The Lonely Doll

   Do you recall a certain book from your childhood that was like a security blanket?  A book you felt drawn to and couldn't stop reading over and over again?  This is that book for me, The Lonely Doll.  I read this book every week in the school library for a year when I was in elementary school.  I was six years old.

The simple story was written and photographed by Dare Wright in the early 1960's.  It involves a Lenci (Italian made) doll named Edith who is sad because she is lonely.  One day two teddy bears (Mr. Bear and Little Bear) appeared and became her friends.  The rest of the book tells us of their adventures,  Then, one rainy day, Mr. Bear went in to town .  Edith and Little Bear discover a dressing room and make an awful mess.  Upon his return Mr. Bear becomes angry when he sees the mess so he spanks both of them.  Edith is so upset by this that she can't stop crying because she is afraid that the bears will leave her and she will be alone again.  They clean up the room and apologize.  Edith asks Mr. Bear if he will promise to stay forever and he says yes...forever and ever...the end.

The reason I feel I was so attached to this book is because my parents were going through their divorce at this time and I used this book to guide myself through this ugly and emotional period in my young life.

I have a copy of this cherished book now.  A woman I barely knew gave it to me one Christmas.  Funny, she was worried I wouldn't like it because it wasn't perfect.  When I opened the package and saw the book with it's black binding tape, I was instantly transported back to the second grade.  When I opened up this book and smelled the familiar scent of the exact story I had held all that year......I cried!

I can NEVER thank Cheri enough for giving me the most magical gift!  I shall treasure The Lonely Doll for ALWAYS!!

ANGELO 

Reality TV?....Really?

   An intelligent aquaintance of mine, Stan, typed this in his update on Facebook.  "Stanton is wondering why the crap that is reality tv is still on the air."

  It certainly made me wonder why most everyone I talk to is caught up in these shows.  Sure, I have watched a couple of them when I am relaxing for a few minutes, but most people I seem to come in contact with in my daily life have at least one reality show they follow religiously.  My thought is...WHY?  Why would you devote yourself to some of the stupidity that is on these types of show?  Is it because we are natural born voyeurs?  Do our lives pale in comparison to this type of programming?  Do we enjoy watching other people's struggles, disappointments, heartaches and overblown opinions?

  Frankly, I don't believe any of them ARE true reality.  Everyday life is the true reality.  Showing someone you care is true reality.  Patience for your fellow human is true reality.  Helping someone in need is a true reality.  Having the courage to change the things you can....having the strength to accept the things you can't change...and having the wisdom to know the difference IS true reality amico mio!!

What's your opinion?

ANGELO

Gardening: A Life Preserver

Before explaining this picture, I would like to apologize to any of my readers for me taking such a long sabbatical from posting.  I realize I didn't really post so much material that anyone who liked my musings would starve to death; but alas I apologize wholeheartedly.

This picture is of the life preserver I have been thrown by my landlord.  I approached him a few weeks back and asked if I could turn this unsightly area below the stairs to my apartment into a shade garden for myself.  He was thrilled that someone would want to do such a thing.  Yes, I can imagine all the negative Nancy's thoughts bouncing through their brains.  "Of course he is thrilled! You will be putting a lot of time and money into his property."  "You will be improving his property for resale value."  "Why bother when you are just renting and will eventually leave?"

Let me explain.  Gardening to me is like breathing.  I feel alive, excited, calm, relaxed, invigorated, challenged, imaginative, artistic, joyful, dreamy....in essence, euphoric!  When I am pulling weeds, digging in the dirt, pruning, or just relaxing amidst my bountiful reward I feel a happiness and peacefulness that can only be compared to being in love.  If this little corner of someone else's property can get me to experience those feelings I would be stupid NOT to partake in it's effects.  So now you understand the thinking behind the title of this post.

So now I hope you understand, at least a little, where my reasoning emerges.  I am going to write future posts on the progress of my garden in case anyone is interested.  If I can convince one person to dig into themselves and find that euphoric feeling through gardening then my writing has done it's job.  Until the next post...HAPPY GARDENING

   

ANGELO