While my sisses were visiting, we had a couple of big days out. We saw Gravity in the 3D Imax (wow), shopped, shopped, and shopped a bit more…
…had a last minute idea to go see Wicked, and were able to get three of the last seats available for opening night. (not the best seats, but we enjoyed the play. Bobbie was the only one who hadn't seen it before, too bad we were so high up, she still hasn't really seen it)…
Sissy brought us all matching bittersweet orange scarves to wear and we were proud to look like triplets all weekend.
…and we ate way, way too much good food. I think the best meal was at the Nicklaus Golf Club. My husband was working there that day and we met him for lunch. Their food is always yummerific.
For the rest of the time Bobbie Sue and Sissy were here, I had the little grand fairies to care for, so our adventures had to include the girls.
Beth came by and joined us for a craft day.
Which was nice, because I hardly ever get to spend time with her any more.
And we had a Renfest day with both girls and our Hippy Chick.
But a lot of the time, was just hanging out around the kitchen table. Drinking coffee, talking, and swatting gnats. I had a trap made for the gnats, by filling a glass with an orange segment, covered in vinegar, with Saran Wrap over it. Then, I used a toothpick to punch holes in the wrap, so that gnats could get into the cup. They are attracted to the scents, and get in through the holes, but can't smell their way back out again. It works pretty well, but we had way too many flying beasts for this to catch them all.
With little girls running around under foot and bugs buzzing our heads, I started calling this our Gnats and Brats Weekend.
I finally told my sisters that I wasn't going to treat them like company any more and I hung up a fly strip from the chandelier. (classy)
And the fly strip wasn't getting all the pests either. I put the vinegar trap under the fly strip, so the smell would draw them in, and then the ones that didn't go into the cup would get caught on the strip. To get them closer to the strip, I had to stack a kid's chair on the island with a salad spinner on top of it.
I'd thought about using a crystal bowl upside down instead of a salad spinner, thinking that would look nicer, then I realized that nothing would make this look nicer.
This was a nasty, bug encrusted fly trap in the middle of my kitchen.
It reminded me of the time I was reminiscing with two very dear, old friends. We were talking about how far we'd come in our lives from our Trailer Trash roots. (my sister hates it when I say I'm trailer trash, because she thinks Mom and Dad would spin in their graves to hear it, both worked hard to provide a good home for us. But the truth is, long after Sissy grew up and moved out, I lived in a trailer with Mom, and after that, I kind of lived in a succession of one trailer after another for a few years)
But back to my friends….
We had grown up together, and supported each other through our parents' divorces, and had all had some rough times that we faced together.
So, we were congratulating ourselves on leaving the land of trailer parks behind, and being proud of each other for living in homes without wheels now. (I've lived in a total of 5 mobile homes myself, and was lucky to have a roof over my head and wheels under my feet at the time)
And then, Sandy said, "Wait, Debbie lived in a really nice double wide, does that still count?" (Sandy and I had some crappy trailers to our name)
And we all burst out laughing, remembering how much nicer Debbie's trailer was than ours, but still knowing that yes, a trailer is a trailer.
As I was planning my gnat entrapment, and trying to dress it up, I figured you can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear. A fly trap is every bit as ucky hanging from a chandy as it is from a bare bulb. A double wide is a trailer, even if it is a nice trailer.
And you can take the girl out of the trailer, but you can't take the trailer out of the girl. I'm glad I had years of poverty in my past, years that taught me to appreciate what I have, years that taught me to scrounge, save, and be creative, look for deals, do it myself. Years that make me a practical person who knows that gnats are better stuck to goo than dive bombing your company.
What a great week with your sissies & grandfairies. Karla, you a beautiful woman with a beautiful soul!
A delightful post. You surely know how to tell a story. And add great photos to it also.
Fun.
Memories.
Fun.
Tessa~
Hi Karla,
Loved your post and pix…..brought back my own memories of being a very young bride and our trailor in Beaufort South Carolina. The gnats were so thick…you couldn’t step outside or they would glob your eyes! We had many dinners of cream of wheat…or fried potatoes! Didn’t have a penny…but we were happy. Makes you appreciate today…doesn’t it! 🙂
Thanks,
Nancy
Love this, Karla. ONLY YOU would even THINK about the crystal bowl v. salad spinner for the gnat attack! I’m getting those too and have no idea why — I may try the fly strip — thanks for the vinegar tip!
I love your craft day and how everyone was doing their own thing — Beth stitching, some with paper… the best kind. And I’m so glad you had such a wonderful time. You are right about friends and family — there is nothing like them.
Usually the vinegar trap is enough, but we had a deluge of them! I never know why. Good luck with yours, Jeannie
It sure does, Nancy!
Sounds like fun! And what is with these Gnats? I have had them like crazy, even found them in the reservoir to my coffee pot… YUCK!!
Oh, I hope my gnats dont discover that is a fun place to hang out, Gail!
Karla Nathan
http://www.karlascottage.typepad.com
http://www.karlascottage.com
You’re so lucky to have your sissies, and they you! Funny you would mention gnats — we had them near my work a few days ago and the place was INFESTED! I’d never seen anything like that before! Miller moths, yes; gnats, no! Crazy! ‘Love all your soft light photos of all the girls. I hope you’re feeling much better!
Karla, you are a hoot…and God bless you for being so sweetly humble in your descriptions of different situations in your life. Your home now is so beautiful! When my husband and I were first married and stationed in Georgia, I had to live in a trailer, as well, while he was away on training for many long weeks…so you are in good company with many, many others!
Looks like you had a wonderful weekend. Mine was magical as well. Had my sweet mom and 3 great friends to our lake house for a crafty weekend. It was the best! I am amazed at where I found glitter while cleaning up. Lots of fun projects, lots of laughing and a few adult beverages as well.
By the way I am a trailer girl as well. Lived in 2 different ones while growing up. I think we all turn out just fine!
Loved your post .
wonderful weekend!!
Jor
Hi Karla what a fun week with the girls..all of them. Thank you for being so real. Our past certainly makes us who we are today and no matter what it is, it can’t be changed. I love your make do fly trap/gnat trap on a chair.
Made me laugh.