Sam is a man of many talents. Besides being a great lover and the HOH around this house, he enjoys working on vintage cars and can build beautiful furniture. He is an excellent grill master and very tech savvy. He restores rifles and is quite an accomplished marksman. Before the days of digital photography, he built his own darkroom. As his wife, I brag that he is very handy with repairs of any kind. When the boys were small, they believed there was nothing "Dad" could not fix.
So that is what Sam "is." What he is NOT is "tidy." The man never throws anything away, and his office at home becomes unmanageable after a while. So does his office at work, but I do not have to live with that. Papers and books piled everywhere and stuffed into every available nook and cranny. Asking him nicely to sort and discard just doesn't work. He will spend 5 minutes and tell me he is done. Of course, it doesn't look a bit different. So every few years we clean "together." This is one of those activities where we used to be ready to kill each other in a matter of an hour.
Post ttwd-adoption, I know I have to tread more lightly. No barking orders or hands on my hips. No raising my voice. Believe me, it takes much self-control to stay positive and patient.
We had made progress, and we were both pleased. Almost done, in fact. I was off work on a Friday, and gave Sam a hug and kiss as he got ready to leave for work. He patted my bottom as I headed to the bedroom to get in the shower. As soon as I had stripped down, I remembered that I had wanted to ask Sam if we could PLEASE finish cleaning the last section of his office on Saturday morning. It is better to plant the seed early.
I raced back to the front door before Sam could leave. His hand was on the door knob when I came around the corner into the entry. He turned and then just got the biggest grin on his face.
"Sorry to hold you up, Hon," I explained.
"No problem." he smiled and took a step toward me.
"Before you go, I just wanted to ask if we could finish in your study tomorrow."
"Well, we most certainly can, especially if you don't wear any clothes."
Now it was my turn to smile. "Maybe."
"Wouldn't mind a little French maid outfit either," Sam countered.
"That probably won't happen, mister," and now I was teasing, "but the naked might." I kissed him again and turned to head back to the shower.
There was a mighty smack on my bare ass, and I squeaked a little protest. After checking out my bottom in the mirror, I waited for the water to warm up.
"Hmmm," I thought. "Naked cleaning? There are probably pros AND cons to that idea," I pondered while rubbing my rear end. After all, the study has been a mess this long. Surely the cleaning will still be there the next day. And it was.
Chances are, if you attended high school here in the States, you read The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne. If it's been too long or if you are domiciled somewhere "Across One of the Ponds," I will explain. It is the allegorical story of Hester Prynne that deals with the themes of good and evil, the human condition, and society vs individualism. In Puritan Boston, Hester is forced to wear the scarlet letter "A" to brand her as an adulteress. Other than being a vehicle by which to introduce symbolism and theme to teenagers (who for the most part could care less), it is heavy and dull. However, it reinforces the belief that "scarlet" is somehow sinful.
Think of the phrases:
- the lady in red
- the red-light district
- red-hot mama
On our trip to the UK last year, dear Ami took me shopping one day. I wanted to buy honest to goodness English "knickers," and Ami said that Marks and Spencer was the place to go for pretty underthings without breaking the bank. And, boy howdy, was she right. We left our guys in a pub and off we went knicker shopping. I was also ecstatic to find so many gorgeous unlined lace bras and in my size! I despise foam cups on bras. Once I checked the sizing on one set of knickers and matching bra, I scooped up one more set in another color. The lace on the knickers was just lovely, and I must say, the bras made the girls just sit right up where they used to be. There was a dreamy pale taupe and my favorite - a true scarlet.
Later, when we were alone, Sam asked me what was in all the bags. I held up the scarlet ones. There were several good reasons that I did not wear them for him right then and there. Foremost was my being quite ill and next because I make too much noise with an orgasm. Not something I feel comfortable doing as someone's house guest!
Weeks after returning home, the scarlet knickers finally made their debut. Sam's eyes lit up like it was Christmas. Of course, in the wise words of Meredith, they did end up on the floor. But in Sam's mind, they had handily won the top spot on the lingerie hit parade.
One day recently, Sam mentioned that the scarlet knickers had not made an appearance in a while, and he was right. Very soon, I remedied this lapse, and my husband was appreciative. He did not take them off and told me he wanted to enjoy the view for a bit. The knickers really didn't cover much of my bottom, and as Sam pulled me over his knee, I was fairly certain that they would not offer much protection either.
TIME OUT
"We are interrupting this post to bring you
this important message."
Am going to pause here to ask you if you think you can predict the outcome of this "Scarlet Story" before it ends. If this was Las Vegas, what sort of odds do you imagine the bookie would be willing to give?
Mmmm.....talk about a sure thing!
"We will now return to our regularly scheduled post."
Sam spanked me lovingly that morning. He likes to report the color stages happening on my ass. Some artists work in oils. Some in pastels. Sam works in hand prints on a lily-white background.
"Now we are starting to see some pink."
"I surely do love your pretty pink butt, Ella."
"No, be still, we are not nearly done. But the pink is deepening."
"Ahh... that's more like it, we are approaching the finish line."
"Today I want your ass to match your knickers!"
A lovely time was had by all.
And I would like to thank Mr. Michael Marks
and Mr Thomas Spencer for having
one of the nicest lingerie departments ever.
