Bad Associations Contest #4
Until we move on April 23, we are going to highlight one item from our extensive collection de stuff each day on the blog. One lucky commenter will win the highlighted thing. I don’t mind shipping said thing to you, wherever you are. So, is this thing Trash? Or Treasure? You decide………Today’s item has a dreadful association for me, and they deserve to belong to someone who will love them and wear them with glee.
Penelope always loved baubles. Gold and silver jangling around her delicate wrist. Pearls and jewels dangling from her perfect lobes. Diamonds and sapphires dividing the creamy white cleft between her breasts. Expensive jewelry – the real thing, not paste – was what she craved most.
Marrying Arthur gave her a lifetime membership in the Club That Owns Jewels. Clerks bowed to her beck and whim when she clattered into the wood-lined shop on Main Street, options twinkling from the glass cases, begging to be rescued from their perches of sumptuous black velvet. She studied her reflection in the round mirror, ears enhanced by a starburst of diamonds, a matching choker glittering at her throat. What could better highlight the styled curls of her blonde hair, the pink pout of her lips, her ivory skin? If she greeted Arthur wearing nothing but diamonds, certainly he would have to ravish her.
Wouldn’t he?
Another, more sedate item caught her eye. Straight from Montreal, Ma’am.
The one in Canada? Where they speak French and everything?
Yes Ma’am.
She picked up a silver basket of seed pearls, caressed its dainty metal tassel. Clipping one to her ear, she monitored the rush from the elemental heat, felt it tumble through her sinew, imagined herself standing naked in their bedroom doorway, save for these clips, greeting Arthur with avoir des rapports sexuels avec moi, ma chérie.
**********
Penelope was introduced in a series. For anyone interested in better understanding her, click here to read more. These earrings belonged to the person who inspired her. She really did buy them in Montreal, and they are from the 1950′s. Silver and pearl with a clip. Penelope will appear in a novel someday, and you can say you have something that belonged to her, something I hope will bring happiness to the winner.
I will never be able to wear them.
The winner will be drawn from today’s commenters.
I had to throw my hat in the ring quickly on this one! Although, I will not be wearing these beautiful earrings… J’ai été coupable de corruption pour le sexe… so, they may come in handy.
I loved the story, and will be checking on dear Penelope, since she may be destined to success someday… who knows, maybe a movie!
Penelope’s story may be two or three books away for me, Ted, but it is begging to be told. I’m not sure exactly what it will be yet. Life certainly does inspire fiction, but it is fiction because what is written isn’t true. In Penelope’s case, she is my attempt to understand someone I’ve never understood. Every time she demands to be written, she resonates with readers, which is always the sign of a good character.
Look forward to reading Penelope’s story
I’m looking forward to people reading it, too, Linda. I hope that means you are in for the earrings, because I’d be happy to ship them to South Africa should your name be drawn the winner.
Ces boucles d’oreilles sont magnifiques! Penelope is an interesting read for sure However, now I want to hear your story about these earrings. Bad association? Never able to wear them? Hmm…I”ll keep reading the blog hoping to get a nugget of into on that.
Oh dear. This may turn into a long reply.
You once said to me that my life is on my blog. That isn’t entirely true. A version of my life is on my blog, and what I say here is true unless I label it fiction. In telling stories, one must decide what will actually interest the reader and what won’t, OR how to tell a story that might upset someone else without actually going that far.
This blog has always been an interesting exercise in the latter, and I’ve crossed that line several times. Unintentionally. This has always been a way for me to learn to write.
Yes, there is a story behind how I received these earrings. No, I will not be telling it on the blog. The person who gave them to me still lives, and I know she believes her actions toward me are honorable, as much as she can anyway, at this stage of life. There is no way I can tell the story on the blog without upsetting several people, and I don’t write my blog to hurt others intentionally. Whenever it has happened unintentionally, I have apologized if I have known that my words caused pain.
Of course, I will tell you all about it over drinks sometime. We’re overdue for that.
You know me better than most, and just from what I’ve given you, you can imagine where it will lead.
So……..does this mean you are in or out on the earrings? I think they would be lovely on you, and it would not bother me to see you wear them one little bit.
Did someone say DRINKS?!
Penelope is fascinating. Hope to see more of her.
Helen, I hope you do, too. And, I’m dying to draw an overseas name from the hat.
nuff said….
Now Lou, these would make a lovely gift for Miss TK, though I’ve never seen her wear dangly earrings.
She dangles on occasion.
