I think I mentioned before that although it is spelled temari, it is pronounced te-ma-di. At least I have it on the authority of a traditional temari instructor, who is a stickler for correctness in all things temari. This photo is of my first effort and I am planning on taking one more class. There are several how-to books available online, so after that? Besides, aren't we in an economic crisis? Husband and I aren't in a super-squeezed position...yet, but who knows what the future will bring. Spending $50.00 for a class to learn how to wind thread around and "needled through" a rice husk ball seems a little extravagant to me. Did I tell you that one skein of imported silk temari thread is $5.00? Three colors are a minimum, so if I did the math, which BTW I try not to, (if God wanted us to do math, he wouldn't have allowed calculators to be invented!) that would be $15.00 just for thread. But I did have fun making the darn thing. I was thinking that I could utilize a few temari balls as Christmas tree ornaments. On the other hand, I really don't need more "stuff". I quail at the thought of winding up like my brother-in-law who has thirty-plus boxes of handblown imported ornaments and has to have two Christmas trees in order to display them all. That wouldn't be so bad, but he is 65 years old and it is getting more difficult for a guy with arthritis to crawl around the attic rounding up boxes of decorations he should probably never have collected in the first place . At least temari balls aren't breakable.
Speaking of God (Yes, I was.) I was watching Bill Maher the other night and he made what I thought was a interesting point. He was talking about H1N1, formerly Swine Flu and now to be called heinie (?) His point was that anti-evolutionary creationists are as much in favor of new strain flu meds like Tamiflu as the non-believers. Yet, they don't seem to get it, that the virus has evolved/mutated from an older strain. I guess they believe that God just created a new virus out of thin air.
14 comments:
WM, I forgot to tell you about the art exhibit. It went pretty well, but the attendance was much lighter than expected. Notes for next time around...make up an email "pass-it-on" notification. It is difficult around here to get the word out about activities. Our local newspaper is only twice a month, so if you miss the ad, it's too late. The Modesto Bee is the big city paper around here, but our little group can't afford to pay for real ads.
There were 12 different classifications. Things like jewelry, metal work, mosaic and quilt art were included and well as painting and drawing. The artists who showed up with their work were really a bunch of interesting people. I was glad to meet them...well, most of them.
One little lady made "dough jewelry". I didn't expect much, but was surprised at how delicate and colorful it was. The woman was on a walker and must have been 85 years old, but she had a steady hand and a good eye for color.
Another cowboy type brought in some metal carvings. The themes were mostly western, but the work was so precise and detailed, it was quite impressive.
Real quilting is getting to be a lost art. Most quilters sew the top and send the quilt out to be machine quilted. But we had several all hand stitched quilts that really were works of art. I sure wouldn't have had the patience for it.
Our art class participants had the most entries. Beside this semester's pastels, there were quite a few oils, acrylics and watercolors.
I had six pieces displayed and I have to admit, I wasn't ashamed of any of them. I had quite a few nice compliments too, so that always makes a person want to continue.
A friend of ours stopped by while Fred was touring the room. He and the friend (a guy) started up a conversation in front of one of my pastels. Fred leaned over and said, in a stage whisper and a knowing wink, "You know, I've done the artist." Gotta love him.
CA...Woo Hoo! Isn't it fun to get good feedback? I'm glad that other people can appreciate you as much as we do! Next time you have an art show do a "press release"...not an ad. Do a write up about the show, the artists and some of the work...a couple of photos to accompany it and Voila!...free advertising! That is what I have to start putting together for this July one-person show.
I really like the Temari ball and perhaps one more class isn't excessive...just to take it to the next level...but, if you had a choice...stay with the pastel and painting work...you are so talented. My oldest daughter gives me a bad time because so many things interest me...she says I don't focus. Heck...I'm being as focused as I can on these landscapes until I have the July show...then I may do some figure work or go try some new street scenes...what me? not focused?
The show sounded great and it is definitely always interesting when you can talk with other creative people...this is why I am considering taking a class in the late summer or fall, just to step outside myself.
I just love the H1N1 "heini" LMAO, because I was just sitting here trying to figure out how you could pronounce that as a word...that's so great. You gotta love Bill Maher. Some people, no matter how you explain things to them are ever going to give into the evolution thing. I remember watching a nature show about these birds that can evolve with each generation in terms of the shape of their beaks...it is directly conected to the available foods...If I remember, it was on an island so they were fairly limited to what was locally available. Really fascinating, either that or god was just messing with them.
