Playing at Mammy's House

Over at Travelin Oma's Marty wrote a great post about playing at her grandmother's house.

Since I had said a while back that I was going to write some more about the things I remember of my grandmother, I took Marty's idea for this post.

I spent a lot of time at Mammy's house.

During the summer there would be long stretches of time there.

Since there was no swimming pool in easy walking distance, our summer cool off place was a tin wash tub

I remember sitting in the tub and running a hose

Running through the hose was a big deal too -- as were the discussions with my grandparents about when it was warm enough to do so -- it had to be more that 75 degrees for us to be able to run through the hose


And there were marbles

Because my grandfather was a postman back in the days when they actually WALKED a route, he would find marbles in the street

Somewhere at my mother's house there is a deep cookie tin full of the marbles he found and brought home in his pockets

I remember blowing up the air mattress, putting one end of it up on the couch and running marbles down the grooves in it to race them to the bottom

One summer when Mammy had been teaching me to knit we used up a bunch of little scrap pieces of yarn to knit little 1 to 2 inch squares with tails at one end that my sister and I dubbed "mice" which we then took outside to play with over a blanket stretched across a wood frame. We bounced them all around like they could do double flips on a trampoline.


and then there were the paperdolls

Betsy McCall paperdolls to be exact -- (which I only recently discovered were introduced in 1951 -- the year I was born!)

Mammy let me have that highly coveted page as soon as the McCall's magazine arrived in the mail.

I had a box that greeting cards had come in that was the place that the carefully cut out dolls were stored.

Right now I'm wondering whatever happened to those, wishing I had kept them, wondering if my mother will find them as she is now going through all of the ephemera from Mammy's house that she hadn't gotten to.

And so it was that play time at Mammy's was also learning life skills --- I learned to sew and knit and cut --- and all of those skills are still the backbone of the arts I do today.

So what did you play with at your grandma's house?

taking on one more project?

actually it's more a return to a project started long, long ago

we're Christmas crazy at our house -- at least that's the best excuse I have

on several occasions we have put up as many as 8 or 9 trees -- I have about 40 apple boxes full of Christmas decorations

many years ago (at least 10), I was part of a small online group that had formulated an idea for a Christmas book

Unfortunately, nothing ever came of it because -- well, life happens

but the idea of doing this has never really gone away, and it tends to rear it's head every year about this time

and it seems that it has made a return in the head of the DH as well as he went through a catalog we received this week, marked it up and handed it to me saying "this would be a good start on the book"

I guess it may be time to take the bull by the horns (or the reindeer)

One of the major problems with the book in it's former incarnation was the whole "how do we get it published" issue

In the last decade the amazing advances in the "publish it yourself" industry online has made that question into nothing more than an empty Christmas sock sort of excuse

So, I'll be asking you to bear with me as we babble on about Christmas long after the holiday is over this year while I try to figure out how to put this all together

Meantime, if you know of any artist that makes Christmas themed items, I'd welcome you sending me a link to their web presence so I can take a look!

trends, cycles and finding one's own "voice"

I've been involved this week in two converging conversations on line -- it's interesting how two totally unconnected groups of artists discuss some of the same things

So, let us begin with a confession: I'm what I would consider an "ambitious artist". I love to create things -- all kinds of things -- and in order to continue to do that I need to sell at least some of them.

Besides that, I have, for as long as I can remember, had that "I want to be the best at something and I want every body know it" thing in my head -- I guess now days they'd call that wanting to be "popular", but that's not really the same thing, in my opinion.

I am also a totally unfocused artist --- I have never been able to just do one thing, which may be the reason that I'm not really good at either selling or winning awards.

This week on one of the email lists that I belong to, someone posted about a big Dale Chihuly Exhibit, praising his work, etc., etc.

For me this once again set off the question that I have struggled with for years as a bear artist --- what defines an "artist" bear versus what is a "manufactured" bear --- I have for years worked under the idea that an "artist" bear is one made entirely by the designer(s), and a "manufactured" bear is designed by an artist then made in quantities by skilled labor. My husband and I make artist bears --- now days especially, many of our pieces are a collaboration of skills (he does pattern design, cutting, jointing; I do sewing, stuffing, finishing) and nearly every piece is a one of a kind.

