French Provincial nightstand, 1972/ French Country nightstand 2011

French Provincial nightstand, 1972:

Jergens lotion

Sun-In Hair Lightener (turned your hair a brassy orange, but your boyfriend, Vernon, didn’t seem to mind)

Esso gas credit card

Sundry stapled syllabi

Curled Siddhartha paperback

Photos of friends in plastic frames (with one huge VW-type daisy sticker) giving the peace sign, still wearing braces (the sixties hit the south a little late…as in–the seventies)

Disastrous halter in a madras print that you are trying to finish for Home Ec

Warm Sprite in ribbed plastic tumbler

Tortoise-shell glasses, with dangling arms

One huge gold hoop earring

Princess phone with curly cord  (receiver tucked under your pillow so you could stay on the phone all night with Vernon)

French Country Nightstand, 2011:

Foot gel (mint)

Teeth bleach tube (can’t find tray)

Bleach for age-spots (tiny tube from dermatologist)  Not just ‘Marcia,’ but bleach, bleach, bleach…

Various jars and tubes of anti-aging miracle serums and gels, labels turned towards wall so you aren’t constantly reminded of the whole aging process thingy

Sundry medicine and vitamin bottles (note to self: you are slowly turning into one of those commercials that they show during the nightly news–see blog)

Old bottle of water

Stacks of paperbacks including:  Eat, Pray, Love; Olive Kitteridge; Writing Down the Bones;  Blink and Love the One You’re With (loved the seventies song) on top of self-help book about menopause with cover turned down so as not to be a constant reminder

Silver-framed photos of children when they were still in braces

Tortoise-shell reading glasses from CVS, with dangling arms

One large gold hoop earring

Rubber ear plugs

Half-dead cellphone left on, in case children call from car, college, bar, hospital, etc.

You are still Sullivan Wells– just an older version of the same song.