Sunday Musings from Under the Steps: Talent Knows No Style

I think when two opposite forces, beings, cultures, styles collide something beautiful can come from it. I think the world of art and entertainment thrives on this.

Take Bing and Bowie as the perfect example...



Merry Christmas folks!

Sunday Musings from Under the Steps: Jelly of the Month Club

This Sunday Musing is neither serious nor sublime. Just funny as hell and so so....life.

To all of us who have felt like this....



And had the humor and family support to get through it.

Thanks Eddie!

Sunday Musings from Under the Steps: My Gift to You.

"DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old.
"Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
"Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.'
"Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?"

"VIRGINIA O'HANLON.
"115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET."

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8 year old Virginia wrote this letter to the editor of New York's Sun, and the quick response was printed as an unsigned editorial Sept. 21, 1897. The work of veteran newsman Francis Pharcellus Church has since become history's most reprinted newspaper editorial ever.

And although the earnest words of that child touches me, it is the response that warms me each time I read it. My gift to all of you this hectic holiday season. A bit of perspective--a moment to see how we should see this time of year and every day that follows it. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.


Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.


Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.


You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

May I Introduce My Latest and Greatest Work In Progess...

Yep, I'm working on a baby. I'm 3 months into this project and so far so good. I'm a bit tired, naturally worried for a multitude of mommy-to-be reasons. And I feel impossibly happy everytime I think him/her/strange little space alien in my tummy.

I think this may be my greatest work ever.

Happy Holidays!!!!

The Hope To-Do List:

This weekend I enjoyed the camaraderie and the critique of my writing buds at Focus on Fiction. We meet at our local Barnes and Noble every 4th Sunday of the month. And I also sold another pair of earrings to a friend. A friend? but a sale none the less and most appreciated. Both happenings reminded me of what I must focus on when filling this weeks to-do list. Make more jewelry and make more words!!!!!!

The Jewelry shouldn't be a trouble. I have quite a few to post on Etsy this week and I have about six to photo today or tomorrow. I am also at present trying out painting wood beads. My first set resemble the planets in our solar system, the next earth tones and possibly Fall and Halloween themed beads. (Will definitely be posting pics) I also have new batch of re purposed pearls and glass beads on their way to becoming multi-strand statement pieces. (So going to take pics)

As for my WIP, lets just say the reviews and critique at my FoF meeting went really well. A lot of honest raves and very helpful hints and critique. This week I will brush up what I had critiqued and then slide into the rest of Chapter 1.

And of course participate in The First Sentence of your WIP contest at A No.2 Pencil Stat! I hope you join me!

And Happy 4th BTW! Remember that we are our country. Your neighbor, your friends, the goofy guy selling shoestrings down the street--we are all what makes this United State of America the amazing home that it is. Make sure to stand and be counted this patriotic day. Celebrate, enjoy your family and friends, fly that flag and remember we are the people of the United States. Remember what it took for us to be this freedom laden land and that it means to keep those feedoms secure.

"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Benjamin Franklin