About 50/50

This has been a heck of a week. I am not going to comment on the idiocy in Washington, and will move on to something more fun, well, sort of. Every year, because I seem to forget how awful it is (and because she pays well), I help my mother with the inventory in her bead store. This consists of counting 1000s of beads. Because Ramses is not very good at being left alone all day, the Summer Intern (who is also counting) and I decided to bring him along. He did pretty well the first day, but the first thing he did the second day was dump a bowl filled with little tiny beads all over the floor. Then he ran off into the other room and pretended he didn’t do it. After all the mischief he got into, he was exhausted:

So he fell asleep on the inventory lists. That was not helpful, but oh so cute. I have always said God made toddlers, racoons, and kittens adorable so they would not be extinct in their first generation.

This week, it’s my turn for my 10 best and worst. I think I will start off with the worst as well, as it is always better to end on a high note. My fives are in no particular order, just really bad, and very fun.

First up, the hatching piglet:

This isn’t super bad, but still the person who made it needs a remedial biology class, or a trip to a local farm. Not that I am saying this is highly decorative either, but let’s at least go for some truth in advertising.

For me, these might have been the most awful things we saw all year:

We really didn’t understand the potty humor, and the figures themselves were downright creepy. How the two things ever came together in un-holy matrimony is a conundrum for the ages. They were gone almost immediately, which was even scarier. I am just hoping someone took them home to dispose of them properly.

Giving the last items a run for their money we have,:

The Killer Clown Patchwork Bear and his not so innocent victim. You tell me if that bear is up to any good whatsoever. I may be reading too much into it, but she looks like a masochist ready for whatever may come. I think that the child who grew up with that bear in their room probably became a serial killer just from the nightmares they suffered.

This would scare just about anyone into submission:

Stick a pin in me, I’m done for. I think this is supposed to be a souvenir doll, but there is much more of the voodoo than doll to this thing. Luckily a match should be able to take care of the problem in no time. I would stand well away from the bonfire though, as who knows what evil the dying embers would hold.

This last item is ugly and a head scratcher:

It stayed in the store for weeks, so no one else could think of a use for it either. Weird and ugly, a deadly combination.

Whew, let’s head over to some better times. I loved learning about this little item:

The Red Raven magic mirror was a little delight. For those that didn’t see it, here is a video of it in action. I did sell this one to a collector, who was thrilled to get it. I could see me getting into the fun of these, but decided one more impossible thing to collect was nuts, and for once in my life, let it go.

We like pretty things:

Things like this just make us a little happy and a little sad. Happy because we love them and enjoy seeing them, and sad because they no longer take the time to make things more than utilitarian. If it hadn’t been marked at 35 bucks, I might have taken a chance and made my Sunday waffles with a smile on my face.

The Thermo Spoon was a hit:

After some not too strong arm pulling on the side of our readers I did decide to keep it. I see it in one of my cupboards often, and it makes me laugh. I don’t know that it has to work any better than that to justify its existence. I am still trying to be the kind of woman that looks who glamorous while standing over a hot stove. I just sort of sweat.

Another item that ended up living with me:

The gorgeous heavy duty White sewing machine in its original case with all the goodies. I did have to spend about 15 dollars more to buy a new rubber wheel for the bobbin winder and a half dozen bobbins. Hubby had a hissy fit when I told him I purchased it, but when he got a look at it, he totally understood. He’s the best! This kind of quality can’t be purchased these days, and that is sad, too.

This last sign sums up our whole philosophy of life:

We have been and always will be devoted to “junk”. Of course our idea of junk and others’ may differ widely. We adore the little bits of flotsam and jetsam that make up the everyday lives of people. The things that once made them happy, make us happy, and even when we make fun of them, we hope that once again they will put a grin on someone’s face, or a giggle in their heart.

Let’s gird our loins, and go bravely into the new year. Be kind, take care of yourself, your loved ones, and your fellow man, and we will all be OK.