Two weeks ago, a 72-year-old woman at work retired.
I didn’t think much about it at first but then I started looking around for other old-ish people. And I looked. And I looked some more. And then I looked at myself and the truth dawned. I was now the oldest person in my building.
I am going to get a gold plaque on my desk that says, “I’m the oldest person here.” And then people need to bring me flowers and chocolate every day. Just because.
For decades, Steve’s parents drank from Gobble mugs made by Clyde Gobble in the mountains of North Carolina. Mr. Gobble passed away several years ago and finding his mugs is getting harder and harder.
And then last week, I found five Gobble mugs on Etsy for about half the usual price. I couldn’t pass up such an opportunity. I put the order in and then sat back to await the exciting and momentous arrival of five new additions to the Smith collection.
At long last, the box arrived on our doorstep. Cue the fanfare! Sound the trumpets! Rejoice and give tha . . . oh wait.
I opened the box and saw this.
Yep. Four of the five mugs were broken.
At first, I was so sad. Forty-five-year-old mugs shattered. Such a waste.
But then? My spirits lifted–at least a little
As it turned out, the mugs weren’t the exact replicas of the ones we had after all. They were a little shorter and the handle was different so the “Gobble mug feeling” we were used to was not the same.
The seller refunded all our money and didn’t charge for the unbroken mug–which we will still enjoy even though it’s not the exact one we wanted.
I asked Steve to get a walking pad for me for Christmas. My job is sedentary and when I get home in the afternoons it’s usually too dark to walk.
Steve was gone the night I decided to try it out for the first time. I popped on my tennis shoes and hopped on the treadmill full of vim and vigor. The buttons looked pretty straightforward so I got my water bottle in place, took a deep breath, and hit the plus button. A few seconds passed and I thought, “Hmmm. That button doesn’t seem to be making much of a difference.”
So I hit it again. And then again. And then I was just having so much fun pressing the button that I kept going. Beep. Beep. Beep!
I belatedly realized that the belt on the treadmill was suddenly moving along briskly. In fact, it was moving quite briskly, indeed. Turns out all that button-pushing had done something after all.
I had been wanting to start at a leisurely pace of 2 mph but when I looked at the readout, it was 6.6 m.p.h. Which for some of you might be nothing; however, for a slightly fluffy, largely sedentary, oldest-person-at-work type of individual, it was just slightly speedy.
I was suddenly jogging faster than I had jogged in a great long while, all the while trying to consider my options.
I couldn’t seem to run fast enough to bring myself back up to the control bank to turn the speed down. My first thought was to fling myself off the side as a way of escape; however, there was a dresser on one side and a bed on the other. Scratch that. Injuries would ensue.
Then I thought I could just exit the machine off the back but I was afraid at that dizzying rate of speed, I would stumble coming off and then careen into another piece of furniture.
Tinker and Belle were lounging in the hallway with (virtual) bags of popcorn, eyes wide, mouths agape, waiting to see how this rare drama was going to play out. They were fascinated to see their female human engaging in such a great show of frenzied activity.
I know the whole thing only took about probably 30 seconds but it seemed like an hour as I discarded idea after idea. To be perfectly honest, I have no idea how I finally got off the thing–it’s all a blur. I will say that I did not get back on it again that evening. I have no doubt that my heart rate had reached a significantly high level to get the workout I needed.
Isn’t it crazy how certain modern memories trigger really old memories?
I saw a can of air freshener in the bathroom at work and in a flash, my mind went back to my childhood memory of going to my grandparent’s house and seeing a book of matches on the back of the toilet. Being a curious child, I asked about them and Grandpa explained to me that if the bathroom became a bit smelly, you could light a match and then blow it out. The sulfur in the matches was meant to mask any unpleasantness in the air.
Looking back, I wonder if other families back in that day did that or if it was just a delightful eccentricity of my grandpa. (You can answer in the comments.)
A few weeks ago I posted a photo of this black shelf Steve hung over the fireplace. I asked if anyone could guess what it was for but no one could.
Well, here’s the answer! The shelf holds all the recordings we made throughout our careers. (Eventually, Steve will put something on the back of each recording so it sits straight; this is a work in progress.)
On the far left you will see our earliest recording. We actually typed up the liner notes ourselves for each cassette. I think we made about 20 of them. And yes, we really are old enough to have made an LP. (Refer to the first paragraph.)
