Straddle the Turtle

Learning to slow down, because life's too short ~ ~ ~

Message in a Typewriter

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Recently I was rearranging some tables in my studio and noticed an old typewriter tucked underneath with boxes of supplies. I’d found this portable Royal Caravan at an estate sale for $7. When I first showed it to my young grandson a couple summers ago he went crazy over it, mesmerized by a keyboard that clunked with each punch of the key… and so slow…! It occupied him for hours just examining the mechanics of such an ancient tool. I had forgotten about it until I opened the case and found this message:

Translation: Helo Nana, how are you doing since I saw you last? I can,T wait to see you again! You are soo fun, and I love seeing you! I wish we could just live together. I think we should be neighbors! That would make our life sooo much easy er! We could get everything we want done I hope you have been having a great time without seeing me, and without myself seeing you, because of school. We have to find time to see each other again!

Someday he will be a grown man, busy with lots of responsibilities. I know that, so I’m cherishing our times together now.

Color Me Poetry

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Blue Whale
Blue Whale*

Color Me Poetry (by Aldo, age 10)

There was a blue whale.
He was as hungry as the sky was for the water.
Soon he saw a red chili.
It was like fireworks (boom, boom) that went up into the sky.
Soon the blue whale got the chili and became purple like grapes and bumpy like a chameleon.

* Blue Whale 2018 watercolor painting by Barbara Grant was donated to today’s fundraiser for America Scores in Milwaukee 

A New Way of Walking

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Ballet Feet Dream
The Ballet Feet Dream

Dreams can be so fascinating. I came across this page describing “The Ballet Feet Dream” from over 20 years ago. 

In case it’s too difficult to read my writing, I’ve converted to text here:

“This takes place in a small circle apart from a bigger group of people at some type of gathering.

A few people (including Dori who is laughing hysterically) are watching me attempt to stand and walk with my feet and ankles wrapped and taped up in toe-shoes.

I start off very hopeless – hardly able to stand at all – knees bent to keep my balance. But I begin to try to straighten up some, and it gets a little easier, and then as I walk and turn around and keep persisting it begins to feel fine, and I can balance with no problems at all. In fact, my feet and ankles are so secure that this binding around them and this way for walking seem like it’s permanent.”

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