Wisdom and folly #reverb10

December 10 Wisdom. What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out? (prompt by @photobird)

I'm a day late on this one.  Well, technically 40 minutes.  If I were in BC, this would be right on time.

Why yes, I am postponing having to answer this topic.

This year, I didn't feel very wise.  I felt as though I knew very little and, the more I learned, the less I knew.  Today, especially, I have felt the opposite of wise, so this makes me feel like I've never been wise in my life.

However, as I go through my year (which Reverb10 is intent on making me do) I realize I have made decisions and, some of them, they were good!  Call it wisdom, folly, or luck of the draw, I had some decisions that turned out for the best.

Each decision led to circumstances that enabled me to make other decisions or discoveries I would have otherwise missed.  I am sure, after this month is over, you will be tired of hearing about these things because my year has been about the same few things over and over and over again.

In February, I decided to go see my sister for Valentine's Day instead of spending my first married V-day with my husband.  Seems like a bad idea, yes, but turns out it was a good decision.  That decision led me to be there for  the discovery of her Celiac's disease and to realize that it might be mine too.

In June, I decided to go on my first trip to Europe.  BY. MYSELF.  Okay, yes, it was to see my Dad, but I was going by myself first and then meeting up with him.  This decision led to a great deal of panic and terror, but it also led to self-realization that I could do it.  I could travel across the world.  And that led me to see where my Dad lives and to meet his new (and my new extended) family.  That was worth every minute.

I decided it was time to go through all the stuff I had in storage and in boxes that belonged to members of my family and had not been opened for years.  It resulted in a great deal of work, but led to gems of terrible pictures, fantastic "heirlooms" and hilarious pieces of my past.

I also decided to open an Etsy shop for all my knitted goods.  I had been knitting and knitting since February when Ky taught me and had a ton of product sitting around my house.  I opened a shop and sold quite a few items.  It's not enough to actually be worth any money, but it has allowed me to be able to buy more knitting supplies!!

Last, but not least, my most wise decision has been one I have made every day for a year.  To appreciate every minute of being married to The Guy.  Yes, even the minutes when he tickles me until I want to pee and the ones that weren't full of laughter.  So, at least once a day, when I decide to love the goofy, wonderful man that he is -- I am wise.

Family heirlooms: aka more crap I've found

I've been sorting through my Mom's old sewing stuff.  Yes, Mom died 6 years ago.  Yes, I moved 3 times since then.  Yes, I do spend a lot of time watching NCIS reruns.  Shut up.

Tonight, I had a bit of ADHD (or, as we call it in the biz, a small manic episode) where I was very productive for about 2 hours.  I finished 4 projects and got them ready for sale and then decided that a bin I've been ignoring for 6 years was bothering me.

Armed with 2 garbage bags and my camera, I went through the bin.  I found a lot of things I will never use again -- dried flowers being the main thing -- and a few things that were pretty awesome.  I posted the most hilarious iron on decals here (on my other site, I know, I know, but I hate double posting) but saved some of the actually cool things for here.

Okay, cool is a relative term.  But whatever.

blue bird pillow cover

I'm pretty sure my mom made this back in the day.  I remember it being on her bed for ages.  I loved this pillow even though it left indents on your face if you accidentally fell asleep on it.

old timey letter and pattern

This letter is from a pattern department.  It was mailed to my Auntie Jean for whom I am middle named after (but with the French spelling: Jeanne.  I am unique.  Like everyone else.)  If you look on the post mark, it says May of 1944.  That's 66 years ago, yo.

Sorry about the "yo".  I was trying it out.

I didn't open the pattern because I was scared to break it.  But I thought it was awesome anyway.

Hankies.  Pretty. And gross.

I have a love / hate relationship with hankies.  They are very pretty.  Very practical.  Very green.  And very, very disgusting.  I mean, they are so people can carry around snot in their pockets.  How disgusting is that?  I'd rather kill the Earth, thank you very much.

Last, but not least, I will give you a sneak preview of the post I mentioned.  Here is the most offensive pattern ever.  Nothing like a racist hot mat to make your house a home.

