Tiny Tuesday!

Below are tiny charms I used to embellish kilts.

Longhorn ram.
Grand piano.
Crow.
Flower set with stones.

I ended up with six finished 1:6 scale kilts. Then I realized the trouble I’d had modifying the pattern I found (for a human kilt) contributed to how I misread the actual arrangement of the kilt. Kilts open or fasten on the wearer’s right side, what we see facing it on our left. I got that reversed in my brain, so all my dolls’ kilts open on their left side and are incorrectly fringed on their left side. Since these are dolls representing characters in the Neverending Saga, Tom advised me to accept that I’ve created a mirror universe in my fiction. It’s always good to have a science fiction buff around.

Here are the six. From left to right (real left as you’re looking at it, not some fictitious left), their characters’ initials are AC, MA, DFS, BW, PA, and CA. I tell you that so I can give credit for the pieces I didn’t make.


I made AC’s white shirt (in the 1990s), vest, kilt, and socks. The shoes are Mattel’s.
I made MA’s kilt and socks and the strap with the ram charm. The green over-shirt, black long-sleeved tee, and shoes are Mattel’s.
I made DFS’s gray shirt, kilt, strap with the piano charm, socks, and necklaces. The shoes are Mattel’s.
I made BW’s kilt, fly plaid, belt with the crow charm, and socks. Black shirt and shoes are Mattel’s.
I made PA’s red shirt, black belt (many years ago), kilt, and socks. Shoes are Mattel’s.
I made CA’s brown shirt, kilt, socks, and chain holding flower charm. Boots are Mattel’s.

I can bring a little life to these characters by imagining dialogue. You might have to zoom in to read it.

Definitely a learning experience, and not only will my next kilts and shirts be better, but I’ll make sure they open on the dolls’ right sides. Literally.

Button Sunday

Today is National Chinese Takeout Day.


This button available on Redbubble.

Here are a few takeout/restaurant buttons (most from my personal collection).


Vintage Burger King button.


Vintage McDonald’s button.


Popcorn used to be my takeout snack from Target, but they don’t have machines anymore.


I don’t remember what restaurant advertised with this button or campaign. Maybe Lynne does. Same applies to this one. Maybe the Omelet Shoppe?


Vintage Arby’s button. Ironic, since I never ate their roast beef sandwiches.


Guessing somebody grabbed this button for me back when the peach shake was introduced by Chick-fil-A in 1995.


Vintage button from Morrison’s Cafeteria chain, which originated in Alabama, expanded throughout the Southeast, and now is closed down. Though I eventually overcame a childhood fear of cafeterias and ate at Morrison’s, Picadilly, and Luby’s, these days meals I don’t cook are only takeout, not dine-out, for me. And the single item that still comes home to me on a regular basis is liquid…

Do you have a favorite kind of takeout or a favorite Chinese takeout menu item? My default is cashew chicken, though I’ve been known to choose sweet and sour chicken, too.

Why?


Tom and I got our early voting done. Some people ask why, and if for no other reason, it’s a continued effort against cynicism. I might be a skeptic, but I hope never to be a cynic. Maybe the choice to hope is part of that.

A Google search on the difference between cynicism and skepticism:

While both skepticism and cynicism involve questioning assumptions and evaluating evidence, there are key differences between the two mindsets. Skeptics are open to new ideas and are willing to be convinced by evidence, while cynics tend to be closed-minded and mistrustful.

Hump Day Humor

A few things I’ve snagged from friends I follow on Instagram. I can’t always attest that I’m aligned with the original sources, because I don’t follow them. But these amused me, wherever they came from.

The horror!

On behalf of my French or French-speaking characters.

Mickey knows what he did.

I related way too well to this.

This is like the quicksand on shows I saw as a kid, but this one was more a part of adolescence.

ETA: Found another one (very) early Thursday morning.

Done

Finished it last night.

As I’ve tried to record for other mass shootings, I believe the victims should be seen as more than simply names connected to another atrocity. According to WMTW and The Associated Press, the identified victims in the Lewiston, Maine, mass shooting include:

Ronald G. Morin, 55, described as an upbeat, happy person who was always full of jokes and loved his family, was among the eight men killed at Schemengees Bar & Grille. He was employed by Coca Cola and prided himself on never missing a day of work. His obituary notes that his wife, children, and dog Remy were his entire world.

Peyton Brewer Ross, 40, worked as a pipefitter and loved cornhole, wrestling, comic book heroes, and helping others. From his brother: “He was a character. He just made people laugh. It was the way he was able to tell stories. You could hear the story, it could be 100 times, but each time he told it there was something else that you could pull out of it.”

Joshua A. Seal, 36, was among several members of the deaf and hard of hearing community in Lewiston who regularly went to Schemengees Bar & Grille to play cornhole. On Wednesday, he was participating in a cornhole tournament for the deaf, along with Steve Vozzella, Bryan MacFarlane, and Billy Brackett, who were also killed. He leaves behind a wife and four children. He was the Director of Interpreting Services at Pine Tree Society in Scarborough and a Certified Deaf Interpreter. He interpreted for several press conferences, including the Covid pandemic briefings. He loved to travel and enjoyed outdoor sports.

Bryan M. MacFarlane, 41, was playing in the cornhole tournament for the deaf when he was killed. A commercial truck driver who grew up in Maine, he moved back to the state to be closer to his mother. His sister described him as an outdoorsy man who loved camping, fishing, and riding his motorcycle. He also loved spending time with deaf friends and with his dog, M&M, who was named after his favorite candy and regularly joined him on the road.

