Less Stuff, More Food?

Somehow I keep reading these murder mystery novels where the protagonists are living these incredibly epicurean lifestyles. Even if their homes are not quite Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous (or MTV Cribs) caliber, these people eat, drink, and usually dress exceedingly well. Pages upon pages are dedicated to describing wine, brandy, and gourmet meals.

One of the characters in the last book I read lived in a shack out in the boondocks with a tent behind functioning as her art studio/aromatherapy lab. She worked as a waitress at a very posh restaurant/wine bar and got to eat and mingle with the clientele (in fact she dated the owner and inherited his house when he died).

This leads me to believe that perhaps I should be less interested in acquiring worldly goods such as pantry organizers, filing cabinets, children's toys and the like, and instead should dedicate myself to living a simple uncluttered life dedicated to the pursuit of fine dining. And as everyone knows, 5 star restaurants require 5 star wardrobes. Of course, this will never happen, but it's nice to dream. If anyone is looking for a good book, Death by the Glass is a light and entertaining read that I recommend, with one caveat - it will make you very hungry.

And back in the real world...Justin got his stitches, sutures, and surgical tape removed and is feeling much better. He's even been helping me refinish a dining room table. When I lived with Ann, I bought a decent dining room set. The only problem is that it's laminate, and when I lent it to my sister's family when I moved back home, her children ruined it in a matter of weeks. So they bought it from me, and moved it out of our dining room last week when they finally got their own place. Then my dad bought us a used table that is real wood and in pretty decent shape but had some water damage and needed to be refinished. I'm actually pretty excited about this project, as it means I get to put my brand new electric sander (a Christmas present that WAS on my list) to use. I've never refinished anything before, but we're almost done with it, and it seems to be looking pretty good. I can't wait to get it moved into the dining room. Then, of course, I've got to refinish all the chairs, but I think I can handle that.