Here Comes The Rain Again

 

The holes in the ceiling are at long last repaired and just in time too, as Omaha was hit with another round of severe weather last weekend. I don't know what god we've managed to offend, but this has been one wild summer. At least I wasn't stuck in a flooding elevator. 

We live at the top of a high hill so flooding is less of an issue for us, but driving around our neighbourhood the day after the storm there was mud and debris piled up at the bottom of the hill. Something to keep in mind if you're ever looking to move somewhere. We got out of the latest storm with a bit of hail damage in the garden but nothing I couldn't salvage by harvesting quickly. 

Now that everything needs to be put back in place, I'm using it as an opportunity to do a serious clear out. Danny's room hadn't been properly gone through in years, and were I to describe him as a pack rat, that wouldn't come close to what greeted me when I started going through his closet. As we were tearing it all apart anyway, the room is getting a proper re-do. He was eight years old when we moved here, and at sixteen he requires less room to play and more space to work. It was time for a new bed as well because six feet and two hundred pounds wasn't going to fit that mattress much longer. The bed arrives Friday, and after that we can look for a desk, nightstand, etc. I found him a new (vintage) lamp from the 50s at a rummage sale last weekend for five dollars. He'd been using two tiny lamps that really weren't adequate for anything other than a bedside, and his desk was my great aunt Annie's which you can just see to the left of this photo. I've moved it into my room where it will get more use and we can find him something a bit more user-friendly for a teenager. We'll be taking down the Woody Woodpecker decorations I made from foam board and packing them away with the Make Way For Ducklings decorations I made for his nursery. I'm not sure what he'll want now, but odds are I won't be drawing anything on foamboard. He'll only be living at home for a couple more years (leaving for university in Europe, but that's another post), and as I've learned a couple years sails by rather quickly. I'm excited for him. School starts again next week. 

In going through the closet, I'd forgotten just how deep it is. I pulled out a large carton containing my fabric stash and thought that was it, only to discover yet another mysterious moving box behind. Imagine my surprise when it contained clothes I thought had been donated long ago. After eight years of not seeing these things, it was a delight to find they were not only in good condition, but fit well. This yellow dress was a favourite at one time.

The bodice is an eyelet fabric, and the skirt a textured cotton with circles. The waistband has fine pleats none of which shows well in the photograph. It is fully lined, and just so nicely made for something that I'm pretty sure I bought off of the sale rail at Sears years ago. While summery, it should be possible to stretch the wear into autumn with the addition of a jacket or cardigan. I found a few other treasures packed away as well, including a 60s bikini, some trousers, and a few more sundresses. I'm all in favour of getting rid of things that no longer fit, but I'm glad I thought to hang onto these pieces, "Just in case". 

These days, I spend most of my time in a dressing gown. Sometimes I just throw it on over shorts and a tee shirt, and I've been tempted to wear it out. I mean, this is Dior,  not some crappy bathrobe. Silk is surprisingly warm. 

Maybe a velour track suit would be better? I wear this one quite a bit inside to keep me from freezing to death in the air conditioning. 

These denim shorts were something I purchased at The Gap in the 80s (I know I had them as a college student but I might have bought them earlier, I just can't remember). The Gap isn't anything special now, but in the 70s and 80s they were a fantastic place to buy denim as they stocked a range of sizes and cuts assuring that you'd find something that didn't look like you'd stolen a pair of jeans off a farmer. I found a pair of late 90s Gap jeans in Dan's closet that I'll be showing you once the weather cools off. They're a straight leg boot cut that is already back in fashion after twenty years. Fine with me-I never liked skinny jeans. Want to see something else I got in the 80s?

Yep, the tiniest tattoo. Ignore the scar on my navel from the recent surgery that I'm told will eventually fade (probably when I'm too old to care). Women getting tattoos in the 80s was still considered very rebellious, and my mother promptly lost what was left of her mind when she saw it. I'm certain if she were alive today she'd be sporting several, but it just wasn't a done thing back then. I don't have any others, though I have been considering getting DNR tattooed to my chest as a quick instruction to any paramedics that might be tempted to revive me. I do have an advanced directive drawn up by a lawyer with instructions for when to resuscitate or not that I'm so glad was completed prior to Covid happening, but a tattoo might get the message across quicker. Something to consider as I get older. I don't have plans for any additional artistic ink work, though never say never, I guess!

In other news, the prayer plant flowered for a second time this year. The flowers are short lived-about two days, but it is nice to see. 

It seems happy in the sunny kitchen window, but I find that I need to shift the plants around with the seasons. In winter it seems happier in the living room with a north east exposure that gets the morning light. Who knew houseplants would be so demanding? 

The outdoors plants just want water occasionally. Well they certainly got plenty of that this week!

How about florals you can wear? This 90s rayon dress has the strangest wrap/tie thing at the waist that really adds nothing but would be too complicated to remove. I can't help thinking it would have been so much nicer with a belt. I'd have given it away, but that beautiful print with the vibrant colours convinced me otherwise. It literally matches everything. 

In theory, this straw bag out to match everything, but in practise it is hard to wear. If I wore much beige linen it would likely get more use. Experience has taught me that buying things expecting them to match or go well with the rest of the wardrobe will only lead to disappointment. Instead, I just buy what I like and eventually the pieces come together. 

These 90s trousers are fun. They're sheer but have built-in shorts for modesty. 

Not that I'm overly concerned with modesty.

The bangle is inlaid wood, and the necklace is ultra lightweight plastic. 

And that's about it from here. I'm taking things very slowly as I'm still a bit weak, but eventually bit by bit things get done. I really, really, hope we're coming to the end of the severe weather until winter. 

Take care and stay safe, everyone.