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Sunday, October 19, 2014

A little bit of whimsy

I began a little whimsical journey the other day - sparked by an old rusty tin, I started thinking about buried treasure, lost libraries, lost words...and before I knew it, I was preparing pages for a new 'book'.

I wondered if there was a record of lost words; words that had been in use, but which were now considered extinct in a way. I discovered the website Phrontistery and trawled through all those beautiful lost words.

I tore some paper, painted it front and back with black tea.



Sat down with walnut ink and in a deliberately unimpressive handwriting style wrote out the words onto the wee pages.


I made seven bundles, wrapped them with crochet cotton and went out to the vegetable garden.


I dug a smallish hole, not too deep, and buried them.




Whimsy.

I will see what they are like in a few months - but Barry warns me I probably should check them a few times before Christmas as we have loads of worms in there and they might devour the pages, rather than just nibble them.

I'm not sure what creative muse struck me or why, but the deed is done. Lost words have been buried, to be resurrected later and maybe if I'm lucky, to form a book of sorts.  No idea if it will work, but it's been a little path I couldn't not go down, once I'd started thinking about it.

Whimsy indeed.

22 comments:

  1. You can't hear me, but I'm sitting over here quietly yelling YES! YES!

    What a grand idea! By the way, your purposefully "unimpressive" handwriting is still quite impressive. Makes me wonder just what your "chicken scratch" would look like. Actually, do you have that phrase in Australia? Needless to say, I can't wait to see what the elements and insects to do your buried treasure. Is it too early to check yet? (waiting is not one of my better qualities...)

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    1. I love a quiet yell J! We do use the term chicken scratch over here as well, so I know what you mean. My own handwriting is getting looser as I get older...or maybe blinder. It has just started to drizzle here so I am hopping some action is taking place. Luckily I am going away for a week so will have patience imposed on me!

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  2. Wonderful, whimsical idea.
    I'm curious to see what becomes of them!

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    1. Thanks Lynn - I kept imagining somebody burying the word s like treasure as a weird way of safekeeping them...will be fn to see what happens.

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    1. Thanks Debbie - who ever knows where iras come from and why they have to be executed just so? I am looking forward to seeing what happens next...

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  4. Whimsy, maybe - but definitely intriguing and uncertain. The results could be extraordinary or not ... but isn't that what this is all about? You now have almost no control - just the decision of when to look and how long to wait. I'd find that the hardest, impatient, controlling soul that I am.

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    1. I am so with you Charlton - something might happen or absolutely nothing! They might end up looking gorgeous or just mouldy. Ceding control is sometime a tricky thing to do...but with this I have no choice. I daresay I will check more often than I planned! Go well.

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    1. I'll keep you posted Roberta, hopefully something interesting!

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  6. I love buried treasure. I did a series of cloth works back when I was at Uni, some ended up as lace. All went moldy and have to be autoclaved to make them safe. x te

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    1. Thanks for the voice of experience Trace! I shall take great care on repatriating them...will be interesting to see what happens.

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  7. I left some work on paper I'd done outside and the snails ate some and left wonderful lacy type edges.
    Soon I will be working on what they left !!
    Here's to the digging up and finding out.

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    1. I love what the snails do - if only we could arrange for them to do it on demand! They are probably more interesting than worm marks might be. It will be fun to play with the paper they left for you!

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  8. having buried quite a bit of paper (and books) over the years around my garden/farm I suggest you don't wait too long to see what's been happening..... there's a whole world at play out of sight under the top of the soil :D

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    1. I am pretty sure you're right Ronnie! The vege garden was active even as I turned the soil. I shall try a week at a time maybe...what did you do with your son retrieval?

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  9. Love the inkling to follow the thread to lost words... and then the burying, who knows could be wonderful! I remember being inspired years and years ago to bundle some fabric up and leave it in a muddy river, but, unlike you, I never did!

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    1. I love the word inkling Valerianna! It was a funny push along - I just had to do it and see what happened...go well.

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  10. oh this is exciting Fiona have you seen Inga Hunter's Collaborativa molluca?
    http://www.ingahunter.com.au/about-inga-hunter/ingas-articles/collaborata-mollusca
    http://www.ingahunter.com.au/artists-books/books-gallery/collaborata-mollusca/view

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    1. Thank you for those links Mo - I love that story! What a wonderful exploring with intriguing collaborators. I wonder what worms and millipedes might do to mine? Her work was so beautiful. Go well.

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  11. How wonderful to follow the path of whimsy! I loved hearing the story of where your wonder & your paper took you... And, now, where the waiting will lead. As you say - good thing you will be away for a bit!

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I appreciate your thoughts and comments; thanks for taking the time.