Tip; A Retro Reader

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It is 10:30 and just walked in the door a little while ago. Had a busy day. Taught all day, then dropped off artwork for an art show, then off to meet a friend who was in town from Algiers, where they filmed the movie Ray, which is across the great Mississippi from New Orleans, or as she calls it, Nawlans. Then off to German class, and now I have heard that there is the possibility of heavy rains, so I have to go out to the studio to make sure that there is nothing on the floor that can get ruined. Things always get ruined when my studio floods, no matter how much I check it, but I will clear away books and papers off the floor near the wall where the water comes in, and throw down some towels in case it happens. AND PRAY. The open studio is next week, and all I need is a muddy mix of water to make life even harder for me. My neighbor did major yard landscaping just about the same time that my studio was being made out of 1/2 of my 2-car garage. I knew it had some dampness, but never had standing water on the floor. Imagine my horror when it first happened. We had dug out all the old concrete, dug down, laid gravel, poured new cement and then laid tile. I figure that the built in olympic size pool plus the addition that was added behind my garage mucked up the water flow and it pours into my garage in a bad storm.

This book whose photo is featured tonite is a flash back to the early 60's of parochial school in Long Island. Similar to the Dick and Jane books, it features tip, a terrier, and Jack and Janet. It is in great shape and is on ebay. I am not a retro girl, perhaps it is some bad memories I have of my childhood and that era that leave a bad taste in my mouth. I do cherish the few things I have from that period in a sentimental way, and perhaps my love of things that are from a period much older than that are a yearning for a life I never had. A romanticism and fantasy world, a world of happy rosy children and cherubs and paste jewels. I think it also reminds me of my great aunties whom I adored who had lovely Victoriana in their Queens apartment. They were my solace, those Irish aunts, in their dotted 40's dresses with thick black shoes and heavy stockings. Even they could get me to eat eggs, which I hated, and I would even eat the dark purple kelp that they had in their server in a paper bag......

I don't collect polka dotted mugs or bowls, and the only turquoise I am interested in is around my neck. Barbies are foreign to me, I was not allowed to have them.
But I know Tip will make someone very very happy. He came from a world that means joy to some person, and I am sure he will find a good home.

G'nite to all, Patti

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