Junk Drawer

This is the second postcard to arrive to our home today from the postcard swap. It is a dear postcard. When I pulled it out of the mail box I was reminded of my Grandmother B. There is something in the colors of the flowers and the textured feel of the vintage-ness of the card that pulled my memory back to the house and the woman I visited so much in my youth. Grandma B had a special junk drawer located in the buffet in her dining room. The humidity of the house often caused the wood to swell and you sometimes had to really tug to get it open to reveal its treasures inside---beautiful odds and ends gathered over a long life. I would take things out---like old holiday cards, ink pens with the logo from the gas station they owned decades before my birth, numerous colorful rubber bands, three-way folding fans from church, old enveloped with lists and once important information scratched all over, and post cards from here and there. I always put everything back in its place. I feel as if this postcard would have been at home in that special junk drawer that occupied my young hours and imagination. Note: I do believe my siblings and I have all inherited our own version of such junk drawers. I look forward to the day of having another generation sift through the ephemera of my life located in my junk drawer...

Please and Thank You

Hello. Greetings. Salutations. To all whom commented this week I would love to send you a sample of my little post cards. Under my blog profile is a new exclusive email for the corporate cog. And those of you that are local dear hearts...please send your addresses too ('cause I am terrible with keeping track of such things)! I am filled with snap pink joy to have the opportunity to give "thank you"s to those whom cheer my creative heart.

Love & Marriage

I made it. The vacation time has arrived. Now, a new job...getting ready for that Chicago trip. I have postponed....or more accurately...procrastinated with the final details (um, like travel size shampoo, finding the suitcases, making itineraries for the group...). Perhaps after a day of slumber I will wake up with a cornacopia of holiday energy and get things in gear. Confession...I am a list-o-holic. Making a list, checking it twice, and crossing missions and project of the things to do makes me dizzy with glee. My Lil sis could tell you stories of the huge lists on 18 x 24 sheet of bristol board that covered the walls of our mini-kitchen apartment during my college-get-a-teaching-degree-days. When I am feeling down about my life being in the pits or get overwhelmed by some task she encourages me to get in ye-old college list making mode. It jazzes me every time. If only the husband loved doing the list I make for him as much as I enjoy making them.

Upgrade

When I met my husband many many moons ago he was wearing a grey t-shirt. That was great. I too had a love affair with grey Fruit of the Loom t-shirts. He is a grey/white Fruit of the Loom Man---head to toe. Since I became the official wife I have tried to get him to spice up his wardrobe---with say a green t-shirt or plaid boxers. This year with the impending trip (and the follow through with the triple dog dare haircut) I asked him for an upgrade....to please find something different than a t-shirt to wear on our vacation. It felt very much like back to school shopping...for a 6'7" man with facial hair. "We" decided on giving the polo shirt a whirl. They are cozy and come in a variety of colors and stripes. As you can probably see in the picture there is a grey one at the top---of course. One step at a time...next upgrade...something other than white tube socks...(a woman can dream)...

So Vain

It may have been a triple dog dare from the husband....but I did it today. Fourteen inches of my hair was clipped and prepared to send to Wigs for Kids. Yes, fourteen inches. Back in December my hair was below the backs of my knees and I had close to a yard cut off in order to style my hair for my brother's wedding. So today I do feel a bit vain...as every time I see my reflection I am still a bit shocked at the change. The decade old librarian school marm bun may be gone but I am forever a librarian at heart.

Eight is Enough

Last night I went into work on my night off (silly me). Before I left my car NPR was giving me speech updates from the Democratic Convention. I hung on as long as I could waiting for Obama's speech. Alas it would have to wait until three in the morning when I came home and watched history on the Internet. It was worth the wait. A fellow co-worker is very anti-Obama and often questions why I believe this man is qualified to be our President. This is an odd line of questioning for me to understand....for a position a hand full of people have ever had the privilege of attaining via the American voter. For me it is most important that he is intelligent, compassionate, confident, analytical, and personable. With these elements a person can lead---can initiate change. All these things are missing in our current administration. When I hear Obama speak I hear a bit of my self. Win or loose, my husband and I plan on being at the swearing in of our next President---to cheer for the first African-American President or to witness America's refusal for change with the addition of McCain to the White House. I want to be there when it happens---instead of watching it hours later as it unfolds on the home computer. And for those that adore McCain---that is great for you. Vote McCain. Vote Obama. Just be heard and VOTE.

New York, New York

The first post card has arrived from the post card SWAP I am part of this month. It hails from New York City. It is great to receive a little bit of free art in the post. As for the post cards I made---they will find their merry way into the mail tomorrow. We are currently researching other methods for making my paint dabbles into post cards (and maybe baby sized prints) other than the local mass retail printer. For any one that leaves a comment over the next week before my vacation arrives I will send one of the post cards of the Hello Gnome, Salutations Bunnies, or the Greeting Bot---as a "thank you" for visiting and for your support into this art venture. The month of July was about getting online in to the craftster world...August was about getting some product made...and the September goal is to have something to offer the craftster world from my art heart.