Too Much Time On Her Hands
I made my grandma a packet of homemade, miscellaneous greeting cards for Christmas this year; little notes that she could send out to her cronies, if the mood struck. Her response, as reported by my mother, after I pressed for reaction:
"Cathie obviously has a lot of free time on her hands."
HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
This from a woman who macramed for years like she was weaving a rope to scale Kilimanjaro. The very same woman who bequeathed to me a ceramic Christmas tree that she had handpainted, and a doll wearing a voluminous crocheted (granny again!) hoop skirt. This maker of doilies and quilts and dollhouse linens. Not to mention gingerbread houses (that we weren't allowed to eat), photo albums, and fudge.
Now, I'm not silly enough to expect that everyone is going to love the gifts that I give them. And homemade gifts are particularly difficult. I know that I have been the recipient of many an afghan or handcrafted tree ornament, where my reaction was less than ecstatic. I realize that just because I enjoy making something, it's not going to necessarily be anyone else's cup of tea. They are not going to clutch it and shout: This is just what I always wanted.
Bringing me to this point--
Last month, I made the item of which I am most proud. It is meaningful and special and quirky and different. It is entirely for me. It is----ta dah----a personal shrine.
I'm poking fun of myself a bit, but I'm also dead serious. I made this shrine because I wanted a place in my already cluttered house where I could "retreat": to pray, read, write, etc. Because I don't have an entire room that could be designated for such purposes, I went with a serving tray shrine.
I think it turned out pretty well.
Here's what I did: I painted a wood tray from AC Moore ($3) brown. I slapped down a couple of sheets of patterned paper (vintage buckaroos), some favorite pictures (me, people I love), quotes, and an inspirational postercard that my mother sent me the last time she was in Ireland ("Irish writers," and you will note, there is not one female mentioned, so I took it upon myself to type out my own name and paste it onto it). I bought ribbons and funky yarn and tied them around the handles. I even strung two tiny charms on the yarn--a silver picture frame with a shot of me, six years old and on "me daddy's knee," and a silver bead noting the one thing I need constant reminding of: "be yourself."
Waa-laa. Personal shrine.
Of course, I'm a bit embarrassed to be sharing this. Nothing screams "narcissism" like "personal shrine." But I love it. I really do. I stack my notebook and my "book queue" on it. It sits on the ottoman that goes with our oversized chair, right in front of the window.
The place where I sit and read and write and contemplate and pray. And where I thank God every day that I've got a bit too much time on my hands.
(P.S. Granny really does like the cards. She's just one of those ladies who has got to knock you down before she compliments you. Gotta keep you in your place, y'know.)
"Cathie obviously has a lot of free time on her hands."
HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
This from a woman who macramed for years like she was weaving a rope to scale Kilimanjaro. The very same woman who bequeathed to me a ceramic Christmas tree that she had handpainted, and a doll wearing a voluminous crocheted (granny again!) hoop skirt. This maker of doilies and quilts and dollhouse linens. Not to mention gingerbread houses (that we weren't allowed to eat), photo albums, and fudge.
Now, I'm not silly enough to expect that everyone is going to love the gifts that I give them. And homemade gifts are particularly difficult. I know that I have been the recipient of many an afghan or handcrafted tree ornament, where my reaction was less than ecstatic. I realize that just because I enjoy making something, it's not going to necessarily be anyone else's cup of tea. They are not going to clutch it and shout: This is just what I always wanted.
Bringing me to this point--
Last month, I made the item of which I am most proud. It is meaningful and special and quirky and different. It is entirely for me. It is----ta dah----a personal shrine.
I'm poking fun of myself a bit, but I'm also dead serious. I made this shrine because I wanted a place in my already cluttered house where I could "retreat": to pray, read, write, etc. Because I don't have an entire room that could be designated for such purposes, I went with a serving tray shrine.
I think it turned out pretty well.
