Wednesday, September 22, 2010

The power of baking soda...

I know they say that baking soda can be used for almost anything but recently I got to experience the magic of baking soda.

I have an old dresser that may not be worth much in dollar value but it has a lot of sentimental value to me. Due to the teeny-tiny-ness of our house the dresser is currently shoved into my closet patiently waiting for us to finish this addition so that it can have a place to reside. I have at times been very careful to not stack anything on top of the dresser, and then one item gets placed on top, and then another, and another, and before long the dresser is being used as another closet shelf. There were times when I looked in the closet and thought, "I really should cover up that dresser so that nothing happens to it." Then I would dash off in another direction and the thought would quickly get deleted from my mind.

Then one day disaster struck. I went into the closet and found a puddle on top of the dresser. Not only a puddle but a blue puddle. Not a baby blue puddle, and bright, electric, 4th of July blue puddle. I should have taken pictures but I was so upset that I frantically started cleaning off the dresser to find out what had happened. Turns out, a jar of ring cleaner had leaked. As if that wasn't bad enough for the finish of my antique dresser, it leaked onto a blue napkin that held the curls from my son's first hair cut. Thus, the blue puddle.

So I cleaned everything off of the dresser but when I removed all the liquid I was left with a large purple stain on the dresser. For some reason I thought of baking soda. So I made a paste of baking soda and smeared it into the dresser. Lo and behold, the baking soda pulled the purple out of the wood! I was still left with damaged wood because the finish is messed up but at least the top of the dresser isn't purple!  Using the Old English wood products I have actually improved the damaged area. It won't ever look beautiful again until it is refinished but at least for now I don't have to look at a purple dresser!

'til next time...

Reading...Alexander McCall Smith...

"The Sunday Philosophy Club"

I picked this book up at a used book store, thumbed through it and decided to buy it. I liked it so much I went back and bought the 2nd "Friends, Lovers, Chocolate" (how could you resist a book with this title!) and 3rd book, "The Right Attitude to Rain" of the series.

This author seems to be primarily known for his series "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency". I must admit I have tried to read those books and for some reason cannot get into them. I will keep trying but so far I haven't had much luck.

I did get a book of his from the library, "44 Scotland Street" and I really enjoyed it. It is really about nothing. It is about the everyday lives of the people that live on Scotland Street. I think that  is why I liked it because it is so opposite of many of the thrillers that are written today.

But, back to this series...I really enjoyed these books and I'm hoping there are more in the series. This book is similar to "44 Scotland Street" in the sense that it is also set in Scotland and it is about the everyday life of Isabel Dalhousie. She is the editor of the "Review of Applied Ethics" and consequently tends to over think every little detail about life. I love the way her mind wanders or rather leaps from topic to topic. I can somewhat relate to that and at times have shuddered at the thought of what someone might think should they ask that simple question "what are you thinking about?"

It is amazing how you can be standing in line for coffee and in that short amount of time, speculate about the person in front of you,

wonder if you should even be speculating,

remember an item you forgot to be on your 'to-do' list,

wonder if anyone else in the coffee shop is worried about the flooding in Pakistan,

wonder how many people can really afford this coffee vs. how many people are just adding it to their ever increasing credit card debt,

wonder it I am the only person that doesn't have an IPhone/Blackberry/thingamajigger,

wonder if I will ever get to sleep through the night again,

wonder if the couple over in the corner are having an affair,

wonder if it is any of my business whether they are or not,

wonder if I knew that they were and knew them and knew their S.O.'s if I would have a moral obligation to reveal what I know,

think that I am glad that I don't know the couple and therefore don't have to sort that last one out

wonder if I remembered to put the wet clothes in the dryer,

....finally my coffee is ready.

'til next time...

Help, I've created a monster!

No, he is not a monster but I do have to take responsibility for fostering a love of "coffee" in my two year old!  He likes to have "coffee" in the morning with my husband and I, as you can imagine our coffee bears little resemblance to his coffee but he doesn't know that. One day I may regret it but for now it is just so doggone cute to see him sitting in his little chair "drinking coffee".

For now it is cute when he points out every Starbucks and says "treat, please!" but I'm sure that will get old at some point before he has a job and can buy his own coffee.

Wythe enjoying his morning coffee

By the way, got these adorable leather chairs at Target, they are just too cute!

'til next time...

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Reading...Graham Robb

I have been reading "Parisians" by Graham Robb and have really enjoyed it! Unfortunately, I won't be able to finish it because it is due back to the library today. I rarely have the issue of a book being due before I've finished it but that is what happened this time. Lately I've been so busy that I haven't had as much time to read also, this book is not one you breeze through. I was tempted to keep the book out but there are holds on it. I know from experience how frustrating it is when you have a book and hold and someone won't return it, so I will return it today. But I will look forward to checking it out again and also reading some other books by Graham Robb. He has also written biographies of Balzec and Victor Hugo.

'til next time...