Me as a child: I was a big, fat liar

Going through my childhood things, each assignment for school had a theme: it was an "I'm full of crap" theme.  Story after story of my life, things I did, etc were complete and utter bull*^$%.

Take for instance, the story of my dog Sandy.

Heart warming, isn't it?

In case you can't read it, it says:

My Pet Dog.
I have a pet dog named Sandy.  
When I was a baby, I would go on his back and he'd take me for a ride.
Then I would throw my ball.
I loved Sandy.
Bronwyn

Yeah, I didn't have a pet dog.  Let alone one named Sandy.  I have no idea where I came up with this dog.  I mean, except for the name which I obviously got from watching Annie three hundred times.  Apart from that, the only time I ever saw a dog that looked like a horse was at my friend Candi's house and it's name was Sadie.

Oh.

Apparently, I was a little jealous.

A few years later, I wrote a poem for the first day of school.

This poem says:

First Day of School
I wonder if my drawings will be as good as theirs
I wonder if they'll like me or just be full of stares
I wonder if my teacher will look like Mom or Gram
I wonder if my puppy will wonder where I am
Bronwyn

Now, ignoring the extreme lack of confidence in my social skills and self-esteem, not the last line.  Again with the damn puppy!!  I mean, I give myself props for the poem rhyming and having proper rhythm and such, but really... why did I feel I needed to lie?

Also, why didn't my parents just get me a dog already?

My Mother: In portrait and letters

Slowly, I have been wading through the boxes in our garage.  When everyone in my family fled the Skatch, I ended up with a whole lotta crap.  I have weeded through some boxes here and there when my siblings have been in town, but mostly, it's just taken up space in one garage or storage unit or another.

This week, we went through the box containing all our drawings and letters and projects from school.  Starting with Kindergarten and moving on up.  I went through everything to decide what needed to be kept and what didn't. 

I found many pieces in homage to my mother.  If you were not lucky enough to meet my mother, I hope this gives you insight into how truly special she was.

I had a great admiration for my mother.  In a hilarious and disturbing way.

Picture of Mom by me at 5 yrs old.

This is the first picture I pulled out of the file.  Notice how Mom is drawn.  First, she has a Hutterite beard.  And a wart on her nose.  She is dressed in a gorgeous purple which renders her unable to move or bend as it is made of a board.  She has blue flames shooting from her fingers and she has webbed feet.

Then, in Grade 1, I tried again with the portrait of Mom.

A Mother's Day card

My reason for loving my mother?  Because she was nice to me.  Admittedly, this must have been a challenge given that I have previously told the world she had a wart on her nose.  Mom had many talents.  What were they?  I HAVE NO IDEA.  However, she did love me (many exclamation points!) so that must have been one of them.

Then to the inside of the card.  Where they ask me to write of my favourite moment with my mother.  I regale them with a tale of when Mom fell down.  Ha ha!  That is funny.

When does my mother love me?  Well, of course when I love her, but mostly when I'm asleep.

Inside of the same card.

Then the prized moment.  When is my Mom the prettiest?  And I answer: when... she's in the shower!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (add many more exclamation points here)

I have so many questions.  First: why did I know what my mother looked like in the shower?  Second: why did I feel the need to a) write this where my teacher would see it, and b) send it to my mother for the sacred holiday of Mother's Day?  Third: how did my mother not LOSE IT when she read this out loud?

Having kids must be hilarious.  We're morons.

Pictures you find when you're going through boxes

Since LynnieC is here this weekend, I have forced her to help me go through boxes of family memorabilia which is taking up my entire garage and basement storage.  We cleared out boxes of books, knick knacks, etc.  It lead us to a great deal of pictures which were unsorted and highly amusing!  People are really going to wish we didn't find these pictures, but too bad.

Here is one of my father in a witch's hat with a teddy bear.  Why?  I do not know.  But it is awesome.

And here is one of LynnieC as a pirate.

The piece de resistance: my crazy Grandma and her two sisters doing "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil."  Old people are hilarious.

Grandma, Auntie Jean, and Auntie Margaret.  

I think it's a good thing Auntie Margaret wasn't "speak no evil" as she cannot be quiet that long.