A Myth

I think it started in the second grade. Dad and Mrs. Wagner would check Laurel and Hardy movies out of the County Teacher’s Library to reward us for meeting class goals. I loved them, and the Abbot and Costello movies that mixed things up. In fourth grade I got excited about homophones. I’m still excited about homophones. Browse my poetry. It’s a game I’ll never stop playing.

Sometime later I was shopping the fantasy section of the bookstore. Fantasy was a tricky section for a serious fundamentalist. There was always something wrong, too much sex mostly especially for a short fundamentalist. One book stood out, Another Fine Myth. I had discovered Laurel and Hardy fans were a pretty exclusive group since pop culture had rolled on without them. To find someone who could wink in that secret language and with a homophone no less, I wanted it. Until I read a bit. Demons who weren’t obviously the enemy were obviously of the enemy, so back on the shelf it went, over and over again. Then they quit selling it. 

I always check the library book resale room. I’ve found some fascinating stuff that way. This trip was all about Robert Asprin. They had all the Myth series in paperback for a dollar a shot. At fifty I figured I could manage the demons, so I bought the lot. Sometimes the things I’ve waited to read are as great as I thought they would be, Hawking’s A Brief History of Time, for example. Wow, worth the wait! Another Fine Myth, not so much. The plot meanders, committed to nothing. The world is vague and therefore vaguely interesting. The best thing about the book is the characters, but since they are never in a situation that tests them they remain acquaintances instead of heroes or friends. I might read more to see if he ever ups his plot game. The characters are interesting. I might see if they improve on further reading.

 

Peter Kenneth, The Potter Collector

 Collecting things is my natural bent. I have had to limit my official collections to books and Comfort Grip Cookie Cutters. I have a bushel basket of cookie cutters, and my children say they live in a library. They are not wrong. Even so if a soup mug comes in four colors part of me will always be hankering after the color that was out of stock. 

When I fell in love with Harry Potter, thank you Karen for persistently recommending, I wanted to live in that world. Left to my own devices we would have have gradually come to live in my version of the Burrow. We were not connected to media and the internet as much at that moment, so I was slow to discover the world of Harry Potter collectibles. I had just started finding things at Barnes and Noble when I watched my first Potter collecting video. I was hooked, and the great thing was I didn’t have to spend a penny to enjoy all the goodies.

Peter Kenneth is one of my favorites. He respects the magic and makes opening every box an adventure. With three kids in college I have no money to spare, not even for a posable Dobby. Watching every wand be opened, every mystery box unveiled, all the crates of themed goodness disclosed is a great scratch for that itch, and I think Peter is conscious of his audience. He knows that we are young (statistically!) and we might not ever get a fancy wand (picked mine up second-hand). He is considerate and fun to watch. He makes kindly magic.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvoVMyyL84ywUykEMn862Gg

Thinking Small

 I think it started with Mrs. Wagner reading us Charlotte’s Web in the second grade. Officially she taught the fourth grade, but she collaborated with my dad (who taught second and third) about extras like reading aloud and music and nature walks. When we came to the bit about Charlotte eating bugs Mrs. Wagner took a minute to really think with us about what the world would be like without spiders. I became a spider friend on the spot, and I’ve gradually adopted most bugs. Wasps are an exception. They are unreasoning and mean, and one stung me twice because I was dumb enough to think it was a bee gasping its last.

Wasps, ticks, and mosquitos aside, I can get interested in the tiny doings of bugs. Spiders are still a favorite. Bees make a close second. I’ve only been stung by a bee once and even though I was rather small at the time it felt like an accident. I still get startled by unexpected guests/intruders, but people can have the same effect.

This summer I hope to reacquaint myself with all those creatures. I want to go on picnics and walks outdoors more frequently then I have in recent years. I have most of the gear, which is usually half the battle. Scheduling is another beast. I’ll be working on when and how and what to work on this weekend. 

You’ll find me head downwards. 

Beloved Artifacts

 Creating systems often requires objects. The perfect clipboard, journal, app, guidebook can be life changing. The tricky thing is that with growth comes a need for newer, better systems. The previously perfect items become artifacts. The way they changed your life makes it hard to let go of them, but they can take up a lot of desk space. Some objects are lucky enough, or are well-designed enough, to prove themselves useful over and over again.

