Pam

I love to collect other peoples' memories. Their painted portraits and photographs. Their slides and films. Their carefully penned letters and their scribbles on the fronts of cookbooks. I don't know why but I'm able to completely engross myself in their worlds even if I've never met them. I've always been really interested in people and their stories. Even if I can only get mere clues to those stories from the visual snippets that I find.

Recently, the Mister and I were walking around a really bad flea market and were not only near the end of the aisles but also the end of our ropes from the frustration of looking at horribly boring merchandise. It was then that I saw them - a large pile of 8mm films.



I went over to them and started reading the handwritten notes on the outside:

1963 Florida
Pam and I Decorating The Tree
Pam's Third Birthday Party
Pam and The Rabbits
Pam's Fourth Birthday and the Christmas Snow

There were thirteen films in all and they ranged from the mid-nineteen fifties to the mid-nineteen sixties. I was absolutely dying to see what was on those films. It felt like I was meant to find them and they had this incredible magnetic pull. Which was strange because I didn't even own an 8mm projector. And I'd seen 8mm films for sale before and had never taken them home. Before I knew it, I'd bought several of them and the weekend ended with yes, the purchase of an old film projector. Before long, Pam and her family's memories were playing on our living room wall:






























Bit by bit, I went back and got the rest of those films. I've learned since that Pam, the sweet little girl on the films has passed away and that the items from her home were cast off.

Knowing of her early death, it's sad to look at her and her family in the happy times in these films. I feel like I know what's going to happen to her and I want so badly to leap inside of the movie's flickering reels and tell her to enjoy life to it's fullest - to soak it up and then when she thinks that she's had her fill, to soak it up even more. I can't help but wonder why her family didn't keep the films. Maybe it was too sad for them to see her there too.

I'll treasure her movies - her memories - and take good care of them and one day, her collection will merge into mine and be found by someone else - and to them, it will seem like she and I are family. Maybe that's why I found the films that day. In a flea market that I don't usually go to - on that last aisle, on the last shelf.



What greater thing is there for human souls than to feel that they are joined for life - to be with each other in silent unspeakable memories. ~George Eliot

Solid Potato Salad Redux

I posted a version of this video of the Ross Sisters last Summer but noticed that this YouTube user has posted a pristine copy of it with beautiful crystal clear quality. So I thought I'd post again. It's my favorite video in the history of the world. Enjoy!

Cats With Thumbs

I saw this video over at Sue's fantastic blog I Got Stuff On My Mind and I swear, I laughed so hard that I was crying.



Since I've spent the good part of the morning removing all of the cute knick-knacks from the shelves next to the sink in the kitchen because Pip, the tuxedo kitty has learned to climb them, I think it may already be a reality. And did I mention that she fought back by removing the refrigerator magnets from the fridge with her paws, sending my paper treasures flying all over the kitchen? This commercial is completely based in reality. What do cats have? Lots of time. What do they do with it? Hatch evil plots. You can't convince me otherwise.

You see this?




One day, Ranch Dressing will go silent and you will know that I'm right.

Anyhoo... At the moment, we're still currently up so enjoy the video! - and thanks to Sue for letting me share!

Dino-mite!

Another agony of defeat story from Craiglist today. I couldn't help but notice an ad for a free dinosaur. Of course, I figured it was a toy dinosaur. So imagine my surprise when I clicked the link:



That's right - a nine foot long dinosaur! For free! (And seriously..how cool is this teacher that she let her kids make this?)

I jumped into action. The first order of business was getting the Mister to say that I could have him for the patio. And he did! - but the only stipulation was that I needed to find someone to haul him home. Oh, the agony of driving a tiny compact car! I zapped off a few hectic texts and emails to friends begging, "Do you know ANYONE who can help me move a nine foot dinosaur??" but as you'd expect, got no takers.

And then, someone else got the dinosaur before I could. Sigh...

I could just picture myself in a pickup truck with my new friend, the dinosaur perched precariously in the back on his way to his new home at the ranch. And the cute eyes that I was going to paint on him. And the natty vest.

I'll have to hand it the award as the best "free" ad that I've seen on Craigslist in a while though!

And maybe I can talk the Mister into building our own dinosaur in the Fall when it gets cooler. I'll add it to the list.

Until next time,
x's and o's,
Eartha