Mad at the auction house

Guys, I have a deep and powerful sadness today and I'm not even sure it's justified. When I went to the auction, I picked up a couple of these:

Challenge coins. Now, here's the thing about them. You don't just get them for sitting on your butt all day. Somewhere along the line, someone did something pretty awesome to have been given one. Challenge coins are given by commanding officers for a job well done. So I, as always, started wondering about them. Who had them first? Who was the man who received this and why? How did it end up here? Did something happen to him and if so, why in world did his family let it go?

Made me mad.

Should it?  Probably not.

Anyway, I see myself as a savior of these things. Every time I see one at an auction or carelessly tossed aside at a yard sale, I pick up and bring it home. Someone worked hard to get it and if only for that, it's worth keeping safe.

Be on the look out for: Asparagus holders!

Asparagus has always been a costly fruit. Many years ago, IF you could afford it, then you certainly could afford something to take care of it with.  Enter instruments like these:

You see, asparagus was not meant to be pierced. So, you'd see all sorts of servers used to pick them up without breaking the skin.

So the next time you see a weird piece of tableware with a flat edge, perhaps a hood, pick it up!  It just might be worth something!



Life on Mars and I'm a Published Author!

Why am I singing Life on Mars by David Bowie, you ask? 
Well, I'll tell you. One of my works was recently accepted into a Science Fiction anthology about life on Mars!  I'm excited - terribly excited - the kind of excited where your face hurts from grinning so much and your own momma hates you.

(I'm kidding, Ma!)

I write because it's fun.  That's it and knowing that someone else likes enough of my fun stuff to include it in their book sends me though the freaking roof.

I think I may just have to reward myself with a bit of geeky space jewelry. Here's to awesome Mondays!

Gretna Green Vintage Charm

Confession: as a kid, I loved historical romance novels. The first one I ever read was called Man of My Dreams by Johanna Lindsey and I only got it from the library for two reason.  One, the cover. Two, they finally said I was old enough to get it a book from that section.

I can hear you judging me, but hey - I was only in 5th grade!  Cut me some slack. I have since progressed to more pithy things, but let me just say, my eyes were opened.

Anyway, it seemed like every novel I read seemed to have the same storyline: guy meets girl and they have to escape to Gretna Green. It became a running joke in my middle school book club. How many books can we find with men picking up women for quickie marriages just over the Scottish border in Gretna Green?  We found a lot.

Which brings me to this!

This vintage sterling silver charm is soooooo on my charm bracelet now. It reminds me of everything: middle school, the books we used the read, the shared giggles over still undetermined lunch food and the day I got that book from the library.