Evidently this destinction does not apply to the "big A" art world, as it was pointed out to me quite clearly by others on the mailing list --- in the "big A" art world, especially in sculpture, and large installation art, one designer with many workers appears to be the norm.

At the same time that I was reading and responding to those emails, there were some quite interesting posts in another place regarding Etsy and the whole host of Stampington Press publications.

I have never been one to pay any attention to trends. When I was a child and a teenager it simply didn't matter if I wanted to do so or not --- it was not an option, and as an adult I just never got there.

I like what I like.

A while back I had submitted some pieces to one of the Stampington Press magazines for consideration, and was told that my pieces didn't fit in with anything they were doing right now. When I told my daughter about that her response was sure and swift --- "mom, your stuff is not "ugly" enough"

Now by ugly she means that sort of worn, primitive, folk art style that seems to be the current rage among the 20 to 40 age group that is snapping up those publications and doing the most crafting/selling/buying on Etsy.

I don't do that kind of pieces.

My tastes are more simple, elegant, clean and yes, occasionally very bold and ornate.

I've tried from time to time to make pieces (bears, jewelry) that I think will sell

Usually that sort of effort is a big failure, not only on the sales end, but as being personally satisfying to make ---- those are a lot more like work, and it would be more profitable financially to go flip burgers

So, the question becomes, how to find that niche market --- I have to believe that there are other 40+ women with similar tastes, but there does not appear to be any place on line that is paying any attention to us "old folks"

Meantime, today after over a year as a shop owner on Etsy, I made my first sale out of the shop. It is a custom order for a dog toy. I'll take it.

But I'm still looking for a place that will be a good venue for my "art pieces", and hoping the style trends will cycle around to my point of view.

Asking for help

Over at Yesterday's Glitter Kelly has a great post about irony and compassion.

It set me to thinking about how hard it is to "make it" in business out here on the world wide web --

yes, the internet is in some ways a great equalizer -- the individual in the basement in her pjs loading up stuff to sell can look like a much bigger company

but it also means that the whole world is your competition

I realized after reading Kelly's post that she is correct when she says "All too often when people complain over something it's a cry for help that they don't know how to ask for."

Those of you that have read this blog for a while know that this is the place where I sometimes complain. (Ok, I try to complain only here, not on the studio blog)

But I realize that what I'm really doing when I complain here is hope that because it is out there on the world wide web that someone will see what I've said and offer some suggestion that will help me solve whatever I've complained about

I also think that Kelly is right about not being in the right niche at the right time. As my mother has said from time to time "when my ship comes in I'll probably be at the airport".

I know at least two bear artists (neither of which has been making bears as long as I have), that on a regular basis will make a bear, list it on their web site, and sell it within a week -- one of them regularly sells her pieces for $500 and up.

A while back, when I was feeling particularly discouraged about the whole thing, I sent an email to one of them asking for some help.

I wanted to know how she managed this feat.

Was it that my pictures weren't good enough (though I've been told they're good)?

Was it that I didn't write up the descriptions well?

Was it that the product just wasn't good enough?

I guess she didn't feel like she wanted to share her success -- since she never replied

Recently I was reading an article about the "new crafters", and I'm beginning to wonder if it's just that the whole trend of what is selling now has passed me by

I think I'm pretty tech savvy for an old broad -- I do blog after all, but I don't do Face Book or Twitter or Flickr or any of those other things -- I like doing my art, and the more time I spend on the computer, the less time I have to do art.

How do you manage to balance all of that?

And most important of all is still that question -- is it the presentation (whatever form it takes) or is the work just not good enough?

Sure would be nice to know

not such a great grandma

This is my great grand daughter

through the miracle of the internet I found out that she was born back on the 11th

since my step daughter decided we had offended her a couple of years back and hasn't talked to us since, I'm not really surprised that she didn't let us know about the baby's arrival (and for all I know the baby's mother isn't talking to her mother)

At any rate, all this means I'm (technically) a great grandmother --- HUH?

