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Friday, October 26, 2012

"Haunt"

It was a 3 ½ gun day.  I’ll bet you think I’m kidding, but I’m not.  I helped my friend John clean his mother’s house today.  She died a while back, and it’s been a big job for him to work full-time and sort through her belongings in his spare time.  I was mostly bagging up clothes for the thrift store and cleaning closets when I found the first gun and ½.  What’s a half a gun?  In this case, it was a rifle stock.  The other rifle looked complete, and John took some pleasure in showing me how the bayonet worked.  That gun was from WWI.

I went through a closet in another room and found another rifle.  John was pleased and joked about me finding more in the house.  Well, that just becomes a challenge.  I found a BB gun revolver in a drawer, so that equaled 3 ½ guns for the day.  I was starting to like Polly.  You’ve got to have a sense of humor to have a gun hidden next to a baby bootie.  I also got to keep Polly’s art supplies.  John gave me some other things too, the only condition being to say a prayer for Polly.  Easy, and glad to do it.

Maybe I’ve got a screw loose, but I enjoy the archeological dig of an old lady’s house, especially a lady with character.  I can’t imagine Polly would waste time haunting anybody.  She probably laughed at me wearing her very cool hats.

I suppose this week is always devoted to people who have passed as we approach Halloween.  I went to an old cemetery earlier in the week and took a couple pictures.  Old fashioned pictures that use film.  Are you old enough to remember film?  Well, let me clue you in, film is hard to get developed these days.  The boys in the drugstore looked at me like I had 3 heads with horns when I brought it in.  Guess I shouldn’t keep that camera around anymore, except I’ll bet I will.  Someday somebody is going to have to clean out my house and will laugh at the stuff I’ve got packed away everywhere.

So, in my future bequests, there are the cameras that take film, the bags of bags, gift boxes I might want to use someday, appliances I’ll never use, or user manuals for things I don't have any more… I’m torn between laughing and feeling concerned that there really isn’t that much difference between Polly and me and our packed closets.  Maybe I should get some guns to store with baby booties?

My doodle just popped into my head this week, and it existed so clearly in my mind, I had to put it on paper.  Then I decided to give my mummy scarecrow a girlfriend.  I don’t know why these drawings needed to exist, but it’s always good to go with our inspirations.
I really meant to write something about the old cemetery this week, but I’ve been sick as a dog – literally, since my dog also got sick.  My apologies for the delay in responding to your comments!  If the weather cooperates with my ideas, I’ll add an extra post this week about the cemetery.

18 comments:

  1. Oh these are cool and I love them. I'm sure that she loved you wearing her hats.

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  2. oh, so sorry that you and your dog are sick...

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  3. Polly sounded a fun lady...I bet she did smile down at you in her hat...I would love someone to do that when I'm 6feet under ;0) Loved the doodles.....and as for film...my son in law still sometimes uses it but you need a gun to rob a bank to pay the cost..so expensive. Get well soon buddy I want to hear about that cemetery,
    Jane x

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  4. Maybe I should've kept one of the guns for the bank robbery to finance my film developing? Thanks for the comments!

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  5. I love the pictures - a mummified carrot! Made me smile. As to an archeological dig of an old lady's house - we did that with my mother and I could write a book about it. I HAVE written a book about it. Someday I'll sell it, too. I want a picture of you and the hats! Digital, is fine :-)

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    1. p.s., Hope you're feeling better. There's a lot of stuff going around.

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  6. Both scarecrows are so cool! Very stylish but spooky as well. I would be totally with you on that treasure hunt that you call an archeological dig. People are so darn interesting, and particularly people who have lived in a completely different age than us.

    As for my own things, I have about a dozen banker's boxes that I cart around from house to apartment to house, and though I look through them and decide I must keep them, I don't take the things out, just stack them away. And if one of the boxes were to disappear I might miss something one day, but mostly probably I wouldn't. I wouldn't call myself a hoarder but I understand the impulse!

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  7. I love the scarecrow mummy! I'll never forget when $100,000 dollars was found in mason jars hidden all over an old house near where I grew up. After the old lady passed.

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  8. Like everyone else, I love your doodle drawings. Some times, the simple things speak loudest.

    On occasion, I think about what it would be like for someone to go through my belongings if I just happened to "expire" unexpectedly. :)

    Given that it is going to happen some day (many, many years from now, I hope), I should begin getting rid of any guns I've forgotten about... or mayby I shouldn't. I won't be boring; I'll be like Polly.

    I hope you and your pup are well now.

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  9. I always love reading your posts, Linda. I can only imagine how you felt as you discovered another of Polly's guns (or gun parts!). And how funny about the film and the drugstore boys! I have some of those cameras but no film! Anyway, I am wishing you a speedy recovery..being so sick (and having your pup sick too) is horrible!! Thank you for dropping by..I am very behind in my visits but appreciate your kind one always.

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  10. Thanks everybody! I am feeling better, but still rather stuffy. Just better enough to pick up the tree parts that fell down in the night. It's really something when a hurricane can effect Ohio's weather. Wishing everyone in the hurricane's actual path safety, warmth, and electricity!

    I didn't think to look for mason jars full of cash at Polly's house. Next visit :)

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  11. Linda, I enjoyed this post...I like this kind of topic. I am in a similar mind set this week writing similar stuff. I guess Halloween brings that on. Guns! Good stuff. All good. June Maddox

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  12. I hope you're feeling loads better! I love going through other people's things, which is why I like flea markets, thrift stores and estate sales. They all have rich stories, that you may not know, but they trigger something in you. It's there story and now you get to add your story to the guns! :) Now I think it's really cool that Polly had guns, (and I'm totally not a gun person)!

    Thanks for sharing Polly and your wonderful illustrations! :) Get totally well soon.

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  13. Still sniffling, but much better, thanks! I kinda feel like I lost my rights to complain when so many people are dealing with real problems because of the hurricane. I think you're right Indigene about other people's things triggering something in us. That's not always good, but it's almost always interesting!

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  14. Great doodle drawings, I love both the mummy scarecrow and his girlfriend. Now for packed closets I think we all will leave something behind that will make the finders wonder what kind of persons we were. Anyway, by now I hope both you and your dog are all well again.

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  15. Oooh, I've missed so many posts on your blog! Love the two drawings.

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