I know you’ll never believe this, but I actually made a start on the mess we call our basement!
The Christmas and Easter decorations have been sitting in stacks on a sorting table in the basement, waiting for me to take the time to reorganize them and store them on the shelves at the wall. A number of years ago I began buying large plastic bins to store decorations. We have mice that think our basement is heaven during the winter, and I need to discourage them from making homes in the decoration boxes.
I spent two hours on Tuesday, and two more on Wednesday morning. I was astonished at what you can get done when you start before dawn and hustle for a couple of hours. Elegante Mother starts our holiday decorating, so I’ve grouped her things together to make it easier to find them. I have several boxes of table decorations, the nativity set, a box of ribbons, and two boxes of wreath making materials. The lights have been grouped in one area, and the wrapping paper is in another, and tree decorations in yet another. This year I may look into the boxes that exist for paper storage. I can save space, and protect the paper, too.
The Easter decorations were easy to organize. I have two boxes of bunnies, baskets, plastic eggs, and a stuffed rabbit that reminds me a little of Bugs Bunny. I still have a little reorganization of the shelves left to do, but that won’t take more than 10 or 15 minutes tops.
In the opposite corner of the basement, we’ve stored business records from 1986 to 2005. I spent some time thinking about those boxes and decided we could make better use of the space. I moved a few things, to get a feel for what’s there, and then dragged Dear Husband downstairs after dinner to get his help. Of course, it’s never possible to do things my way, but I can deal with his modifications if they give us the chance to clean and organize the area. The boxes from 1986 to 1989 have been removed from the wall so that we can sort through them for contracts and tax documents, and we can pitch the rest.
In one pile, we are collecting outdated software and manuals. In another, I’ll be gathering computer hardware. We have several computers that either need to be rebuilt or thrown out. There’s no point in storing them if we’re not going to use them, and there’s an area drop off one Saturday a month for electronic stuff.
The most difficult part of this process is not having a dumpster where I can collect things as I clean. It’s going to take a LONG TIME to clean this basement if it has to be done one garbage can at a time! But, at least we’ve made a start.

Sunday, Dear Husband is giving up a day on the water to take Elegante Mother and me to the races. We have never been to Arlington Park Race Track in Arlington Heights. Actually, I’ve never been to any kind of horse race. I’ve never bet on the ponies, so this will be a new experience for me.
I downloaded some information on betting, and realized right away that we will be confining our betting to “Win, Place or Show” bets. And, we will most likely be making very small wagers, given that we know nothing about the horses or the condition of the track.
Basically, we’re going to have a great afternoon, doing something new. I’m encouraging Elegante Mother to wear one of her red hats! It will be like the Ascot races at Arlington. *G*

I was surprised Wednesday to receive a package of gifts from a friend in Scotland. June and I have not met, but we have a lot in common, including a love of quilting. Two years ago I was planning a visit to Scotland that was postponed, but still hope to get there and meet June.
As I opened the package, it felt like Christmas! There was a red plaid tote bag, a package of heather seeds, a tea towel with Scottish sayings and their English translations, an English quilting magazine, a tray with drawings of Scottish castles, and a very long letter and post cards bringing me up to date with the news at her house. My office work simply stopped while I opened everything and read the letters.
June has sent me some of the most wonderful calendars of Scotland. She knows I’d love to visit and see her homeland personally, so she sends bits and pieces of it to tide me over until I get there. I wish I was as clever as she is in sending gifts. I’ve sent quilting magazines, and a few things from Chicago, but I’ve been rather stymied about what to send. It hasn’t occurred to me that I could send things from all over the USA, and not just from the area where I live. DUH!!
I’m open to suggestions, if you have any to share.
There were two more things in my goodie bag that have me grinning. They are coasters, but not just any coasters. The first gives the word “teuchter” and it’s definition: (choo-chter) Dialect, chiefly Scot. -n 1. (trad.) one who derives from the Highlands of Scotland (a Hielander); more commonly used by city folk to describe rural dwellers. 2. Gaelic-speaker (mostly to each other) esp. at strange Gatherings known as Mods. [definitely not Rockers] Occasionally partakes of a wee dram. (also heuchter teuchter). (June, does this describe Michael??? *G*)
The second coaster just cracks me up. It’s a picture of a Scottish woman from the past, in a long dress or skirt, with a plaid over-skirt or apron, and a cape, using a head strap to carry a mammoth woven basket on her back. The caption to the left of the picture says “Does ma bum look big in this?”
I’ve found a picture of the design that’s been used on “couthie cards,” which must be note cards. Scroll down to where it says “Big Bum Cards” and click on the image. Each time I see this lady I just have to grin!
June, thank you, SO much for your generosity, and for my daily grins! *G*

“Hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair
Flow it, show it
Long as God can grow it
My hair
I want it long, straight, curly, fuzzy
Snaggy, shaggy, ratty, matty
Oily, greasy, fleecy
Shining, gleaming, streaming
Flaxen, waxen
Knotted, polka-dotted
Twisted, beaded, braided
Powdered, flowered, and confettied
Bangled, tangled, spangled, and spaghettied!”
From the lyrics for the song “Hair,” from the musical of the same name.
I had my hair permed on Saturday. The first few days after a perm I strongly resemble Ralph the Dog of Muppets fame. If you click on the link, Ralph is in the top row, slightly to the left of center. My hair is a bit darker now than when I was twenty (at least most of it is…) when the sun bleached it, and highlighted the copper strands. Immediately after a perm, I have a head full of tight brown curls.
At this point in the life of my perm, I tend to think “Thank God nothing lasts forever!” As the perm is trimmed and starts to loose some of it’s curl, I complain “WHY in the world can’t I get my perms to last longer!
This entry was brought to you by “The Old Hair Blues.” *G*