Hi neighborhood,
It's been a while! (last post: 2007)
I've been blogging over at super-junk and was wondering if I ought to be crossposting to VOX as well. Does anyone read this thing?
-m
One of the reasons that I never wanted to have children was because I am sensitive to bad people, i.e., bullies, and I hate it when others are being picked on, and I hate meanness and violence. Yes, I know I had two children but long before I got pregnant I decided never to have children because I could not bear to have them bullied or picked on. I had watched too many people hurt and crying and its the worst kind of hurt to be humiliated by a bunch of freaks in school.
Fast forward 20 years.
My sons weren't the most popular ones in school but they were not the least popular. So of course they were picked on. I think that my younger son, who is very sensitive, was bullied even. No he is NOT GAY, as some would think. He is just emotionally more out there than others. He has been diagnosed with a severe anxiety disorder, social anxiety and some OCD tendencies. And when he was little, we're talking 5-8 years old, he was VERY sensitive and could not control it. He would cry if he was angry. He would cry if he was frustrated. He would cry at the top of the hat really. He was called names and picked on. We moved before it got bad for him. He became very popular at his new school and had many girlfriends. But he was miserable in middle school and spent 2 years in hell, until 8th grade.
In 8th grade, he was very upset about his social status. He also was upset over some horrible things that happened with his father. And he talked to me about smoking pot. Of course I was against it. We all tried to talk him out of it. He told me that it would make him popular. I was aghast. I talked to his teachers, and believe it or not, THEY AGREED. They told me that by smoking pot, my son would become more popular.
Despite every reason I could come up with for him not to, my son became a pot smoker.
This child then became so popular I am not sure he knew what to do about it.
Because with popularity comes all kinds of new problems. He had to work harder and harder to maintain his popularity and his social anxiety got in the way. School eventually became too much for him and for me and I withdrew him. I still think its the best decision I ever made about him. What would have happened if he stayed?
All of this is upsetting me because I recently read a Jodi Picoult book called "Nineteen Minutes" about a boy who was bullied from kindergarden through high school and finally shot a number of students, sentenced to life in prison and ended up killing himself. I could not get the story out of my head. After reading it I went online and re-read some case studies about children who were bullied, and I read the story of the boy from Essex, Ryan Halligan, who killed himself after being bullied online and humiliated by some stupid girl in his school. This story broke my heart! I cannot imagine the grief and horror and anger and outrage that his parents have gone through.
And I wonder....if it weren't for marijuana, would I be going through the same thing myself?
Quiet Moment by Jeremiah Ketner.
(Click photo to see more views)
I purchased this lovely six inch wooden sculpture from Rotofugi Gallery back in the beginning of July. Thanks to Mr. Ketner and Mr. Rotofugi himself, Kirby Kerr, arrangements were made for me to get my hands on anything of my choice. Rather than opting for a painting, I bought this beautiful sculpture as I thought it was a perfect translation of Jeremiah's characters from 2D to 3D. It's as if it jumped right out of one of his paintings! it's absolutely beautiful and serene. I fell for it as soon as I saw it. The plan is to house her in a box frame next to my forthcoming Ketner painting. Until then, she sits happily in my Bertby cabinet amongst the vinyl toys and plush.
I do not like to watch television news, sitcoms, animated shows, talk shows, most reality shows and most of the time, documentaries. I try to limit my television time to 5 hours a week, and that still seems like quite a lot.
I like movies mostly because I don't get attached to the characters.
But when I watch television, its drama I usually go for. I used to LOVE "Charmed." It was my favorite show for many years and I cried for days when it ended. This is mainly the reason that I try not to watch television so much. I was very attached. I also loved "Sex and the City." I thought it was fabulous. The DVD set has been on my list to get for a few years but I haven't gotten around to it.
Current shows that I watch that will start this Fall are Grey's Anatomy, Nip/Tuck, House, Bones, and Desperate Housewives. I MIGHT watch Private Practice, a Grey's spinoff, but that will put me over my limit!
My summer shows were Big Love and The Closer. I do have Weeds on DVD but have not watched the second season (I am dying to). I also have been watching reruns on DVD of "Bewitched." That was a fantastic show. Fantastic.
My collection began with Gretchen, a Samedi Marche encore. I purchased her on ebay in January of 2006.
