Skip to main content

You Pole Cat!

Some things just speak for themselves
Portland is home to many reclaim, re-utilize and refurbish, up-cycle, recycle shops.  One in particular has become a favorite haunt.  I’m always amazed at the creativity of people; taking what would have been thrown into the landfill and turned into pieces of art and function, totally repurposed.

One particular rainy day we were scouring our way through one such urban establishment and came across this “Pole Cat” sign.  With just a few well-chosen words, the cranky codger has passed on some sage advice.  (I may be stretching a few things, so with tongue in cheek, here goes….)

If you must chew snuff, (side note: nasty habit) have the common courtesy to not spit it in the drinking fountain.  Others use it and they really don’t want to see your unsophisticated practice floating around.  Next, don’t you know that stuff will clog the drain?  “Where has commonsense gone?” which is the essence of what this old guy is stating. 

pole-cat:  meat eating member of the weasel family with a foul odor

Nowadays we seem to be so caught up in ourselves that we forget how our actions will affect others.  Commonsense and common courtesy is pushed aside so that we can ladder our way on.  Stopping to engage our minds and applying a few simple lessons in basic consideration and civility would be welcome.

The moral of the story?  Don’t be a dumb polecat.  Employ a few niceties while going about this thing we call life.

Reclaiming commonsense one brick and comment at a time -

 Missy


Comments

  1. Sew savySeptember 25, 2013 at 8:00 AM

    Love the sign! Living in the south for soooo many years, the sign is self explanatory to me. Where are most peoples manners? Sometimes I think they keep them in their back pockets with the snuff tin to sit on. Which shop is it you haunt? Love this post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Missy ASeptember 25, 2013 at 12:09 PM

      I actually have a few faves: Rejuvenation, Old Portland Hardware and Montecello. Plus, there are so many other little hole-in-the-wall places. When we are wandering through different neighborhoods and see something interesting, we stop and peek in. A few weeks back we found a cool vintage/second hand shop in St Johns. I picked up a print of a Mission in California that we had visited several years ago, for only $2. Love finds like that! Thanks for reading...

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

lonely has no boundaries

She came into the shop to purchase barbecue sauce, usually 3 to 4 bottles at a time. Her eyes were clear blue, and she had a ready smile that was mixed with quietness and melancholy.
I remember one particular day she came in with eyes red around the edges. I asked if everything was ok. She looked at me with her clear blue eyes and said, "Yes, but there are days you just need to cry." I agreed then, and I agree now.

Today is one of those melancholy days; not a need-to-cry day, but one that's on the side of sad and contemplative. So, it seems appropriate to share this post that's been sitting as a draft for weeks.

People are lonely, desperately crying to be noticed.
I've been lonely. I've had conversations with people who are lonely. The unfortunate thing is, it's not the outcast, recluse living in the hoarder house down the street. It's the chipper girl at the coffee shop who only wants another couple for her and her boyfriend to hang with. I think to m…
Post a Comment
Read more

a tale from foxtail

fox glides, low to the ground                       sly, inquisitive, resourceful creatures solitary, bronzed and ruddy with flashing eyes        bushy tail dipped in white  forest home or urban domain                                      fox, a nocturnal pilgrim
Summer has afforded me an opportunity to move about aimlessly; not quite a coddiwomple, but sort of. This week, I found myself writing and sipping iced chai at Foxtail Bakery. Let's just say the cookies were perfect and divine; I was completely tempted to purchase more pastries than I should. 

There's a tall counter with white-backed stools and a big garage door to let in light and fresh air. Picture windows face the street. Cars buzz by. Black and white striped umbrellas twirl like the tutu of a ballerina.

Assorted tables and chairs in turquoise and orange fill the space, along with a low-slung wooden table and bistro chairs. Some new-school rattan is thrown in for good measure. It's comfortable and alive.


A larger-tha…
Post a Comment
Read more

leaving las vegas

Leaving Las Vegas, a line made famous in movies, song lyrics and billboard slogans. For me, it’s more than a catch-phrase. It pierces my heart, now more than ever.

You see, previously, people were there drawing me back, but as pages are torn from the book entitled “Life,” I’m more aware of how fleeting and transient things are. Change is a given.
My heart feels - each word expressed - come back, don’t be a stranger. I know they’re wondering if they’re losing all contact with the family of ones deeply loved. I wonder, too. And while I also know that’s how things happen, I don’t have to like it.

So, I stare out the window of the plane, the sun bringing light and heat to the day in shades of pink and pale orange which burst against the blue sky. My thoughts are pensive, questioning, seeing only the rugged ranges with striations of soil and color veining them. As the plane climbs we soar above the clouds stacked on each other like mounds of whipped sweet cream. Contemplation is as thick as…
Post a Comment
Read more