A Clear Head and No Mug Shot

 

Complete clarity! That’s what I had for the first time yesterday after conking my head and ending up with a concussion a week and a half ago.  I felt so good that I actually ventured out and drove to the license bureau to renew my driver’s license and my car tags before they expire on my birthday onThursday. This was a monumental accomplishment for me, since it was the first day I had not had a headache or been dizzy.

You cannot imagine how hard it’s been to be cooped up inside a house doing little else but watch television and take naps. But all that “beauty sleep” seemed to have paid off for my driver’s license picture, because for once, it’s a half-way decent photo!

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I have a real aversion to having an ID that looks like a mug shot from a police lineup. Why do those license bureau employees always snap the shutter when you’re in the middle of a blink even though they tell you they won’t take the picture until the count of three? And how do you know if they’re going to take it that picture ON the count of three or AFTER the count of three?

Now, I’m sure you see all those strange wiggly lines all over my face... Well, the state of Ohio has recently implemented some new security features for driver’s licenses. The driver’s birthdate is  printed over the photo, and there are all sorts of strange holographic images and lines throughout the license background- even over the driver’s face.  Disclaimer: I really do NOT have protruding veins or deep frown furrows!  I only admit to the beginnings of a few laugh lines.

At least for the next four years that this license is valid, I won’t be overly ashamed to show it, despite the chubby chipmunk cheeks. And since I plan on implementing a major diet and exercise regime after the holidays, I refuse to worry if the weight information on the license information is a little a whole lot  inaccurate.  Ahem…. Does anybody need a dieting buddy starting in January?!

I told the clerk that the information on the expiring license was still correct. What I had meant to convey was that my address information was still correct. She must have inferred that I meant EVERYTHING else, because she kept the my same weight info that was on there from four years ago. Whoops… My bad.

Heaven forbid that the license bureau should ever become the weight police and determine the need to install a scale in their offices for the sake of accuracy!   LOL Wouldn’t you just hate to have that information available for everyone in the room to see or hear?!  I would hope it would never come to that!  “Big Brother” knows too much about us, as it is.

So now that I’m finally feeling like my old self, I need to get busy and catch up on so much. I’ll be celebrating my birthday on Thursday and Mr. Sullivan and I will spend Friday bringing down the holiday decorations from the attic. We’d like to set up as many trees as we can so I can start working on them next week. It will be a whirlwind decorating spree!

Once again, I want to thank all of you for the get-well wishes and prayers that you sent while I’ve been laid up and looney. It meant so much to read them. Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with your loved ones!

lots of hugs,

Taking it Step by Step…

 

Yes, my head is still sore and I’ll have a few some bumps and bruises for a while, but I felt so much better today!  I want to sincerely thank all of  you for your kind wishes for a speedy recovery from my fall and my concussion. Today was the first day that I didn't spend in bed.  Now that is an accomplishment! I'm off the pain meds and it is such a relief to feel semi-human again. Falling down and cracking one’s head on a concrete slab and ceramic tile really puts a damper on things!

The hospital staff said that it's going to take some time to get back to normal (… no wise cracks here, please!) and my girlfriend who is a physical therapist says I need to take everything slowly - step by step.  But, I've been so bored! I can't wait for the day that I'm able to take a brisk walk around the neighborhood, drive to the grocery store, or just stand up without getting light-headed. I've taken the ability to do these ordinary things for granted, and I realize that I was pretty lucky not to have been injured any more than I was.

I want to finish up some blog reading tonight- my vision isn’t blurred and my head doesn’t ache like it did before, so I'm anxious to see what all of you have been up to these past six days. My goal over the few weeks is to do a little tweaking to a project I started a few weeks ago and to create a cloche or two for Marty's party.  I know I may only  accomplish a fraction of what I expect to do in that time because I’ve come to the realization that baby steps will take longer…  

Thanks once again for sending good thoughts and prayers my way. Blogging friends truly are a blessing!

Out Like a Light…

 

I’m taking a rare moment of lucidity to tell you I’ll be out of commission for a while because I have a concussion. I had a little accident while cooking in the kitchen early Thursday afternoon. I slipped on a wet spot on the floor, my legs flew out from under me, and I cracked the back of my head on the ceramic tile floor.  I lost consciousness momentarily but was was able to get up and call 911, who transported me to the hospital. I think I had about 8 firemen and paramedics taking care of me- they were all so nice.  I was so embarrassed, but I knew a head injury could be dangerous, so I let them take me to the hospital.

