Archive for the ‘the Nest’ Category

My husband thinks I’m anal.

(I think that’s pretty lame.)

Just because I fold my towels so they will all stack up the same?

Some people have clean houses –

with no dust to be found.

As long as the towels stack up straight, dust bunnies can keep hoppin’ around.

Okay, talking about lameness, this post? Pretty lame. But seriously folks is it too much to ask that the towels be folded all the same way? My husband, and now my kids, do a lot of folding, so I really don’t care how they’re folded so much anymore (and believe me, there are many ways people recommend to fold towels), just as long as they’re folded and folded alike.

I know it’s silly. But I want them to match.

I want them to stack neatly in the cabinet – be straight and uniform. I suppose I should be happy that they’re folded and put away at all, straight or not. I’ll work on that, but in the meantime let me show you what I mean.

See…the same.

Different.

Can you tell?

Sure you can. The results above are from two folding approaches. Here’s number one…

And here’s the second folding technique…

Tadah!

Did you see the difference? I know you did. Now, is it anal that one would start a job or task in one fashion and continue in that same fashion throughout the task?

No. I think not.

On the contrary, I think that it’s just plain haphazardness on the part of a towel folder to start folding towels one way and switch to another technique. Why would you do that? Why? The horrors!

So, please, for me, fold your towels all the same way – whatever way you choose, just so it’s the same for each and every single towel. They deserve at least that much.

Now I’m curious, how do you fold your towels?

Hey Hope! Come here and show me how you fold your towels. I’m taking a poll.

You’re doing a grand job sugah pie…

Lookin’ good!

Nice.

Hey Hope, sweet child of mine, you wanna fold the rest of the pile?

Hope?

Hello?

Bueller?

Shoot. I thought I snagged her for a while. She’s slick and fast.

And gone.

So, again, how do you fold your towels?

Are they neatly stacked all in the same direction? Do you fold in half and half and half? Or thirds? Or are you a ruler measuring towel foldererer?

Many folks are related to presidents in some way or another. Some may have famous atheletes or artists in their family. We have this guy, albeit distantly, named Sir Harry Lauder. He was my husband’s great great grandfather’s cousin – whatever that makes him.

Harry Lauder was a popular Scottish singer, comedian, and movie star. (No doubt where my husband gets his talent – the family talent runs deep.) Here’s one of his albums.

He was a spiffy chap whose trademark was a crooked cane, or walking stick.

I wish I still had a turntable ’cause I bet “A Wee Deoch-an-Doris” is a rockin’ tune.

And “Breakfast in Bed on Sunday”… Harry you sound like my kind of man.

He was definitely “the man” back in the day. Now he’s perhaps best known here in the U.S. for being the namesake of this shrub, Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick.

The botanist who named this species was apparently into early 20th century pop or a Sir Harry Lauder fan.

This shrub (or dwarf tree) is a baby that we planted a little over a year ago and only a few feet tall. Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick is a hardy, but slow growing shrub but can grow to be 8-10′ tall and wide. I can’t wait – I bet it’ll be a show stealer. And while the foilage is pretty, it’s best features are enjoyed in the winter garden when the curly, wild branches are stage front.

The shrub is perfect for zones 4-8 and is fairly easy to grow. Other than well drained soil and full sun to part shade, Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick tolerates many conditions and pests. Check with your local garden center or Ag extension for specific (and more accurate) information.

Be sure to keep your eyes open for Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick, and if you run across one, do a little jig in memoriam.

So, what famous lineage do you hail from? Any Kings or queens? Presidents? Movie stars? Nascar drivers?

I can’t wait to hear your stories – do tell!

I’ve mentioned to you before that I like junkin.’ Whether it’s a garage sale, thrift store, antique shop – you name it, I’m there. And every now and then you find a treasure that was just meant for you. Here’s one of those…

About two years ago I bought this curved rocker at a garage sale in Charleston, S.C. for about $90. It reminded me of a rocker my grandmother once had, so I had to get it. Soon after getting home I tried unsuccessfully to find it online to rundown the history and what it might be called. I didn’t look extensively but have searched casually a couple of times but with no luck.

What I do know is that it’s solid oak and the bottom has a sticker with a man’s name from N.Y. who “Remade and Renovated” the chair with the original interior stuffing, plus a little extra, dated February 2, 1970. Anyone antique experts out there? Or do you have one of those antique specifier books handy? Or maybe you’ve seen one of these before?

I dig the curved back and craftsman style lines. And while it looks a little awkward, it’s actually quite comfortable – one of my husbands favorite spots to chill.

I enjoy finding old functional pieces that have been well loved. The wood is a little worn in places but I like it that way – it always makes me wonder about the former owners.

Who were they? Maybe it was a new mother who rocked her child to sleep, or possibly someone’s favorite place to read. Whoever sat there before I’m sure they enjoyed the rocker as much as we have and will continue to for years to come.

Is there a favorite piece of furniture you’ve had in your family for a while? Or maybe you’ve a new found treasure that you plan on keeping forever?

And if you have any info on this rocker, I’d love to hear from you!