Patty’s Neighborhood

In Cabo. Not bad!

Thanks,
Joy

Joy Taylor
612.282.2359

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I am very thankful for oceans, sun and sandy beaches!

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This may be utterly boring to those who care nothing about house decoration on a shoestring budget, or don't celebrate Thanksgiving, or don't like good food, so be warned up front.

I haven't done much to my place since I bought it 4 years ago, and I woke up one day not too long ago thinking I didn't have any purpose besides work, so I married those two thoughts and decided to finish decorating my house. Granted, it's a goal that is potentially endless, but that's what makes it attractive to me. Here we go.

I decided to start with the dining room. I had dining room furniture, but the way it was positioned, it gobbled up (*snort*) all the floor space (it's a little house) and it was hard to get to the window side chairs:

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If you can see in the upper left corner, there's a little round lamp table. I also have some cane back occasional chairs that I'd picked up for $25 each, and I have them here and there, and straddled on either side of my little compact dry bar.  Remember this old pic of my bar top that I used to post as my answer to most QoTD?:

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I decided to start with the bar. I replaced the "Brand" bottles with some funky and quirky decanters I won (one at a time) on eBay. I think the most expensive decanter was about $20. It was like Christmas each day I would find the package on my porch, LOL! And so, here it is now; I still have to find a decanter I feel is fitting for the Jack, but otherwise it's complete. It's hard in this pic to see how beautiful the cobalt crystal decanter (full of Absolut) is, so I may add another pic later. I don't think it broke the thoroughbred race horse theme too much. I have a leather riding crop coming ($3.99) that I will hang below the pic and above the decanters.:

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I turned my dining room table 90 degrees to allow better access to the chairs, and in doing so, it opened up enough floor space to arrange a second little dining bundle at the end of the room -- well within conversational reach of the main table. I used the little round lamp table and two of the cane back chairs:

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And here's the main table in its new position; I had the tables set for dinner:

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And since I borrowed the two cane back chairs from the bar, I purchased two 24" stools (2 for $99) that take up much less room in the traffic area, look better with the bar, and can be used at the end of the dining room table if you need to seat another guest.:

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So now on to the food. It's become tradition in my tiny family unit to cook a turkey and a duckling, so that's what I did.:

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They were delicious if I say so myself, and so was the gravy for the turkey and orange sauce for the duckling...not to mention the dressing, corn, roasted carrots, celery and onions, mashed potatoes, candied yams, green bean casserole, cranberry salad, and yeast rolls. (My oldest son's girlfriend made a variety of genuine Mexican salsas and chips, too.) What a feast! We had to wait a couple of hours to even think about breaking into the pumpkin and pecan pies:

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Here's a close-up of most of the food:

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And the best part of the evening is retiring to some comfortable furniture and listening to some good tunes (oldest son and gf pictured):

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No Urban-dweller's home is complete without her bicycle in the living room, safe from thieves, and parked in front of the music media center. Heee!

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I hope all of my celebrating Voxer friends had a great Thanksgiving, too! The shoestring decorating/rearranging in this little house in the city continues today. Thanks for looking. =)

Marina
Quis hic locus, quae
regio, quae mundi plaga?

What seas what shores what grey rocks and what
     islands
What water lapping the bow
And scent of pine and the woodthrush singing through
     the fog
What images return
O my daughter.

Those who sharpen the tooth of the dog, meaning
Death
Those who glitter with the glory of the hummingbird,
     meaning
Death
Those who sit in the stye of contentment, meaning
Death
Those who suffer the ecstasy of the animals, meaning
Death

Are become unsubstantial, reduced by wind,
A breath of pine, and woodsong fog
By the grace dissolved in place

What is this face, less clear and clearer
The pulse in the arm, less strong and stronger--
Given or lent?  more distant than stars and nearer
     than the eye

Whispers and small laughter between leaves and
     hurrying feet
Under sleep, where all the waters meet.
Bowsprit cracked with ice and paint cracked with heat.
I made this, I have forgotten
And remember.
The rigging weak and the canvas rotten
Between one June and another September.
Made this unknowing, half conscious, unknown, my
     own.
The garboard strake leaks, the seams need caulking.
This form, this face, this life
Living to live in a world of time beyond me; let me
Resign my life for this life, my speech for that un--
     spoken,
The awakened, lips parted, the hope, the new ships.

What seas what shores what granite islands towards my
     timbers
And woodthrush calling through the fog
My daughter.

T. S. Eliot

My contribution to Thanksgiving dinner.

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That's Maldon salt on top. The peanut butter / honey filling is poping out the cracks. Next batch will be cooked less and have either habañero, cayenne, or jalepeño.

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Originally published at Calobee Doodles. You can comment here or there.

Molten Chocolate cups w/ peanut butter & honey centers...

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Alls I gots to bring to Thanksgiving are pumpkin bread and cranberry sauce and they're just now done - so I have some time to loaf around till we hit the trough at three. Wanted to say you guys are the best and thank you for being my hoodies!

This seemed appropriate to the occasion. It's awesome regardless.

My apologies to whichever of you peeps posted this on Faceboob recently - I can't for the life of me remember who it was cuz I'm brain-decrepit like that.