So, what are you doing on this festive end to October?
Are you waking up early and grumbling as you get ready for the day?
Are you driving in the dark–before the sun is even up–past beautiful fall foliage on your way to work?
Are you teaching English to seventh grade to geared-up groups of Pippi Longstockings, Jack Sparrows, Jokers, and leprechauns?
Are you being serenaded by by a choir lip-syncing to “We are the Champions” and a band playing something un-identifiable but definitely loud simultaneously?
Are you looking forward to donning some tin foil and waiting in line patiently for your FREE Chipotle burrito?
Are you excited to light the awesome pumpkins you carved with Candace’s cousins last weekend?
I thought I would record for the blogging community some of the items that make my house a home. Plus, this way I can record, for posterity, the special significance and stories behind these mementos. That way, when I’m old and senile and in need of a nursing home, my offspring won’t think my basement is full of junk that belongs at a yard sale, but items that should be prized like the treasures that they are.
Last summer, Scott and I traveled to Thailand. While we were traveling around in northern Thailand, we picked up this amazing, hand-carved teak board. For the remainder of our travels, we babied this fantastic souvenir so we could be sure it would return home in one piece.
In fact, Scott took such good care of our teak board, he actually carried between each of our three flights and “worked the system” to bring in into the cabin of each flight, rather than turn it in as checked baggage.
The effort was well worth it, because now we have a lasting memory of our trip from Thailand, which graces the wall of our “Asian-insipred” bedroom.
I love the carved images of peaceful elephants grazing in the Thai country side. It is definitely a work of art that cannot be reproduced or replaced.
I’ve been thinking about finances lately. Perhaps because Lonica and I are students, perhaps its the global financial meltdown, or perhaps its just the fact that everyone these days seems to be talking about the economy and consumer behavior. At the library last week, I saw one of my favorite books, “The Richest Man In Babylon” by George Clason, in “playaway” format. I hadn’t read the book since my senior year in high school but the 5 hours of instruction was well worth repeating. I want to use this post to contrast the invaluable advice from this timeless book with the downright idiocy that is peddled in the media, along with a few examples of the consequences of following such habits.
First, an infuriating piece that was on NBC’s “Today” Show this morning. I’m not sure why I watch the Today show for my usual five minutes eating breakfast everyday. It usually makes me crazy, and this segment was no exception.
In case you didn’t know, layaway is the answer to financial problems. Credit cards maxed out? Credit score too rotten for a Burlington Coat Factory credit card? NO PROBLEM! Just pay a fee and start making installment payments. (The video doesn’t get really ridiculous until about halfway through)
While layaway might be a better option than financing your Christmas with minimum monthly payments on a credit card, that’s like saying you’d rather be punched in the face than hit with a car. I’ll explain - you’re financing something that you don’t even have yet. Why pay for someone else to hold your hard earned money? You could save the money on your own, and buy the items when you have enough to pay for them, an amazing concept. Not only do you skip the fee, you retain your freedom to do whatever you want with the money and can earn interest while doing it. The fact that “Today” touts this resurgence of layaway as a good thing (for anyone) makes me want to vomit. I guess having a segment about spending less than you make and not getting into consumer debt would make people actually face reality and exercise a little restraint.
Another incredible financing technique - tax refund loans. Sounds good right? The government gets to keep YOUR money all year, interest free, then H&R Block can get a you a high interest rate loan so you don’t have to wait until the check comes to spend it. If you’re really savvy, you might use the money you loaned back to yourself twice already to buy some merchandise on layaway - a financial trifecta!
So what does all this bad decision making lead to? No matter how much money you make, you can always spend your way to the poor house. Just look at this list of celebrities that are/were in foreclosure. Among them Ed McMahon (who made how many millions on the Tonight Show, Star Search, etc.) and Evander Holyfield (heavy-weight champion boxer who might lose his 109 room house on a 235 acre lot, and can’t make his child support payments).
This makes me so glad that I have church leaders and family that taught me debt is not the way to happiness, but the way to bondage. The simple concepts are the ones most frequently ignored. Spending less than you earn never sounded so wonderful.
I thought I would record for the blogging community some of the items that make my house a home. Plus, this way I can record, for posterity, the special significance and stories behind these mementos. That way, when I’m old and senile and in need of a nursing home, my offspring won’t think my basement is full of junk that belongs at a yard sale, but items that should be prized like the treasures that they are.
One of the best things about our apartment here in Columbus, is this south-facing window. I will surely miss it when we move to a new house. It’s great for a number of reasons.
During the fall I have a front-row view of this incredibly awesome tree which turns literally florescent red as the leaves change. Honestly, looking out the window (or front door) takes my breath away, it’s so gorgeous.
It’s also perfect four housing our little greenhouse and nurturing our seedlings as winter progresses and spring arrives. There is a large enough space to fit quite a few plants so that they can soak up the sun’s rays all day long while staying warm and dry.
All in all, I’m a big fan of this window, and incredibly grateful that our apartment faces the direction it does, and has the layout it does so that we can have this awesome second-floor window.
I thought I would record for the blogging community some of the items that make my house a home. Plus, this way I can record, for posterity, the special significance and stories behind these mementos. That way, when I’m old and senile and in need of a nursing home, my offspring won’t think my basement is full of junk that belongs at a yard sale, but items that should be prized like the treasures that they are.
When Scott and I were planning our wedding reception (and we had quite a few opinions about it), one thing I wanted was a “guest book” that was really a picture frame. We bought a large picture frame and matted a 8×10 that was one of our favorites. When guests showed up at the reception, rather than signing a guest book, they used a Sharpie to sign a message on the frame mat.
It wasn’t so much that the picture frame mat idea was novel and original; it is the loving memories I have of all our friends and family who signed the frame. See the image above, where Scott’s aunt added a lipstick kiss to the mat?
Or the sheer number of times my youngest brother signed the frame to “take up space.” He thought he was hilarious. I think he concluded the evening with nine completed signatures.
Mostly, I just love walking out the front door or up the stairs to our bedroom, glancing at the frame, and remembering all the warm memories of those who wished us well at our wedding. Even after the hundreds of perusals and glances I’ve made at the frame, I still notice a new signature and well-wisher.
