Friday, April 18, 2014

P is for Peculiar

It's the A to Zed Challenge! I'll be posting the first half of the month from Ottawa where I'm staying with my youngest and his partner and their newest - a little guy who was born the end of March. Yay!

Theme? Writing and Life is what comes to me... how to balance the writing life with the other tugs you may have...

The ABCDEaria of the Writing Life -



P is for Peculiar

Peculiar? Yes, you know - downright odd. Gawd I love being older. Not that I'm old but I have white hair and people know that I'm not young. I'll give you that much. And it has its rewards, yes it does. For one thing, you can be peculiar when you are older. Yep! You can be downright barmy if you like. People expect it. Sometimes I mutter but only when I'm in a large city. In Prospect or North West River I try not to act too odd because, especially in NWR it would reflect badly on the fella whose family hales from here so...

Peculiar, of course, can also mean something that belongs to someone or something - there was a smell in the air peculiar to kindergartens. 

Now why would they both mean the same - something unusual and something that belongs to something or some set of someones? I can't figure it but anyway I'm not talking about that meaning - though I will if I want to as I'm peculiar that way.

Why is peculiar a good way for someone who is trying to balance their creative pursuits? Because people will think you are peculiar if you tell them not to visit you when you are writing because they simply don't get that as a 'normal' way to behave - then they'll talk about you to others who will then not ask you to make cookies for the church bake sale because you are a bit 'you know, funny'. Excellent good I say!

Here's a photo of me working on Rorric's quilt. So fun to do, so grandmothery and yet creative too. An excellent way to marry the creative drive with the other stuff! And just so you know - I made it out of old men's shirts or uh...old shirts that belonged to men at some point - it is impossible to say that right! These nice stripey materials are peculiar to the sort of 100% cotton shirts one might find in a church basement jumble sale!






3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jan - I love that 'photo! So much there... And you've chosen a great, great word. I think it's too easy to forget the power that comes from our own uniqueness. I'm glad of the reminder.

Bish Denham said...

I too enjoy being peculiar. But then I've been that way most of my life. My mother didn't affectionately call The Rotten Kid for nothing.

thelmaz said...

Congratulations on the new addition to your family. I love being a grandmother--it's so much easier. Hope you'll visit me at www.widowsphere.blogspot.com