Joseph Lawrence Walker, 57, a manager at Schemengees Bar and Grille, died at the scene of the shooting. According to police, Walker’s last moments were heroic as he tried to stop the gunman with a butcher knife to protect others. He was shot to death in the attempt.

Arthur Fred Strout, 42, was playing pool at Schemengees Bar and Grill with his father. They’d planned to leave together, but Arthur stayed behind when his father left. A friend said he was a generous person with an infectious, silly laugh. Described by his wife as a Christmas person who would start decorating at Halloween, he leaves behind a blended family of five children.

Maxx A. Hathaway, 35, spent Wednesday night playing pool at Schemengees Bar & Grille with his pregnant wife Brenda. By the time the shooter burst into the restaurant, Hathaway was there alone. His sister described him as “a goofy, down to earth person” who “loved to joke around and always had an uplifting attitude no matter what was going on.” When they were young, he was always willing to play dolls with their younger sister. His third child is due in about a month.

Stephen M. Vozzella, 45, was playing in Schemengees Bar & Grille’s cornhole tournament for the deaf when he was killed. An active member of the New England Deaf Cornhole community, he’d won several victories in the sport. He was the father of two and a letter carrier for the USPS.

Thomas Ryan Conrad, 34, was the manager of the bowling alley and tried with several other men to take down the shooter when he entered the building. An Army veteran, his service included tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He returned to Maine to be closer to his daughter, and friends say he died a hero, rushing the shooter to protect the children in the bowling alley.

Michael R. Desiauriers II, 51, was also killed at the bowling alley while trying to stop the gunman. His ex-wife, who’d known him since elementary school, described him as “an amazing man. An amazing father. An amazing provider.” Michael’s girlfriend, who was with him at the bowling alley, told her that Michael had tried to fight back and urged his girlfriend to hide behind the ball rack before he lunged at the attacker.

Jason Adam Walker, 51, another man killed at the bowling alley while helping Desiauriers take down the gunman after they ensured their families were under cover and safe. He enjoyed vegetable gardening, creating educational YouTube videos, preserving seed and harvest, making homemade sausage with his best friend Michael Deslauriers and baking sourdough bread. He leaves behind a wife and two sons.

Tricia C. Asselin, 53, an accomplished athlete, a mother, and a volunteer, was bowling with her sister at Just-In-Time Recreation, where she worked. A friend described her as “the type of person who would have done anything for children and anybody. If she liked you, she made you feel like you were in her inner circle.”

William A. Young, 44, described as a man who was dedicated to his family and always trying to be “a funny guy,” was with his son at the bowling alley for Youth League Night when he was killed.

Aaron Young, 14, son of Bill Young, was an avid bowler killed with his father on Youth League Night.

Robert E. Violette, 76, a dedicated volunteer coach for a youth bowling league, was killed at Just-in-Time while trying to save the lives of those around him. He was described as always having a smile and always willing to coach both kids and adults with bowling tips.

Lucille M. Violette, 73, wife of Bob Violette, was killed at the bowling alley with her husband. She was an employee of Lewiston Public Schools, dedicated to her position as a secretary in the business office for 52 years. A favorite story she told was of proposing to Bob after they met because she didn’t want to take a chance of losing him. She became a mother of three sons and a grandmother of six.

William Frank Brackett, 48, was killed at Schemengees Bar and Grille while playing in the cornhole tournament alongside Joshua Seal, Steve Vozzella, and Bryan MacFarlane. Described as a shy, kind guy and a natural-born athlete with a passion for all sports, he leaves behind a wife and young daughter.

Keith D. Macneir, 64, killed at Schemengees, was a Floridian who traveled to Maine to spend his 64th birthday with his son. A friend described him as “the friendliest and kindest guy in any room, whose loss will leave a huge hole in the lives of many, many people.”

something new


Picked up this coloring book the other day because who wouldn’t want to color more kindness into the world? The first page I removed to color also led me to explore something new.

Below is the page, completed with gel pens and colored pencils.

And here’s the information it led me to (as shown left to right, top to bottom of the coloring page), because I wanted to know where all those different words for “peace” originated. You can teach an old dog new things!

“Peace” in languages not English:

שלום – Israel and liturgical, and Yiddish in Israel, USA, Russia, etc.
शान्तिः – India, Nepal
평화 – Korea
Sìth – Scotland
Pace – Corsica, Moldava, Romania, Italy, Switzerland, Scotland, Europe, North Africa, Middle East (extinct)
Frieden – Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Italy, Belgium
Heddwch – Wales
Paz – Spain, North and South America, Portugal, Asturias, Caribbean, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau
Paix – France, Belgium, Canada, Caribbean, West Africa, Polynesia
Fred is a word for peace in many countries (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Greenland) and Frede (Germany, Netherlands), and Fréda (France, Switzerland) but I’m not sure about the font as it’s shown on this page
Síocháin – Ireland
Maluhia – Hawaii
Vrede – South Africa, Netherlands, Belgium
Pokój – Poland, Germany
سلام – North Africa, Mideast, Central Asia, liturgical, and possibly Algeria
和平 – China, Viet Nam, Japan

Thursday thoughts


A little errand running today, which earned me this self-indulgence. Decadent, maybe, but at least that’s a reusable straw and the cup is recyclable.

I was thinking about my Wednesday post and remembered I’d saved this on my phone. Still makes me laugh every time.

I’m writing again. Makes me feel like SUPERMAN!

(Except not in a display box. Though Rhonda has said, when she’s in the hallway and passing the sanctuary with its gate to keep out dogs, how she feels like she’s at one of those historical landmarks where stanchions block visitors from some rooms. 🤣)