Sunday, December 19, 2021

A Wreath, a Rat, a Stone, a Thing



When I took Olga to the vet on Friday, just to make things even more interesting, I bought this Christmas wreath at a store near the vet's office. That way I could walk 45 minutes back home trailing a lollygagging elderly dog and carrying a natural wreath on a little wooden pallet. I was certainly happy to hang it up when I got to the house.

Doesn't it look good on our front door, next to those completely useless anti-theft stickers from the Metropolitan Police (which pre-date our tenancy)?

I don't know what it's made of, and none of the tags tell me. They just say it's not for consumption. Which is a shame; I was going to boil it up.

Yesterday, as predicted, was mostly spent lying around the house. I did clean the floors. Housekeeping at this time of year is a challenge because it's so muddy outside, and somehow clots of dirt invariably find their way indoors. I found one in the hall the other day big enough to be a divot from a golf course. I take my shoes off when I come inside and even that doesn't prevent it, probably because it comes in between Olga's toes.

The idea of taking shoes off at the door reminds me of my grandmother, the one who lived in Washington, D.C. She bought new carpet at some point in the late '70s and you would think if she wanted to protect it she'd have had us take our shoes off at the door. But no -- she had a theory that the skin oils from our bare feet would actually make the rug dirtier, so she required us to wear shoes or socks indoors. I have never heard of this before or since.

In the afternoon, Olga and I took a walk to the cemetery. We hadn't been there in weeks so it was good to go back.


Does anybody know what this is? I found it at the cemetery and I often find them lying around town. I thought it was a sort of electrical fuse but Google says it's an LED. That doesn't seem right, but what do I know?


A. Alvarez got a new, rustic-looking headstone.


And we found a little statuette of Ratty, from "The Wind in the Willows," next to someone's marker. He had fallen over so I stood him back upright.

We got back from our walk just as Dave was about to Zoom with his tuba student. He's been working with this guy, who's in his 20s, pro bono because the student is marching with the Madison Scouts, a Drum Corps group, and Dave is a Scouts alumnus. It's a way for Dave to contribute to the strength of the group. Anyway, I always tease Dave because everything he says to this student sounds weirdly sexual; he's always talking about tightening embouchures or positioning the lips and tongue in certain ways. A few weeks ago he said to the guy, "I think there are very few things in a brass player’s life more personal than multiple tonguing." It was so funny I had to write it down. (Fortunately the guy lives thousands of miles away so I'm not worried!)

We wrapped up our day by watching "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," which I always find entertaining. Despite the presence of Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell, it's an incredibly gay movie. I thought Dave might really like it because he loves "Auntie Mame," and it's similar in its Technicolor extravagance. But he was lukewarm. We then watched "Annihilation" with Natalie Portman (big genre change!) and it was entertaining enough, like a good TV movie, even though the final scene looked like a Martha Graham modern dance number. If you've seen it you'll know what I'm talking about.

53 comments:

crafty cat corner said...

You didn't say how you got on at the vets with Olga, I presume everything is ok.
Love that headstone, I guess it was the guy's choice.
As for standing Ratty up, you are so kind.
Have a lovely Christmas the two of you.
Briony
x

Anonymous said...

I'm afraid I don't like your wreath.

I believe your gran about oil from the feet. However socks are no better as I have noticed our carpet marked darker where my feet sit in front of my lounge chair.

Your cemetery find does look like a fuse to me.

You've sent my mind running riot about tuba player conversations.

Generally men don't prefer blondes. Hair colour matters little. Their focus is on one thing only.



Yorkshire Pudding said...

What is in your soft and strangely uncalloused librarian hand appears to me to be a small phial of the deadly Russian nerve agent - Novichok. An identical phial was found in a park in Salisbury in 2018.

Yorkshire Pudding said...

And that one thing is the lady's personality.

Susan said...

That is one of my favorite movies! I haven't watched it in years - time for a reviewing. I love the wreath. I may never be able to look at a tuba player in the same way.

Colette said...

Yes, I think that wreath looks very good on your door. We also have outdated security stickers that predate us. I wonder if any bad guys fall for it?

Ms. Moon said...

Mr. Alvarez's new stone is a fine grave marker in my opinion.
But Ratty has my heart.
Nice wreath! What do you think those cherry/berries are? Were?
I do think that perhaps I have heard that same theory on carpeting and shoes. Weird. I do not think of feet as being particularly oily.

Sharon said...

I love the new wreath. It's perfect for the holidays. That is a strange looking thing you found at the cemetery. It almost looks like a tiny jump drive. I enjoyed the tuba player comments. My mind would be wandering in that direction also. I watched "Hail, Cesar" last night. I remember seeing it when it came out but had forgotten most of the story. It had its moments.

Marcia LaRue said...

On closer inspection of the wreath ... I believe it is comprised of little crabapples!
The LED light may have come from a flashlight or something similar.

Bob said...

Love that headstone. I will be created after al the useful bits are harvested so no headstone for me, but I do like that one!

Good on you for righting Ratty!

ellen abbott said...

The wreath may be pyracantha berries. And if that thing is an LED, what did it come off of, especially if you find them around town.

Anonymous said...

The wreath looks lovely on your door. Very kind of you to pick ratty up and get him standing again. And, that is a very cool headstone.

The Padre said...

Righteous Photos There - Slip Olga Girl A Treat Under Her Pink Blanket From Uncle T

Cheers

Ellen D. said...

I think I have solved the mystery of that little thing you found. Your clue was that you "often find them lying around town". So I thought what do people carry around that might have something like this inside. It took awhile but I found "vape cartridge Ceramic cell empty tank cartridges". I think this looks similar to what you found. Vapers shouldn't just throw them on the ground tho!
Link: https://www.dhgate.com/product/new-replacement-j-pods-vape-cartridge-ceramic/425415750.html

Wilma said...

