You know that moment when you make that fateful decision and say “Who am I going to see at the Tractor Supply at 7:30 p.m. on a Monday? These Muck boots and this dirty old ski parka are FINE?” That is a bad moment. Poor decision making processes are at work here.Read the full text of this week's column at F&D Online
Weekly Read | Fashion Night at the Tractor Supply
One man's trash ...
Lifting it I realized that the basket contained a giant green glass bottle - score! I came home and, via the power of Google, discovered that what I have is a "Demijohn" for making wine. This one was clearly in the trash because the glass bottle is cracked. Since I prefer to buy my wine in a box, I am just perfectly fine with a cracked but pretty thing and how useful is a basket with lid around the porch or patio? The particular model I have retailed for $119.00, so I think free by the side of the road is a pretty decent deal. Don't you?
On love, loss, and going on
Reflecting recently on love, loss, and the lives left behind. In my digging I came upon this poem, attributed to having been read by Maria Shriver at Tim Russert's funeral, she said it was sent to her following the death of her cousin, John F. Kennedy Jr.
Shriver said that poetry helped her through her cousin John F. Kennedy, Jr.'s death. "A few years ago, when my cousin died, John, in an unexpected way, I was given a poem by a friend that helped me through some pretty dark days," she said. "It gave me some peace within whenever I thought about him in a faraway place, that I would be unable to see him or talk to him again. I read it many, many times and I thought I could share it with all of you today with the hope that it might also give you some peace within."
I think that if anyone knows how to "deal" with death - as if death is a particularly thorny issue to be "managed" - it is a member of the Kennedy clan. We all hope and pray that we never have to follow in their footsteps even as we all know that, inevitably, we do.
The Little Ship
I stood watching as the little ship sailed out to sea. The setting sun tinted his white sails with a golden light, and as he disappeared from sight a voice at my side whispered, "He is gone".
But the sea was a narrow one. On the farther shore a little band of friends had gathered to watch and wait in happy expectation. Suddenly they caught sight of the tiny sail and, at the very moment when my companion had whispered, "He is gone" a glad shout went up in joyous welcome, "Here he comes!"
Shriver said that poetry helped her through her cousin John F. Kennedy, Jr.'s death. "A few years ago, when my cousin died, John, in an unexpected way, I was given a poem by a friend that helped me through some pretty dark days," she said. "It gave me some peace within whenever I thought about him in a faraway place, that I would be unable to see him or talk to him again. I read it many, many times and I thought I could share it with all of you today with the hope that it might also give you some peace within."
I think that if anyone knows how to "deal" with death - as if death is a particularly thorny issue to be "managed" - it is a member of the Kennedy clan. We all hope and pray that we never have to follow in their footsteps even as we all know that, inevitably, we do.
Craigslist Rules to Live By
1) If you don't have a photo in your listing, how am I supposed to know if I'm interested in buying said item? Am I supposed to just picture it in my mind? 2) Describing your item as "Just like Pottery Barn" does not mean you can price it as if it is, in fact, at Pottery Barn.Unless they've opened an outlet in your garage?
3) If your item was cheaply made it will not have appreciated in value since you did bong hits off it in college. A $50 dining set will be worth less - not more - after you have stained, scratched, and somehow managed to lose one leg.
4) While ScotchguardTM is, in fact, a nice selling point, they have yet to make a stain resistance that can outwit cigarette burns and/or cat pee so if your item has been exposed to one or both of these, give it up.
5) "Vintage" is not code for "ugly." Sometimes things are just "old" and/or "hideous."
6) "Can be refinished!" should not be priced as if it already is.
7) Descriptions such as "THIS ARMOIRE IS VERY UNIQUE BECAUSE IT HAS A BAR TO HANG CLOTHING AND DRAWERS INSIDE" are not helpful. That is not "unique." It's an armoire.
8) Please remove your dirty laundry, underwear, similar from any photo before posting. I shouldn't have to tell you this, but apparently, I do.
The Weekly Read | Love, Loss, Pride & Joy
The Weekly Read | Love, Loss, Pride and Joy
Read Full Text of this week's column at F&D Website
I would like the record to reflect that when people say “how do you find material to write about?” I am always confused. When you have in-laws who believe that livestock make great gifts, you are never at a loss for words. Not all of them good. (Continued via link below)
Read Full Text of this week's column at F&D Website
A girl and her label maker ...
My Brother P1290 - he's like family
Seasonal Storage Solutions - Pantry Style
Take the guesswork out of "Who brought the hot dish?" Also, more likely you'll get your dishes back after a big party or bake sale.
An absolute sanity saver for coralling all the chargers for various phones, cameras, mp3's.
Shoe organizer + labels = BRILLIANT! Cost about $4
Note each pocket is labeled so all "pieces parts" stay together.
How proper cord labeling promotes world peace. Take a minute to label the cords too. You'll thank yourself for it later. This allows you to return items to their proper pocket. More importantly, it prevents fighting when your kids have duplicate items. When only ONE mp3 cord can be found they will both claim it as "theirs." Proper labeling ala "mp3 Red" and "mp3 Blue" can end wars, I tell you, Wars.
Some days I think the only things I have left to label are "Son," "Daughter," And "Spouse." Too much?
*ETA Apologies for photo quality or lack thereof. Blogger appears to be having issues today and so far what shows it the unadjusted/uncropped images. Sorry!
_________________________________________________
Dear A&F, You're Playing Us, We're On To You
Dear Abecrombie & Fitch,
Well played. Your marketing department had to know that marketing a "push up" bikini to 8 year olds was guaranteed to garner attention, much of it negative. The resultant air time and media buzz must have been invaluable! I bet you can't even put a price tag on that. Of course, after a proper amount of "oh no they didn't!" rubbernecking on the part of the media and the public that heretofore didn't know or care about your 2011 summer line, you could graciously shake your heads in mock shame over our gutter minds, insist that you were misunderstood and that the suits were "lightly padded for modesty" and pretend it was all just a great big misunderstanding. Meanwhile, your "butt enhancing" pants for little girls remain on display. Just so we are clear here, despite the lightning-speed revamp there was no "misunderstanding" here. You're too smart for that. You've managed to turn a so-so brand that hails from a state known more for cows and an aging-rust-belt-infrastructure into a faux-English-boarding-school-meets-West-Coast-Cool trend, so we know you've got some mad public relations skilz.It's safe to say you know your way around some serious "spin."
They were clearly working overtime when they came up with this one. Calling the bikini a "padded push-up style" and marketing it in your "Kids" catalog was a stroke of GENIUS. You got the "cutting edge" publicity you crave because your brand is slipping into "tired" territory with your target teen and young-twenties demographic. Suddenly you are almost edgy again! How else could you possibly hope to get CNN and Fox News to tell us about your new products? Then, just as the furor dies down, you backpedal enough so that the middle aged moms buy the "oh it was all blown out of proportion" line and continue to slurp up this stuff for their tweens - because you can't possibly buy the same ugly a#$ striped bathing suit at Target for a fraction of the price right? Of course not. Not when we have A&F Kids selflessly making the world safe for flat-chested 8, 9, and 10 years olds. Which is to say, ALL OF THEM.
Well played, indeed. Now let's see who falls for it. Junior hooker, product lines, and sinker.
Well played, indeed. Now let's see who falls for it. Junior hooker, product lines, and sinker.
______________________________________________________
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)