Sunday, March 22

Old & New

How 'new' is new. I was born, and grew up in, a small town. "New" was a relative term as far as objects, ideas, and people went.

For people, perhaps if it was was less than 10 years since they moved into town, they were 'new'.

For ideas, they need only be the latest bright colours the boys were suddenly all sporting, with fluorescant ties or socks. They were 'new' & were certainly to be frowned upon.

Then there were the 'new' hairstyles that fancy, pelvis wriggling fool, Elvis Presley inspired. Long greasy looking duck tails, on the back of haircuts. Huge slick backs. Sideburns, which had gone out of fashion 20, 30, 40 years before!
'New' in the worst way, & suspect of course. No decent parent wanted their daughter going out with someone who looked like that Presley fool. Someone whose 'new' was to thrust his pelvis about, & pout.

Then the music was 'new' too, and that was a bit suspect. Although Bill Haley & the Comets were not so bad. They looked a bit older, not so 'new'.
The dance crazes they inspired were 'new' & quite frenzied. Perhaps they led to 'sexy' thoughts.

That was not 'new', but the young weren't supposed to know that. They were supposed to think it was not their right to think of such things.

Of course they inevitably did, & then they thought they had invented it. It was NEW, & their special secret.
Parents & 'old' people couldn't possibly know about this, or, if they did, they surely didn't know how to enjoy it. It was all part of their 'old' ways.

Friends were to made slowly, the old were more trustworthy, & the new looked upon with mistrust & suspicion.
What if they were not what they seemed?
Could they be trusted? Even after ten years of honest trading, they were still regarded as 'new'.
It was the country way, the small~town way. Do not be hasty to make 'new' friends.

When I moved to the city, life was different, the pace was faster.
Friends were made quicker, of necessity, & friends would come & go in your life, being no less 'friends' for the quickness of the relationships.

Fashions changed. Dance crazes came & went. The new quickly became the old.

Old friends, though. Really "OLD" friends. They could endure. They took a long time to make, & in the making, something intangible was built, as well as the simple appearing 'friendship'. Shared experiences, shared joys, griefs, delights. Shared sorrows, along with simple laughter & small joys.

I was lucky, growing up in that small town of my birth, because I forged friendships throughout school days. I still have some of those friendships, & I consider myself very privileged. The value of shared friendships still plays a part in my life today.

I have recently been contacted by an old school friend. We had lost touch for many years, but have found it wonderful to reminisce & catch up on shared aquaintances lives & pathways. This friend rings me, when she can, using her 'free' phone time. She lives interstate. It is amazing how many of us, from that small town, now live here in Australia. It is amazing how our memories from that time differ, but are the same.

Since I began blogging I have made many friends. Friends I may never meet in person, but nonetheless, I feel they are friends. Because I have only been blogging since 2006, they would not really be classified long term friends in the usual sense. However, I feel they are, in the world of cyber friends.

I was privileged to receive an award from one such "Old Friend", Tanya, of Anecdotally Yours. I can't remember exactly when I first met Tanya, but I have enjoyed her blog for as long as I can recall, in two incarnations.

Now, I am a dreadful rule breaker, so if you want to take this, please do, & if you want to know the rules for using it, please hurry on over to Tanya's to see her wonderful posts. (and read the rules of course!)
It does rather resemble me in the mornings!!


Plodding about in the garden, I looked for something to brighten the old blog.
All I could see was this lone Tibouchina flower. I should have taken the pic before the other blooms were finished!

This next blatant weed, is for Del of Del Quilts, who recently had a photo of a pretty yellow Oxalis weed on her blog. I told Del we have only the bright Pink Oxalis, so when I photographed this I was disappointed to see how pale it looks in the photo. It is growing in a rather shady position, but by the size of the leaves, it must be happy there!


This picture is of Sally, for Christine, of Winnowings. Sally is a doll I made for my daughter when she was about 3, so Sally is now aged 37. She has stood the test of time rather well considering how loved she was. She was the prototype of dolls I used to make & sell, & many I sold were made as "Bed Dolls".

I made variations of Sally to order. I crocheted the hair in yarn, & they idea was the 'hair' could be whatever colour a person chose for their decor. Many Sally's had orange or pink hair, with toning clothes to match.
This Sally was purple, because my daughter's bedroom was in pale & dark purple tones. Sally once had a vast wardrobe, but alas, all she seems to have left is her underwear, & a shirt that went with denim overalls. One of Sally's velvet shoes is in need of repair, & she appears to have food stains on her face. Her wig is coming adrift, so I might try washing her to see if she 'cleans up'!





25 comments:

fifi said...

R S T...?

meggie said...

Silly me! Now I get it. I don't know what happened to Q, but it has vanished, & I did not take it down!

Kathy's Klothesline said...

Sally looks well loved. I would clean her up and repair her, then cherish her til your duaghter reclaims her

Lucy said...

Funny that thing about young people inventing sex, and old people acting like it was suspect. It seemed like that to me then, but I'm sure if I had kids now I'd be quite fuddy-duddyish about it and worry about them doing it...! But actually I think the barriers between old and young/new are not as great now as they were.

