Soren
November 2009 Outside Raleighwood, NC
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An entry or two ago I mentioned that the final show of the year was not exactly the barn-burner that we were hoping it would be. (Heck, I didn't even see a spark nearby some dry brush and kindling)

Still.

While talking to a friend on Friday about something completely unrelated she told me that she and her husband were going to be doing a small "First Sunday" street show in a nearby town. She said they had done pretty well at the show the previous month, despite rain and small crowds. Good enough for me. I contacted the person running the show, received permission to set up and talked to Bonn about it. Bonn was done with shows for the year and said I could do the show on my own if I wanted to -- and so I did.

I like to think of myself as a Participant/Observer of Arts and Craft Shows. I like to think after 15+ years of doing shows and selling our handmade jewelry that I know what I'm doing. Then I insist on going out on a freezing cold day, set up on a small town sidewalk and wonder why people don't seem too interested in buying jewelry.

Here's a clue: jewelry sells when women try it on.

And when it's really cold out, low on the List of Things Anyone Would Like to Do is fit a cold piece of metal to their arm.

At the end of the day I packed up and made the long drive home in a car without a heater, feeling pretty ridiculous for having spent a day out in the cold making slightly more money than if I'd stayed at home and not sold anything. I was so beat by the time I made it home that I almost fell asleep waiting for the (anticlimatic) finale to this season's Amazing Race.

On the way to bed I stopped by my computer and checked Facebook where I found this entry by Bonn:

"Tom drove away this morning alone to do a show in Pittsboro- he's so stubbornly, maddingly, hopelessly wonderful...sigh."

And that made the entire day worth it.

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Swirls 2
November 2009 Chapel (Can't Buy Me a) Thrill, NC
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December rolls around and, with it, comes two things relating to the Word for the Year idea: Christine Kane, the singer/songwriter lifecoach/speaker gets people to Guest Blog all month long about their year's worth of Word of the Year experiences (thereby getting a full month of free blog content provided -- wise woman that she is) AND I have to start thinking about my current and next Word for the Year.

Being egotistically driven to see my name in print (even if it is just in pixels on my computer screen) this year I decided to write up 700+/- words on my 2009 Word for the Year and send it in to Christine's staff. I figured as one of the, apparently, few token males who read her site, I'd have a pretty good chance for Equal Opportunity publication. Sure enough, later the same day I submitted it I was asked if I had a photograph they could use. I pointed them to one of my favorite psychedelic self-portraits.

Interested in what I had to say? Can't wait until whenever they publish it on her blog? Well, just ( click on through to the other side... )

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Another Sunset
November 2009 Outside Raleighwood, NC
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Well, the good news is that Toners seems to be doing pretty well. I ended up taking him back to the vet on Tuesday to have them "assist" with getting his colon emptied out -- a process I was knew was necessary but still approached with some squeamishness. ("Oh, you'd be surprised how often we do this procedure," said the way-too-perky-for-that-hour-of-the-morning-vet-tech) As it turned out, though, the Toners had managed to, um, finally do the deed himself the night before. He was sent home, sans procedure, and with some additional meds to help with some pain and to help his appetite kick back in.

All in all, we're all pretty happy with how things have worked out.

The not-so-good news is that last week's Last Show of the Year was nowhere near as good as we were hoping. The show itself was noticeably smaller than it's been in past years and the crowds continued their Very Careful Shopping. My theory (... the brontosaurus is...) is that with money being as tight as it is this year, Frivolity is out and Necessity/Utility is in. When push comes to shove, handmade anythings feel gravity's pull and splat down on the Frivolity side of things.

We spent a good part of our weekend co-miserating with the other artists nearby our booth.

So, crazy as it may be, I've signed myself up for a Sunday afternoon show in a local town. It's outside, but only for four hours. Friends of ours have this small, monthly show several times and have good things to say about it, so what the heck. A little money to spend for Christmas would come in handy.

I'm curious -- how has the current economy changed your Christmas spending plans? or has it?

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Toners at the Farmhouse
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The image isn't nearly as good as yesterday's image, but the more important thing is that Tony is home and doing pretty well.