I just saw an article where Ron Howard said the Vatican blocked permits he needed for filming Angels and Demons...the Vatican came back with a terse and childish "did not :oP"...Just like with all the furor over the Da Vinci Code...did none of these people check that the book is found in the FICTION section...hello!(Or do they know something we don't???)
I may be scarce off and on on the xword blog as I realized I have quite a bit to get caught up on and my mother is misbehaving again which is also an emotional drain...she kicked out her "companion"...doesn't want to see see him again and now is doing the "I'm so depressed and I just want to stay in bed all day and I can't eat" drama queen thing again. Last time she had a Valium prescription and medicated her way back to health...the Dr. cancelled the prescription and gave her a sleeping pill prescription...so now, she is trying to suck in the family again. It is really difficult dealing with people in their 80's, with all their faculties who have decided that 16 was good age and are sticking to it!:oP
I find it particularly sad that she has never had the ability within herself to find happiness and contentment and has always relied on outside sources...This is not something I can fix and will just have to live with it for the rest of her life.
Being able to find peace within yourself and to suck every bit of happiness out of every day is important, especially as we get older...so...to compete the circle...perhaps that second Temari class isn't such a bad idea.
BTW...we seriously upgraded the memory in the computer today and now...IT'S ALIVE!!!!!
Time for wine... WM
Good morning California & Florida, and Minnesota and Ohio, too, if you're there (or, I guess I mean, here),
It seems congratulations are in order for the artsy-fartsy set. You must know that I envy and appreciate not only your obvious talents, but your creativity. I think what I do can be considered craft. I love having the desire and the ability as well as the opportunity to make something (a farmscape, a building, even in some stretch of the imagination, an animal, in the sense of having the "breeders eye" in selective mating to "improve" some traits in livestock). But the creative act, the conceiving in the mind's eye and then bringing into being something completely new and unique, is an ability known only to the creator. I can only see that ability as a gift, and apprehend and comprehend from some distance. Much like the various Creation myths, the rendering of something from nothing, whether music, painting, sculpting, or simply the formation of an idea, is shrouded in mystery for me, but very much a mystery to be celebrated. Thanks to both of you for sharing your gifts.
Since I've been absent to some extent (the Irish and I are working on a creative project of our own, which I may share with you someday), I'll try to catch up a little.
ClearAyes:
You asked about wool. We ended up with about 350 pounds, unwashed weight. Twenty-five years ago I sold wool for $1.25 a pound, last year's wool brought .15. So this year's wool is in bags in the hay loft. I've decided I'd rather use it for garden mulch or burn it than sell it that cheap. We have sold some in past years to hand-spinners, and the Irish has done some spinning and we bought a loom a couple of years ago whibh has yet to be used. Maybe after economic apocalypse homespun will come back into vogue. (Note to WM: hang 'em high).
Promise:
I hope you can pull off the travelogue thing on the blog during your trip and allow us to accompany you vicariously. If you happen to be feeling rich during the trip, pictures of that are optional. Just keep us along for the scenic parts.
To satisfy the many requests (OK, two), I'm going to try to get up some pictures this week. The Irish is going to download a few from our camera and E-mail them to my phone, and I will forward them to you. It's the only way I can come up with to share them, since my tech advisor (PMT) has informed me that the Iphone lacks the capability to upload pictures into a post. I think one of the pictures will be of moi on my 61st birthday, in my winter pose (I grow a beard Oct-Mar, shave Apr-Sept.). You've been forewarned. Try to contain your disappointment. Maybe I can get the Irish to take a summer version later on.
Is the sun shining anywhere in the world? Much as I love my "Old Kentucky Home", I envy your sunshine. It has now been cloudy and rainy here for five days, with four or five more in the forecast. As a result I am lower than whale shit and need a sunshine fix. I once (1994, I think) took a 60 hour trip to Florida in February, on a motorcycle, to get a dose of sunshine. The sixty hours included 10 hours on the road each way and damn little sleep in between, but it helped. I need some rays.
InThe interest of "keeping up" I'm rereading What are People For. These essays seem very applicable to the state of our world, considering that they are 25-30 years old.