Our plan is to make the den into a room where every piece of décor has something to do with music. Here are a few examples.
Steve just bought this for me on Saturday; I love it!
He had this photo framed for me as a surprise last year. I was nine years old.
And I had this one framed for him many years ago. It was on the back of a big print edition Reader’s Digest and it seemed quite appropriate.
Early Saturday morning I was awakened from my sleep by some sort of odd noise. I couldn’t tell if it was inside or outside, but the dogs immediately went into their “It’s the end of the world” barking routine so I knew I hadn’t imagined it. I got them quiet and pondered for a minute what the noise might have been. Nothing immediately came to mind so I went back to sleep.
And then, five minutes later, I heard the same noise again. I was startled awake again. The dogs started barking again. I launched back into being puzzled again.
Reaching over to Steve to ask if he’d heard, I realized he wasn’t there. Strange for him to get up early on a Saturday; that’s our day to sleep a little later.
My initial puzzlement was replaced by just a little irritation. Why would Steve be up but not coming to get the dogs so I could sleep in on my day off? He was always so good to do that and I couldn’t figure out why he was just ignoring all the barking.
I got out of bed, zipped up my robe, and headed down the hall. The door to the hall bathroom was closed and as I paused to call Steve’s name, I suddenly heard a faint, trembly voice say, “I passed out.”
Well, that got my attention.
I eased open the door and saw Steve lying on the floor in front of the sink with his phone and his glasses spread out on the floor. His face was pasty white and he was clammy. (He had actually passed out twice which was why I’d been awakened by a noise two times.)
Turns out that the night before, he had drunk some almond milk that had gone bad. He woke up early in the morning with horrible cramping and spent some time on the toilet before passing out. That didn’t make any sense to me so I looked it up online and it said “Long periods on the toilet can stimulate the vagus nerve which slows the heart rate. This can decrease blood flow back to the heart and lower blood pressure.” Now I know!
Thankfully, he was able to get up with a little help from me. He slept for a couple more hours and, except for some soreness, he’s fine.
He and I were talking about how much worse that could have been; he could have hit his head or broken a limb; there are so many hard edges in a bathroom. I’m thankful all is well and I didn’t open that bathroom door to a much worse scene. (And I even forgave him for not coming to get the dogs.)
Yesterday, this blanket-clad figure mysteriously appeared in our living room. It didn’t move for a long time and Steve finally came to take a picture so that the image could be preserved for posterity.
Eventually, however, the creature did move, the blanket was dislodged, and the truth was revealed. It was a certain famous Smithellaneous blogger, emerging from her Sunday afternoon nap! As you’ve probably guessed, this chair is my favorite napping spot.
After I was in bed sick a week ago, I asked Steve before leaving for work one morning to wash my robe and pajamas. When I arrived home, I saw that he had taken the trouble to fold them neatly on the bed.
He had also washed the sheets and re-made the bed; as you know, there is nothing better than crawling between clean sheets at the end of a tiring day.
It occurred to me that so much of marriage is not comprised of the big, grandiose moments but small acts of love and service that stitch the days together. We’ve spent forty-three years showing our love in practical ways and I look forward to doing it for years to come.
What about you?
Do you remember your parents or grandparents using matches to mask smells in the bathroom?
What are some other things they did that people don’t do so much anymore?
In what small ways to you show love to people who are important to you?
Where is your favorite napping spot?
Is there something in particular (like the mugs) that you collect at your house?
Are you expecting cold temps where you are? We are barely going to get above freezing for several days.
Becky. Here in East Tennessee it was 9 YES 9 degrees when I got up this morning. As I so often tell my sweet hubby I am a summer person. I long for those summer days sitting on my porch in my porch swing that belonged to my daddy and was handmade more than 70 years ago by my Sunday School teacher. Surrounded by my kids and my grandkids. That is when I am most happy. As for that same sweet hubby we celebrated 55 years of marriage on January 10th. I realized just how very much he loved ( of course I knew that before) me when I had major surgery in August. He cared so sweetly for me taking me for an unnumbered round of tests, weekly visits to my doctor as well as taking care of the house and all the cooking. Let me say this I AM NOT a good sick person I much prefer taking care of him than being taken care of. I am well on the road to recovery but have still not been released by my surgeon (patience is not one of my virtues). I say this to say I have a husband who is truly a gift from God who loves me like Christ loves the church and I am so grateful.