I think Ellen got it right with the pyracantha berries for the wreath. It looks lovely on your door. I also vote for LED as the thing.

Wilma said...

Hah! Now I see Ellen D's link to a picture of the thing - a vape cartridge! Can I change my vote to vape cartridge?

Kelly said...

Thanks to Ellen for solving the mystery! Thanks, too, for the link back about the grave. It's a name I'm not familiar with, but will watch for when reading poetry in the future. Tuba talk as opposed to pillow talk?

Steve Reed said...

Bravo! You DID solve the mystery! From what I've read online -- starting with the link you provided -- it looks like they're called J-pods, and they're used with Juul vaping systems. People seem to like to fill them with cannabis oils, which might explain why they're too high to remember to THROW THEM IN THE TRASH when they're empty.

Allison said...

When we were in Tucson the sides of the roads were covered in the silver containers of compressed nitrous oxide, used for whipping cream. So at least the delivery vehicle of compound for getting people high is not smaller.
As to what is Lodge, here is a link to them.

https://www.lodgecastiron.com/enameled-cast-iron

Jim Davis said...

Did the vet have an answer on the swelling on Olga's muzzle?

gz said...

Beautiful berry wreath!

Red said...

You cover a lot of territory. Mystery wreaths? Sounds interesting. You'll have to take it apart to see what it is.

Bindu said...

The wreath is pretty. Hope, Olga is doing just fine. Interesting, you find unknown stuff and bloggers cleared the mystery!

Margaret said...

I love the wreath; I've never seen one like it. Mine is simply the traditional greenery with a bow.

Marcia LaRue said...

Pyracantha berries ... I did not know they grew berries like that!
Vape things ... Getting as bad as just dropping ciggy butts on the ground!

Catalyst said...

The wreath does appear to be made of some kind of fruit but I can't identify them. Nor can I identify the alleged LED but shame on you for raising doubts about the omniscience of Google. But thank you for enlightening me to Al Alvarez, whom I was unaware of before Googling him. Seems he lived quite a life.

Steve Reed said...

Happy Christmas to you and Tom, Briony!

Steve Reed said...

A carpet is going to wear no matter what. I say, be sensible but not extreme in its care! I think there ARE guys who go for a certain "look" in their partners, which can include hair color.

Steve Reed said...

That is not a perfume bottle!

Steve Reed said...

It's a really fun movie. And yeah, tubas -- people think they're not sensual!

Steve Reed said...

I doubt it. I bet they've been there for decades. I should remove them, honestly.

Steve Reed said...

I have searched and searched and can't find a similar berry online. I don't think they're pyracanthas, as suggested below -- they're not a single uniform color, but orange with a red blush. I don't buy that oily feet argument!

Steve Reed said...

I've never seen "Hail, Caesar" but the Coen brothers do make interesting movies.

Steve Reed said...

They COULD be crabapples. I was thinking sloes or currants or something like that.

Steve Reed said...

You will be created? Aren't you already created? :)

Steve Reed said...

I don't think they're pyracantha -- they're more solidly, uniformly colored. These are softer than pyracantha too. Some kind of fruit, I think.

Steve Reed said...

It IS a cool headstone, isn't it? Appropriate for a modernist poet and editor.

Steve Reed said...

She's always happy to hear from you, T!

Steve Reed said...

It's definitely a vape cartridge. Ellen figured it out!

Steve Reed said...

"Tuba talk" -- LOL!

Steve Reed said...

Oh, we see those here too -- "whip-its" as they're called. Thanks for the Lodge link! Sort of an American Le Creuset.

Steve Reed said...

He just told us to keep an eye on it. He thinks she got bitten or stung by something, though I can't imagine what. There aren't many insects out there now.

Steve Reed said...

Thanks! The warnings on the label were in German but the manufacturer was in Turkish -- so I'm guessing they're made in Turkey for a European market.

Steve Reed said...

Ha! Maybe the birds will take it apart for me?

Steve Reed said...

Blogger is a good example of a "hive mind" where we all share our knowledge!

Steve Reed said...

We've had those before, but I wanted something different. Greenery always looks good, though!

Steve Reed said...

I'm leaning more toward some kind of fruit than pyracantha. We'll see how long the wreath lasts! (And whether anything eats it!)

Steve Reed said...

Alvarez was a Zelig-like figure in mid-century poetry. He turned up everywhere.

Moving with Mitchell said...

Ah, thanks to Ellen D. for saving me a possibly fruitless search! The wreath looks great on the door. Is that pyracantha? Had never heard that dirty shoes were kinder to carpets than bare (oily?) feet. Stocking feet make sense. I HAVE heard that multiple tonguing is very personal even if you’re not a brass player.

Lynn Marie said...

I'm with your grandmother on no bare feet allowed in my house either. It's easy enough to vacuum up street debris but grubbiness on the rugs from skin oil and dirt is a bear to clean. Do you have a banister in your house? Ever washed it? Try it sometime. You will be shocked at what your hands' oil and dirt have done to it!

jenny_o said...

That's a beautiful wreath. Your comments on carrying it home, plus boiling it up, made me smile.

Edna B said...

I've never seen a wreath like yours. Interesting. I love that little statue of Ratty. I'm so glad you stood it back up. Enjoy your day, hugs, Edna B.

The Bug said...

I love the wreath! You can use it for fall and winter decor (in my opinion). I had to laugh at the suggestive tone of the tuba lessons. Made me think about how if you listen, the play by play and color commentary on hockey games is VERY suggestive. The 12 year old boy that lives in my head always sniggers.