of spit and sticks

Over the weekend we were visited by hurricane/tropical storm Irene. She was the proverbial guest who came to dinner, came a few hours early and stayed way past time to make a graceful exit. During her visit it was some good fortune to meet a new friend who came out with the phrase "spit and sticks". The context was that her life was a bit of La Boehme mixed with True Grit which is a refreshing mixture when you think about it.

To make a life out of spit and sticks is, essentially to make a life out of the barest components and cobble it together in such a way that the nest that ensues has a purchase and can withstand the Irenes and the rascals and all in between.

I repeated that phrase to another friend today as I am quite taken by it and he opined that it was more to making something out of nothing. Birds make nests out of, well, nothing and they gather up their sticks and with a dose of bird "spit", fashion a nest. But what of this nest? It is a place of shelter for eggs - a precious cargo - and there you have it; the most rudimentary dwelling holding life's most precious - well - life.

There is an old Swedish folk tale, the point of which is as mysterious as any point made by a Swede, but it had to do with carrying a gold coin to market in such a way as to keep from drawing attention and therefore to keep from being robbed en route. The 6's and 9's of it are that to carry gold in a an expensive bag was the wisest choice because who would think that to rob once would deliver a double prize; the bag and the gold. To put gold in a sow's ear would be perceived by crooks as just a foil and surely there was no point in carrying a purse whatsoever if it didn't contain something.

Back to my new friend. She has set her way, her gold coin being talent, and her stick nest - all spit and sticks of it - is a pretty sturdy little structure in which she has set forth on the sea of life. One has to admire these types - industrious people who realize they have a certain talent and are soundly struck on making the most of it. They are fearless types - although I'm pretty sure just as human and apprehensive as the rest of us - but are of a mindset that they don't need a lot of la-di-da's to keep things going....just some spit and sticks.

Interesting. Hail fellow well met.