The Classy Post In Which I Engender Covetousness In the Hearts Of My Readers. And 400.

Before I get to the Covetousness Engendering part of my post, I figured I should start out with some sort of normal views from our home so that you can be reassured that Steve and I are not altogether, well, weird in the way we organize and decorate our home.

So here is a normal set of shelves, installed for me recently by my own husband/handy man.  I can’t tell you how much I have enjoyed having that extra storage in the laundry room.

And here are Steve’s newly hung ties on the newly hung tie holder that Steve has recently (and newly) hung in our closet.

The broom/mop holder hung by the same, aforementioned “good at hanging stuff” guy.

And all of my necklaces lined up nicely on pegboard ‘'thingies.”  (By the way, ladies, this is a job you can do without any tools.  Just fasten the peg boards to the wall with pins—easy enough that even I can do it!)

 

And now, we move to the not-so-normal part of this post.

Some of you may remember this disturbing set of photos I posted a few weeks ago. To the uneducated, unenlightened mind, this looks like a picture hanger.  Right?  Right.

However, to those of us who were born with an extra measure of classiness in our DNA, this hook formerly known as a picture hanger is actually a  . .  towel holder!  Yes indeed.  it is a towel holder for people recently moved into houses who don’t have the money, time, and/or energy to go out and rustle up a genu-INE towel holder.

  

Isn’t that just one of the more attractive sights you’ve seen in recent memory? I just don’t know understand how Martha Steward thinks she can keep up.

Well, I’m sorry to tell you that the time has come to show you a few pictures of other classy aspects of living in the Smith Abode.   To be truthful, I really hesitated to write this particular post because of the aforementioned Covetousness Engendering Qualities Contained Therein; however, I have no doubt that you, my readers, are ennobled and enabled by strong moral characters and can handle the sorts of things I am about to show you without becoming consumed by covetousness.  (The towel hanging picture hook was just a test; we are moving into really deep territory right now.)

So enough ado already.  Here is a picture of something that is  definitely going to cause you to be even further-ly inordinately jealous of the impressively well-equipped lives we lead. 

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the Ironing Board Desk.

Yes, you heard me right. The Ironing.  Board. Desk.

In the midst of all your gasps of awe and astonishment, please don’t overlook the important aspect of the Kitchen Bar Stool (purchased at Goodwill) that is perched below the Ironing Board Desk.  Because we wouldn’t want to leave out that bit of class, now would we?  (Even though I only use this “desk” for when I’m printing out stuff and working on music, it is still, indeed, a desk. And a very handy one, might I add.)

And lastly,  I would like to present to you for your Covetousness Inducing Perusal, the Becky Smith Earring Holder Container Thingies.

Yes, I know, I know. To you, it looks like empty egg cartons.  But that is only because you are viewing it with eyes woefully unencumbered with the kind of (questionable) Smith Creativity our family seems to have been blessed with.

You see, fancy schmancy earring holders are pretty expensive.  And what do they do?  They hold earrings.  Big deal. So does an empty egg carton.  And besides that, the earring holding feature is practically free, since the eggs had to be purchased anyway.

And so there you have it. Three ways to be classier than you already are.   The Picture Hanger Towel Hook. The Ironing Board Desk.  The Egg Carton Earring Holder.

You know what?  As I look  back over that impressive list, it occurs to me that I may have some sort of future in the Classy Applications of Common Household Goods For The Betterment of People’ Lives.

Hmmm.  Maybe I should just sign off here and get to working on some business cards.   That is, if I can fit my newly acquired title onto a business card.  That might be a problem.  Which I can no doubt solve with further applications of Creative Classiness.  Smith style.

Be afraid.  Be very afraid.

_______________________

And I would just like to mention that yesterday was a red-letter day here at Smithellaneous because I posted my four hundredth entry since started this blog on April 11, 2009.

Four hundred!

And you’re still reading?

Thank you. Sincerely.

 

A Few Questions! A Few Answers! A Recipe! Pictures of Nathan!

Over the past few days, I’ve had a couple questions come in concerning the biopsy and a few more come in concerning the Dinner Party we had last Friday night. (Nothing like a little variety to spice up our lives!)

BIOPSY QUESTIONS

Q. Anonymous and Mary H. both asked, “Will there be any medication given to relax you while the biopsy is taking place?”

A. Actually, I completely forgot about taking any relaxing medicine until I was lying down on the table and then it was just a wee bit late. But with some deep breathing and positive thinking, I made it through okay. However, an IV filled to the brim with “something relaxing” would have been lovely!

Q. A few other people have asked, “When will you have results?”

A. I’ve heard that it can be anywhere from 3-5 days to a full week; at this point, it sounds like it is probably going to be at least next Monday. (sigh)

And here’s a little “funny” that I forgot to mention yesterday.

As we got near Greenville, NC where the biopsy was scheduled, Steve suddenly pulled over and got in the passengers seat so that I could drive.

And why was that?

Well, it was because he does a 15-minute local radio program every Monday morning at 8:40 am. And it was 8:40!

