Day 83

For the last several years, Each year, I have taken the kids on a several week nomadic journey through the US visiting family and friends.  These long trips are not all that uncommon with military families who are separated from their extended families by circumstances rather than choice.

Most years,  I pack about  half a carload and return with a full car load–and sometimes stuff tied to the top–or hanging from the back.   Honestly, much of  the new stuff we bring home is gifts.  But, since it has been on the top of my mind, it is really apparent to me that we do actually BUY lots of little “thingys” on these trips.  Every experience we have had on this trip, has not missed  an opportunity to sell us something.

Of course museum gift shops,  these guys cornered the market on “classy” souvenirs years ago offering Degas coasters and Frank Lloyd Wright sun-catchers.  Wouldn’t those artists be so proud?  I know I would if my one-of-a-kind original one day became an imprint on a cocktail shaker.

Then there are the children’s museums that peddle educational toys and games like this Wizard of Oz themed finery below.

Omaha Children’s Museum, Gift Shop

But now, museums are not limiting their sales to the gift shops.  At the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, for a dollar, you could buy a digital necklace right in the display.  The necklace was an interactive part of the display and even though the sign (see below) says you don’t have to buy it,  the exhibit wouldn’t have been any fun for the kids without it. (Grandma was there to swoop in for MY kids when I told them no)

Bubble Gum like dispenser

And, a very special first-time-to-get-a-playbill night out can turn into, “PLEASE, PLEASE, can I take this Blue Man home? I’ll feed him, I promise.”  OK, not really, but there was a whole display of T-shirts, keychains, and coffee mugs, destined for next year’s garage sales.

Take a home a BLUE MAN for 4 easy payments

OK, this one really befuddled me  and occurred at one of those very posh upscale organic agro-eco-condescending dairies.  I made that term up, maybe I can get a Wikipedia entry for it, in which I would describe it as somewhere rich hippies and the upscale middle class that WISH they were rich hippies shop for their lactose needs.   Anyway, we were buying some fancy glass bottles full of milk and yogurt that comes from cows that have been fed only first cold press spring grass and sung lullabies to at night. On the counter was a discreet hand thrown bowl that held a bunch of buttons that said things like, Buy Local and Organic.   My kids asked the clerk if they could have one.  He told them that they were on sale for a dollar.    So, my kids actually said, sorry we can’t get them and outlined the Simple Year project to him.   So, he turned to me and said, “well if it helps, these have been hand-made by a local artist.”

Uhhm, I looked in the bowl again, and sure enough they were indeed just a button, each with one word on them about 1/2 an inch in diameter.  Basically, pieces of paper run through a button making machine.  The kind you can find at any carnival or campaign headquarters anywhere in the US.   So, if that qualifies you as a local artist, I guess I can start calling myself Picasso, actually you can call my kids Monet and Klimt too, while you are at it.

Notice the bowl of buttons in the lower right hand corner.

I will just sum this post up with the “clearly only drunk people buy these” category.  See offerings at a winery gift shop below:

*Animals not to scale

And we are ONLY  2 weeks into a 3 week vacation.