I’ll spare you my sunsets, but I just have to share the great vintage farm finds that come my way.
In the next issue of our magazine, “Imagine a Place” Oct/Nov 2011, we’re featuring the adorable, traditional, much-loved Sun Bonnet Sue.
This handmade tablecloth, 35 inches x 35 inches, could be yours for $18. We’ll throw in a copy of “The World According to Mister Rogers (Important Things to Remember)” by Fred Rogers.
MaryJane says: Thank you for your donation to firstbook.org! No, thank you for our FIRST donation to firstbook.org!!!! We’re on a roll now. If you can call our office tomorrow and ask for son, Brian, you’ll be whisked off your feet when you see how darling and so very handmade your new treasure is.
MJ – Just got off the phone with Brian. He’s wonderful at customer service! I am really jazzed about my cutie-pie whisk broom that is already on its way to me but also that I am your first firstbook.org donation. You are genius and this is win-win-win. Thank you so very much.
Oh, the wisk broom holder is fabulous! What a great purchase Karen England!!! 🙂
MaryJane, I love my whisk broom and holder! It is even more wonderful than I imagined. I sent you a photo of it in my new utility closet via email because I’m pretty sure I can’t comment here with pictures. Was my new broommate a prop in something? I have most everything of yours- books, mags, etc… and have been looking but haven’t found it yet. It is my new game…
Cheers!
#89
Jane says: It was meant to be … yours! We’re thinking it was used in an Everyday Organic newspaper column. We’ll check on that. We’re sure it’s in its permanent home now. Thanks for the pic. Sweep dreams.
On p. 90 of my third book, MaryJane’s Outpost—Unleashing your Inner Wild, there’s a photo of a vintage radio.
It could be yours for only $32! All proceeds (minus shipping and packing) will benefit www.firstbook.org, a non-profit that provides new books to children from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada.
The first person to call the farm and talk with Brian, 208-882-6819 and pony up a credit card, becomes the new owner of a little bit of herstory. Shipping will be either USPS or UPS, our choice. No returns.
(Note: Radio, like my Willie, is the silent type, even though it still has all its speaking parts and a cord. Maybe you can get it talking again!)
Okay, this is off topic. But because it involves the glamorous Willie and the use of proper grammar, I’m going to call it:
GLAMMAR Lesson # 1:
I Only Have Eyes for Willie
(Technically this could be a Great Find or a Giveaway. I‘m sure you’ll let me know if it’s of value to you. It’s technically just for me. Only me? You decide. Smiley face.)
Ready? Here goes.
I only want to talk to my Willie … if only I could figure out what that means!
Have you ever noticed how the word “only” likes to wander where it shouldn’t?
(“Even,” “still,” and “just,” have this problem, too.)
But wanderlust notwithstanding, each “only” is like a chicken run amok in the lettuce bed—you have just GOT to reign that bugger in! Here, I’ll show you:
MaryJane only wanted to talk to her Willie. (Yeah, I JUST wanted to talk to him!)
MaryJane wanted only to talk to her Willie. (And I wanted nothing else!)
MaryJane wanted to talk only to her Willie. (Everyone else should march a great distance through a rural area.)
MaryJane wanted to talk to her only Willie. (I’ve only got one Willie. And I wanted to talk to him.)
MaryJane wanted to talk to her Willie only. (Only … what? He was busy singing? He was buried at the bottom of my purse and his screams were muffled by the vintage wallpaper squares I’d just scored?)
While each sentence is technically correct, those delicate variations really change the meaning. And we can’t afford to be unclear where Willie’s concerned.
My advice? We need to reread sentences with “only” and make sure it refers to the right word or phrase. If we’re really not sure, we can always take the easy way out: eliminate “only” altogether. Most times, we’ll still get our point across. Like so:
MaryJane wanted to talk to her Willie. (Still works! Am I helpful or what? Don’t answer that.)
But as for catching wayward chickens in the lettuce bed … that’s up to you and only you.Â
Ever messed up “only” with hilarious results?
carolj says: Love the grammar comment. If only I can remember to share it with my high school English students. . . . It reminded me of Mark Twain saying that to improve writing insert the word “damn” every time you want to write “very.” You would never use the d-word that many times. Remove it and your writing will be just write. Oh, there’s the “just” word.
Good one!
How about this here?
Do you want this here one?
Do you want this one here?
Hum….
Alee says: What a wonderful blog. I enjoyed reading it and laughed out loud several times. Nora asked me what was so funny!
I, too, am a word fiend!
I am TOO a word fiend!
I am a word fiend, too!
I can tell I’m going to enjoy this part, Mary Jane.
Buy props used in MaryJane’s books and magazine!
5% of profits will benefit www.firstbook.org, a non-profit that provides new books to children from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Here’s how:
MaryJane will post a photo and a description of a prop and its cost along with a few details as to its condition here: https://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/MaryJanesCurations. It’s a playful way to be the new owner of a little bit of farm herstory.
MaryJane and Brian-
Just had to say how “excited” I am that I was the “winner” of Sun Bonnet Sue! I received her in the mail the other day and she is even more beautiful in person! She reminds me of the old Holly Hobby dolls, and resembles a Holly Hobby Christmas ornament that I still hang on my tree every year since I was just 5 years old. I adore this treasure and cant thank you enough! So much fun to see what other goodies you will post…its a whole new form of “thrifting”, and benefits such a wonderful cause. What a great idea!