Walking on the (Very Tame) Wild Side

I've really fallen off the radar screen since putting my Etsy shops in vacation mode, but I'm sure you'll understand if I don't grovel and apologize too much. I'm thoroughly enjoying my freedom!

I started selling on eBay and Etsy right after my youngest son's high school graduation, which brought me to the end of an epic 23 years of homeschooling my four kids from start to finish. In retrospect, I realize I should have taken a good long break then, but instead I jumped into online selling with both feet and I've been running like a hamster in a wheel ever since. So it's been good to catch up on a long list of neglected yard and household projects, and it's been good to catch up with myself.

So what exactly have I been doing in my month of living dangerously? Well, let's see...

 
I got some fun pink streaks put in my hair  (they were supposed to last a month, but they washed out almost immediately, which was a bummer)...

 
I buzz-cut my husband's hair into a mohawk (that was temporary, too--I cut the rest off for him as soon as we'd had a few laughs and taken the photo)...

and I even cleaned out my own version of Fibber McGee's closet* and reorganized /pruned down my vast collection of vintage hats.

Am I a wild woman or what?

I've been baking...

I've been reading... 
      in the middle of the day... 
             (How's that for decadent living?) 

Here are two wonderful vintage children's books I was fortunate enough to find online, both illustrated by an old favorite of mine, Franke Rogers:The Robin Family Keeps Christmas and The Tree Fairies.

And I've been sewing and knitting like mad! 

Unfortunately, I can't show you those projects yet since they're all baby shower gifts, but in another week I'll be able to share the photos without spoiling the surprises, so do be patient.

On the minus side, there have been some difficult days. First, our old gray cat, Fat Boy, disappeared without a trace, meaning he probably was nabbed by a coyote. A few days later, our wonderful and beloved sweet outdoor dog, Dexter, went into a sudden decline and had to be mercifully put out of his suffering. He was nearly 17 and we knew it had to come sometime, but we weren't expecting it so suddenly. Part of me wonders if it wasn't connected with Fat Boy's disappearance--the two were great friends, and I've been told that bonded pets will often die within a few days of one another.
(For those of you who are new to the blog, you can read about Fat Boy and Dexter here:  http://redletterdaybags.blogspot.com/2012/10/its-not-just-about-poms.html 

Another shock was our 20-year-old son coming down with a case of shingles. I knew anyone who had had chickenpox was a candidate for shingles when they got older, but I had never heard of them occurring in such a young adult. Fortunately he got started on anti-virals promptly and that kept the outbreak from being severe. After hearing the accounts of friends and relatives who've suffered from shingles (suffering being the operative word) we are indeed thankful he was spared the typical misery. Mostly he slept and slept.

I haven't done much junking, surprisingly, during my month of vacation. Oddly enough I haven't missed it. Sooner or later I'll have to activate the shops again, which means going back on the hunt for interesting vintage goodies, but I'm going to try and keep it in low gear when I do. It's been nice, just taking time to be.

*Fibber McGee was a comedy from the golden age of radio and, as such, is technically before my time. The programs are a hoot, though, and well worth tracking down.The closet was a running gag featured in a number of broadcasts.You can read more here: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibber_McGee_and_Molly

Youtube has a number of Fibber McGee radio episodes to listen to, as well as this film clip.