Because I knew this baby was on the way, I made this quilt and the little knit lamb toy during the summer and now I'll be packing it up and shipping it off

I hope they like it

I hope they'll use it

On the whole, it's a really wierd situation



Have I mentioned recently how much I think the health care system in this country is screwed up?

I know, I know, this seems to be a rant I have about once a month, please bear with me here folks, it helps if I can get this out of my system

Here's the latest:

My husband was told by his doctor that it was time for him to have his pneumonia vaccination. She told him that she doesn't keep the vaccine on hand and we should arrange with the scheduler for a date to have the shot so they could get it in.

So, I talked to the scheduler, and set it up and figured we were set.

But no, when we got there at the appointed time, the other person (ie the one I nearly always want to hang up on when I have to talk to her on the phone and I refer to as the "Snippy B***H") was there and said they wouldn't give him the shot because they'd had all these problems with the insurance not paying for them, etc., etc., and that we should go to the pharmacy to have it done

So, we went to pharmacy (our local Walgreens) and tried again -- they tried to run it through on his Secure Horizons medicare supplement insurance and their system told them to run it through Medicare, and then supposedly Medicare told them he's not even in their system. After about 40 minutes in the pharmacy, we came home and I got on the phone

First I talked to Secure Horizons and was told that if his primary care physician gives him the pneumonia vaccine, they will cover it. If we go to a pharmacy, we have to pay up front and then send in the stuff to be reimbursed (whenenver they get around to it).

Then I called Medicare and verified that they do have a record of him (DUH!!), and figured the pharmacy just put in a number wrong.

Then I called the doctor's office and told them his insurance will cover it (what other insurances for other people are doing is NOT our problem), and we want them to get the vaccine and give him the shot.

He was supposed to get his shot at 1:30 yesterday -- they STILL didn't have the stuff. They called me about 3 p.m. and said the vaccine had finally arrived --

AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!

Part of this of course is just people trying to pass off the hard stuff to someone else because they don't want to deal with it.

It's frustrating.

Oh yes, I did survive all of that yesterday with minimal stress, so I guess the St John's Wort is starting to take affect

The first test?

So today, after weeks of unseasonably warm weather, it actually looks (and feels) like November -- cold, gray, drizzlie

During the time I'm on the computer every morning, the dog usually alternates between patrolling the back yard to "supervise" the construction workers in the field beyond and laying in the front window in the sun to watch the kids go to school.

This morning after a brief trip around the yard she joined me at the computer as if to ask me if we were going to have to put up with this stuff for long.

I share her dismay

As I have said many times, I don't really like winter -- which is really not quite true -- I love the pretty days -- the sun on fresh snow, everything sparkling like brand new days -- but I don't like the gray, and I don't do well in the cold.

In fact, when I had my annual visit with the doctor recently I asked her about the "gray wall of winter"

And so, for the last 2 weeks I've been taking a daily dose of St John's Wort, which was her recommendation for a "homeopathic antidepressant" -- I'm hopeful that it will do the trick

I guess today is the first test

The current magic number is 987

I can sense a lot of question marks forming over your heads

magic number for what?

current? as in it will change?

987!

Ok, I admit, I'm being deliberately difficult here

For a while now I've been trying to get the volumes and volumes of paper research I have done on our family's history into a computer program

The idea was to make it easier to share information, print a whole raft of reports, scrapbook pages, etc., and generally get everything into a more organized form -- not to mention being able to get rid of some of the paper (not the original birth certificates or pictures!) .

So on Sunday afternoons (and other times too) I have been putting the information in -- to date 987 names -- and I know for sure that I have barely scratched the surface of the information that I have

Good Grief!

Back when I was doing a lot of this research I guess I had no clue just how much information I had gathered because it was all in notebooks and it wasn't easy to put a number on it.

Amazing

Don't Scam Me!!

I just hate it when someone tries to scam me.

