PhotoHunt - Furry

"Try it on" she said, hopefully

"Look, it fits perfectly" I said, sceptically

"It looks good on you, matches your hair" she said, animatedly

"It is gorgeous" I said, fatefully

"Then you must have it" she said, determinedly

"But ... but ... it is so not me ..." I said, helplessly

"It could become you" she said, theatrically

"I would never wear it, where would I wear it?" I said, wonderingly

"I don't care what you do with it, wear it shopping, use it as a throw, cut it up into a teddy bear and a hat, give it away ... but it is yours" she said, finally

"I don't know about this" I said resignedly

And so I ended up with a fur coat.

It would have been insulting, finally, to not accept this generous offer. My friend was clearing out her late mother's house, and really wanted me to take this home. Getting rid of the three floors of a lifetime's collection of antiques, art, clothes, was an emotionally charged task for her I knew, and it was becoming awkward, my resistance.

And so even in this bitter cold, I have not been able to bring myself to wear my new 40 year old fur coat outside.

But it is the warmest coat.
And the loveliest.

For more furry photos from around the world go to PhotoHunt

it's snowing in my backyard, too

that dark spot is a crow huddling in the branches


my car getting a new cloak


Now, if you have to plough your driveway, have a thought for our poor maintenance man, Mike, who also has to get out the snowblower...

he has been at it ALL DAY and having to fill up the gas
many, many times.



because he has all this to get through.
(that's Mike way up on the top of picture)

pop goes the stress

Recently, I needed to buy some bubble wrap for a parcel I was posting. Because, who has bubble wrap just laying around waiting to be used as wrap? How long would it last in your house before you started popping? And because you can't just buy this stuff by the metre (which would have been more than enough for my immediate need) I now have a whole roll of the stuff sitting there, taunting me.

Which is why I am so happy to have found this:
bubblewrap
(make sure speakers are on)

So how do you pop your bubble wrap?

One at a time?
By the row?
Randomly?
Twisting?

Do tell. I like knowing these details about people!

Monday AMuse

p.s. Happy Australia Day

Sunday Stills - Potluck

This week the challenge was eyes wide open.

This little guy holds my most valued possession.

winter daze

a public service announcement

if you are not going to clear

all the snow

from the roof of your car

you should perhaps not open

the sun roof

when you want

to let in some air

when you feel overheated

thank you

now stop laughing

someone with personality lives behind this door

My neighbour, who used to live directly across the hall from me, liked to tell me of the cute things her three year old granddaughter would say. Things like: Oma, why doesn't that lady have something pretty on her door like you have?

Mine was the only one that stood naked.

After the second retelling, I took the hint and went out and bought some very large pinecones and attached them to a big red ribbon and hung it on a hook on my door. I went for drama.

This seemed to please the ladies on my end of the hall, and I got compliments and remarks like:
Well, it's about time you put something up
Bethany will be so pleased next time she comes to visit
Nice big pinecones

I like your new decoration
Very nice, but it's a bit Christmassy with that red bow and it's only October
(yeah, that would be Helen, the one who spoke her mind).

If anyone has spent time wandering the halls of a seniors' home you'll notice that almost all of the apartment doors are festooned with some sort of decoration. This at least helps break up the bleakness of a long hall of doorways. It also adds some personality. And is a good marker for finding your way home again. Though that can work for anyone, really. I once had some poor embarrassed woman enter my apartment by mistake. Had I my pinecones up, she might have noticed she was on the wrong floor before dragging her laundry into my front hall. (and yes, I keep my door unlocked when I am at home, as did she, apparently). Other apartment buildings seem to have door personality about them. I've been in buildings where every door has something up, and buildings where only a few are decorated. My building was definitely heavily on the decorated front when I moved here. Now, sadly, not so much.

Some of these door decorations are a little too cute and country-ish for my taste. Some are tacky. Actually, many are tacky. Many have fake flowers of some sort that are usually not in season. Occasionally, you will see some beautiful or elaborate decorations. I remember once seeing a doorway covered in a strand of fake wisteria draped as if growing over an arbour. Sometimes dolls or stuffed animals are strung up. Most however involve wreaths or hats with flowers. Not everyone goes all out to decorate their doors. Many are left naked.

Christmas is when the door decorations really have their best display. Large ribbons decorate the door as if opening a big present. Garlands drape the doorframe. Wooden Santas and sleighs hang onto hooks. Sparkly door knob rings jangle. The wreaths get larger. Berries, bows and bells appear. As do pinecones. None as dramatic as my huge ones, however. (which I do not have a photo of, and they are packed away)

It is all very festive and lively.

And then, around the second week in January, the festiveness disappears. And the fake flowers reappear.

I like the decorations. Even the tacky ones. It reminds you that someone actually lives behind the closed doors.

Emma

I have just learned of the sad passing of a good blog friend, Mad Asthmatic on the weekend. She was a loyal and cheerful commenter to my blog and I, and perhaps many others, had become concerned by the silence following her last post which was very aptly and poignantly titled 'No Regrets'.

Everyone who read her blog knew that her health was not good and was deteriorating. Emma expressed frustrations of the limitations of her disease, but she was also so full of hope and plans and dreams for her future, whatever lay ahead.

When I travelled to England last summer we made plans to meet, for a day trip, or later, when it appeared she would not be well enough for that, for tea. Unfortunately she was still in hospital during my stay and the visit didn't take place, much to both our disappointment.

Be at Peace, Emma.

Monday AMuse

Sunday Stills - Colour

FiestaWare

each week there is a new theme for a Sunday Stills photo
this week's theme is colour
go to SundayStills to see more colour