Thursday Thoughts # 55

from The First Third by Will Kostakis:

' I was fourteen when my grandmother taught me about love and the difference between moussaka and lasagna. The two were apparently related. She called me into the kitchen where she'd laid them side by side, the moussaka made from scratch, and the lasagna, store-bought and still in its aluminium tray.
"This," she explained, pointing to the lasagna, "you buy. Easy. But it no special. You get five, ten. No hard. You just pay more. Moussaka," she pointed to the home made dish, "is different. The tray keep lasagna together, but the moussaka, look - it break easy. Because it fresh. Less cheese, more eggplant, more oil. It better for you and you make with 'agape', love. Yes? This," she pointed to the lasagna, "is Australian girl."
It wasn't the fairest comparison, but YiaYia moved on quickly. 
"This," she pointed back to the moussaka, "is good Greek girl. Hard to find and sometimes messy, but better for you." '

from a Harry Dresden novel by Jim Butcher:

"Once you begin to mass-manufacture anything, by the very nature of the process, you lose the sense of personal attachment you might have to something made by hand."

Today's Thoughts:

A recent post by Jackie K was about hair, in particular the hair she has and how to get an 80s hairstyle. Think big hair.
It got me thinking about my own hair, which I am mostly satisfied with, but have always wished it was thicker and longer. 

At the moment it's about 10-11 inches long, except for the fringe bits which are growing out, (but still only about 5 inches long), at that annoying stage where I clip it back and look silly or spend the entire day brushing it out of my eyes. It's good hair, with a bit of everything, curly bits, wavy bits, straight bits. I spend a fair amount of time wishing it would make up its mind and either curl properly or hang straight, then I tie it back into a ponytail and forget about it.

What I have is similar to Kirstie Alley hair:

but mine isn't as thick or as long. And mine is mostly grey. All things considered, nothing there to complain about.

I've begun reading a book I read about on Elephant's Child's site; titled 6 Ways To Die, by R MacWheeler. It's a young adult fiction novel and from the beginning it is fairly fast paced. Kind of took me by surprise, then the story hooked me and I began to appreciate the pace. That's how a lot of teenagers live, rushing through life wanting to be grown up, although that's not the case in this story. 
In 6 Ways To Die the kids are being chased by unknown assailants who quite possibly are out to kill them. 
I'm about a third of the way through it. 

I spent most of yesterday working at the sewing machine. I don't do much sewing anymore. In the past, I've made clothes for myself, and clothes for the kids when they were small, then it was mostly curtains, (nothing fancy) and turning sheets sides to middle to get a few extra years wear from them. 
But I mentioned to my older daughter that I wouldn't mind a curtain rod across my small entry, to help keep the warmth from the airconditioner in the lounge where it belongs. 
Until now it just blows straight out towards the front door where it then dissipates through the kitchen opening and sort of gets lost. 
Last weekend T and her hubby came to put up a curtain rod for me and surprise, surprise, also brought a length of medium-heavy cream coloured fabric that used to be part of her Roman Blinds.

You know those fabric blinds that draw up in folds when you pull the cords? 
She'd made her own years ago, in a different house and took them with her when she moved, but now has a different look, so I have a piece of that old fabric. 
I made the curtain to hang across the entry, then decided to finish the room by making another to put across the bedroom doorway. 
The doorway where I had black and silver string curtains that Angel used to play with. 
I didn't have any more of the fabric from T, but I did have an old cream coloured queen sized bed sheet. I held it up to judge the length, took up a 16 inch hem and hung it where the strings used to be. 
Daughter and son in law also brought me their old living room rug for my floor. 
 I'm sitting here now feeling quite toasty. Winter won't be so bad after all, as long as I don't have to go out in the frosty air (*~*) before 9am or after 4pm.

Anyone else annoyed by that advertisement where the doofus husband comes in and says, "honey, I've accidentally laminated the cat" and 'honey' sighs and says "another vet bill, how will we get the money for that?"
It really makes me cringe.
Firstly I don't see how it's remotely possible to 'accidentally' laminate a cat. 
Secondly, what wife would calmly stand there and wonder how they will pay the vet bill?
Wouldn't you expect her to at least yell at him for being careless? 
Wouldn't she wonder how on earth he got that cat stuffed between two sheets of laminating plastic without noticing, and kept it there long enough to feed it through the laminator? Where of course it would be squished beyond recognition............urk.
 

Comments

  1. Yeah there is no way to laminate a cat, by accident or on purpose. Is it one of those idiotic money lender ads? I am so annoyed these are on the teevee all the time.. especially given they are virtually scams in my opinion, loans at an ENORMOUS rate of interest!

    The only thing worse is all the funeral insurance ads.. :/

    Door Curtains are awesome!

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  2. I thought about you yesterday, when I started on "To Set a Watchman." I was reading it outside Emily's art class and Mrs. P asked my opinion. I was approaching half way and gave her the So-So hand motion. She came out a bit later for an update, and my eyes were big as saucers. I must finish it tonight. Do get a copy as soon as you can.
    I love Roman blinds. We use curtains to keep back cold air in winter, too. Might have to use them this summer, the way it's going.

