fill my heart with little things
Martha tagged me to tell you seven random things about myself. Okay. I don't like memes; these days I don't even feel like writing online. I feel too private! Just want to make words and pictures in my notebooks, keep them underground for seventeen years, then let them out, like the cicadas that will surely hatch this summer all over Minnesota. Billions of cicadas. Their call can be 90 decibels, I think I read? As loud as a blender.But I like Martha; she fills my need for smart women friends, and she has excellent taste in fabric stores. So: memeing.
If pictures count, then you've got approximately 4,000 random things.I'm stalling because I don't think there's anything interesting I can tell you.
All right. First, I'm the oldest (and only girl) of four children. Probably there are people out there who could tell you that being a first-born made me bossy, stubborn, and quick to judge. They'd be right. But so am I, most of the time. Ha!
Second: I'm Catholic and grew up with the language and images of the church; I use them a lot in my writing. But I don't think of myself as a Catholic writer, and I don't mind what faith (or not) people are (or aren't). I like having access to another specialized lexicon, just like the lexicons of textile work and printmaking. That's the public side of it, for me.
Third: I have always had a thing that if I get married, I want my hair to be long enough to put in braids around my head, which is how I used to wear it all the time in high school and college. It's only to my shoulders now, so no wedding bells anytime soon.
Fourth: I forget which hand is my right and which is my left. I didn't know right/left until high school.
Fifth: I love tiny things, miniatures, scraps. It's comforting. I can take them anywhere; they're easy to transport and they don't take up space. Little things make the best presents because they're inobtrusive.
Sixth: My third-favorite word is TURPENTINE. My second-favorite word is LEPIDOPTERA. My favorite word is YES. I have a list of words I can't stand, too. I can feel, taste, and smell words. WHISKEY has the shape and flavor of a piece of pine.
Seventh: I speak Japanese, French, English, some Spanish, a bit of Italian, and scraps of Chinese, Irish (Gaelige), and a few other languages. I credit any ability I have with languages to my parents' taking me seriously when, at four, I said I'd rather go to Spanish class than swimming or ballet.
Third: I have always had a thing that if I get married, I want my hair to be long enough to put in braids around my head, which is how I used to wear it all the time in high school and college. It's only to my shoulders now, so no wedding bells anytime soon.
Fourth: I forget which hand is my right and which is my left. I didn't know right/left until high school.
Fifth: I love tiny things, miniatures, scraps. It's comforting. I can take them anywhere; they're easy to transport and they don't take up space. Little things make the best presents because they're inobtrusive.
Sixth: My third-favorite word is TURPENTINE. My second-favorite word is LEPIDOPTERA. My favorite word is YES. I have a list of words I can't stand, too. I can feel, taste, and smell words. WHISKEY has the shape and flavor of a piece of pine.
Seventh: I speak Japanese, French, English, some Spanish, a bit of Italian, and scraps of Chinese, Irish (Gaelige), and a few other languages. I credit any ability I have with languages to my parents' taking me seriously when, at four, I said I'd rather go to Spanish class than swimming or ballet.
Well, I don't want to tag anyone, mainly because the pessimist on my shoulder doubts they'd do it. But I'd be interested to hear snippets from Molly and Jane and Brian (ha! he will never do it, I would put money on it). And of course, YOU, if you'd be so kind as to leave your bits and pieces in the comments?
Photos:
Photos:
Just collecting things, you know how it is. Accumulation, subtraction, division. I was never so good at math.
American friends, (I almost wrote 'frieds,' which is maybe apropo?) happy Memorial Day!
posted by eireann at
5:07 AM
10 Comments:
To this day, right and left give me grief. But north, south, east, west? No problem at all.
I love to collect intangible things - it keeps a little room clear for the physical collections - and favorite words are some of the best. "Albondigas" (meatballs) is my perennial favorite Spanish word.
But I also like to (mentally) curate lists of most wonderful meals (the spring pea soup at Craigie Street Bistrot in Cambridge, MA - unmatched!), best storms experienced (tornado near Aurora, CO), most beautiful views (a long list, but maybe sunset at Mt Madonna, CA is near the top right now), most memorable meetings with non-domesticated animals, best knitted garments seen in the movies (Lucie's sweater in Narnia); oh gosh, just keeping a list of the lists warms me!
chez shoes: yes, me, too! i'm great at N/S/E/W.
one of my best friends doesn't' do R/L either; when he is taking a turn in the car, it is up or down (i.e. the direction you flick the turn signal/the direction you're turning the wheel). i think that is cool.
i always believed that i wouldn't become a mother until my hair was to my waist. alas, my children grow quicker than my hair. i have to form an L with my left hand index finger and thumb to remember the difference. adults used to tell me i could remember my right because it is the hand you pledge with but i stopped saying the pledge in middle school when i understood how discriminatory the words were to those who didn't believe in god. i just sat silently during that portion of homeroom.
I love your list of words. On my wall in my classroom, I have a sheet of butcher paper that goes taller than me (I needed a desk to put it up) and my creative writing students are "collectors of words and phrases" and have been putting up words--favorites and not--all up and down the wall. Moist is a common not-so-favorite. I'll have to use it as many times as I can in the next two weeks, just to see them squirm. I am making my list and you'll be able to see it tomorrow... right now I'm in Wisconsin and can't upload photos and I can't abide a post without photos these days. :) Thanks for giving me my first tag... And braids for a wedding, very beautiful. I love ropey braids, as I waxed on about earlier in ye old bloggeroo.
I am an up or down person for driving directions too - and also NSEW - can always tell you which direction we need to be going. But left and right. Forget it. Even when holding both hands out to see which one forms the "L". I am always the nominated driver when in europe because driving on the 'wrong side' comes so naturally - like it makes no difference !!
*laughs*
Martha's post inspired me to think about words that cause a reaction - "dongle" makes me laugh like a silly teenager, while "funky" causes a visible cringe - eyes to squint and face to grimace : )
I love that you speak all those languages.
i have to say to myself, "right...write" and think about holding a pen (i'm right handed). i just taught this to my daughter and she feels quite liberated as well.
i wear my hair in the braids across my head. my husband calls it my "heidi" look.
stephanie:
yes--i do the right/write thing, too. but i have to actually pick something up for it to work!
max: great lists. especially the 'best knitted garments seen in movies'!
eireann,
i love that braids plaited on your hair sentiment, :) reminds me of daydreaming of my knight in shining armor and only when i was little.
and wow! to the languages!
love your snippits of information. and photos. just love.
miniatures... of course.... and you'd love my performance art teacher in undergrad. he had this perfect little yes tattoo on his forearm. it was heaven.
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