Thom Courcelle does it again

[Nancy Bell Scott]

He knitted and sent me a bag, in colors that I especially love:

 

 It was like winning a prize to open the box and find this, because who can earn such a special thing? It's a beauty. I love it and keep it next to me on the couch, holding chapstick, little notebook for those fleeting thoughts that otherwise fall through trapdoors in the brain don't ask me why, pen, and a few other bits.

But first I had to empty out the fun oddities that Thom had sent in it (with, naturally, a couple of corncobs among them AND terrific rusty bottlecaps!), which are in the studio awaiting their second lives. A scan of those things is below, as well as a thought-provoking and quietly questioning poem by W.S. Merwin included by Thom.

Thom, thank you very, very much for all! 

[Nancy Bell Scott]

Just checked, KDJ. You are so right on all counts! And what a gorgeous oracle.

[Nancy Bell Scott]

Hilarious Beau Brummell story, KDJ! (Some variation could be useful in certain social situations we find ourselves in. Maybe even most.) Do we have a photo of your, wow, "magic oracle" knitted bag from Thom? Wait, I'll search your blogs.

[Nancy Bell Scott]

All righty then, Thom, we have a name for it! How very royal "sovereign purse" sounds, and possibly free, eh? Well mine was free, and I'm loving it. It will be used daily until the end of me, and it may experience a series of functions in that time, who knows? But you matched us up perfectly, and that is very much appreciated. Thank you for the link, which I'll check out later this evening during "reading time." It's gratifying to discover the history of something you do after you've already been doing it for a while, isn't it? The continuity it represents is a beautiful thing.

[Thom Courcelle]

I'm so glad you liked this, Nancy, AND that it is being used for your "creative" bits!  A funny story--I was on another website, researching a yarn shop on the Peninsula that I was thinking of visiting, and they had a picture and description of a little bag that they called a "Sovereign Purse."  Supposedly during the Regency period in Great Britain (c. 1811 -- 1820), friends would knit small bags known as "Sovereign purses" to exchange as gifts (around the time of Jane Austen). I had never heard this term before, but I guess that's what these things are!!

The Regency period was while King George IV was still known as the Prince of Wales and was acting as Regent to the empire (after his father George III was deemed unfit to rule).  It was supposedly a time of great artistic achievement and aristocratic excess.  More on the period here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Regency

...Though our British friends could probably better explain about such things.