Pictures are now up in the house (making it much more of a home) and we’ve had a few cold days. Maybe those (plus a few more December-February) will see off the nasties that would otherwise inhabit the garden and bother the plants.
We sort of did Thanksgiving meal – hot open turkey sandwiches, peas & corn, gravy and mash. I had veg and turkey with a whisper of gravy and potatoes. I also had a mouthful of my son’s salted caramel cake – and discovered that that one mouthful was sufficient for the experience. We’re having Banoffee pie from Sara’s in Topsham for Christmas – I will indulge in a full piece of that.
I am wondering if people took advantage of Black Friday sales. I was initially planning only to buy my son’s Xmas gift (as I’m otherwise sorted for gift buying) but got an email with 25% off from my favourite online gardening shop so indulged in three house plants.
I haven’t had house plants since I moved into this house eight years ago. I think because I always knew this house needed work doing I just put it off. Anyway. There will now be greenery indoors as well as out.
I wasn’t tempted by other ‘bargains’. The whole shebang though made me think back years when I did recreational shopping (I do mean years – before child, before owning property).
My strongest memories are of during maybe my second job out of uni, when I lived in upper upper Manhattan (Inwood, which was definitely not a salubrious area at the time) sharing with two other women and paying $50/month each in rent. Even on my low salary I could indulge myself.
I recall visiting Bolton’s and other off-price places, buying lovely dresses, skirts and tops. Two dresses stand out, both heavy cotton with splodgy abstract prints on a white background, one pink and black with a fitted bodice, wide midi skirt and boat neck, the other blue and black strapless midi. This was the 1980s when I also had a short on the top, long in the back haircut with two dyed pieces (green and magenta). And I certainly wasn’t the most outrageous dresser at my workplace – lots of creativity in dress, hair and makeup at the time.
Anyway. I digressed. Did you do any Black Friday damage? Was it planned or spontaneous?
I bought a new iPad mini (as I mentioned last week, my old one works fine but won’t run newer apps) and … as annoying as Apple can be, I love how f’ing SEAMLESS everything is. I ordered the iPad and they DELIVERED it 45 mins later, like a pizza. And the first thing it asks me when I turn it on is, would you like me to copy all your crap over from your other iPad? (possibly Apple phrased it differently). Then you sit them next to each other and they do their thing. I’m such a late adopter though. I hang onto tech until doomsday.
at least you don’t try to stick a bookmark in your Kindle 😉 xoxo
Yay! I upgraded my old mini 2 to the latest version a few months ago so yah…..exciting! Lol. I’m sure you’ll love it!
Took advantage of the sales to buy a new bathroom vanity and light fixture for my gutted basement bathroom. I’ve been looking f-o-r-e-v-e-r for a vanity with the right specs because the plumbing drain pipe goes out the side, not the back, so I couldn’t have a vanity with drawers down low. Finally found one the right size. Yay!
only someone who has had to do that (me) would understand how COLOSSAL a Win! that is! Congratulations! xoxo
I didn’t do any kind of Black Friday shopping. I didn’t see any good deals that caught my fancy. I did splurge before Black Friday and get a Coco Mademoiselle body lotion though.
Last time I was in NYC (about two years ago), I happened to stay in the Innwood neighborhood- my first time. There were parties on most corners and strong, cheap drinks in many of the bars. Definitely some newer, upscale coffee places, but lots of different folks in them and everyone seemed to know each other.
Congrats on the house plants! I imagine it makes all the house restoration feel a bit more done.
No Black Friday for me- but there are some lovely perfume sales going on these days, including SOIVOHLE’s Incense and Myrrh. I’d get some but already have two small bottles.
hmmm, Inwood wasn’t community-ish when I lived there. just a bit dodgy with cheap rents. And it took close to an hour on the A train to get to work.
Sounds like the neighborhood has improved!
And, though this may not be literally true, I feel like the A-train always takes an hour, no matter the origin and destination.
OMG Cinnamon,
Yes, it was spontaneous and big. GAH! I just cannot go past a super bargain if I already wanted the product.
