Circles

I am lucky to have several women friends who are attorneys. When I complain about something they are right there to take up my cause.  They are young and smart and know me.

A few months ago I felt like there was some false hoods being circulated around about me and 2nd Saturdayz.  So I called my smart young attorney and asked about her PI, private investigator,  so she got to work.  I wanted to file a slander charge.  We have been putting together this case, and I have been all worked up about it and with every passing day feeling further and further away from the feeling that I wanted.  A sense of justice, a sense that someone can not just make up lies about me and spread them about.  This morning she said the words........."why are you really doing this?"  She knows why, but she also knew that whatever the result of this case, I would still not have what I wanted.

In 1961 when I was 7 years old an uncle raped me.

It was a really traumatic event, and I ended up with a std.

When my parents found out they asked for that Uncle, who was extremely wealthy, to pay a cash settlement.  And in return, the matter would be dropped.  It was to stay a secret.  But everyone knew, and everyone treated me a bit different.  In my child's mind, I had done something horrible.  Something wrong.  And I separated myself from it.  I was and am always desperate when I think that someone knows something about me that I don't know.  It is why when someone asks me a direct question I answer with honesty.  I want the truth and I believe that the least we can give each other as humans together on this planet is the truth as we know it.  That secret ruined a good portion of my life, of Geff's life and Andrews life.  I do not do secrets with grace.  I hate rumors and gossip.  And half truths are even worse.

That is the reason I wanted to get to the bottom of all this silly gossip, and the folks that are taking "sides" against me.  I am ill equipped to deal with this sort of human nastiness.  But finding out who said what, when at a 2nd Saturdayz is not going to give me my childhood back, it is not going to take back the years of living with daily panic attacks.  Nothing can do that, except to lean into my own pain.  To remember that those secrets are old.  I don't have to feel ashamed of what those people did to me.

And you know what, I am not going to be ashamed of what these people are saying about me either.  Because if they had a bit of integrity or decency about them they would come to me and talk about it, instead of continuing to act like prima donna victims.

No more energy is going in that direction.

That circle needs to be closed.

 

She's Backkkkkk.

For a bit now I have not written anything on my blog and I am just going to say why.

I was working with someone who believed that telling my truth was a bad idea, she seems to believe that secrets were a better way of living.  I am not a good one about keeping "secrets" about myself .  I kinda like everyone just knowing what I am all about and we can work from there.

This last 2nd Saturday a nice women came up to me and mentioned how much she enjoyed reading my blog.  And I thought about how much I used to enjoy writing my blog.  It is cathartic for me.  I have always used writing as a means to sort out my thoughts and to communicate them to others.  To find my "Tribe".

Speaking of Tribe, 2nd Saturdayz.  When I first was working on getting 2nd Saturdayz up and running, I did not really realize that part of the attraction of having a market was that it would like having a family gathering every month.  I am the only child of 2 large families.  No cousins, nothing.  Geff, I and Andrew are my entire family.  But, unfortunately, like most families 2Sat  was not as happy as I imagined that it could be. And now this year I am learning to let go of creating a family for myself and looking at 2nd Saturdayz as a really great, Vintage Market.  It is a business, it should create income for everyone involved.  And that is how I am focusing my attention this next year.  It is a job that I am lucky enough to have landed.  And this last show I can honestly say I have never been happier.  Even yelling at the mini race car guys next door in my beyond fabulous pink and green party hat made me very happy.  More folks came thru the door than ever before and the vendors were great, and I met a great new dog named Thor.  I was and am happy.  I feel bad about unresolved issues that between JohnBob and myself.  They were good friends and really great vendors and contributed as much to the show as I do.  But sometimes we do what we can and then just let it go.

One more thing, next year the workshop , in fact the entire hanger, will be closed down for retro fitting.  So for about 6-9 months 2nd Saturdayz will need to find a new home.  Please let me know if you have any ideas about where that may be.  We will carry on........in Seattle, just not sure where yet for those months.