Gail,
How wonderful to read such a sweet tribute to your husband. It’s so easy to nitpick and tear each other down; thank you for seeing all the good and for writing it down. (And happy 55th!)
I’m glad you have your surgery behind you and are getting better each day. You’ll be all ready for more sweet summer times on the swing!
Hi there! My grandparents had a book of matches in the bathroom for the exact same reason and as a child, I loved to light a match. It’s funny how that smell always takes me back. Speaking of bathrooms, my husband did the exact same thing in November while having a stomach virus. I heard the thud and it scared me to death. I was ready to call an ambulance. He said he had never been so sick.
I am glad Steve is ok.
We are expecting snow in South Georgia this week and I am excited. Hopefully, it will actually happen.
Have a great week!
Lisa,
Hopefully your anticipated snow has arrived by now. Sadly we are not expecting much in Charlotte.
Glad your husband is okay after his episode of passing out; it’s a scary thing to find your spouse like that!
I’m glad we weren’t the only family with the book of matches. 🙂
I’m so glad Steve is okay. Falling for any reason at our age is no fun.
I’ve never heard of lighting a match for bathroom smells. Two things my granddaddy did that I’ve never heard of anyone else doing is 1) When Grandma made mashed potatoes, he would drink the “potato water” they were boiled in and 2) He was convinced sulphur water was “good for you” so he had a huge 5-gallon jug he would take to one of the nearby sulphur springs and have it filled with sulphur water, and drink a small cup every night. And if you’ve never smelled sulphur water, it stinks. I could never bring myself to taste it.
My favorite napping spot is our reclining sofa.
The main thing I continue to collect is signed John Grisham novels. My first few are not signed; the first one I got signed was Runaway Jury and then a little gap, but all of them from at least Skipping Christmas are signed. For a long time I ordered them from That Bookstore in Blytheville, a cool independent bookstore in Blytheville, Arkansas; but then the original owner sold it and it kinda changed. I now order from Square Books on the Square in Oxford, Mississippi. We went there once in person on vacation and it’s really cool because a lot of the action takes place “on the square” in his first novel, A Time to Kill. I also have all of Sue Grafton’s novels and a few of them are signed (and were signed in person vs. ordering).
Here in the Dallas area we are experiencing the cold also. We made it to a high of 36 today, but it was 24 when I got up at 9:30 this morning. At 9:00 tonight we are at 32 and falling to 24 again (with wind chills in the low teens).
I hope you and your family have a wonderful week.
Sue Ellen,
So your grandpa was a connoisseur when it came to types of water, huh? Potato water and sulphur water? I think I’ll pass!
How fun that you collect books and that you have some that are autographed! Books are a great item to collect because they don’t take up huge amounts of space and they can be re-read and enjoyed for years.
Aren’t independent bookstores the BEST?
Yes, my mom was the match person. Haven’t used them for a while (Yankee Candle sprays do the trick) but remember using them in a pinch. Love those pictures for the music room and that shelf? Another great idea!!! I don’t know if you had the commercial where you are, but got myself a Cubii. For when I don’t want to do any exercising per se or go outside and walk, this does the trick. I had in the instructions that 15 min. should be the norm for using it – 15 MINUTES???? That hardly makes it worthwhile. I do anywhere from 30 min. to an hour. There are different levels of hardness to use. We also have a recumbent but that’s downstairs and my Cubii is upstairs – in front of my chair. To glad Steve is okay. That would really be unsettling to see and hear regarding your husband. We use almond milk too but haven’t had any go bad – so far. Once again he is so helpful in washing those items for you. We both are truly blest!
Sharyn,
I’d never heard of a Cubii; you should be proud of yourself doing way more than the manufacturer recommends!
I love Yankee Candle scents. So good!
What a trying time in the Smith house as of late… Uff-da!
( as Northern Norwegians say- at least this one)
Uff-da again!!
(That is necessary for all that went on.)
May peace and rest reign this week.
Ruth
Ruth,
Always plenty of excitement around here!
