To talk of many things:
Of shoes and ships and sealing-wax
Of cabbages and kings
And why the sea is boiling hot
And whether pigs have wings.'
~Lewis Carroll
My grandfather was constantly quoting little ditties like this. He led a rather colorful life as a young man; orphaned at age 5 where he was then contracted out as a hired hand. He later worked as a carnival barker and a clown, just to name a couple. I believe he was also in the Navy, if that tatoo he had on his arm was any indication. I wish I could go back in time and ask him to tell me all about his life. He would tell the most interesting stories about being related to Daniel Boone, and being part Native Indian, but then again, he was a bit senile in his old age, so it's anyone's guess. I've been trying to track down his family history through Ancestry.com for a few years now, and having a time of it. Seriously, searching geneaology sites can be both frustrating and rewarding, and it certainly takes a lot of time.
So the title of this post really tells it like it is; a bit of this and that.
First, let me share some goodies I received in the mail recently.
This is a set of beads I received from Sally Russick for the upcoming 'Colors of Spring' Blog hop on March 31st. The beads are sitting on my bead table waiting for inspiration to strike--which I hope happens soon, 'cause I'm running out of time.
This pile of goodies came from Linda Larson at Objects and Elements as part of her destash. Just look at all the goodies!
These lovely headpins came from Lorelei as part of a Headpin challenge--the reveal date is set for April 7th. The headpins were made by Gardanne. As you can see, they have a balled end opposite the glass bead end, which makes for a challenge all its own--at least for me.
I won these gorgeous enameled earrings from Melissa Memann as part of the recent
Earrings Everyday blog giveaway. I love the pretty pinkish lavender colors.
This amazing resin pendant was handcrafted by Lynn Davis, which I won in a recent giveaway. I love the gorgeous antique look of it!
Yep, I feel pretty lucky after winning all these goodies. My grandfather was a teeny part Irish (at least that's what Ancestry.com says), and maybe I got a bit of Luck O' The Irish meself. Here's another ditty that grandpa used to recite. When I looked up the origin I was surprised to learn it was an old negro riddle. I'm guessing he probably worked with several negro slaves during his youth. I know he was shuffled around to many homes to work. See if you can figure out what item the riddle is referring to.
Round as a biscuit
Busy as a bee
Prettiest thing you ever did see
The answer is a watch. If you made it down this far, I commend you!
