Compassion. That's what these recent lean times have taught me. Compassion for myself, compassion for others, compassion. The New York Times requested a word from readers to describe how we felt about the recession and today I submitted: transformed.
I'd also wanted to express my dismay at the recent demise of the Mrs. John L. Strong-luxury stationer. I never ordered any of their pricey products but I so love cards and writing paper, journals, notebooks and handcrafted stationery. I have boxes of note cards and every time I go to Paris I return with beautiful postcards purchased in bulk from the Pompidou Center. Ok, not bulk but 20 or 30 or so, enough to impress the cashier. I also buy sheets of handmade paper and inexpensive recycled paper with envelopes to match. I also look for things to place inside, I once read that Frida Kahlo included feathers and other things in her letters. I am known for heart shaped glitter thingies and on occasion those fortune telling red fish, whose curling tail dictates your level of passion.
I have not kept up with my letter writing even though people have come to mind and my boxes of beautiful note cards gather dust...........I have not been in the mood, and I don't have a stash of the new Simpson stamps either, the last time I wrote someone postage was still 42cents. I also love buying interesting stamps, they make me happy. I'll admit I have not done my part to insure that the art of letter writing is not dead.
I am also reminded of Helen Sclair, the cemetery lady here in Chicago. I took one of her classes and she had loads of stories and history to share about cemeteries. Chicago has so many great ones, she and another great cemetery historian Al Walovich, bring them to life. Helen said that in times past people knew how to act when people hung black bunting or wore a black arm band or when they received a card bordered in black..........People knew when someone was grieving or suffered a loss, you just knew how to act and if you were grieving how you wanted/needed to be treated. I think I need bunting or colors or something to let my friends know exactly how I'm feeling and what the very least they can expect from me, when I am not at my top socializing level.
I have Emily Post's book of Etiquette as well as her biography. I haven't delved into either of the tomes, but will share interesting info when I do. So perhaps I should send my condolences to Mrs. John L. Strong and a thank you card to the universe for lessons learned. Tomorrow we start a small job and I am grateful.
I'd also wanted to express my dismay at the recent demise of the Mrs. John L. Strong-luxury stationer. I never ordered any of their pricey products but I so love cards and writing paper, journals, notebooks and handcrafted stationery. I have boxes of note cards and every time I go to Paris I return with beautiful postcards purchased in bulk from the Pompidou Center. Ok, not bulk but 20 or 30 or so, enough to impress the cashier. I also buy sheets of handmade paper and inexpensive recycled paper with envelopes to match. I also look for things to place inside, I once read that Frida Kahlo included feathers and other things in her letters. I am known for heart shaped glitter thingies and on occasion those fortune telling red fish, whose curling tail dictates your level of passion.
I have not kept up with my letter writing even though people have come to mind and my boxes of beautiful note cards gather dust...........I have not been in the mood, and I don't have a stash of the new Simpson stamps either, the last time I wrote someone postage was still 42cents. I also love buying interesting stamps, they make me happy. I'll admit I have not done my part to insure that the art of letter writing is not dead.
I am also reminded of Helen Sclair, the cemetery lady here in Chicago. I took one of her classes and she had loads of stories and history to share about cemeteries. Chicago has so many great ones, she and another great cemetery historian Al Walovich, bring them to life. Helen said that in times past people knew how to act when people hung black bunting or wore a black arm band or when they received a card bordered in black..........People knew when someone was grieving or suffered a loss, you just knew how to act and if you were grieving how you wanted/needed to be treated. I think I need bunting or colors or something to let my friends know exactly how I'm feeling and what the very least they can expect from me, when I am not at my top socializing level.
I have Emily Post's book of Etiquette as well as her biography. I haven't delved into either of the tomes, but will share interesting info when I do. So perhaps I should send my condolences to Mrs. John L. Strong and a thank you card to the universe for lessons learned. Tomorrow we start a small job and I am grateful.
posted by Christina at 12:41 PM
1 Comments:
lwhat a good word "transformed" i described myself lately as having an earthquake/shift in my beliefs.
i like transformed better - i'm being transformed.
i also have a collection of post cards, etc,. but no one to send them to - i could do my friend FiFi here, but i just don't take time today like i use to in the past. my granddaughter in Australia, i've kind of inudated her with my stuff and she likes it. i feel that i can say that because she makes comments and tells me she likes it. i don't do my brother anymore in Sweden - i kind of know that it was lost on him, just too much stuff. there is something about FiFi's writing that stimulates me and it causes me to put finger tips to keyboard.
recently i've been going to a lot of movies - Gone with the Wind, Barfly, Ivan's xtc, Less than Zero, Benjamin Buttons, Another Women, American Gangster, theres a few more can't remember the titles at the moment. i'm doing that instead of relating with and to people. my path is lonely right now and pretty scary. i'm looking forward to this weekend. my apartment is calling me to take better care of it. and more meetings will put an appreciated smile on my face - life is funny but i forget to laugh. my favorite bus driver was not there this morning to greet me at 7:o7 am.
i hope that he's okay and i'll see him on Monday. thank you Ms christine for your thoughts.
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