Here's what I did: I painted a wood tray from AC Moore ($3) brown. I slapped down a couple of sheets of patterned paper (vintage buckaroos), some favorite pictures (me, people I love), quotes, and an inspirational postercard that my mother sent me the last time she was in Ireland ("Irish writers," and you will note, there is not one female mentioned, so I took it upon myself to type out my own name and paste it onto it). I bought ribbons and funky yarn and tied them around the handles. I even strung two tiny charms on the yarn--a silver picture frame with a shot of me, six years old and on "me daddy's knee," and a silver bead noting the one thing I need constant reminding of: "be yourself."
Waa-laa. Personal shrine.
Of course, I'm a bit embarrassed to be sharing this. Nothing screams "narcissism" like "personal shrine." But I love it. I really do. I stack my notebook and my "book queue" on it. It sits on the ottoman that goes with our oversized chair, right in front of the window.
The place where I sit and read and write and contemplate and pray. And where I thank God every day that I've got a bit too much time on my hands.
(P.S. Granny really does like the cards. She's just one of those ladies who has got to knock you down before she compliments you. Gotta keep you in your place, y'know.)
posted by Cate at 6:55 PM
9 Comments:
I love the shrine. Its good to have something that is just for you.
And by the way, the handmade cards would have had me jumping for joy. :)
Ritapita,
I just bookmarked you on my sidebar and it disappeared. WTH? I still struggle with this ...
Thank you for that comment. It was so kind. Grandma had better watch out!
cate,
maybe we both have too much time on our hands.. we are both the first comment on each others most recent posts.. funny, huh?
and oh! there I am, linked over there. :) yay!
if you had any idea the hours and hours i spent struggling with this blog stuff, you wouldn't feel so bad. its hard to learn it, but once you do,it gets even more addicting. (is that possible?)
I LOVE the shrine. What a great idea. And yours is lovely.
I honestly don't think it is narcissistic. Now if you made shrines of yourself and gave them to everyone you know as gifts (a tasteful wall hanging shrine or perhaps as a toilet paper cozy), that might be narcissistic. But your own one is fabulous.
I love the shrine and think it's a great way to assert your identity which is not narcissism for a mother, and wife. I mean kids have a hard time thinking of their parents as real people and I imagine that has some affect on you whether or not you are conscious of it. So, having a place that says this is all about me and my inner self, is wonderful.
I think this is a brilliant idea! Something I always say I will do (and would greatly benefit from), but never actually do! I love the way in which you conveyed the angle of the "shrine" to us!
Good for you!
xoxo
Sounding like an echo here, but I LOVE the shrine! And I think there's a difference between loving and respecting yourself (healthy!) and loving and respecting yourself to the the point of others being unimportant in your life (unhealthy narcissism!).
Your shrine most definitely seems like the former, not the latter. If we don't love and respect ourselves, how can we expect anyone else to love and respect us? So Yay You!
Ritapita,
Yes, it's so addicting, isn't it? I'm glad to hear that you feel the same way, and that you struggled, too, figuring it all out.
Stephanie,
I'd forgotten all about "toilet paper cozies!" I've yet to receive or give one as a gift, though you never know when that day might come. Thanks for the kind comments about my shrine. You made my day!
Michelle,
Isn't if funny that people sometimes feel that asserting their identity makes them narcissistic? What a brilliant way to look at it. You make me want to celebrate my idenitity all the more. Thank you.
Baylor,
I hope you make a shrine. It was so much fun to do! And thanks for the lovely words, as always.
Debr,
Thanks for stopping by! Excellent point about self interest that is healthy vs. unhealthy. I find that I have a hard time with that balance (I'm an extremes kind of girl), but I think I'm getting better!
Cathie, this is so fabulous!! I love the idea of a personal shrine and have been wanting to do something like this for awhile. I don't think it is narcissistic at all, but rather an exploration of your inner core, a peek at your soul. Thanks for sharing with us!
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