Barbie Graveyard

Missy and I were creative children. This came in handy when we were young, and our dad was on a limited budget. Trisha, who would one day become our stepmom would sometimes bring us gifts and treats. This included Barbie dolls. We LOVED Barbies. I hate to admit it, but I played with Barbies probably well after I was supposed to stop. Well, in those early years we didn’t have much to go with our Barbies either. For a long time we did not have a Ken. So we just kept one Barbie as our “Ken.” Poor Barbie. We left her with no clothes and cut her hair short- and never brushed it. She looked crazy. Even crazier was when we had “Ken” kiss Barbie. If someone had happened across us they would have thought we were into making our Barbies lesbians. But truthfully, in my imagination, it was Barbie and Ken lip locking.

DIAGRAM 1: "KEN" AND BARBIEPlease note that both "Ken" and Barbie have boobs. I tried to render them in a friendly way- despite that one is completely naked

We also didn’t have a Barbie house. Somehow we came up with the idea of creating our house using books. We would lay them down flat, and each book represented a room-almost like a floor plan. They obviously weren’t to scale, but we were on a budget. We would use our jewelry box as her bed, a pile of pogs as tables, teddy bears as bean bag chairs or statues, etc. The best was those little white plastic things they used to put in pizza boxes to keep the lid from hitting the cheese. We made those little tables. It was very creative. The only “real” Barbie furniture was this couch that our Nana had made out of a tissue box and some fabric (it was actually really well done). Sometimes the house would be vast with tons of books sprawling our bedroom floor. If we were feeling lazy they would be smaller. I used to day dream about giant Barbie houses. I wanted to have a vast Barbie Village. Perhaps one of my first childhood dreams was to grow up and use my big people money to buy Barbie stuff.

DIAGRAM 2: BOOK HOUSES

This diagram represents out Barbie house. They were often filled with much much more stuff. For the purposes of this illustration I kept it simple.

I think what caused the most upheaval was the clothes dilemma. A couple times Trisha bought us an outfit by itself. However, the vast majority of the time, we only got new Barbie clothes on a new Barbie. This was tedious when we wanted to change outfits- undressing one, dressing another endless times until we found the right look. Then Missy got this amazing Barbie closet. That changed the game for us. We needed to fill the closet. Plus it was a hassle dressing and undressing a Barbie every time we wanted her outfit. We stripped them all naked except for our absolute favorite one each. We had already started the Barbie Graveyard – the bottom drawer of my desk where we put our broken or defunct Barbies. Seemed like the perfect place to put the naked useless ones. So now this drawer was jam packed with misfit naked and some mutilated barbies. Scary stuff. To this day, I find nothing wrong with this. However, Trisha would find our stash of Barbies. I have no idea what she thought of it, but she would redress them all. Outfits not matching, broken or not, each Barbie was dressed. Then Missy and I would find them and be like what the heck? Who dressed these Barbies (and so horribly)??? Poor Trisha probably thought we were nuts, annnnd had issues. She was just trying to get clothes back on them. We were infuriated though. We would strip them all back down and put all the clothes back how we liked them. It was a cycle.

DIAGRAM 3: BARBIE GRAVEYARD

THE BARBIE GRAVEYARD
dun dun dunnnn!

We loved our Barbies. However, we fought a lot- as you should know by now. Clever as we were, we used the nearest thing possible as a weapon when we were mad at each other. Apparently (Trisha just told me this last night) we used to stab each other with Barbie feet. And come to think of it, they are pretty sharp- if being stabbed fiercely into your arm by an angry sister.

Moral of the story: get your daughter a Ken (which we eventually got), a lot of extra clothes for that Barbie, oh and get two of everything.

oh...and just as prison folk can make a shank out of anything, apparently two angry little girls can too- so watch them closely.

Quote of the Week: 8

I think I am a little behind on the quotes! It has been a very hectic couple of weeks! But I will make up for it when I have some spare time, i promise.


"Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you."
-Maori proverb

I absolutely LOVE this. I don't know if you remember my recent posting about the universe trying to show us things. Well, seeing this quote today really hit the nail on the head for me. Whether this proverb was intentionally meant to have multi-layered meaning, or just be some good advice doesn't matter. Perhaps it is both- the best quotes usually are, and proverbs are a whole nother level.

