A Comforting Winter Light

The 3rd and final story about Your Trash is My Treasure!

A Comforting Winter Light:

Have you ever been rummaging through your grandmothers closets? Maybe an old yard sale full of crazy stuff? Maybe your even as weird as me and walked by someones trash can on trash day and saw that one thing calling your name.

Either way what happens to you when you find that old dusty box full of something from the past?

When I was looking through grandma's old Christmas boxes I found a small torn little dusty box. On this box was some chicken scratch I honestly still can't read to this day. As I looked at it wondering what could be hidden in this box I decide to give it a shake. You know like kids do when they are curious about their Christmas gifts. I heard a strange clink clink. I was even more excited then...It's not just paper...It's not empty either!

So I finally slowly opened up the tiny box and what do I see?

A small group of old Christmas light bulbs.

Green, white, red, and a few other odd colors. How much joy I felt upon seeing these small reminders of my past Christmas nights at my grandma's house. I couldn't bare to see them get thrown away. The little metal ends that spiral down to the tip, the paint pealing off the glass to show under nothing but a clear bulb, some were broken and tiny pieces that resembled glitter were hiding in the corners of the box. I picked up the first one that I felt intrigued by...It was a see through orange that looked like an old beer bottle when the sun shone through it. I loved the color! It just spoke to me. So quickly I snapped the box shut and threw it in my bag as if I just found a bar of gold. As I giggled to my self with an evil grin, "I will figure out something to do with these...maybe use them in some art or something." I trying to find a justified reason to feel so excited about this "trash/junk".

I would love to hear what things you have found in your life time that were considered "junk", what did you do with it?

These bulbs have not been used yet. I did wrap one in some copper colored wire for a pendent like piece...

It's not strong enough though!

I need something intense.

I guess what these last 3 posts have been about is that I am so in love with mixed media art. It's strange and really deep. Sometimes you see it and you think to your self, "what the hell is that?" Some are dark and scary...You know the ones with doll heads and glass eyes. I just love the idea of taking trash and doing something with it.

Bravo!

The Art Of Junk

Welcome to the 2nd Part of our stories about Your Trash Being My Treasures!
(if you have not read #1 A Memory As Delicate As Glass...go back and read it first)

Sticky Cents

Penny for your thoughts?
Let us talk about a sticky situation using common cents.
One night I had happened to come across a mystery. This was a moment in my life that was to be laughed at then later high on a lack of sleep reflected on.
It's about one small joke that turned into a silly collection of thoughts.
okay, shall I start...
Sitting at this strange table hidden in the back of a odd room just built to add to the entertainment of a bar.
 I ran into a penny.
I didn't notice him at first. I was listening to someone play the not so happy piano. The keys were sticky or broken (can't remember) I saw a small shine coming off the corner of the table. Then I realized I knew that profile! Ahhh, good old Lincoln himself. A penny was sitting there alone but strong on the edge of the table. I reached over to pick it up feeling bad he was left behind. You see no one really cares for pennies as money to much. They are a one cent wonder. people love to use them for things. To scratch your hopefully winning ticket, to throw into a fountain for a wish, "see a penny pick it up, all the day you will have good luck", and even for smashing into a machine at random theme parks to change it's look into something for you to remember...when really you just loose it.
So I always felt kinda bad for the one cent penny. It's even a different color than the rest of the group.
So back to the story,
I reached over to pluck it off the table...and...well I guess I missed because it wasn't in my hand. So I tried again...and still it avoided my grasp. At this point I was thinking maybe I had one to many drinks for the night. So discouraged and feeling stood up by a penny I just stayed put and drifted into my night. Still with one watchful eye on that damn elusive penny. At that moment a friend walked up and tired to grab it as well. Only he too didn't collect this penny! I then realized IT WAS GLUED TO THE TABLE!
Relief and anger hit me all at once...then we both started to laugh.
I had been fooled by this sticky cent. It was a great joke...who put it there?
So almost a year or so later being up late with my daughter (that's still so new to say)
I started to ponder about my "junk" and thought about that penny.

Is that penny worth more or mean more than it's original one cent value because it has been turned into an on going joke? For it to be Stuck! Gave it more meaning.
what will happen to that penny?
Will it get to go into retirement from it's nightly laugh it up job one day? I mean that table won't always be there in that dark room in that strange bar. If the table gets removed, where would the penny end up?
This joke taught me something through all these questions, laughs, anger, and just the fact that a year later I am writing a piece in my blog about it.
Famous?
Anyway, I feel from this one penny Stuck in this spot that it has taught me this:
If you are stuck in a situation, even if you are considered a lowly one cent that is different from everyone else. You can make the most of where your stuck just by doing your best. That one penny I will always remember and it shows that he did his best to trick me, make me laugh, and think about my life and how for so long I always felt Stuck...I guess if you just try your best it's not so bad after all.
Plus I doubt he will be there forever...someone will eventually get mad enough or tired of it being glued to that table and pry it off and place it in their pocket. Who knows what travels will be in store then.
Lucky Penny!