Aug 27, 2009

DOG DAYS

The first order of business today is to send a big fat sniffly thank you out to all of you faithful readers who put up with my drivel day after day. I'm truly humbled that y'all think this little corner of the Bloggy-verse is worthy of your time, and I hope you'll keep coming back.

Today is a particularly interesting day here at Chez Spinster. I woke this morning with an urgent need to go buy school supplies. I have a school supply fetish that would make Mead, Bic, and Crayola proud. I come by it honestly, since the best day of my entire life was the day that Flossie Percy's box arrived on the doorstep.

Flossie Percy was my mom's best friend when we lived in Athens, Tennessee. I was a soon-to-be kindergartner and was naturally a little anxious about the first big day. Mom reassured me that it would be just like I imagined it and almost exactly like the little play school that I had assembled in the basement. (What can I say? I was a weird child. I used to play school.)

Anywhoose, the week before Labor Day was quickly approaching and we hadn't done anything other than order the "little missy" sized school clothes from the J.C. Penney catalogue. (Why didn't they just call them what they were?....."Bigger sizes that you won't want anybody in your age group to know about and that will haunt you for the rest of your miserable life"). So as I was stressing out over the fact that nary a pencil had been procured, a HUGE box arrived on the doorstep addressed to ME! My name and everything! Right there on the box!

It was my first parcel-receiving experience, and let me tell you, it didn't disappoint.

That box could have outfitted a small elementary school, let alone one lonely little six year old. Pens, pencils, papers, notebooks, rulers....oh, the bounty! There was stuff in that box that I wouldn't use for decades, but who cared?! I had my very own, official, Flossie Percy provided, first day of school supplies and I wasn't going to let anything get me down!

Flossie Percy sent that box to me every year until we moved to Lima and I started the sixth grade. I'm pretty sure that I have some remnant of one of those boxes around here somewhere, and although Flossie passed away years ago I think about her every August.

Stewey is ready to go back to school. Summer bored him to tears this year, and I suspect that me being a general fool everyday didn't help matters. We had intended to get through a comprehensive reading list, organize his little desk, paint the bathroom, and buy a new lunch box, but alas, there was just too much stitching to do. Maybe next year."Traveling Stitcher" is nearing the finish line. All that's left to do is the lettering, but I fear that I won't have enough Brandied Pears to see me to the end. Damn, drat, and phooey on that one, but if I put my mind to it, I bet I can find a suitable replacement. I'm auditioning a few different choices here on the left:I suppose that this will be finished tonight and a Happy Dance will ensue. I am really quite shocked at my progress on this WIP pile, but I don't want to get too cocky or it's sure to stop dead in it's tracks.

Thanks again for all of your fabulous commentary about The Sister Mary Etiquette Project. I'll keep you updated as she goes about town righting wrongs and making the world a better place for humanity!

Woo Hoo!

12 comments:

  1. What a lovely tale about your box of supplies. I fondly remember the afternoons of the first day of school when, list in hand, we went off to purchase supplies for the new school year!
    Your stitching, as always is coming out lovely. Any of the colors you have suggested will look great.

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  2. I am working on the traveling stitcher and I am down to my last two strands of brandied pears so I think that you will be fine. I did all the lettering all I have to do is Needles yet and I'm done with that color. It is a close call.

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  3. Oh, I used to play school all the time and I totally get the school supply fever..... such happy memories - thanks!

    Stitchy progress looks fantastic - looking forward to the happy dance.

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  4. I played school as well, I liked it better than real school, cause I was running the show! I love this story and I too get excited about new school supplies. We have a blast with it every year, never mind that we have so many leftovers that we could really do without.

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  5. Oh, my gosh! I have a huge thing for school/office supplies (go figure ... I teach). I think there's something genetic about it, because my daughter has the same problem. We're especially fond of sticky notes.

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  6. Hi Coni,
    I read your blog faithfully and enjoy each entry. You should design a cross stitch or a needlepoint canvas for all of us to stitch with the subject of Sister Mary E.! This way we can all spread the word!

    Dr. Denise

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  7. I know exactly what you mean about the new school year! I find myself in Walmart looking at all the bins with pencils,pens,crayons,paper,notebooks,pencil boxes,watercolors,glue,etc. and wanting to get a school list and buy, buy, buy.....the security guard starts looking at me like I am a stalker since I am 55 years old, he knows I don't have kids in school.....@@

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  8. I didn't get to comment on your plan to rid the world of rudeness yesterday, but after teaching eighth grade for the past four years....you might want to start seeking out rude preschoolers to make your job easier in the future.
    Tammy

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  9. I can't wait until my grandson starts school so I can send him a big box of supplies :) He's only 3 so I'll have to wait. Maybe I'll start collecting supplies now...LOL!!! I always loved the smell of school supplies...the pencils, crayons, paper, etc. Don't even get me started on the smell of the library!! I just love all those books :)

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  10. I don't know how you remember these childhood moments, Coni! I wish I could, but having had 7 brothers and sisters (not 7 brothers and 7 sisters)and all the hand-me-downs, fighting, and general chaos, I think I decided it was healthier for me to block it ALL out.
    It is a wonderful story, and I will remember this school day box of goodies for when my 1 child (see, I did get smarter, too) and his wife have their children (I have ordered 2, but changed it to 3when they eloped).

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  11. I believe you omitted Dixon Ticonderoga....my favorite yellow pencil....and the wonderous smell of a school supply box....

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  12. I played school, too! All my stuffed animals and dolls were very well-educated.

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