This quote is exactly what I needed to hear. It truly has been a rough couple of weeks for me. I personally get a message about perspective, and changing our attitude for the better. A simple turn of the body (in the literal sense), and all the sudden things are different. The old perspective has fallen behind.

LOVE IT!

Cardboard Magic!

For me, my dad, and my sister “Those were the days” refers to those few years it was just the three of us. You know how it is, at the time “those days” suck big time, but years later you look back and realize how precious it was. The Pops was barely making enough to get by, and doing his best with two little girls. We didn’t have a ton of toys, and really didn’t notice, but we always had imagination. I think those few years really pushed our imagination, which then lasted throughout the rest of our childhood. We made something outta nothing all the time.

One of our most prized "nothings” was cardboard boxes! Oh how exciting it was! We could do so many things with one box. The larger the better, but we had fun with them all. I can remember the euphoric joy Missy and I felt when we spotted a box. We would be instantly united at such an opportunity for fun! It went something like this:

(Note: Missy = pigtails, Sarah = side ponytail)

THE BOX IS SPOTTED

This could happen as soon as it arrives, with goods still inside, or perhaps we have spotted it in the attic or basement. (One person's trash, is another's treasure!)

DAD, PLEASE!!!

At some point dad had the bright idea to cut a house into a large box for us, and that was it. At the sight of a large box the pleading began. Dad, please make us a box house!!!!

DAD AGREES TO THE TASK

Commence joyful jumping and excitement!!! We immediately begin the process of "helping" dad design the house while he gets the box cutter.

DAD MAKES AMAZING HOUSE! WOW

Do you see this masterpiece? Peep the working door and window! My dad sells building materials, and used to be a roofer. Therefore, in my opinion, we had the best man for the job. And craft us a house he did.

IMAGINATION'S TURN

At this point dad could step back, because imagination took us to our cottage as we hid from the evil witch, to our secret garden house, to our vacation home in the mountains.

IMAGINATION CONTINUES...

...Or we could be princesses in our castles from far off lands.

COMPROMISED STRUCTURE

After vigorous play that could span from a few days to a few weeks, the integrity of the box usually would give out. Or, we just had another idea. Enter, the box sled- on a grassy hill.

BOX REINCARNATE 3

At this point, the sledding has really broken the box down quite a bit. It is now something new again. Perhaps a play pen for giant babies (us), or a tank for mermaids, or a dance floor.

BOX IS HANGING ON FOR DEAR LIFE

The box is no longer a box at all. Just some pieces of beat down card board. But don't worry, we are having a tea party. Dad is now trying to throw it out and we are using any excuse to keep it around.

All good things must come to an end. Eventually, the box would be discarded, but after much love, use, drawing on, tearing up, and breaking had occurred. We definitely knew how to have fun, and made use of cardboard boxes way after these first years of just the three of us.


moral of the story: use your imagination!

Quote of the Week: 7

I abosultely love this quote.
(and I love the layout of this particular image as well! Can't fight the designer in me)

"In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, and invincible summer."
-Albert Camus

This quote is something to treasure in dark moments. Or moments when we feel like giving up. I, personally, hate winter. Once the New Year passes, it feels like an endless cycle of cold, wet, and misery. Summer feels like an unobtainable glory. As out of my reach as heaven is to a living being.

This psychological connection to the literal meaning of the quote really drives home the figurative message. The concept of being stuck in the thick of something so desolate touches parts of everyone’s life. This desolation could be a loveless marriage, a horrible job, the loss of loved ones, an abusive relationship, depression, poverty, hunger, the list is endless. What I love, is that they took the initiative to look within themselves. No outward pleas or cries, no using the moment as an excuse. Looking for help is not wrong, however turning this desolation into an excuse is pointless.

Summer, being the unobtainable heaven that it is, is actually found within them. All the outward help in the world can assist, but finding it is entirely upon us. We can create our own heaven here on earth. We can achieve much greatness within our own minds.