Bloggin time does move a bit faster in some ways, doesn't it? Friends of a couple of years standing seem very longtime, others move on, new ones come. I wonder if we'll still be doing it in 20 years?

Mary said...

I wonder what will replace blogging in years to come?

Nothing can replace the friendships made whilst blogging though!

crafty said...

Sally is very cute, I have a soft spot for rag dolls. I have recently unearthed the cut out calico for two rag dolls, which I started making about 6 years ago, and never got around to sewing up.
I was stuck on the hair, and I was just thinking perhaps crochet hair would be the go, and here you are with Sally, and her purple crocheted wig!

Mike said...

Things seem to be coming and going a lot faster now than they used to--or is that just me?

I am not sure what will replace blogging, but it sure does seem to be on its way out and I find that quite sad. I can't imagine my life without some of the wonderful people I have come to know.

Granny J said...

How cool to see a doll that is not one of hundreds of thousans that wll look alike, wear the same clothes and Have the Same Name. You have a treasure.

ancient one said...

I love your rag doll... I collect Raggedy Anns as you know...My daughter was selling her daughter's Raggedy Ann on a yard sale and I just couldn't see it go... so I bought it...that was my start... I've slowed down and moved the collection to a bedroom that isn't used much... but I still get one every now and then from the grandchildren and other friends.

I have several homemade dolls too. Yours is prettier than Raggedy Ann.

molly said...

You know what they say about new friends and old? "The one is silver and the other gold!"

Anonymous said...

Drape Coats , Stovies , or Pipes , DA's , Kiss Curls,Sidies , Burns, Brothel Creeper Soles , Lurex, Studs, Sequins ,Slip Ons Slats ,Shoe Lace Ties , Brilliantine , Ming Blue , Shocking Pink, Burnt Orange, Lime Green ,why was I born about three years too late ?? Good Stuff , Meggie !!
Not forgetting " Fone Bone " of course -- HaHa

Mrs. Goodneedle said...

I love Sally, her shoes are just wonderful. Thanks for sharing...

Thimbleanna said...

Sally is adorable Meggie. How fun it would be to see all those dolls with all of their differently colored hair!

Sheila said...

Sally is lovely. My daughter still has a doll, made by a friend in Australia over 30 years ago. My daughter named her Victoria, because that is where she was sent from.
I find it kind of sweet that kids think they are inventing and discovering things we did so long ago. I remember feeling the same way, and envy them their discoveries..
hugs
xx

Kitty said...

Is anything much really 'new' anymore? My daughter's generation rave about the latest 'new trend' ... I've seen it all before, just as my parents used to tell me they'd seen it all before.

Technology is new, isn't it? I too have come to love my blogging friends like extended members of my family. I hope Mike is wrong, and that blogging is not on the way out. I'd miss it, and the people who do it, very much.

x

New Yorker wannabes said...

Hmmm I don't know Meggie, I sometimes worry that today...'new', instead of getting newer and newer, gets 'old' too fast (if you know what I mean:-)

I enjoyed this post and I too believe that blogging is a great opportunity to make friends all around the world. One may never see the other person but it is still something shared and treasured!

take care now
peace and love
xoxo

Nancy said...

I agree with having bloggy friends. It really is an opportunity to have friends who are like-minded or friends who teach you something new. Friends without complications.

heartinsanfrancisco said...

Many of my blog friends have come to occupy a part of my life and my heart, even though in most cases we'll never actually meet. Perhaps our friendships are more honest for that because we experience the essence of a person without the distractions of appearance, clothing, and all the other qualities which are secondary to who someone really is.

I love Sally, too. She's a darling little charmer.

heartinsanfrancisco said...

I just remembered who Sally reminds me of. How could I have forgotten? My mother made me a doll when I was a child who looked very much like her, but with my coloring. Later, she made dolls for each of her granddaughters with their hair and eye colors. The dolls were all the size of a two-year old child.

Anonymous said...

Oh Sally is lovely and you played Elvis too. Warmed my heart.

You often play good music here - I always mean to say and never remember. But you do.

Anonymous said...

Meggie, this is an enjoyable post. And I count you among my blogging friends :D and hope we can keep on blogging for years to come.

Deb said...

your rag doll is so cute, isn't blogging great you get to meet people from all over the world and see how they live, something you most likely would not have done without it, I mean I live in Texas and get to visit Australia...who would have thought

Ian Lidster said...

Because you deserve it there is an award for you at my blog.

Warty Mammal said...

You always have such great anecdotes. And - wow! Pink Oxalis! I have some of the yellow variety in my back yard. I like to pretend that it isn't a weed.

Cute Sally. If only we could all look as good as the day we were made, save a worn seam or two!

Del said...

The pink oxalis is lovely, but seems artifical because I have seen only yellow growing wild all my life. There is a gorgeous white flowered oxalis with purplish leaves - a hybrid, of course, so it comes in a pot. I'll post a picture of it soon. Love your words.