What is everyone bitching about? New Facebook, old Facebook, bla bla...get over it! You'd think they changed it to japanese and smeared poop all over it! The wise words of Christy Hayes Kuntz delivered to me via Facebook by Melanie Peterson-strahan

There is a bru-ha-ha brewing over on Facebook.  Apparently something has changed.  I have to admit I haven't noticed much difference, but things are oft times a little blurry in Luluville  and details kinda go by the way side. But it did get me thinking.

When Geff first told me about FB years ago I joined up and then couldn't really figure out how it would really fit into my life.  Why would I use that?  Sorta like I feel about Tweeter now.

I think it might have been Timi who first really got me to listen to the virtues of FB.  The connectivity of it, the community of interest that you can create with it.  So I started tentatively using it. And I kinda loved it.

By nature I am a smart ass,  a quick wit is highly prized in the Morrison/Hinds household.  Translate to FB and you can end up in a whoop ass of trouble.  So along with most of the rest of FB users I stumbled along, finding my path.  And this is what I have found.

FB works great for me with my friends, it is huge for my busness, 2 Sat.  No cheaper advertising than just posting about who, what, where and when. Hundreds of folks that are interested can get excited along with you about the event.

Yesterday my friend Janet's dog died, everyone was there, right there at the wake.  Anyone who had met Bodie knew what a great dog he was.  Such a gentle and kind spirit.  We were all there supporting her and feeling her loss.  That kind of community has value.

What I do not like about FB, and what I have been a part of on more occasions than I would like to admit is the snarky, whining, pissing match, nasty FB, the passive aggressive FB.  My lovely friend Deb won't have any part of it.  It's like Walmart is to me, a evil empire that should be avoided at all costs.  Deb likes her information given to her face to face, and with a hug ( for the love of God) if at all possible.

So this is where I have landed with FB.  For my Show, it is amazing, nothing except national magazine exposure even comes close to help get the word out immediately and with photos better than FB can.  Thanks Timi.  Personally I like being connected, having a family of 3, (Geff, Drew and I) there is a sense that I am pretty alone here most days.  But I can jump on FB and find out what Todd is doing in Edmonds and what Linda is doing in Burton Texas.  Although I don't really know Todd all that well and live far away enough from his store that I have never been there,  via FB I get a peek of his humor and what his everyday life is like. And so when I do see him I feel like we have had several casual conversations that have helped me know him better.  With Linda who I do know really well I get to see her and Ludmils treasures and as in today am hoping that there will be some information about the Marburger set up posted so I can feel like I am there, sharing with her all the excitement.  When I am feeling lonely and a bit cut off, I go on FB, and without leaving my home feel connected to what I like to think of as my expanded Tribe.

I am reminded of a comedian that amused me when he did a bit about seeing a teen ager gasping and rolling her eyes about her cell phone taking to long to tell here where the nearest Taco Bell was, he said it is going to outer space, give it a minute.

Ideas

           Something to ponder the next time we start to get our panties in a knot about copy cats.
                                                                               Just saying......

JuneBug 2011

                                                      Love Cel and Glad, love this show.
I don't do near as many shows as I used to, having one of my own sorta takes away from doing to many shows.  But I love this show.  It is good.  The vibe is good and happy.  If you haven't been make plans to go this year.  Deb, Garden Party, will be next to me and we might even have some kind of get up from Shelly ala Bungalow Bling.  Although I am not sure if Shelly knows about this yet.  It would make Cel so happy if I would just try and dress up.  So make plans to come by.  I have a ton of stuff that I have hoarded for this show.  Hope to see you there.

Frona's Potato Salad

My mother, Frona, was a legendary cook.  She was French, but country French.  She was not classically trained and her sister were really much better "Bakers".  Frona knew the feel of food, she would awake one morning and say to my Father, Zig, "Zig, we must dig the potato's today".  Now Zig was not all that keen on any activity that would take him away from a game of any kind broadcast over any airway, anywhere.  He would roll his most beautiful break your heart sky blue eye irish eyes and say, For the love of all that is Holy women why today?  And she would answer that they spoke to her in the night and they needed to be dug this very day.  Football be damned the spuds needed to be unearthed and so they were.