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  3. I do dislike that ad. Rather a lot.
    R Mac Wheeler is already working on the third in that series... The man never stops.
    I will read To Set a Watchman, but think I need to reread To Kill a Mocking Bird first. So many books, so little time...

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  4. That TV ad makes me cringe, too, River. Only the other day I mentioned my feelings about it to a friend. It's so bloody ridiculous, and not at all humorous.

    It sounds very nice and cosy with your new curtains and rug to help keep you warm. Another cold snap is ready to snap...it's even pretty nippy up this way, too. Remy and Shama love to snuggle up close...they're like a couple of fur stoles or coats! lol

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  5. We use curtains as well - everywhere! The dogs think it's great fun to run through them.
    'Accidentally' laminate a cat? Who is it advertising for, 'Stupid People and Animal Abusers 'R' Us'?!

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  6. That add is awful but it's wise to make a good add or a very bad one that way we talk about them and remember them and they have made a impression.
    I don't like moussaka at all it has eggplant in it and lasagna is a bit boring, but what are the foods to explain the men of these countries that would be different.
    Your hair sounds great always wanted a bit of curl but was out of luck.
    Curtains are great for keeping warmth in, I make lots and pillow cases too, clothes are just too fiddly now.
    Merle.........

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  7. Big hair....I wish....still, I still have some.

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  8. I am so annoyed I actually threw stuff! Unbreakable stuff, of course. What happened?
    I had lengthy replies typed out for every comment here, clicked on 'publish' and was taken to a google sign in page.
    damn, damn, damn!!!
    you know when you sign in there is a little tick box to tick to stay signed in? Well, I ticked it and every day I come here and don't have to sign in. until my computer randomly picks a day to give itself a gazillion updates. Which it did last night. And I'd forgotten it by this morning.
    So I typed carefully thought out replies and lost every word. I cannot remember what I wrote.
    Thank you all for your comments, I'll be back for take two when I calm down.

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  9. Hahahhaha! Computers can be so frustrating at time! They live by their own rules! :)

    Take a few deep breaths, River....have a lie down. Cuddle Angel. :)

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  10. I would joyfully laminate the husband but what I hate most is the fact that people will use this way of getting money not realizing how much compound interest they have to pay back. I'm talking about an imbecile ex husband who panicked and did this.

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  11. Your door curtains sound quite inventive. I haven't seen the ad but it sounds awful and should be classed with cat and microwave 'humour'.

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  12. I've always admired people who can sew and create things. I never could get the hang of even sewing a button on! I like the sound of the book... I'll look it up.

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  13. I have the same type of hair, and only recently realised that if you comb your hair before shower if you are not shampooing it, or comb when it is wet, it will actually become locks of curls.

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  14. You can get the pet hair removing gloves from Amazon, different brands

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  15. You are a clever lady with your sewing.
    I haven't seen that add....not fond of adds and I usually just don't see them, so to speak..

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  16. Snoskred; it is one of those awful money lender ads, I hate them, too many gullible people will take advantage of the 'quick-fix' idea and get into deeper trouble.

    Joanne; I'll have to see if my library has a copy. All my money right now is earmarked for the dentist.

    Elephant's Child; a third volume? I'll have to get them as soon as I can, I finished 6 Ways To Die this afternoon and can't wait for the next, although of course I'll have to.
    So many books, so little time, so very true!

    Lee; I hate those ads because they draw in the gullible people who only see quick cash and don't think about the high interest repayments.

    Jac; the ads are for quick-fix money lenders, I hate them. Loan sharks by a new name is all they are.
    I remember visiting older people when I was young and they had curtains everywhere, even halfway down long passages. As kids, we thought they were fun to play with, running through them or hiding behind them; now I know they were there to keep out draughts.

    Merle; I've never tried moussaka, but I used to eat lasagna quite often. I agree it's a bit boring tastewise, but you could add things to the sauce and have garlic bread as a side dish.

    Delores; some is better than none. I don't wish for 'big hair' but I do wish for thicker and longer.

    Lee; the night got worse as time went on.....loud ruckus upstairs etc. grumblegrumblegrumble

    JahTeh; my not quite imbecile husband went a different route to quick fixes, can you believe 5 credit cards all going around in circles being used to make payments on each other? yup.

    Andrew; not inventive so much as a memory, elderly people from my childhood had curtains in doorways and along hallways to keep out draughts; they were tied back in summer, but rarely washed so very dusty when released each winter. I remember houses with velvet draped passages, others with blankets nailed up; all of them so warm.
    Welcome home.

    Craig; I used to enjoy sewing, then fabric and patterns got too expensive, plus the kids wanted the same store bought stuff their friends had. R Mac Wheeler has his own website, you can find it by clicking on his name when he comments at elephant's Child's site.

    mm; combing before showering doesn't make much difference, but combing after shampooing, then leaving it to dry itself, gives me long ringlets, but they only last until I run a comb through them. I'm going to try all the local pet stores for the gloves, Amazon has too high delivery fees to Australia.

    whiteangel; those ads seem to have a set time each evening for viewing, from ---pm to ---pm then they aren't on again until the next day.

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  17. My first thought would be that a cat would not fit in a laminator!! :)

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