Misconceptions?

   It fully befuddles me how the brain works or, at least, how my brain works.  I see things in a totally different way than most folks.  Perhaps, this is due to the time spent in solitude where I can ponder things without the interruptions of the world happenings.  This solitude, even self-inflicted (such as mine), is wondrous once you get accustomed to it.  Pondering is equally wondrous.  Still, there are times when others brains and their thinkings purely bemuse me.

  Others often see me as eccentric or even downright odd and I am quite ok with that.  Still, there is no obvious reason to overthink that I am anything but myself.  I am eccentric but that is not necessarily a reason to jump to conclusions.  All of this leads to the bemusing part simply because of an odd arrangement of items on the old woodburning stove.  The stove (when not in use) is a convenient "catch-all".  The top is sturdy cast-iron so it can withstand even heavy items being placed on it.  This time, however, nothing was heavy just an  melange of knickknacks that reached that handy spot as I was cleaning the shelves.  

 "You really should not be doing this!  You are going to get into things that are evil!"  Well, now!  I am all for not cleaning but I had to wonder how this was going to bring the forces of evil upon me???  Then...a fit of giggles as I realized that my hodgepodge was misconstrued as a perfected arrangement. I suppose I am now an enchantress?  Awesomeness!  The "brains" of the world will never cease to bewilder.  Selective perception totally blocked out any reasonable explanation.

  In all fairness, my living room is kept quite dark with only a few small funky lamps and an oil warmer going at any given time.  Perhaps the lighting lent a mysterious aura to my pile of junk?  By the harsh glare of overhead lights, the old stovetop look just like it actually is...a mess...nothing magical...nothing mysterious...nothing but a pile of junk waiting to be put back the shelf or stowed in a closet until the next clue hunt calls for props.  I do think it looks a little more offbeat without the overhead lights which may be why I hate using them!   

Just a Hint of Quirkiness!

  After a couple of rain-free days, the clouds are looming on the horizon once again.  Not that I mind as a bit of rain would be good for the garden and would also give me a chance to work on decorations for the upcoming Clue Hunt on the Bayou.  October (and the hunt) is not creeping up on me.  It is coming on like a herd of elephants at a full stampede pace.  I definitely need a few rainy days to complete things indoors.  So...bring on the rain!

  Speaking of the clue hunt and all of its preparations, things are going pretty well.  The Little Bayou House has received its makeover in most rooms.  The transformation from a livable, working home to a musty, dusty manor of a quirky old lady (me!) has been a fun one.  Face it..not everyone gets to totally make over their house for a one month duration. The clue hunt allows me to do that!

  It is not often that I have the opportunity to do things "off the wall" so I seem to go to the extreme when given the chance.  To me, it is amazing how ordinary items can take on a new persona just by placing them in a new setting.  Over one of our dining room tables (yes, I have two distinct dining areas besides the eat-in kitchen), we have a rather funky light. The light was meant to hang in a vaulted ceiling foyer but since I can never do things normally (according to my kids), I decided it should become a chandelier over the table.  There was just one trouble.  It was too plain! The light needed some "bling" for this clue hunt so I scavenged the thrift stores for odd pieces of jewelry that would catch and reflect the light. This worked wonders!  The light now has a definite eclectic and eccentric look about it!  This unconventional look will have all my guests pondering if the light holds a clue.  Does it?  I will never tell!

It is not JUNK! It is useful stuff!

  I am one of those folks who have a hard time throwing usable things in the trash.  It just seems to be such a waste.  Trash is trash.  It is nary a problem for me to toss that but if something can be reused in some way, then I stash it aside with grand ideas of remaking it into something fabulous.  Granted a good bit of the stuff sits for years before it sees a new life but, eventually, it becomes useful once again.  Also, if I do go on a cleaning binge and toss a lot of the saved items, it never fails that the day after the trash man comes, I need something that made its way into the garbage can.  My problem is storage.  I need a storage shed the size of the White House or something!  Mark tells me that even if I had something that large, by the end of the week, it would be filled to capacity.  Hey, I cannot help it!  I come by it naturally.  Granddad always used to tell me to "Put that up, you will need it some day." and Granddad was always right.  No one ever questioned his logic behind things.  So, I save....everything.  After all, I WILL need it some day.  Some day.

  The other evening, I received a phone call from my oldest son.  He has a birthday coming up soon and told me that he knew just what I could get for him.  "Do you still have my old game system from back when I was a kid?  You know, the Nintendo?"  I assured him that it was still stored upstairs and also assured him that I would get a box in the mail as soon as I could.  My youngest son started pulling out the game systems and games.  There was a huge pile of the video games laid out on the bed.  He was sitting on the floor playing one of the games.   Who knew that those twenty-five year old games would even work much less be so interesting?  Michael put together quite a collection of games to send to his older brother, Mark.  Twenty-one games, controllers, a zapper gun and the Nintendo system were all packed and shipped to Georgia. 

