Fete Day!
Watch It
The other day as I was waiting for something to heat in the microwave, I decided to see if I could put my make-up on in the 2 minutes and 36 seconds I had before the ding. Now, my beauty routine, such as it is, is pretty simple: I curl my eyelashes, draw a smudgy brown line under my eyes, apply mascara, blush (when the tan fades) and lipstick. I was done with time to spare. It makes me laugh when I remember walking the mile to high school with my hair in rollers so my hair wouldn’t “fall,” and slapping more make-up on once I got there. We’re talking foundation, under-eye concealer, blush, powder, two-toned eye shadow, liquid eye-liner, frosted lipstick, etc. Holy Hooker, Batman.
Now I wake up early every day and putter around on the computer, but when it’s time to get my derriere in gear, I shower/dress and am out the door in about half an hour. I need the “wake-up” time, though, the luxury of those hours before I have to actually speak coherent sentences and perform proficiently at work. Sometimes I get quite a lot of writing done, sometimes I’m just blog-hopping. Maybe I should be sleeping later, but I treasure the alone time I have between when my husband leaves for work (around 6:30 AM) and when I do (10:00 AM). As an only child, I don’t get lonely. After raising four kids and trying to tame a husband, the house is blessedly, blissfully quiet every morning. And I’m not going to break the spell by vacuuming.
When is “your” time? Do you fritter it away like I do, or fill each hour with purpose?
Day, n. A period of twenty-four hours, mostly misspent. ~Ambrose Bierce
Janga is the winner of October’s contest, and can misspend time reading her prize! E-mail your address to maggierobinson8@yahoo.com Thanks so much to all of you for your thoughtful comments on fairy tales and their appeal. I always learn something new!
Fractured Fairy Tales
People study fairy tales in college, write erudite books on their psychological implications, compare cultural similarities among fables and folktales, etc. I don’t know enough about any of that stuff, because I never gave the whole fairy tale situation much thought. I mean, as a kid I read them, saw the movies. But when Ely sent me the above cartoon a while back, I thought it might make for an interesting discussion and October’s contest!
Lots of fiction is based on classic fairy tale themes. I like the Cinderella idea so much I actually named one of my heroines Cynthia Elling, gave her two nasty stepsisters and a vile stepmother and hooked her up with Sir Harry Chalmers in the first book I ever finished, Bride by Midnight. Midnight, get it? Subtlety is apparently not my middle name. I guess the whole idea of rescue and transformation appeals to me, although Cynthia and Harry actually rescue and transform each other.
What’s your favorite fairy tale? Why do you think they’re so enduring? Do you approve of the Disneyfication of them? Which contemporary author writes the best new twist on an old tale? One commenter wins a happily-ever-after romance and other fun stuff! Winner picked and a new post on Thursday, October 11.
Fairy tales can come true,
it can happen to you
if you’re young at heart.
For its hard, you will find,
to be narrow of mind
if you’re young at heart
(in the words of Leigh/Richards…sung by Frank…almost believed by me)