rely on our instincts and learn instead to rely on books to tell us how to do everything? It seems so if you walk through your local bookstore: there are self-help and how-to books for virtually everything these days. Same thing with information on the Internet. There's a website for everything. Information overload!

The kicker? There's even a parenting expert who wrote a book on how to learn to rely more on your instincts to raise your child.

My instincts tell me I don't need that book. So there.

Pet Peeve of the Month: Recipe Overload

You can basically buy magazines about anything these days. Today, at the book store for example, I saw a magazine completely dedicated to Poker. A whole magazine. On Poker. And there are magazines about knitting, sailing, racing, motorcycling, travelling, painting, sewing, gaming, computing and so on and so forth.

These highly specialized magazines target very specific audiences, who delight in being able to read and learn about something they are passionate about.

So tell me why then, every magazine ever printed in the world has to have recipes in it?

When I buy a decorating magazine, it seems fair to me that its whole content should be dedicated to decorating. Same goes for fashion. When I want to know what is the new in colour this fall, I don't want to know how to make petits-fours! I'm really not interested.

Yes, you know what I'm going to say next: if I wanted recipes, I WOULD BUY A RECIPE OR COOKING MAGAZINE!

I don't know why every magazine publisher thinks we're desperate for more recipes, but let me tell you, there is a gazillion recipe books out there, I think we're good as far as recipes go. Besides, everybody I've ever known ends up using the same tried and true 10 or 12 recipes over and over again.

So to anybody out there who is in the magazine business, take note. Stop using recipes as page fillers and give us more substance, more of what we're actually after. (I know, I know, what about all the ads, but that's a necessary evil.)

Magazine readers of the world, you don't need to thank me when your next issue of Cigars Monthly arrives in your mailbox, without useless recipes you don't want in the first place and more pages dedicated to your favourite subject. Enjoy!

The Business of Happiness

My daughter takes the bus to and from school, except when she has extracurricular activities, on which nights I pick her up. On the way, there are two school zones, not including her school's. School zone means a 40 km speed limit, which I respect, but infallibly, I'm always being followed by some annoyed idiot tailgater who can't stand it and pushes my rear end to go faster.

I ignore them.

And with good cause. Because I know that between the two school zones, there is also a fire station. And the parking lot of that fire station seems to be a favourite spot for speed traps, especially this time of year, when school starts.

So today, as usual, I was going at the speed limit and this tart was following me very closely, visibly annoyed and oblivious to the fact that the speed limit signs were flashing and, more importantly, there were countless little ones making their way home. A me, myself and I kind of ninipooh. Doesn't care about anything else around her.

And there it was. The dark police car at the fire station, with the officer clearly holding up a speed radar.

Hah. That'll teach her. I hoped that she would realize that I just saved her from getting a speeding ticket and that she would ease up being so close to my rear end.

Not so. Still self-absorbed, still oblivious. Hopelessly so. She kept tailgating me. (I was hoping the cop would come ticket her for that, but no such luck!)

Well, for all of you out there who tailgate me because I am going at the speed limit, particularly in a school zone, sorry this makes you unhappy, but guess what. I AM NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF MAKING YOU HAPPY!

And like I tell my kids when I'm teaching them how to drive, never mind the idiots behind you, just ignore them, BECAUSE YOU ARE AHEAD OF THEM AND THEREFORE YOU ARE IN THE LEAD!

Have a great day and watch for children.

A touching moment

This past Monday, our family was visiting the Henry Ford museum in Dearborn, Michigan. If you have the chance to go, this is a wonderful place filled with extremely interesting and important artifacts. I had never heard of this museum until a while ago and I am glad that we took the time to experience it.

One artifact in particular caused me to pause and reflect, and hopefully, it did for my daughter too.

The Rosa Parks bus is stored in this museum, along with pictures and other objects of racial segregation, such as drinking fountains with the words "white" and "colored". I had heard of these things but never actually saw any in person and it made me shiver to think this was actually all too real...

