Dresser Still Life

Some years ago, I visited friends of a friend in Detroit.  They lived in a beautiful old house with lots of original woodwork and full of houseplants.  But what grounded and centered the house, to me, were the small cairns, circles, and bowls of stones scattered here and there.  Some were prominently displayed and some were half hidden; each felt like a miniature offering to the gods and goddesses.

I think that's when I started collecting interesting rocks myself.  Certainly that's when I started keeping them displayed where I could see them.  I've added other things to my collection - shells, obviously, from beach trips, and also interesting twigs, seeds, and beach glass.

My favorite display spot is in a small Mexican tray I bought for my parents on a trip there when I was in graduate school.  It has rocks and twigs from Arizona, California, Virginia - and probably Scotland and Colorado. The shells are local, and the acorns are from a walk Stuart and I took over by the golf course.  The pothserds are from an ODU faculty member who died and had them in her office - no one knew what to do with them, so Stuart brought them home knowing I'd love them.  Dad's penknife -- he always carried it in his pocket -- is a constant reminder of him.

The vase is from New Mexico.  The glaze reminds me of western landscapes for some reason - not just the colors, but the textures as well.  It holds three aspen twigs from Colorado, each speckled with some kind of cool lichen or fungus.

These are my earthy touchstones.  They keep me tied to people and places I love.