My sister Julia had been after me for months about Blythe dolls. She told me that there was a whole online community of women OUR AGE that collected these dolls and sewed for them. I thought it was stupid. I felt sorry for these women who had nothing better to do.
Julia came to visit me and we went shopping at Newbury Comics. Unfortunately for me, my husband, and our bank account, I fell in love with a Mademoiselle Rosebud that was for sale there, and I bought it for 85 dollars. I remember being freaked out that I spent a whole 85 dollars on a doll. A DOLL. When we got her back home I was just in love with her accessories. And I loved how you could pull a string the back of her head and her eyes would change. Julia and I had a plan to send her back and forth (she lived in Ohio at the time) and we'd make things for her. Julia would take her home and send her to me in a month or so.
Shortly after she left I was upset. I loved that doll. I joined TIB and read about the many dolls available and what people were doing to them. (I thought customizing was horrid and laughed at the women who had 20+ dolls - I probably thought they were sick.) I found websites of people who even made dollhouses. Well needless to say I was hooked, and I wanted my own doll, not one to share with my sister. So yes, I bought SMe on ebay. I was so pleased about it, and started obsessing, OBSESSING, over what the doll would wear.
Many dolls have come and gone since Gretchen. I will never sell her. She is the start of a crazy, amazing, obsessive love that I cannot explain to anyone but another collector. It is a love that I hope never dies. It has gotten me through many of life's disappointments and heartbreaks. I could spend hours rearranging the rooms in the House of Blythe (my insanely huge dollhouse), re-dressing and photographing the dolls, and I would never tire of it.
I have 30 dolls now. 30. I feel that its a little out of control. But I love each and every one of them.
I have been a collector since I was a little girl.
I have collected stamps, spoons, thimbles, stuffed animals, silver, crystal, china, pottery, designer bags, books, movies, magazines, music, antique linens, jewelry, vintage cloth, and dolls.
I have been accused of not really being a collector, but instead a SPENDER. I might have a spending addiction, so I read something about it today, which I am going to post:
"Spending addiction is a symptom--or flashing red light warning sign--that there are deep-rooted feelings you're
trying to avoid facing. Indulging yourself in shopping helps numb those troubling feelings--for a while. Most often, the feelings are of inadequacy in some shape or form, whether its appearance or acceptance.
When you have spending addiction, what you're actually attempting to "buy" is to be liked and admired by others
and to not feel consumed by self-doubt and self-disappointment. It doesn't matter how much money you have, how
successful you are, or what prestige you hold in your community, it's the inside of you that feels empty and insignificant."
Questions about collecting are at the forefront of my mind today because I have been offered a different kind of doll, a ball-jointed doll, from a friend at work. Normally I would not even take a second look at these dolls because they are large and hard to store and I think more fragile than my Blythe dolls. But a part of me is interested, and I think its because I have two friends, formally blythe collectors, who are now branching into collecting BJDs.
What makes me want to collect something and why? These are my thoughts today.
What gift from a parent do you remember the most?
Submitted by jorge456.
She was the best gift my parents have ever given me.
I miss her more than words can say.
Taken from Vinyl Pulse -
After her first vinyl toys were released by NTF, Camile Rose Garcia vowed not to make any more vinyl out of concern for the environment. So vinyl is out and plush is in. At SDCC, she showed two new plush toys from PITCO (Prosthetic Industries Toy Company) with the tag line "So much fun, it hurts." There are apparently at least two more designs (trees) in the works. Release date: "soon."
I can't wait!!! Needless to say, my eyes will be glued to the PITCO website.
This video makes me laugh every single time.
I uploaded this to Flickr and thought I'd share it with those of my Vox friends who are semi-voyeurs like me. I love to see photos of where people live. Their decor and collections reveal part of their personality. My decor is obviously that of colorful cuteness. Japanese pop art is a heavy influence to the kind of art and toys I collect. It makes me smile. Now post a photo of your desk or work space!
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When I said, "My foot is slipping,"
your love, O LORD, supported me.
When anxiety was great within me,
your consolation brought joy to my soul. Psalm 94:18-19
Thank you Lord for giving me strength and reassurance.
I give all that I am to do Your will.
Show me the way.
