Reselling Marbles
I wrote a couple weeks ago about a small bag of antique marbles that I picked up at a local consignment shop. (Shout out to Portland's amazing Village Merchants!) I went head and put a couple of marble books on hold at the library and even joined a Marble Identification group on Facebook.
It's not a lot of marbles, but it's likely I should be able to get some decent money from these marbles on eBay. Here's what left after setting the contemporary marbles aside.
Check it out, some even glow under black light!
I have two random areas of knowledge: salmon and polar bears. I could give an hour long talk on either one of these. Unfortunately, they are of zero help in terms of thrift shopping. I would rather know about marbles. It might also make me a more interesting dinner companion. I admire how many things you know the value of...hate ending sentences in a preposition, even though now I have read that the old rule has died.
I'd love to hear someone info dump on those two subjects -- fascinating!
Me too, @Katy! I think a dinner party with Lindsey as a guest would be a smash hit, as beside the fascination of salmon and polar bears (like, WOW), there would be much hilarity with all the dog stories.
As for ending sentences with a preposition, that old rule not only died, it was proven false, something to do with trying to force English to follow the rules of Latin, which is a trick I would never be found guilty of.
That is a rule up with which I will not put.
lol I see what you did there
@Katy, and @Ecoteri,
Count me in! I love when people speak about topics I know little to nothing about. Not too long ago, hubby and I attended the visitation of a dear friend's family member, and happened to meet a cousin of our dear friend. This man was a former history professor (retired), and was working on his next book, which involved spending a great deal of time at the National Archives in Washington, DC, doing research. He was fascinating to talk to!
I'm always happy to discuss grammar rules, dead or alive. And the one about not ending sentences with a preposition is definitely dead, as is the rule about not splitting infinitives. Like Lindsey, however, I'm old-school enough that I still wince when I hear either one being done.
Other subjects on which I'll gladly bore anybody include Jane Austen (as the Commentariat already knows!), birds of northeastern North America, gardening in the same area, and thrifting.
Finally, here's my marble story: During DH's and my first few years in this house, finding marbles became sort of an archeological project. I couldn't dig in the garden without finding at least one or two. We finally got the chance to ask about this in the year 2000, when two men in their 70s who'd grown up in this house in the 1930s and 40s came by with some of their adult kids to see the place. I asked the men casually, "Hey, did you play a lot of marbles when you were kids?" They admitted they did.
When they allow it's to be a possessive form instead of a contractive form, I shall gather up my marbles and go home. That grinds me the most and I do carry a sharpie so I can make corrections on store signs that use it incorrectly. The husband speeds on without me when I start rummaging around for that implement.
Although the husband's gotta do what he's gotta do, you go with that sharpie, Lindsey.
And I regret to report that there were a few presentations at the recent JASNA Annual General Meeting in Baltimore where I wished I'd had a sharpie (actual or metaphorical). I don't know whether this is the reason my PCP raised the dosage on one of my BP medications on my visit to her last week, but I wouldn't rule it out. 🙁
Yes, I see what you did their, Lindsey, your right to correct the incorrect it's. its really annoying when you're grammarian training is constantly being pushed into you're face. I don't know what there thinking when their not checking what there writing. But who are I to say?
LOL, Ecoteri!
HA! HA! Ecoteri.
Oh, Ecoteri - LOL! But they're their. It will be alright when there new grammar books arrive.
Lindsey, I’m a lurker of many years and you always have interesting things to share! I hadn’t seen you post for a long while and I was concerned and have been going through NCA and FG comments to see if you were ok. Hope this doesn’t sound as creepy as it might in another space… Always great to see you (and many other regulars!).
