Stuff

I haven't got anything exciting to write about today. Not that what I write is ever exciting, but today's post is going to be one of those mundane ones. One with no purpose and no direction. I'm just going to go where it takes me.

Tiny tea set...

I went shopping yesterday and got the most unlikely thing for a grown woman. I saw a cute little tiny porcelain tea set. It was tiny, the saucers were the size of a quarter, it had pink roses on it and it was porcelain...I just had to have it. I love anything roses, I love miniature things and I'm a collector of plates, saucers and cups altho most of what I have has been around for over 100 years! So, I had to get a set of this little tiny porcelain. I won't tell you what I paid for it...you wouldn't believe it!!



Don't ask what I'm going to do with it...I have no idea, it will probably just sit in the curio cabinet with all the other normal sized porcelain/ceramic stuff I have. I'll most likely get it out and fondle it once in a while, like I do all my French pottery. I got into collecting it a few years ago when I was looking on eBay for something to add to my sister's collection of Quimper dinnerware. I found a different style of vintage stuff than she has and fell in love with it. I never liked Quimperware much, but my sister had always loved my grandmothers set of Quimper dishes and got them when grandma died. Smart girl! They are worth a fortune!!

Friends and giving...

I have some wonderful friends. I was so surprised by one of them the other day. She sent me a beautiful down comforter. It is the most heavenly cover to sleep under that I've ever had! Because of my allergies, I have always been afraid of down and never got any of it for my own home. We have some down pillows at the cabin and I tried using them once and sneezed all night long! Allergies stink!! But my friend knew this and sent me a hypo-allergenic down comforter. It has real feathers in it, but they have been cleaned extremely well, according to the papers that came with the comforter, and they pose no threat allergy-wise. I haven't had one minute's trouble with this cover at all. It's such a dream on these cold, snowy winter's nights. I really should get a duvet for it, and will soon, but the cover of the comforter feels so wonderful, it has to be a pretty high thread count! This friend knows no bounds when it comes to her generosity and kindness. She's such a giving person. I just love her to pieces.



Snow days...

Today is a snow day in our school district, so I'm not working. I couldn't be happier! We've had so much rough weather and being a school bus driver, I get to be out in it all the time. Thank goodness our admin office had the presence of mind to cancel school in the face of a horrible forecast. It's been snowing since yesterday afternoon. I'm staying home today unless the snow stops and they get the roads cleaned off. I was going to go shopping for a while, but I think I'll just stay here. Andy has a terrible cold and won't feel like going out, so that means if I go, I'll have to drive and that's not happenin' unless there's a major clean up. That's not going to happen either! (I will refrain from casting aspersions at the clean-up crews around this area, as much as I'd like to ....well never mind!)

Chinese New Year...It's the year 4706 and is the year of Wu Zi or the year of the Rat.

Today is the first day of the Chinese new year. Time to Feng Shui my house. I think I'll do that today since I have some free time. I've already figured out the cures for this new year and just need to put them in place.

This is the bagua that hangs in my living room.



The Chinese culture is a rich and traditional one. There are many superstitions and beliefs that go along with the new year. Here's one, very helpful if you're thinking of getting out of doing a lot of house cleaning today!

This was taken from a Chinese new year website:

"The entire house should be cleaned before New Year's Day. On New Year's Eve, all brooms, brushes, dusters, dust pans and other cleaning equipment are put away. Sweeping or dusting should not be done on New Year's Day for fear that good fortune will be swept away. After New Year's Day, the floors may be swept. Beginning at the door, the dust and rubbish are swept to the middle of the parlor, then placed in the corners and not taken or thrown out until the fifth day. At no time should the rubbish in the corners be trampled upon. In sweeping, there is a superstition that if you sweep the dirt out over the threshold, you will sweep one of the family away. Also, to sweep the dust and dirt out of your house by the front entrance is to sweep away the good fortune of the family; it must always be swept inwards and then carried out, then no harm will follow. All dirt and rubbish must be taken out the back door."

More superstitions:

"All debts had to paid by this time. Nothing should be lent on this day, as anyone who does so will be lending all the year. Back when tinder and flint were used, no one would lend them on this day or give a light to others.

Everyone should refrain from using foul language and bad or unlucky words. Negative terms and the word "four" (Ssu), which sounds like the word for death, are not to be uttered. Death and dying are never mentioned and ghost stories are totally taboo. References to the past year are also avoided as everything should be turned toward the New Year and a new beginning.

If you cry on New Year's day, you will cry all through the year. Therefore, children are tolerated and are not spanked, even though they are mischievous."

So pay your bills, laugh a lot today and no swearing! Here's hoping you get lots of red envelopes!

Gung Hay Fat Choy!