And I love hearing (reading) the word Uff-da. It’s such a fun word to see and say and it also encompasses a lot of different circumstances. I actually just looked it up and it said it expresses surprise, astonishment, exhaustion, or relief. Now we know!
So many Interesting Things in your Thing post!
I’m so sorry Steve had to go through that unpleasant experience. Very glad he’s ok! We drink almond milk too and it’s truly awful when it goes bad. I didn’t know it could cause such a bad reaction or that the vagus nerve was so temperamental!
And then you and the walking pad incident! I’m gonna come down there and wrap you both up in some industrial strength bubble wrap!
I LOVE Steve’s display shelf. What a creative and meaningful way to commemorate your years of hard work creating amazing music. I am so honored that Randy and I got to be part of some of those years. I sure miss singing with you.
You go, girl, and stand proud representing the um, more mature generation at work. You do deserve copious amounts of chocolate and reams of flowers!
Kudos to Steve for washing and folding your PJs and doing the sheets (and yes, fresh sheets are the greatest). That’s the stuff of tried and true love!
My favourite napping spot is on the living room couch, sometimes accompanied by the cat. And the weather here in WI is
fah-reezing! Way below zero for a few days and makes the most stalwart northerners wonder why living here is a good idea. But the extreme cold is short lived and spring is getting closer!
Love to you both and do take care of yourselves!
Love, Deb
Deb,
Yeah, you’d better keep your eye on your almond milk expiration date; we don’t want any Mantiks passing out anywhere!
Yes, we will enjoy our musical shelf and musical room when it’s all done. Will be a work in progress for a while.
The best time to nap is definitely when it’s cold outside; especially if Croix will deign to nap with you. 🙂 A cuddled up cat just makes the whole world better.
Thanks for another of your inimitable comments!
Glad that Steve was not injured. So fun to find a special Etsy find, but rotten that they arrived broken. Love your music themed room.
I didn’t hear about matches for smells from my grandparents, but a friend when I was in my 40’s. I do keep matches handy in the bathroom for those occasions that the fan isn’t enough.
I have never been able to take naps as I wake up so groggy I am not fully functioning after. I function better just being tired.
I collect too much, and have to limit myself on even looking at thrift shops for new additions. My main collections are old clocks and lighthouses.
It is in the single digits here in MI. I had to meet someone today or would have stayed put, tomorrow is expected to be only 4 degrees and it is my appt to hopefully get the splint off after my thumb surgery. Don’t want to postpone that but it is a long 35 miles trip to the office. Glad the car heater works well.
Patti,
How fun to hear from someone who still uses matches. I didn’t know if they were completely a thing of the past, or not!
I can’t imagine not enjoying naps but I suppose if they make you groggy, they haven’t really accomplished anything. I take a couple of naps a week and they are wonderful.
I love clocks–old and new. I’m sure you have a lovely collection if you’ve been working at it for awhile. Stay warm and I hope your thumb heals quickly.
For 14 years I was the oldest employee by 12 years. I did not get chocolates every day. 😂
Marjie,
I REALLY think you should have gotten chocolates! I guess you had the personal satisfaction of being in such an exalted position. 🙂
I love your posts!! Always brings a smile to my face on Monday mornings.
I had to laugh about the matches. I can remember when we in the car when I was growing up and someone passed gas… we ate a lot of pinto beans back then…. and my dad would light a match in the car to get rid of the smell. It worked! :p You always bring out special memories for me.
My hubby falls quite often from the brain disease he has. It makes for restless nights for me because he is up and down all during the night. We fixed him a bedroom of his own because of his restlessness. I got up this past Thursday morning and he was lying in the floor in his room. He had reached over in bed to get his glasses off the side table and fell out of the bed. He broke his glasses. It took him several minutes to get up due to his being so weak and his legs and back are still sore from the strain of trying to get up. Falling is hard when you are an adult. The ground seems to get harder as we age… 🙁 Glad Steve is ok… and my hubby didn’t get hurt worse. Life is hard sometimes.
Have a blessed week and stay warm!!!
God bless you all.
Kaye,
Another match memory. Hooray!
I can’t imagine how stressful it is never knowing if your husband is going to fall. I love that you’re keeping your sense of humor in the middle of it all saying the ground seems to get harder as we age. Too true.
There are so many unseen caregivers in the world who minister to their loved ones with love and faithfulness. Bless you, today!