When I opened this morning's emails, I saw one with the following subject line: "Invitation to Chapeau Blog Awards"

The contents were all about this wonderful award they were giving and how I was urged to submit my blog for consideration, blah, blah, blah

Ok, so I went and looked at their site

Oh yeah, I can submit my site --- for $195 --- HUH!?

So, there ya go, seems that blogland awards are about the same as the jewelry design awards and the teddy bear awards -- it's the golden rule -- they that have the gold, rule

needless to say, all future correspondance from this group will be going right into the SPAM folder

geesh (and I'm feeling stupid because I actually thought this was for real)

learning as character building

not just in the usual way, of course

I've been thinking about how different people learn

some people learn by taking it step by step -- you know -- floating, dog paddling, swimming then diving

me, I have this whole other approach -- just jump into the deep end -- not with water, but with a whole host of other things

when I wanted to play the piano, I was not content with "Mary had a little lamb" or finger exercises -- nope, right into "Moonlight Sonata" -- which I actually could play all the way through at one point -- just not any more

so it is with other things too, and what happens sometimes is that I learn how to do some of the most difficult parts of the project before I have all of the basics -- sort of like building a bridge on a jello foundation (somehow that whole "see it wiggle" jingle is a BAD thing with bridges)

at any rate, it is at least challenging and interesting (and some times frustrating!)

So, how to you learn new things?

It's gotta be the Hope

In the last week I've noticed some very interesting things here in the very conservative hamlet we live in.

While we are still in the midst of a very ugly economic mess, people in the stores and other public places are actually (gasp!) SMILING! and saying hello, or even having a full on conversation.

And, last night as I was out driving after dark I noticed something else -- Christmas lights -- all out decorating -- not on stores and commercial buildings (I'm immune to any thoughts about those, since we've been seeing Christmas merchandise in the stores since before Halloween), but these were on individual homes and apartments

This morning I mentioned it to someone and she said she had even put up her tree already.

It's like on November 4 the whole area got the most wonderful Christmas present ever -- a great BIG package of gift wrapped HOPE

WOW!

what a difference

Being the memory bearer

A while ago I wrote a piece here about my mother's mother. (If you want to go and take a look, you can see it here)

And Saturday I wrote a bit here about Día de los Muertos that included pictures of other family members.

Wednesday I had a long conversation with my mother which at one point turned to wondering what my grandmother would have thought about this election. We talked a bit about my grandmother's life and the amazing things she lived through. As we talked, I discovered that there are a lot of stories about my grandmother that my mother doesn't know.

Later in the day I had a conversation with my daughter and shared some of that discussion.

Out of the mouths of our children we are lead to righteousness -- my daughter said "mom, if you don't write it, it will die with you"

Whoa! ok, I've officially been chastised.

So in the next little while I will be sharing some of those stories -- both here and in print with my mother.

Oh yes, and I need to get back to scanning the rest of those old family photos and figuring out how to transcribe about a dozen tapes my aunt made about my dad's family

Yes, We Can

For the first time in my life I stayed up to watch the election results come in

While I have voted in every election that I could, this year just seemed bigger than any one I voted in since that very first one

For weeks I had been saying to people on my blogs and otherwise -- vote like your life depends on it -- it does!!

The last time I cried over a political event was when Kennedy was shot. Those tears were over the end of the feeling that I could be part of changing the world.

So here, 40 years later, I have held my breath as another young Democrat spoke and stirred us all with the renewal of that feeling that we still could change the world.

Held my breath because I was afraid that this voice too might be horribly, totally silenced.

I listened to Obama speak Tuesday night and was struck by the fact that the message had not changed, but he spoke more seriously. Still with conficence, but seemingly already considering the enormous responsibility of the job.

Yesterday morning's email included one from Obama saying thank you to the people that helped him get elected. It included this sentence: "We have a lot of work to do to get our country back on track, and I'll be in touch soon about what comes next."

Having used the technology of the 21st century to organize a grassroots 50 state campaign that got him elected, he shows every sign of now using it to change the direction of our country.

Do I think everything will be magically better? No -- I know that won't happen.

