HAIR COLOR AND STAMPS.
OLIVE’S FORTY SIXTH POST
Mike
I phoned Ollie early yesterday morning, Thursday, to remind her that the fellow from the Sun paper in Britain was going to call us that morning
Olive
And I asked you to pick up some hair color for me, the No. 7, the dark golden blonde
But I couldn’t remember the brand to tell you
Mike
And I said, “not to worry, I’d recognize the box for sure.”
(this is not the first time I’ve been the tint shopper. “It’s not for me, Miss, but an old lady I know.”)
Olive”
‘Be careful, it must be No. 7,” I said again.
Mike
So, I went to three chemists before I found the stuff.
What a rush we had, Kayta and I, (my darling wife) not wanting to miss the call from the Sun.
I brought you two packets because the tint was on special and they were the last two on the shelf. And you said….
Olive
“Good! That’s the right one. But two, Mike? Maybe I won’t live that long.”
Mike
“Course you will,” I retorted.
“And anyway, Ollie, you’re sure of being a beautiful corpse with all that supply.”
What a thing to say! Katya looked at me, shocked.
Olive
. But I didn’t mind.
Mike
“Course you didn’t. It’s not the first time we’ve joked about that topic.
It’s the best way to make sure it’s a long way off, in my opinion.
Olive
As long as I have me teeth in when I go, that’s all I care about.
(Ollie actually said that some time ago when we were last on the subject.
She was explaining that she always keeps her teeth handy at night in case she has a “going” feeling and needs to whip ‘em in fast.
For more on how Ollie got her “pearlies,” have a look at Post number 3, titled; War and teeth.
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http://www.allaboutolive.com.au/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=13
……………………….I’m also quite sure, having known my dear 108 year old for five years now, that the things which mainly keep her with us, are constant jokes and stimulation.
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………………….We turn even risky situations, like when she was just in hospital, into moments of fun.
In the hospital I played her songs she’d sung, like this one, Pack up Your Troubles, through my camera, using it as a tiny TV.
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Mike
As we waited for the Sun to rise, well, the phone to ring at least, I made my stamp proposal, something I hoped she’d like for the blob.
Olive
I’ve never taken much notice of stamps. We didn’t write letters much.
Mike
Well, people write even less letters now. And stamps have gone out of our lives.
I think that’s sad because stamps are very beautiful.
Look, I’ve brought some of my old albums to show you.
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Olive
Oh, they’re lovely
Mike
See if you can notice something about this stamp
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Olive
What?
Mike
How about this one?
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Olive
I can’t see them well enough to know what you mean.
Mike
It’s a set, that’s one thing. Part of a set, actually.
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Mike
More importanly, there’s no country name.
Olive
Why?
Mike
Because Gt. Britain invented stamps and that gives them the right to not put a country name on theirs..
Olive
Fancy that!
Mike
Also, in my opinion, British stamps are just about the most beautiful in the world.
I don’t know about now, if they’re still great.
These were collected at the time that I was making the Tommy Tricker movie in the late ’80’s. Maybe they’ve gone off since then.
Look at this fox. Well, I know you cant see it clearly, but he’s slinking across a moonlit landscape.
There’s a whole story in that stamp, Ollie
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Mike
Maybe he’s after this hare, rushing home just as dawn breaks
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Olive
I can see a bit of it.
Mike
I’ll have to blow them up to A4 for you.
When I was a kid and you were in your 30’s, stamps were much drabber of course. But I loved them then just the same.
I loved the the way the King was in his circle in one corner and there’d be a picture in a little box.
As a kid, it made me feel secure somehow, that everything was in its right place.
Do you remember the stamps like that, Ollie?
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Olive
Yes, but I never looked at them much.
Mike
There were hundreds of boxed pictures like that. They used to make me dream of sailing to tropical islands.
I didn’t collect systematically, just for the pictures and the stories I could make up, looking at them.
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In those days stamps were mostly engraved. The detail was fanastic.
Olive
I wish I could see them better.
Mike
I used to like American stamps too, a lot. Not because th pictures were great, they were very drab actually, but because it looked like such a well organized and modern country.
