May I begin today’s dose of redundancy with another old movie reference? (Yes, I may, thank you.) Because it captures exactly how I felt as I was erranding earlier and thinking about writing this post. Disney’s Little Mermaid has provided our family with several excellent quotes over the years. One of our favorite characters (well, they are mostly ALL our favorite characters) is Scuttle, voiced by the phenomenally funny (and sadly missed) Buddy Hackett.
You all know the story so I won’t bother with that, but here’s where I am going with this, he swoops in and says excitedly to Ariel, “okay, so I was flying, ha, of course I was flying…” We use this line constantly, mostly pertaining to me and my “creature of habit” routines.
Today I went to the library, ha, of course I went to the library. There was a hold item I needed to pick up for my mother and another situation I had to deal with. While I was there I noticed a lovely young woman with a very small laptop computer, which (appropriately enough) she had perched on her lap. She was talking (in a nice, polite, appropriate-for-being-in-the-library voice) on her equally small cellular device. When she finished her conversation I assaulted her with my questions about her tiny computing machine.
She was extremely kind and answered my enquiries the best she could. At the end our exchange I should have given her one of my boringly plain brown business cards. Did I have one with me? No. I did not. Instead I had to rapidly scribble the blog name on the back of my check-out slip.
Thank you, lovely young woman with the wee laptop, for your kindness and patience today. Hope you made it here, despite my idiocy. And I apologize for accosting you this afternoon at the library.
And now, for a gun update. I had to drop some crap off at J.D.’s the other day, one item was a package that arrived at our door while I was sleeping. Apparently it was another weapon thingie. 
He tried to tell me what the part was for but I was being less than attentive. So he provided phone photos (like that has ever helped my sieve brain before). 
Those of you playing along at home, and following the progress of this particular project, will observe the obvious upgrades (the rest of us can just admire accordingly).
I saw two separate girls today, in two separate areas of town, both wearing adorable stripey tights. The first pair were black and white and the second were a dark purple and white. Super cute. And one foreign plate (not as truly foreign as yesterday though): Michigan.
Our weather guessers are nearly always wrong around here. How can they NOT be, we live in an odd place (on SO many levels). Eugene is in a valley, and it has little mini-valleys on several sides. Storms get confused when they head our direction. For days now the news has been saying we are in for snow. Watch out! It’s gonna snow!
This happened sometime between 6 and 8 a.m. By the time I got up (much later in the day) it was on its way to being gone.
Seriously. This was just pathetic. Hardly worth mentioning. In the front yard it was even less impressive. 
(Yes, those circles in the “snow” are Axel footprints.) They SAY it is supposed to freeze tonight and snow more. Ha, I’ll not be waiting around with my mittens on.
In our tour of the card altar we have come back around to my working deck. And it came up reversed, so I’ll give you both directions. I haven’t done anything but take the photo, so this will be as new to me as it is to you. Let’s just see why, shall we?
Page of Cups (up as well as down)
You recall how Cups are emotion, the heart, our feelings. And Pages are usually the daughters of the selected suit, they are often rendered in illustrations as princesses. (When the cards transformed from Tarot into what we know now as our modern poker deck, all of the Major Arcana was eliminated [except for the Fool as Joker], as were the girls. What a freaking surprise, not. However, in some decks they are portrayed as boy pages, but blame that on the times these interpretations were created, and ya know, patriarchy.)
Generally when a Page shows up, it depicts a specific person, a young woman. But the cards are not exact, so it could just a well be a very artistic or gentle young man. Since we are dealing mostly with emotion today, it would mean the personification of a young person with an aesthetic flair, one with a warm heart and an eye for beautiful imagery.
In my deck this Page holds a shining cup, wears a painter’s palette at her side, and stands in front of a softly rolling, pastel-hued ocean. All of these aspects speaking to the way of feelings, the fullness of love, and a caring for beauty. Nothing is harsh in this card, nothing is glaring or drastic. The overall dynamics of this illustration are soft and soothing.
I like to look at the words in the guidebooks when we come to this deck because, although I have not refered to them in probably 20 years, when I do a reading, they are sometimes a good way to grab a phrase or definition for this type of situation. (A situation I sort of invented here when we started this rotation.) “A helpful youth of artistic temperament, studious … A trustworthy and trusting employee … a child brings joy, or a birth is imminent.” What I have found with this particular author is that they see the Pages as more along the lines of young people “in service” than as a version of ourselves.
When Cups present themselves as challenges it can often mean an overflow of emotion. How we sometimes feel too much. We are full to bursting with all of those loves and hates and pain and devotion. I like to see if a reversed card is in the process of coming or going, or in this case, if we just need to see about our balance of emotion right now.
Are we truly feeling all the things we think we are? Or are we shielding some of those emotions, and if so, is it out of protection of our hearts? Or is it fear-based, looking back in our heart history (how we felt as a teenager perhaps) and being concerned to love again. The other “book” phrase that can come up with this card is about deception, so it’s similar to that fear-based concern of being truthful with our hearts.
Sadly, when we over-protect ourselves, and our emotions, we lose out on the chance to be free with them. Be careful if this is your current way of thinking (or an actual young person in your life, and how s/he is thinking). Especially since thinking and feeling don’t always work well together. Yes, by all means, protect that youngster in your soul (or the one standing beside you), but never allow that young heart to be sealed away in a box. Missing out on love is maybe a worse way to go than if you had the opportunity to love but that love changed over time.
Remember, there are no mistakes. Just lessons. And even though lessons of the heart are painful, they are worthwhile, and the help us to grow in more ways than we can see from here. Not to mention what a shame it would be to live without love in our lives.
Oops, Daniel sent me this. There WAS more snow (at 7:30 a.m.). But now it is mostly gone.