But I do feel like things are slowing going to be different -- he has appealed to our better angels, I think there will be a real attempt to let us all be part of the solutions.

I'm thinking about two song lyrics -- one that was used during some of his early campaign rallies:

There's a New World Coming
And it's just around the bend
There's a new world coming
This one's coming to an end

There's a new voice calling
You can hear it if you try
And it's growing stronger
With each day that passes by

There's a brand new morning
Rising clear and sweet and free
There's a new day dawning
That belongs to you and me

Yes a new world's coming
The one we've had visions of
Coming in peace, coming in joy, coming in love

I'm also thinking of another set of lyrics -- probably because Obama actually said part of it:

This is the moment!
This is the day,
When I send all my doubts and demons
On their way!

Every endeavor,
I have made - ever -
Is coming into play,
Is here and now - today!

This is the moment,
This is the time,
When the momentum and the moment
Are in rhyme!

This is our chance, this is our moment

now let's all work together and not blow it!!

Día de los Muertos

Let me begin by saying that there is no Hispanic heritage in my family line, so to any of my readers that are, an apology in advance for co-opting your celebration.

I know that this celebration is older than Christianity, having been celebrated for over 3000 years before the Spanish came to "the new world" and tried to stamp it out as pagan.

There's something that just feels right to spend at least one day a year remembering and being thankful for those that came before you.

While I believe that we each bring our own personality with us when we are born, we are influenced by the family we are born into as well.

So today, on the day that is now celebrated as All Saints Day, I am grateful for the ancestors that came before, and grateful to have even something so ephemeral as a tattered photo that gives me a tiny glimpse of who these people were.

May you also remember today those that are the reason you are here.

a momentary medical rant

Have I mentioned recently how much I hate the medical system?

I was recently reminded of this issue when reading Marty's blog Travelin Oma, where she was talking about her issues with health care and insurance. (You can read the post I'm talking about here).

Then, when I talked to my mother last night I just about lost it again.

It seems my dad had to have a procedure done yesterday which entails stretching the tissue in his esophogus (he had esophogial cancer surgery a couple of years back, and he makes scar tissue way too efficently, so they do this procedure about every 3 or 4 months).

So, it was time to do this again, and my dad had made his appointment where they told him they could do this yesterday morning. They get to the place to have this done and they are told he's not on the schedule. AGAIN! The last time he went in they had done this to him too. For whatever reason the doctor's office doesn't seem to be able to follow one simple thing -- write it down!!

Once they got that part straightened out, then they were told that the code for the procedure was coming back as something not covered by Medicare -- WHAT!? He's had this thing done nine times before and Medicare has always paid for it.

I swear, it's like the older we get the more difficult the system makes it for us -- why should my mother have to tell the billing clerk what code they should be using to ask Medicare to pay for something that they've billed 9 times before?

It's almost like they're hoping all of us older folks will just give up and die off so they don't have to deal with us

It makes me plenty mad (can you tell?)

geesh

Life is messy

have you ever notice that?

A while back I decided to try to sort out my blogging by catagory, beading in one, fiber arts in another

trouble is, that kind of "neatness" just ISN'T me

So, today I posted my last posts on two of the ones I had started and I feel a huge relief at not having to try to come up with something to say on those, or even to explain why I don't have anything to say on them!

I will continue to post on Hatties Kitchen with recipes and household tips (a new recipe was posted this morning) and on Esmerldas Studio about all of the many cross media projects that I'm working on (I post there almost every day); and here with all those things that are of a more personal, philosophical or political nature.

I hope you'll join me on all three!

Over the weekend we had the pleasure of getting to hear our daughter sing in a performance -- the first we've gotten to attend for about 6 years!

She has recently joined the Loveland Opera Theatre, and Saturday evening was their fundraising Gala -- dinner, silent auction and entertainment by the company.

It had been my pleasure to donate a piece of music themed jewelry for them to auction (which raised a nice amount for them, I might add).

I'm looking forward to new opportunities to hear them perform and probably to be involved in other ways as well.


On the way back from our daughter's on Sunday we stopped by to visit with my folks. I can report (with a hugh sign of relief) that my dad seemed MUCH better than he had the last two times we had been there.

