Oh Miley, you poor thing!

Well well well.  Poor Miley.  The only statement she's making about herself is that she's cheap and trashy, not sexy and edgy. 

There's FAR more to being sexy than a stripper routine and molesting a foam finger.   Have some class, some elegance.  Some élan.  Some real pride and self respect.  

She should also have a sense of personal responsibility. Millions of young girls admire her.  Want to be like her.  Ask yourselves this: "Do I think that's what I want my 10-12 year old daughter copying?"  Because in reality, there are young girls who woke up this morning thinking of copying.  

I get individuality and personal freedom, really, I do.  I grew up in the era of increasing sexual freedom for women and the equal rights movement.  Bra burning and the March on Washington, and the Vietnam War.  Turbulent times for the entire country.  But not too far removed from the little woman being nothing but a home and babymaker and a "servant".  

Our Sisters have fought since 1848 for our rights to be more than just chattel to a man, to vote, to have a say, to be an individual.  The current women's rights movement has devolved into backbiting, callousness, and cheapness of character.  It pits us against one another.  Fake friends and fake lives.  

We're still fighting to be seen as something other than an object, a vessel, a commodity to be used and discarded.  Yet we let the media tell us what to do, think, eat, wear, what to look like, and how to be.  And if we don't fit "their" standards, (who is this mythical "their"?), then we are somehow "less", our value is lower.  I call BULLSHIT!!!!

Miley might think she's expressing herself as a woman, but that was downright nasty...  Stunts like that hold us back, not empower us. We want to be more than objects or possessions, yet we portray ourselves as objects and allow ourselves to become "owned" by abusive relationships.  

We are our own worst enemy.   

Life and Other Stuff...

Funny how life gets away from you, much like time. We spend our days wishing them away.."I wish it were Friday" or I wish it was Spring". We have trouble remembering that each day is a gift, precious and fragile. We neglect the simple things in pursuit of some seemingly unattainable goal, and if, by some chance, or miracle, or 'divine' intervention, we reach that goal, we find it to be hollow, and unsatisfying. It truly is the simple things in life.

Fall Daze

Today, the weather is rainy, chilly, overcast. I am tired, so tired, from rising early everyday, working overtime, and from staying up too late every night. Averaging 4-5 hours of sleep a night wears you out, especially as we age.
Being overly tired, besides being draining on a body, makes a soul, at least this one, more vulnerable to feeling down, blue, depressed. The rain is doing little more that contributing to that, as I would much prefer to be somewhere quiet, alone, where I can withdraw into myself, pull up the drawbridge and contemplate Life. However, the everyday world requires a paycheck, so, I am dutifully at work, building catheters, listening to an audiobook, and being a responsible adult and productive member of society.
When I was a child, living on a farm and growing up a wilder sort of tomboy, days like this would find me out in the woods and fields, rain/drenched and muddy, insanely happy, enacting out fantasies of being a wild indian, or a pioneer explorer. Of course, that was every day, not just rainy ones. As an only child, I learned early how to entertain myself. Wandering, either afoot or astride my horse, utterly content to be solitary, like some modern day Thoreau, I was in heaven. There were many places to explore, many cow paths to follow, small creeks to wade through and jump over, ponds to fish in, woods to walk, and cornfields to slip through.

Feeling kinda down today. The weather is crappy, (sleet and freezing rain), which flares up my upper back, shoulder and neck pain, and also causes headaches. I have a shit-ton of laundry to do and ZERO motivation. That is all.

New Year, New Goals, Toxic People Banned

Well, 2009 was a weird year. It was also a good year in many respects for me. I learned much about myself, and learned also to be more open and social. I have a tendency to isolate and be more like a satellite orbiting around people instead of engaging. I still have my days, but they are infrequent. I give credit to many things, among them, The Hell Hole, work, and certainly, determination to change. It's good to feel comfortable in one's own skin. It's good to have self-confidence and a more optimistic view and attitude. And that is what I have wanted for a long time, but lacked the courage to change. Yes, it's been hard, yes, I've been scared, but by all the stars in the sky, it has been worth every painful struggle, every bit of swallowing down the fear, to reach today. And I will continue to work every day, every single damn day at this.

