Angels & Elephants

I went down to Claremont earlier this afternoon to bum around a bit. The real reason was that I was considering seeing Beowulf today (I ended up not), but while looking I happened across a little gift store I'd never been in before, and even from the street I could see the angels in the window. Some have seen my collection of little angels and elephants that I possess. They intermingle freely on my shelves. The elephants are easy to explain: I've just always thought they were beautiful animals. The angels aren't as easy to explain to laypeople, but anyone reading this blog shouldn't have too hard of a time figuring that one out.

I can't pinpoint the exact origin of my collection of angels, except that it dates back to somewhere between 1992 and 1995. It wouldn't be any earlier than that, and I know I had some already by the time I met Milta. When I was seeing her I bought her an angel for Christmas and it almost brought her to tears. The one I gave her is the larger size version of the little angel that I have hanging from a hook in my kitchen. That one has very specific meaning for me.

The angels I saw from the street turned out not to be what I was looking for. I don't just pick up everything I see. There's a specific aesthetic that I look for in my angels. But while browsing I happened across a display in the back corner and fell in love with one. There were about nine angels in this particular collection, and if I could afford it I might have bought them all, but one in particular stood out. She was crouched down and was holding a large book, which was opened somewhere in the middle. I don't know if it was that, or the look of her face, or the eyes on it, but there was no way I wasn't buying it. Nearby there was a sister collection of smaller figurines of fairies. I've seen a lot of fairy figurines in my time, and none of them ever caught my eye, but these were something else.

I talked to the lady at the counter, asking if she thought these angels would be around a while. She couldn't really guarantee anything, so I put one with the book on hold and told her I'd come back Wednesday for it. Then I went further downtown. I'm in the market for a couch and a kitchen table, and having eliminated Rent A Center as an option, I checked out a cash and carry furniture store, which had some nice stuff in it. I don't have money for a couch right yet, but wanted to get some idea as to what I was going to be looking at. Then I visited the comic store.

Somewhere in there I decided that I just wasn't going home without that angel. I was going to be writing a check for it either way, and I have money stashed in my account, so what's the difference. That's what I said when I went back in the store, too -- "I just couldn't leave without her." I also added one of the small fairies to my purchase. The angels collection was all young women. The fairies were all small girls. I think you can reason out the significance.

When I got back here I rearranged some of the angels and elephants that I've put out on my grandma's old stand, which my mom gave me, so that these two could occupy the larger middle shelf, next to one of the larger elephants. Of course that angel and that fairy looked perfect together, just like I thought they would. I don't know why that is. It just is.

Those two are a great addition to my apartment.