Listen, can you hear it? Spring’s sweet cantata. The strains of grass pushing through the snow. The song of buds swelling on the vine. The tender timpani of a baby robin’s heart.
Spring.
~Diane Frolov
This Moment…
A Saturday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment~
A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember~via Soulemama.
If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your ‘moment’ in the comments for us.
Happy “Won’t You Be My Neighbor Day” friends!
Gum Wrapper Chains
Did you know that the world’s most amazing gum wrapper chain is 11 miles long? Yeah, it’s true. It would actually take you several hours to walk the length of that thing. That’s just nuts!
Do you remember making gum wrapper chains as a kid? Dang they were cool. Kids used them for bookmarks or wall hangings or even belts, bracelets and rings.
We’ve made them out of regular gum wrappers, Starburst, Life Saver and Mamba wrappers. Obviously, a lot of different things work. If you don’t already know how to make them–I’ll show you step by step.
Everyone needs “mad skills” like this.
Heh…
Cut the wrapper in half, long ways.
Fold up each edge about half way…
then fold in half again to form a long, skinny strip.
Now fold the long strip in half.
Now fold each end in half, to meet in the middle.
It should look about like this.
Now fold a million little “prongs” just like this.
Fit the two prongs of one piece into the slots of the other piece.
Push it all the way through until it can’t go any more. It should look about like this.
Now take another “V” and slide it through the one you just fit in place…
and on…
and on and on…
Now try one yourself.
If you have any trouble–email me.
I’ll help you.
Happy National Crochet Week!
Pee Wee Dollies
When I was a little kid–these 3-1/2 inch dollies–called “Pee Wees” were a pretty hot ticket.
In the sixties—yes, that’s when I was a kid, move on, move on—these little things cost around $1.25 each–about a month and a half’s worth of allowance.
I would save up for what seemed like years and then we’d head off to Woolworth’s to choose my little Pee Wee doll. It was a huge decision for a kid like me. I mean, they were–after all— coming to live with me, forever, so I had to be careful to choose just the right one. It felt more like an adoption than a…you know…purchase.
TANGENT:
So, I had this friend in the Second grade named Belisa. She was very pretty and had a graceful sense of class–for a 2nd grader–so I tried very hard to be like her. She wore pretty dresses so I wanted to wear pretty dresses. She had white shoes–so I had white shoes. But what really intrigued me was that she carried around a tiny little tan purse. Quite a mysterious thing to an unsophisticated child like me. So, at my very next birthday, I asked for a purse–just like Belisa’s.
I was beyond excited to take my lovely, amazing purse to school the next day. Only problem was that when it came time to leave, I really had no idea what a 7 year old is suppose to carry around in the darn thing in the first place. On my way out the door I grabbed a handful of Pee Wee dolls, stuffed them in and went on my merry way.
It’s quite likely that Belisa thought I was a complete wack-job when she saw my brand new purse bursting at the seams–not with lace hankies and peppermint chapstick–but with nearly a dozen teeny tiny baby dolls and their itty, bitty bottles.
Crazy, that is, until I poured them all out and became the instant hit of the playground.
Oh—how to win friends and influence people…
Heh.
Funny Face
Now I know that these old photo machines are still around here and there—K-Mart, arcades, and even as rentals for teen parties—but back in my day they served a difference purpose other than just goofy entertainment.
Do you youngsters realize that before the fabulous digital camera age–you know, where you point and shoot and then just delete the ugly stuff–these little booths were really the only places that the common folk could get a picture taken and take it home right now. No waiting for a week or so to have them developed and hoping for the best. Of course they came in that funky strip but it was wonderfully fast so you just learned to take the good with the…
not so good.
Obviously.
Lucky for all y’all April was one cute baby…
or this would have been a very uncomfortable post…
for…
one of us.