For 2010, I've decided that it's time to weed out toxic people. I do not have time nor patience for the silliness and drama in my life. I have enough of my own shit to deal with; I certainly do not need anyone else's!
I've already weeded out one person who has been a thorn in my side for the last 5 years. I've known them for about 12 years or so, but over the last 5 years, they have become increasingly rude and insensitive. This week, it escalated to out and out intolerable. All I know is that I'm glad he lives almost 1000 miles away. I have no explanation for why he feels the need to insult and hurt me this way. But, that's over and done with and I'm not losing any sleep over it, for sure!


Another goal for this year is to continue the progress I've made over the last two years in overcoming insecurities, self-doubts and that negative voice in my head that tells me that I can't do this or that, why try, you're not good enough, blah, blah, blah. These days, I just tell that voice to shut up and mind it's own business.

And I'm writing again, and plan on keeping that going. I didn't write for a long time, not creatively. I felt shut down, uninspired. It's been a joy to have that gift back; I didn't know how much I missed it. It's been fun to dig out some of my old stuff from high school, seeing if any of it was worth salvaging and/or reworking.

So, 2010...I look forward to you.

Smiles...

Reconnections

There's a lot to be said for reconnections. Friends, lovers, family...self. And that, dear ones, is what happened to me, only recently.
I have struggled to write for the last 20+ years. I have made fits and starts, all winding down the same dead-end road more often sooner than later. There has been a definite lack of encouragement and positivity from others and a definite lack of focus from me. Like wandering lost in the dark. Waiting for the light, not knowing I was waiting nor what I was waiting for. Until recently.
A death in the family reconnected several members of our family that have been apart for a very long time. After funeral, several of us gathered in the departed's name to support one another, toast his memory, and to reconnect. There was much laughter, sharing of life stories, catching up, music and singing. At the end of the evening, those who remained were few, but they were the old souls, that being the very reason they were still there. From one old soul to another, sensing something in me, I was questioned and encouraged. He knew the questions to ask, the words to encourage, and conveyed them in a way beyond words with his eyes and his energy and his total sincerity. It was a fire lit inside me, one that had been but weakly glowing embers for years.
Over the past few weeks, my soul has spoken louder. Bit by bit, brick by brick, link by link, the dam is crumbling, the chains on my mind are breaking, and the waters of creation come rushing in to fill the void that I hadn't realized was there. My soul whispers a word, a phrase, a sentence--and the words pour forth onto the paper, and I feel light, complex, thoughtful, free.
I owe a great debt of gratitude to him. I didn't know how much I have missed nor needed my writing until it came back to me. It is an indescribable feeling, this reborn creativity, something akin to magic. Whenever I feel doubt, or falter, I think of the things he said to me, about my writing again, about myself, and I take heart, I take courage, I take focus and I take up my pen and write, and I walk with the confidence that he saw in me and that I now feel because a very valuable part of me, that was lost has come home to me on the wings of his words.
I hear him say "This, this, this" and I am inspired, because it is this, this, this...
Write on, Kindred Soul, write on...

A Glassware Addiction

You've all seen 'em...fantastical shaped, colored and patterned glassware at flea markets, yard sales, thrift shops and antique shows...fun to find, fun to collect, and a collectible that increases in value while being perfectly lovely and functional all at the same time. You might even have some pieces yourself, inherited from your mother or grandmother, pretty little bowls, plates, pitchers, vases... What is it? Depression Glass, as it is commonly called, is patterned and/or colored glassware sets that came about during the Great Depression...and trust me, collecting this stuff can easily become addicting!

I've been collecting it for a little over a year, and I've learned a lot about it in that time. There are so many different patterns, some still unidentified. The pieces below are from the 60's, for example, the pattern is Sonora, in avocado and harvest gold. The large salad bowl and smaller green serving bowls belonged to my mother, and they came to me when she passed away about a year ago. The piece at the top of this post is Twisted Optic, in green, a preserve jar, which, if I had the spoon that goes with it, is worth about $50.00. I paid $2.99 at a thrift store for it. It was made by Imperial Glass Company, Bellaire, Ohio, from 1927 to 1930, so it is considerably older than the Sonora set.