She is a pyramid
But with him she’s just a grain of sand
This love’s too strong like my cement
Squeezing out the life that should be let in
She was a hurricane
But now she’s just a gust of wind
She used to set the sails of a thousand ships
Was a force to be reckoned with
She could be a Statue of Liberty
She could be a Joan of Arc
But he’s scared of the light that’s inside of her
So he keeps her in the dark
Oh, she used to be a pearl, oh
Yeah, she used to rule the world, oh
Can’t believe, she’s become a shell of herself
‘Cause she used to be a pearl
She was unstoppable
Move fast just like an avalanche
But now she’s stuck deep in cement
Wishing that they never ever met
She could be a Statue of Liberty
She could be a Joan of Arc
But he’s scared of the light that’s inside of her
So he keeps her in the dark
Oh, she used to be a pearl, oh
Yeah, she used to rule the world, oh
Can’t believe, she’s become, a shell of herself
‘Cause she used to be a
Do you know that there’s a way out
There’s a way out, there’s a way out, there’s a way out
You don’t have to be held down
Be held down, be held down, be held down
‘Cause I used to be a shell
Yeah, I let him rule my world, my world, oh yeah
But I will come and grow strong
And I can still go on, and no one can take my pearl
You don’t have to be a shell, no
You’re the one that rules your world, oh
You are strong and you’ll learn that you can still go on
And you’ll always be a, a pearl
She is unstoppable
I wouldn’t exactly call Penelope a pearl, but she has been unstoppable for much of her life.
I’m with Alison. Why the bad associations? The earrings are lovely.
Hugs,
Kathy
Kathy, I’ve given as much of an answer as I can give in my comment reply to Alison. I hope either you or Sara would love the earrings should your name be drawn.
The fact that these earrings have a dreadful association for you is enough to make me pass, although very beautiful (sort of like a few people I know).
My heart is heavy – perhaps I read between the lines? Perhaps I read more into it but as I read along I shed a few tears (maybe my bladder is too close to my eye sockets this morning?).
Heartfelt, as always. Have a great weekend – we will be on roadside pickup (in memory of Mike’s dad we adopted a highway and will be picking up the crap that people so ignorantly throw out their window – you cannot believe what pigs some people are, but that’s another story…).
Lori, I’m with you. One of my wacky woo woo friends says objects pick up and retain energy…positive or negative. And I don’t need any of the later. Only more of the former.
Thank you for picking up people’s butts. I agree. It is appalling what people discard via their auto windows.
I think things can take on the sheen of intent. If the intention of the gift was to hurt the recipient, that thing can become something with a dreadful association for said recipient. If the intention of the giver is to set something beautiful free to be enjoyed by someone else who will truly love it, I believe that can alter the energy of a thing and make it whole again. People do the latter in many ways, and yes, I could sell these earrings to set them free, and no one would be the wiser about their provenance.
However.
I come from a long line of storytellers. As my father’s daughter, I’ve always known the story behind pretty much everything I’ve ever owned: where it came from, why it spoke to me, who valued it before me and why, etc. I had hoped having a story to attach to these baubles would make them more meaningful to the recipient. It was not my intention to repel people with said story. Again, a learning exercise in the game of writing for me.
Lori, I hope you have a good weekend relieving the roadways of trash. I’ve done likewise, and like you, I am ever amazed at what people cannot wait to throw out the window when they could wait until the next stop for gas and deposit it into a bin.
I love your intent Andra – it is noble and loving. I’m just kind of a freak about things…
My sister-in-law (the only one I like) tried to convince me we had to pick up the dead animals alongside the roadway…I think she needs those earrings to change her attitude (because with your loving intent how could they harbor illwill?). Ha.
Urine bottles…here I come….people are disgusting!
Positive associations do spring from beauty, and they are beautiful…loved seeing you at lunch yesterday! And thanks for all the amazing backstory!
They’re beautiful! I also want to know why you won’t be wearing them again????
See above, but I hope you are in for them. They would also be lovely on you.
I would wear them and think of you!
That’s very kind, Debbie. I can’t wait to see who wins them.
I know the story, I know the associations, I don’t wear pearl earrings. (Though I hear Lou does wear them sometimes to “special” Rotary events.) I think you should have made MTM pose wearing them.
And while I do not desire the earrings, I do desire to read the rest of Penelope’s story.
I tried to pose wearing one of them, but I couldn’t manage a photo of the side of my head by myself.
Okay. Really. I was having a bad hair day.
You could give them to Nancy, or your daughter, should you win.
No, No, Cyber Ninja….that is pearl one, knit two…not for wearing. Tsk Tsk.
If these were pierced earrings, I might wear them, Andra, but, then again . . . .
. . . you know my given name IS Penelope, don’t you? I’d better pass on these as well.
