A Few of My Favorite Things

When I went on my new year's trip to tiny Goldsmith, Indiana, to visit the boyhood home of my friend Keith, he took me to an indoor flea market/junk shop in Kokomo. I don't consider myself much of a shopper: it's been years since I've set foot in a shopping mall, I buy all my clothes at yard sales and Goodwill, I'm not one for having very much STUFF in my life. But this Kokomo market was irresistible.

I made three purchases, pictured above: a lovely blue-and-white ceramic teapot, a copper teakettle, and a goose-shaped cookie jar. The teakettle was quite tarnished, but Keith brought me over some Brasso, and I tried polishing it with amazing results. Then Keith re-polished what I had already polished with even more amazing results. And the goose was already amazing, especially as she cost three dollars. This is the goose who might become my story goose, my jar of ideas. Or maybe she's my muse, a benign, serene creative presence in my life.

As of this moment I have yet to boil water in the teakettle, make tea in the teapot, or put a cookie or story idea into my goose. I just have them all lined up on my stove to look at. The gleam of the copper makes my heart sing. Every glimpse of the goose makes my heart shout. The teapot actually cost more than both of them together and right now I love it less, though I still do love it.

I love all three. Especially the goose.