Thursday, September 18, 2008

Stockings


You know how old-fashioned stockings used to have a seam? When women wore them, you’d see a dark line running down the back of each leg. Well, last night, on Broadway near SoHo, I saw a woman who’d had those lines tattooed onto her legs -- she wasn’t wearing any stockings at all, but she had seams. Interesting.

I bought a big bag of pears at the grocery store a few days ago, and now my refrigerator smells wonderful.

(Photo: Chelsea, Aug. 2008)

11 comments:

  1. pears pairs everywhere
    i saw the funniest pair of legs today
    and a really beautiful smile
    i melted a little at the smile
    and giggled a little at the legs

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  2. like how pod picked up the connection btw the pair of legs and the pears in the fridge!

    you are quite clever to have paired those two random thoughts.

    I wonder if the woman with the tattooed seams is playing homage to someone in her life? did you notice if she had other tats? perhaps a string of pearls tattooed around her neck? a rolex on her wrist? eyeliner?

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  3. My mother said that during WWII when it was almost impossible to find, not to mention afford, stockings. She used to draw the seam up the back of her leg with an eyebrow pencil. Many women did the same thing.

    A tattoo? Wow.

    I love pears.

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  4. same story as Reya's here in Europe. I love it that women made the effort to look good even when it meant doing things like that. I don't know, I just think there's something really life affirming about it.

    (if you leave one of the pears outside the fridge, the place will smell even nicer. True, it might attract a few fruit flies but just tell them I said hi.)

    best

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  5. Pod: I wish I'd written my post as well as you did! :)

    Kim: The "pearing" was purely unintentional. I didn't see if the woman had any other tattoos because I didn't get a good look at her front. I almost took a photo, but couldn't quite work up the courage. :)

    Reya: I had no idea there was a precedent for this! Maybe this actually WAS just a pen -- but it looked permanent to me.

    Lee: That's a great idea. I may do that. A little ol' fruit fly won't bother me. :)

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  6. So, will you be testing any Southern recipes for "pear salad?" You probably would only have to part with one pear. (: )

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  7. Someone said something very astute about the ripeness of a pear, but who and what alludes me just now. Maybe you'll think of it!

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  8. Pears and pairs--only in New York!

    I love pears, too. I leave mine out in the open once I bring them home. Even my cats like the smell.

    Speaking of other pairs, I'm off to see a knee surgeon...

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  9. I love pears (especially the hard ones like Bosc or Comice), but can't imagine why anyone would want penciled or tattooed lines up the back of her legs. But then I have trouble understanding why anyone would want most tattoos!

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  10. Refrigerators are great!

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  11. my mum did that during the war, the drawing on seams thing...

    and dying legs with coffee to look stockinged


    and - pears are yeuch

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