I mentioned in a previous post that the Universe has been sending me a lot of messages recently. Well one has been this idea of being capable of such greatness within each and every person. It actually all started a few years ago when I read Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. She essentially found within herself a God. She found her body to be an actual temple. (This may sound blasphemous to some- but achieving our own measure of greatness does not take away from the Almighty- after all, we were made in His image) I found these ideas radical, yet it felt so intrinsically true. Since that time there have been endless reinforcements to that message over and over. Now, it is true that we find reinforcement where we want to. There are those that only see reinforcements to negative stereotypes and ignore the good in people. This is different. Clues that have been left like bread crumbs. Things in everyday life that I had never noticed. I had a conversation with my sister one day on the way to Church about it, and at mass the priest actually even mentioned it in his reading and homily. So while some people only look for reinforcement to prove a point, others need to be merely looking for truth or knowledge to see it in front of them. It is important to be honest with yourself about your mind frame.

I believe that this quote speaks about finding the inner INVINCIBLE greatness that will be the torchlight for us through anything. To even have the ability to find it is a gift to be treasured. Cherish yourself, and know that no matter what winter brings down upon you, you have an inner summer glowing radiantly within you.

[steps down from soap box]

:)

Fortesque

Once upon a time there was a quaint fishing island located in the great state of New Jersey. Two little girls were often taken there for getaways with their grandmother for fun in the sun on a private beach at their great-great uncle and aunt’s beach house.

Deep sigh!

Sounds so nice, doesn’t it?

REALITY CHECK!!! While we did have a lot of fun, it was through our ability to imagine and use our resources. The island was separated from the mainland by a marsh that bred mosquitoes, and evil biting flies. The house had no A/C, cable, nor water. There were very few kids, and they were the locals who thought we were nuts for coming there. Our private beach was usually filled with horse shoe crabs due to mating season schedules. When it wasn’t, there were pretty hard core fisherman gutting fish on the beach and discarding the remains right there.

Let’s break it down for ya!

THE BUGS!

The mosquitoes were bad. We always had citronella candles out the wazoo. Despite the plague of mosquitoes, NOTHING compared to the flies. NOTHING. Regular flies are pesky, but we had mean, green, biting machine flies. They bit us through our clothes. They bit us in the house, outside, in the car, at the store/diner/bait and tackle shop (it was only store on island), they bit us in any location, on any part of our bodies. By the time we left we would be terrified at the site of a fly. Literally, any flying creature and we would run screaming like an ax murderer was after us. God forbid we were in the car (which did happen- and was almost tragic)

DIAGRAM 1: THE GREEN FLIES!

Literally, running for our lives from the flies.

A/C, CABLE, WATER

There was one window unit, but it barely kept us cool. We were hot a lot. It was an old house, and my great-great aunt and uncle were old school. So cable was not coming along with the deal. I am sure because they also did not want to pay for cable at a house they aren’t always at. We did have rabbit ears though. (Fancy, I know) The water is a bit more complicated. Apparently, at some point in time the whole island protested the water company. I have no ideas when this happened. The 70s maybe? Well, once everything was settled my uncle was not having it so he kept his off. He was all about sticking it to “the man.” And there was some super secret Macgver way to manually turn it on. However, “the man” eventually caught on so we could only do it sometimes. When we had no water we went to the dock and filled jugs and jugs of water up and took them back to use for flushing the toilet, cooking, brushing our teeth, and really cold “showers.” Essentially, we were camping out in a house. Oh, and there was ALWAYS sand in the bed. Always. Drove us all nuts.

DIAGRAM 2: LACK OF AMENITIES

The TV only showed static, it was hot, and we always had jugs of water galore! There is nothing worse than an ice cold shower from a water jug.

ENTERTAINMENT

Finding other kids to play with was like finding buried treasure. For the first few years I remember going, I don’t even remember seeing other kids. We fought over other kids, like they were the last morsel of food on earth. The beach, as I mentioned, was often COVERED in mating horse shoe crabs. Which, if you have ever seen one you know, are scary looking. Very Jurassic indeed. They look like giant beetle helmet monsters. When they weren’t mating there were usually dead ones left scattered on the beach. If they get caught on their back they are stuck, and the seagulls eat them alive, or they dry out. We would sometimes see one flipped over, but legs still moving, and grab it by it’s tail and throw it back in the sea. And of course there were the fisherman. The beach often had piles of fish guts and smelly stuff. There were hooks all over the place, and random trash sprinkled here and there. When it was high tide, the water came up to the wall in front of the house, so our play space was even smaller: a 10x10 square of sand in front of the driveway.

