Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts
By Alyce Wilson
December 22, 2005 - 12 Finds of Christmas - Part Three
I often find interesting things while walking my dog. Here, I have some fun with some recent finds.
On the ninth day of Christmas, my neighbors gave to me...
One List of Names...
... one candy cane pencil, one creepy art slide, one Christmas gift list, one magic word, one tardy punishment, one list of expenses, one Grandma invite and a school portrait on a key chain.
Is this a list of guests for an upcoming party? A list of people to buy gifts for? And what do the numbers scrawled next to some of the names mean? Ages are unlikely, since I don't know anyone over 5 who insists on using half years. Perhaps chest size? Could this be notes by someone looking to find jackets or shirts for these people? Formal wear for a special event, perhaps? Perhaps the first name on the list, Tim, has already paid $112.50 towards such clothing?
On the back of this list of names is scrawled a phone number, which I suppose I could use to figure out its mysteries, but it would be too difficult to explain why I have this list and why I need to know what it means.
On the tenth day of Christmas, my neighbors gave to me...
Five Bratz Rock Angels...
... one list of names, one candy cane pencil, one creepy art slide, one Christmas gift list, one magic word, one tardy punishment, one list of expenses, one Grandma invite and a school portrait on a key chain.
The nearest I can figure, five grade school girls, fans of the hugely popular toys and games featuring tween girls known as Bratz, decided to dress as them for school. The group leader, with elaborate flourish, using fancy writing and two colors of crayon, set down exactly which girl was supposed to imitate which of the Bratz.
I'm guessing Kimiko was the leader, since her chosen Bratz character, Yasmin, appears at the top of the list and is written larger and fancier than any of them. Her directives went something like this, as she wrote the list out carefully in pencil, to be traced later with colored crayon:
I'll be Yasmin, of course. And I'll wear red lipstick and lavender eye shadow, like she does. That's easy, because I already have some.
Brianne, you can be Sasha. Hmm, you're right. I guess she wears the same makeup, so we'll share.
Zoey, you'll be Cloe. I know you like Jade, but Cloe makes more sense. It rhymes with your name, see? Yes, you can wear red lipstick and lavender eye shadow, too.
Cheyenne, you be Jade, since she's the only one left.
What's that, Mia? No, you can't also be Yasmin. There's only four Bratz. Why don't you be, like, a princess or something? I don't know, any princess. Whichever one you like. Yes, I SUPPOSE you can borrow my makeup, too. But I only have so much of it, so maybe you guys can pay me back, OK?
And remember, we all have to meet at my house early tomorrow morning, like 6:30. I know that's early, Mia, but we also have to do our hair and everything. I mean, you girls do want to be Bratz, right? Well, except you, Mia. But you'll be a great princess or whatever, I'm sure.
On the eleventh day of Christmas, my neighbors gave to me...
One Colored Handprint...
...
five Bratz Rock Angels, one list of names, one candy cane pencil, one
creepy art slide, one Christmas gift list, one magic word, one tardy punishment,
one list of expenses, one Grandma invite
and a school portrait on a key chain.
This handprint, filled in with bold, barely controlled color, may have been a sort of abstract turkey, the sort of thing children make in elementary school art classes. As such, it may have been sitting in the bottom of some child's backpack since Thanksgiving. Perhaps it was a cold day and the child reached in to grab the earmuffs only worn on bitter cold days, and the paper fluttered to the ground, a turkey out of season.
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my neighbors gave to me...
One Music Wish List...
...
one colored handprint, five Bratz Rock Angels, one list of names, one
candy cane pencil, one creepy art slide, one Christmas gift list, one
magic word, one tardy punishment, one list of expenses, one Grandma invite
and a school portrait on a key chain.
Extremely detailed as it is, I'd guessed at first that this was a Christmas wish list for music, provided by, say, an older brother, to his younger sister who wanted a gift idea. But as I did a little Googling, I changed my mind and decided on a different scenario. Somebody who was planning a trip to New York City and hoped to pick up some music there asked a friend for suggestions of where to go and what to search for. The friend suggested Byron Lee, Kevin Little's album "Turn Me On," reggae compilations "Strictly Best," "Reggae Gold 2004," "Reggae Hits 31," and "Reggae Party Mega Mix," and R&B collection "Gold & Platinum" by Hot 97.
Then they directed the music lover to the weekend bazaar that sets up along the sidewalks of Broadway and Canal street, where distributors sell mixtapes not readily available elsewhere.
This well-worn list, found under a bush near a local bus stop, might very well have fallen out of the list maker's pocket after that very trip to New York, hopefully with a little music merriness.
And musical merriness, after all, is what this song is all about.
More from the 12 Finds of Christmas:
Moral:
Don't mess with Kimiko or you'll wind up an anonymous princess.
Copyright
2005 by Alyce Wilson
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