A Beautiful Little Fool

      With all the excitement over the upcoming film The Great Gatsby. It dawned on me that I grew up in Montgomery, AL the same place Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald was born and raised. I remembered something of a home that she once resided. So off to Google I went to find out more about it. The home the Fitzgeralds briefly lived in together as a family is now a museum to honor their lives and stories. I went to the museum with not much knowledge of Zelda and Scott, besides the stories he had written and the lovely flapper images of her. I pictured the Fitzgerald's in a glamorous southern home with a large front porch, a grand ballroom which they held their large glamorous parties, while the maid raised young Scottie, often referred to as baby in F.Scott's ledger. I could see Zelda in all her glory as a beautiful happy young mother and wife of a wealthy famous writer. I saw Scott in his office writing his next great novel.

Fitzgerald Home Montgomery, Al

   When I arrived at the home as I entered the foyer I noticed not only was it a museum it was sublet into apartments, which in a way disappointed me but nonetheless was still a building they once called home. As we entered we were greeted by an intelligent yet down to earth young man who spoke to us regarding how far we traveled and what struck our interest in the Fitzgeralds. We looked around in the front room of the museum and waited as a few other guest arrived for the tour. The tour began with a short movie about how Zelda and Scott met and a brief story of their lives and how the home was saved from demolition in 1986.  The memorabilia the home held was grand and insightful. There were, photos, family heirlooms, books and letters from the couples past.

Typewriter in the home and Tattoo of a fan

As I read the letters from Zelda to Scott I noticed their tone seemed to change over the years what was once "Darling my  Love", turned into just "Dearest". In a letter to Scott, Zelda wrote:

.....I love the Sunday in Montgomery with all the people on their porches and the cars all full of children and those augmented Sunday families...
I love walking home when the lights get tangled in the dusk and the houses seem to be awaiting some gay reception...
I'm sorry I find difficulty in simplicity, but I would be happier if you were here...

                       Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald was once a joyful, carefree, adventurous woman was now labeled a flapper, a fool and madwoman. In the home I felt bored, like I was waiting on someone to come entertain me. I kept catching myself looking out the windows as if the postman was bringing me a long awaited package or letter. As the curator talked with us about how Zelda's eyes had changed in photos from several bouts of shock therapy. I felt Zelda's pain, loss and sadness. I related to her moving back home to raise her child, to be in a place where everything was once normal and happy. But she wasn't the same young girl she once was, she was a mother, a celebrity and a wife to a man who expected her to be his fairy tale. And when she wasn't he became unhappy, distant, a drunk and unfaithful. Eventually Zelda and Scott separated, on December 21st, 1940, after not seeing each other for over a year, Scott died of a heart attack, while living in Hollywood, California with his current mistress. 

Photo of Zelda and Scott

         The next few years after Scott's passing,  Zelda suffered several mental breakdowns, she was now living with her mother. Zelda always wanted to be famous in her own right, as a writer, dancer or painter. She wrote some and painted as a hobby, but when Zelda couldn't stop the pain with booze anymore she tried to erase it from her memory and admitted herself to a psychiatric hospital for electroshock therapy, where she eventually died in a tragic fire on March 10th, 1948. Much like her life, her death seemed to be a tragic novel written for it's entertainment. 

inside the Fitzgerald home 
The trip to the museum was a a great insight into their lives and history. I plan to return to it one day when I have more time to read the several letters and manuscripts posted through out the area.

Me outside the home. The sign was built from bricks from Zelda's childhood home.

** although much of this story is based on facts, some of it is also from my personal experience and opinion. So don't sue me if you think differently**

2013

Happy 2013! It's been a while since I have been here, between the Holidays and sad events that have been going on I have been a bit disconnected. I didn't have time to do much of anything in 2012 but I plan on changing that now. I did do a few things on my list from last January. I got my ear pierced, but that didn't stay in long. I junked some pretty neat finds and joined Roller Derby in March; I will be skating in my first bout (game) this weekend!

