Write-Minded Woman
  • My Pith
  • About Me
  • What I Read

The Lady and the Pig(s)

8/4/2015

4 Comments

 
PictureTiny Piggies
Once upon a time, there was a woman who collected pigs. 

She did not want to collect pigs, but someone's joke gift morphed into an avalanche of porcine acquisitions. They ran the gamut: silly, classy, expensive, cheap, practical, useless, big, tiny, clever, hideous. Many were presents from friends, family, and students, but some were self-gifts, justified by their originality or the place they came from.  Special shelves were made to house the mid-sized, shadow boxes provided homes to the tiny, and the rest evolved into an unplanned decorating theme throughout her home.

Then the woman moved. To a (much) smaller home.

At first she tried to find spaces for all the piggies; after all, they were gifts. However, she eventually conceded that many of them needed new homes. She took pictures of those that would be leaving - to ease her vague feelings of guilt. Then the furry and fuzzy porkers were given to children or sold in a yard sale. Statuettes, plaques, pillows, candles, dishware, books, and other miscellaneous pig items that didn't sell in tag sales were donated to resale shops. And, after many months, the collection was scaled down to those that fit into designated display areas in (mostly) one room of her (much) smaller home. 
Years passed, and although the woman appreciates her piggy survivors, she really doesn't notice them much. She does pay attention when preparing for company, and she sees...DUST. Then she takes some time to reflect on the memories of each porcine treasure while she gently cleans it up. 

There are, however, a few she notices often: the tiny glass flying pig sharing space with some inspirational mementos, the wooden pig bank that collects change for vacations, and the mug.
Picture
Picture
As anyone can see, the mug is ... hideous. The close friend who gifted it felt its uniqueness and potential to be practical made it a perfect gift for her pig-collecting pal. And it was. Because two decades later, that pig still lives on the cup rack - when it's not sitting on the counter. Its insides are stained from countless cups of tea, but it still does its job nearly every morning, holding 16 ounces of steaming liquid while being easy to spot on any surface she unconsciously sets it on. She has never had to share the mug with anyone because it's, well ... hideous.

The woman's pigsty is much smaller these days, but she appreciates the people and experiences represented by pigs-past and pigs-present.  And when she occasionally feels an urge to invest in a crafty pig thingy she sees in a market or shop, she satisfies the craving by taking a photo for her designated pig-collection room. No space or dusting required.
4 Comments
Shel link
8/5/2015 02:53:00 pm

Love it! I felt like I was strolling down memory lane, too. I'm still smitten with that gourd pig! Settling for pictures, aye? Hmmmm. I wonder if that strategy would work for roosters!

Reply
Natine
8/6/2015 04:57:59 am

Shel, if you make that strategy work for ANY of your collections, I want photo proof! :-) As you can see, the gourd piggie still has a home here -- along with several others from you. Love you!

Reply
Dee Dee Chumley link
8/5/2015 03:41:02 pm

Yes, when you tell people you collect something, everyone wants to give you one. I'm going to start telling people I collect twenty-dollar bills.
Good to hear from the Write-Minded Woman! It's been a while.

Reply
Natine
8/6/2015 04:59:25 am

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA...let me know if THAT collection pans out, Dee Dee! And thank you. My thoughts don't seem to move from my brain to print these days... :-)

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    To Subscribe:

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    WMW Soul Searching
    Write-Minded Woman

    Promote Your Page Too

    Archives

    September 2019
    August 2019
    December 2018
    July 2018
    January 2018
    July 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    August 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    March 2015
    August 2014
    July 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013