All this started when my mother passed away and we began cleaning out her house. Items I had forgotten about along with those I had loved as a child were now in my possession. I had no idea what I had until I started doing a little research, both online an at the library, where they have many wonderful price guides. I started with may 20-30 pieces and now have closer to 120, in various patterns and colors, which prompted me to buy my own latest edition price guide, Warman's Depression Glass, written by a lady considered to be a leading, if not the leading authority on Depression Glass, Ellen T. Shroy. While the guide boasts 500 color photos and 170 of the most popular patterns from 1920-1980, there are some pieces that don't have an established price due to being rare or not available in enough quantities to determine prices. There are also misidentified patterns out there as well as patterns not listed in the Warman's guide. Add to the mix reproductions of various pieces and patterns, and it makes it challenging for any collector, novice or knowledgeable, to add to their collections.

Growing up, when I was old enough, I was in charge of making dessert, which, most nights, was instant pudding. I'd get out the mixer, milk, bowl and measuring cup and whip up a box. When it was mixed, I would put it in these lovely little footed glass dessert dishes.

I now know this is the Wexford Pattern, made by Anchor Hocking. These six cups in this pattern has grown to a collection of nearly 50 pieces, including a gorgeous decanter set that includes six goblets and six wine glasses as well as a beautiful cake stand with glass cover.

Mom had several other pieces in another pattern that we used occasionally. There were ten pieces in this pattern, Early American Prescut, to which I have added nearly 40 pieces. It was interesting to note that there are variations on this pattern. I primarily have what's called EAP (Early American Prescut) 'Star of David', although I have a couple small tumblers in the EAP 'Oatmeal' pattern, so called for being a premium in boxes of oatmeal during the Depression. There is also a EAP 'Pineapple' pattern, of which I haven't found any yet. But, I continue to look, as some pieces are worth more than others. I have to admit, it's a bit of a thrill to see a piece you know is exceptional in condition and price and to add it to your collection!

One pattern, which I have been unable to find any reference to in any book, is a beautiful little green bowl with a quilted-type pattern and an unusual crimped top. I've found only two more pieces in the green, one, a tall, footed piece and another with a gilt foot on it, as well as a bowl in white 'milk glass'. I bought the two green ones at antique flea markets, and neither person I bought them from knows either the pattern or manufacturer, although the lady I bought the tall piece from said she had two just like in it the white glass. It's a mystery I hope to solve!
With yard sale and flea market season coming up, I expect I'll be adding more to my collection. Of course, there's thrift stores to peruse in the meantime. many times, when a parent passes away, the person who disposes of the various household stuff that they or other family members don't want, it gets donated to thrift stores, where it can be picked up for a song. And it's not just glassware you'll find there, either. Vintage Pyrex bowls, bake-ware and coffee cups, antique picture frames, kitchen items and other sundries that can be used to decorate. We have two in the city where I work and I try to go at least every couple days or so. There's a third store that I frequent once a week when I grocery-shop. I'm learning to be more discerning when it comes to buying . items should be thoroughly examined for chips and cracks, which lower the value. You also must watch out for reproductions, of which I've bought three. I've studied my guide book and have learned more what to look for that identifies pieces as reproductions, and therefore not worth purchasing, unless it's something real darling and I must have it.

Pieces are fanciful, like 'Cube' and 'American'...

Pretty, like 'Pioneer



Whimsical, like 'Twiggy'
One thing is for sure, whether a piece is 80 years old, or only 20, these timeless bits of history are beautiful, functional, and, in many cases, valuable. They can be mixed and matched to form a 'usable set' for everyday or special occasions, or simply collected and displayed. Some collectors focus on one pattern or color exclusively, others collect everything they can get their hands on, while still others, collect bits and pieces from different patterns they like with no regard to build a complete set. In any case, they make great conversation pieces, gifts, and heirlooms. Smiles...