Lately I’ve had mad moments in which I become determined to do something about the muddle.
A plain glass vase was put out for re-cycling, but Grant wanted to rescue it.
“Put coloured stones in it” he suggested.
Ah. As it happens, I have some and it’s been my intention to place them at the little gravesite.
So I fetched out the collection to transfer them from the red vase…
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As much as rocks and stones fascinate me they are impractical to cart about, so my collection is very small and my knowledge of geology even smaller.
This one came from a beach on the Antarctic Peninsula.
It was cracked in half yet perfect.
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This one is cracked into 6 pieces.
Stones absorb water and when it freezes they crack. Eventually they get broken apart and in due course become gravel or sand.
But I liked that these stones were still sitting on the beach whole and I have kept them this way for over 40 years.
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Deep down, I think it’s about separation anxiety and those two stones will remain in my display case, along with my penguin collection.
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Most of the coloured stones will go up to the gravesite but not my sand dollar.
Where it came from, I don’t remember. I love the simple perfection of it.
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As I transferred the stones to the rescued vase I came upon an ancient feather.
A memento of one of my parent’s budgies that I was so fond of, so very long ago.
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Noticing a silver medallion I didn’t remember, I tipped half the stones out to examine it.
Then I poured them all back in.
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Next I came upon this oddity.
A lens from an old pair of glasses?
Squinting through it offered no clue.
.
Hello!
Idiot at large.
Time for plan B.
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Searching for other items that could go, I came upon my original BOAC uniform skirt which has been in my possession for 55 years.
Presumably I kept it to torture my old-self, but as I held it up I decided it must have shrunk.
No way I was ever that tiny. After all, Pan American had just rejected my application for a uniformed job as I didn’t fit their weight requirement.
So I was certainly feeling fat and if I was then…
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Having a spinal fusion compacted me, reducing my height by 2 inches.
The doctor who performed the operation in 2007 told me I would probably need further surgery after ten years, but so far so good.
One should really be issued instructions with this sort of thing.
The only advice I’ve been given recently is:
If it hurts, don’t do it.
As if I would.
Shame the vase broke, but the memories of your collection are worth more than a broken vase.
Lots of screws/plates in your back! Do you set off metal detectors at airports?
Best wishes, Pete.
Yes but I don’t do airports anymore. A radiologist said my spine looked like the Eiffel Tower.
Thank you, Carolyn for the post that I could write as I collected the pebbles and stones from all over the world. I love the smooth feeling of the pebbles and have one always on my desk. I also have some cloths kept as a memento of how tiny I once was. Thank you, Carolyn, for this trip down memory lane.
Joanna
What a wonderful whimsical wander. I adore the penguins and can always find a stone or two in the pockets of any coat or jacket I put on!
It’s a lovely collection of rocks that you have – all with memories (I also have some rocks that are special to me). Your ‘sand dollar’ is beautiful – it’s so perfect. Isn’t it amazing how certain items awaken a tangle of emotions and memories in one?