Haphazard Miscellany – Feb 2024

 

Never really figured out a permanent name for this category of oddball stuff, so I’ll just label it as a random collection and slap a fancy name on it and be done with it. Like it or leave it, makes me no nevermind…

 

DIY projects

 

 I love crafting and DIY stuff, but some of it is just plain crap. Like this chandelier made from the bottoms of 2 liter bottles. I can’t imagine going to the trouble of making and assembling this. And keeping it dust-free? Fuhgeddaboudit!

 

 

Yes, this is a wall hanging made from paper chains. Might be a cute craft for a kindergartner to make for their room. Once it gets all yucky and dusty, you can throw it out and make another. But this was in an actual article about “Cool DIY projects for under $50.” It extolled the wonderful way to do an inexpensive accent wall. (face palm)

 

 

Wine glasses made from old Barbie bodies…no words…just…no words.

 

 

OK, I have to admit this one made me chuckle. Wine bottle nativity. You can have as much fun emptying the bottles as you can in assembling the scene. 

 

 

Strictly for a kid’s bathroom shower. Could be switched out for other types of heads as well. Cute idea.

 

 

I have seen SO MANY of these kinds of embellished mirrors/picture frames with found objects as well as with specific themes. Sarah has made several mirror/picture frames with sea shells that are quite lovely. This one ain’t.

 

And speaking of mirrors:

Random Thought –

You can only buy used mirrors…

 

Ok…I’m Old! – Part 3

 

I LOVED ordering books from these! I still have my 2 absolute favorites: Baby Island (1937) by Carol Ryrie Brink, and The Ghost of Dibble Hollow (1965) by May Nickerson Wallace. When the kids started bringing these home I would order books for them as well. Although I have to admit to getting a TON of the Garfield books for me!

 

 

These were advertised EVERYWHERE. Even on matchbooks. I wondered just how many people became famous artists from sending in their drawings. I had a friend who could accurately draw all of the examples, but never sent any in.

 

 

We would always get new shoes at the start of the school year. I thought this measuring thing was magic! And I loved the little tilted stool the sales person would sit on while trying the shoes on you. 

 

 

Another piece of magic: instant photos!!! My mom took SO MANY TRULY TERRIBLE PICTURES with this thing! She NEVER got it right. But it WAS magic…

 

 

Once we got this we NEVER made popcorn in the old pot on the stove again. And the little cavity in the top where you could put oleo in to melt all over the popcorn as it was coming out…wow. (We never had butter…too expensive.) 

 

 

Just a little side note: We ALWAYS had apple slices when we had popcorn. The combo of the salty popcorn with the sweet apple was so good. And the popcorn would go into the big blue enamel bowls. This picture pretty is almost an exact replica of the 2 bowls we had.

Another side note: These were also the throw-up bowls when we were sick. Whoever was sick had that by the side of the bed to throw up into. I know, TMI, but hey, this is my blog. I can do what I want…

 

Freya’s Cats

 

 

Don’t know how I stumbled across Freya and her cats, but I’ve always loved any kind of mythology and started looking into it. Because: cats.

 

As with a lot of mythological tales, there are several versions of this. Here are a few nuggets that I discovered:

 

Freya was the goddess of war, love and beauty. One story says that Thor gave her the two cats to draw her chariot. Another one says that when her husband Odr left Valhalla she cried red-gold tears and they formed into the two cats. Tradition gave the cat’s names as Bygul and Trjegul.

 

She rules over the heavenly field Fólkvangr, where she receives half of those who die in battle. The other half go to Odin in Valhalla. Although she always searched for her husband, she never found him.

 

There is a ton more info in various books and poetry, but I didn’t feel like plowing through it past the few bits I’ve shared here. After all, I was mainly in this for the cats…

 

So…in lieu of a real Norse saga I thought I’d write some Haiku.

 

Brave Goddess Freya

Her chariot drawn by cats

Weeping red-gold tears

 

Bygul and Trjegul

Her cats of power and strength

Always by her side

 

Grieving for all time

Searching the heavens for Odr

Never to be found