Follow-through

Source

I am a good friend to have.  It has taken more years than I care to admit to, but I've finally learned how to be a pretty good friend.  However, in order for me to be a friend, you need to be right in front of me.  This is becoming more and more apparent to me. The problem that I seem to have is with the follow-through.  I think I've mentioned a few million times that I work with Liver Transplant Families.  They need friends and they need people to become their friend instantly.  We don't have a lot of time to hash out all of the details of our lives to each other to see if we'd get along, we just love them as they come into our group.  So far it's worked out real well the past 7 years.  

Follow-through.  

Boy that's tough for me.  If someone doesn't call me asking for help or to do something, I just won't call.  If someone emails and asks a question, it seems to take me  F O R E V E R to write them back.  When someone is living right here in the area, we don't send cards when someone isn't feeling well (our group is made up entirely of sick people or people recovering from surgery) but those that live far away, I feel like I should write them a note every so often.  Send an email.  Maybe even make a phone call.  

I don't.

I think I got a butt-dial from someone today out in California.  They didn't leave a message and didn't call back, so I'm assuming that it was a mistake.  However, it made me happy that I was still in their phone!  Then I started thinking about the last time I spoke with them.  It occurred to me that the last three times I've called these folks it's been to tell them that someone had passed away.  I don't want to be the person no one wants to hear from because all I've got is sad news. 

Follow-through.  

I need to work on that.

One of the members of our group got a liver transplant last week.   I haven't been up to see them.  Someone else is having cancer treatments in another state but they've heard hardly a word from me.  If these folks were right in front of me or came to one of our meetings or social events, I would smoother them with love, listen all night long to what's going on or go out of my way to get them something that need.  Once that visual connection is gone it's like Out of Sight, Out of Mind.  

My heart is so big and I care for these folks so much and yet I seem to fail when they might need me most.  One of the main reasons I started asking people (pestering relentlessly is more like it) to move to Jacksonville after their transplant is so the new folks will have dozens of people with big hearts who can fill in the gaps and who have qualities and personalities that appeal to our patients and friends.  I know a few folks who have moved here that are so good with follow-through that it boggles my mind how they do it.  Hmmm, I wonder if they could teach a class?

The quote in the picture above is what started me on this subject.  It struck a nerve.  A good nerve, but also showed a weakness in me.  Thank you to whomever posted that quote.    

Have a great day!

Kristin

Confit Pots

Confit Pots by Kristin Corlett

While in Alabama my Mom and I went to Fairhope, AL for a little shopping and dining excursion.  Hands down, Fairhope is one of the loveliest towns.  Even in the winter time the downtown area is full of flowers, the trees are decorated with lights and almost every building has a unique shop.  This time we shopped the main road and some of the side streets.  On one of those side streets we found an incredible antique shop called Aubergine.  They had just received a shipment of confit pots, straight from France and I admit, I was instantly in love.

When I inquired what a confit pot was I learned that they were pots where meats such as duck and goose were preserved.  (This is where we get duck confit!) They would bury the pots in the ground all the way up to the glazing in order to keep the contents cool and fresh.  This is why so many of the confit pots have dirt ground into the unglazed portions of the pot.  The chips and imperfections are common as they were used regularly in the South of France.

The pots, so gorgeous, were out of my price range, so the only part of them that I came home with was this photograph.

Enjoy!
Kristin

100 ThingsThat Make Me Happy - part IV

A couple of years ago I started a list of 100 Things that make me Happy.  I looked at the list yesterday and realized that I hadn't gotten to 100 things yet and it has been well over a year since I wrote a list.  While I was getting my car serviced and I had an hour long wait ahead of me, I wrote down all of the things I'd posted so far and then HAPPILY added a few dozen more!

I'm still not at 100, but I find that to be just silly.  I find things to be happy about each day, but so many of them are either hard to describe or are just fleeting moments of joy.  The ones I've written so far are pretty standard daily happiness things.

If you'd like to read the entire list, so far, here are the links to Part I, Part II, and Part III.


61.  My red plaid down blanket from Target.  If I had known how awesome that blanket was going to be, I would have purchased more than one.

62.  Finding excellent condition retro furniture.  My heart just goes pitter pat! Even the stuff I can fix up is pretty awesome, but just seeing cool retro furniture is enough. Contrary to popular belief, I don't have to own or buy everything I like :)

63.  Cleaning something really dirty until it shines like the top of the Chrysler Building!

64.  Magic Erasers. Original and Extra Power.  No scent, no bathroom bubbles, just Original or Extra Power.

65. A warm sunny day with no humidity.  This makes me very very happy!

Image Source

66. Having my keys made in cool designs.

67. Kissing.  Yep, I'm a kisser.  If a boy I wanted to date wasn't a good kisser then there was no hope for us!

68. The Liver Transplant Support Group meetings that I attend each Thursday.  I love to go, to be with those people and to be a part of something so wonderful.