I spent most of the evening there until I was released about 9 p.m. All I’ve done since being home is sleep, partly due to the pain meds I’m taking. I got up this morning, looked in the mirror and said I HAVE to have a shower! I feel much better today, but I’m still quite dizzy. Not to mention that every part of me aches!

It took me back to my college days when I got so stinkin’ drunk my head spun around and around like a merry-go-round!  Only this time, it hasn’t gone away after a good night’s sleep.  So I think I’ll be spending the rest of the day reclining  in a chair in the sunroom. Susie Q is going to bring me lunch later today. It hurts my head to read, so as soon as I finish this post, I’m going back to lie down. Just wanted to let you know why you won’t hear from me for a while.  I hope to be back to visit all of you very soon.

Hoping It Is “Kreativ”…

 

I want to thank Mary Lou from Marmielu’s Nest, who recently passed along the Kreativ Blogger Award to me.  I can only hope that you find me half as creative as I try to be!  It’s not always easy to come up with a post that can hold someone’s interest, and I know I don’t always succeed. But, I hope that those of you who have chosen to follow me will continue to come by for visits.  And if you got here by accident, blog surfing, or referral, I’m glad you’ve stopped by, too. 

Blogging has opened up an entirely new method of making friends  for me over the past seven months.  I feel that I have made such a bevy of new friends who can commiserate with me and my passions.  And I really appreciate all of you who comment or send me e-mails~ it lends  credence that I’m making some sort of an impact on someone!  

Now, if you read one of my last posts, I don’t really play by the rules when I get tagged.  There are so many creative and inspiring bloggers out there, and  it doesn’t seem fair that I should only tag  a few; so  instead, I’m offering this award to anyone who wants to take it and pass it along. You can abide by whatever rules you choose.  If you want to see the  “real” rules for this award, please visit Mary Lou’s blog. And don’t forget to say hi!  

Vanity is thy name…

Remodeling the upstairs hall bathroom has been in the back of my mind for some time now.  I met with the contractor a few weeks ago and he has given us a bid for the work, which we plan to start after the new year. It won’t be a major overhaul, by any means.  I want to replace the existing fixtures, remove the  soffit and  mirror above the vanity, and take down the wall between the toilet and the vanity.  The room will seem larger and much more open when that happens.

Because I don’t want a built-in cabinetry look in this room, I had  been contemplating taking an old dresser and having it reconfigured so it could house the sink. But when I was at the furniture market a few weeks ago, I saw this free-standing cabinet in one of the showrooms. It is just what I’ve been looking for!  And I don’t need to worry about ordering sinks or a countertop because they are all inclusive in this piece of furniture. I only have to choose my faucet fixtures.

 

 

 

I can even order the matching mirror!  This five foot wide cabinet will suit our needs just fine as far as storage is concerned. There is a gigantic eight-foot wide linen closet directly across the hall from the bathroom .

But if I decide I want a little extra storage, I can always contemplate this.

 

 

I’m anxious to start looking for plumbing fixtures and floor and wall tiles.  Since this is the guest bathroom, I want to keep it fairly neutral, but I’ve already visited several online sites to get ideas for possibly using decorative glass tiles in the tub area. 

I don’t know why I’m starting a project so close to the holidays. I work best under pressure and a deadline, so in the back of my mind, maybe that’s why I’m doing it.  Meanwhile, the  boxed Christmas decorations are slowly making their way down from the attic and into the study where they won’t be seen by anyone.  I don’t usually get my house decorated before December, so this is definitely early for me. The actual decorating won’t begin until next week- we have a dinner party planned for this weekend and I don’t think our guests would quite understand why seven  trees would be up and waiting their finery when we haven’t even celebrated Thanksgiving yet. 

Breathe, Sue, breathe….

 

Recognition Award

 

Thanks, Alicia!

I received this award today from Alicia @ Titere Con Bonete and I want to thank her so much for thinking of me. I usually cheat and make up my own rules with these awards, so today will be no different!  There are so many fun, interesting, and great blogs that I read, and I wouldn’t want to offend or hurt anyone’s feeling by not selecting them as a recipient of any particular award.  So without further ado, I’m saying to anyone who wishes to take the award and offer it to anyone else – it’s perfectly okay with me!  If you’d like to see read what the real rules of the award are, please click on Alicia’s name to see her blog. I’m sure she’d enjoy the visit.

