doitnowceciliasmith

do it now: remember, remember the 5th of November.

It's Guy Fawkes night in the UK. An indigenous ceremony where you can legitimately blow stuff up and strike up bonfires without getting into trouble. A pyromaniacs dream!

I love and miss everything about this night.  From the toffee apples and sparklers to "Penny for the Guy" collections, to walking through the cold dark night to the huge community bonfire and firework display. 

For those who didn't grow up in England, this was the deal:  It was 1605 and a group of rebellious restorationists (Roman Catholics) devised a plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament, (which was being run by a bunch of Protestants at the time).  The "Gunpowder Plot" was headed up by another chap (his name has never been very important, but he is clearly the smart one), who sends Guy Fawkes to do the dirty work. As he is about to strike the match, Fawkes get caught in the act in the cellars beneath Parliament with 36 barrels of gunpowder and a very guilty look upon his face.

To this day, (although it's is now being eclipsed in popularity by the American holiday, Halloween), people all over England spend the autumn months gathering everything combustible that they can find, to build a huge community bonfire, upon which an effigy of Mr Fawkes is placed and then subsequently burned.  The local councils, rotary club or whomever is hosting the night, spend a small fortune on Fireworks and the whole community come to watch, whilst consuming toffee apples, sausages and baked potatoes (customarily baked in foil in the embers of the bonfire). Cheers would cry out when the flames finally reached the "Guy". Then the final firework illuminated a message in the sky that usually read "g-o-o-d--n-i-g-h-t" and we would all go home, faces glowing from the heat of the fire and excitement of the evening.

I know it's slightly barbaric to burn someone at the stake,  (they were a bit barbaric in the 17th Century), but it's a tradition (and I like traditions), and according to a report on BBC Radio 4 today, Guy Fawkes night is a rapidly dying tradition.  Most children haven't a clue about  the history of the event, and the streets are no longer filled with kids wheeling around shopping trolleys that contain over-stuffed clothing from their dad's wardrobe, made to look like some geezer from the 1600's,  begging for a "penny for the guy".  Probably more to to with letting your kids talk to strangers or wander the streets after dark!

What's more, poor old Guy, after enduring 400 years of burnings, has now been replaced by effigies of modern day celebrities such as Jordan, Katie Price and Russell Brand; I wonder how they feel about that?

Do it now: Acquire lime green loveseats

We have a bargain box section in the local paper.  I often scan it, circle a few things and almost never call the number listed, making excuses for myself that its either sold already, do I  want someone else's second hand crap or ... really, do i want someone else's second hand crap!?

But who could resist this one?...... 

ANTIQUE FURNITURE.  Needs restoration and TLC, three pieces, $30/OBO. FREE microwave. Two 60's loveseats, lime green, $20/each. End tables, coffee table, bookcase, $10/each

The location was a  cute little beach house right opposite the ocean in Oak Bluffs. A bit like this one. 

A nice lady called Kathy answered the door whilst being pelted with wind, rain and seawater from the first "nor'easter" of the season.  It was freezing cold and I seriously questioned what I was doing there.

Then I saw them, the lime green color, a stark contrast to the cold gray day.

In the true manner of buying anything second hand, I umm-ed and arrr-ed.... drew in some sharp intakes of breath and told her that actually they weren't really what I was looking for.  After all, the "lime green" cushions turned out to be Vinyl (ewww I hear you all screetch!), and I imagined how cold they would be on ones bottom in the winter and how ones clammy legs would stick to them in the summer - (yuk)..  not really the comfy curl-up-and-watch-a-movie kind of living room seating I was looking for.

But then I got to thinking about that neighbor of mine, with the industrial sewing machine, who makes sofa cushions etc for the decorators on the island...... I asked how much she wanted for them.

Anyway long story short, they are now mine and after a little wipe down with Murphys oil soap, they look pretty cool in my "rapidly becoming a film set for Mad Men", living room!   I think Joan Harris, (nee Holloway) would love it!

 

Do it now: find out which Mad Men character you are.