  This evening, I got a message from my oldest son saying that he received the box of goodies and was already playing the games.  Well, all I can say is...Ha!  My saving everything has a reason and that reason might just be to make someone smile. I am sure glad that I did not have a sudden urge to toss that game system and those games in the trash!  

Going Buggy!

  Darling Daughter, Elizabeth, is on a roll!  With her visiting the Little Bayou House, time has been filled with all sorts of fun activities but mostly crafting.  She and I could totally forget to eat as long as we are crafting.  It matters not if we are painting, crocheting or beading.  As long as we are creating, we are happy!  The current craft is a new one for her. She is still creating "bugs" from discarded items. (Well, what most folks discard.  Me?  I save just about everything!)  This all stems from the seahorse and dragonfly creations that I did last year.  My weedeater had a major accident so it was dismantled and parts were used in crafts!  She has taken it a step further and has started incorporating any "cool-looking" part or tidbit that can be scrounged from my stash.  (And oh, what a stash that is!)

  I had to laugh today as my once impeccably clean table had become overloaded with treasures...otherwise known as junk!  A wide assortment of wires, gears, bolts, springs, beads, buttons, watches and even dismantled clocks filled every inch of the table!  To any outsider, this must look like one huge mess but to us this is sheer bliss!  A table full of junk is a mind filled with creativity by our thinking!

   Her latest bug is a praying mantis.  He (or she) sits proudly beside the scorpion of yesterday.  I can hardly wait to see what her imagination spews forth tomorrow!  Gee! I am one proud mama!  My daughter has followed in my crafting footsteps only has taken it a few steps forward.  She sees not the mess...only the next project!  

Tackling the Monster!

In my house there is a monster! Actually, it is part of the house..a room..the "sewing" room. This sewing room has long been used as a catchall for anything and everything that had no place of its own. When one hears the name "sewing room", immediate thoughts of walls lined with shelving that is stacked with neatly folded fabric, cute little racks full of threads and sewing notions tucked away in cabinets. Not so in this room! The mountain of stuff had far outgrown the limits of the area and was near bursting through the door. I jest not when I say that I feared for my safety each time I opened the door! The threat of an avalanche loomed from the moment I stepped inside. The area had not been used for sewing since my daughter moved out years ago. Since then, stuff accumulated..need I say more.

That said, I have decided to start a "What I found in the Sewing Room" segment. Occasionally, I will post a description and picture of some long lost item, some "why did I save this?", or even "what in the world is it?" There are items in this room that I did not even realize were in my house!

At first light this morning, I timidly opened the door and stared in at what seemed like a sleeping ogre. There stacked higher than my head, were boxes, bags and baskets each filled to the brim with whatevers. Who knew just what I might discover in this bleak place. I thought to myself, "What am I thinking?" and started to close the door again.."NO! I HAVE TO CLEAR THIS JUNK!" So, I called Son! Actually, he volunteered to lend a hand..little did he know what he was attempting. We started pulling stuff out and making neat (yeah, right!) piles in the living room. I was determined to go through each box and discard most of the saved treasures.

First box..well, this is not so bad. This box held sewing notions, something you would expect to find in a room designated for creating sewn projects. There were zippers, snaps, velcro, etc.. all stowed in a nice plastic box. There were little metal thingys that go on sewing machines. Things that I had no clue how were used. I did recognize the needles, pins and buttons! There really did not seem to be a need for me to sort through this box. Then Son pulled four more such boxes. They were all crammed with sewing notions of all sorts. He nonchalantly asked if I had planned to open a craft store or something. Ummm..No. He knows that I cannot sew. I told myself then and there..I need to learn! I have all of this lovely stuff on hand..what an inspiration! I will teach myself to sew and then all of these things will come in handy..err..whatever they are.

Next, a tote bag..it was filled with chenille stems left over from an elementary school project. Elementary school project? My kids have all graduated from college already..Wow! It really has been a while since I delved into this room! Ok? So do I need to keep approximately 5000 chenille stems? Does anyone need to keep approximately 5000 chenille stems? I do occasionally need a pipe cleaner for a project, but 5000? Son stared at me. I knew he was wondering just why I was even considering stashing the bag back into the room. Secretly, I am positive that someday I will need a whole slew of chenille stems. They will be the definitive factor in a most important craft project. Something I cannot do without, something I really should save! I mean..how many times have you asked yourself just why there are no pipe cleaners on hand? I slipped the bag around the side of the sofa..perhaps Son would not notice it there! I might just need approximately 5000 pipe cleaners some day and I would have them!