I was dying to go there. It’s all changed now of course. They have a different image entirely
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Mike
Anyway, I was wondering, Ollie, how you’d feel if we put a few stamps on each Post, as if we were posting an old fashioned letter?
Olive
That would be alright.
Mike
It would make some link with the past when people did write real letters to each other, and they licked the stamps, and off they went.
There was nothing more exciting than getting a letter. Especially with colorful stamps which’d done their job and carried the letter to you.
Olive
Like I said, I never got many letters, but it would be nice, if you want to do all that work.
Mike
That’s Ok. I want to end with a stamp which I’ll surely have to blow up for you since it celebrates our secret vice, meat pies!
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Olive
Yum!
Mike
We should actually end by saying that the Sun never did ring. There was a mistake in the day. Seems like it’ll be tomorrow.
Friday, November 16th, 2007 at 7:25 am
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18 Responses to “HAIR COLOR AND STAMPS.”
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November 16th, 2007 at 12:11 pm
You have quite a stamp collection there, Mike. I know Ollie ejoyed seeing them; I sure did.
November 16th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
Dear Olive,
(and Mike and Kayta)
I had to laugh about what you said about the stamps from the United States…yes they are a bit drab compared to some of the others. You said that we have a different image now? No longer a modern and well-organized country? I am curious what the image of the United States is in your corner of the world?
I recently learned that we can now go onto the computer to the United States Post Office and create stamps from what ever picture we have. So I can make stamps with pictures of my children…or of some of the sunset pictures I have taken. I think I would like to try that just for fun.
I love to get letters in the mail. It is so rare these days. But I think you must SEND letters in order to get them in return. Maybe I should write a letter or two today!
Hope this finds you laughing and well.
katherine.
Santa Cruz, California.
Katherine, here’s what we’d love you to do. Write a letter to Ollie, a real bit of snail mail, and then cover the letter with interesting stamps. They could be stamps you make like you suggest, but not just your children but photos of beauty spots in your area. Choose low denominations so you have to put many on the envelope .
Make the envelope as decorative as possible. On the next post I’ll show some examples of such envelopes I’ve sent myself in the past. If you want to use real stamps, you can go to a stamp shop and buy some of the sort I showed. They often can be got for face value , and you can use those. They are still good. Good luck. Mike the helper
If and when we get your lettr, we’ll sh the envelope on the blog. Mike the helper
November 16th, 2007 at 6:45 pm
Good on you, Olive, for still wanting to look nice. Mike, that’s very brave of you to buy Olive’s hair tint…are you sure the second box isn’t for you…lol!
I loved those stamps and some of them are very familiar to me, because I collected stamps for years and then gave my stamp collection to my eldest daughter, who has now given it to her eldest son…and each generation has added stamps. Unfortunately, my grandson now lives in Holland and the stamp collection is with him, so I can’t show any of it.
What a lovely trip back to the past. Thank you.
Haven’t tried tint yet Robyn. Have a look at my suggestion to Katherine and see if you’d like to try that too.
November 16th, 2007 at 6:50 pm
Another great blob Olive! I remember having a fascination for stamps myself when I was a kid…my favourites were the ones with wildlife pics on though, and my birth certificate has a stamp on it with a picture of the King! (that gives my age away doesn’t it?) lol!
I look forward to the next ‘episode’ Olive!
Karen UK
I’ve go lots of those king stamps Karen. I guess the next question is, which King? Mike the helper
November 16th, 2007 at 11:46 pm
Hope the Sun didn’t ring in the middle of the night ‘cos they forgot the time difference.
Do you know, despite being English I hadn’ even realised that we didn’t put England, or Gt Britain on the stamps, let alone the reason. You learn something new every day. (Trouble is you don’t always remember it).
If you’d like some French stamps I’d gladly send you a snailmail. Where can I find your address?
Hi Sablonneuse, I’ll send you my address and you can mail me, snail way, and I’ll pass it on to Ollie. Have a look at my reply to Katherine for some ideas. Mike the helper.
November 17th, 2007 at 11:56 am
I agree about it being important to easily talk as casually about death and dying as we do life and living, since it’s all just part of our time here on Earth. Having a sense of humor about the topic, just enjoying jokes about all aspects of living and dying is healthy, I think. My Mom and I could easily and realistically talk about those subjects, so guess she just made it seem natural to me. Sounds like you feel pretty much the same way, Olive.
