Preserving memories

WOW ---, it sounds like there are some wonderful Dale Chihuly glass art installations everywhere! Wouldn't it be fun to take an art tour? I'll have to think of that as a road trip - perhaps not this coming summer, but the following one. Pick an artist or a theme, search out exhibitions and installations, and take a tour. It could be loads of fun!

And so another interesting and "fun" day has come and gone! And you will NOT believe what I did in the morning. 

When I was growing up, the house was filled with knick-knacks, and it was one of my chores (remember when kids had chores?) to dust those knick-knacks. I hated the job because it seemed the dust had already started collecting on the items the minute you were done. I vowed that I would never have loads of knick-knacks and that I would never do housework! 

Over the years, I've kept the knick-knacks under control; every year, the number in our house gets fewer and fewer. And I've had a cleaning lady for most of my adult life - just a priority I chose. 

When Mom and Dad moved into the apartment, she wanted a few of the ceramic teapots she had painted and fired to be put on top of the kitchen cabinets. They hadn't been touched in 8 years. So, yep -- I was asked if I would get them down and wash them and clean off the top of the cabinets, 

There I was, walking along the countertops to wash some grimy teapots. But all got done, and I was chuckling as I did it! Thankfully, there were only EIGHT sitting on top of the cabinets and four on the countertops, and now everything is on top of the cabinets, leaving a bit more space on the counter. 

If they were to participate in our kitchen clean-up in January, it would take considerable time to clean off that counter, but I guess it could be much worse. I can have my kitchen counter absolutely bare in about five minutes! 

Then, I was asked to deliver two containers sitting on the countertop to an aunt of mine. No problem - one was glass, and one was plastic. When I went down to the lobby, I was looking in the common room at some stuff sitting on a table, and the glass container (of course, NOT the plastic one) fell out of my hands and landed on its corner smack on the tabletop. Yep -- it busted apart, and I'm standing there with glass on the table and floor. I had no idea where the cleaning supplies were (if they existed). HELP!!!

I gathered the pieces as best I could, wrote a note, and left the mess on the table. And since I was already running late, I had to leave. ACK!!!! What else was I to do? When I returned later, I noticed the mess was gone. Thank you to whoever cleaned up! I couldn't just throw the container in the garbage as I needed to alert someone that there was glass on that table!

But I happened to have a whisk in my hand, so at least I "swept" the table to gather most of the bits of glass. But it was one of those situations where some of the glass shattered, so little bits were everywhere. Why couldn't the plastic one have fallen? 

Then, we were off on a cemetery mission. I wanted to get pictures of some grave markers. Yes -- I have taken pictures of them many times before, but who knows where they are stored! YES - the photos need to be tagged. So, we went with a whisk in case dirt or snow needed to be removed. 

Thank goodness we took the whisk because some of them were snow-covered. Some of the writing was eroded, but they were in OK condition. A little grass trimming in the spring and they will be just fine. But we must find a way to remove the yellow lichen from the gravestones. It has NEVER been removed, so that's a job for next summer. I wonder if those cement stones can then be sealed? A bit of research needs to be done. 

Some veterans are buried in this small country cemetery, and their graves are marked with pretty little maple leaves. 

Markers for the veterans

I was looking at some old books -- I guess you could call them a life story and I spotted these maps. You have to remember that this is a very rural part of the COUNTRY, and while back in Ontario, almost all roads have always had some sort of a sign; when I lived here, even though roads had names (township line or grid road), they were NEVER marked. So, how did you give directions to someone? 

How about a hand-drawn map? 

A hand-drawn map

There were two different ones, and I chuckled about that. Imagine giving something like this to a kid today - they would have no clue! This was dated 1960! Way before Google Maps was around! 

How to get from A to B in 1960

Even though I didn't drive much in this area, as I moved a few years after I got my driver's license, we rode that school bus daily for years, so we know the road by heart. And when you're chatting with someone, the drive was very short yesterday!

Hmm -- I'm not that great with a big car! This is a massive vehicle for me - it even has a running board to get in, and well, I can't say that I'm a fan, although it held up very well on the gravel roads! I won't get into the truck versus car thing, but I'm struggling with the size. I thought I parked close to the curb. 

Parking skills? 

I've done this every single time. I park where I think I should be parking, and then I creep forward slowly, waiting for the tires to hit the curb, which they never do. Then, I think - OK -- I've crept forward enough. When I get out, I see I'm still several feet from the curb. Even though our new vehicle is smaller than this, it's still larger than my old car, and well -- I'll be struggling with this at home. 

I like a small car! 

OH -- so how do you store your old photographs? Remember years ago, we put our photos in those albums with the little corner stickers. Then, SOMEONE got the bright idea that those sticky pages were the big thing, and so many people moved their photos to that type of album. So there are albums of original pictures that my Mom owns, and they are in sticky albums. 

I told her they need to be moved if she wants to preserve them! So what is the option? I think going back to the original method of putting in albums with the little corners is best! NO GLUE - or any other adhesive should be near anything we value! 

Today has more adventures in store, and I see it's time to start the day. 

I forgot to mention it earlier this week, but YES -- there is a virtual retreat this weekend. 

Saturday, December 23rd - starts at 6 PM

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89254233911?pwd=VGQrTnFybW1HMWpleHA4M2Q2NGVwZz09 Meeting ID: 892 5423 3911 Passcode: 982797

Sunday, December 24th - starts at Noon

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86119598156?pwd=ZDFxcElxS0NmeTRjczdSR2FXd3N2Zz09

Meeting ID: 861 1959 8156
Passcode: 053861

Yes -- I know that it is Christmas Eve, but many of us are not doing anything that day, and if we close early that day -- I'm good with that. This is for people who are NOT visiting with family and friends. Or even if you are - sneak out a couple of personal minutes and come and say HI!! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!