Shoes and Knees and Fingertips

Here are a few pictures from a craft night at Jennifer's house. I like having craft night at her house because she has friendly and cute animals to play with. Also, Jennifer always provides an abundance of sweet food to snack on which is always a nice perk. At craft nights we usually have a movie going on. Sometimes it is a movie we are actually paying attention to and sometimes it is there merely for the background murmur. This last craft night, we watched a movie about Beethoven's fictionalized love life. It had an actress that was in a movie I saw years ago called 'The Vanishing.' This was one of the creepiest and most subtly disturbing movies I've seen.
These pictures don't properly reflect the craft night since there are no photo's of any crafts being created. But there is one of Jennifer's sweet dog! The painting of robots on the wall was made by one of Jennifer's friends. Now I forgot the person's name. But whomever they are, they made an awesome mural.






Right now I'm in the middle of listening to the audio book of 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.' My favorite part of those books are when Sherlock deduces a persons character by examining their exterior. Here is an excerpt from the story
'A Case of Identity' that makes a great example:

'Sherlock Holmes clapped his hands softly together and chuckled.
"'Pon my word, Watson, you are coming along wonderfully. You have really done very well indeed. It is true that you have missed everything of importance, but you have hit upon the method, and you have a quick eye for color. Never trust to general impressions, my boy, but concentrate yourself upon details. My first glance is always at a woman's sleeve. In a man it is perhaps better first to take the knee of the trouser. As you observe, this woman had plush upon her sleeves, which is a most useful material for showing traces. The double line a little above the wrist, where the typewritist presses against the table, was beautifully defined. The sewing-machine, of the hand type, leaves a similar mark, but only on the left arm, and on the side of it farthest from the thumb, instead of being right across the broadest part, as this was. I then glanced at her face, and, observing the dint of a pince-nez at either side of her nose, I ventured a remark upon short sight and typewriting, which seemed to surprise her."'

(Doyle, Arthur Conan "A Case of Identity" The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes)

These stories make me want to look at strangers shoes and knees and finger tips in order to ascertain clues about them and their life. Every stranger has some sort of story that is unknown. I feel inspired now to use my powers of deduction and observation to figure out clues about the lives of others.
Another aspect I like about the Sherlock Holmes stories are that Sherlock follows his own moral code. Sometimes he figures out who the criminal is, but this doesn't necessarily mean he will turn them into the police. Sometimes he lets people off if he feels that deep down they have a good heart or if the crime wasn't committed out of malice. I think moral ambiguities are more interesting that straight forward rules. A person who has respect for the complexities of human morality makes for a compelling character. I also have love for both listening to Victorian literature audio books and a good mystery so it is a surprise I haven't jumped on the Sherlock Holmes fan boat earlier!
Previous
Previous

The Conjoined Mermaid Twins Spot an Unusual Monster

Next
Next

The Day I Went to Georgetown and Watched the Rain make Everything Shine