Menonkery; Mischief Memory

The siblings, while clearing out the attic at our deceased father's home, came across a large cardboard folder. It bore my name upon it, so they brought it over to Hutch for me to reacquaint myself. 

That was nine months ago. It sat behind the lounge door, against the settee, all this while. Recently it has kept falling over and presenting a trip/fall risk to yours truly. A few cussings later, I decided it was time to open the thing up. This I did on Monday, just gone. There was a mixture of surprise and complete befuddlement. Several items clearly clipped from magazines or posters or calendars - scenes that had appeal, even now. But they will go to the recycling, holding no worth to me and not serving by triggering any particular association from their presence.

Then there are a dozen 'artworks' from my youth. We are talking the late seventies and early eighties of last century here! Seven of them had been prepared for sale. They have been well-mounted and have stickers on the back... adhered hanging rings,  "Aligraph" a branding that I once used, and the pricing I gave them, which was between four and six quid. It is vague, but I believe I twice paid for a stall at a couple of summer fayres around Edinburgh. I had made a lot of greetings cards also and, if I am not deluding myself, they pretty much sold out. I think even a few of these larger works went too. I am pretty sure the sales did not cover the cost of the stall rent, though. This would be why there are these remnants and no others were produced. 

I photographed them all and returned them to the folder. One or two, no, make that three, are cringe-worthy. Like this one on the right. What was I thinking??!!! There are a couple I will not share, but the rest will make an appearance here, as and when...

There were a few photographic items as well. Two or three of my own, enlarged. Only on standard paper and computer printed, so no great shakes - recycling for them, too. Two of the photos were from my time as a member of the Roddy McDowell Fan Club of the UK. One was, as might be expected, RM - but the other, a tad inexplicably, is of George Chakiris (who was also one of my faves... but why???) They are actual photographic prints and have notes on the back, so they too are returned to the folder.

One photo, though, completely defies explanation for its presence. I mean to say, I know it is me, and I know when and where it was taken; but there is absolutely no memory as to why I would have a print of it, let alone one on A2 photographic stock!!! I would never enlarge a photo of myself. Indeed, if you have been around here long enough, you know I tend, on the whole, to avoid any direct selfies at all. To say I was a little aghast when it revealed itself from behind the larger of the artworks would not be overstating it. I might actually have spoken HBO. The thing is, along with a few of the clippings and such, I don't actually recall the folder at all. There was one item that had me thinking this was all held together due to my late mother's inclination to preserve all things family, but also because they appealed to her. It would make sense of some of the clippings - but could she have had this image enlarged? Might father have done it? I have returned it to the folder, for now, as am at a loss of what to do with it. If I dispose of it to recycling, I will definitely have to shred it first!

Okay - now I've piqued your interest, return tomorrow, for I will use this disturbing image for my FFF this month!!!