Two Weeks Gone By

Home from Ann Arbor. Three daughters (plus two granddaughters and a great grandson) visited me for the purpose of helping me downsize: choosing things they wanted now or later. They made a big dent in stuff, but not as much as I had hoped. It leaves me free to get rid of the rest.

The Tea Leaf is marked and ready to pack for the auction of the Tea Leaf Club International in Kalamazoo, MI, on September, 29th. My girl friend is helping me and after the meeting we will continue to Niagra Falls (throuch Canada) and back through Ohio.

In early October I will join two nephews and their wives at a bed and breakfast (The Rise and Shine) in Maine. Friends of mine are the Innkeepers.

I hope to return to four colors soon.

Digging into My Past

My latest downsizing project is attacking the boxes of paper in my basement. Ninety-five per-cent is pitched. The rest is filed by year. The process reminds me of parts of my life that I had almost forgotten (the reason for the 5 per-cent). I ran across folders about my early attempts at the four-color problem, programs in basic written for early micro-computers, flow charts for a billing process (I was a consultant), 8086 and 8087 manuals, and client notes from actuarial consulting. And I am just getting started.

Tealeaf

Tealeaf is a design of Royal Ironstone China made by several manufacturers, especially Alfred Meakin but also Wedgewood among others. My wife's mother and later my wife conspired to corner the market. It is something I see in historical houses such as Lincoln's home in Springfield, IL. I've been sorting what must be 150 pieces. The major exception to Meakin is the cups and saucers which are Adams plus a few unmarked. Now my problem is, What on earth do I do with them?