It Ain't Me, Babe

Like people who date jerks, or vote against their own interests, I seem unable to stop buying clothes in pastel colours even though they make me look like I'm about to be sick. Those pale, chalky, Necco-wafer hues scream to me from the sales racks, and before I know it I have a wardrobe filled with beautiful clothes that don't suit me. Add to the mix some angora/lambswool blend yarn and I'm utterly and completely unable to resist. The polo neck was all wrong for me from the start...so I built an outfit around it.

I'm starting to understand why my mother would wear one colour head-to-toe, including accessories. She wore mostly pastels...and nothing matches them. I mean, unless you want to look like a rejected Easter egg, Had I matched this with more heather/lavender it might have stood a chance. Some people can't do brown or beige-I can't do icy pastels. It kills me, but the more I look at these photos, the more I have to accept it is true. Yellow and peach aren't much better.

The polo neck was such a strange find. A 1970's made-in Japan woolen without a single moth hole or snag hanging on a rack of cheap Walmart and Target tops that probably lost their shape after the first wear and should never have made it to the Goodwill sales floor. The more I inspected it expecting to find flaws, the more amazed I was at the pristine condition. I couldn't imagine why anyone would buy something so nice and then not wear it, much less hang onto it for forty years. I reckon, she must have had a complexion like mine, but persisted in thinking she'd find something to wear it with. Sometimes without knowing the original owners of clothing, I know them all too well.

 Outfit Particulars:
1970's angora/lambswool polo neck by College Town-Goodwill
1970's wool skirt-Hand-Me-Ups
Belt-Goodwill
Bangle-Imaginarium
Sara Coventry earrings and brooch-thrift store in Wisconsin about 25 years ago
1960's Regenstein's jacket (part of a suit)-Ruby Begonia's, Lincoln, NE about 15 years ago
Fragrance-Innisfree

I've started making a large pile of vintage that can be sold. Some pieces I keep for my collection whether I can wear them or not, but a vintage polo neck, nice as it is, won't be anything I'll regret moving along. I have two large boxes now that need to be dealt with. Hopefully, someone that can wear pale colours will recognise the quality of a well-made woolen.

In other news...

 There's been a terrible plane crash at the gingerbread house!

"Aaaaaggggggggghhhhh, I'm toasting!"
Oh, the humanity. Marshmallowmanity. Snowman is an island.

 The gingerbread house was supposed to look like our row of houses. It was, OK. Not my best work, but it stood without cracking, so I'll consider it a success. It went out to the patio this afternoon for a certain squirrel, though I took off all the candy and gum because that wouldn't be good for Blondin.

 I packed the ornaments, took down the tree, and put away all the Christmas items for another year. It looks so empty in the house!

Mr. ETB's birthday is Sunday, so of course there will be a small party (and a funny cake, though nothing inspired by The Meaning of Life). He enjoys duck, so once a year for his birthday I buy and cook him one. Danny's vegetarian (as am I) but once a year I'm happy to roast a duck-it is quite simple once you've done it a few times. Being right after Christmas it was also on a rather deep sale, so a bargain luxury-what more could you ask for? Well...actually, there's a lottery drawing tonight that's worth over 500 million dollars (not a typo). We bought a few tickets because you know, it just isn't worth my bother for a million or two, but 500 million is another story. So yes, I could ask for more-I'd like to win the lottery tonight, but I suppose I will probably just have to be content with the bargain duck from Bakers supermarket. I'm not a gambler, so I can lose my four dollars, shrug, and say, "Oh well, it goes to education." Fun to dream about what I'd do with it though. I'd probably buy expensive cheese. Oh hell, if I win 500 million dollars, I'll buy the whole bloody dairy operation.

500 million is a lot of lettuce. Or spinach. This was spinach. Want the recipe?

a couple pounds of spinach, trimmed and chopped
about 6 garlic cloves, chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
a handful of Kalamata olives, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
Black pepper
salt to taste
a few ounces of Feta cheese, cubed
Optional- a few shakes of red wine vinegar to cut through the oil and salt (I prefer it, but some people like the oiliness).

Heat oil in a large pan over low heat. Gently cook garlic about ten minutes taking care not to burn it. Add the olives, spices, and spinach. Increase the heat and just as spinach wilts, add the feta to warm through. Serve with crusty bread, or over pasta. Takes all of ten minutes to do-dead easy.

Whatever leftover spinach and feta you have can be an omelette the next day.

Finally, we bought a video game console to use with the TV. No, it isn't anything sophisticated, it is the Atari Flashback system that has all the classic games like Pong, Space Invaders, and Centipede. We bought it for Danny, but after he goes off to bed the old folks sit there playing like it is 1982. I'm amazed at how good it is for $50.00 I figure it will pay for itself after a few weeks of Danny not plunking quarters into the game at Broncos.  I have a feeling I'll be using it more than he does. If I win the 500 million I can just go ahead and buy the arcade version. Oh hell, I can go ahead and buy the arcade.

I hope your mid-week is treating you well.