And all of a sudden it’s that time of year. Christmas. Wow, that snuck around a bit fast. I’m mostly ready for the big day tomorrow, just a trifle to make tomorrow morning. All the presents are wrapped, food is sorted, and Christmas Day is planned. We will feast, drink a bit, laugh a lot, plenty of hugs, and no doubt feel like we might pop right open, we’ll have a snooze later in the day.
And now with a few days off work, I’m catching up on bits and bobs and blogs. Here’s a snapshot of a few threads in the patchwork of life…
Totally Floored
I was in a store recently when we were away on Tamborine Mountain on the Scenic Rim. Gallery Walk has a feast of retail therapy. We love the quirky nature of these specialty stores and we have a few favourites that we pop into and restock on tried and true products.
A new shop caught our eye, and the sign outside the door lured us in to have a look. But before I saw any products on display, the floor fascinated me. At first, I thought they had had a spill, maybe there was some liquid spilled on the floor and they had pages of print and photos on the floor to mop it up. Then I walked in a little more, still looking a the floor, and realised it was covering the entire shop floor. Then…it was a progressive thing…I looked more intently, examining the floor. Now I don’t normally do this, look down, hands on knees, studying the shop floor beneath my feet, but when the floor covering is made up entirely of lacquered magazine pages from the 50s and 60s…well, it’s a compelling read. And so I started to browse…
Meanwhile…my other half was engrossed in the products on display for sale. He saw something and picked it up and called over to me. I was like, ‘What? Hang on, I’m reading…”
But my other half needed my opinion on a product he was holding, like now…so the article on ‘My Ideal Home’ had to wait.
I looked up, half interested, had a quick examination of it, and said I wasn’t fussed. So he put it back on the shelf. But because I had moved a few steps, I lost my place on the floor! It was just like losing your place in a book! So I started reading something else instead…
There was an advert for NZ Butter ‘Always reasonably priced. From the wide sunlit pastures of New Zealand comes Britain’s favourite butter, churned from rich dairy cream in a land of abundant sunshine and clean air…’ Fabulous! Only the prices back then don’t compare with the rising cost of living today.
As I shuffled another step along, an advert for McDougall’s Flour. ‘Super sifted’…Your delicious chocolate butterflies will be Super Light!
And another shuffle onto another page. This time, Courtelle knitting yarns. ‘Really pleasant to knit with!’ Oh, I do like a yarn that’s nice to knit…I bought some wool about a month ago, it was really coarse.
Oh and this one… ‘There’s Nothing like a husband’’ It was riveting reading…it went like this ‘There’s really nothing like a husband. But I’ve often wondered why husbands go on behaving like husbands. Of course, all husbands have their individual peculiarities. My George, for instance, always puts milk on his porridge before he sugars it, and always sings that Lili Marlene song in the bath.’ It went on to say about the universal peculiarities of husbands. How interesting lol…the way they worded it all back then! And oh how times have changed!!
Oh, and there was more. Much more! It was a smorgasbord of recipes, more stories, adverts, and all sorts of helpful tips. The floor was absolutely fascinating! I finally came up for air after about a dozen articles, stories, and adverts later to actually look on the shelves at the products, but all the shop manager could hear was me chuckling, or going ‘ohhh look at this one!’ She told me later that she was pleased to see how much I was enjoying the floor decor, as her mother had designed it from her old collection of magazines, the pages laid on the floor and lacquered to create a seal.
I was a complete waste of space as far as putting cash sales in her till, I was far too busy reading. I could have stayed longer but we thought it was probably rude. It just felt weird but so much fun to be in a shop where I was so engrossed in the floor!
Another Lap Around the Sun
December is a bit hectic on our calendar, and not just with Christmas. My birthday rolls around as well. I had a lovely day, I had a ME day, filled with stuff I wanted to do. Aging is a numbers game, but I don’t let that be an issue. I’m just really grateful to have another one, as birthdays aren’t a given. Not to sound sombre, but some don’t get there. So I feel blessed every day, every year. This year has been a shocker, we’ve seen far too many people pass on.
Anyway, let 2023 be a good year, a better year for everyone.
Dad Joke Alert
Here are a few…as I’m behind with all this…
We were in a trendy gift shop, smelling candles…
“Wooo that one’s called Date Night…
(Sniffs)
Hmmm. You’d be dumped with that one…
We also took a short break away to SA in November to see family. On the three hour flight, which was a bit dull…no inflight movie, no refreshments…my other half filled some time with some great one-liners…
Q.How do you slow a jet airline down?
A. Use air brakes.
(Don’t get bogged in a cloud…) groan…lol
***Looking at an interesting sculpture in a town we were visiting…
“It’s a bunny”…
“No, It’s a snail…”
“Ohhh…I was a bit slow on it…”
Yes, they’re bad…or good…you decide!
On that note…Have a very Merry Christmas, and wishing you a peaceful, positive, healthy, and safe 2023.
I’ll catch up in the New Year!
Thanks for reading
Fleur's Fables 