04 January 2010

Holding in the luck

It was a quiet weekend. Good for doing some chores around the house. One of those chores, one that I don’t much care for, is the annual putting-away of the glorious Christmas decorations. I have so much fun getting them out and adding as much sparkle and glam to the house as possible, that their absence leaves me mildly depressed. I usually wait as long as possible for the putting-away task, but decided to get an early start, because there is just so much.

In exchange for putting away, I gave myself a little fun. I added some new things to admire in the house. Nothing quite so festive as the glittery holiday delights now resting in their boxes, but sweet, nonetheless.

First, was a horseshoe for luck. I gave it to Cristy as a housewarming gift. A used, antique horseshoe. It has a marvelous rusty patina and I hung it with an ordinary string over the back door. I’ve heard that you can either hang the horseshoe with the opening pointing up, to hold in the luck, or pointing down, to shower the luck down on those passing through the doorway. So, I left the choice up to Cristy. She said definitely up.

Next, I hung an antique key in the dining room. It is a large, ceremonial key, the kind that might be used in official “key-to-the-city” type presentations. I hung it suspended from a simple white ribbon over an antique print.

Third, I placed a clock over the kitchen pantry door. It is a simple clock, but easy to see from the kitchen table. Cristy likes clocks. As in, really likes clocks. She wants to know what time it is and have that information readily available with a mere glance in any direction. We have more than a few clocks in the house, but trust me, there is always room for more.

Last, I placed a decorative saucer on a easel in the living room next to some books. It was a gift from Cristy. She found it via Craigslist (I love CL!) and bought it from a couple who appeared to be in their seventies. They said the dish originally belonged to the woman’s grandmother. Cristy said the experience was a little surreal. They met in a parking lot of a Target, where the exchange went down. She handed over the cash and scored the dish. A true Miami Vice moment.

Hmmm. I wonder how many people actually even remember Miami Vice?

6 comments:

  1. I lived the Miami Vice years and I wore my cotton jackets with the sleeves pushed up because of it. Girls and guys, we all did it. Can you even believe that show?

    Anyhow, I'm with you on putting away the decorations. Hate that! Actually, it's not too bad until you get to the ornaments. That's a nightmare!!

    Happy New Year!

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  2. Miami Vice...those were the days. You scored some wonderful treasures. I love stuff like that! Funny that I grew up around such treasures, and my mother threw them out as quickly as she could because she considered them "junk"...ah, some were things to die for!

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  3. I love that you ring in the new year by adding beauty to your home. I was just thinking about how I've lived in my house for 2 1/2 years and the walls are still all white and unadorned. I think there's great value in creating random acts of beauty in our lives.

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  4. I recall Miami Vice, and it is hilarious to see it now in reruns. It is so unbeleiveable, it hurts. Don Johnson, living on a sailboat in Maimi Harbor, with a pet alligator and a Ferrari Testarossa, while in reality being an undercover vice cope.....ow puhlease......

    Your blog and my life have similar underpinnings. I love clocks as well, but they have to tick and have whinding mechanisms and pendulem....no electric clocks for me!....and my wife just got an Obama Plate as a gage gift for Christmas. It is now displayed 'below' our mental clock....(ugh).

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  5. You think of the coolest things! Love the key & horse shoe. May have to steal these ideas... This week is always the most depressing of the year.

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  6. Ah, Miami Vice. I did like Don Johnson.
    Those small touches sound lovely. I have a big antique key that I love on a desk in my entryway. I think I'm going to steal your idea of hanging it.

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