A Memorial to Zach's Funny-Craaaaazy Fish Named Scales

Zach named him Scales. His companion was Fins. He was a beautiful red-capped goldfish. He was also the craziest trickster fish we've ever had.  We did not have the heart to leave him at home while we went on road trips last summer, neither did we have the heart to bother our neighbor to take care of him, so we brought him with us. Then he passed away. He probably could not take the sloshing water when we encountered road bumps, anymore. Poor little Scales, we traveled  long ways, it was too much  for him. It was a sad day to find him  one morning floating sideways, all pale. And so we said our goodbyes and gave him the Royal Flush in the toilet at the dainty shabby chic hotel  where we stayed in  in Lake George.

Why crazy, you ask? Well, Scales liked to show off a trick he learned  not long after we got him. He actually liked to swim on his back, for long periods of time as though he was relaxing. He even played with Fins in the same swimming position. And when he realized I have my camera targeted at him, he would swim towards me and looked at the lens in the eye and  would strike a pose. He was adorable little fish and we miss him.
Scroll down and see for yourself.

He was such a laid-back fish literally and figuratively. He loved to swim on his back

around and around  the fishbowl.

He even liked to be watched swimming on his back.  I think he believed, he was not demonstrating a trick. He simply loved to swim on his back, period.

And so this fish always looked at the world upside-down. The day I brought home my flea market find which was the  dinner set of vintage  rose, he spent the  night  and the morning looking at the  lovely rose print upside down.

And he also knew that we  watched him a lot swimming upside -down.

He even played with Finns upside down. What an adorable  craaaaaaazy fish Scales was.

Have you ever seen such a fish---who liked to swim round and round his fishbowl on his back?

And when he realized that I was taking pictures of him, he would swim towards me, still on his back and stare at me in that upside-down manner.

And I' d talk to him about how  beautiful the day is...and  I'd yap about my plans for the day...and ask him  questions about why he liked to swim on his back...upside down...he would just stare at me as if questioning me, "How about you, why do you talk to a fish and asking questions like you're gonna get an answer?"

Flea Market Finds

 For New Year's Eve, we actually decided to eat out  at Bear Creek Inn, and upon making the reservation, we were informed that the place will be so packed for that time ans so the lady on the line suggested the eve  of New Year's Eve will be a more  relaxing and peaceful dinner if we prefer that, and so we did.
But come New Year's Eve, without any more plans, I did not feel good letting the day pass without doing anything kind of special so I decided to put together, showcase and use some flea of my market finds.

Everything on this table (except the  silverware) including the  rosy  tablecloth came from the flea market. I love this  vintage rose  dinner set for 6 (all 36 items complete) which I got from a flea market for a measly $5.00.

The table looked quite busy with pink and red roses scattered all over the setting, but that's just how I wanted it....outside is white---blanketed with snow, but in our dining room is warm, and quite  springy...

 The  colored glasses  (a set of  six)  which I got for $3.00 look Morrocan. I could stare at them and feel transported to a memory in my childhood where I was also captivated by the same colors of glasses...somewhere...

The copper-bottom pan was $1.99 and stands to the oven well.

The milkglass bowl atop the stack of plates holding  French onion soup is a dollar too.

Look at the dainty  cups  and their sleek handles. It's fun to sip tea from them. Makes you thoughtful of what you're doing and enjoying.

Zachy passed up on the French Onion soup, so he had  buttered slices of the homemade baguette in its place.

The silver trays for a dollar or two each come in handy housing the  sauteed  veggies (bokchoi and tatsoi)    and deviled eggs.

Eggs, veggies, and  baby bellas stuffed with chopped sirloin.

The dainty milk glass bowl  holding  the one dessert (chocolate-coated honeycrisp apple slices).

This  other dessert, NO ONE will ever guess what are covered with the chocolate.
They are chocolate covered nata-de-coco. 

So there's our simple New year's Eve fare  for  three.