Hope this catches me up a little.
Yay WH, So glad to hear from you. Not so glad to hear that the price of wool is even lower than I thought it was. Interesting that the final retail price of woolen clothes, blankets, etc. doesn't seem to be any cheaper than it was when you were getting a decent price for the raw product. Why people want blankets and coats made out of oil byproducts rather than a naturally renewable product like wool (it just keeps on growing!) is beyond me. They are even washable now. I have several woolen blankets. One was inherited from Fred's grandmother. I love that thing. It is my favorite cover for a rainy afternoon "curl-up and read" I've had to replace the frayed edge binding and darned a couple of small holes. If it gets too worn, I'll cut it down and make a shawl.
I know that your rain must be inconvenient and messy when you are doing all your work outside. Here in northern California, WM and I are happier than clams because we have had some heavy rain. We are supposed to get some more in the next couple of days. We need it, Kentucky doesn't. Try enlisting all Kentuckians to inhale and blow in the direction of California. Maybe your clouds will blow our way.
I'll be back later to tell you a little Wendell Berry-ish story, but now it's time to attend to Monday's puzzle.
ClearAyes:
As I am quite sure you know, I love a good story, so I hope the puzzle is a breeze. And Fred's aside to the art patron got me going. He's got to be a pretty cool guy, and lucky as well. It's always better to be lucky than good. Bonus? Being lucky and good. Salute!!
Windhover, (Im)patiently.
Wh...A grand welcome back! We have missed you so very much. I'm with CA on the wool thing. Let me think on this a bit because I have friends that are all knitters and there is a huge international blog that they use...maybe there is someone near you who would be interested in the wool. I know they have these big conventions around the country and there are a lot of spinners out there. Actually there appears to be a resurrgence in hand work...especially knitting and weaving...there may be hope for the future. No promises, but I will give it a shot. I had to stop going to the yarn shows because the wools were discounted and beautiful and I haven't crocheted most them up yet. I have, in the past made afghans for everyone in the family. Also do needlepoint and that definitely needs wool yarns...hmmmm
I am still waiting on the What are People For...coming from a used book source.
Looking forward to "seeing you". As I've told you before...what you do is also creative...just a different kind of creative and also important in the scheme of things because a lot of this information is going to need to be retaught to people if we are ever going to make our country healthy again.
Well...finished the puzzle...for some reason, the NW corner was a bugger. I had an easier time with the Sunday one...perhaps I am not quite awake yet. ;o)
I am only checking in on the crossword blog as previously mentioned...have to start getting re-focused better. Someone gave me an interesting quote about art Friday evening..."An amateur artist waits for inspiration to strike...a professional artist gets up, goes into his/her studio and paints every day." That sounds very much like a Wayne Thiebaud quote...it is what I use to do...and what I have to get back to...at least 5 full days a week.
Well Ciao for niao...and good to see you back WH...Oh yeah...hang 'em really high...for all the world to see!
I'm back for my Berry-ish story. I think I mentioned that Fred and I had a friend who died unexpectedly in March. His wife waited until yesterday to have a get-together of their friends and family. She chose not to have a memorial as such, but preferred to call it a Celebration of Life. The owners of our local gold rush saloon were good friends and offered their patio area as the venue. A tri-tip lunch was served and a DJ played many of their favorite songs. A microphone was provided and anyone who wanted to say anything about Bill, tell stories, etc. was asked to do so. Well folks, I am not shy about stuff like that. I had prepared a little something and got up on the stage and told a couple of nice, hopefully amusing and heartwarming stories. I finished up with a poem I had downloaded from the internet. Yup, you guessed it.
A Meetingby Wendell Berry
In a dream I meet
my dead friend. He has,
I know, gone long and far,
and yet he is the same
for the dead are changeless.
They grow no older.
It is I who have changed,
grown strange to what I was.
Yet I, the changed one,
ask: "How you been?"
He grins and looks at me.
"I been eating peaches
off some mighty fine trees."
I thought it was very appropriate, short, not maudlin and a nice sentiment for the more religious among the group. It also suited me because I always try to call dead people "dead", not "passed away" or "gone home" or "left us".
Afterwards, Fred said he figured that at least half the crowd didn't get it. Ah well, we try, we try.
