obsessing over packing and other distractions

My medium sized suitcase is bigger than I need and my small, carry-on size is too small. Small suitcase and backpack would be enough but no extra space if I buy stuff and want to bring it back. Small suitcase plus backpack plus shoulder/carry bag would give me more room...check small bag, carry on backpack and shoulder bag. My sister has a medium sized bag that is a bit smaller than my medium so I'm going to add it into the mix. What I want is the smallest checked bag I can get away with and carry-on backpack giving me enough room for items I may want to bring back. Volume of space is a major consideration since five of us will share the car for the first two weeks. And apparently they don't have big cars in Portugal, or even Europe. The whole world is not like Texas where the road is open and vast and things are big, even now.

And so, because we are bleeding money over this remodel/recovery and somehow that has made us think that well, hell, as long as the spending is out of control, why the fuck not, I bought two new lightweight long sleeve shirts today that aren't basic or 20 fucking years old (that's how often I wear 'nice' clothing it lasts that long) or torn or missing a button. They are still V-neck pullovers with regular sleeves which is a thing since apparently belled sleeves are now back in fashion and I didn't like them then to begin with, but they both have lace! And one of them is a light sort of mint green. The other is my comfortable gray.

Gray is not a color, my daughter tells me, when I say it's my favorite. I wear gray a lot. I don't wear white (well, yes I do have one white blouse) because I'm up front and personal with life. I wipe my hands on my pants. I get around messy stuff. I don't have the interest needed for keeping white white. I don't wear black because it was ingrained in me early, black in clothing was not allowed by my father who associated it with death, but even though I long ago outgrew that restriction, it has still been a rare choice for me. Besides, gray reflects my belief that there are no absolutes, it's all shades of gray.

So two new shirts replace two old shirts. And I got notification that the last of my ordered items, in this case the jeans, did indeed arrive in time but I must go pick them up at the store and then wash all the sizing out of all the new items.

In the not packing news department, the garden has just exploded in the last week or so, easily more than twice as big as two weeks ago, just in time for me to leave.

And I went and picked up my lamp and the two bedside tables from the antique store yesterday since she has decided to close it again because no customers and she has better things to do with her time than sit in the store two days every week.

I love this lamp with it's main bulb and three candle lights and the blue glass ornament on the pole and I'm pretty sure the onyx base lights up too because there are three switches though I haven't figured out how to open it up to change the bulb. Surely it opens so the bulb can be replaced.

And the bedside tables are so cool even though someone did paint them black. The bottom section pulls out, to provide a step up to the bed?

Now all I need is a bed to go with them.