Vintage Adventures

Howdy! I'm a crafty gal living in the Golden State of California; all about vintage clothes, swing dancing, knitting, cooking, books
and adventures!

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

{Hmm}


Last week when we saw W.E.!
While wearing my 1940's Vicky Vaughn frock..
I spotted something suspicious in the ladies room!

Monday, March 19, 2012

{Post-op}

Well I had surgery 2 days ago and my gallbladder was removed.

I was able to come home yesterday afternoon.
The surgery was successful.. the surgeon removed my gallbladder and it did contain 2 stones.

I'm glad this happened.. if I hadn't decided to go in to the E.R. at 03.20 yesterday morning I wouldn't have known that I had gall stones at all.
I'd actually been having "gall attacks" for the past year, I just didn't know that was happening to me.
I thought I had GERD or was developing a food allergy or something.
It was always the same.. I'd wake up late at night or in the wee hours of the morning with severe upper abdominal pain.
Taking a hot bath would help but it would always return when I got out.
Sometimes it would make me vomit.

Well 2 nights ago around 12am I was awake with severe upper abdominal pain and couldn't stop vomiting.
Couldn't even keep water down, so I had Travis drive me to the hospital-ER 5 minutes down the road.
Arriving at 03.20am, it took about 2 1/2 hours for me to be seen.
Had to wait another 2 hours for the results of blood work and then have an abdominal ultrasound.
I got to see my inflamed gallbladder and the stones on the screen.

I was then taken to a room upstairs, put to bed and had to wait another 4 hours before talking with a surgeon about choliectomy (surgical removal of the gall bladder).
My surgery was scheduled for 16.00.
I was nervous.. but there really isn't any alternative.
It was weird being put to sleep.
I guess I developed hypothermia during the surgery.. I vaguely remember convulsing and shaking and chattering and being so cold upon waking up and the nurses wrapped me up in heaps of warmed blankets.

I've got 4 incisions in my belly.
They're mighty sore but I'll be okay!

We stopped at Whole Foods on the way home for canned soup, protein drinks and ice cream.
Travis has been cooking, cleaning, picking things up for me..
Really, who could ask for more?

Friday, March 16, 2012

{Some memories}

I'm excited to go back into nursing.
My favorite field has been and will always be geriatrics (old people).
In addition to the fact that I enjoy taking care of ill people and making others comfortable, they tell the best stories and offer a look into what life was like "back then".

A couple of weeks ago it was really slow at work and I talked with an elderly couple (in their 80's) for a good hour and a half.
They were both born in 1926 in Mississipi.
The wife (I can't recall her name) told me that:
 
"I had a very strong immune system and didn't contract any childhood diseases.
I even went to visit a friend with chicken pox to be exposed just to get it over with.. and didn't get chicken pox at all.
However, I did develop a case of mumps in the late 1920's."

"Growing up during the depression", she told me, "was difficult."
"It was a different world and a different time.
Middle class families didn't have enough money anymore.
People didn't have enough to eat.
I had one friend whose family only had oatmeal to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Families couldn't spent money on their children.
That's a vast difference from today!"

"At the time, it cost 11 cents to go see a movie.
I remember when Gone with the Wind first came to movie theaters, in 1939.
It cost 39 cents to go.
I wanted to go so bad but we didn't have any extra money for me to go see a movie.
My mother knew that a badly wanted to go.
She was part of a bridge club and would get together with other ladies and play for money.
She was an excellent player and won $1 and gave it to me so I could go see Gone with the Wind!"

"In the summer of 1936 I was 10 years old.
I was to go visit some relatives in Alabama.
I traveled 500 miles all by myself on a Greyhound bus.
It was safe back then.. things wouldn't happen to girls like they do now a days.
Strangers were helpful.
There was a 2 hour layover.
While waiting I went to a movie theater and saw Tarzan!
My mother sure was upset when I told her that upon returning home!"

I asked how they met and they told me:
"We met at a junior/senior picnic in high school.
Then we got married when we were 20 years old."

The wife told me that the secret to living to old age is lots of exercise and the fact that it's okay to have dessert!
"I'm in my 80's and I still play tennis!"

The husband told me that his mother was a teacher in 1910 and had to drive a horse and buggy to the school 25 miles away from her home.


{Date Night}

Last night we went out and saw W.E.
I thoroughly enjoyed it!
We even snuck wine and chocolate into the theater with us via my big purse!
Although I have to say, I did tear up a bit during the film..
Certain scenes brought me back to dark places I've been, being married to my abusive ex-husband, the divorce and the "scandal" of seeing Travis before the divorce was ah.. even filed.
It still shocks people when they learn that I'm divorced because I'm "so young" or "so nice" or this or that.
 I say that no one has a right to judge unless they've been in a similar situation themselves.
Ah well, I wouldn't re-do anything or change anything that I did.
I did what I had to to make myself happy and safe.
Besides, it takes a real man to see a chick flick like this with his girlfriend, so I'm really lucky!
 
Oh and I got a new sewing machine!
A 1970's era Viking Husqvarna.
I got it for $3 at the thrift store back home in Ramona, CA while I was there in December.
It didn't quite work so it was in a sewing shop there for some time, being repaired and then it was finally done and got sent to me here!
I've already ordered a terrific 1940's dress pattern off of Etsy and a 1930's one will be next.

Monday, March 12, 2012

{Good things}

More family history research luck!
I have been in contact with my grandfather's cousins.





This is my great-great grandfather Cyril Benjamin Yard.
Born on March 1st, 1866 in Venango Co., Pennsylvania and passed away on March 2nd, 1952.

From left to right:
Kathryn Yard Blair (my great-grandmother)
Betty Yard Styers
Elva Yard Moore
Grace Yard
Margaret Yard Paster
Mary Marshall Yard (Uncle Glenn's Wife)

This is Cyril's farm in Venango Co., Pennsylvania.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

{Hey there}

I'm still alive!
Things are slowly getting better  ^^

Busy at work and taking care of lots of paperwork to transfer my nursing license to Texas.
I've been working furiously on my little balcony garden.
I now have 10 different kinds of herbs and a potful of California Poppy sprouts.
Now just to plant the strawberries and tomatoes.

I've got a little second job for 5 hours at the cattery where I got Marie.
Taking care of 23 Norwegian Forest Cats.. if this isn't the perfect job for me than I don't know what is!

I'm all registered for the 2012 Galveston Island Bathing Beauty Revue which is in May.
The week after that Travis and I are seeing Rammstein play at the Toyota Center in downtown Houston.
I've only wanted to see them since high school!
Then in June we are going back home (to my home, California) for my best friend's wedding.
We only get to stay for 3 1/2 days but hey, that's better than nothing.
I've crossing my fingers and hoping that Travis will fall in love with California and want to move there.
I've been away for 2 years now and I am homesick every day.
Plus what with my severe allergies (to pollen), I should live near the sea to enjoy the best quality of life.
Ha.

I've been using instagram a lot lately. 
I like it.




My sister crocheted me this headband.

Dinner at a Mexican food restaurant.

Miss green-eyed Marie.

4 week old Forest Cat kittens

4 week old Forest Cat kitten.

Snuggly Forest Cats.

Orange Forest Cat.

Gatsby being bathed in preparation for his date with the neighbor's female Pomeranian.

1950's dress, silver spoon, veggies & rice.

Breakfast = Coffee & Avocado Toast.

Breakfast = Coffee & Pancakes.

Blood orange.




Flowers behind a shed at work.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

{Today}

Is cleaning day!
Breakfast burrito and coffee.
Hot chai for later.
Time to clean everything!