So I drove merrily along while he got out his Bible and his notes and did his program. Although he does do it by phone every week, he usually doesn’t have to do it while his wife is driving in traffic, in a strange city, on the way to a biopsy.

Funny thing was that the sermon he preached (a re-cap of his sermon Sunday morning) was the perfect message I needed to hear in the midst of this stressful time. There’s nothing quite like having your own personal motivational speaker in the seat beside you while driving to have a biopsy done (smile) I was probably one of the few people who arrived at the surgical center feeling positive!

And speaking of being encouraged, I want to thank each one of you who has emailed or left a comment of encouragement for me; I have been incredibly blessed by your words.

DINNER PARTY QUESTIONS

Ann said, “I am so impressed that you had enough matching china and goblets to serve fourteen people!”

Well, Ann, you know how I love a bargain. About seven years ago, Steve and I wandered into a Beth, Beth and Beyond and found they were clearing out some boxes of dishes. We got twenty-four complete place settings (serving dishes, salt and pepper shakers, saucers, cups, dessert plates, dinner plates, etc) for about $65. We debated whether we should buy that many, but for the price and considering how much we entertain, we just couldn’t pass that bargain by.

A year ago, I gave four place settings away to a wonderful man who was getting married and had nothing whatsoever for his kitchen. It makes me happy to think of he and his bride being blessed by our bargains. I still have twenty place settings remaining and I love putting them to use.

As for the crystal goblets, I got those dirt cheap at one of those clearance/overstock type stores; we bought twenty of them so that if some broke, we’d still have plenty.

Q. Mary H. asked (concerning our dinner party menu), “What is pineapple casserole? Sounds very intriguing."

A. Mary, since you asked, here’s the recipe from a lady in our church. This is incredibly delicious and something a little different to take to a family meal or a church dinner.

PINEAPPLE CASSEROLE

STEP 1
1 20 oz can drained chunk pineapple
6 tbs. self rising flour
1 cup sugar

Mix together in a bowl and pour into a casserole dish.

STEP 2
1 sleeve Ritz crackers (crushed)
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

Mix together in a bowl and pour on top of pineapple mixture. Melt 1 stick of
butter and pour over crackers. Bake on 350 for around 30 minutes or until  crackers brown and it starts to bubble.

________________________________

NOTE:  I have no idea why the spacing is so weird right here; I tried to fix it a couple times but it didn't make any difference.  Oh well!)

And lastly, here are some pictures of Nathan (and friends) that I had to steal from Facebook since he never remembers to send me any pictures. (Insert  “pitiful, sad, forlorn, forsaken mother sigh” here.)

These pictures were taken at the church in Florida he attends that is pastored  by his girlfriend’s dad. They recently had the church’s 25th anniversary  celebration which is why everyone is so dressed up.

I’m not sure but I think they’re trying to look like Mafia guys? I’m not real “up” on my Mafia lore. 

Not sure what his church/college friends are doing in this photo but it sure looks like fun!

And here they are. My really wonderful son with his really wonderful girlfriend.
All together now! “Awwwwww.”

And with that lovely sight, I shall sign off for the day.

Collecting Markers

Biopsy is done.

I'm home.

I've had my nap.

I'm gearing up for dinner. (Or maybe even nap number two.)

Steve and I left the house at 6:30 am this morning for the two-hour drive to the surgical center. The procedure itself was not too bad, although lying face down (and clamped into place) on an uncomfortable table for interminable minutes was not the most fun I've ever had. I breathed deeply, counted slowly, and tried to think peaceful, calm, non-cancerous thoughts.

Ug.

I really hate having to go through all this drama yet again, living in limbo land and having to wait for a million forevers to hear any news.

Will my life be changed in a moment? Or will that moment reveal everything to be exactly the same? In a perfect world, biopsy results would be available five seconds after the biopsy and there would be no waiting or worrying or wondering.

We aren't in that perfect world yet.

But at least I'm thankful the biopsy is over. From what I understood, the doctor took eight different samples from the center part of the suspicious area and then from all around the area, moving around it like the numbers on a clock. And then once the tissue was removed, it was immediately x-rayed to be sure that it contained the calcifications.

Then a titanium marker was placed where the biopsy was done so that if surgery is necessary, the surgeon will be able to find the exact spot. I actually have another titanium marker in there from a stereotactic biopsy done about ten years ago so I'm getting quite the collection. Some people collect sports cars, thimbles, books, or model airplanes. I collect titanium markers!

Okay. I realize this was not the most exciting, invigorating or inspiring post in the world but I did want to get something written and thank you all for your prayers today and the notes you left in the comments area today.

You guys are the best!

Gloomy Into Goofy

I know it’s kind of a serious-ish, gloomy-ish day, with me having to go off for a breast biopsy and everything. However, what better day to post something fun than a day like today? In fact, I am hereby declaring this to be The Official Day For Turning Gloomy Into Goofy.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been working toward a blog re-design for a few weeks; however, the designer and I got bogged down for a while as I tried to get a new photo taken. Thankfully, I’ve finally gotten THAT accomplished and the blog should be completed later this week. (The design will be the only thing to change; the address will stay the same.)

