Butterfingers for God

Not brave enough to have a doctor pierce my ears years ago, I did the "sleeper" method. Hurt like everything. My right lobe is pierced at an angle and eventually the doctor had to pierce my left. As a result, my right earrings don't hang straight, amateur work.

I thought I had fastened my good gold earring in my right lobe, but apparently I didn't. No amount of searching produced it. Naked lobes are a kin to no mascara. Blah. Blah.

About a week later I happened upon a gift shop. More interested in making a friend than shopping, Nan and I talked about books and authors. Romance Hall of Famer, Dorothy Garlock, is a favorite of mine. I met her the Fourth of July 2003. Sitting on her porch she told of caring for a relative's Great Dane that was afraid of storms. It had run through the screen door and tried to get all 90 of its pounds on her lap.

I mentioned I was looking for small earrings but didn't see any on the display I liked. She reached under the counter and pulled out a pair of gold, ridged earrings that made me think of short spaghetti. "Do you like these?"
I tried them on, "Perfect!"
Nan smiled and said, "I'm giving them to you."
My eyes popped. "Wow! Thank you!"
She grinned, "Butterfingers for God!"

2011 Red Convertible Travel Series

Butterfingers & Body Parts

MSN photo

It was a blast. The weather was perfect. I dressed all in black, drew whiskers on my cheeks and wore my huge black Mongolian wool hat with turned up brim and pointed top. We decorated our largest tupperware mixing bowl with pumpkins. I sat on the front steps and called to trick or treaters, "Butterfingers and body parts." Lots of takers. Adults too. The choices were ears, eyes, toes, fingers, noses and teeth. Gelatin based, I admit I ate a few.

Spiderman and a pink-haired princess stopped by. "Dorothy" from Kansas wore gingham and flashy red shoes. One kid wore a rubber mask with a rubber cigar stub looking as if he just got off a moving boxcar. The neighbor on the corner decorated to the max with tombstones and body parts emerging from his lawn. His front door was accessible through a black tunnel. Music and moaning could be heard for blocks. It was great fun. Think I'll take a break and nibble an ear.

copyright 2007 Red Convertible Travel Series