He was talkative and seemed much more alert. It was a good visit.

I can talk about it now

my daughter and her husband are buying a house!

looks like we'll be spending our Thanksgiving weekend helping them move

we'll be praying for good weather!!!



We went yesterday, the first day of early voting and cast our ballots

There was a line, but I'm sure it wasn't as long as the lines will be on election day!

If you have a mail in ballot -- get 'er done!!
If you can go to early voting -- go do it!!

I think this is probably the most important election I have ever voted in.

GO DO IT!!!!

fighting the "what if" monster

When I was walking yesterday morning I snapped some pictures of the fall colors in our neighborhood.

This one is just around the loop from our house, on the downhill side of the beginning of my walking route.

It had rained some on Saturday night, and everything was dripping, and the sun had just come up, hitting this tree with this spectacular light

The picture doesn't do it justice -- the tree "glowed"

Somehow, it just begged to be photographed

I feel the need to write about some difficult things this morning.

For the past 2 years I've been concerned especially about the health of my dad.

He had surgery for esophageal cancer, then developed an abdominal hernia which they will not repair because they don't want to do surgery on him again unless they must because he has lung issues (COPD and emphysema). All of these problems inpact him.

Recently he and my mom decided to take out a reverse mortgage on their home so they would have some financial breathing room. My sister helped them deal with the paperwork and the setting up of accounts, etc., and I worried from afar.

Frankly, I've been concerned these past few months if he is just tidying up loose ends.

The last two times I've seen him he seems fragile. He doesn't talk much when we're actually there and he doesn't answer the phone any more when we call -- just mom does.

And I wish I could talk about this whole thing in a more open way with my sister. It's not that we don't talk -- we can chat for hours about knitting and our animals and music and all of that, but our upbringing didn't teach us to talk about BIG stuff -- like what does she see and how does she feel about it.

As usual, I pour my worry and my energy into creative endeavors -- working on more projects keeps my hands and my head busy and helps me hold off the "what if" monster in my brain when I'm working.

So, my dear readers, forgive me for this intensely personal post.

and say a prayer for my dad

Sunday morning musings

On Sunday mornings, if I have nothing pressing to work on at the computer I go blog surfing.

This mornings ride included a trip to a site titled Colorstrology.com

I'm not really into the whole "the stars/your number/your astrological sign" control your life thing -- I do believe we have freedom to choose, but found the description of someone born on my birthdate to be interesting:


Mar 30
Faded Rose
Pantone 18-1629

Storyteller
Thinker
Messenger

People born on this day tend to teach others through the stories they share. Whether you are singing a song, writing a play or painting a picture, you are able to convey images and emotions that can affect others. It is very important to you to stay active and communicate. Your thoughts can turn to worry if you are not expressing yourself and connecting with the world at large. Your personal color embodies love, passion and courage.


So what do you think?

I'd say the "worry wart" thing fits perfectly, I am a lot happier if I'm creating (yes, any medium works!), and I've always loved the color RED.

What color are you?

Thanks, but no thanks

Some days I hate the mail man

Quite a while back I had submitted a mini quilt for a challenge in one of Interweave Press' magazine

This arrived yesterday

Its a form letter (salutation "Dear Artist") telling me I didn't make the cut from the over 300 entries that they received

{sigh}

Oh well, on to other projects

(anybody need a large coaster?)

In print again

About a week ago one of the newspapers that we subscribe to included an article about a plan to tear down one of the historic high schools in the Denver area.

You can read the article here

The article ticked me off

My daughter attended a historic high school. The students there had a real pride of ownership

So once again I wrote a letter to the editor

You can read my letter here

GRRRRR!

can you hear it?

It's whispering on the wind

"fall is coming, fall is coming"

the clock says its the same time

but its just the break of dawn

"fall is coming, fall is coming"

the air smells different

cooler

less floral as the last of the summer blooms are fading away

"fall is coming, fall is coming"

the leaves on the trees sound different

stiffer, more brittle

"fall is coming, fall is coming"