They grow up so fast

McBeth.

A family of knives once lived on the pleasant side of town. Mother knife had her child's tip corked at a very early age, as all the other mothers had done with their own offspring, to keep the wee lad safe. After all , the world was rife with fearsom dangers: pointy toothpicks ready at a second's notice to plunge into an eye; rusty nails coated with disease begging to implant themselves into the freshest barest foot. Mother knife couldn't bear the idea that her child, unaware of his own potential, may inadvertently bring harm to himself.

One evening, after dinner had been cleared from the table and the boy had been given his sink bath, Mother attended to his bedtime needs, lovingly wrapping him into his sheath.

While she dried him the boy looked up into his mother's eyes, studying their shine. He did love her so -- She was greater to him than Venus rising from that goofy shell. Nobody was as luminescent, as brilliant, as sharp-witted as his mother. And nobody loved him as much as she did.

"Momma, can I ask you something?"

"Yes, of course", his mother replied as she adjusted the last tie on the bow she'd wrapped around his waist.

"Um.. well, first you have to promise to not get mad."

Mother knife laughed warmly, "of course I won't be mad darling, you can ask me ANYTHING".

"Well, um, all..", he stammered and fidgeted. "All my friends are starting to make fun of me. They're calling me baby-slingblade. But I'm NOT a baby! So ummm, what I want to know is umm ... can I get my cork removed?"

Sleepover Party

McBeth.

They begged and begged. They wheedled.

Finally, finally - their parents caved.

That Friday night the knives slept overnight at their friend Winey's place. The little ones bunked up together for security (even though they told the bigger blades they weren't scared).

Of course, there were a few problems. That pampered primadonna Pamela Chef brought her own sheath, just to remind the rest how much better she was than any of them. They all stayed up far too late watching a fabulous slasher film, leaving them feeling rusty and worn the next morning.

But they really did have a fabulous time.

Sharp Gals

McBeth.

Even knife girls go in pairs to check their makeup.

And sometimes they'll share their secrets with one another out of earshot of the boys.

Edgy

McBeth.

Pippa had suggested a photo of cutlery. You ask, I deliver.

After giving it a few days' worth of brainstorming I had good clean fun playing with knives and I'll add a few of the picture results as I go.

Thanks for the idea, Pippa. I'm simmering a few ideas wrt how I want to try to snap the next few subjects. Stay tuned.

Gentlewomen, start your SAD lights

McBeth.

I think it's safe to say you're a real Wisconsinite when you confidently drive with car windows and sunroof open on October nights. The cool weather isn't the least bit affecting if one wears her warm woolen cap and she turns the heater just slightly up past 'low'.

I was lucky enough to find a local gentleman selling his few-year-old SAD light recently. He'd placed the ad online back in August, heard from a smattering of interested takers but nobody did that final (and somewhat important) 'show up and pay for it' step. I came across the ad a few weeks back. Thinking I was far too late and far more than a dollar short, I emailed the gent anyway figuring 'hell, the worst that'll happen is that I'll get an email from a fellow down in the dumps person emanating some charming Eeoreyish 'ooOOhhhhwell, the light's gone, the same thing that happens to all the good ones, they just up n'leave you, sigh'.

Turns out the fellow was a former coworker. Though the term is used loosely we both were paid by the same employer. I have to wonder if it wasn't just the workplace. ooOOhhhwelllll.

He told me the lamp never seemed to help him a whole lot, so I asked why he'd kept it for so long. Turned out his cat loved the thing and he felt good about making his cat happy so the light stayed. For the cat.

I think that's a story about a therapy modality having positive results despite the formal application of close-minded rules.

So I am the new owner of a used and alternately-effective SAD light. YAY. Yay? ahem. YAY!

This might sound stupid but uh, this is one damn bright light. I've been sitting in front of it for 1/2 hr. to 45 mins. the past two days. I believe it's too early to start peeking for signs of change after so short a time, but I sure the hell need to turn up a few other lights after I turn the SAD light off or I can't see ANYTHING after the room returns to its former darkness.

So as the autumn skies begin to drift us into sleepy winter snowflakey hibernation, my SAD light and I will be keeping one another company here at the desk.