We will be heading back to the UK very soon,
and you can bet M&S is on Ella's list of things to do.
1. Name a tender song that can almost make you cry.
"Remember When" by Alan Jackson. I know every word and every note. I had tickets to see him last September, but it was just one more thing I missed that month because I was so sick. There were lots of tears.
2. What is
your favorite shade of lipstick? What about nail polish? If you do
not wear lipstick or polish, what do you like or dislike about the
shades you see others wear?
My
favorite lipstick is called "Canela Necar" and is a shimmery pinkish
tan. As far as polish is concerned, if I do wear one, it is usually a
soft champagne color. However, I have to be pretty consistent using a nail hardener or they split.
3. Name a children's nursery rhyme or song that you loved and to which you remember all the words.
There was a ragtime song called "The Washington Waddle" that we used to sing at girls' camp. There was a prelude to it, though, that was a variation of a very old song titled, "Desert Blues." We sang it in the dining room after meals and also around the campfire. I always taught it to my school kids every year, and they loved it.
"Let's all go down to Washington DC,
ba-dum-ba-dum,
That's where they play that ragtime melody,
ba-dum-ba-dum."
4. What outfit would you put on in the morning if you wanted to feel happy and well dressed? Something in which you think you look pretty damn good!
Cream sleeveless tank under an olive green jacket. Favorite jeans on the bottom. Little metallic ballet flats. Brass earrings and a big pile of stretch bracelets. Practically a uniform for Ella.
5. If you had enough money to buy just one, would it be a cottage by the ocean or a cabin in the mountains?
Hard to decide that one. I think I would buy the cabin in the mountains. That is where I think the sunrises are the most beautiful. Then I might just rent a cottage on the beach for a week. Best of both worlds, especially since this dream is being funded by Monopoly money.
6. If
you are old enough, which one of the Beatles did you have a "thing"
for? If you are not that old, tell us a musician that really did it for
you.
Has to be Paul McCartney. OMG, I thought he was sooo pretty. I hardly gave the others a glance. This infatuation eventually wore off. "I Want to Hold Your Hand......"
7. Name a smell that you love - could be kitchen, outdoors, person, your choice.
Oh, what I would give if we could still burn leaves in the fall. I loved that smell. We would rake and rake until we had a huge pile and then jump in them and laugh our little asses off. Then Dad would start them up with a lighter. My little green corduroy jacket would smell so wonderful for a whole week.
8. How often do you defuzz your legs. Wax, razor, or electric?
I am pretty consistent with three times a week. I do not have pretty legs, and my feeling is that at least they should be smooth.
9. How/why did you choose your blog name?
Ella was my grandmother's name. She was a very straight-laced lady who never missed church. Boy, could she cook and bake. She shopped for fresh food every day. She used to buy me paper dolls at Ben Franklin whenever I came to visit. We would cut them out together and watch Lawrence Welk.
10. What do you like to eat for breakfast? To drink? Coffee or tea?
Fruit, especially grapefruit, is a must. Then it could be a whole wheat English muffin or bagel. Decaf coffee is an all day thing for me in the winter months. Several times a week, I will have scrambled egg whites instead.
11. How many siblings do you have? Or are you an only child? Are you the oldest, a middle, or the youngest child?
I have 3 siblings - one brother and two sisters. I am the oldest and certainly the bossiest of the four of us. Sam will attest to the truth of this answer.
12. What is your favorite salad dressing?
Has to be Caesar dressing. Adore a chicken Caesar salad. If there is fresh Parmesan and garlic croutons, it is a bit of heaven.
13. If you could sit next to anyone (alive) on a long plane trip, who would you pick?
Well, I always have a good time with Sam, but if this was a once in a lifetime wish from the Travel Fairy, I think I would choose Benedict Cumberbatch. He is a fascinating actor. His portrayal of Hamlet was simply amazing. And I am a huge fan of Sherlock.
14. Have you ever gone shopping just to cheer yourself up?
Sam would probably answer this question with another question. "Ella, have you ever not gone shopping to cheer yourself up?"
15. If there is one thing that can make you lose your temper, what would it be?
Oh, my friends, the list here could rival the length of War and Peace. My temper is infamous. Most consistently it is other drivers or stupid people that waste my time. I am really working on this fault. Seriously.
16. Tell us about the best photograph you have ever had taken.
I usually take an awful picture, so there are not that many photos vying for the coveted first place position. There is an informal one of Sam and I just as we turned around as man and wife to all the family and friends in the little chapel. I have a very self-satisfied grin on my face.
17. Have you ever gone skinny-dipping and where?
Damn, this is one of the great disappointments of my life! I have never been and have always wanted to very much. As I face retirement, I have started a formal bucket list, and this activity is definitely on it. For sure!
18. What do you like on your pizza? What don't you like on your pizza?
Sorry to be so boring, but I most like Italian sausage and extra mozzarella cheese. I love a deep dish true-blue Chicago pizza. Home Run Inn is a favorite "pie." I abhor Canadian bacon and pineapple.
Can't wait to hear from you. :)
The last time I did a meme, I left out 2 items.
Just didn't want to share that information.
Please feel free to skip a few questions if you choose.
