Shower Gel

First off, let me set the scene.

Our house has one bathroom.  When we bought it 40-some years ago it had a claw foot tub in it the size of a small ship.
We lived with that after we had a shower curtain ring put in place for as long as we could stand it and then chucked that sucker to the curb and went with a nice, neo-angle shower.

It has a glass door and 2 glass sides.  Perfect.  We've been very happy with it . . . except the whole thing about cleaning the glass.

I've tried all kinds of gizmos and concoctions - once I almost asphyxiated myself with some home made cleaning fluid.  Won't do that again.

Recently I was talking to my sister, Lisa, and she said our mutual sister, Stacey, told her that using a shower gel rather than bar soap cuts down on the soap scum - tremendously.

I've seen shower gels advertised on TV and I see them on the shelves at the grocery store but never gave them a thought but, what the heck, I gave it a try.

Giving up bar soap was difficult for me because I'm kind of a soap addict.  I gave myself a pep talk and bought some gel.

Dang.  My sister was right (not Lisa because all she did was pass along the info) but Stacey, the older and wiser one. 

It took me a while to regulate how much went into my palm and the whole lathering technique but even Petey is on board with the switch and we both agree that the glass is staying much clearer.

It's been a revelation, I tell ya.

Meet the artist

Welcome to a beautiful show of art.

  

These paintings were created by my lifelong friend, Joy Richmond.

They are now hanging in a restaurant called, Salt of the Earth, in Fennville, MI.  They will remain there through the holidays.

These particular paintings show off our gem, Lake Michigan.

I've seen a lot of Joy's work over the years.  Two of her original watercolors hang in our home.

This particular collection, took my breath away.  The colors and the light were outstanding.

If you're in the area, stop in and feast your eyes.  Treat yourself.
Grab a drink or a snack while you're there.
You deserve it.

Augie Leotta Altamore

                                   Augie Leotta Altamore

                                        2005ish - 2019

Augie crossed over the rainbow bridge this afternoon.  Many, many tears were shed as Petey and I kissed and hugged him and whispered "I Love You" into his ears.

Augie had been losing weight since last spring and some gastro issues finally led us to our local vet.  

Cancer.

We kept him as comfortable as possible and spoiled him even more than over the past 10+ years.

Augie was only the 3rd pet in our 51 year marriage but our relationship with him was different because, as retirees, we spent much more time with him.  It was a very strong bond.

As a rescue from a puppy mill he put us through our paces.
He tried our patience at times - so much so that we were considering changing his name to "Damn-it-Augie."

He was a cuddle bunny and we'll both miss him whenever we sit down - he was always attached to one of our thighs.

Good-bye, sweet boy.

What Do You Think?

Last Saturday I was doing a bead making demonstration at my friend, Gwen's, shop in South Haven, MI.

I really enjoy the demos.  People dig it and I love chatting them up.

I had 3 darling little girls (age range - 7 to 9-ish) stand at my table for quite a while.  We talked about color and I let them suggest how I should trim my paper in order to capture specific colors and shapes.

Another lady came in with her granddaughter who was very interested in seeing how paper beads were made.  We swapped contact info so the young girl could text me if she had any questions once she got started down the paper rollin' road.

Another woman suggested I might make beads out of love letters.
You know, maybe someone had the letters that were sent between grandparents when they were young.  Or maybe a journal from a great aunt traveling through Africa back in the 40s.

How about old documents?  Land surveys, marriage licenses, etc.
It might be interesting and challenging.

What do you think?

The Failed Car Nap

Yesterday Petey and I took off for a day trip along the Lake Michigan shore.  Augie was with his "second mom" so we were footloose with no time constraint.

We got an early start and decided to head straight for St.Joe.  Mother Nature was at her best - the weather could not have been better.

If you've never been to St.Joe (Joseph), take a drive.  What a beautiful town.  Great shops, wonderful restaurants and check out this splash pad.