At the moment a beloved object that always proves its worth is sitting on my desk with a chip in its exterior held in place by Scotch tape. It is the standard of perfection except it is a bit clunky and it is fragile. For now I will keep using it in my office. I don’t have anything that equals it, so I spare it. 

And Keep It All the Year

 VBS, Vacation Bible School will forever be special to me. The church I grew up in threw themselves into making the best VBS they could, and honestly it held a place right under Christmas in my heart. I try to keep plugged in to my current parish’s VBS, but I’d let things lapse for several years. This year they asked me to do the play, how could I say no to that? 

The play is called “What the Grasshoppers Have Eaten.” I crammed it full of imagery the kids probably won’t get, but I had a good time writing it. I designed the set. Lots of people helped me put it together. I picked up simple props and costumes. The kids were cast by a combination of suggestions from people who know them and what the script needed. They are all working hard.

I find myself a little teary as I think about all the people who made VBS for me, and so joyfully that I’ve never become jaded or disinterested. They are all heroes.

The British Museum, Curator’s Corner

 

I had the privilege of visiting The British Museum about thirty years ago. It is a beautiful and fascinating place. I saw the expected things like The Rosetta Stone and the Dead Sea Scrolls, but I was also introduced to the purposeful fragility of Japanese art. Scrolling around YouTube I discovered Curator’s Corner, and I have enjoyed it ever since. Curators at the British Museum choose their favorite object and then explain it, often making it your new favorite historical object.

There is something for everyone. Go and see.

https://youtube.com/@britishmuseum

Too Academic

 Scouting out literature from non-Western cultures in the medieval period has proved challenging. Hojoki is an absolute gem that I enjoy reading. It was a hit in my “Battleship” game of text finding. I’m afraid The Orphan Zhao is going to be a miss. The text’s plot, context and classical Chinese theater customs are interesting, but the only text I found is written for an academic audience and it neglects to illuminate the plays themselves. It would be asking quite a lot of my teen students to wade into a text that requires a lot of explaining, without the explaining. The book is also expensive. Even thinking about my adult audience I try to remember that they are reading for pleasure and so I try to keep the treasure in the top drawer.

But I would never have known anything about Yuan Era Drama without my exposure to The Orphan Zhao, and it is fascinating.

Free at Last

 

I am a big believer in the school bus. It’s environmentally friendly, and for more than a decade it came along and took my kids to school without my having to lift a finger. My faith in the bus has only grown this year because I had to drive my last kid to school for a number of reasons. Mornings for me are a time when I do a lot of lucid dreaming/thinking and sacrificing that for the exalted privilege of getting a cranky teen out of bed was painful. Next year he will be more responsible I hope. In any case, summer is here and I am free.

A Nosegay

 I have a tendency to read reference books, dictionaries, cookbooks, targeted encyclopedias. I don’t expect to remember a lot of it, but I always pick up the weird but useful tidbit. Knowing what information to find where is nice too. Flowers have always engaged my attention. I named my four daughters after flowers. The hidden floral language that people have used for centuries fascinated me, but I couldn’t find a completely satisfying book on the subject. Everything was incomplete, and just for fun. 

This book is a serious monster on the subject. It offers every meaning—even contradictory ones. Possible powers of the flowers and other folklore fill the beautiful pages. I’m tempted to buy another copy to cut up and frame the lavish spreads. There are other floral dictionaries, but this is the best I’ve seen. If such things interest you pick it up.

Hildegard von Blingin: Hot Pop Medieval Style

 

Hie thee to Hildegard’s YouTube channel for modern pop redone with medieval instruments. Thou whilst be delighted to renew acquaintance with golden oldies in an ancient style. Bardcore is hot thing, but Hildegard von Blingin does it best, thanks to great vocals. Might be particularly enchanting to Bridgerton fans.

Just good fun. Enjoy it.

https://www.youtube.com/@Hildegardvonblingin

The Seven Day Itch

 I recently had a horrible flu, and I’m so glad it is mostly over. I’m still coughing up stuff, and much worse I’m itching all over. The internet says it’s normal, and that there is no cure since it’s viral. I’ve learned to be judicious with the scratching. It’s almost like poison ivy.