Friday, December 19, 2008

For Mary Lou.

A month or so ago my friend Mindy, knowing my love of vintage jewelry, sent me a great big boxful of things that were her mother's.
Mary Lou's jewelry

Mary Lou's jewelry

Mary Lou's jewelry

Aren't they lovely!
By the time I had finished unpacking it all, I felt as though I knew their previous owner.
Thankyou Mary- Lou, they'll have a good home with me.

Mary Lou's jewelry

Aurora Borealis 195o's Crystal Necklace

DSCF0188(1)

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Different types of helping.

A lot of people that I deal with on a daily basis are related to my son's medical care. Some of them are just 'clock-on, clock-off' kinda employees. Others really love their work, and will go out of their way to help you out.

I've had two of the latter this week- one of them has made me glow with gratitude and pleasure, the other has brought out a lack of graciousness that I never knew I had in me.

The good one went like this- one of my son's medical people rang me while I was grocery shopping on Monday morning. She had just realized that if I signed a particular form my son and I would be in line for a small remuneration on fees and things. All good, except there was no way I was going to be able to actually get to her for about a week (week from hell). So she says, wait right there, I'll come to you. So, in the middle of a work day, she leaves her office, negotiates the crowded carpark of a big hospital, and drives 20 minutes to meet me outside a supermarket so I can sign my name on something. Thereby getting me a financial bonus that I never even would have known about if she hadn't gone looking for me. Without me asking!
How sweet is that! Thankyou Rhiannon, you made my world just a little bit better.

The bad one is trickier. My son has a terrific physiotherapist. Lovely young guy, really smart and nice and utterly dedicated to his job. The Kid has progressed to a point where he does more work in an actual gym, than in a physio studio. So, at the moment, the physio is setting up a new program for him, and he told me that he wants me to take over supervision of it. I am willing, but not best pleased. I don't enjoy gyms. Especially the mixed ones. But hey- whatever is best for the Kid. I'll suck it up if I have to, is what I'm saying.
The thing is, he has started to pester me a bit about my participation in this. As in, 'you should come in your gym clothes, too, and do the exercises as well' and ' you know, if you do the same set after the Kid, that is the perfect amount of rest for him to have before he does his second set', and , my personal favourite, ' why don't you see if you can lift these weights comfortably?'

I'm not stupid. I understand the subtext here. He is trying to help, but what he is really saying is
Get off your lazy arse and do some exercise, you fat cow!

Its true, I could use a little exercise. But I resent being coerced like this. If he came to me and said "Gee, your butt is the size of a planet these days, don't you think the occasional jog round the block would be a good idea', I would probably slap him, but I'd agree and get to work on some serious regular cardio.
But this namby pamby 'trying-to-get-me-to-do-stuff-without-actually-saying-it' is pissing me off.
He's right, but he's still pissing me off.

Helpfulness- sometimes ya love it, sometimes ya don't.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Trifari on cherry red


Trifari on cherry red, originally uploaded by goodgirlsaturday.

And here it is on red.

Trifari on chocolate brown

This is one of my favourite brooches. I suppose it cost me a lot when I bought it, but I did buy it quite some time ago, and since then my definition of 'a lot' has changed quite a bit. I like its spidery solidness, and like most 1950's Trifari it is remarkably well made.