Tray and Tokens (311/366)

TIME: 8:35 pm
PLACE: Kitchen
SUBJECT: Ashtray & Tax Tokens

*~*~*

We are in the process of trying to make our way through the gigantic amount of items we have in the house.  I just cannot handle managing all this inventory anymore.  It's got to go!

We sold 2-dog kennels, a vintage school desk, a wooden desk and a microwave on Facebook Markeplace.  Now we only need to sell about 999,999,999,999 more items to be considered minimalists.

I was going through a basket of items from my Aunt's house - which was also my mom's home growing up, their grandparents built it and it was filled with stuff. 

Hmmm, that may be where I get my pack rat tendencies from.

Anyway, I found these things - a Bohemian Savings and Loan Association aluminum ash tray and 2-State of Illinois Retailer Occupation Tokens.  

The Bohemian Savings and Loan Association was established in 1884.  It failed in May of 1985 and was acquired with government assistance.  Then in December of 1987 it failed again and no active institution received its deposits and assets. That was during the S&L crisis, correct?  I did find a Supreme Court case for this institution:  FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN INSURANCE CORPORATION, AS RECEIVER FOR BOHEMIAN SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION, PETITIONER V. JOHN V. CAPOZZI, ET AL. No. 88-1300. It's an exciting read.

They gave out a cool ashtray though.

The tokens are interesting as well, I shall direct you here: The Sales Tax Token Collector's Home Page for more information. It explains the "hows and whys" very well. It seems the Illinois tokens I have ceased being distributed only 8 days after being issued because they were too similar to a dime.

Yep - pretty close. This is why it is taking me so long to go through things - I find interesting items and get lost in the rabbit hole of the dang internet! 

Typewriter Ribbon (051/365)

“The biggest obstacle to professional writing is the necessity for changing a typewriter ribbon.”
Robert Benchley (American, Writer, critic, film actor, 1889-1945)

TIME:  10:28 PM
PLACE: Living Room
SUBJECT:  Miller Line M.B.P. Typewriter Ribbon

This is how I decorate for St. Patrick’s Day.
It’s green.
And gold.
Perfect.

“World’s Best Mom” (362/366)

TIME:  3:50 PM
PLACE:  Work
SUBJECT:  My Christmas present from StellaDella

OK, you all can just go ahead and admit defeat right now.  It’s official…I’m the World’s Best Mom.  I even have the trophy to prove it.

Schwinn (194/366)

“When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized that the Lord doesn't work that way so I stole one and asked Him to forgive me.”

Emo Philips (American comedian, b. 1956)

TIME:  9:26 PM
PLACE:  Dining room
SUBJECT:  Schwinn Plaque

Tomorrow evening is our town’s annual community bicycling event.  A 15 (or 6) mile ride through the city begins 9pm.  MB had outgrown his current bike, so we bought a “new to him” older Schwinn model.  According to it’s serial number, it was built in February of 1980 – that’s 32 years ago.  He says it’s retro.  What? 1980 is considered retro?  Now I feel old.

Brownie Pin (042/365)

Twist me and turn me and show me the elf;
I looked in the water and there saw – Myself!

The Brownie Story, Girl Scouts

TIME:  10:45 PM
PLACE:  StellaDella’s brownie vest
SUBJECT:  Brownie Girl Scout Membership Pin

StellaDella participated in a “World Thinking Day” (a special day set aside for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts to think about their sisters around the world) activity today with her Brownie and Girl Scout troop.  That meant I had to finally get around to attaching her pins, badges and patches to her Brownie vest so she could be “official”.  In fact, I had to make a trip to the Council shop earlier in the week to replace the pins that were given to her by the troop because I had no idea where they were in the house.  Miss Organized, that’s me!

St. Nicholas Coins (339/365)

“Golden coins, I’ll place at your feet
Precious jewels to make life complete
All my treasures are yours my sweet”

Golden Coins, words & music by Giant, Baum and Kaye. Performed by Elvis Presley.

TIME:  11:31 PM
PLACE:  Kitchen
SUBJECT:  Gold chocolate coins

Tonight is St. Nicholas eve, and the stockings have been hung on the door handles of the children’s bedrooms.  I had planned to get the stocking stuffers at lunch today, but didn’t make it.  I had a Brownie meeting tonight, then had to pick up MB from Boy Scouts at 8:30 – so I didn’t get to leave for the dreaded Wal-Mart until then.  It took me longer than expected.  Can you believe the Mart did not have the chocolate gold coins that St. Nick *always* brings.  So I had to make a trip to Walgreens as well.  Luckily, they were with the program and the tradition has been saved.  ‘Cause if the kids didn’t find gold chocolate coins their stockings, it would have been a tragedy of epic proportions.  At least, that’s what DQ was hinting before I left the house.

Leprechaun Trap (073/365)

“If you're frightened of leprechauns, the best thing to do is to get yourself a little leprechaun outfit and see how big they are. And then you'll go, 'Well I see. That's like bein' frightened of a hamster.'”