I am nowhere near as far as I wanted to be by now (skating/skill wise), but hopefully I will pick a few things up after this bout. For 2013 I want to travel more, skate more, take care of my home better, let my kids enjoy themselves longer and save money for a trip next winter. Plus anything else awesome I can accomplish  in 2013. So here is to a better year!

 

Life

                 The past few weeks have been kind of crazy. But I think I have figured it all out. Life is always going to be a little nuts. Between kids, work, home, hobbies and the weather you are bound to have a bad day. But don't turn that bad day into a bad week/month/year. I have always done that and it stops now. I quit roller derby about a month ago and all I did was lay in the bed and on the couch when I wasn't cooking, cleaning or chasing a baby around. I felt like me wanting to skate made others in my house mad. My kids would give me a guilt trip when I couldn't take them and my husband would get ill when I took the older kids and he had to watch the baby. Then, when I did go to regular practice I ended up leaving in tears, I felt unwanted and bullied. Which was going on but we found a resolution to that problem. I did not feel good about any of it so I tried to quit thinking about derby all together. I removed myself from the team, the boards, my friends and my skates. It was hard, most of my friends skate and I couldn't even talk to them without it coming up. Then I hung up the phone crying, that lasted about 2 weeks.

                    Then I focused on my home; rearranging, cleaning and throwing stuff away. I am still not done but feel better about it. I wanted to focus on the kids and get them doing something they want to do away from home. They have always been home bodies and that just isn't healthy for any of us. I have been begging them to join a sport for years but they all said no-way, but somehow it all fell into place this month. The oldest joined band on her own, the middle son joined cub scouts (this should be fun) and baby girl is going to check out the Daisy scouts next week. I have never really had the time or money to get them into anything when they were younger (so I say) but I think it was because I was never asked or forced to do anything as a child. Not sure why not. I wanted to join clogging (lol) and was in jr band but never stuck to it. My parents paid for the instrument/s but never held me to playing them. I am not sure what to do with the husband just yet. We need to work together and not against each other which is not going so well. It's hard to make time for each other when you have 4 kids and never, ever have a sitter and when you do you just want to sleep with out interruptions.

                  That being said I went to skate last night. It was hard-fun-exhausting-exciting. I missed it, alot. I missed my friends, alot. So I guess I am rejoining the team. I just can't let it take over my life. Some people say Roller Derby is a drug/baby/sport/addiction, I think of it as a virus I have to ride it out to get rid of it. I also have to stick to it if I am going to tell my kids they have to stick to the activity that the have chosen. So hopefully in a month from now things will get better, we will be stronger and I will be a roller girl! I just have to turn good days into good weeks and good months!
Until next time check out that huge new picture on the team page, 1951.

June junkin' under $20

I may have a problem....

Not many people know this but I am addicted to Junking. I have to force my self to keep driving when I see a yard sale. Which is one of the reasons I started Junkin under $20. I had set a limit because I buy wayyy too much stuff.


Case in point, why do I need all these empty canisters?? It all started when I was on a hunt for Khromex brand canisters and I got a pair close to what I wanted on day one. But then I kept finding them and had to have them all.
So now I have set myself to a under $20 a month limit (until I can sell some stuff and empty out my storage room). So here is my Junkin' under $20 for June.
On June 2nd it was yardsale day and I didn't go far from home due to the kids had a birthday to go to. Yet I did find all of this great stuff right down the road.

 I got the Theadore, 4 tins and another elf guy at a yard sale for all for 25 cents each. Lily loves the chipmunks and I have a thing for tins. Then I went to a storage room of a man that re-sellls things he finds at yard and lot sales. I didn't find anything but a record, oldly enough it was The Urban Chipmunk. I died! Two great things together. He had a buck each on the boxes of records but gave me that one for free! Then on the way home I see and Estate sale sign on the road I live on. So I stopped by, it was very odd. I have never been to an estate sale before. I talked to the lady, seeing how she was pretty much a neighbor to me, she said she was just selling everything to remodel her home. They even had thier current home phone for sale. But I didn't see much there so I picked up the paintings of the three girls for 25 cents. Then as I left I saw this old dryer going in a goodwill box and asked if it worked. She found a plug and it came on like it was used yesterday.

