My friend Riannon tried to sell this magnificent piece at a yard sale, but it seemed to call out to me like a long lost friend. (P.B. said it was because I had given it to Riannon in the first place.) I brought it home and placed it atop one of the speakers flanking my t.v., real classy like. It reminds me of my cat Sativa, who also has a bit of a durr-face. (Note: spellcheck recognizes the word “durr.”) And since the statue is hollow, I can fill it with her ashes when she kicks. Then it’ll really be folk art.
The bottom is marked “Carolyn 1977,” identifying it, as if there were any doubt, as an artifact from the ceramics crafting craze. Oh, Carolyn. I have so many questions: Was this a project from an art therapy class? Was this a cat you knew? If so, what was wrong with its tongue? Did you actually give this to someone? If so, how long did they wait til they schlepped it off to Goodwill?
Thankfully most of the hideous crafts I force on my loves ones are small enough to be hidden in a drawer. I would hope that the recipients of those various glittered nightmares would have the decency to destroy my crafts rather than risk my seeing them in a thrift store and holding it against them forever, because I don’t want someone else to enjoy them.
Whenever I see something handmade in a thrift store, it kinds of hurts my crafter’s heart a little. Yeah, maybe somebody made that bean and pasta mosaic to decorate their kitchen, but most people make crafts to give away. I guess people can have good reasons for getting rid of handmade gifts, like death or homelessness. Or maybe Carolyn was a real bitch, and gave the cat to her son-in-law as an office decoration, and looking at it every day gave the giftee a nervous tick? These are the kinds of stories I like to imagine when I find any old junk with clues about its creator or previous owner. Even though I judge them mercilessly, I’m thankful for the people that throw out their crafts. Without them I’d be short numerous cat effigies, a string-art owl, airbrushed Elvis clock, and countless other treasures.
Gin and Candy 