Thursday, April 30, 2020

ARMCHAIR TRAVELER?


Duty Free
Post weeks of limited exposure
who isn't home sick? Thus even
in viral exile we're redecorating.
C+V HOME brings the world to
Lewistown, MT. Or to anywhere
that FedEx, UPS, the post office,
or our freight carriers deliver.
No masks. No temperature taken.
No quarantine. No worries. And
most important, NO WAIT.

Click here for the latest
C+V HOME BLOG

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY


Search button
Last night temporarily ended to my addiction.
Well at least until the fall. That's when season
eight of "The Curse of Oak Island" will start
anew. As usual my favorite treasure hunters
made several tantalizing discoveries. Only to
come up empty handed. Yet I'm still optimistic.
Who knows if they will ever find gold?. Yet in
a way that doesn't matter. That's because the
hunt itself, the never ending journey is so much
fun. Making the anticipatory process of viewing
from afar entertaining enough. Hence at least in
this situation there is no need for a payoff on
what is one of cable TV's top rated shows.
Faux real
I'm not a gambler. In part because the odds are
inevitably against me. However as with many
dreamers I love being lucky enough to have
even a chance to win big. Another of my most
favorite youtube finds is the BBC series "Fake
or Fortune." Each episode of which follows a
team of art experts as they attempt to discover
whether a "masterpiece" is true or false. Post
an often rather convoluted game of connect the
dots an august panel of true authorities decide
what is what. Or not. Meaning that either the
owner goes home empty handed sans a forgery.
Or having proved they knew right from wrong.
Chinese puzzle
Two weeks ago I purchased a fetching pair
of blue and white Chinese porcelain vases.
All because I got them for a price I wanted.
As with any purchase I did a lot of research
before and after winning them at auction.
Yet for some reason I couldn't identify who,
what, why or when. Then suddenly I came
across the word "Chongzhen" which led me
to an almost exact match. A highly valuable
Chinese porcelain that was created for the
Dutch market in the seventeen century. So
now I'm in a state of suspense as Sotheby's
and Christies take a look at my "treasure".
Gold rush
By the time you read this I may have already
found out that my finds are worth little more
then what I paid for them. Or can get another
buyer to shell out in return. However there is
a chance that I actually discovered something
special. Hence what keeps me going is that
more than addictive process of identification.
Which insures that whatever the outcome one
always gains a bit more than they forfeit. And
isn't that what life is all about? Finding gold
in whatever happens our way. All of which
teaches us that anybody willing to dig deep
can find buried treasure. Even.. you...

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

WHO KNEW?



Word of mouth
In this age of "reality," it seems
that few secrets are left unshared.
Prior generations held it inside.
Rarely revealing next to nada.
Call it decorum, restraint, or
propriety, secrets were best left
unsaid. As we boomers boomed,
our culture has shifted to candid
confession. Most of us have sat
at the shrink sifting through our
lives trying to make sense of it
all. Few have found answers.
No wonder we're still talking...
Spin doctor
I'm not sure that dwelling on the
past with a paid stranger gets us
anywhere. Putting together the
pieces is a natural process often
best accomplished with a close
friend and a bottle of Cabernet.
For me writing this blog helps
me travel life's journey. Some
of you have cautioned me about
my true confessions. While it is
highly personal, it seems to help
many of you. Right or wrong, it
feels right. No wonder I write.
Path not taken
How did our parents navigate life
without spilling their guts? They
opted to keep their secrets hidden
rather than bare them to the world.
I'll never know why because we
never talked about them. It was
only after both were dead that I
slowly put together the pieces. As
a child all of the action happened
behind closed doors. Rather than
air their dirty laundry, they kept to
themselves. It was their business.
No wonder I knew nothing.
Another round
While blabbing on about personal
things is a bit personal, most of the
time it's helpful. When somebody
hurts, sharing a secret can often heal.
I'm glad to share most of the lessons
I've learned. If for no other reason
than that sharing them seems to give
the pain of my education some sort
of noble purpose. You see, there's a
reason for everything so rather than
keeping it a quiet, I prefer to speak
up and make things just a little bit
better. No wonder I spill my guts!

Monday, April 27, 2020

SO WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO?


Yes and no
Who knew that we would all be literally living
that old Ella Fitzgerald hit? "First you say you
do, and then you don't. Then you say you will,
and then you won't. You're undecided now so
what are you gonna do?" Nowadays everything
is a bit confusing. And depending on what one
opts to believe, there are lots of exceptions to
every rule. Or as my Mother used to consider
my pleas to the contrary - weak "excuses" at
best. Hence some of us sit and stew while others
hit the beach. Many wear masks while a few try
to mask the facts. No wonder nobody seems to
know what they're doing. Exactly what is what?
Neither here nor there
All of the above would be funny if it was not
true. Especially not when health is involved.
The only thing we seem to able to agree on
is that we're all sick and tired of being home.
Causing some to rebel in the oddest of ways.
Or decide that gambling with their lives and
ours is worth the risk. Our problem is that few
if any of us know exactly what that means. In
that no one has clearly articulated the risks
involved. So like lambs being led to slaughter
we return to a semblance of "normal." While
ignoring the Covid crisis in a rush to regain
any momentum lost during our forced hiatus.
Sooner or later?
So who is right? Has this all been a "hoax"?
Would the fifty thousand plus family, friends,
and neighbors who have died of something
exited anyway? In what other crisis would
we ignore the expert advice? Is that brilliant
or idiotic? Sadly, we may have an answer to
those questions in a few days or weeks. Just
maybe, nothing will happen and we'll be fine.
Or... thousands more will die because some
of us needed a haircut or manicure. The only
thing that's certain is that we are "undecided
now." Hence life goes on. Or at least we hope
it does. SO WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO?

 

Sunday, April 26, 2020

7th Day Surprise: HAIR TODAY...



HAIRY SITUATION
Cutting straight to the chase -
nothing makes you feel better than a new doo.
However many of us are in a hair raising situation.
In that the Covid 19 crisis
prohibits us from getting cut up.
Following is a remind that it could be worse.
Hair today... gone tomorrow...