Category: things to appreciate

the fly I had for breakfast wasn’t bad / so I had one more for dessert

On By brosencrantzIn things to appreciate1 Comment

Continuing the sequence of wonderful, principally frog-themed mystery gifts that I get in the post…

In the deranged, feverish haze of spring 2020, with the world turned upside down, I got a box in the post marked “Beatrix Potter Collection” and with no indication of the buyer. Inside was the greatest teapot-themed work of art ever devised by man.

I immediately tried it out as a teapot, but that didn’t work well (the handle is hollow and the porcelain very thin so it gets uncomfortably hot): this is a frog built for form rather than function. However, he’s an absolute delight to have in the kitchen, and each morning I am greeted by Jeremy Fisher stepping out happily into the new day.

The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher is in the public domain and can be enjoyed here by anyone unfamiliar with it.

 

Unfortunately the anonymity of the gift was slightly compromised by it coming with customs fees, which the donor (when I asked the group chat if anyone knew why I’d got a demand for such) immediately stepped up and paid. However, that means I get to publicly say thank you to my friend Hoov, who specialises in puns so niche, contrived  and excruciating that the gang made him an entire twitter chronicling them as his birthday present, because the world is not a good or just place. https://twitter.com/epipuns

mystery gift frog 2023

On By brosencrantzIn things to appreciateLeave a comment

I get sufficient mystery gifts in the post that I think I need to create a new tag for them. Some are from known parties, some are anonymous but clearly well-targeted at me. (I really ought to post about the teapot, the paper art, and the really horrifying custom made frog pins. I already posted about the hat I forgot I was middlemanning, over a decade ago.) I’m increasingly of the view that a number of these are from my old pal Tom, especially the incredible netsuke and a terrifying Shell poster* from the 1930s which he addressed to “frogboy sadface” (to the absolute confusion of our postwoman.)

This one, however, I’m pretty sure is not his style – but is very nice. (The cats do not seem convinced.)

Who are you, mystery frog donor? What secrets do you keep? And what is the name of this wonderful chap?

*

These Men Use Shell | Schleger, Hans | V&A Explore The Collections

genuine bona fide electrified

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As previously mentioned on this blog, one of the things I’ve most enjoyed about Being An Adult is getting works of art and craft custom made. My pal Max is pursuing all kinds of interesting creative avenues as a career change and, having really enjoyed his recent experiments in lettering, I asked if he could make me a monogram.* My initials happen to lend themselves to a design with perfect rotational symmetry, and of the designs he made, one immediately stood out as a winner.

I am not (yet) the sort of person who gets custom embroidery on their shirts, and have no idea what I’ll end up putting this on, but it’s a lovely thing to have. I’m really not sure how it could be improved – well, actually, there is one thing…

Max is open for commissions for all sorts of crafty and lettering related work (he is currently writing a bunch of T. S. Eliot for a laugh.) Do drop him a line if you’re in the market.

* It may technically be a cipher, but who’s counting?

the frog with amber eyes

On By brosencrantzIn things to appreciate2 Comments

This week I received a parcel from Hermes. Unusually for them, it was undamaged and actually contained something.* Even more unusually, it was addressed to “frogboy sadface”. Inside were two things: a sheet of paper with a happy and sad face…

And this utterly wondrous little carved wooden netsuke of a frog wrestler.

It is lovely, and obviously not particularly cheap (a gander at ebay suggests even the most bottom-barrel netsuke start in the £20-30 range.) I hit up my main friends group chat to see if this was some sort of delayed Christmas present (that would be in keeping with Hermes.) Total denial! I asked two other group chats, I asked my family, I messaged a few individual friends. Everyone I have contacted in the centre of this Venn diagram has denied it.**

additional filters: can draw a circle OK but not perfectly; reads the Daily Mirror maybe?

It is not:

Who did this?

* For those unaware of them, Hermes are the Challenger Deep of shit quality in the already abyssopelagic UK parcel delivery landscape. At Christmas 2020 a Hermes courier handed me a ripped-open jiffy bag which emphatically did not contain some expensive books and hand-knitted gloves from my mum, and ran off. I don’t know who they treat worse, their customers or their staff.
** Except Tom, but I think he’s just being Tom.

shrike was cake: to begin with

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Many years ago in the mists of 2012, I proofread a dissertation for a friend up in Leeds.  My normal fee for such work was a cheeseburger and curly fries at the Selly Sausage, but her specialty being the baking and decorating of Amazing Cakes, she did this one for me. I mentioned this in my livejournal at the time but didn’t post any pictures, a near-unforgivable omission I can only hope to remedy now. So, presenting the Stalker Shrike, from Mortal Engines, in cake form. (He was delicious.)

Also, that friend and I are married now.

*

threads of gloom

On By brosencrantzIn The Gloomy Frog, things to appreciateLeave a comment


I am completely terrible for guessing the gifts my extremely kind, patient and generous other half frequently gets me. However, through a long period of working in secret and hurriedly hiding things under blankets when I drew near, she completely blindsided me with this absolutely wonderful embroidered frog. I’m very lucky to have her (and the frog.) Also, I feel like my Personal Brand has been alarmingly well established.

She’s taking up embroidery as a proper hobby and is thinking of putting it all online on her new instagram – watch this space!

BONUS BEHIND THE SCENES PICTURE. Yes, he looks like Problem Sleuth.