I was a luna moth once for Halloween. It was the best costume EVER. You couldn’t beat it if you tried. My mom made our costumes when we were small…once, little red riding hood; another time: full-size black bat wings, and then…the luna moth. The weird thing is that I don’t remember wearing it, and I don’t remember the reactions of anyone that saw it. I don’t think a photo of it even exists. It just glows like this shining light of COOLNESS about my childhood. It was complete with pale green net wings on a frame, with the “eyes” painted on it, and a pale-green headband with 2 pale-green dyed ostrich feathers for antenna, all handmade by my mom.
We had plans to trump it a few years later with a very elaborate Anne-Boleyn-with-her-head-under-her-arm costume*, but we never actually got around to it, so the luna moth won the cool costume contest.
The reason I was reminded of this today is because Joshilyn found one on her porch a few days ago and wrote about it and posted a photo. I wish there were luna moths in Sweden.
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Some people see the glass as half empty, some as half full. I see a glass that’s too big.
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I know I’ve talked before about how much I love my book group. Last night, although (once again) not having had a chance to read the book, I went anyway, knowing that the discussion would be interesting. It turned out that of the 7 women there, only 3 had read the book entirely. It didn’t matter at all, or at least, not much. We were:
- a 50+ white South African, married to a Swede, 22 years in Sweden, and 2 adult children
- a 40+ white American, married to a Swede, 6 years in Sweden, 1 small child
- a 40-year-old light-skinned Haitian, sambo with a Swede, 4 years in Sweden, no children but trying
- a mid-30’s white South African, married to a Dane, 4 years in Sweden, 1 baby
- a 50+ white American, married to an American, 7 years in Sweden, 2 adult children
- a 40+ white Swede, single, no children
- and me (40-year-old white American, married to a Swede, 8 years in Sweden, 2 kids)
Between us, we are an English/Swedish teacher of adults, a several times published writer of young adult literature, a stay-at-home mom, an elementary-grade international school teacher, a freelance Creole-French-English translator, a social worker who helps people on sick leave get back to work, and a graphic designer/web/layout/marketing coordinator (not in the same order).
The reason why I made note of the fact that we were all white (well, except for the girl from Haiti, technically) was because the book for the evening was The Bondwoman’s Narrative by Hannah Crafts, allegedly the first book ever written by an escaped female black American slave, and the subject of intense research by the discoverer of the manuscript to verify the author’s legitimacy. We had an absolutely fascinating discussion about slavery, racial tensions, similarities and differences in South Africa and the U.S., and a riveting account of life growing up in Haiti. Since I couldn’t read it before we met, I borrowed one of the already-read copies and just started it tonight. It was hard to put it down to write this post.
A Good Book I Read Recently: Fifty Acres and a Poodle by Jeanne Marie Laskas. By turns hilarious, moving, thought-provoking and 2-hanky-sad, I really enjoyed this autobiographical tale of following your dreams no matter how bizarre they may seem and have added the sequel to my to-buy list.
Some Things I Wish For Sometimes: Willy Wonka’s Chewing Gum Meals, the ability to speak and understand French, more than 24 hours in a day, a maid.
Cracking Me Up With Really Great Writing: The Peaceful Kingdom
*Inspired by the song: …with her head tucked underneath her arm, she walked the bloody tower! With her head…tucked…underneath her arm at the midnight hour!