Creating Beauty

As a child, I was frightened by a humongous Kissy doll. At 3, it was as big as I was and when you pulled it's hands together it made a smacking or a supposed kissing sound. I was sure it would get up and get me......making smacking sounds as it neared my bed.

Now I make dolls.....some are supposed to be scary, but most just reflect how I look at beauty. To me we have a very narrow view of what beauty is and is not. I have cerebral palsy and don't think I'm whining about it I'm not. I'm lucky my case is very mild compared to some people's. But you can pick me out as different, I walk awkwardly, but my arm and leg work correctly.....for someone with a partially paralyzed arm and leg.

I look like someone with CP is supposed to and in my way I'm attractive. I try to reflect alternative beauty in the dolls I create and so in some ways I'm still dealing with fear, but now it's not my own.

Monday, November 24, 2014

Thanksgiving Out Behind the Local Thrift Store-Revisited

I wrote this yrs ago in honor of Thanksgiving and the homeless out back of the Salvation Army thrift store that I managed yrs ago.  As I read about Black Thursday and Friday, I'm reminded how simple things like some cans of soup can make better gifts.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2010


SpaghettiOs and Turkey Noodle Soup- Thanksgiving Out Behind the Local Thrift Store




I worked as a store manager for a local thrift store for 8 yrs. Around this time of year I always worried about the homeless guys and the few women that hung around out back. Most of them did the shelter thing or got help from the VA, so they were relatively looked after.

But there were 2, Eddie and Liz, who hated to be indoors. Both were older folks....Liz got tossed from a hospital in the 80's(thank you for the monetary savings, Mr. Reagan) and Edie had head injuries from his last tour in Nam. Their various advocates ie the VA tried to get them to give up their outdoors only existence, but they'd continue to sneak off . If anything really bad happened I had their advocate's phone numbers.

They tended to be targets of the local teens who thought it was funny to beat them up, burn their sleeping bags and steal what cooking/food supplies they had.

I used to keep a change jar in my office and they became my own personal charity. I'd buy the occasional pot or pan or sleeping bag and stash it in my office. Every few weeks, Eddie or Liz would wobble in all black and blue and I'd go raid my stash.

One November afternoon, the day before Thanksgiving, they both showed up and I went to my office to drag out the pots, sleeping bags and a coat I had just bought. I slipped out the loading dock door and bought them a can each ofSpaghettios and Turkey noodle soup with the last of my change.

"Oh look, Eddie!, Liz yelled as she inspected the bag. "We're going to have turkey and Italian for Thanksgiving tomorrow!"

They hugged me and toddled off back to their camp.....happy with their holiday feast.

We should all be so grateful.
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2 comments:

  1. marilynNovember 24, 2014 at 11:51 AM

    A kind and generous soul. Little things become biv

    ReplyDelete
  2. marilynNovember 24, 2014 at 11:53 AM

    That should have read as big. I kindness and generosity are never forgotten

    ReplyDelete

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