HighButtonShoe
September 15, 2008
...back in the days, years
ago, when I actually had what some might consider a regular hairdo (and
that was important to me, as I worked then at that uppity woman's
department store), I traveled quite a distance to a shop 45 minutes from
here to get perms and coloring. The owner of the shop, a man whose name
I can't recall now, but it seems it was exotic, as was he, was a treat
to all of us who frequented his establishment. He traveled to South
America many times and his shop was full of wall art from there, and of
course, none of us from northern Michigan were familiar with any art
like that. So it was impressive. More impressive, was him. He was a
tanned god-like Roman version of a human being. I can't picture him now
in my minds eye, except for his clothes. He wore silk shirts, unbuttoned
several buttons almost to his waist to show his tan chest. What always
struck me, I would be the one with my hair in perm curlers and NOT
looking exceptionally sharp at the moment... besides how gorgeous he
was, was that he never wore anything over his beautifully rich clothes.
No aprons. Same with hair coloring. No apron. Now, I don't know about
you, but when I color my hair now, I have splotches of color on the
floor, my chest, down my neck, on the counter, and numerous places.
Which explains, in part, why I need to color my hair so bad at the
moment. I haven't gotten the routine down pat here yet in my old
farmhouse environment, so may have to take all my stuff back to my old
house to color my hair. The new tenant/owner, Beulah, just smiles when I
mention my dilemha (if you don't know how to spell that word you CANNOT
find the spelling IN the dictionary!) to her, as of course, she well
knows of my skills and non-skills. Probably more of my non-skills.
Anyway, The Roman God-like hairdresser moved on. Why he was ever in a
small town like that no one ever knew anyway. He belonged in NewYork or
some huge town that his skills would bring outrageous sums of money for.
And I moved on reluctantly to hair I could manage more myself. At the
moment I am sorely in need of a haircut (last one August 2007) and some
color as I see a mousey multi-color image looking back at me in the
mirror. The reason I thought of him, right out of the clear blue the
other day, was I was down to the Gundrum Mercantile building working on
painting trim with off white paint, filling nail holes in trim ready to
paint again, and staining beautiful oak cupboards.
Granted I was going nowhere
other than there to work, but decided to make a trip to the post office
to mail off a package. My attire? As I was standing there in this
cavernous old building we are restoring, with Ronnie (in charge of all
operations there), and a subcontractor for plumbing, and then the owner
(niece Pam), and incoming women, a political figure from an adjacent
town with some other woman I didn't know, I slowly realized the picture
I painted to these people. Ron and Pam, of course, are used to my work
attire. The others, perhaps not. It was raining.
And quite cool. I hate to
wear good jeans to paint in. So opted instead for my sweat pants. Which
are big, old and gathered at the ankle. Attractive ?! Under them I had
on long underwear. I had on my old ratty tennis shoes, I never wear
ANYWHERE, because they are so ugly, but they are comfortable and give me
support when I stand on these old floors for long.
I don't remember what shirt
I had on, except the top blue fleece material shirt over it, that I wear
there. It is full of paint smears, splotches, stain and probably not all
buttoned in the right places, nor has a fresh washed smell to it . My
hair, a ponytail, that is rained on. Looking good! As I stood there
working on the trim, painting in silence, except for the working of
Ronnie in another room and the plumber in another room, the hairdresser
came into mind with his work done wearing superb expensive clothes
without regard of them. Perhaps I should invest in some better working
clothes. Or like my butter stain fiasco on the shirt episode of a few
years ago, be more careful.
Anyway, I think I will do
something with my hair before we go to Kentucky in a few weeks!
I spoke with the
interviewer, for the Country Sampler photo shoot they did here of the
farmhouse in June, the other day. Brunie sent me a note the other day,
after getting her Christmas issue CS magazines for the shop early, and
said our dining room is pictured on page 150 to feature the upcoming
Home Tours Issue that will come out March 2009. That is the one we are
supposed to be featured in. I say supposed, because all things for
magazines can always change.