Thank you for the kind words. This year has been unfortunate in terms of health. Husband with bladder cancer and not only has my chronic illness gotten worse but I have been diagnosed with cancer as well. We have been fortunate that husband chemo finished and he went into remission shortly after the time I was diagnosed. Meanwhile we decided that we needed to make life easier for the one of us who is going to be left behind and not in the best of health no matter which one of us that would be, so we started clearing things out. Two months ago, I was slated for hospice. However, six blood transfusions and 21 iron infusions later, the doc will no longer say I am pretty much guaranteed to be dead in six months. That means no hospice for now. That is great but when we were told that, the husband and I looked at each other and said, "Well, good thing we did not give away the dogs!" We had done a flurry of clearing out, so are now close to minimal clothing, have eaten all the oldest canned food, gave away Halloween and Christmas decorations, delivered excess winter clothing to the soup kitchen and our books to a second hand store that supports the adult literacy non-profit, and had so much shredding to do (since we worked on a lot of court stuff) that we had the local shredding business come by with their super machine in a truck to shred it all in a matter of minutes right in front of us. The only reason the dogs were still with us was because the Dane is too big to fly so we were arranging to have him and his smaller (as in 80 pounds. The Dane was 187 two weeks ago and is finally 2 and probably at max height and weight) little buddy driven to the East Coast to a relative with a farm. Not an easy task with winter setting in. So we are in the good news/bad news position. The bad news is you are going to die sooner than you might want. The good news is that you will be on steroids that will give you energy you have not had since your 40s! We do marvel that we have worked together for over 20 years, and shared an office, and now we thought we were going to die pretty much close to each other; after 43 really happy years together, I'd rather die anyway than be left behind if he goes first. But for now I am back to some reading and a few hours of work a week, just to keep my brain functioning and concentrating on other things. So back to more regular commenting.
Lindsey, oh no, oh dear, oh my. I am so sad for what you've been through and I'm so glad you're (still) here.
Dear Lindsey- sending much comfort & peace through the interwebs
I had missed your comments. You've been through a lot and to have some peace. I'm sorry and thank you for sharing the bright sides that you have seen.
Lindsey, I hope you get as much time as you need. You and the husband and the very large dogs are beloved here.
How heartbreaking but oh-so-right thing to do for your dogs. I thought having to euthanize my young cat was heartbreaking but re-homing your dogs is worse. Good karma came your way that a relative can take them in - large dogs have it hard when in a shelter. Sending you and your husband good vibes that the rest of your time on earth is peaceful. And I applaud your work to help others due to a not so good time for you and your husband.
such a hard time. I'm sending you, your husband, and the dogs good wishes for a peaceful time ahead.
Dear Lindsey, I must admit, I have been sending you my love and good wishes during the time that I’ve noticed your absence with great worry. I’m glad to hear from you recently and today and wish you all the time that modern medicine can find for both you and your Husband. Your resilience is wonderful, both of you, and I have great hopes and admiration for you, plural.
May your present togetherness be as wonderful as your past together has been.
Oh, dear Lindsey - what a series of unfortunate events.
Thank you - so very much - for sharing your personal and private situation(s) here.
Like so many before, this latest share from has such a depth and breadth of large and small implications, ripples flowing from the two of you as you face your fairly imminent mortality with your customary grace and wise decisions.
That you would focus on those left behind, and put your joint energies into making better the lives of those in your community who need the most help, as well as reducing the load on whoever is left to pick up the pieces, is so inspiring and also so unsurprising.
I am very, very glad you see the advantages of the steroids that you are taking, and that you are feeling more energetic.
I am grateful for you, and all you have shared, both funny and poignant, and I am grateful that you have had 43 really happy years with your husband - HE is lucky to have had you!
Blessings, Lindsey, and keep us informed about your continuing adventures, small and large. We care, deeply.
Lindsey- what a whirlwind for you both! Your husband and pups have always sounded wonderful too. The love and humor come through your posts. Here’s to feeling better and having more time together.
I am a squirrel when it comes to random knowledge, however what I am fascinated by and attracted to are people who have a passion that they want to share. I believe that those folk are so appealing, no matter if they are talking car engines or dahlias, if it is a passion my focus is on their joy and care, rather than on the details of their favourite thing. Passion for anything is gorgeous to bear witness to.
@Lindsey, that second "preposition at end of sentence{ was less deliberate than the first.
I can usually chime in on pets as I’ve bred, shown and judged dogs for 40 years. Also I’ve never been a healthcare professional however I’ve worked with major non profit healthcare organizations and senior services
I have a jar of marbles that were my mom’s I loved playing with them as a kid. My favorite was a small one that was clear but had kits of bubbles inside like a class if 7 Up.
I know a ton about fabric and clothing construction. Pre-pandemic I used to take groups of women in their thirties to our big thrift shop to demonstrate which garments were well made enough to be worth buying.
I am 74, and I would LOVE to go thrifting with you for that information! I would also LOVE to have Katy teach me how to price stuff online. Of course, I would also love to be half my age, 50 pounds lighter, and really healthy. lol
When a family member complained about my reluctance to be photographed I queried the need for photos. She said she liked to look back on past events. My response is that she doesn’t need photos, she can simply remember me, tall, willowy, cascades of thick, wavy dark hair cascading past my sun bronzed shoulders, and smile Photos would DEFINITELY disrupt this lovely image!