Craig Ferguson (Scottish-born, naturalized American television host, stand-up comedian, writer, actor, director, and producer, b1962)

TIME:  7:04 AM
PLACE:  Kitchen
SUBJECT:  School project

StellaDella brought home a school assignment on Friday to make a trap to catch Libby the Leprechaun who has been playing sneaky tricks in the 1st grade classroom.  SD told me that leprechauns like things that are shiny and are tricky and often disobey.  For example, did you know that a curious leprechaun cannot resist climbing a ladder that expressly states “DO NOT CLIMB LADDER!”?  I didn’t…I’m learning something new all the time.  Thus we spent part of the day on Sunday, painting a shoebox green and assembling the trap.  We have the aforementioned ladder with sign and a treasure box overflowing with shiny “free gold” (beads and coins from Saturday’s parade and some gold buttons from the craft stash) to lure the little sprite in its doom.  If it works, we get three wishes in exchange for its release.  Fingers crossed!

You Know You Want To (326/365)

“Nothing makes it easier to resist temptation than a proper bringing-up, a sound set of values - and witnesses.”

Franklin P. Jones (Philadelphia reporter, public relations executive and humorist. 1908 - 1980)

TIME:  5:59 PM
PLACE:  Grade school
SUBJECT:  Fire alarm

SD had a Daisy meeting from 5-6:15pm and I stayed and helped the troop leader wrangle the girls.  The fire alarm is right by the school office.  Whenever I walk by an old-school alarm like this, the devil on my shoulder always urges me to pull it, just once.  I know that it’s wrong to sound a false alarm, but It’s so red, shiny and tempting.  Must. Control. Urge. To. Commit. Misdemeanor.

Christmas Wrapping (357/365)

 
Bah, humbug!" No, that's too strong
'Cause it is my favorite holiday
But all this year's been a busy blur
Don't think I have the energy

To add to my already mad rush
Just 'cause it 'tis the season.
The perfect gift for me would be
Completions and connections left from

Last year, ski shop,
Encounter, most interesting.
Had his number but never the time
Most of '81 passed along those lines.

So deck those halls, trim those trees
Raise up cups of Christmas cheer,
I just need to catch my breath,
Christmas by myself this year.

Butler, Chris.  "Christmas Wrapping."  Lyrics. Perf. The Waitresses.  A Christmas Record.  ZE Records, 1981.

TIME:  9:42 PM
PLACE:  Bedroom
SUBJECT:  Present wrapping paraphernalia

I finally wrapped presents tonight.  It was a trick keeping StellaDella out of the bedroom.  But I told her I was wrapping presents from Grandpa (which I was) and she kinda sorta accepted why she couldn’t come in.  I was able to wrap the Santa presents too and hid them in plain sight under a sheet by the basket of dirty clothes.  Looks like a big old pile of laundry – she won’t suspect a thing.

Fleur De Lis (352/365)

 
The treasured fleur-de-luce he claims
To wreathe his shield, since royal James

Sir Walter Scott, The Lay of the Last Minstrel 

(1833) The Complete Works of Sir Walter Scott, Volume 1 0f 7, Canto Fourth, VIII, NY:  Conner and Cooke

TIME:  9:32 PM
PLACE:  Powell Symphony Hall Lobby
SUBJECT:  Grate

Tonight my Dad had tickets for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday Celebration concert at Powell Symphony Hall.  We all got gussied up in and when we left the house it was even starting to snow-very festive!  We were not permitted to take pictures inside the orchestra area, but could take all we wanted in the lobby.  I snapped a couple while taking StellaDella to the restroom during the event and took this one quickly while we were leaving.  MonkeyBoy actually curled up in his seat and slept during the second portion of the concert.  *shakes head*  

Rubbing Buddha’s Belly (318/365)

 
Depend on the rabbit's foot if you will, but remember it didn't work for the rabbit.

R. E. Shay (Humorist)

TIME:  7:06 PM
PLACE:  Bamboo Valley Buffet
SUBJECT:  Happy Lucky Buddha

HH did some plumbing today.  Our commode wasn’t flushing properly.  HH surmised that something had fallen in and that was what was stopping it up.  Of course, fixing it wasn’t a simple process.  HH had to run to the hardware store twice an ended up having to bust the porcelain to remove the toilet.  The good thing was, we had a spare unit from the other bathroom we’re remodeling to put in its place.  We were placing bets on which kid we could blame.  The odds were on MB, but we would have lost that bet.  The culprit?  DQ’s toothbrush.  At least the toilet works now.  *sigh*

Tonight, DQ is spending the night at a friends house and HH is attending 2 different functions.  So MB, SD and I went to the Bamboo Valley Buffet for dinner.  They have this Happy Lucky Buddha in the foyer and the kids always rub his belly when we enter and leave the restaurant.  If you look under their hands, you can see where the gold is completely rubbed off his belly.

All That Glitters (284/365)

 
"There is a natural hootchy-kootchy motion to a goldfish." 

Walt Disney (American motion-picture Producer, pioneer of animated cartoon films. 1901-1966)

TIME:  8:15 PM
PLACE:  The fish tank
SUBJECT:  Dorothy the goldfish

Dorothy is StellaDella’s goldfish.  She originally cost a whopping 12 cents and was about an inch in length when we got her.  She enjoys her goldfish flakes and now is about 4 inches long.  We cleaned the fish tank today – we were a little behind schedule and it was getting kind of icky.  We use an instant treatment to make the tap water safe for the fish and I never trust it.  I always cross my fingers and say a prayer that it works.  I really don’t need to discover a “floater” the next morning.