drying out as she types

the first day of fall is just one week past, but the baron is already feeling the effects of this change in the weather: she gets all dried out in these crisper months.

lucky for her, she very recently discovered Badger brand Cocoa Butter Lip Balms at her neighborhood market. she picked up a three pack, above, with cool mint, sweet orange and cocoa flavors. the first two are delicately flavored, not like some bonne bell assault on her mouth and nose, and the last one has no flavor or scent at all. all are creamy and long-lasting, and on the label of each is written 'a little magic for your lips'. you know what, reader? it IS a little magic for your lips!

how did this get here?

the baron and the husband spent part of their weekend thrift shopping, visiting some of their favorite ones. they could think of nothing in particular that they needed, really, though the husband did have an eye out for halloween decorations. for her part, the baron really just wanted to get out of the house (it had been a rainy, cooped-up kind of weekend).

once they got to their first stop, though, the baron realized that she did want something: didion's 'the year of magical thinking', a book that the she had often (always!) seen at the thrift store. it happened that the two or three thrifts they intended to visit had excellent book sections, so the baron felt certain that she'd find her book.

but.

the afternoon turned out to be an education for her, an education about the books left to thrift stores. for example, she saw lots of copies of frey's 'a million little pieces', proving once and for all that oprah's reach is mighty and far. she also saw a number of 'what to expect when you're expecting', quite a few of the 'the da vinci code' (in hard back), and LOTS of harlequin romance novels.

what troubled her about the whole thing, though, was the appearance on the thrift store shelves of some of her favorite novels: 'the corrections' (in both soft and hard back), 'absalom, absalom', 'the color of water', 'a confederacy of dunces', 'moo', and even a hard cover copy of 'me talk pretty one day'. 'me talk pretty one day'!!! mccullers, rowling, morrison... they were all there together, abandoned, and the baron was sad.

the baron was left wondering, how did these books get here? and, to the husband, can we buy them? don't you know someone who wants a copy of 'harry potter and the sorcerer's stone'? alas, he did not... and all the books stayed. the baron said a little something under her breath, something for the books she loved, hoping that someone good would buy them.

as for her - there was no didion, not this time anyway. there was, however, thackeray, and 'vanity fair' is proving a good read so far.

with this ring...

today, the baron presents the nearly accurate transcript of a conversation she had with the husband had last night:

the baron: i have to tell you something.
the husband: yes?
the baron: i've been thinking that i'd maybe like a wedding band...
the husband: instead of the rock, you want a band?
the baron: well, yeah... a thin band, something plain.
the husband: like mine?
the baron: well, yes, but thinner.
the husband: ok, it's your finger. we can do something with your ring and get a band.
the baron: what?
the husband: what?
the baron: i didn't mean 'instead of' my wedding ring, i meant 'in addition to'. wtf?
the husband: ...

outside living, done

reader, you may remember that the baron and the husband recently built a retaining wall and patio?

well, said retaining wall and patio are now totally finished and occupant-ready! low growing, foot-traffic tolerant moss has been planted between the pavers. ferns and bananas have been planted around the patio's perimeter. the furniture is back, and buddha has found a place among the greenery.

reader, it's a pretty sweet spot - it turned out very nicely indeed.

dragonfly, for candles!

reader, the baron knew you would have the answer.
special thanks to k, for having an idea and a link with a photo, and to t for bridging the gap.
photos are coming, once the dragonflies are properly outfitted with their new candle holders and tea lights.

dragonfly, for what now?

the baron and the husband found this iron dragonfly (and its twin) at a thrift store early this past summer. both pieces are quite heavy for their size, and a bit rusty... overall, they make a lovely, rustic pair of ornaments. if you look closely, you can see a hole in the dragonfly's head, so it can be hung flush against a wall. and at the bottom of its body, you can see that hinge there... that hoop thing moves up and down on that hinge.

reader, the baron is fairly sure that that hoop thing is meant to hold a candle, and that the whole dragonfly contraption is meant to be hung outdoors, on a wall or an arbor or something similarly flat. but, reader, how will the candle stay in place? how will the candle stay on the hoop, rather than falling through the hoop? ideas, suggestions and answers appreciated.

there's a chill in the air, if only

today is the first day of fall, reader, and the baron is happy about this turn of seasonal events. crisp, clear days are coming - the kinds of days that, from indoors, trick you into thinking no jacket is needed. also, fall is the best time for clothes, wool ones and tweed ones and corduroy ones, in browns and greens and yellows and oranges. the pet industry marketing people know this too, and fools like the baron just buy RIGHT INTO IT.

mid-70s saturday, the day the husband came home, was one of those good fall days, cool enough for a sweater, even in the sun. high-70s sunday, less so. sunday's higher temperature didn't stop the baron and the husband, though, from picking up this fall-appropriate item for harlan.



and the close-up.



and, the tag attached to the sweater, the tag that really SOLD them on the sweater for harlan...