Have a Seat!

Today's Wonder of the World is...The Chair!

Which I am going to sit in, thank you!
I'd love to have a seat in this chair because my mom and daddy gave it to me when I first found out I was pregnant with Sarah, and I'm feeling a little sentimental right now.

I'd also need to sit for a moment because I took a look in Sarah's room a second ago and found this.

And this.

Help!
The piles are getting higher! And she's not done yet! We leave tomorrow to take her to college, and who knows how tall the piles will be by then!
How will we ever get all that junk in my minivan?

For now, let's distract ourselves, shall we?
Let's think about something I love. Something I can't ever get enough of.
Let's think about CHAIRS!
Excuse me a second while I move all those linens.

Voilà!

I am crazy about this purple tufted chair. I bought it at a consignment store for $15 on account of the fact that some lunatic who hates purple chairs attacked its arms with a butcher knife. Or maybe not. But somehow the arms are all ripped up.
But I saw that chair and thought: I can fix that! I do re-upholstery all the time. I can rebuild it. I can make it better than it was before!
Well I tried and I can't.
So normally, Sarah's chair wears this cute little scarf.

I know. It's not that great a look, but it's the best I can do.

During my French life I discovered the beauty of la chaise.
It's probably because I developed a terrible flea market addiction. Did you know that French grandchildren cleaning out their grandmere's grenier practically give chairs away at flea markets? They practically chase you down and beg you to take them off their hands!
Well, maybe not, but they're really cheap.

Look at this darling rush seated one. Click on it. Look at the hand carving on the back! It's adorable.

I bought it and its twin for $25! Two hand carved chairs for $25! Can you believe that?
You can't really sit on it because it's old and rickety, but I use it as art.
This irritates my husband. He's always saying, "Chairs, chairs, everywhere! And not a place to sit!"
But he puts up with my chair collection because he loves me.
And because I'll post embarrassing photos of him on my blog if he doesn't.
Just kidding honey!

Here's another French chair.

It's a prie-Dieu, a prayer chair. I saw it at a flea market and couldn't walk away. The top seat flips up for kneeling, and I think it's heavenly.

Here's a stool I bought down in Provence during our French life.

I rode three hours back to Clermont in our teensy car with that thing upside down on my lap, and now I use it as an end table for my cute garage sale lamp.

Here's probably my favorite chair in my whole house!

I love its chippy paint, it's crushed velour yellow seat, and its mod style. Plus, Todd can sit in it!
And best yet, I love its history! I found it at a consignment shop, but it originally came from

the Poinsett Hotel!
Where my buddy George Clooney filmed parts of Leatherheads!

Oh he looks so nice.
I think I need to sit down again.

Here's another chair I rocked babies in. Now it's in Sam's room

with this strange chair.

I bought it at a church yard sale because I sat/perched on it and thought it might be good for my back.
It wasn't.
Sam likes to bring new friends home and watch them try to sit on it. He's evil that way.

I bought this pair of chairs at the same yard sale.

I brought them home and made them slipcovers and was excited to discover they're from Ethan Allen! (Hey, there's my circus poster!)
Tanner was a puppy then. He liked the chairs too.

Naughty Slobber Dog. One day I'll get that fixed.

Speaking of pets, I also love this chair.

There's my sweet Katie! She went to France with us at 13 years old, and lived long enough to enjoy her American life again. Katie was by my side when I discovered that I love pink and yellow and just because they weren't the in colors then, I could decorate with them if I wanted. She sat on the kitchen table beside my sewing machine (she had already been rejuvenated by her newfound love of paté, so she was up for anything) and watched me stitch the slipcover.
And she'd sit on it and go to sleep.

That looks so inviting.
I think I'm going to leave the computer now and my To Do list and take a little break in that chair.

Do you have a favorite chair in your house? A chair with a history? A chair- loving addiction?
Do tell!

Have a Wonder-Full Thursday, y'all!
Love, Becky

Let There Be Light!

Today's Wonder of the World is...The Old Fashioned Light Bulb! My Love for It, and Crazy Things I Might Do With It Since I Can't Let It Go.

