NaBloPoMo...2010 Edition

I blame the flight attendant. 

After all, she walked down the passenger aisle in that jumbo jet sniffling, sneezing, coughing, and essentially serving a petri dish of germs to all the people on the flight.  And my poor husband...my poor 6'3" husband... who just wanted one more glass of wine to make it feasible to sleep on the 9 hour flight from Rome to NY weighed his options.  Request a glass of wine from Typhoid Mary, or not. 

You guessed it.

The germs exploded all through my husband.  And then he furthered the dispersion of viral goodies all over our home.  Combine this with the general illness-prone population of the changing season, and I was doomed.

So it all goes back to that flight on October 6th and is the real reason I'm late starting my one post per day NaBloPo efforts for November.

But, rather than continue to blame others for my failings, I shall do my own penance and prepare a two part post using the November NaBloPoMo prompts.

Monday, November 1, 2010 Prompt:

How would your life change if you didn't have rent or a mortgage to pay, i.e., if your housing was free?

Are you kidding me????  Every day I dream about winning just enough lottery money to pay off the Yellow Cottage. 



Yellow Cottage, Suffern NY



You see, our mortgage is pretty big.  And like many lucky Americans, we have been watching our equity shrink steadily over the last few years despite continually investing in property improvements like a new patio, new roof, new retaining wall, new windows, new siding...and the list goes on and on.  Given the cut that everybody would get at closing, we MIGHT be able to walk away with nothing owing....but it would be close.

 

The number one change I would make is having my husband quit his job.  He could totally focus on his #2 passion (since I remain his #1 passion of course) of being an artist.  He could dabble or seriously delve, whatever his preference.  He could take classes, travel, do shows, work with galleries, whatever his heart desired.  And I would be happy just watching him be happy.  (Ok, maybe I'd be a little jealous, but truly, having an ecstatically happy spouse is really a wonderful thing.)

 

I think I'd focus my own benefit of no mortgage on travel.  Designing one trip per year to take us somewhere really beautiful and fun and relaxing.  Like back to Italy...again and again and again.

 
Whether the money would stretch far enough to radically change our lifestyle is questionnable. Without the big mortgage there is still property upkeep (in 1920's Yellow Cottage - not a small thing), taxes, utilities, cable/internet, phone, cars, credit cards, groceries, etc. etc etc.  So someone (in this scenario - ME) needs to keep bringing in the bacon.  And let's not forget the lovely little healthcare benefits one gets with a full-time job. 
 
But still....it would go a long way towards relieving the pressure, you know?
 
Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Tell us the story of a piece of jewelry you own. Where did it come from, and what does it mean to you?

Today's Jewelry

I've never been much of a jewelry person...I tend to gravitate toward costume (read - inexpensive) so that I don't have to worry much about losing it or damaging it. I can't count the number of times I've come home missing an earring, or without a bracelet, or with a busted watch. Who needs to worry about expensive items like that being destroyed?  Hence my penchant for $10 a piece options.

But there are some pieces in my collection that I treasure most because of their connection to loved ones.

Primarily - my Dad's wedding ring.  We lost my Dad in 2003 and my Mom selected small personal items to give to each of us kids.  I have his wedding ring.  Made of white gold, this plain band is dented and nowhere near circular in shape any longer.  It testifies to a long and happy marriage and years of wear and tear.  Those two things go hand in hand don't they?  I wear it daily - as a thumb ring - and every time I put it on and take it off I give it a little kiss.  It is my Dad, plain and simple. 

I also have some rings that belonged to my grandmothers - most don't fit, but one does.  I've never had these rings appraised, conditioned or repaired.  I love that they have the rough and tumble look of the previous owners. 

Some would call them vintage or antique. 

I just recall the people who wore them first and call them loved.