Your hair looks very nice and becoming to you, Olive. I happen to be one of those people who believes in aging naturally, so I’ve never dyed my graying hair. I even wrote about it on my blog, and think “Redhead Aging Naturally” is my most read piece.
I enjoy seeing the color changes as my hair first got quite dark, almost brown, and then “silver threads,” as I like to call them, started coming in — lots of them. Am curious to see what the next years bring for me. Curiosity about the future is what keeps us all going, I think, whether or not we dye our hair. What do you think Olive?
I’m fascinated by these stamps. I’ve had a bit of a mishmash collection of stamps myself — used and new. I think your letter/stamp idea is a great one, Mike. Send me your address, too. Think I’ll put a picture postcard inside the envelope, so you can see where I live, Olive.
I think we’re going to find a lot of people who love stamps, Joared I hope others sent coloful stamp filled letters to Ollie also. We’ll start a special scrap book. Mike the Helper.
November 17th, 2007 at 2:55 pm
Olive and Mike,
You two are a breath of fresh air! I have truly enjoyed reading your blobs very much! I find myself at work just itching to get onto the computer to read your latest installments. I find you always brighten my day with your witty comments on life (and death).
Keep on blobbing and giving us a hint of sunshine everyday.
Ciao,
Kari Thanks. Kari, I was a bit hesitant about putting the comments about death. How would you take it? I wonder, those of you who’ve come to care about Ollie.
Yet, since I do think that stimulation and jokes are her life tonic, even better than Vicks, I thought I’d try. Mike the Helper..
November 19th, 2007 at 10:47 am
Dear Olive and Mike,
Thanks for another wonderful post. The first part, about you coloring your hair, Olive, reminded me of my mother. She, as she grew older, began to color her hair. One day I said to her that she should let it go gray because I thought it looked distinguished. She, being my mother, simply looked at me as if I were crazy. Now I understand that look and want to thank you for bringing up a good memory.
As to the stamps, I’ve never been a collector. On the other hand, I can say that the stamps I buy these days are much more colorful than the ones you showed, Mike. I hope your many correspondents send you some showing the Liberty Bell and the Lewis and Clark expedition as well as some showing U.S flora and fauna. Can’t wait for the next post.
Take Care (both of you),
John
November 20th, 2007 at 6:02 am
Hi Ollie and Mike! I have been away from quite a while (two jobs, a lot of subjects to study and a lot of things going through my mind and worrying me) but I’m glad to be back and find out that this blog is as amazing as it always has. What a nice collection of stamps. I think it’s an EXCELLENT idea to put one in each post. It really feels like a link with the past. Now it’s very strange to write letters and stuff: everything is done via Internet, which is really good for some things (business and things that require speed) but very impersonal and cold for some others. I personally don’t like it when people greet me through the email. I love receiving postcards and Christmas cards on my mailbox. Unfortunately, nobody sends them anymore. I didn’t know that English stamps didn’t have the name of their country on them. This blog is a box full of souprises (as we say in my country).
Mike, I will try to find a stamp from my contry, I’ll scan it and send it to you so you can post it here. Now we have stamps but they are not the ones that you have to lick, they are the sticker kind. By the way… Ollie is an example of happiness and positivism: it’s amazing the way she talks about death. I am very hypochondriac and everything related to death and illnesses terrifies me. What a brave person she is!
November 20th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
I am a late starter to reading your blob, I only discovered it about a month or so ago but I must admit I have spent a good part of that time reading all your posts! I had a lot of catching up to do. What a gem you are Olive.
Thank you for taking the time to share all of your wonderful stories with us, it has made me appreciate everyone in my life a little more. Silly as it sounds it feels as if I know you all.
I grew up in the Blue Mountains N.S.W, but at the moment I am living in Miami, the United States. Whenever I feel a little homesick, I just log on and read another post from you and I feel a little connected to home again. I hope it puts a smile on your dial that you make such a difference to me when you don’t know who I am and I live all the way on the other side of the world. That’s the beauty of the internet.