Anyway, that issue will show
all homes never featured before in their issues, and does not come as
part of your subscription. You must order it from them, or buy it where
CS is sold. Which apparently is NOT in Cadillac Michigan! I could not
find that special issue anywhere in town! If you order from CS by
January 31, you get shipping free from them. I will order several copies
and hope to sell them from my website. I am anxious to see the
interview, as well as the finished photographs in print. I have the
laser copies they mailed me. I am most honored and humbled to have our
beloved farmhouse shown in a magazine. I have been jotting down notes as
time and memory permits of the photo shoot and will someday soon, send
you the events of that day. It will be titled 'A day in June', in the
subject line.
www.theprimitivegathering.com released
their 15th of the month offerings this morning. Am I on time with this
letter or what? Also
www.lemonpoppyseeds.com released the
15th of the month issues as well as
www.simplyprimitives.com.
These are 3 host sites we are affiliated with, and all great sources of
primitives! Lemon Poppy Seeds has great advertising in the Mercantile
Gathering in the last issue, and Deena of PrimitiveGathering has an ad
in Early American Life which hits newsstands tomorrow I believe. I will
list our links to all places below.
I received an email
from Candy Looker and Max of
www.simplegoods.net a few days ago. She
listed some top shows I thought I would pass along to you. These are
some of the best of the best and if you are in their areas, you should
definitely attend. Candy and Max are amazing women, who host the simple
goods show in Ohio in November.
This link is also on their
website. They strive to make their show as primitive as you can get and
with some of the best talented artists for folk art, and the antiques
tend to be early. My kind of stuff!
The days are definitely
shorter and cooler as September speeds by. We got the firewood all
stacked in the new wood shed and the outside furnace is in place and
will be hooked up in the next couple weeks. I will be grateful to once
again have wood heat for the house. But am sitting here today with
long underwear and my hunting socks on, as I won't turn the furnace on
to burn fuel oil! After days of rain and coolness, the house will
eventually warm up by the heat of the little electric fireplace and I
have my oven going full of drying goodies. No sunshine makes poor
drying weather for me !
Beulah and me are planning
our trip to Kentucky for October 10th. coming home late on the 13th.
It is a 9 hour trip there, so won't allow us much time for stopping
along the way. We are going to Frannie's girlfriends weekend for a few
days of classes and antiquing. We are packing the truck with antiques
to take with us for sale. I have my packing list started, as when I
travel, I must work OFF lists, or risk forgetting something important,
(like money or the tent for a show...!) One of the events is
evening/into the night bon fires around her firepit. She has shown
pictures previously of the 5' black"cow" snake she has named Jake,
that regularly slithers around her farm. YEGADS! So I am wondering
how I can pack a refrigerator box into the back of the truck for me to
sit in on the ground during the evening bon fires ??????? Possibly
cutting out a hole here and there high enough so I can't see the
ground (or the snake!) but can still get my some-mores' fire stick
with gooey marshmallow attached, in and out of the box. I have already
commandeered Ron's new flashlight to take, so I can keep a good vigil
of the ground around me. Keeping in that thought, however, maybe Jake
would be attracted to the beam of light. I may have to buy some
Depends, some Imodium and a BIG can of Lysol to spray around what
might be an odorous guest at the bonfire. I will tell you of our great
adventure after we get back.
Okay, I must get to work.
Check out our things on PrimitiveGathering today when you get a
chance. OH, shheeeeshhh I forgot. You simply must go look at the
website if you haven't in a while. Beulah put up some new fall
pictures of the farm.
Also, we are having the
last sale of the season here at the farm on September 20th, from 10-3.
We have furniture this time along with the smalls. A lot of fall
items. Soups, candles, wreaths, pumpkin stuffs.
Thanks for asking to be a
part of our farm and lives.
Should you not care to
anymore, simply reply with remove.
in fond regard,
Tilda, badly in need of
hair treatment
looking forward to
Kentucky
looking forward to the
wood stove
grateful for all of you on
my newsletter!