Have you ever heard of that phrase? I usually touch my head (kind of a silly superstition) as I make a statement about something or other so that things will work out okay, not just be a fluke. I do not want to jinx it – touch wood. But seriously, it is interesting what sayings or practices come out of me, despite the illogicalness of them. And for some reason, they continue to be said or practiced…just ’cause.
Take for instance this week, I was not paying attention to my cooking and the vegetable stir fry burnt. That’s what you get when you try to multi-task and not be in the same room area. And so the caked burnt vegetables got stuck to my favourite frying pan. Did not look promising. Yet what did I do…I automatically began to put a layer of salt and warm water in the bottom of frying pan to let soak. Why? Well a long time ago, pearly words of wisdom was bestowed upon me by my mom who told me…and it worked. When your mom says try it…you do. And lo and behold, the fry pan is no worse for wear. Burnt offering came off. Salt? Who’d have thought?
Anyway I have been doing staining lately ( as of today, I have four more days left to ‘kill’ during this self-isolation time). It really is a good way to get at projects you keep procrastinating on from your ‘honey do’ list. So taking a risk, I decided I am going to change things up and create a different look for my railing and stairs. Have you heard of gel stain? Not me. When I opened up the can of mahogany stain, I thought I had a stain that went bad. When I dipped the brush into the stain, the brush stood up and stuck in like it was in jello. Ummm. What is going on? Well as I looked at the can, it said gel stain. Gel. What would they think of next? But, amazingly enough, it went on smoothly and easily. I am learning a bit about how to stain versus painting. Way differently I might add. I’m no Property Brothers, that’s for sure.
Of course after you stain, just like in painting, somehow it gets on you. Let me tell you stain is much harder to get off. I thought warm water and soap would work. Then I tried Comet. Yeah I know, I am not a tub or sink. So then, I tried Dawn…because you know it gets out whatever. Nope. I even tried those Mr. Clean scrubby white things which seems to get out most things. Naw. Human skin is different. Did not work? It’s one thing to have a bit of stain but I had a lot on arms and hands. So I finally called my artistic daughter who I know has used and worked with all kinds of art mediums. She said vegetable oil. What?? Well let’s just say after a bit of hard scrubbing, yep it did the trick. Now I have to listen to my daughter too?!
That reminds me of the time my dad telling me this story of how his eye doctor told him to use baby shampoo and those round make-up wipe pads to help with seeing in the sunlight. Just so you know, my dad is not one to mince his words. Anyway to make a long story short, my dad could not go out in the sunlight without his eyes watering and squinting. He had to put on the darkest of dark sun glasses on in order to go out and even then he could barely see. It got so bad he only went out during th evening. So when he went to visit his eye doctor, the doctor said that there was one way that has worked on other eye patients.
Let’s just say it did not go over well. He told dad to take pure Baby Johnson’s shampoo, mix it half and half with water, pour mixture on the eye wipe and rub several times beneath both eyes, three times a day for three weeks, he should see a difference. My dad called him out on it. And he left in a huff. Then he told my mom he would do it and then be able to tell the ‘quack off’. Well…it worked. Dad noticed a difference after the first week. He had gone out in the morning and forgot to put on his sunglasses, and noticed he did not need them so much. Yeah he told the doctor off…with a smile and smirk. Gotcha dad.
I have to chuckle and smile at myself as I think of habits and sayings that come out of me. Sometimes I find myself saying “where did that come from.” Out of the mouths of babes. Or maybe parents? Grandparents? I know that I say or do some things that might strike other people as odd or weird or illogical but hey that is what makes me…me. No rhyme or reason. I remember when I was younger my dad would say ‘when you make a decision, murder the alternatives’. I did not understand it back then but now I understand it and have found myself repeating it to my own daughters. When you let go, let go. Now, at this point in my life, I would have to say my three most common things that I repeat quite often would be “it’s all good”, “love you more”, and “life is precious”.
Life lessons. Blessings today.
Let those who are in need of our prayers be lifted up with gentle and loving hands.
Karenpondering 