Monday, May 30, 2011

Hello French toothpaste

I have such awesome friends. A few weeks ago I came home to find a mysterious and unexpected package in the mail. When I opened it, inside I found a tube of French toothpaste. My friend Robin had seen my post about Swedish toothpaste and so when she was in Paris she picked up a tube of toothpaste as a surprise for me. How sweet is that?! It's so nice to feel understood.

Part II of the story is that last night, my brother asked me if I would illustrate the chapter headings for the book he's writing. I said yes and asked what style did he want them in. He said, "you know, like that Pepsodent tube you did". So this morning, while painting my French toothpaste, I was listening to the radio and they were recommending books to read this summer. One of the books was "The Sisters Brothers", which is the book you would end up with if you crossed Cormac McCarthy with the Coen Brothers. The reviewer was trying to explain the book and chose the example of how the brothers discover this great invention, the toothbrush, and how it connects them with other people in the story.

Isn't that slightly strange and coincidental? I mean how often to they mention dental hygiene on NPR? I won't mention that I turned off the radio after that, but then turned it on again a little while later, just as a woman who was reporting on military life, was saying, "a brother or a sister..."

I like coincidences. They make me feel I am aligning myself well with the hidden forces of the universe.

3 comments:

  1. serendipity my friend :)- make sure we get a peek at these book illustrations and hope your staying cool

    ReplyDelete
  2. what will your brothers book be about?

    love your stories!
    have you ever tried german/austrian toothpaste?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Barbara: I tried to answer your questions the other day but it didn't work. I don't even know how to comment on my own blog! Anyway, I don't know what my brother's book is about actually. I only know the chapters are named after the ingredients for ketchup.

    No, I have not tried German/Austrian toothpaste! I imagine German toothpaste is more bracing.

    ReplyDelete