Dining with the President

Dining with the President...

O Lord, no.  Not THAT President. I have better things to do with my time.


This President....

Thomas Jefferson, 

our third President

Ok, maybe I didn't exactly dine WITH Mr. Jefferson himself (which would have been a little creepy since he's been dead since 1826) but I did dine with his dishes.  Or maybe dishes named after him. Doing a little research now, what I always thought were reproductions of the White House dishes might just be dishes named after the Pres. O well. 

Anyway, back at Christmas time, Belle showed up and saw Mina eating off a saucer in the kitchen. 

Fluffy cat eating off the good 

Lennox Jefferson china.

Now, these are dishes that I have had for Belle's entire life. 

She exclaimed "Wow! Where did these come from? Why didn't we ever have decent dishes? We only had the crappy pottery ones."  

And then it hit me. These are the "good" dishes. The fine china. Got the set when I got married, got the set when I got divorced. And in that 31 year period, those dishes were probably used maybe ten times. Obviously Belle did not ever remember seeing them.  WHY?? 

Tonight's dinner. 

Using the china and silver.

On the gorgeous antique dining table.

(Click here to see the table refinishing project) 

These dishes are beautiful. I love them. Even after 31 years. Bone china is practically indestructible. I know. I've dropped them on the wood floor. Hand washed them in my sink which is legendary for chipping dishes. They don't break or chip.  Yet, they've been safely tucked away in their little quilted storage bags waiting for "special occasions". 

Salad from Moonlight Pizza, 

napkins from Target's Dollar Spot, 

silver from old family friends.

And at that moment, Belle opened my eyes. 

Why am I saving the things I love? Why am I not using them? 

I vowed that starting in February for President's Day, I would get out the good china and use it all month.  Now that February is almost over,  those dishes aren't going anywhere. 

Sometimes even Carlos gets to use them.

Seize the day. Spoil yourself. USE the good stuff.  Break out the crystal for that glass of wine. Put on the diamonds. Wear the silk and cashmere.

What's the point of having beautiful things if you don't enjoy them? 

Thanks, Belle. 

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And speaking of enjoying beauty, look what I have on my windowsill. 

My own private Spring. 

The temp out right now is 20º.

It is the dead of winter in Colorado.

But back when I moved here, I brought this Aloe Vera plant from Texas. In my travels, the plant tipped and dirt spilled out.  Once I got settled, I went to the shed and grabbed a handful of dirt out of a plantless pot. 

Guess there were some petunia seeds in that dirt. At first, I thought there were weeds coming up. Then I recognized the leaves. 

Beautiful, no? 

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I'm headed to Texas at the end of the week.

Probably won't post the first week of March. 

See you when I return with tales of rodeos 

and friends.

Well....

Well...

Well....


I've been absent again. And I've been thinking about why I can't seem to get into this Project Ninety x Ninety.
I think I've figured it out. A couple of things.
One: I'm busy. Not necessarily doing fun stuff but just taking care of business.
Two: and this is the main one: It's too broad a concept. Thirty years. I  can't think that far ahead. I don't want to think that far ahead. (Denial may run in my family. Just sayin'.)

So...what to do?

Think I'm going to steal a line from Buzz Lightyear.  I'm going back to Sixty x Sixty and just change it to "Project Sixty x Sixty... and Beyond."

Today's inspiration.

I'll still have me a list of challenges. I'll still post but maybe not regularly. Or maybe it will be. It will be looser until I figure out exactly what I'm doing with myself.

Apologies for the confusion. It's my state of mind recently.

BUT!

I have been having fun which is another part of the picture.

In the past month I have been to a musical with the former President George H.W. Bush and his lovely wife, Barbara.  I have slept with Frank Lloyd Wright.  I have partied with Florida Georgia Line.

Let me clarify.

A sweet friend took me to see the Sound of Music. A Sunday afternoon performance. The former Prez and his wife live in Houston and are great supporters of the arts. They were also in attendance and were acknowledged by the theater. It's funny, but I have been to three performances over the years where the Bushes have also been in attendance.  This time was particularly interesting as we happened to walk out right as they were also leaving.  Traffic was stopped- both pedestrian and vehicular. Mr. Bush was wheeled out in his wheelchair.  Secret Service men swarmed. The Bushes were loaded up and some very innocuous looking cars suddenly started flashing lights. Off they drove.    I was probably 40 feet from them at the time.

Apparently this is the obligatory "I was here" photo. 

( On another note, I have seen three presidents in my life time. President Kennedy when he was in San Antonio, two nights before he was shot.  President George W. Bush when he was still Governor of Texas and he led the Ft. Bend County Parade one year. And the Senior Bushes at the theater.)



Sleeping with Frank Lloyd Wright? Well, of course not literally.  He's been dead since I was four- that would be gross.  But I did visit a friend whose house has art.  And over my futon was a piece of wallpaper- original and hand printed-from his home furnishings collection, Taliesin.  Tacked to the wall with push pins. I was petrified a stretch during the night would result in a wallpaper tear. 

Beautiful wallpaper PUSH PINNED to the wall.

And Florida Georgia Line? They were at the  Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo where I went with my friend Martha. 

Me and Martha. 

Contemplating new careers 

as Rodeo Clowns.

They were much twangier in person than I expected. But a great show and a wonderful evening. 

Florida Georgia Line in concert at the HLSR.

Anyway, to infinity and beyond!! 

(And getting a great giggle at the fact that I've managed to include a toy action figure, a country music band, a former President and an acclaimed architect in one post.)