Mainly perfume but also some Xmas presents. Details as they arrive.
LOVE a bit of indoor greenery. It makes everything look more alive and loved.
Portia xx
Ha ha, wonderful! I hope you enjoy all those purchases as they arrive. I love a parade of packages…oh dear, phrasing.
ahhh… which perfumes?
Stories later. Don’t want to spoil the surprise.
No holiday shopping but I did buy 3 diamond paintings for myself cause yeh….couldn’t resist!
What is a diamond painting?
They are art kits actually where tiny, tiny faceted colorful (resin)“diamonds” are hand set onto a picture which has a sticky surface. If you think of like a cross stitch pattern where everything is mapped out these are the same concept. It’s a very relaxing pastime and you gotta like sparkly!
indeed, what are these?
My Black Friday was truly black. I put my horse, the love of my life for 24 years, my soul, my soulmate, my dream, my reason for living, my joy and peace and sanctuary, my prayer and sanity to sleep unexpectedly to due to a very very rare leukemia/lymphoma that horses do not get. It was the worst day of my life. So, I splurged on vet bills come home with the tail of my partner who I will never see again. And, sorrow and death have surrounded me since.
You’ve written about your horse here before and the love you shared and I am so very sorry to hear about your loss.
Thank you. I don’t have a reason to live anymore.
So, so sorry Gina.
Thanks.
I am so, so sorry for your loss.
What was the name of your dear friend? What shall you do with her lovely tail?
His name was Idyll, and I don’t know anything right now other than one minute at a time and one breath at a time because even that hurts.
I am so sad to hear this. It’s heartbreaking. You are blessed to have had this mutual love for so long. Grieve as long as necessary but know that it will pass.
Thank you. Sometimes, it never passes.
OH NOOOOOOOO GinaT,
Losing a pet it totally shit.
All the hugs in the world to you,
Portia xx
He was not a pet. He was my soul. Thank you for your condolences.
I am so sorry to hear this. It’s desperately hard to lose a beloved companion.
Yes, thank you.
Oh, Gina. My heart breaks for you. I know how much you love Idyll (no past tense on that love) and I know how much he loved you – and he still loves you, just on another plane. You have my deepest sympathy. xoxoxoA
What a terrible tragedy. I grieve for your loss. Prayers lifted for you.
Oh, honey. I am so, so very sorry. <3
I’m so very sorry for your loss. (and how awful it is when the intensity of grief matches the depth of the love)
No. My friends overindulged me for my recent birthday and I have So. Much. Stuff. as it is. Grandkids are already sorted and the Spring garden is, too. I was No Fun this Black Friday. xoxoxo
What would you suggest for a short path? I was thinking of paving slabs (you can get ones here with fossils in them) but now leaning towards gravel…
I would go with pavers/slabs because with gravel you have to edge the beds with a barrier, lest you get gravel all up in there (ask me how I know this) and, iirc, you have grass…… gravel and grass is a bad mix (again, ask me how I know this 😉 I suggest the slabs. You can put aromatic ground cover between them (creeping thyme/marjoram, etc) that you won’t have to manage, yet if you do end up cutting it, it won’t harm it. I’m a fan of low-lying clover because the bees love it and creeping thyme isn’t always hardy in my zone 5b-6a region) but where you are, any creeping groundcover would work well! xoxoxo
My perfume plan was to shop the 4160 Tuesdays Pink Friday sale and that’s what I did. Threw all the other ads in the trash. Husband bought me a new bread maker on sale and I got him a shirt & pants. A few other assorted gifts for family & I’m done, just need to buy a couple of cards. Oh, I did purchase one spontaneous item, a new teapot from my favourite clay artist, Margit Nellemann.
I looked up the tea pot artist. lovely stuff. Enjoy the perfume!
I splurged a bit on some skin care items (30% of site wide) but have generally behaved myself. I’m just about done with my holiday shopping, which is good since the last two weeks of the semester are upon us, and I can already hear the students (and my colleagues) starting to wail…
People aren’t relieved to see the end of semester? Or are they panicking about getting last things done?