Later that week my youngest son had an appointment " in town" and we stopped by Goodwill on the way home, I found an apple green pyrex pie dish that didn't look to well but fair for the price and these sweet chairs!

Needless to say they are currently in the room with me but they are stacked up not being used yet. :(
I hope to find a good spot for them tonight and then use them like they should be. Well that's all for this month. Happy Junkin'!


Tins 4 x .25= 1.00
Theadore         .25
elf friend          .25
record  free     .00
hair dryer      1.00
girls 3x.25=     .75
pyrex              1.99
chair              4.99
chair              4.99
----------------------------------
June Total!!  15.22                 

 

this post is linked up to**Apron thrift girl** Her Library Adventures**Cap Creations**

Where in the Hell have you been??

 I get that a lot, seems no one is ever looking for you unless you are doing something else. But for the past 13 weeks on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday I have been skating my heart out. For why you may ask... Well for the past few years I have been starring at these little fliers like a lost puppy wishing it could read.

Poster from the week I started

So on March 14th I went to Looney's to see what it was all about. I felt like and idiot, I asked myself, why was I here? I thought I could skate well but this had nothing to do with skating to your favorite song with the wind in your hair. This was serious, this was hard, this was scary, This was fun! I have never done organized sports before. I am not use to playing with a team. But I loved to skate. So when I would think about joining it was always one of those, "before I die" things. I looked like such a fool at my first practice. It was really last minute and I wasn't sure if I had a sitter.
That it that night and came home with my legs in the worse pain ever! I stayed up with ice packs and peas on my legs till the sun came up.


Bottom right with Jeans on!

For the next 3 days I was hunting down skates and gear, waiting for my skates to come was like waiting on Christmas. My skates came on the day of the next practice. By then I was like, I have to go!
My local derby team is/was pretty small and doesn't have a huge turn out on open recruitment like some teams do, which is a good thing because you don't have to worry if you "make the cut". You can take the time to learn how to skate, stop and fall correctly. With RRR you start out as a maggot and learn basic skills and safety. Then after you feel ready you can take the maggot to meat test to become fresh meat. At that level you will work on more blocker/jammer positioning and scrimmages. But you still have a few more months to go until you make it to an official Roller Girl. I will cover that as I progress. Until then find your local team and go support your local roller derby!

                                                        

Junkin' under $20 #2

        This weeks mini junkin' trip happened on a weekday. Thank goodness, because the weather was ugly around here Friday night and Saturday morning. I went to the main Goodwill store and a little Faith Rescue mission store.  I found a few things to add to my collection and a cute dress. I really only need the top from that shaker to fix one of mine but glad I finally found it. I am lucky we did not get hit directly by the storms but my heart goes out to all of those who lost a home or loved one this weekend.

                                       

          

                                                  

  Dress                   3.99

  Shaker                   .39

  Sno Cone Maker 1.00

  Spoons .20 each  1.00

  New Calender     3.50

  5  Vtg Lg Books  2.50

                                     

  Total                  12.38

Today's post is a link up with Apron Thrift Girl for Thrift Share Monday! 

Junkin' under $20

       Last week I went to the local animal shelter that just happens to have a thrift store next to it. The place is a bit crowed which is a good thing unless you have a kicking baby strapped to your chest. The money made at the store helps with payment for the things the animals need. Here are a few of the items I got for less than $20.

8 hardback cooking/design books .25 cents each= $2
4 kids books .25 cents each =$1
Sears 4 slice chrome toaster $6
Betty Crocker recipe box $3
Not pictured
Vintage Oj glass .50 cents
Towel rack $2
 total $14.50!