Ah, well. One reason is that I'm quilting again and so enjoying the inspiration found all over the web on fiber art, quilting, embroidery, and mixed media proved too much of a temptation.
On the other hand, my little Eccentric dolls are taking a back seat. Unable to work in clay and cloth at the same time, all my little trashy treasures picked up from flea markets and antique shop trawl just sit around waiting. My little fisherman waits for his fishing pole, and yes, Mary, a fish.
I received my latest copy of Art Dolls yesterday, and one of the artists mentioned being inspired by the poem "Little Orphant Annie," a poem I loved as a child.
My mother taught me to love good poetry and bad. She didn't exactly teach me, I guess; she let me in on the delightful secret. She read to me from her poetry books, which eventually I commandeered as my own. Her favorites were marked and became my favorites...from Shakespeare and Dylan Thomas to the sentimental poems of James Whitcomb Riley and Eugene Field. From Greek myth to Book-of-the-Month club popular favorites, my mother introduced me to the remarkable pleasure of other people's words and stories.
LITTLE ORPHANT ANNIE
by: James Whitcomb Riley (1849-1916)
- INSCRIBED WITH ALL FAITH AND AFFECTION
- To all the little children: -- The happy ones; and sad ones;
The sober and the silent ones; the boisterous and glad ones;
The good ones -- Yes, the good ones, too; and all the lovely bad ones. ITTLE Orphant Annie's come to our house to stay,
- An' wash the cups an' saucers up, an' brush the crumbs away,
- An' shoo the chickens off the porch, an' dust the hearth, an' sweep,
- An' make the fire, an' bake the bread, an' earn her board-an'-keep;
- An' all us other childern, when the supper-things is done,
- We set around the kitchen fire an' has the mostest fun
- A-list'nin' to the witch-tales 'at Annie tells about,
- An' the Gobble-uns 'at gits you
- Ef you
- Don't
- Watch
- Out!
- Wunst they wuz a little boy wouldn't say his prayers,--
- An' when he went to bed at night, away up-stairs,
- His Mammy heerd him holler, an' his Daddy heerd him bawl,
- An' when they turn't the kivvers down, he wuzn't there at all!
- An' they seeked him in the rafter-room, an' cubby-hole, an' press,
- An' seeked him up the chimbly-flue, an' ever'-wheres, I guess;
- But all they ever found wuz thist his pants an' roundabout:--
- An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you
- Ef you
- Don't
- Watch
- Out!
- An' one time a little girl 'ud allus laugh an' grin,
- An' make fun of ever' one, an' all her blood-an'-kin;
- An' wunst, when they was "company," an' ole folks wuz there,
- She mocked 'em an' shocked 'em, an' said she didn't care!
- An' thist as she kicked her heels, an' turn't to run an' hide,
- They wuz two great big Black Things a-standin' by her side,
- An' they snatched her through the ceilin' 'fore she knowed what she's about!
- An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you
- Ef you
- Don't
- Watch
- Out!
- An' little Orphant Annie says, when the blaze is blue,
- An' the lamp-wick sputters, an' the wind goes woo-oo!
- An' you hear the crickets quit, an' the moon is gray,
- An' the lightnin'-bugs in dew is all squenched away,--
- You better mind yer parunts, an' yer teachurs fond an' dear,
- An' churish them 'at loves you, an' dry the orphant's tear,
- An' he'p the pore an' needy ones 'at clusters all about,
- Er the Gobble-uns 'll git you
- Ef you
- Don't
- Watch
- Out!
I have my steadfast list of blogs from long-standing friends & then I come and go as the mood strikes on other people's blogs.
ReplyDeleteI am looking for some new blogs too. Time to broaden my horizon instead of just broadening my butt while reading blogs!
I just did a small blog purge myself...But I continually add ones I find on tried and true blogs, usually from commenters on those, or links mentioned in posts on the old...It never ends, rather it changes and evolves, I guess =-) I, like Debra, have a solid list of blogs I always read, old friends I visit while drinking my morning tea...
ReplyDeleteI do the same as Debby and Debra, read the old standbys and add more. I just never purge...but then I don't do much purging in real life either.
ReplyDeleteI'd offer to make that fish, Jenclair, but there's no way the little guy would be seen with any fish I could make! He'll just have to wait till you get to him. Apparently he's not complaining too much, so try not to worry about him. He probably understands ....most fishermen are patient, after all.
Debra - Yes, I visit the long-standing friends first and last. Then look for inspiration on other blogs that may or may not become long-standing favorites in time.
ReplyDeleteIt does broaden horizons when visiting new blogs. So many great ideas, so many creative people, so many good books to find!
DebbyMc - Changing and evolving is exactly right. Old friends and new possibilities always out there!
Mary - Visiting the old standbys is so nice because you get to know not only the bloggers, but their families, and their various interests!
You are right, fishermen are patient, and the little fellow looks quite content.