My friend from Georgia that I referred to in the first “What’s in a Name?” post called to tell me she recognized herself when she read the blog. She was calling to give me an update on their newest list of names. She gives such clever names that I just had to share some with you! Not that they are elaborate or out of the ordinary. I think it’s the simplicity of the names that make them so great. We tend to get prosaic and try too hard to have something catchy for a name. Maybe that’s why we still have not officially settled on a name for this place where we live, although “DOOH”, as you may recall, is NOT prosaic or catchy.
So, the story from Georgia goes that Big Blue (the BFI big blue rolling trash container) has gone back to BFI trashcan graveyard or warehouse or wherever they send those used, smelly big-mouthed beasts. My friend now has Big Blue’s cousin – same size and style – but now tan in color. So, TAN CAN is the newly adopted beast in their garage. Isn’t that just so simple, descriptive, and fun? This family makes everything fun, y’all! They have added new vehicles, now that they will soon have two of their four kids in college. OK, so “Mom’s” car is “The Carriage”. She has a little Disney Cinderella Carriage stuck onto her antenna, compliments of her husband and his surprise from their last trip to Disney. Daughter number one, the college girl, has a red car called “Big Red”. (Reminds me of the Clifford Van story.) One and only son who’s headed off soon to university drives “The Wave”, a sea-foam green car. That big and tough football player could not have a car called “Sea-foam”. “The Wave” is perfect, though – reminds me of doing the wave at ATL Braves games, and I’m sure they thought of that aspect since they are right there near those Braves. In our conversation yesterday, my friend mentioned a “critter” they discovered in their grill outside on the porch, and I didn’t catch HIS name. I’m sure he had one, though, dead that he is now! You noticed I have mentioned no names of real people in order to protect the innocent in my somewhat public ramblings. Speaking of rambling, I could go on all day about the stories and reasons I love this family and other wonderful friends from our former church and neighborhood. I’ll save those for future days. Cause I’ve got to have something to talk about tomorrow, y’all!
Speaking of names, I should probably explain the whole curtainqueen blog address. Friends from my “former life” – you know, the life where we were in the metro area with the same population as our current entire state? In that life, my creative outlet was making window treatments for people, and not just any people – “friends” and “friends of friends” people. One particularly clever friend who I’d done some sewing for dubbed me “Curtain Queen”. I have used the name as a handle for different things from time to time, which has brought back some good memories. Since I am really Queen of nothing, being called Queen of anything is a compliment. Anyway, when I was setting up this blog, I entered several names that spoke more recognizably of who I am, and those were already taken. So, in my vast creativity with names (wink), I pulled out the old standby just to see if it was available – and POOF, instant address for my blog! It was available and it was all set. So, curtainqueen it is.
Now that I’m not sewing for my long-lost “friend” public, I’ve been forced to find new areas of creative addiction. Since our move to the country in Mississippi and in my quest for creativity out here on this land plot, I’ve done some much-needed landscaping, requiring many hours of research about proper plants for different sun or shade areas in the yard, etc. After five years of that, I think I’ve gotten it to a maintenance level, mostly. I’ve obsessed over some “horsy-stuff” but not very much riding, and that still comes in spurts, depending on the weather.
Most recently, as you may know, I’m obsessed with writing. Not that life is all about this blog. By no means is that true. But through most of the last 14 years I’ve tried to have a more consistent time each day that I read God’s word, talk to Him, listen to Him, feel Him, and experience Him. With that has come all these ‘loves’ for his creation, more places to experience Him and worship Him. It includes the addiction to digging in the dirt often, amazed at His unique plants that suddenly survive under my attention and care, and beautiful flowers that send the most heavenly scent up my nostrils that I can hardly pull myself away from them. I’ve discovered horses to be the most interesting to work with and train, rewarding, and loving them in my learning. On motorcycle trips, y’all know God is showing off to me all over this country. Everything is worship when you recognize the hand of God in them and thank Him for it.
And now the crave to write about them all has hit me like a tsunami, only not one of destruction but of creativity through my head rather than my achy arthritic hands. I am in awe of this God who continues to allow new obsessions where the root of it is Him. He is the awesome author of it all – and He shares His attributes with me in ways that grab my attention, through humor and fun, sight, smell, touch, hearing, and now voice through my fingertips. Does that make sense, y’all? Everything boils down to Him who has the most perfect names of all. The one and only true God – our Heavenly Father, our Lord Jesus Christ! And I just have to write about it, all of it.
Who Gives A Hoot? 