I am not a number! I am a free man!

Gladys, I have been having 1.5 hoots (that's a hoot and a half BTW) recently. I had seen a blurb about the remake of The Prisoner, coming in November on AMC. I had been absolutely addicted to that show in the 60's and had always wanted to get the series on DVD. The more I heard about the remake, the more I wanted to see the original before November. So the next time I had a coupon from Barnes and Noble, I used it and got the DVD set. That was so much fun, Gladys, watching those episodes again! I wish you could've been here with me! There was a lot I hadn't remembered--like Rover! Who could forget that big, white, evil balloon?! Over the next week or so, I watched those episodes and just fell under their spell once again. Having the Internet, I was also able to really find out a lot about Portmeirion, Wales, where the "real" Village was. What a beautiful place! I idly looked into the biggest fan club, Six of One, and found out that membership is something like $80. No thanks. Anyway, I was very much looking forward to the final episode. I remember being totally confused and sort of let down by it, and hadn't seen it or any of the episodes since. Apparently they've been played on TV, but never where I was aware of it. So with great anticipation and hope about finding out WHAT IT ALL MEANT, I watched it. I wasn't terribly surprised to find out that the ending is totally open to interpretation. I didn't feel as let down as I did 40 years ago, but I think watching it all again as an adult helped. I'm looking forward to the remake next month, but I think the original will always be the standard to me. Patrick McGoohan was a quirky, quirky guy.
Thanks, Pat. Thanks, Number Six.
Be seeing you.

spork and other nonsense

I know, Gladys--it hasn't been a week since my last post, but doggone it! I MUST speak out! This was going to be a paean (look it up) to The Spork, but kinda meandered into Edward Lear. Who I'm sure would've loved knowing that his "runcible spoon" has been linked to The Spork in some circles. Paul and I were eating at Taco Bell yesterday and I was pondering the plastic spork I always get when I take my tray to the table--you never know when your tortilla's integrity is going to become compromised and you end up with cheesey double beef all over your wrapper... So I was remembering a cute little poem I wrote a few years ago when we were still doing the Secret Sister group at church. I wrote that poem for my Sister on National Spork Day. I couldn't remember when that day was and hoped I had marked it on my poem. When I went to my files, though, there was no date. So I started looking online. I don't know where I got the original date for my poem, but I couldn't find a date that the majority agreed should be Spork Day. In my wanderings, I came across a "definition" for spork that linked it to the "runcible spoon" mentioned in Edward Lear's poem, "The Owl and The Pussycat". Now, I am VERY familiar with that poem, and over the years have collected different children's books with that poem. And long, long ago, I THOUGHT I had learned the definition of "runcible" and didn't think it had ANYthing to do with anything spork-like! So I wandered further afield and discovered that Lear INVENTED the term "runcible" and applied it to many things and wasn't even always a noun! So now I have no specific date for Spork Day AND I learned that "runcible" doesn't mean a damn thing! I tell you, Gladys, it does give one pause. Or, in the case of a pussycat, paws.
I have to admit that I did have fun looking all this stuff up. I know that somewhere in my papers I have the original list from Secret Sister days where I tried to find something to celebrate everyday, and I'll find out when *I* want to celebrate The Spork. For now, though, "submitted for your approval" (read enough Edward Lear and you sorta feel like you're IN the Twilight Zone!) here is the aforementioned and (dare I say?) highly anticipated...

Ode To Spork

Hail, O hail, the wondrous Spork
Without it, you'd need spoon and fork
Spork alone will fill your need
When time has come for you to feed

Good for soup or custard pie
For young or old, for gal or guy
I love my Spork! And you will, too
Just try it next time you have stew

I'm free, Gladys!!

Dear Internet friends--I have decided to name you Gladys. That way, I feel like I'm actually talking to someone real. I never cared for the the "Dear Reader" or "Dear Diary" tag. So Gladys it is! And it's in honor of the 60's sitcom "Pete and Gladys" with Harry Morgan and Cara Williams. It used to be on every weekday in the mornings when I was in grade school. I loved that show! I thought Cara Williams was the prettiest and funniest housewife in the world! That's where I first learned about peanut butter and banana sandwiches. I was exclaiming about what a strange pairing that was and my grandmother seemed very familiar with the combo and said it was quite good. So of course I had to try it myself. Yum!
So anyway, Gladys, about my blog title...this weekend is the church rummage sale, and I have been ruthless! As I mentioned in a previous blog, I've really questioned myself about some of the stuff I've been hanging onto all these years. I got rid of a set of craft books I bought before Marv and I were married and haven't looked at in several years. I USED to go through them every once in a while, but between Google and Wikipedia, I can find any kind of craft instruction I could ever want. I also took a hard look at some of my other books and decided that while all of them were good books, I just was not going to read some of them again. Agatha Christie I will keep until I die. I can read her over and over and still get great enjoyment. Ditto some of the other authors. But I was pretty pleased with myself about what I did give up. Took a hard look at my hats and was only able to part with one. I love my hats! Went through my CD's, cassettes and albums and was able to let loose of quite a few of those. Really debated about my Cat Fancy magazines and decided to wait until Lia is a little older, and let her have fun with them and maybe make a few collages. All in all, I think I done good. Almost feels like I lost weight. Paul helped me schlep it all up to the church after lunch. We'll see what I can let go of for the next rummage sale in May.
Well, Gladys, it's getting late and I still need to make Marv's lunch for tomorrow. Sleep well and we'll talk again soon. xoxo