Son handed me another box. Hey! At least this box smelled nice! I opened it and peered inside. Wax! This box was one of three that held the wax remnants of scented candles and scented wax tarts. Oh..I remember! I had once thought of reusing these to make the wax-coated pine cones for Christmas decorations! My very talented sister-in-law makes these pine cones and they are really so nice to receive as gifts each year. They have a dual use as once they lose their scent, she informed me that I should use them as fire starters in the wood-burning stove. I really need to keep those! I promised myself that I would get started on those as soon as the pine cones fell this year. Son looked at me and shook his head. For some strange reason, I think he did not believe me!

Another box came out of the room and landed on the floor with a loud thud. Ok. So, I do not remember ever seeing this. It was actually a large suitcase. I unzipped it and it literally exploded, spewing fun fur pieces like confetti. Ahhh, yes! These pieces were from several years ago..(or longer)..when Dear Daughter made costumes for the local theater group. They were performing the musical "CATS" and she made the costumes! What fun we had when doing that! She did most of the work, I was her assistant! She sewed costumes and wigs! I snipped yarn. Lots of yarn was needed. I snipped yarn. To meet the opening night deadline, she and I stayed up day and night and worked ourselves silly. We still giggle about it whenever something jogs the memory of the wild goose chases she sent her dad on to find some strange material or paint, the coercing we had to do to get Son to be a mannequin for sizing and the endless pots of coffee! Oh! I cannot get rid of this box..I could make stuffed animals!

Son took a break to entertain Ezzy. She had been patient enough as we looked through the treasures. I sneaked into the room. Wow! I could actually walk in! It was amazing! Then I found them. Yes, them! Lots of them! Three drawers full of Barbi dolls! Not the prettily dressed Barbi dolls that Dear Daughter collected when she was a little girl, but..ahem..Barbi dolls that had a wardrobe malfunction. Undressed dolls that were in dire need of clothing. These dolls were another unfulfilled project. A huge box full of shall we say, bare (?) dolls, (68 to be exact) was donated to me one year and I had intentions of making clothes for each of them. I always wondered just where they had disappeared! Now I found them! I need to sew outfits for them!

I will continue cleaning and rediscovering treasures for the next few days! This is not going to be one of those easily done tasks. It will take a while, I am sure. Oh, did I mention that this was a sewing room? Did I mention that I actually found a sewing machine while in there? Did I mention that there is fabric? Yards and yards...and yards and yards of fabric???? And yes, I do see a trend here..I cannot seem to part with the treasures in this room. I might be able to use them......someday!

Little Memories

I have been a cleaning machine for the past week or so. Nothing was safe..it was all going! I packed box after box of "stuff" to be carted off for a benefit auction. I cleaned out cabinets..I cleaned out closets..I cleaned off shelves! It amazes me how much "stuff" accumulates over a few years..well..maybe a bit more than a few years..try thirty years. THAT is a lot of stuff! My house was overflowing with this, that and the other thing. I was beginning to think my house was just too small..I needed more space..I needed a bigger house! Now that I am making progress on this war against unending clutter, I realize that this house is not as tiny as I imagined. It is really quite large! I have waged war and I am the victor! My brother used to say that my house would never blow away during a hurricane because it was too heavy from all the masses of objects that filled it. I cannot wait until he sees it now!

In the process of clearing out things, I did come across some items that were just too dear. I could not chunk a poem that my son scribbled on a piece of torn paper bag..the cookbook that my youngest made in grade school..or the ballet slippers that my daughter wore in her first recital. These are memories..memories that as I age, are becoming more and more dear to my heart. I am fast becoming the dottery old lady that putters around the house thinking of times past. Times when this old house was filled with children's laughter and the floor was cluttered with toys. The good, old days..ahh, yes..memories.

As I cleaned, I thought of these things. Then in a small box stuffed way in the back of a drawer, there were Mr. and Mrs. Egghead. Not to be confused with Mr. Potatohead..this couple was a creation of my daughter's when she was very young. When I would hear.."Mom, I'm bored!".."Mom, there is nothing to do!".."Mom, play with me!", I would invariably steer my kids to a craft project. Money was tight so most projects involved recycled materials. At the time, we had chickens so using eggshells as an art medium seemed like a good idea. Mr. and Mrs. Egghead soon appeared as ornaments for our Christmas tree. To make the ornaments, we poked holes in the (raw) egg and stirred the yolk before blowing the contents into a bowl. (This became scrambled eggs for lunch!) Then we rinsed the egg inside and out and let dry. After fully dry, a bit of glue was squirted in the hole and swirled around to fully coat the egg. At this point, I let my daughter have free rein in the the craft box. She cut, glued, and drew her way through this project with little help from me. For several years after that, these ornaments were placed on our tree. Then at some point they were stuck in a box and tucked away for years. Today, I found them and started to toss them in the discard box..but wait..how can I throw those out? Sorry, but Mr. and Mrs. Egghead were granted a reprieve. They shall remain as a happy little memory to be found occasionally when I am digging around in the chest of drawers..on second thought, they might actually be pulled out to enjoy Christmas. They can watch our festivities again from the branches of our tree! Yes, little memories..happy, little memories!