All year long we would eat those "spuds", stored in foul smelling burlap, which I still dislike, in the wisteria covered root cellar.  Being that my dad was Irish we ate a lot of potatoes, Zig felt a keen relationship with the spud once it was unearthed and would have eaten it at every meal.  Me not so much.  But Frona did make some amazing things with those spuds.  And for a end of summer treat I made Frona potato salad yesterday. And after reading on Second Shout Out   about potato salad for the Labor day week end I thought you might like to try Frona's Style Potato Salad, it is easy and my favorite although until this weekend realized that I had not made it in years.

So, this is a egg and potato salad
Boil  eggs and potatoes,   I usually use about 6 eggs to about 6 potatoes, but of course the potatoes are larger,  when the potatoes are finished and drained but still very hot, this is one of the "Frona" things, salt and pour pickle juice over them.  Yesterday we used sweet gerkins, cuz that is the type of pickle that she used.  Although the made her own.  But depending on your taste any pickle juice will do.  eggs, potatoes, and lots of pickles and sweet onion.  Sometimes other stuff would get thrown in, but those are the basic ingredients.  The dressing is Salad Dressing or Mayo, equal part regular yellow mustard, some "top milk" which ment cream, more pickle juice and Frona's secret ingredient to all fine cooking some sugar. Mix well, should be a bit runny but not thin. Mix in with the taters and have your self a cook out.

I had this for breakfast this morning and it was mighty darn good.  Not as good as Frona's but pretty good.

What I did this summer

I grew a tiny patch of sweet peas.

The first seeds that I planted around Mothers Day just rotted in the ground.  It was a long straight row and had room for a very elaborate system of white string, split cedar posts, and wire.  

Discouraged I threw some seeds in around the end of June against my garage wall, mind you I did not soak the seeds, (figured anything in Washington would get soaked enough at this point) made not a bit of attempt to make a straight line and only had about a dozen seeds left over from the extravaganza that rotted in the ground.

Every little seed grew.

I am still bringing in a fresh smelling, wonderfully perfect, bouquet every day.  

Eventually I got Geff to string some left over twine up against the garage on some nails so they would have somewhere to climb and now they are mixing with the passion flower that has almost taken over the entire garage.

Lesson learned.

Sometimes the best laid plans run ascu, especially when dealing with nature.

I love to read.

I ran into someone at the store the other day and was asked what I had been doing all summer.

And I said reading.

They told me that they wish that they had time to read.

Time to read?  I do have time.

I don't watch Television at night.

I have always had time to read.  What kind of life has no time to read?  

I also listen to books on my, here it comes, iphone.  

Some books need to be read.  Word by word. Sometimes a book is better listened to.

I have read Eckhart Tolle's  A New Earth 2x.

And this summer I listened to it twice.

I think I got more understanding out of listening to it.  It was dense and hard for me to read, but to hear him read it.  That is a real gift

 Rules of Civility, by Amor Towels

I read.  It was lovely.  The use of language was perfect and I totally was there in the moment with those characters.  I wanted to hang out with them as long as they allowed me to.  I was sad to say good bye.

I listened to Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness, by Alexandra Fuller.

I was laughing out loud with in minutes.

So wonderful.  And funny and smart.

I read a few political books, cuz I think I should, since I refuse to listen to the news on Television and my only source is the BBC or NPR.  

My favorite was, Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime. by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin.  This was recommended to me by a high school friend that I have reconnected with thru FB.   It was a amazing read.

Geff and I shared a listen to a book named The Sociopath Nextdoor, by Martha Stout.

Very helpful.  Should be required reading for anyone that has had an encounter that leaves them bruised, stalked and confused.

  

I read or listened to some books on religion.  

Love and can not get enough of listening to or reading Joseph Campbell and have listened to and read the power of myth more times than I can count.  Anything by him is worth reading.  Jane Austin. The Little House on the Prairie Books..........

This summer I totally indulged myself.

And it was wonderful.

There is something about having a book....to fall into.

I learned to read early.  

Reading saved my life during childhood.

A book is a portal to everything.

Being allowed a opportunity to have the greatest thinkers and storytellers talk to me .

That is bliss.

I learned this summer that I am lucky, happy.

I love the people in my life.