Flickr photo by joshhikes
No, I haven't lost my mind.
Didn't you hear?
Way back in December, the American congress passed an energy bill banning incandescent bulbs by the year 2014.
I don't know about what's happening at your house, (what's happening there, by the way?) but at my house we're slowly switching over to these guys.

Flickr photo by Grey Wind
They look like ice cream cones to me.

Flickr photo by billyhc
I'm not sure I like that.
Besides giving me a constant urge to hop in my car and hightail it to the Dairy Queen, those fluorescent bulbs just aren't as quick to light up as my old favorites were.
Don't hate me or call me an Earth Hater. I'm not. The earth is my favorite planet!
I know I'm a little nutzo for begrudging the split second longer that the fluorescent bulbs take to light up. I recognize that. And I'll get over it. I'm sure I will.

I'm switching to fluorescent bulbs also because they're four to six times more efficient than incandescent bulbs. And they last longer. So they don't crowd the landfills as much.
Yey fluorescent bulbs. I'm all for less in the landfills.

But I do love my old favorites.
So does Michelle over at Dadadreams.

Flickr photo by Dadadreams
I love her caption: When they danced together, no one was better. They loved to trip the light fantastic. They were incandescent. They lit up the room. They fit together like a bulb in a socket. More than anything else, they were light on their feet.
Click Here for her etsy site and find all sorts of wonderfully fun things!

Oh well. I'll get used to my new ice cream lights.
But until then, every time I see a white crocus, I'll pine for my old love.

Flickr photo by Lani Barbitta
Don't they look like light bulbs to you?
And what about the old light bulb over the head thing?
If they draw an ice cream bulb over Sally Forth, everyone will think she's craving ice cream!
We could go back to candles

Flickr photo by tamelyn
But it just isn't the same.

And what to do with all those old incandescent bulbs?
Have I got ideas for you!

Take off the end.

Flickr photo by Jpl3k- JonathanL25
You can find directions here. It also tells you how to make it into a Sea Monkey Condo! What more could you want from me people? A SEA MONKEY CONDO!

Or how about a light bulb terrarium?

Flickr photo by JohnKit
Or a light bulb aquarium?

Flickr photo by czuppongergely
Or how about Christmas ornaments?

Flickr photo by Jnlevision
Or something more groovy, with polymer clay?

Flickr photo by nogadin
Aren't those gorgeous?

But you know, as long as we're saving the world, we might as well be flower children!

You can find the stand here.

So what do you think? Love the new bulbs? Hate them?
Will you actually make a sea monkey condo, or are you afraid of sea monkeys?

Have a Wonder-full Wednesday, y'all!

And before you go, linger just a few seconds longer to watch one of my favorite commercials. It's full of light bulb love. Enjoy!
Love, Becky

To Your Wishes!

Today's Wonder of the World is...Funny Sneezing!

Flickr photo by benus
Hold on to your antihistamines, you sneezers out there! I know that most of the time, sneezing isn't fun. Or funny.
But you've got to admit...we make some awfully funny faces right before we let loose!
Like that collie, with his half wink and twitchy nose.

And this squirrel

Flickr photo by kintired
who won't let go of the nut!

And this little girl, who is either about to sneeze

Flickr photo by wendyjacka
or just can't believe her mommy didn't get her tickets to see Hannah Montana.

And this cat

Flickr photo by marleen.meijer
who looks like she just got a bad piece of kibble. Or maybe she's disgusted because she was hoping for paté. (I'm serious. Kind of. Paté brought new joy into my cat Katie's life in France. I wrote about it in French By Heart.)

We could go into the gross reasons why we sneeze, but let's don't.

Except for the really strange reasons.

Did you know that a sudden exposure to direct light, particularly sunlight, makes some people sneeze? It's called the photic sneeze reflex, and I find it fascinating. And guess what. It's genetic! Can't you just imagine that family reunion! They step outside to take the family photo and everyone looks like this.

Flickr photo by Capture Them
According to my friends at Wikipedia, sneezing can also be triggered by a particularly full stomach.
Yet another reason to sneeze at a family reunion!
Sorry. I've got family reunions on the brain. We missed the one last week in Kentucky, and my tummy is oh so sad. And my heart too. I don't just love my family for the food. Although the food helps. The deviled eggs! The cakes and pies! The fried chicken! The Kentucky green beans!
I feel a sneeze coming on.