Then we boarded the Rosa Parks bus. An adorable little African-American girl was already sitting in the bus by herself. The guide of the exhibit points out that she is actually sitting at the exact spot where Rosa Parks sat to stage her protest. This little girl had obviously done her homework! I asked her if it was okay if I took a picture of her and my daughter beside her, to which she agreed. As I took the picture, I had a lump in my throat looking at these two young girls, black and white, happily sitting together on this famous bench and what this symbolized. Rosa Parks, I sensed, would have been pleased.

A if this wasn't an already powerful enough moment, the little girl's Mom then climbed in the bus and smiled when she saw where her daughter was sitting. She quickly proceeded to take her picture. I told the mom that I took a picture of her with my daughter and that I hoped she didn't mind, which she didn't. The mom then sat beside me and proceeded to tell me that Rosa Parks was actually her neighbour for years in Detroit! Rosa Parks actually knew the little girl on the bench! I had chills. What a serendipitous moment! She told me what a lovely, quiet, unassuming lady Mrs. Parks was. And when you see pictures of her, that's exactly what radiates from her: quiet dignity.

Good for you, Rosa Parks, for fighting to solve problems in a calm, pacific, non violent manner. Good for you for having the courage to stand up, or in this case, sit down, for your convictions, for your rights and for the rights of others. You are on my list of heroes and I suspect, on my daughter's as well...

Garden of sharing

I have talked about my garden already, how it is somewhat an expression of who I am. I need to add that it is also a reminder of my friends, an extension of their lives into my garden.

Anybody who is into gardening tends to share. Their plants overgrow and need to be divided in order to keep the garden light and airy. That's when friends exchange plants with each other. I have many plants that were given to me and I remember who gave me every single one of them.

I lost my friend L. last year to breast cancer. Among other things, we shared a love of birds and flowers, beautiful gardens, nature, etc. However, ours was a complicated friendship and in the last few years of her life, we had fallen out. I had hoped that we would resolve our issues some day, but that day never came. I was perhaps a little too honest to her liking about her shortcomings as a mother and as a friend and she made it clear to a mutual friend of ours that she did not want to see me again.

During her last days, under the influence of heavy painkillers perhaps somewhat mixed with the lucidity of a dying person, she asked her son why I wasn't coming to see her. He replied: "Don't you remember, Mom? You had a fight." She said: "We did? Oh, please tell her I'm sorry."

I couldn't go to the funeral. I couldn't bring myself to. I carry a lot of sadness and a lot of guilt still from our falling out and it weighs heavily on my heart. I did however write a long, heartfelt letter to her family to let them know that I still cared and still valued our fourteen years of friendship.

I also told them about how every time I was in my garden looking at the phloxes and the black-eyed susans L. gave me, I thought of her and how these flowers were really a way for her to live on.

Then there's M., my wonderful friend and neighbour. M. gave me hostas, ferns and other flowers. M. was an avid gardener who tended to her gardens with great care and perfection, which in itself was a true reflection of the military training and discipline she had received while in the Royal Air Force.

Unfortunately, last summer my dear friend M. suffered a debilitating stroke that left her confined to a wheelchair. Her husband and her had to sell the house and move into a condo to accommodate her wheelchair. No more gardening for her...Now, there is a young couple living in their house, and they could care less about gardening. The whole thing is slowly getting overtaken by weeds and their big dog is trampling over all the plants. So sad.

Before M. and her husband moved out, I asked if I could take a few plants with the promise of taking very good care of them: a giant Blue hosta which was M.'s pride and joy and a lovely vintage rosebush which blooms its little heart out well into fall, which they both cherished.

In hindsight, a very smart move, as these gorgeous plants would now be neglected. Now safely tucked in my garden, I cherish and appreciate them every day, and keep that wonderful connection with my dear friend.

My neighbour S. on the other side, gave me her surplus hostas too. These hostas look totally different from the ones I already had, so it adds interest. She also gave two gorgeous rosebushes because at the time, her children were very young and she was scared that they would hurt by the thorns. These rosebushes remind me what a caring mom and a caring person she is!