Linda marcov can no longer go anywhere for such a long period of time with out a phone.

I love the fact that the Junk Tribe is mostly happy and doing well, mostly.

We are Junk People and tend toward grumpy and sarcastic behavior, with a dash of malcontent throw in.

I am ready. 

Antie up

I admit, I live in an odd lululand most of the time.  This morning was no exception.

At 6am I called my friend Virginia, the only other person I know will be up at 6am and talking.  I had just finished a sleep study in which I found out there is nothing wrong with my breathing.  So leaving TG I think coffee with Virginia sounds like a good idea.

Now the Virginia had not been spotted for several days by me so I'm wondering what is going on with her. On the phone she starts in telling me about bumping into some ants on a bush and getting bit.  For those that may not know Virginia, she is a delicate blossom, she suffers from horrible allergies, do not even talk about Burts Bees to her.  I'm thinking "Virginia those weren't ants, you were probably allergic to the bush. "  I say to Virginia I need to see these "bites", cuz you know I know everything.  She goes on to tell me that they stung like nettles, I'm arollin my eyes.

Now I have this long dress on, to the ground long, and I tell Virginia I'll meet you at Starbucks in 1/2 hour. I go flouncing out the door to solve this ant mystery, driving in my van my legs start feeling like (hold it) nettles are brushing against them.  By the time I get to Starbucks I am frantic, I see Virginia and tell her to grab the bathroom key.  She responds without a single question asked, that's what a good true friend does, and opens the door for me, we pile in together I rip off my dress, ants crawling all over the inside of my dress. ANTS.  I love it when the Universe lets me know who's in charge.  Thanks Virginia, once again you saved my ..........

Connected

I am a believer in woo-woo.

One of the reasons that I love the internet is because it connects us.  All of us.

I am a only child from a family that both on my mother and fathers side had no children.  I had 12 aunts and uncles and a grandmother that actively raised me.  They were immigrants, from Ireland and France.

They were connected, everyday connected.

I grew up on a working farm, it was where we got food.  It was where all my aunts and uncles on my mothers side of the family (the french) got their food.  What I did everyday on that farm, milk the cow and the goat, gather the eggs, feed the chickens and pig.  Those were not "chores" they were what I did to eat.  Connected.  It wasn't like making my bed or drying the dishes, I could wrangle out of that.  Feeding and milking=eating.  And not just for me, for us all.  I was connected to all of that.  I believe I had a rich childhood.

As an adult I look for connections, I had a shrink tell me one time to find my "Tribe".  I found those folks when I started to buy and sell Junk.  They got me and I them.  They are whimsical gypsies.  They find ugly and turn it into beauty. Artists of life.  That is why I love to be a part of 2nd Saturdayz. Connected

I have spent a lot of time unbusy this summer, mostly reading and pondering.

And these are the recurring themes that keep coming back into my head.  Weather you believe that 2 naked fools started the entire population of this planet, or that we all came from a speck of dust that exploded, we all, all came from the same spot.  I just read a book by a physicist that I could barely understand.  But what I got from his work was how connected the entire planet is, on a molecular level we are connected.

I have spent several years learning about how to set boundaries,  how to marginalize people and things that do not have similar expectations of how a life well lived looks.

Now I feel ready, ready to be connected in a more meaningful way.  I am not sure where that path will take me.  But I am already on it and unwilling to turn back.

My question for this journey is what makes the world the way it is?  and what am I doing to contribute to it?  If you have an answer that you have found helpful, can you let me know?

Connected.

Ahhhhhhh summer

I know that most folks probably like bed more in the fall and winter, snuggle and warm.  But I love a bed in the summer.

When I was a kid we always had a real bed, an old iron frame bed, set up out side.  It was next to the cutting garden behind the garage near the yellow plum tree.  And it was really beautiful, always stacked with old matelasse's and old camp blankets, so thin and worn you could almost see thru them.  Sometimes my uncle Joe would rig up a huge mosquito net about the whole thing.

I would lay out there and read.  With what ever critter I could wrangle into hanging out with me.  The light was dappled and the garden with strawberries, peas, and carrots was near by.

That is why I love me a summer bed.