My husband is from Germany and he has started to sing the songs he hears you sing. With his strong German accent, I have to admit you put him to shame! I call my grandpa - who lives in Killarney Vale- once a week and he knows all the words. I am still learning some of them, but I just love to hear you sing. I log on to You Tube just to see if there are any new posts from you.
Ok, I have rabbited on enough for one day. I will have a shandy in your honour tonight.
Cheers from Miami.
Melissa.
November 20th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
Dear Gracious Olive -
An old friend once told me “my mind is like a sieve; some things drop straight through it, but a few stick there”.
So, before something I’ve just been thinking about gets lost, I’m wanting to tell you that I just read the very last sentence of an onLine book by Robert Louis Stevenson, and it’s for you and me and any other older readers you have here. It was about
> ‘… memories of a common past, let these be your bookmarkers as you read. And if you care for naught else in the story, be a little pleased to breathe once more for a moment the airs of our youth.’
November 20th, 2007 at 12:55 pm
I think the end of what I wrote didn’t come through, so here it is, just in case……..>
For that’s what your own stories mean to me Olive - a sharing of our younger days. Yes, I know I haven’t the honour of reaching your own age, but many of the things you have told take me back to my own early times. So a very heartfelt THANKYOU to you from Nan-Australia(almost 85 years).
I wonder who is your oldest reader here?
November 21st, 2007 at 1:01 pm
Mailed you a letter today, Olive, with lots of stamps on it. The Jamestown triangle shaped stamp is much in demand and there are no more available for purchase. Also I put some U.S. postal cards with large pictures of stamps on them inside the envelope. Be sure and watch for the “Redheads,” since we both have red hair, Ducky.
I was thinking of putting a picture postcard of the city where I live, then I found these stamp postal cards at my post office, so decided to send them instead. Be interesting to see how long it takes before the letter arrives. Enjoy!
The postal worker was intrigued with what I was doing, said he hadn’t heard of mailing stamps like that before, but thought it was a great idea. He was really impressed when I told him I was sending the letter to a 108 year lady in Australia; that he had heard there was an older lady in Spain, but didn’t know about you.
November 21st, 2007 at 8:53 pm
Dear Gracious Olive -
An old friend once told me “my mind is like a sieve; some things drop straight through it, but a few stick there”.
So, before something I’ve just been thinking about gets lost, I’m wanting to tell you that I just read the very last sentence of an onLine book by Robert Louis Stevenson, and it’s for you and me and any other older readers you have here. It was about the story stirring up
> ‘… memories of a common past; let these be your bookmarkers as you read. And if you care for naught else in the story, be a little pleased to breathe once more for a moment the airs of our youth.’
November 21st, 2007 at 8:56 pm
this didn’t all go through - here’s the rest of it >
That’s what your own stories mean to me Olive - a sharing of our younger days - so thankyou again. Yes, I know I haven’t the honour of reaching your own age, but many of the things you have told take me back to my own early times. So a very heartfelt THANKYOU to you from Nan-Australia(80 plus years).
I wonder who is your oldest reader here?
November 22nd, 2007 at 2:20 am
HAPPY THANKSGIVING OLLIE & MIKE!
I’m not sure if you celebrate this holiday as we do, but if you do, I’d like to be the first to wish you, Ollie, Katya, & Eric and any other ‘helpers’ a very Happy Thanksgiving! Ollie has sooo much to be thankful for, and you giving Ollie to all of the ‘blob’ readers makes all of us know that we have much to be thankful for, also.
Ollie, keep well, and keep singing those wonderful songs, which, by the way, I know some of.
Sandy (Wisconsin-USA)
November 24th, 2007 at 4:11 pm
i was pleased as punch to see my state (nebraska) had a featured stamp today! i saw your suggestion about putting all kinds of stamps on. some of the holiday stamps t hey have this year are knitted ones!
January 21st, 2008 at 8:54 am
I am a Postmaster in Arkansas, my dear friend Jo sent this website to me which I so much enjoyed. Thank you Ollie & Mike. God Bless.
Brenda, we are very fond of postmasters because we love stamps as you might have gathered if you’ve looked back a few posts. I made a movie about stamps for kids called, Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveler. I will get round to putting some parts of it on the blog. Mike the helper