Sunday, December 10, 2006, 00:58
Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder
We used to have some small oak trees across the road from our house on the bank going up into the big pines.
Emphasis on the phrase "used to" because they are gone now.
The oaks were not tremendously big -- trunks maybe 4 to 6 inches around. They were red oak.
And oh, my -- they were the most beautiful oaks in the fall. Some of them turned a purple-vermillion and the others were bright russet. I used to like to walk to the end of the hayfield so I could see them from a distance, outlined against the dark green of the pine trees behind them.
And I used to like to go for a walk along the road so I could see them close up -- especially around sunset when the slanting rays picked up even more of the red hue in the pigment of the leaves so that they positively glowed. The leaves looked as if they were lit from within by a tiny spark of light.
But, as I said, the oaks are gone now.
The town patrolman cut them down last week.
Said they were junk.
"I hate scrub oak," he said.
They were not "scrub oak" -- they were red oak. But I didn't argue with him. It was too late anyway. He had already chopped up the lower part with the boom mower. And they were unfortunately, located in the township right-of-way. He finished the job this week with a chainsaw. Now we've got piles of wood and brush in the ditch. I fail to see how the piles of wood and brush are better than the oaks growing up the bank -- esthetically speaking, of course.
It's going to take me a long time to get over not seeing my beautiful oak trees in the fall. I've never seen oaks with leaves quite that color. Perhaps it has something to do with the minerals in the soil in that particular spot.
As they say, one person's junk is another person's treasure. I treasured those oaks. And now all I can do is treasure them in my memory.
Snowflake -- Our tiny little six-week-old kitten has crossed several milestones this week. She discovered the "big kitties" litter boxes and likes to use those instead of the little litter box I set up for her under the coat closet. She has also gotten big enough so she can eat dry kitten chow without choking on it. And she has discovered the water dish that I keep filled with fresh water for the kitties and for Pixie. She has to put her paws up on the rim, but she can reach the water and take a few sips when she wants it.
She knows how to get up in the rocking chair, too. And she's very proud of herself when she snuggles under the quilts.
Snowflake still likes to drink some kitten formula from syringe, but I know that one day when I offer it to her, she will decline and won't want it anymore. She is spending most of the day "out and about" in the house, too. I put her in the kitty carrier every now and then so she can eat some dry kitten chow without the big kitties pushing her away from it. The big kitties think that Snowflake's kitten chow is MUCH better than their own food. And I put her in the kitty carrier at night so I know she is safe. I'm afraid if I get up during the night, I will step on her. Black kitties are always hard to see in the dark!
LeAnn R. Ralph
Tuesday, December 05, 2006, 19:37
What Bugs Me. . .
You know what bugs me?
Wool socks.
Oh, I have nothing against the socks themselves. I love wool socks. I wear two or three pair at a time in the winter to keep my feet warm in my workbooks (with a pair of cotton socks to protect my skin from the scratchy wool, of course).
Which is why wool socks bug me.
It used to be that 10, 15, 20 years ago, I could pay a couple of bucks for a pair of wool socks and wear them for 4 or 5 winters before the heels and toes started to show any wear.
Today, wool socks cost $7, $8, $10 a pair. I wear them a few times. Wash them a couple of times. And the next thing I know, they've got holes in the heels and/or the toes. And most certainly, if they don't start giving out after wearing them a few times, they will have holes in them by the end of the first winter.
It seems to me that while wool socks have gotten far more expensive than they used to be, the quality of the socks has gone far downhill.
Every once in a while, I will hear a financial expert on public radio talking about how the standard of living for the middle class is going down in this country because wages are stagnant while expenses keep going up and up and up.
I've never heard a financial expert point out that the poorer quality of things like socks contributes to the downward spiral in the standard of living among the middle class in America.
I mean, really. If I have to shell out $10 for a pair of socks that only last a couple of weeks, that means I don't have $10 to spend on something else. And it means that I am spending $10 for socks over and over and over again when it used to be that in the same time period, I only spent the money for socks once.
Actually, the quality of commercially-manufactured quilts bugs me too. I pay $80 for a quilt. Wash it once. And it falls apart. I don't know how many times that's happened. But quite a few.
I began to wonder that if I bought a quilt for $150, would it hold up longer?
I bought a quilt for $150. It started to fall apart the second time I washed it.
Many times at craft sales, I see beautiful, handmade quilts sewn by the ladies who have them for sale. Unfortunately, those quilts cost between $400 and $500. I am certain that handmade quilts would last longer than 2 washings. But I don't have $800 or $1,000 to shell out for quilts at one time. (I always figure I need two so that while one is in the wash I've got one to use.)
So that's it. That's what is bugging me today. The poor quality of wool socks. And the poor quality of commercially-manufactured quilts.
What's bugging you?
If you have a pet peeve, e-mail it to me, and I will include in my blog.
(to send me a message, click on the e-mail link on the left side of this page)
LeAnn R. Ralph