DIAGRAM 3: WHAT DO WE DO?

Where for art thou fellow children to play with?

Not fun.

Oh pooh

In summary, it was an interesting place for kids. My sister, my two cousins (Jen and Tiffany), I and sometimes Katie K had many interesting adventures there. I do, however, have a lot of good memories from there, and we really had to push the limits of our imagination. We painted tables, repainted the front porch like 3 times, made up games, went seashell hunting, horseshoe crab rescuing, pretended to be stranded mermaids, and told/heard a lot of stories. My cousin Tiffany always told me and missy scary ones that would freak me out for years. And my uncle Ben told his stories to all of us in a booming voice that I will never forget. One time, my grandmom Tony almost had us make smores over citronella candles. Luckily, my mom caught us putting our marshmallows on sticks an intervened before we poisoned ourselves. We did a lot of walking aimlessly, but having good child-theological convos. I had some interesting theories as a kid. There were times we almost all killed each other (a week there was a horrible idea-never did that again), and other times that I never felt closer to them. Most importantly we bonded, without the distraction of boardwalks, carnival rides, and other kids, we only had each other. And truth be told, sitting on the deck at night as the waves crashed was a type of peace that one rarely finds in everyday life. It was an ugly little fishing town, but it was also beautiful - and we had a front row seat.

My great great aunt and uncle have passed, and the beach house has been sold. But those funny, ridiculous, and touching memories will last my entire lifetime.

ps. Please look at this pic of a flipped horseshoe crab: he needs rescuing!

pps: The enemy: GREEN FLIES!!!!!!!! run you fool!

The Alchemist of Your Life

I saw this video on youtube and it really touched me. It is interesting how the universe/God work to show you a message. Someone at my production company was just saying something similar (in the broad sense) the other day. I am getting the message!!!

On my quest to becoming a better human being, I have found this helpful and inspiring.

On another note: it is great to see deep and knowledgeable thinkers in celebrities. They are often portrayed as shallow and materialistic, and berated for the very fame most of us envy.

That was scary...

So… this very morning I had quite a FRIGHT! Ever since Hugo was towed by the “great city Baltimore” in a conspiracy between the tow truck man and the meter maid, I have been acutely aware of where my beloved vehicle is at all times. This morning I walked out of my humble abode and immediately noticed another Hugo across the street, pulling out of the McDonalds.

Note: I call all cars that are the same in body and color “other Hugos”

I thought this was cute, until I noticed that there was some damage above the driver’s side tire well. Damage that looked alarmingly like the damage on my precious Hugomiester! How many 1996 Honda Accords, in the exact shade of green, have had someone hit them right in that spot, and then had it banged back out??? I froze the exact position I was standing.

It is amazing how fast a mind can think when it is freaking out. In a mere second and a half my brain went something like this:

“OMG. Is that HUGO? That looks EXACTLY like my damage! Oh my God, they STOLE HUGO! Annnd went to McDonalds! That is awfully ballsey! They stole my car and went through McDonalds??? They don’t even look hurried! What should I do? What do I do? This is the WORST! This can’t be true”

This was when my eyes automatically flickered to where I remembered parking my car last (which was almost RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME) and saw Hugo chillen where I left him. DEEP EXHALE!!!

I am so silly! I always assume the worst! I just wanted you all to know that Hugo is alive, well, and charming as ever. He is still mine! I love that car! However, I am proud that I did not totally freak out. Very proud indeed.

Hugo does have a lot of issues- which I think make him more charming! I have included a diagram for you to preview.

DIAGRAM 1: HUGO DAMAGEThis diagram represent (in a very crude fashion) some traits that make Hugo quite unique. The damage on the driver's side front, the nails holding the bumper on, the tires that suck ass (even though you can't tell just by looking), two big ugly stickers on the back window that I was FORCED to put on my car (I am against stickers on cars), and many other things that can't be seen.

I did not think about these other elements when I thought I saw my car. In fact, the faux-Hugo had another little patch of damage at the back bumper area that Hugo does not.

moral: keep your wits until you have the whole story. I am glad I did not chase these people, getting their McBreakfast, down the street yelling like a maniac! haha!