Food Friday : Sammy and the Lettuce Leaves

Moving From the Past to the Future : A New Address Book

On a recent shopping trip I picked up a little something for myself that I didn't know I wanted or needed until I laid my eyes, and then my hands, upon it. It is an address book; a simple everyday item but one that has caused me to reflect on my life and note all the changes I've seen since I first became an adult.

Until now, I have only ever had one address book. Oh, throughout the years I have entered telephone numbers and addresses into numerous digital devices, however ultimately each contact that meant anything to me was at some point written into this book in ink.

I can tell you the telephone numbers and addresses of my friends, throughout whatever moves they have made in their lives. "Where did they live in 2005?" I can tell you! "When did they get a cell phone?" I've got that information. "Did they get married and change their name?" Why yes, yes they did, and at the same time their address changed too.

By now this old book is so full of bits of my life history, that a perusal of its pages tells me where I've been and who I was there with. It also reminds me of people who I once loved who I no longer see, either through circumstance or through death. There is the name of a best friend who suddenly died of an asthma attack and another who passed away as a result of a bee sting. Then there are the expected passings .. beloved grandmothers and terminally ill relatives.

I see where I have worked throughout my entire career, including phone numbers that at one time would have rolled off my tongue, but now are unrecognizable. One particular entry that gives me joy, is that of Nick. I obviously had no idea at the time that I entered his phone number that we would one day be happily married, because I included his last name! But clearly I knew something was up with this guy because beside his name I had drawn a little heart.

Then there are the notes and cards attached to each cover with clips. Our list of wedding guests is there, as is a set of instructions on how to program one of the earliest incarnations of cordless telephone! (That phone is long gone now, but the instructions are pretty interesting.)

Mini Collection : Majolica Style Pottery

One day Nick went to the corner store to buy milk and he came home with something extra. On the way he had passed a sweet elderly neighbour having a yard sale. He said that it was little more than a small table set up with a few items on it, one of which was this rather large ceramic pineapple tureen.

I happened to be looking out the window as he came up the sidewalk with it and recall the sight very fondly. He was carrying it so carefully and smiling as though thinking, "Wait until she sees this!"

Fast forward some years, and a few similar items have been added to what has become a little collection, including a second smaller pineapple.

When I first saw the big one I was reminded of the neatest salad bowl we had when I was growing up. It was a ceramic leaf shaped into a bowl and I loved it so. If I am correct, my mother had gotten it from her mother.

Research indicates that this style of pottery is called Majolica. I'm pretty certain that my pieces are all done in the style of Majolica and aren't valuable like the real stuff is to serious collectors. But I have a feeling that my mother's leaf bowl might actually be the real thing, though I know it has a chip in it, which is understandable since we used it frequently.

Bits and Pieces : May 2012

Hello. At the end of each month I do a post that includes photographs that I've taken throughout that month which would otherwise go unseen. I try to curate this selection so that only interesting pictures are included. Here are my Bits and Pieces for May ...

Saturday is Caturday! DIY Cat Bed

I've never had a dog so I can't say it's the same for all of them, but it seems like once they find a bed they like, they will use the same one for a very long time. I watched my parents' dear dog Duffy use his old bean-bag chair cum doggy bed for more than a decade. Not so with cats. Our boy Eddie will find a spot he loves and sleep in it for a while, but then something happens to said bed, that only he knows about, and presto, that bed is no longer any good. It is abandoned and it's always obvious to us when this has happened because the guy spends a couple of days looking around and testing other spots, until he decides that he has found a new bed.

I used to keep cardboard boxes for bedding purposes, lined with blankets that were frequently washed. But frankly, I got tired of always having a cardboard box in our living room. I was very tempted to buy one of the adorable pet beds I've seen but knowing that any store-bought bed would eventually be abandoned and therefore become trash, I set out to make something that wouldn't cost a lot of money and may have some longevity because of the easily washable bedding. I bought a new kitty litter tray and set that out with a blanket in it. It worked. The boy really liked it and used it for a long time, as long as the blanket was kept freshly laundered.

So I decided to step it up a notch and create a deluxe version of this kitty bed, which is really fit for the feline prince (or princess) that is so close to a cat parent's heart. This special bed comes complete with a very comfortable mattress! It also features a pillow-case, the pattern of which is chosen to fit into your decor. And since pillow-cases come in pairs, there is always a fresh one ready to slip onto the mattress, while the other is in the wash.

Here's how to make your own cat bed ...
Supplies:
1 brand new, never used for its intended purpose, kitty litter tray, or similar sized and shaped plastic washtub.
A set of pillow-cases that will match your room (I bought inexpensive ones at Dollarama)
A supply of bubble wrap. I used the kind with the big bubbles, though the small bubbles would work too, but would take more layers. Our mattress is 10 layers thick.
1 trash bag
Duct tape