Tell me this:
Can you be thrown into a sneezing fit because your daughter is about to leave for college on Friday, and your middle son had stitches last Friday, and your youngest son is already refusing to go to school when it starts up next week because school is stupid? And who invented it anyway?

No? None of that causes sneezing?
Oh that's right! It must cause loud, uncontrollable bouts of inappropriate laughter instead.
Or maybe that's just me.

Back to sneezing.
If you come visit me, Tanner the Slobber Dog will greet you with a sneeze.
And not just one.
He will sneeze all over you, over and over again. He will baptize you in sneezes. Lucky you!

Here he is, before his summer haircut, waiting for Sam's friend to open the door so he can shower him with greetings.
It's his way of saying hello.
I'd take Tanner to a dog psychologist but I don't know any. So we just keep lots of tissue and hand sanitizer around. And a leash, for people who don't care for sneezy animals. (The leash is for Tanner, not the people. Although the people would be welcome to put it on if they like. Tanner would think that was hilarious and then he'd try to take them for a walk.)

I also think it's funny to see how other languages spell out the sneezing sound. You know. Like achoo!
The first syllable makes the sound of the sudden intake of air, and the second, the sound of the actual sneeze. In French they write "Atchoum!"; in Swedish "Atjo"; in Hebrew "Apchi!"; in German "Hatschie!"; in Russian, "Apchkhi!"; in Italian, "Etciù!"; inSpanish "¡Achú!" or "¡Achís!"; and in Japanese, "Hakushon!".

What's that I hear?

Flickr photo by ItyChari
God Bless you, sweet little spaniel!

That reminds me. I love that the French say à vos souhaits after a sneeze, which means "to your wishes." And if the person sneezes again, you say à vos amours, "to your loves." How about those French? They're so romantic!
To your wishes! And to your loves!

Have a Wonder-full Tuesday, y'all.
And before you go, you absolutely MUST watch this video. It's of a panda having a little sneezing fit. I defy you to find anything cuter!
Bless you!
Love, Becky

Fun With Needles! (An Ouch-Free Post)

Today's Wonder of the World is...Needles! But Only the Fun Kind!

Flickr photo by Shade McVay
Hedgehogs have always looked needly to me, but aren't those three babies cute?! You know, in an out of this world way?

One of my three babies had a needle encounter on Friday. Right as I was soaking in all your wonderful suggestions and sweet empathy over my Sarah flying the coop, (thank you again, so very much!) I got a phone call that my Ben had gotten in a fight with a gate at Cross Country practice, and the gate won. (A teammate decided to open the gate pole just as he was ducking under it. The force of it hitting him caused the gash.)

Right about then my left eye started twitching. (Overwhelmed me is not a pretty sight.)

See that beautiful, unmarred left shoulder of his? Right now that shoulder has what appears to be a hairy black caterpillar crawling up it, thanks to six brand new stitches.

They asked him about it at church on Sunday and he got to take off his shirt and show the youth group. I don't think he minded.
"At least I'll have a scar to show for it," he said.
Maybe it will match the scar he got in France, the one that I wrote about in French By Heart.
My boy is such a he-man.

Enough about the ouchy kind of needles.
Let's have some needle fun!

Ben has had his driver's license now for less than a week, but if I let him, he'd love to take a long drive. Maybe to see the Needles Highway in South Dakota!

Flickr photo by picturethepromises
And hey! there are pine needles in the picture!

I love pine needles. Especially against the snow.

Flickr photo by deepintheforestcat
We don't get a lot of that in South Carolina.

Hopefully Ben would take along a compass on his trip, and read its needle occasionally.

Flickr photo by Jonathan W

If he didn't pay close attention to the map, he might end up at Seattle's Space Needle.

Flickr photo by eightylbs
Which could be fun! Can't you just imagine George Jetson landing on that thing?

Now I've got the song "Here's George Jetson" in my head. "Jane, his wife! Daughter Judy.."
Maybe I'll find a record and play it! I hope the needle is still good.

Flickr photo by marshmallowpillow

Whenever I think of needles, I also think of these little guys.

Flickr photo by dukkillr
Porcupines!

And porcupines remind me of sea urchins, with their needles/spikes.