My ears are pierced as well, Penny. At first, I thought I might wear them if I altered them to work for me, but I changed my mind after wearing them once.
Penelope is just a name for a character in a story. It fit this character, a complex person who is barely fleshed out both in my head and on the electronic page. I don’t know who she will ultimately be, because, as I said above, she is my attempt to understand a person I’ve never understood.
I can understand why they might weird you out, should you win. Therefore, I will honor your wish to pass.
Beautiful post, Andra. I’ll pass on the earings.
“Bling” is not my thing!
Understood. And thank you.
Sounds like either an earlier version of yourself or a friendship soured. In any case, I’m enjoying the series, but my name isn’t in for these lovely baubles
Wrong. And wrong. But, I love that you’re wondering why.
Andra – will you slow down! I’m trying to think of a witty Fock to win that book. Now these lovely accessories….What’s a boy to do?
Commenting today is all you need to do, Jim. You are eligible.
I read this this morning, and I keep coming back for a peek….I have a collection of vintage jewelry that my dad gave me. All of the sparkles belonged to his mother. I last wore clip on earrings two weeks ago, on Easter. I say clip on , but they were more screw than clip. I am also a silver wearer…I really, really think that all of the good energy coming from my granny’s goodies would eventually rub off.
It does sound like they might go well with your collection.
I have one empty spot in the earring box. It’s beside a pair of jade and silver faces that look like they came from Easter Island….
Dang. Now I want to SEE this collection………..
It has taken me a day driving into London and back out again to get here, Andra….6:50pm our time…and you are right, I would definitely be gagging for these earrings. The association with the REAL Penelope is just tantalising….the director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor is an evangelist for the power of the object. He told the Telegraph in an interview this week: “The distinction between a gallery and a museum is enormous. The gallery is about looking at a thing of beauty; the purpose of the activity is an aesthetic response. The museum is actually about the object that lets you get into somebody else’s life.”
And here is a pair of earrings which leads us into someone else’s life. Whoever draws them: a true treasure. Hope you have lots of Penelope’s stuff to fuel that book of yours, Andra
I have lots of her stuff, but none of it has the bad association this thing does. And, it shouldn’t have that for the winner. I want these baubles to be treasured, worn and loved as a thing of beauty because, at their heart, that’s what they are.
Very true
Let us hope they find a whole new life, then…
Hi Andra, I’m not commenting to be in with the chance of winning (but I wouldn’t mind at all if you’d like to add someone else’s name into the draw instead of mine – you choose!
), but I am commenting because of Penelope! I feel like I know her very well, even though it’s a version of Penelope from a parallel universe who I know, and it is good to see her again! She does stand out on her own, and I’m sure you’ll do very well to tell her story one day! I look forward to reading it!
I love your history with Penelope, Tom. She is an unforgettable sort of person, however one encounters her.
between how big of a book reader Krista is and her love for jewelry like this I’ll go ahead and post here too, if only to give Krista another chance at winning! I can only imagine her delight in having ear rings that a character in a book she reads used to own!
I wasn’t sure about posting because I wasn’t sure if she would want something you had a negative feeling about, but then I saw your explanation of the difference in the intent and I don’t feel bad about trying to help you give them away.
By the time I’m done with that story, little will be left of Penelope’s inspiration, I’m sure. But, we’ll never know until I write it. Good luck to Krista!!
At first (this morning) I chose not to comment ’cause I didn’t plan to get into the running, but then I remembered that my beautiful granddaughter’s birthstone is the pearl, so….. And, I wanted you to know that I find Penelope to be very intriguing and will be interested to learn more about her when she finally tells you enough to get into that novel you contemplate.
Meantime, here’s a favorite Pearl: http://youtu.be/2ksjWJDAYzk
I’m working on another one before I begin hers. And, I have to polish my first one when I get it back from the pre-editor at the end of the month. So, Penelope is out there, but it will be a bit before I get to her.
I too love Minnie.
I’ve already won a treasure this week, so I won’t throw my hat in the ring…but I had to stop by and wish you well for this busy weekend. And I just love reading the comments associated with your give-away. You have some really clever friends and followers–who are also friends! Debra
Okay, since my daughter’s name is Krista, put the Krista, trying to fill her earring box up above, my place in line for today’s prize.
Thanks!! You’re daughter has a great name!
awww, very nice bud very nice! Thanks!
Thanks, Kenneth… you know, the real reason Andra won’t wear the earrings, is that the clips squeeze all the piercings in her ears and it’s uncomfortable.
I vote for Krista too!
Wow, so much Krista love! Thanks Cheryl!
Thank you for the vote, Cheryl! My fingers are crossed….