Stain...

Our word for today is "stain." I am reminded immediately of Lady Macbeth trying to rid her house of the stain of blood. "Out, out damned spot," she raved. I'm also reminded of the last chapter of Tess of the d'Ubervilles. After Tess kills the man she is forced to live with, she looks up from the floor below to see the stain of his blood forming a heart on the ceiling.

My strong Catholic upbringing also reminds me of the stain of sin. Somehow, we come into this world, stained, imperfect. Black marks are everywhere. There are stains on our reputation, if we, or someone close to us, does something wrong. In the girl's school I went to, you got a black mark for chewing gum and if you got too many black marks, you were expelled. I never chew gum. I don't think it's a "sin", but it's not pretty.

Professionals try to explain your personality by how you interpret black marks, ink blots, stains. I've seen the work of some very clever artists that turn stained concrete into amazing street Art. I don't think I have a T-shirt in my closet that isn't stained. I have often thought of bringing out a line of adult bibs. However, you'd have to be able to wash and bleach them to remove the stains.

The word stain isn't all negative, though. You can add some really lovely stains to wood to bring out their colour. Dyeing cloth and fibre is a little like staining. Red wine stains teeth and lips and tablecloths, when spilled. It isn't a pretty stain.

The pictures? Not really stains, but not pretty.

Have an awesome day!!