“Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.”

I have always loved fall, and these are exciting, busy days for our family! Not only are we gearing up for my son's wedding in January, but to add to the fun and busy-ness, we went on a quick road trip this week to visit prospective colleges for my middlest girl. (I call her the "middlest" because she's the 3rd of 4 kids, the middle of the middle-- sandwiched between her older and younger sisters.)

On the return trip I realized that 150 miles and a diet coke are not good traveling companions, so we (my bladder and I) decided to stop at a rest area. The premises were neat and clean, but on entering the facilties, we stumbled upon the strangest thing. . . a guest registry displayed prominently on a podium just inside the rest room area; not in a respectable place like the lobby as one might expect, with all of the travel brochures, but inside the actual rest room, where all of the stalls and porcelain thrones are located. Now, I have no problem sharing my personal information in all of the usual places: a wedding guest registry, signing in at a doctor's office, or even giving my name for a survey . . . but in a bathroom?? This was a new one for me. Somehow I'm just not interested in documenting for all of humanity my visit to the little girl's room, I don't care how much diet coke I've consumed. And you never know, one day I may be tapped to run for vice-president, and well, wouldn't the media just looovve to get that little tidbit of information. Besides, as a germ-a-phobe, no way I'm even thinking about touching that feathery pen attached to a bathroom guest registry. (Perhaps you remember my horrors with potty training our daughters and my urgent pleas in public restrooms, "Don't TOUCH ANYTHING!!")

Anyway, Middlest Daughter thought it was great fun, an adventure of sorts, and didn't have the slightest qualm about signing. (So much for my ominous, germs-are-everywhere-and-you-will-die-if-you-touch-anything-in-a-public-restroom-warnings all those years ago. Sigh.) When I looked at the book, there was her John Hancock . . . clearly and proudly etched for all of posterity: "I. P. Freely." Fine parenting, huh? Germs and a neurotic mother and a diet coke are no match for a sassy 17 year old. I'm not sure I will even let her go to college. Does anyone know if they sell Purell by the barrel?

(P.S. I promise that's not her real name. :)

My Lips Are Sealed :)

"Of those who say nothing, few are silent."~ Thomas Neill

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From one who usually tends to rattle on aimlessly while talking. . . Have a great day! (Maybe I've learned a thing or two in this 40-something life. Or perhaps I just have 18 loads of laundry to do instead of blogging. Either way, hope you enjoy your day.)

You Want Fries With That?

Sugar and Spice. Sweet and Sour. Laurel and Hardy. No matter how you slice it, it appears that the things I've been creating lately seem to reflect a decidedly split personality. These days I can't seem to decide if I'm Laverne or Shirley or Felix or Oscar. The whimsical and bright colored, sharp lines of the Halloween noise maker rattles reflect my roots in graphic design, as well as my love for all things vintage. The pensive little angel, rendered in soft, dreamy tones, is made of papier mache, and looks like she just stepped out of a Hallmark commercial. The contrast couldn't be more dramatic, unless you've been watching the stock market over the past 2 weeks. Anyway, I'm not sure just what my recent work says about my psyche. :) Maybe the bull market vs. bear market or this crazy election cycle (and all the talk about McCain and McPalin vs. Obama and O'Biden, red states vs. blue states, Washington insiders vs. small town folk, "change we can believe in" vs. "change is coming," etc.) is spilling over into my "middle-child-get-along-at-all-costs-don't-even-think-about-offending-anyone-can't-decide-between-paper-or-plastic-because-both-choices-have-merit" subconscious. Whatever the reason, I'm having a blast exploring the varied facets of my work. And by the way, they are available now at Spooky Time Jingles.

Whatever Happened to a Good Old-fashioned Duel?

Man Wielding Hammer Loses Duel to Man With Letter Opener in Florida
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — Hollywood police say a man wielding a hammer lost a fight to a man with a letter opener. Police say the men were fighting early Thursday morning when they both grabbed their weapon. The man with the letter opener stabbed the other man. Someone then called 911. When officers arrived, the victim refused to cooperate or say what the argument was about. He's being treated at Memorial Regional Hospital. His condition is not yet known. The men's identities have not been released. (The original story was here.)

[Editor's note: This is my latest effort to keep my readers fully apprised as to the latest oddball news in this crazy world. I can't imagine what started this altercation , or the combatant's odd choices of weaponry. In my mind, this just sounds like a game of "Rock, Paper, Scissors" gone horribly wrong. ~cn]

This Glue Gun's Loaded & I Know How to Use It

Busy days here! Tons of projects in the works, and as always, I'm playing catch up and planning ahead. (And by planning ahead, I mean planning catch-up. :)

And Now a Word From Our Sponsors

If you get a minute, check out Vintage Indie. Vintage Indie Magazine is an online source for, as the site describes, "living a Modern Life with a Vintage Perspective." The founder, Gabreial Wyatt, has a passion to support and promote indie small businesses and artists; and Glitter and Grunge is the featured sponsor of the month. You'll find a ton of do-it-yourself projects, lots of handmade stuff, news about cool events, and also great products which provide a feeling of nostalgia in this modern-day world. Hey, with the latest headlines, who doesn't need a little bit of the "good ole days," am I right?! And you can do your part to help the economy while supporting independent business owners. It's a win-win! (P.S. Today, Gabreial's featuring an article about little ole moi. :)

We Don't Take Her Temperature Here

Been there, done that. :)

This Just In. . .

New things at Glitter and Grunge . . .

. . . Film at 11.