And finally there is my friend J. who gave me a few pretty columbines, and to me, they are a perfect reflection of her: they are colourful, charming, vivacious and hardy.

Like my circle of friends, all these elements come together to form a harmonious vision, and I revel in their company and love every one of them, thorns and all.

I think he's all right?

So my oldest daughter works at a café to pay for university. Most of the time she enjoys it enough, but she is learning a lot about human behaviour and how to deal with people and their manners, or lack thereof.

You wonder why some people have no manners? Well, she witnessed it first hand. After a lady customer placed an order with a lot of demands (this much coffee, this hot, with this much hot water added, etc, etc.), she sends her six year old boy to the counter while she watches from her table.

My daughter: "What can I get you?"

Boy: "Glass of ice."

My daughter: "Glass of ice please!"

The mother: "I think he's all right."

I think he's all right? What kind of comment is that? Twenty years ago, the parent would have boxed that kid's ear. While I'm not condoning physical punishment, I would have never let my kid get away with this sort of behaviour, six years old or not! Six years old is certainly old enough to have manners. Heck, Barney sings to two year olds about manners.

What kind of lessons is this mother teaching her kid? That he can make demands for free stuff from an overworked, underpaid young girl and not even say please and thank you? He's on his way to become a totally self-engrossed, self-entitled jerk. Just like Mom!

Clearly, he's not all right.

Hot enough for ya?

The air conditioner broke down. Right when the heat wave started. Of course. Then the dishwasher broke down. Of course. I say of course because that's how these things go. Murphy's law and all that.

So for the past couple of weeks we have been doing hot sinkfuls of dishes in the sweltering heat, with sweat pouring down our brow. And I'm feeling sorry for myself because I can't seem to tolerate the heat. It makes me (even more) miserable and grouchy.

On days like these, I can't help but think about my grandmas who had to live like that, all while wearing girdles and raising 11 and 16 kids, without microwaves, freezers, automatic washers, dryers or other modern day conveniences. During the depression no less.

They are my heroes.

The new dishwasher arrived today, promising to be even more efficient than the old one. The new air conditioning unit arrives tomorrow, also to be more efficient.

Tomorrow night, I will fill up the dishwasher, turn on the air, and go for a refreshing swim. I will sleep so well! It will be grand.

And from that moment on, I promise to be more appreciative of all my conveniences, in memory of my grandmothers, two amazing women who accomplished so much with so little.

Not right now, though, I'm too hot to be bothered.

The Middle T.V. Series

I'm in love with this new T.V. series. Check it out when you get a chance. This is a sitcom about a very average North American family, a mom, a dad, 3 kids. So far, nothing special and yes, there has been a lot of sitcoms about average North American families before, but this family is the most realistic T.V. family I have seen. None of that Cosby family or Leave It to Beaver perfection. These folks are it. They hit the average family nail dead on the head. Perfectly. Eerily. Eerily because the dialogue is so real, it sounds like the writers are standing under our kitchen window listening to our banter while we do dishes and taking note. This family is us, we're them. Well, we don't have a weird grade one kid with the ability to read at a grade 25 level (so brilliantly played by the adorable Atticus Shaffer, a kid with a great name and a great future), but the rest of the family? Yup. As close to imperfection as us. Even their house is decorated like most of us do, in the mishmash fashion of odds and ends accumulated over 20 years of marriage.

And then there's the title. It stands for Middle America, Middle of the road, Middle class, whatever spin you want to give it. This family doesn't pretend to be at the top or even at the bottom. It's in the middle. In other words, average. It doesn't pretend to be something it's not and that's why it rings true for us. The parents are tired, they cut corners, but they try hard and they mean well. It sums us up so beautifully.

Great cast, great writers. A rare little jewel in the somewhat tarnished crown of television, a crown so overloaded by mediocre reality shows these days.