Flickr photo by gekimo
And sea urchins remind me of sweet gum balls, with their sticky spikes.

Flickr photo by Jim-AR
And sweet gum balls remind me of pom pom fringe which have no needles at all...

Flickr photo by aaaandreaaaa
But you can sew them on with a needle!

Hopefully, we'll have no more sewing in our family that involves skin anytime soon.

Have a Wonder-Full Monday, everyone!
And watch this hedgehog eat a carrot. It's hilarious!
Love, Becky

Leaving the Nest!

Today's Wonder of the World is...My First Chickadee Is Leaving the Nest!

Exactly one week from today, we'll taking her off to college.
Can it be?
(Cue the music. Memories, light the corners of my mind... )
Stop, you! Don't run off, afraid of a little sappiness!
I've got questions, people! I need your advice.

But first allow me to ruminate just a sec.
(Ruminate is a funny word. Don't cows do that? And sorry if I'm a bit weirder than usual today. I'm trying my best not to hyperventilate. Not only is my sweet precious baby Sarah heading off to college, but Ben got his driver's license day before yesterday, and I'm seeing my life flash before my eyes!)

And here it goes, flashing again!
Just yesterday Sarah went from this little munchkin...


To this sweet girlie


To ma petite fille in France


To this smiley teenager back in the USA


To this graduate.


And now, in a mere week, she won't live with us anymore!
Not full time, anyway.
She's going to be fine. She really will. But how will I survive?

So people, I need to know two things. Pretty please with sugar and a cherry on top, be generous. Share your thoughts. And your sister's thoughts, and your neighbor down the street's thoughts. Why don't you just send out an email and send folks my way, because I'm trying to stay calm, but I've had a little too much coffee and the clock is ticking loudly in my ear, and a week from today is getting closer by the second!

Whew. I should find some chocolate.

First question.
(1) When you flew the coop and started your new life, what did you take with you that really came in handy and that a slightly frazzled mother wouldn't have thought of?

Here's some of what we have so far:
Loads of bed linens, because the girl loves a comfy bed. (Remember the only thing she would ask for Christmas last year was a good pillow.)


Plenty of plastic storage items.


A nifty laptop. And a mirror, so she can watch herself make A's.


A microwave. (Her roommate is bringing the mini-fridge. Which they will only use to store healthy food items and milk. And maybe juice.)


And a new pair of glasses that no one has ever sat on.


We still have to buy her one of these, because, thanks to her daddy, she has this crazy idea that some clothes need to be ironed occasionally.

(I don't usually have the iron set up in the kitchen/dining room, but I've been sewing the past few days, making bed skirts for her and her roomie to use for hiding all their plastic storage stuff. Yes, you can call me Betty Homemaker. Unless you peeked through my window and saw me wrestling with my sewing machine and then you tunneled into my brain and heard all those not so nice words I was saying inside my mind. Betty Homemaker doesn't do that. Or maybe she does.)

So that's question one. What does the girl need that I haven't already thought of? And while you're at it, do you have any other advice for Sarah for her freshman year? I told her I was going to ask you, and she's excited to see what you think.

Now.
Question Two: What am I going to do without my Sarah at home?
I really can't imagine it. I mean, I'm thrilled for her, really I am. She's about to enter one of the most exciting times in her life, and I can't wait to hear all about it.

But Sarah is my buddy. She understands me and I understand her. She is one person at our dinner table who puts her napkin on her lap without being reminded. And she laughs at my jokes and doesn't burp in public. (Unless it slips out by accident.) She reads what I write and tells me how wonderful it is, and she watches old movies with me and we talk about the clothes and the furniture. And she's just fun to be around.

I could go on and on, but for now, do any of you have coping techniques for moms of kids starting college?
I'm a busy person, and I won't be sitting around moon- faced, staring out the window. (Or who knows. Maybe I will.) But this child has lived with us for more than 18 years, so it's going to be an adjustment.
Ideas anyone?
What can I do to help Sarah adjust?
What I can I do to help myself adjust?

I'm all ears!
And all heart. I'm taking it off my sleeve now and sending it with her on this pillow.



Thanks, y'all. You're the best.
I can't wait to hear your ideas!

Love, Becky