Thursday, February 24, 2011
Disposable Furniture
Here is what we are using for bedside tables since the real ones sold. I suppose I could throw a cloth over them but then I got rid of most of our linens too. Why do I have two radios, you ask? The top one is a clock radio my husband gave me 34 years ago. The only thing it can do now is give us the time in nice bright digital numbers - handy when I wake up during the night and wonder what the time is. I'm emotionally attached to it. The other one is an emergency, hand cranked radio that we'll take with us to Costa Rica for those pesky power outages we have heard about. It runs on electricity but also can be hand cranked to power up the battery. I have earphones plugged into it so I can listen to the old time radio shows late at night.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
The Time She Is A'Moving ...
Posted more things on CraigsList. If the more expensive items don't move soon, I'll have to find another way to sell them. There must be second hand furniture buyers around - the folks that hold auctions, etc. I have even marked some things down in price that are already listed on C.L.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Soon We'll Be Eating Off the Floor
Our two bedside tables went out the door today. It's so nice dealing with buyers who mean what they say and say what they mean ... they show up when they say they will.
Then I had to scratch my head - what will we use for holding reading lamps, radios, books, etc. Plus these tables had drawers where we stored sweaters. The sweaters went into our closet and I concocted new tables out of the big boxes computers come in which we'd been saving in the garage, for some reason.
They look like heck but, heck, they serve the same purpose!
Then I had to scratch my head - what will we use for holding reading lamps, radios, books, etc. Plus these tables had drawers where we stored sweaters. The sweaters went into our closet and I concocted new tables out of the big boxes computers come in which we'd been saving in the garage, for some reason.
They look like heck but, heck, they serve the same purpose!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
More Sales
Sold a bookcase this week, and also our one and only chest of drawers which held our underwear and dainties. I bought that bureau in North Vancouver from a second hand store for $50, way back in 1979 or 1980. It's solid wood and was old when I bought it. I just liked the design of it ... see photo below.
It's schlepped along with us over the years and through all our moves (I get itchy feet every few years). At one point, I decided to paint the top. Unfortunately, at another time I decided to use it as a good surface to stand on while I painted a ceiling and that caused a crack across the top.
For $10, my buyer is getting a good deal and he doesn't seem to be bothered by the defect.
It's schlepped along with us over the years and through all our moves (I get itchy feet every few years). At one point, I decided to paint the top. Unfortunately, at another time I decided to use it as a good surface to stand on while I painted a ceiling and that caused a crack across the top.
For $10, my buyer is getting a good deal and he doesn't seem to be bothered by the defect.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Alternative Furniture
Two containers are finally packed - the contents of each photographed, wrapped, numbered and recorded. Container number one, pictured below, is now being used as a television stand. The previous stand is for sale on CraigsList and it is not your usual stand. It is a nifty, large, round planter that I bought in Vancouver's Chinatown. It has a dragon in relief running around the perimeter.
I bought it originally because I thought it would make a super indoor water fountain. I plugged the hole in the bottom with a bathtub stopper and lots of sealing goop but was remiss in not sealing the inside so it always had a slow leak.
So then it became a TV stand but it needed a flat surface on top. Eureka! I used the pullout secretary writing tray from our really wonderful solid oak desk (which is also on CraigsList). In case the desk actually sells, the writing tray will go. The container is now being used as a TV table. Do you like our television? I bought it at the Sally Ann for $25 a number of years ago and it works just fine. Yeah, so it's not five feet across ....
You might think I'm really cheap but actually it's more that I'm creative and like to see stuff used in unexpected ways. Speaking of CraigsList, my next post might be all about the idiot, flakey "buyers" out there who keep annoying me. Oh, by the way, those magazines on the floor to the right? All for sale, really interesting, old Life mags from the 20's to the 50's.
I bought it originally because I thought it would make a super indoor water fountain. I plugged the hole in the bottom with a bathtub stopper and lots of sealing goop but was remiss in not sealing the inside so it always had a slow leak.
So then it became a TV stand but it needed a flat surface on top. Eureka! I used the pullout secretary writing tray from our really wonderful solid oak desk (which is also on CraigsList). In case the desk actually sells, the writing tray will go. The container is now being used as a TV table. Do you like our television? I bought it at the Sally Ann for $25 a number of years ago and it works just fine. Yeah, so it's not five feet across ....