ClearAyes:
Great story. It is clear that you "get it", and Fred does, too. Wendell has a way of cutting through the fog and making the vague crystal clear. A few years ago I attended a symposium at Berea College centered around the concept of " sustainable agriculture" that had all the national leading lights and a few fakes and pretenders. One two hour discussion involved the idea of the "Work Ethic". After about an hour and a half, during which he said little, he was asked what he thought about the subject. He said, "Well, I suppose having a work ethic is when you have a job to do, you do it". My personal take on the work ethic is it's something the ruling class likes to promote among the toiling classes.
My 83 year old uncle, who road his BMW long distance until he was 78, and owned a motorcycle since he was 15, had my idea of a great funeral. No preacher saying he was gone to a better place, just friends and family telling stories about him for two hours, unscripted. His buddy Charlie Hawke, the BMW dealer in Athens, Ohio, for many years, sold him at least 8 bikes over 40 years, all of which had 100K+ miles when he traded them in, told a story about a trip they took in the seventies that broke all the rules of eulogies, and had everyone crying and laughing at the same time.
There are two things every human should know about death:
You will me dead a lot longer than you live,and
You will never know that you are dead.
This understanding would cure a lot of ills.
Windhover, very much alive.
WH, Your uncle and our friend's wife were singing off the same page. For myself, I want nothing more complicated that that.
It is odd how hidebound some people are. There was a neighborhood couple (scarcely friends) who chose not to attend the "party". According to a reliable source, they thought that having what they insisted on calling a "memorial service" at a saloon, where beer and wine were served, was not very respectful or appropriate. I suspect that their very formal and respectful funerals won't be particularly well attended.
Fred is playing poker this evening and I am having three of the wives here at our place to play a little Canasta. We aren't good, but we are enthusiastic. I have some wine to chill (could that be partially responsible for the enthusiasm?) and a bag of trail mix to pour. Luckily, these women are my buddies, I don't impress them with fancy snacks. There is also the point that none of us really need to be eating ANY evening snacks!
Have a good evening all.
PMT, stop packing for a while and join in.
CA:
Was that an inside joke between you and PMT? Stop packing what? (I'm trying to draw him out.)
Forgot to say two things:
The typos in the earlier post were wholly owned by the Iphone word substitution function ( ie road for rode). I forget to check the checker.
The dart board cover picture will be in your in-box by the time you read this. The date was 12/7/06, my bd.
Windhover, blushing.
Ha, No inside joke. I should have specified "luggage". I just have a feeling that PMT is very careful when choosing his vacation wardrobe.
WH, would you like to join Fred on a trip to Key West for the annual Hemingway Look-Alike contest?
WH...CA...Oh my goodness...! This is so cool...I can't link a Bill photo but he is now clean shaven after decades of mustache...of course, being retired he doesn't shave every day any more...no similarities. WH and Fred...Hemingway...just perfect!
Eventually PMT will have to check in, if for no other reason than for us to wish him Bon Voyage.
I'm glad to see everyone back, at least for now. I do like the back and forth and soon we will be able to get to that WB converstaion.
I have to agree with you both on a Celebration of Life...A very lovely man who was a client of my brother's and a major collector of American artists, took me under his wing and mentored me for the last year of his life...he was an amazing man and his wife is one of the more charming and lovely people I have ever met. When he passed away a few months ago, his wife put together a wonderful party to celebrate Morgan's incredible and visionary life. It was held at their house and they had a video running about him and we all got to soak in his marvelous art collection. I was finally able to meet his family and other friends and it was wonderful...would that I could be so lucky as to have people want to get together, drink, eat good food and say...Damn, but she was a great old gal and will be missed.
I would hate the thought of a soppy pseudo religious ceremony(which I know my mom wants)...I want people to have a great time. I think the Irish have the right idea...drink, talk, mingle and have fun! I have been working at living my life so that I have no regrets when I'm out of here...so far...so good! Now, if I can just get into a gallery! ;o)
Oh yeah...Hang 'em high...I'm waiting for the Dawn Johnson confirmation(which the party of NO is holding up) for things to move forward in the Justice Dept...she's bulldog on the torture issue. Plus Condie Rice just put her foot in it big time on video with a Stanford Band student...gotta love those crazy band guys!
WH...thanks.
CA:
In a word, (two, really) :
Hell yeah!
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