Another Mindless Meme – part the fifth

Do you wear glasses?

Yes. Since 1^st grade. And the only style for little girls back then was the cat’s eye type in sparkly pink or sparkly blue. I’d get my eyes checked every year before school started in the fall and I’d always need new glasses. I’d switch back and forth between the pink and blue frames. Starting in my late teens I wore contacts for several years until I started needing bifocals.

Do you have a nick name?

Dot or Dottie. Although I was never called anything other than Dorothy in school. I always wished my name had been Catherine so I could have the nickname Cat or Kitty. Although keeping in with how crappy kids can be at school, I’d probably have had “Here, Kitty kitty kitty” thrown at me all the time.

Cats or dogs?

You know the answer to that one!! Cats, of course!! (dogs are OK, though). But cats are best. Always.

Can you change a tire?

I know how it’s done, but doubt that I could physically do it. Thankfully I’ve never had the need to.

Favorite flower?

All of them. Partial to narcissus, which is my birthday flower. My gardening skills are pretty much zero though. Having a landscaper set things up so that all I’d have to do is water would be cool.

Can you drive a stick?

In theory. I was so thankful that when the time came for me to take Driver’s Ed in school, they only used automatic transmissions. Trying to keep track of 3 pedals and a gear shifter would have been too much for me.

Ever gone skydiving?

No one in their right mind does this!! And I like to think I’m in my right mind. Most of the time, anyway. There is no valid reason to jump out of a plane unless it’s to save your life.

They Meant Well

When I was 4 years old I went to a nursery school. I’d be taken there in the morning, would have lunch there, take a nap and would be picked up when my mom finished work. It was my first experience as to what Hell might be like.

Even as early as that, I felt “different” and separate from other kids. I remember playing with some of them, but mostly I was by myself. There were 3 sisters who decided I would be their personal plaything to torment. I know now that this was a nursery school that parents would pay a fee for their child to be there. The sisters were charity cases and were treated very poorly by the staff. The “paying” kids had hooks with their name on them to hang their coats on. If one of the sisters hung their coat on a hook, it was thrown on the floor and that girl was yelled at. This doesn’t excuse the behavior of the girls to me, but just wanted to let you know this.

They didn’t bother me all the time, just whenever the fancy took them. I never said anything to my parents about these girls. I was very docile and would do whatever they told me to do. I remember arguing with my mom about having to go to nursery school every day. I suggested going every other day, but she said no. I didn’t know that they were paying a set fee for me to go.

I don’t remember very much about all the interactions with these sisters, but one incident stands out. One of the sisters lured me over to the sandbox where she was sitting. She was SO NICE to me for a change. It was amazing. She was SO SWEET to me. She had me lay down on the side of the sandbox and put my head in her lap. It was wonderful to be treated so nicely.

Then she shoved a stick in my ear.

I was crying hysterically and bleeding all over the place. There were a few kids nearby who yelled at the sister, but nothing happened. I was just standing there crying and bleeding. At some point an adult took over and I don’t remember anything more of the incident. I don’t know if I went back to the nursery school. I don’t remember going to a doctor. I do remember my mom holding a clock up to my ear to see if I could hear the ticking.

I was probably in my 30s when a chance remark from my dad stunned me. I was absolutely shocked to find out that the whole nursery school thing was meant to be a TREAT for me! Something nice! The neighborhood we lived in didn’t have any kids for me to play with and my parents felt sorry for me! The money for nursery school was a financial sacrifice for them.

I had never felt lonely before. I had always been happy by myself. I was just fine alone. There was no point in telling my parents how upset I was by this knowledge. They meant well.

Covid Crafting

AKA Lockdown Lunacy

To stave off boredom during this “interesting” time, many folks have taken up crafts or DIY projects that they normally had no time for. Now they have copious time and idle hands. I’ve seen some pretty amazing pictures posted of some of the things that have been accomplished. Embroidery, painting, sparkly dot pictures, knitted clothes for the pets! Things I wouldn’t do on a bet!

Besides, what with the coffee guzzling, gaining weight and day drinking, my schedule was pretty full anyway.

Then I got to thinking that as much fun as those 3 things were, none of them were what you’d call “creative.” There’s no real talent required. So I looked for a craft project that was within my capabilities. 

And here it is! Empty booze bottles with sparkly lights in them! What fun! Of course, the most fun was emptying the bottles in the first place…wink wink. And what better way to recycle them than turning them into something useful. Imagine yourself sitting in the backyard in the cool of the evening (assuming you live someplace where it actually cools off at the end of the day) and having these pretty bottles lighting up the area while you work on emptying more bottles. And once you’ve got all the sparkly bottles you want for yourself, you can start giving the extras as gifts! They might even inspire people to make their own!

So there ya go. Tune in often for more fun craft ideas…