


My artist friend
Brece Honeycutt kindly came out last Saturday to support and participate in my Lower East Side drifting with
spun flotsam. She also clued me into the fact that my get up for the day looked somewhat reminiscent of a
chatelaine or 19th century "housekeeper's belt".
A
chatelaine or 'chain' is a decorative belt hook or clasp worn at the waist with a series of smaller chains suspended from it. Each chain is mounted with a useful household appendage such as scissors, thimble, watch, key, vinaigrette, household seal, etc. In the domestic sphere these implements obviously helped one to navigate the home and always feel 'equipped'. My
urban mapping and exploration involved perhaps more impromptu tools -
conversation being the principal means of interfacing and connecting. Nonetheless, I am now thinking hard about what my ideal chatelaine might consist of, particularly in this era of environmental sensitivity and heightened awareness.