Since I am not terribly photogenic, it always takes numerous pictures to get just one good shot of me. In between three photo shoots, three outfits, and two photographers (Steve and Sarah), we finally came up with something I could use.

But you know what? It’s the shots that we didn’t use which are really the priceless ones. And those are the shots I thought I’d (courageously) show you! Because gloomy or not, we can all use a bit of goofiness to brighten our day.

By the way, I’ve added a few captions to further enhance your enjoyment. And please, no laughing out loud. The management of Smithellaneous requests that you keep your snickers down to a dull roar.

Shall we begin?

Well, grandkids. Let me just tell you how we did it back when I was a kid!

Let’s see, now, kiddies . . . what came next?

Oh wait. Maybe I should have put my teeth in first.

_______________________________________________________________

Oh dear, oh dear. What to do? What to do?

Hold the phone, hold your horses, hold everything. It’s time for my mid/post/early afternoon nap.

Oh, dear Lord, WHAT should I do with this crazy husband of mine?

So then I figured out the perfect pose that enhanced the wrinkles in my neck . . .

And don’t laugh about it, either.

Shall I get up? Shall I stay seated? Does this chair make me look fat?

Hi there!!!! Let me tell you all about my NEW! POSITIVE! THINKING! BOOK!

Putting the positive thinking to the test.

This is my slightly confused, somewhat puzzled look. I think I do it well.

Do you think if I re-arrange my hood it will make my lips go back to normal?

Steve said WHAT??!!?

I can explain . . . .

It's a bird! It's a plane! It’s PERKY WOMAN!

Do you think this bench will hold me?

Move along, people. There’s nothing to see here.

And there you have it. Did the viewing of these photos turn any of your globules of gloominess into giggles of goofiness?

Good!

A Four-Dessert Evening and A Long Needle

We had lots and lots of fun last night and discovered that our dining room table will indeed seat fourteen people for dinner if everyone squeezes in tightly and doesn’t mind a bit of coziness.

Here is the table before the guests arrived. My very own personal husband whipped up the place cards. Is he a talented guy, or what?

He also helped with the dishes; twenty minutes after the guests left, our kitchen looked like this. Do you think he deserves a raise in his allowance?

And speaking of my husband’s talents, he also a gift for creating arrows out of masking tape. He made these arrows as sort of a joking way to help with traffic flow. But even though he said it was a joke, if anyone had gone against the flow and gone the wrong way around the table? Well, it wouldn’t have been pretty.

I also wanted to show you a candle arrangement my dear childhood friend, Lorrie, sent me for my birthday. Is that cool, or what? I just love interesting candles.

It was a great night—especially with four desserts to choose from. Life doesn’t get much better than a Four Dessert Evening!

_______________________

And on a totally different subject, I thought I would share a little info for anyone who may not be sure what a stereotactic biopsy is—that’s the procedure I’ll be having Monday morning. Although I had one about ten years ago, I did a little “refresher course research” to remind myself what is involved.

STEREOTACTIC BIOPSY

In stereotactic breast biopsy, a special mammography machine uses ionizing radiation to help guide the radiologist’s instruments to the site of the abnormal growth. At most facilities, a specially designed examination table will allow you to lie face down with your breast hanging freely through an opening in the table. The table is then raised and the biopsy procedure is performed beneath the table.

One of two instruments will be used:

• A core needle, also called an automatic, spring-loaded needle, which consists of an inner needle connected to a trough, or shallow receptacle, covered by a sheath and attached to a spring-loaded mechanism.
• A vacuum-assisted device (VAD), a vacuum powered instrument that uses pressure to pull tissue into the needle. (This is the one they’ll be using for me.)

Other sterile equipment involved in this procedure includes syringes, sponges, forceps, scalpels and a specimen cup or microscope slide.

There now. Doesn’t that sound like fun? Pressure, tissue, needle, scalpels, ionizing radiation, vacuum assisted device—all words that just make me want to smile.

Sort of. Not really.

Maybe when they pull out the long needle, I’ll just cast my mind back to our Four-Dessert Evening. That will make me smile for sure!

Menu

I've had several of you ask what menu I had planned for tonight and it occurred to me that what I posted a couple hours ago might have been a bit misleading.

Yes, I am hosting fourteen people for dinner but it's a potluck dinner so I'm not doing all that much except to organize the menu, clean, make a dessert (chocolate eclair torte) set the table, think through the traffic flow, unload the dishwasher fifteen times, and make sure the guest bathroom is somewhat clean.

The menu will include roast beef, potatoes and gravy, pineapple casserole, green beans, lima beans, rice, rolls, coconut cake, my chocolate dessert and another dessert yet to be named. In other words, there will be calories (and laughter) galore!

But thankfully, I am NOT the one cookin' all those calories!