  We thought this sculpture along the channel might had been made by the same artist that made the one here in Allegan.  It wasn't.

And of course when you travel with a "light freak" you always stand and admire the lighthouse.  You can't really tell from this pic but the water was HIGH.  

This restaurant has been around forever but we haven't been there in many, many years.  They just reopened after a fire and since we were in the area and Petey is also a very big fan of pizza - lunch was served!

Back on the road and headed north to Holland.  After pizza and a lot of walking we started to get a wee bit sleepy so we started looking for a shady spot to pull over for a car nap.

That opportunity presented itself as we neared the county park in the Saugatuck area.  We've been there many times and we knew that access to the beach (via stairs leading downward) was closed because of high water.  No prob for us, we just wanted a quiet, shady spot for you-know-what.

We scored and had just settled in when a few cars filled with beach goers arrived.  As they pulled out coolers and folding chairs from their vehicles we thought we should, maybe, let them know that there would be no sitting on the sand today.

Then we thought we should mind our own business - people are weird these days and maybe they wouldn't appreciate two sleepy looking old people telling them what they couldn't do.

No napping happened because we couldn't take our eyes off all the people that walked toward the fenced off stairs to the beach only to slow their pace and finally stop to read the warning sign.  They'd stay there for approximately 15 to 20 second and then turn around with a WTH look on their faces.  They'd look for a possible opportunity to the north and then one to the south.  Nope.  Not today folks.

We started feeling guilty for not calling all those people off so . . .
we left.  

No nap.

We continued on to Holland and were home by 6:30p because we were too tired to hang around for dinner and what would have been a fabulous sunset.

Today is another "day trip" but we're heading north.  We've decided to get started after lunch.  This way maybe we'll have more staying power and nab a sunset.

Anyone want to place a bet as to whether that actually happens?

The Car Nap

Last Saturday Petey and I decided to go to the art fair in South Haven.  We hadn't been to it in several years.  We knew parking would be dicey but we were lucky and found a spot downtown knowing we could easily walk to the fair and back since we're in such fantastic physical condition. 

The fair was great.  We saw some outstanding art.  Petey met a fellow lighthouse fan and bought his photo book.  That was our only purchase except a very good sammie from one of the food trucks.

Since Augie was with the sitter we were in no rush to get home and really wanted to make a day of it so we headed back downtown to "do the stores."

I bought some paper and we stopped into Bayberry Cottage to crack the whip on the staff - SELL THOSE BRACELETS!!! 

All that window shopping and cracking of the whip brought on a thirst.  We looked around and were drawn (like a magnet) to the local bakery.  You can't just get a beverage in a bakery  So . . . . something sweet accompanied the bottle of whatever that was that Petey bought.

The afternoon was moving along beautifully.  No rush.  No pressure to get home and SoHa was outstanding.

A little yawning began.  A decision to find some shade and a bench to sit upon ensued.  We chatted and yawned some more.

Then I had a brilliant idea!  The car wasn't far away but it was in the sun. I noticed a few empty spaces in the covered parking area nearby so Petey moved our vehicle, we put the windows down, moved the seats to a comfy position and NAPPED!

Ahhhhhhhhhhh.  Refreshed, we had enough energy to continue on into the evening. Pizza at a local joint and home by 9p.

That's how we roll.

Vintage Sheet Music

As you know (if you've been following along), I've been making paper beads for almost 5 years now.  I use all kinds of paper - sheet music included.
My friend, Cathy Eichelberger, put that little bug in my ear a few years ago and I am forever grateful.

I put out a Facebook call for old sheet music and people brought boxes full to my home.  THANK YOU!!!

I absolutely love the face sheets.  They are soooo deco.  I wanted to share some of them with you.

Please excuse the "thumb photo bombs" and the missed rotation.  I went through the whole cropping procedure but apparently I missed a few "saves."

So if you have some old music collecting dust somewhere in your basement or attic and feel like dropping it off, let me know.