I don't know what your school library looked like, but I remember ours. It was divided into two parts. The one was for the lower classes at high school, adventure, fairy tales, classics, just for the fun read.
My Latin and biology teacher was in charge of it, and to get some help, she had a system of her own. Whenever someone forgot to do their homework or was caught talking in class or passing along notes, they got a so-called "Schlamperstrich", the opposite of a gold star you could say. She was always very fair and never tried to catch kids just to make them work, though. If you had seven of them, you had to work at the library for an hour.
I spent much time there, putting back books, wrapping books in laminating sheets, helping with the card catalog ... I know what you think now, but sorry, I was a volunteer and absolutely loved it! It had two little rooms and it felt cozy, especially when it was raining, and often my friend was there to help out as well which made it even more fun.
I think I only ever went to the part for the higher classes once to look something up. It was by far not as nice. It makes me wonder if it still looks like that today.
Although I can't remember if I saw others use the library very often I'm pretty sure that none of the two were ever used to hold meetings about how to slay vampires and demons .... which brings us to today's quote.
Xander: Hello!
Two students are entering the school library.
Xander: Excuse me, but have you ever heard of knocking?
Jonathan: We're supposed to get some books. On Stalin.
Xander: Does this look like a Barnes & Noble?
Giles: This is the school library, Xander.
Xander (surprised): Since when?
Giles (towards the students): Yes. Third row, historical biographies.
A wonderful series for librarian quotes! ;-)
Buffy The Vampire Slayer, USA, 1997 - 2003
Last week I told you about the HeatherCats in a post. So far three of them have come out of the shadows and moved into my shop.
They all have a few things in common. They are fun, they are unique, they are made from beads ... and they have no whiskers.
Now you might ask why I'm pointing that out. There are other whiskerless cats out there. In fact the Bosse brass cat on my desk is one of them.
It has to do with one of the comments I got on Biskit's Bum. Several people told me they had a problem recognizing Biskit right away. Some of the comments were hilarious. I have to be honest, I had never thought it could be a problem as it's a position not unusual for my own cats although I don't have a picture from the same angle to prove it.
Anyway, one of them (not my cats ;-)) said it took her a second and she thought it might be easier to see if the whiskers from Heather's original painting were on the bracelet as well.
This reminded me of the first time I showed the pattern for Grouchycat to some beading friends.
I told them that I tried to include the whiskers, but that I just didn't like them. In this size they are too overwhelming if you work them into the pattern or do them in beads 3D style. The same goes for wire if you have to work it through the beads at several points to make it stay put as I wouldn't want wire ends to stick out.
I experimented this way and that way, but the end of it was that I decided that leaving them off completely was still the best solution.
That's the story why HeatherCats have no whiskers.
Next time I'm going to tell you the story of Grouchycat's yellow bird, and why there will probably not be a HeatherCat version of notquitesogrouchycat!
I'm living at a place I like to call The Museum - one of these days I'll have to get myself a sign over the door - which refers not only to some of my vintage furniture, but also to my small collections. Let's face it, I'm not the modern kind of person. Tiled floors with a single sofa in one corner and shelves of brushed metal, not for me.
For that reason the following is hilariously funny to me.
While her daughter Saffron is away to get married in Africa, Eddy decides to get her kitchen re-done, again. She brings in her old friends Bettina and Max to do the job which turns out to be not such a good idea.
Max: "How are we doing?"
Bettina: "There's still too much in here."
Max looks around the empty white kitchen.
Bettina (pointing at the table): "I want ... that out of here."
Max: "We can't get it out."
Bettina (exasperated): "Jesus."
Max: "Steady."
Bettina (whispering): "I have to start with white box."
Max: "It, it IS white box."
Bettina is walking over to the table.
Max: "Erm ... what do we think ... over, over here?"
Bettina (looking at the white emptiness): "Do we need anything more?"
Max: "Well, a little, I think ... for the client."
Bettina (yelling and pointing at the table): "I want that out!"
Max: "We can't get it out."
Bettina: "Why??"
Max: "Cos you've taken out the stairs!"
The next moment Eddy comes flying down ... after all there are no stairs. It doesn't end well. Bettina has to be put back on medication, and Eddy is sitting in an empty kitchen with her friend Patsy and her assistant Bubbles when Saffron comes home ...
A friend of mine used to say that she wanted a loft with just a chair in it. Makes me wonder if she's one of Bettina's relatives ;-)
Absolutely Fabulous - White Box, UK, 2004
The HeatherCats are a secret project I have been talking about for a while, a project by Heather and Cat.
Heather is a friend of mine, a painter from New Zealand. I met her on deviantART and got to know the Essencestudios. I couldn't even tell you in what group it was, but among her talents Heather has a talent for bright, whimsical paintings, many of which are cats, so how could I not be fascinated the moment I saw the first one?
I really, really wanted one of her paintings for myself, and there was also that little seed of an idea in my head ....
To cut a long story short, I have my painting on the wall
and Heather has a bracelet after one of her other paintings, the Lazy Cat.
That's where it all started.
The HeatherCats are an exclusive line of jewelry bead loomed by yours truly after original paintings of Heather and they are ready to walk out of the shadows now.
Believe me, they are worth watching, both on canvas and in beads.
You will find them on Facebook and you will find them in my Zibbet shop as well where the first of them just made his entrance.
Biskit is a truly happy cat. Who wouldn't like to be able and relax like a cat? In summer, in the garden, on your back, just letting things happening around you.
Biskit was painted after one of Heather's own cats.
Stay tuned because more of them are waiting!
