Looking at RR's bottle tree, loving it and thinking that perhaps it's all in the artistic talent and eye of the maker.....and of course placement and lack of resin gnomes and frogs that make is pretty. When he retired, my uncle started "making things" He had seen a wind chime made from various cut off bottles, with a hole drilled and carefully arranged so they all didn't clang together at once. So he took to glomming on to every empty bottle he could find, cutting it and stringing it up and giving it away. His next project was wind chimes made from forks and spoons strung on a bent coat hanger. They clanked in a breeze. Then there was another man who took up rug hooking when he retired. He bought kits and tied knots like mad. Their house was covered with furry rugs, hanging on benches, on the back of the sofa, on floors and piled in a corner. Another person took up needle point and in 5 or 6 years all available space was covered with needle point renditions of someone else's art. We had Pinky, Blue Boy, The Mona Lisa and even Van Gogh's sunflowers. A beautiful home was turned into a display of kitsch....but it kept them off the streets! LOL! I have seen some very lovely "art" made from broken pottery....but I have also seen some stuff that is pretty much broken dishes glued to something. The line between art and craft is fine.....and the line between craft and junk perhaps even finer....and some don't seem to see it. As an example, I made a trip to New York several years ago to see Christo's Gates. I found it moving, exilerating and endlessly fascinating. I posted on another forum what I had done and how wonderful I thought it was.....and was booed and hooted at ridiculed for bothering to view something quite as silly as that. Art doesn't need the approval of others to be "art". Van Gogh died penniless with a stash of things like whirling suns and swirling clouds and flowers beneath his bed. Pollock also died broke. Frieda Kahlo's work never sold until after her death when Madonna started collecting. I have seen several gardens that were full of "repurposed" items, the toilet planter, the shoe planter, the frog under the hosta and the elf sitting on a rock. Some were lovely and charming, while a few others were a collection of junk. What makes the difference? I guess it's the skill of the person putting it all together. Scuse the ramble, I guess it always boils down to "To each his own" or "chacon a son gout", but I never understand why someone feels the need to defend their own taste, or feel insulted if someone else doesn't like what you like. Why would anyone feel threatened because I don't like plastic gnomes in my yard, nor Robert Kincade (however he spells his name) on my walls nor canned soup in my casseroles? It's your house, do what you like. Linda C

Just sent it to my husband at work. He needs a good laugh on Fridays! Thanks for posting!

I'd probably make a comment to her, (loud, since she probably is saving the batteries on her hearing aid) something to the effect that this isn't the line for casket selection but I understand why she's in such a hurry, and tell her I hope her life-alert works when she breaks her hip! Well, maybe not, but if I were in the right mood... There's a diner that I stop at occasionally. Clientèle is largely elders (lots of Buicks parked out front!) and it's a lot of fun to go there. Friendly folks. Not a lot of places I go to these days where I'm the kid of the crowd anymore it seems! When it comes to butting into line, there's other groups that frustrate me. How many times I'm heading to the number dispenser and someone runs over, jumps in front and grabs a number so they can be ahead of me. But they're in a bigger rush than I am. I should start carrying a cane.... and trip 'em! :) But, that would be wrong... wouldn't it?

It might actually be a reasonably cute chandelier -- I detect a lodgey/woodland theme -- but one would never know with that horrid photo they took! Jeez - I understand not having the greatest photographic skills (goodness knows, mine leave a lot to be desired!) -- but it doesn't take an Annie Leibovitz to see that this pic is pure crap!