My Dad

I spent the evening with my dad last night.  I brought a pizza and we enjoyed dinner together and watched the OSU men’s basketball team ALMOST beat UCLA!

Generally speaking my dad is a pretty easy person to be around.  He’s normally in a good mood, he’s a happy guy.  But, sadly, I sometimes feel like I’m watching him slip away.  He’s gone to that place where he can remember every detail about something that happened when he was 10 years old … but can’t remember (sometimes) what happened yesterday.  Sometimes I have my dad there, and am enjoying a lively conversation with him … but other times he’s telling the same stories over, and over, and over again.

His body is failing him too.  He mostly walks now with a walker.  His shoulders cause him so much pain that there are many things he can no longer do.  He told me last night that he cancelled his subscription to the Albany Democrat-Herald because his shoulders/arms will no longer allow him to raise the paper, to turn the pages, so he can read it.

Since my mom died, in August, my dad has had a rough time.  It’s really affected him physically.  It’s hard to watch it all.  But it’s making the time I spend with him even more precious.  The good news is that the last couple of weeks he’s been doing much better.  Hopefully he’s making at least a small turn around with his health.  I’ve appreciated all the prayers that have been said on his behalf … they’re helping … but don’t stop!

All Things Old

I’ve never quite been able to figure out my crazy obsession with “all things old” (vintage, antique).  It completely goes against my want/need for CONVENIENCE!  I can’t even begin to imagine my life without my washer and dryer … or my microwave.  And how does one clean their house without their DYSON?  It’s unthinkable to think about getting hot water from anywhere except the hot water heater!  And heating the house with wood?  Or not having an air-conditioner in the summer?  I don’t think so!  So to say that I LOVE modern conveniences would be an understatement … yet I can spend hours in an antique store or daydreaming through the zillions of antique and vintage items offered on eBay.

The older furniture pieces were so beautiful.  Kitchen utensils were so sturdy.  Items from the 1920’s, 1930’s, 1940’s … they look like pieces of art to me.  While others see the beauty in a Rembrandt painting, I see the beauty in a framed vintage piece of advertising.  Nothing catches my eye quicker than a 1930’s Baking Powder Tin, or a huge wooden bobbin.  I love old windows and doorknobs.  Old and distressed china is more beautiful to me than anything brand new.  Sometimes I feel like I was born in the wrong era … well, except for the fact of the many NECESSARY modern conveniences that I also enjoy!

Thinking about it though, I guess I was born in the right era … this way I can have the best of both worlds.  I can enjoy all of my modern conveniences, and can also enjoy the vintage and antique items that threaten to crowd me out of my own house!

(soon I will try to post some pictures of my Schilling Tin collection … and my wooden bobbin collection … and my vintage kitchen utensil collection … and …… uuuuuggggghhhhhhhhh).

Maybe This Time?

New year ... new thoughts and ideas?  Maybe!  This is my 1,056,174,317th attempt at a blog ... will it take this time?  I guess we'll see.  Mostly tonight I've worked at getting it up and going ... seeing if I have the techno capabilities to even do this.  The real test will be the date I manage to actually write something!

Anyway, thought this might be a good way to keep track of some of my thoughts and feelings ... maybe see some growth in SEVERAL areas of my life by this time next year.  So until that first post ... happy 2011, and I hope this is an amazing year for all of us.