Good at Summer: These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

My mom and my sister, Brytten came to Spearfish for the weekend. Let me tell you, I have purchases to show for the weekend. On Friday night, the fam went to Deadwood and had supper at the Deadwood Social Club. The ladies then ventured to jewelry stores while John investigated over-the-counter drugs and took defamatory pictures and Grandpa won $230 on the machine that he always wins on at The Franklin Hotel. On Saturday, Grandpa, Jackie, Brytten and I went fishing and then Brytten and I shopped downtown and went to the annual art festival in Spearfish, Art in the Park.

As I mentioned in the earlier post, "I Can Hear The Bells" I have an idea for a garland that will be made out of old brass marching band uniform buttons, sepia-toned vintage photographs and now these dainty brass bells I found at a jewelry store in Deadwood. I bought two last week and completed the collection with six more. When Jackie asked me how many I had I said, "Eight Bells," then my grandma said that would be a good novel title. Indeed it would. And it will be. I have always wanted to do writing of some sort about my grandparents and now I am thinking I will write eight short stories and compiled together it will be called, "Eight Bells." The woman at the store asked me what I was going to do with the bells so I explained my whole garland idea. She thought it was great and gave me this piece of handmade paper from Nepal to use for the garland as well. I am deciding how exactly I want to use it and am currently rolling over the idea of cutting it into a cool shape like flower petals or apples or suns and attaching them to the garland as well.

Eight Bells and lovely handmade paper

When I saw this other piece of loveliness in the jewelry store I made a very Sanna-like squeal and exclaimed that it was one of the greatest things in the world. This little elephant-thang has hollow clips on the back and is designed to string a scarf through to hold it in place. Scarves being one of my favorite things in the world, I had to own this.

Elephant Do-Dadd

On Saturday Brytten and I spent what felt like several hours at a store called Global Market. At one point Brytten was looking at tapestries. The way the word, tapestry, just flowed out of her mouth so effortlessly that it struck me as one of the funniest things ever. I don't think I have ever used that word in my life yet when she said it, it sounded like it was a regularly used word in her vocabulary. Then... I found green velvet pants. Naturally I had to try them on. When I came out of the dressing room Brytten asked me how they turned out. I said I looked like Elton John and that was usually a look I tried to avoid. Eventually I did find this lovely item.