The above row of scarabs is perhaps nothing more than showing off one of my creative projects. The scarab is a triconsonantal Egyptian heiroglyph for the concept KHEPER, also spelled XEPER, using the Greek 'X' Chi for the first letter). In Egyptian, 'heiroglyph' means 'sacred writings. Glyph is 'symbol', and heiro is 'sacred'. Thus, XEPER acquires sacred significance as it is no ordinary word. It means 'becoming'. In English, 'becoming' has no sacred significance. But to the Egyptians and those of us today who harken to their wisdom, it means the whole sphere of metamorphosis, transformation, evolution and growth in the spiritual realm, as well as the physical realm.
I learn new things every day!
Now that I've given YOU your lesson for the day, I will proceed to the mundane aspects. I've been indulging myself these past few days. Of course, that refers to matters of physical appetite. I made short work of tasty pork chops at the Outback last night. And I've been indulging the 'sweet tooth' with Klondike bars and raspberry walnut rugala.
But the indulgence also refers to 'shopping appetite'. I've been going through the stores with the 'greedy eye'. Soon, my 'wild child' will be satisfied. But as I reflect upon all the new material items which fill our house, each is of value and good durability.
At Thursday's shopping trip, while filling the cart with various 'carbo' items, I also put a couple of 'shiny things' into the basket. I bought a stainless steel lidded 'cream dispenser'. This has become a beverage cup, its lid providing valuable protection from dust which settles into the cup. The drink I set out on my dresser when I go to bed for middle of the night sips never acquires that off taste it used to acquire by morning. I will get another one for work, as fabric particles and floating oddments settle into it.
Not only that, things fly when I sew! Small rulers, bobbins, seam rippers, pins, chalk seem to leap off of their proper places and onto the floor. Once or twice, I've even had to pick a soaked thread bobbin out of my drinking mug. Rather unpleasant!
So I will definitely get another covered cup for work. I also got a round stainless steel waste basket for by my computer station. Yes, the ugly black plastic one was doing the job, but it wasn't as aesthetically pleasing!
Today, Saturday, we went to the fabric store to get me a seam ripper. They always cost me over a hundred dollars. Yes, I know the price tag on the ripper package says only $2.09. It's all the stuff that accompanies that purchase. I cannot walk into Hancock's without giving each and every bolt of fabric at least a cursory examination.
And I ALWAYS find fabric which appeals to me. Today I bought some vertically striped wavy rainbow striped fabric (pullover blouse to come out of that), some peach and aqua marbled cotton (TWO pullover blouses to come out of that, as Julia likes it too), some amusing blue background cotton with needles and thread curling all over it (I will announce at work while wearing THAT pullover blouse that I come 'PRE-threaded'. By day's END, I often wear such a covering.) Or maybe I will keep silent and see if my co-workers are observant.
Julia took to some maroon floral fabric for a new pullover dress, (it utilizes the top of the much used blouse pattern, attached to a long flaring skirt).
These fabrics, when they undergo the necessary metamorphosis, will give us both great joy and satisfaction.
After our visit to Hancock's, Julia wanted to go to a beauty supply store to get a nail buffer. This two dollar item cost us nearly thirty dollars! I could not resist a special blackhead removal tool. It will do less harm than the end of a bobby pin, which reddens the skin with angry welts. I got two stainless steel haircombs, at seven dollars a piece. One is small, and will fit into my skirt pocket easily. The other is larger and will stay at home. They will never break. With them, I hope to end my continual messy hair appearance. My otherwise almost 'glamourous' appearance is complety ruined by unruly bangs.
Gasp! That HAIR!! Eiiiiiii-i-i-i!!!
More 'glamourous', but with a slight hint of forbidding.
Perhaps it was the stern concentration necessary. YOU try to take your own picture!
As I find myself very sun-sensitive these days, I must wear a hat when I'm out in the sun. 'Hat hair' is even worse than ordinary squirrely-ness.
So all of these indulgences will benefit mostly me, but Julia too, greatly.
August 10, 2003
"More Indulgences"
I wasted no time in getting my three blouses cut out last night. But I was surprised to discover the pinkish marblized fabric was insufficient for two blouses. I'd taken the store's seam tape to measure my own self, and declared 60 inches (152.40 C) sufficient. But I did not get double that for two blouses. I thought 2 1/2 yards would do it. I am not good at math. Two and a half yards is only 90 inches (228.60 C)! I was so dismayed to find a very short piece that when folded in half would make a blouse that just might reach to under her breasts!
It was during the evening I'd made this discovery and was certain the store would be closed. So we went this morning. Alas, the remainder had been sold! Julia is happy with the solution. She found a teal and brown print featuring Indian pots that called to her and me as well. She will instead get a dress instead of a mere blouse out of the deal. I got 7 1/2 yards ( 270 inches - 228.60 C), to ensure there would be sufficient. And I will cut her dress out first to ensure there is enough. She is quite tall and prefers a long, flaring skirt, so that eats the yardage up. I'm sure the zodiac dress took 5 1/2 yards, so I'm confident. I think.
The seamstress that has been off work with a broken leg reclaimed her radio, so I've spent time searching for one. The first store wanted 50 bucks for a version for which I'd paid 30 bucks not THAT many years ago. I wasn't going to do that! The second store (often called 'the evil empire') held a surprise: not one simple radio was available in that huge, freaking store!
They were either huge boomboxed that looked as they should fly with all their lighted dials. Or they were puny little clock radios. All had CD players in them. But as one cannot enter the 'evil empire' without spending bucks, we left with ANOTHER new blouse for me, this one reddish-orange with a dark navy plaid stripe. (Am I becoming the 'Imelda Marcos' of blouses? As you may recall, this president's wife had to have an entire room dedicated to her SHOE collection.)