You might think I'm really cheap but actually it's more that I'm creative and like to see stuff used in unexpected ways. Speaking of CraigsList, my next post might be all about the idiot, flakey "buyers" out there who keep annoying me. Oh, by the way, those magazines on the floor to the right? All for sale, really interesting, old Life mags from the 20's to the 50's.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Atenas Is Our Choice
We've chosen Atenas in the Central Valley as our place to live while we explore Costa Rica. I was recently asked, "Why Atenas and not the beaches?"
We initially want to live in an area that is close to a lot of amenities and Atenas has that. The beach areas on the Pacific side will be great to visit but we may find the weather too hot and humid, at least until we acclimatize. The Caribbean side is another area we want to eventually explore.
For day to day living, it seems Atenas has everything we could want. It has a temperate climate with dry days and cool nights. Apparently, one can fine tune their micro-climate by moving up and down the hills. Atenas also has such natural beauty and culture. It's a tranquil coffee growing town. It's also close to universities, hospitals, the capital city of San Jose, and so on.
AARP claims it is one of the best places to retire and, as everyone knows, National Geographic claims Atenas has the best climate in the world. We don't want to be stuck inside all day with an air conditioner running because we find it too hot and humid outside. I would like to have a swimming pool for the hot days. The cool nights are a big plus to me ... windows open to let in the fresh air. Well, I guess the windows would be open all day and night anyway. No furnace and no AC!
There are two seasons in Costa Rica - rainy (May to December) and dry (January to April). It seems like there are a thousand and one micro-climates though.
We initially want to live in an area that is close to a lot of amenities and Atenas has that. The beach areas on the Pacific side will be great to visit but we may find the weather too hot and humid, at least until we acclimatize. The Caribbean side is another area we want to eventually explore.
For day to day living, it seems Atenas has everything we could want. It has a temperate climate with dry days and cool nights. Apparently, one can fine tune their micro-climate by moving up and down the hills. Atenas also has such natural beauty and culture. It's a tranquil coffee growing town. It's also close to universities, hospitals, the capital city of San Jose, and so on.
AARP claims it is one of the best places to retire and, as everyone knows, National Geographic claims Atenas has the best climate in the world. We don't want to be stuck inside all day with an air conditioner running because we find it too hot and humid outside. I would like to have a swimming pool for the hot days. The cool nights are a big plus to me ... windows open to let in the fresh air. Well, I guess the windows would be open all day and night anyway. No furnace and no AC!
There are two seasons in Costa Rica - rainy (May to December) and dry (January to April). It seems like there are a thousand and one micro-climates though.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Preparing Dinner
I decided to make a meat loaf for dinner tonight - the first one I've made in a long time. The recipe was in the Vancouver Sun newspaper - www.vancouversun.com - dated Saturday, October 23, 2010, and named "The Green Man's Meat Loaf". It has spinach, parsley, basil and hot sauce in it, along with other good things.
Anyway, meat loaf is a good thing to cook for two people because there are lots of leftovers that can go in the freezer for another meal....plus, it just tastes good, especially with creamed corn. This must be comfort food.
All was going well until I got to the instruction that said "in a large bowl" and I realized all my large bowls have gone to better lives via the charity shops. Light bulb clicked on in brain: there was still one left in the garage slated for the last voyage to the great beyond. Given a good scrubbing, it was still useful for our meal. Next problem: no loaf pan left in kitchen. Doesn't matter: you can shape a meat loaf with your hands and place it on parchment paper, which you then roll up to make edges which, hopefully, will catch the juices so they don't leak into the oven and burn and smell. Oh yes, the parchment paper goes on top of a sheet pan. For some reason, I kept our sheet pan - even tho I rarely bake cookies.
It smells pretty good.
Anyway, meat loaf is a good thing to cook for two people because there are lots of leftovers that can go in the freezer for another meal....plus, it just tastes good, especially with creamed corn. This must be comfort food.
All was going well until I got to the instruction that said "in a large bowl" and I realized all my large bowls have gone to better lives via the charity shops. Light bulb clicked on in brain: there was still one left in the garage slated for the last voyage to the great beyond. Given a good scrubbing, it was still useful for our meal. Next problem: no loaf pan left in kitchen. Doesn't matter: you can shape a meat loaf with your hands and place it on parchment paper, which you then roll up to make edges which, hopefully, will catch the juices so they don't leak into the oven and burn and smell. Oh yes, the parchment paper goes on top of a sheet pan. For some reason, I kept our sheet pan - even tho I rarely bake cookies.
It smells pretty good.
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