69. Thursday lunch with the Support Group friends is a highlight.  This is where we chat and laugh and really get to know one another.

70.  Receiving a message asking if I want to hang out, or have lunch, or meet up somewhere to take photos.  I feel like I do a lot of asking, so when I get the invite I'm thrilled!

Ilee Papergood's 2013 Calendar

71.  Finally being able to use the new calendar! Ilee Papergoods sells a gorgeous calendar.  I didn't get one last year, after having one the previous two years and I missed it.

72. Going to an auction determined to come home with something and doing just that.

73.  I am instantly happy when given a compliment.  It's taken a long time to be able to accept the compliments and not try to brush them off as not true.  It's good to feel happy about receiving them.

74. Painting Furniture.  I enjoy painting furniture more than I ever would have imagined.

75.  Receiving bread bag tags or fortune cookie fortunes from friends.



Have a Great Day!
Kristin

Dick and Jane Book

One of my auction scores from last year (remember waaay back then in 2012?) there was a teacher edition Dick and Jane book.  It had a giant blue hard cover and a flap and snap that could turn that big book into a stand alone piece - like an easel.  The book is almost three feet tall and was designed so that the teacher could stand up in front of the class with her book and the kids would all have their books and everyone could read along.

The teacher's edition that I have is in excellent condition.  You can tell that the pages were flipped and turned a time or two, but the little ones obviously didn't get their hands on this book.

The only ruckus these pages have seen are the antics of Fluffy and Spot with Dick, Jane and Sally running behind.

Each child has their own four page section and Spot and Fluffy have a few pages each, too.

I've had these for a couple of months and I honestly can't decide how to display them and sell them in my booth.  I don't want fingers touching all of the beautiful artwork and I don't want the pages ripped or dropped.  I may have to invest in some heavy duty page protectors like I've seen for large photography.

Thankfully this book came with almost two complete sets of the same book, so I can sell one book whole and the other book as sections.

If anyone of you folks would love to own your own copy, just drop me a line and I'll get back to you about the specific sizes, price, etc.  Kirby3131@gmail.com


Bye, bye.

Just bye.

Kristin says bye!

Silver platter wreath

I am completely and totally in love with this wreath made of sliver platters.  Ever since I first saw it on Pinterest I have had my eye out for silver platters.  I don't want to pay too much, obviously, because this wreath with 16 platters could get real pricey, real fast.  I've already found a couple platters, but the other night at an auction I was SO excited because I won a box lot of silver plate that included several platters for $5.  Five Dollars!

Those platters would put me just over 1/4 of the way around the circle.  By Christmas time next year I could have the whole wreath!  As fate would have it, there were two box lots of silver and the one with all the platters was given to the wrong person.  I ended up with bowls and gravy boats.  Not what I was hoping for.  I left the box at the auction house, hoping that the person who got the wrong box would return it for the one they bid on and won.  I'll find out in a couple of days if that happened.  crossing my fingers.

The two photos above are from the Bachman House Christmas of 2011.  There are dozens of pictures of the interior all decorated and it's gorgeous!  Take a look and enjoy.

I'm not taking this minor setback in my accumulation of platters dampen my enthusiasm.  I will create this wreath and I intend to accomplish it this year, just in time for Christmas, 2013.

Have a great day!
Kristin


*Just saying Silver Platter makes me think of the Brady Bunch.  Anyone else think of that, too?

New Year - Let's stir it up a bit.

Happy New Year!

I had a friend from Pennsylvania staying with me for a few days over the New Year holidays.  She was itching to warm her feet from the snowy PA weather and thankfully, after a few days, Jacksonville did warm up a bit.

We went to Jacksonville Beach one afternoon, the tide was moving out making the sand hard packed and easy for strolling and shell collecting.

The seagulls were enjoying the weather by just hanging out by the waters edge.  Along came this young boy determined to walk right into the flock.   It was quite a hoot when they all (except this fella in front) started squawking and taking flight!  The boy was startled for a moment, but quickly enjoyed the happenings all around him.

*Please click to enlarge the photos

I'm a lot like that boy this year.  I'm determined to stir it up a bit this year.  I have a list a mile long of all the things I'd like to do, the things I'd like to start back up again (photography and blogging being two of those things) and new projects I want to tackle.  I want to expand my antique business, paint more furniture and get my name out there.

My goal for The Goat this year, 2013, is to blog at least once a week.  I think I can probably dip my feet into the water that much in the beginning and hopefully by the middle of the year, I'll be able to add in a couple more days a week.

One of my very favorite messages that I've received from The Universe (www.tut.com) is how I'm going to end this post.

In all things, always and forever, simply wish the best for all involved, without stating what you think that is. And then, whatever does happen, no matter what happens, know that it was.  All the best,      The Universe