Julia saw a pretty watch festooned with 'amethysts', and 'diamonds' around the mother-of-pearl dial face. She got a metal thermos and a plastic lidded drink container similar to the one I take to work. We got 4 AA batteries, but when we got home, we learned we really needed AAA batteries. Not to worry, they're supposed to be good until 2010!
Yesterday, Julia got a blue and white Chinese tea pot, so she's been having fun. She also got a largish bottle of Irish Cream Whiskey for 7 bucks, and I encouraged her to get a small radio for her work office. She's had it up and running, so we know it works.
Yes, we found radios! A drugstore had them. To get the bass control button I wanted and sufficiently large speakers, a CD player came with mine. I figure I'll get a few good plays out of it before the cheapie thing craps up! Yes, I am such a cynic. I do not believe a unit with CD player costing only 34 bucks can last long. Maybe it will prove me wrong!
So we're spent out, my inner 'wild child' is smiling, and it's been a good weekend. A few hours remain, it's still not over yet!
August 11, 2003
"The Morning Edginess O Monday"
Coming here for a bit of mental serenity before the weekend begins, I smile as I read of the weekend's fun. We ended it by 'seeing biscuit'. As I'd heard of the good acclaim Seabiscuit was gathering, we almost went to see it for the past couple of weeks. Julia often joked about 'when we gonna SEE BISCUIT?' At last, we did. Yes, it deserves the great acclaim it's getting. Greatly inspired, I wrote a poem about it.
Now this morning, I am not feeling so high. Rising with anxiety, I noticed with sardonic amusement the horoscope which proclaims "STRANGE EMOTIONS" as the 'Cosmic Conditions' of the day, caused by 'Neptune conjunct Moon'. It is an excellant day for practicing the deep breathing as often as I can think of it. Yes, and relaxing the muscles behind the eyes, between the shoulder blades and all points elsewhere, untensing tightly curled toes. This is the practice which will strengthen me, by which I can keep calmly alert and able to grow.
I must look at this nervous Monday as another chance for growth.
August 14, 2003
"The Quiet Reflection O' Thursday"
All around me is the rising noisiness. I do not hear it, but I sense it. The ringing of alarms everywhere. The drowsyness dragging itself into consciousness as the flurry of household tasks begin for the readyness of the day.
Julia has not yet roused. I've turned the air freshener/nap noise maker off, which by its low drone encourages sleep, and turned on the kitchen light, to cast a gentle light that will filter into the bedroom. If no rousing soon, then a kiss and the bedroom light goes on.
The same routine is everywhere. Soon, pots of tea or coffee will be brewing, and pans of this and that will be sizzling.
The world rouses. At least those in this time zone, with the usual 8:00am to 4:30pm ish schedules, are rousing. I had once a different schedule, working the night shift. I felt cut apart, on my own time zone. I did not figure it out, what part of the world shared the exact time with me as I prepared for a 11:00pm to 7am day. They would be thirteen hours ahead of us. No, that wouldn't be it. The Greenwich Mean time zone, in England, is just eight or nine hours ahead of us. Those who shared my exact moment then had to be 'behind' in time. I would be nine hours ahead of them.
It's probably someplace in the middle of the ocean. All this purposefulness, all this early or late busyness, somewhere, everywhere . . . Here, it is NOW.
Wherever YOU are, it is NOW. Though I will be on a different 'now'.
Is this the most profound I will get this morning?
I don't know. Last evening, Julia and I celebrated our ninth anniversary by going to the River City Grill. The Wednesday ambiance of the restaurant is quite different than the communal exuberance of the 'Friday Feed Fest'. It is quiet, like small candle flames glinting in well-placed glass vessels. It is peaceful, too, and it was a peaceful getaway for us as we marked the milestone of nine years together.
Does the number NINE have magical significance itself? In some of the mystical documents which I haven't examined closely, there are references to 'nine angles', etc. So I asked Julia, who has now roused and has set the tea maker percolating. (We use a coffee maker, as it makes the best tea.) She replied, ''Nine muses, triple nine, three by three, highest single digit, hence, a better indicater of perfection than seven.''
Last night, I asked her of the much feared number 666. 'The mark of the beast', from Biblical 'Revelations', it has caused so much paranoia that one co-worker I used to work with BEGGED her customers to go buy something else if their total came to that.
I marvelled at her fervor. Julia could think of something other than it was supposed to be the number of 'imperfection'. It might have been a reference to Nero, Neron Kaisar, which adds up to 666 with a bit of finagling, as the orignal name is Latin and they were doing this in Greek. Then she added, ''It, too, could be just gibberish.'' One evening a couple of weeks ago, we had the radio on, and the local college station was playing jazz. The old jazz classic 'Route 66' came on, and we enjoyed silliness, by singing, ''Get your kicks on Route 666''.
My, my old co-worker, if witnessing us, would have been struck dumb with horror. You aren't so superstitious, are you? Ah, I doubt it, for I would have scared you off a long time ago.
Get your kicks . . .
Or as the Ancient Greeks would say:
They call their country HELLAS!
(Though, they may not now pronounce the 'H'.) This has been a hella FUN! Ah, I love having a sense of humor! (Julia wrote the text for that image above, by the way.)
Anyway, I remarked to Julia of our dinner celebration, that it isn't just the fine food. My blackened salmon over spinach salad, followed by raspberry chocolate truffle cake wouldn't be nearly so satifying if eaten alone. Alone, I might have just eaten stale popcorn and cheese slices. The fine company makes the fine dining experience.
I salute our nine years together. We are a good team. As I said at the restaurant last night, ''Go US! Go, TEAM! Yay, US!'' That was as eloquent as I got last night, and as I'm gonna get this morning.
YOU, wherever you are, enjoy the moment, grab it while you can and savor it fully.