Neutrals Plus…

Last week I told you that color was the name of the game at the  international furniture market held in High Point a few weeks ago. But neutrals were quite popular, too. Here in this showroom vignette, a solid camel colored sofa plays against a darker wallpapered wall. Hanging above the sofa is a street map of Paris. I saw quite a few of these types of maps in the art showrooms- not only of Paris, but of New York and Rome. They were humongous and I loved them all!

Check out all the different patterns on these pillows.

 

 

 

A wall of traditional botanicals accents this wall. No bright colors here. They look so serene and elegant.

 

 

 

Here, two traditional striped chairs are accented with fun, muted tone pillows.  Even the rug is a neutral- I think it looked a little like a zebra skin print.

 

 

As for more pillows, look at all the petals covering this one.  They were soft like cashmere.

 

A small (about 8”) ball pillow with the same fabric petals. The price tag you see here was the wholesale price. You could expect to pay much, much more than that in a retail shop !

 

 

Taupe was a neutral that we saw often in upholstery items. Here it’s accented with a “dirty” green ~ to me, another neutral.

 

 

Whoops….  Although a bit blurry, you can see why this picture reminded me a bit of the popular curtains in blog land that are being fabricated from drop cloths. This linen curtain is covered with rosettes  and ribbons starting from about 2/3rds of the way down the panel.  I like this added frou-frou!

~~~~

So do you like the neutrals any more than the colors I’ve shown you in the past few posts?  Instead of seeing neutrals as a “trend” this season, I’m thinking of them as a great base for adding color onto them. Color trends change over the course of time, so painting an entire room or buying a piece of furniture in the new, “hot and in-style” colors  could  limit your decor, not to mention that you could easily tire of it. Why not start with  the neutral taupes, greens, beiges,  or grays; then add pops of color to accessorize them?  It makes good sense to me and that’s what I’ll be doing when I order my new furniture. Now if I could only remember to bring those fabric samples home with me!

Friendship and Surpassing a Milestone

 

Wowie!   I just realized that I have surpassed my 100th post since I began blogging in March. I want to say to everyone who has been reading Sullivan and Murphy over the past 7 months that I truly appreciate your stopping by, whether you choose to leave a comment or not.  Of course, I love it all the more when you talk to me…  

I’ve met so many talented and gifted people who never fail to amaze me with their ideas, projects, and thoughts.  So many of you have offered your friendship in ways that make me feel as if we’ve known each other forever. As blogging friends, you inspire me in so many aspects, and for that I thank you so very much.  I really believe that you can NEVER have enough friends…

  I thought that I would show you something I wrote about friendship when I first began blogging. When I received nine comments on it, I was ecstatic! You remember the feeling, don’t you? The one that was preceded with doubt, thinking that no one but your closest friends or relatives were reading what you were posting!  Well, nine comments thrilled me in a way I cannot describe- someone had actually thought enough of what I had written to respond!  I hope you enjoy reading it now .

                             

 

 Friends ~   Originally Posted March 5, 2009

 

 

This is an excerpt from one of my favorite little books,

Wit and Wisdom from the

Peanut Butter Gang

by H. Jackson Brown

The book is a compilation of quotes from children who have much to say about life.

 

Please click on the text to read the excerpt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

I was as lucky as H. Jackson Brown was to have had a happy childhood full of friends. In grade school I had my neighborhood guy pals who met up with me in the vacant field around the corner where we played baseball, kickball, and tag.

To this day, Mike Edwards talks about the time he had to be admitted to the hospital for the concussion I gave him while playing tackle football!

Of course, to complement my tom-boy side, I also had my girly pals with whom I dressed Barbie dolls and talked about the cutest boys in class.

 

Junior high and high school friendships were both happy

and painful.

As in most schools, there were cliques. We had the cheerleaders,the pep squad, the cowboys, the athletes. There were the bandies, the braniacs, the tough kids, and more.

Often, these cliques overlapped. We were a small school and my friends and I

could easily fit into several categories at the same time.

 

During this awkward period of adolescence,

we all wanted to be considered popular.

Friendships were cultivated & often kept.

Sometimes they dissolved through petty jealousies.

We sometimes felt the pangs of hurt and anger

when we thought that we had been wronged.

I know now that this was just preparation for our relationships

in college and in adulthood.

 

Today, I consider myself to be very lucky in my friendships.

My best friend, of course, is my husband.

I have my work friends, my family members, my old friends, and my neighbors.

Newly added to this list are my blog friends.

I want to thank all of the friends I've had in my lifetime

for their love, support, caring, and encouragement.

They've helped make me what I am today.

 

 

To quote one of the children in H. Jackson Brown's book…

 

"No matter how many friends you have,

there is always room for one more."