I would love to take you thrifting. Learn to be a textile/fashion critic!
I am interested in learning about quality non- fast fashion clothes. I recently read a book by Patrick Grant called Less, He asserts that a name brand used to mean a better quality but now you are just paying for the status of the name instead of true quality.
I think my area of expertise is free resources. I'm pretty passionate about that. Last week I was at a crafting group and a community organizer was astonished at all the free things I knew of.
I'm currently reading a lot of finance stuff and it was fun to brainstorm with a friend about her best options to save money for a grandchild.
I have marbles from my dad, grandfather and great-grandfather. I'm not interested in the money they'd generate. I have no control over their destiny once I leave this earth. I enjoy looking at them and I do have memories of my great-grandfather. It was likely a big thing for him to have marbles.
Which reminds me I need to ask about the Chinese checker board (and its marbles in an old tin).
I have marbles passed down from my uncle. A cursory look has indicated that some may be worth about $20. That's a project for another day.
I'm trying to think of any area of expertise I can claim. Back in my working days, I knew a lot about corporations and their subsidiaries but that never translated into real-life benefit.
Due to long-ago work in a library, I know how to repair books. And my family thinks I am a wizard at throwing together a good meal out of nothing.
Great post! Having been married for decades, I can speak for hours on the topic of "man colds" 🙂
HAHA!
I can drone on about cows, sheep, free range poultry, and soil health. When you nerd out about soil and its microbes, folks tend to zone out!!!
Also kinda a water nerd. I hold an A drinking water license and run a shift at a large plant (28 MG/day). People also find water terribly boring and have no idea what my job entails! :p
Laura MO- yea for water knowledge. My daughter is a water safety specialist! She’s 26 and graduated with a biomedical engineering degree- when people ask me what she does their eyes kind of glaze over. I’ve ended up finding it really interesting.
Agree with others who find it fun to listen to unusual bits of knowledge shared with passion.
My #2 son is doing his Master's (and likely his PHD) in Chemistry. He works/studies/experiments in a lab full of Mass Spectrometry equipment, and all the jury-rigged devices made in his lab to serve and support those big expensive machines.
I am FASCINATED with what his is doing and thank heavens he is both willing to speak with me about it all, and is a fabulous teacher (and, big plus, he can go down rabbit holes with me when I get distracted by a random exciting fact, yet still find our way back to my original question or the original topic. I would say that is one of his superpowers).
Passion, as I mention above, is beautiful to see in action, no matter what that passion is.
My Dad passed last November. When I was cleaning things out I found the marbles he saved until he passed at 80 years old. I don't recall ever seeing them before I found them. I thrifted a clear square container and they're now in my office and I think of him with love every time I see them. No way I'm ever going to sell them. I love them.
We used to find unglazed clay marbles in my grandmother's yard. No telling how old they were, as my late dad's much older siblings were children over a century ago.
I get on years' long reading jags and thus know a great deal about the Spanish flu epidemic and life on the homefront with rationing during World War II. The former was useful during the Covid pandemic and the latter helps strengthen my resolve to make do and mend, and to persist.
I had the honor of knowing some women who were teenagers in England during WWII. Their make do and mend spirit is still guiding me today.
Lindsey, your courage, strength and character to grab life by the horns and drive your destiny is standing ovation applaudable...made up word?
With my mom's dementia to the stage where she doesn't remember if "things are hers" it is making my job of clearing out the closets, cupboards and attics so much easier. I lived in a 1903 home for many yrs and it made being a minimalist necessity.
On the marble front. I just unearthed my great grandpa's, grandpa's and dad's marbles in an old wooden chest in the shop. Enough to fill a 5 gal bucket. I need to check out some books. As children we played with marbles, a favorite uncle made us a wood marble chase with 2 side by side runs to race 4 returns high. So fun! I can't wait to get out the black light! My grandpa was a marine stationed in Hong Kong for a couple of years and he has many semi precious stone marbles. One very special set is a Chinese checkers set with beautiful stones.
My dad played marbles every day in grade school, he must've been quite skilled, his bucket was full.
My nerd skill is animal husbandry. Cows, horses, goats, sheep, dogs cats, rabbits and chickens.