I am loving everything Mad Men right now.  I started watching season 1 when it began a couple of years ago I guess, then lost momentum or rather, I kept forgetting to DVR it.  So now I am watching the past seasons from NetFlix whilst simultaneously watching season three on Sunday nights.  I can get enough of  the the blatant sexism, the suburban twitching curtains, the adultery, the smoking, (even whilst pregnant), the interior design, the fashion, the drinking in your office at 9 am.... it's just so refreshing!

So when the poll to find out which mad man are you? showed up on facebook, of course, I took it.

the results ...... drum roll please .....the marvelous Joan Holloway, office manager of Sterling Cooper.

Unfortunately without the hourglass figure and designer wardrobe, but hopefully with all the poise, control and professionalism that any self respecting working woman of the 60's should have.

I am so happy that I am not Peggy "I don't know why I pick all the wrong boys" Olson!

 Cecilia would be proud!

PS mad men blog

everything but the kitchen sink.

I was asked by someone recently if I had a suitcase that was 20" wide. I said I would measure mine and let him know.  I was badgered every day about it until finally I went up to the attic with a tape measure and measured the damned thing... It turned out to be just 18" wide.

you know it's Labor Day when....

.... the bottle/spray/tube of sunblock is almost empty......

.... and the kids are "bored" of the beach .....

.... and you start blow-drying your hair again ....

.... and you keep a spare sweater in your car instead of a spare swimsuit....

.... and even the crabs on the dock at Owen Park have had enough of raw chicken!.....

Do it now: miss Obama by 24 hours

So I went up to The Deli today - my husbands business and place where I used to spend quite a lot of time.  I was just 24 hours too late for the President.

Yes, yesterday Mr Obama, on his last day of vacation on Martha's Vineyard, took his daughters and niece on a walk-about to Alleys General Store and to Garcia's Bakery and Deli....  And I wasn't there to see it, meet him, OR give him one of Minor Dresses or Jessica's bracelets for Michelle. (Jessica will you please start writing your blog again, so I can put a link up to to here!)

Here he is buying an oatmeal raisin cookie from Nicole (the best one of our summer staff this year -I'm so glad it was her!)....

Even if I had been there yesterday, I couldn't have met the President.  I am in no fit state to be presented to "American royalty" right now, as I have a zit developing on my chin - so definitely no photographs! But it was disappointing that Noah, my 7 year old, didn't get to meet Him, (look, I've given him a capital H like they do to God!)...  it surely would have been a lifelong memory for my little chap, wouldn't it?

At least his Dad got to meet him - here "He" is posing for a photo with Paul!

Call 508 693 8401 if you want to order any of the newly renamed OBAMA OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES!!!!

Click here to see more photos and coverage

Do it now: how to get a certain dress to Michelle Obama

I cant believe it, the President is here (well, technically he's not here any more because  he left last night to go to Ted Kennedy's memorial), but he's been here all week and he's back tonight, and I am not blogging about it.  Not that I have had much to blog about it all .... until now that is.

do it now: should I start a blog about ADHD?

... and join the gazillions of people writing about it every day.

Perhaps it will help me to reach some answers.... but it could just confuse me even
more?

I'd call it "The Road to Ritalin"

do it now: get mistaken for the owner of an expensive car

Funny moment of the day.

Well, it was yesterday actually, but I just remembered it....

I was feeling particularly hot and disheveled and whilst taking a break from gardening and I noticed pretty little red vintage Porsche was parked about 30 yards from where I was sitting.....

There was I swigging my water and a chap walks up to me and asks "are you driving the Porsche?".  I cannot tell you how delighted I was to be mistaken for the owner of such a vehicle! 

I answered, "unfortunately it's not my car ... but it made my day that you thought that it could have been!"

The girl I wish I'd had.

I hope Jessica wont think I’ve gone all “single white female” on her, but doesn’t this picture look completely perfect?  I think I would make the ideal mother of a gorgeous little girl like this.

Why is it I am so obsessed with having a daughter?  I know the answer to this.  It's all about ego. I want to have a child who is just like I was.  A carbon copy of myself, the perfect creature, (or at least perfect until about aged 14, when I had a horrible phase), who does exactly what I tell her  and who wants to draw, dance, play dolls and shops and clop about in my over-size shoes pretending to me ME!  WOW I really do have an ego problem.

It’s sometimes just so painful to think I will never experience that..... there I admitted it.