“Life is about using the whole box of crayons.”
This morning is following the same weather pattern as the last few days. It is only in the high 50’s. The sun, pretty but not so warm, is shining high in a sky of deep blue. It will only get to the low 60’s today, but starting tomorrow it will get warmer for the long weekend. The deluge of cars will begin tonight.
When I was a kid, I was thrilled to march in the Memorial Day parade in my town. It was a small time celebration, a parade of boy and girl scouts, brownies, cub scouts, the high school band, little league players and a dramatic finale, fire trucks blowing their alarms. I was a brownie and matched with my troop and several others. I was agog with excitement and pride. My parents were always there, watching from the sidewalk, and I remember waving at them when they yelled my name. We marched through town to one of the cemeteries where there was a service of sorts honoring the military who had given their lives for their country. After the parade, we went home to a barbecue of burgers and hot dogs with a few sides. I think peppers and eggs, my favorite, was one of the sides.
I probably won’t be around and about this weekend. It is time to hibernate, to avoid the traffic of sightseers, beach goers and rubberneckers. I have a few chores I might finish or might not depending on my mood.
I used to like to color. Every Christmas I’d get a new coloring book and crayons. I’d sit at the kitchen table with my crayons strewn in front of me. I never threw crayons away, even stubs. I used to tear off the paper as the crayons got shorter so the nuances of color disappeared. Sunset and vermillion were just red. Cerulean and indigo were just blue. I was fine with that. I started with a small box of crayons, but every Christmas the box got bigger, filled with all sort of colors. One year my box had 64 crayons and a built in sharpener. It was my favorite box. I loved sharpening my crayons when the tips got blunter with use.
This last Christmas my sister gave me a coloring book called My Coloring Book about Ghana. I chuckled as it was described on the back cover as, “For kids under 8 years old.” It was made in Connecticut. She also gave me the box of 64 Crayola crayons, and it still has a built in sharpener. I can hardly wait to use it.
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May 26, 2023 at 4:57 pm
Hi Kat,
Yes, this weekend is the unofficial start of summer. Today has been mostly cloudy and a little cooler than usual with a high temperature of 87°. Most Memorial Day weekends it’s already in the 90s.
I loved the 64 box of Crayola crayons. When I was a kid in Dallas they were called. Crayolas. My mother, who came from Brooklyn correctly called them crayons. Is there another brand of crayons? Many times the company who is the leader in manufacturing or advertising the product gets their name attached to the product. An example is calling all brands of facial tissues Kleenex. My spouse always buys the cheaper no name brand of tissues. My nose doesn’t care.
This weekend I usually open up the pool. I don’t go into the water until July fourth. The water is too cool in late May. I might put my feet in the water.
May 26, 2023 at 5:50 pm
Hi Bob,
It got to a high of 62° today, about right for the end of May here. Tomorrow and Sunday it will get to the low 70’s, a heat wave. I expect that is the draw for tourists this weekend.
We always called them crayons. I figure the Crayola was understood as I too knew no other brand. I did go searching for other brands but most of what I found seemed to be recent. The best overall brand in 2022 was Faber-Castell Beeswax Crayons because the amount of beeswax makes for a harder crayon with a nice, subtle scent and more vibrant color. I don’t think I have ever seen it sold.
You’re right about attaching Crayola with crayon. It is the same too with Xerox and with the Kleenex you mentioned. I spoil my nose and buy good tissues.
I will open my deck next week including planting flowers in pots for the rail.
May 27, 2023 at 12:25 am
Crayons are irresistible. And what a classic set for today’s music. The Stones interviews are sort of funny. And then they play this song that’s essentially about a philanderer that everyone wants.
May 27, 2023 at 12:11 pm
Rowen,
I have a tin filled with two boxes of crayons. One box contains the colors discontinued that year. It is a prize box. The other box contains the usual colors and the new ones.
I enjoy using early renditions of hit songs. I was especially happy to find that interview with the Stones. I can’t use many YouTube videos anymore as they are blocked so I have to be creative in my choices. Sometimes I get lucky.