Soooo…. Neither of us was aware the other was taking snow photos. I took mine at 0730, Julie took hers at 1430 (sorry, 7:30 am and 2:30 pm). Did anyone notice the pics were nearly identically framed? No – we didn’t use the same camera. I used my phone, Jul used her digital.
(This is still Daniel. And when he realized this I made him tell you guys. See? Nobody believes how very odd we are sometimes…
J.)
The upgrade is the top rail and the four-pack spare-shell-holder (it’s all one unit, and attaches to the frame, which was conveniently drilled-and-tapped from the factory… which of course won’t mean anything to most people, but will be appreciated by those who know the art of the boom-stick).
This is actually my original “project gun,” which got sadly cast aside when I got my 1911 (which I *had* to upgrade, since I was using it for work) and my AR (which is basically the Lego set of guns). Recently, though, one of the companies that I really like introduced a new stock for the ol’ Benelli, and that got me motivated to start in on the renovation. Which, again, I’m sure almost no one cares about, but, whatever, I’m basically delirious with illness at this point, and those pictures seem kinda random without some explanation.
A – Thanks so much for the info Babe, actually we do appreciate it. And yes, it did sort of need the details.
And 2 – I hope you feel better soon. Like by Saturday, when you’ll need to be well, so you can represent us … cuz I ain’t goin’ !!!
I’m only pointing this out, Julie, because it amused me. You made two points: A, and 2. Had me giggling. Thank you for being such a creative and idiosyncratic person!
She ALWAYS does “A” and “2″ – the rest of us are unable to make an actual list anymore WITHOUT this. Sometimes it is “1″ and “b”
It was orginally an old Paul Reiser bit (from Mad About You days), and now lots of comedians are doing it, most notably Craig Ferguson. I’ve done it, as Hanny said, nearly their entire lives…
Not goin’ on Saturday?? What is up with THAT??
“Lego set of guns.” HA!! Brilliant. And so true. Whenever I finally get to come to visit Julie I will just drop Brian off with you and you guys can play with your toys.
I’m also amused by “the Lego set of guns.”
First off, guns always make me squeamish. Always have, always will. (my father chose to end his own life with a gun we didn’t even know he owned) So if you said something profound around those pics, I scrolled right past. Sorry.
As for snow. If we had as much snow as you’re showing in those pictures, it would shut down the entire city of Houston. For DAYS. That’s big-time snow for us (yeah, yeah…I know…I’m from Pittsburgh, so I know snow).
The card pick for today. Hmmmm…I can say that I’ve got a few artistic bones in my body, thank you mom. I scrapbook, I was published for years. I used to make all our Christmas (and other holiday) cards every year. I make special birthday cards. Unfortunately, about 6 months ago…a freakish event in my life cut off my artistic arm. Just yesterday, I found myself inspired to make my first card since that happened. Made me feel good.
I have a similar story, but grew up around guns. I’ve just been slightly overcoming my feelings about them. (In fact, after my brother died, my uncle took the rest of my dad’s guns, including the nickle-plated, pearl-handled revolver, and I don’t think mom saw a cent from that.)
You are in Houston?! If you ever want to get together, let me know. I’ve only been here a couple of years and am still trying to get around better, figure out where everything is. And, of course, make friends!
(If not, that’s fine, too.)
And I second the story that this amount of snow would shut down Houston. Heck, only slightly more than that shuts down Seattle!
Stormy I love the idea of you getting your artistic-ness back.
Skye, too bad about the loss of that revolver, I bet it was beautiful.
Every time I see a pic of the Wee Walnut now I just want to whack somebody.
It’s funny, when we were in WA this summer the older VW’s (older cars in general, really) were everywhere. But now, back in the home of salty roads, we NEVER see them. Cars just don’t last long out here. It makes me sad. And VERY glad that we left my mom’s ’67 Mustang at my brother’s house.
I’ll see your smattering of snow and raise you about 8″. (Ugh.)
I always tell children (when I see that they “just want to whack somebody“) my car is a HUG Bug, no slugging allowed.
Oh yes, just leave Brian at J.D.’s house and they will be happy for endless hours discussing weaponry and playing with their projects.
Wait, who has a ’67 Mustang?! That might be the only vehicle I would ever trade the Wee Walnut for, well a Mustang, or a ’57 Ford pick up truck.
When I went back to college, I bought my friend’s old VW bug, because I’d always wanted one and I had to sell my newer car. Those things are HEAVY! I was used to driving imports, which handled wayyy differently. Parallel parking was much more difficult. They are extremely cute, but the only VW beetle I would buy is one of the new ones, which I adore. And I would put those magnetic flowers or polka dots all over it!
The new ones ARE adorable!!!
I like today’s card… Not entirely sure of what it represents for me, but I like it nonetheless.
I envy your snow that is gone in a few hours. I got a snowday today, as it snowed heavily from 5 am to 5pm, we got several inches, I got stuck in a ditch and saw two other people get stuck/go off the road. I’m so ready for spring in Upstate/Central NY.
Oh no! Obviously you got out of the ditch, but I am so sorry you had to go through that! Icy roads are just plain scary.
Upstate NY? Maybe you are near Cat… she has a fun neighborhood, you should go visit her. Russian circus performers, famous guy down the road, goats wandering the lanes, she’d love to have you over I’m sure.
Pretty Benelli.
(I’m totally still whacking people when I see a VW bug.)
Aaannndddd I’ve used up my brain capacity for today.
Lol, why am I not surprised that you would not be moved by my insisting on hugging instead of slugging?
Now, go rest your brain.
I didn’t think of taking pictures of our snow (not much) or my guns (no projects).
I only think of it now… get some harsh criticism (Emma!) when there are too many “words” up here and not enough pictures. So I share.