He has a growth at the end of his colon that makes defecating difficult. His bloodwork, however, shows he's extremely healthy, so we're doubtful that it's cancer. More than likely it's a polyp. The vet I spoke with this afternoon said she had a cat with the same condition and between a stool softener and steroids, her cat was fine for a good long while.

We're happy, relieved and exhausted -- and getting ready for the second of two three-day shows this month. (We leave tomorrow to set up)

Thanks for all of your prayers, wishes, good energy, etc. They're greatly appreciated!

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Toners
Toners 2006, Outside Raleighwood
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I'm hoping and praying I'm wrong, that The Toners just has some sort of obstruction that can be easily dealt with and that he'll be up and around in no time.

For Rantings and Ravings, ( click on through to the other side... )
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Mr Thrifty!
November 2009 Chapel tHrill, NC
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In case anyone was wondering if I still take photos of anything other than our cats, here's Mr. Thrifty! (Although I'm not sure a plastic skeleton for $49.95 USD could really be considered "thrifty.")

A few, assorted thoughts on writing, BangleMania® and shows are to be had by ( clicking on through to the other side... )...

Dusk Skyline
October 2009 Outside Raleighwood, NC
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Have you ever heard of the book "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortensen?

In short, it's about a guy who spent all of his time working, scrimping and saving to afford his next mountain climb. During an incredibly difficult climb in Pakistan he had to give up the final assent to rescue a fellow climber who was near death. After an incredibly arduous descent with the injured climber he became separated from his guide and was lost. After surviving a difficult, frozen night he retraced his steps and found himself, eventually, in a mountain village in Pakistan. The villagers welcomed him, nurtured him back up to health and, while trying to find a way to repay their kindness, he embarked on a journey to build the village a school.

That journey, through a generous endowment, became a life's work -- to build schools for Pakistani children, both boys and girls, in remote, poor regions of the country. And, in so doing, he's shown that the way to Win the Hearts and Minds of the Pakistani People is not through "nation building" or any other military-(en)forced method the US has managed to come up with. To show that we Respect, Trust and Value their people, their culture, their nation and their sovereignty, we need to start with the children -- providing the elders of the village with a tangible hope for their children, their future.

While the book has its faults (honestly, I respect Mortenson and what he's managed to accomplish. Personally, I'm not sure if he's managed to do it all through a battalion of angels watching over his shoulder [despite his huge ego] or if it's just through sheer, determined will and good luck] or just what -- and, for God's sake, could the guy who wrote it be just a little less Hero Worshiping in his prose? Please?) but Mortensen has genuinely done incredible amounts of good in a region that the U.S., as a Nation Builder, has yet to even come close.

When I read a book that has a section of photo pages as an insert, I never look at the photographs first. I feel it's cheating. It's just me.

I read where he met a woman from DC at a lecture given by Sir Edmund Hillary. She's the daughter of some famous National Geographic guy. They meet, they click in a big way, and six days later, they get married.

The thing is, I recognized the name. But, I think, I knew her. She was just a normal person, no airs of pretension, no "My Father Is Important in Some Circles". Heck, I even spoke to her mother trying to track her down back in... oh, '80 or '81.

Turn to the pages with with the photographs in the book and there's a picture of Mortenson, his wife and their first child.

And danged if it isn't her!

Way back when, she's center left, looking down at the white hat (just beside Grover!)

Maybe, one day, I'll track her down and see how she's really doing.


In the meantime, we're headed off for a 3day show elsewhere. The Boy is House/Catsitting for us, so we hope to return to relatively normal surroundings.

Take care, one and all.

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My Two Cents
October 2009 Outside Raleighwood, NC
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Maybe I'm being naïve, but I just don't get what's so wrong or awful or incendiary about allowing two people who love each other to get married, regardless of any religious, racial, cultural, gender or language differences or similaries. I mean, we're talking about love here, right? That thing that Makes the World Go 'Round? The thing That There's Just Too Little Of? So, why wouldn't we want to encourage more of it?

I grew up in the (low) Espicopal church and don't remember anyone saying anything about who you could or couldn't love. God loves us all and commands us to love each other as we love ourselves. Does that mean in 31 states I'm only supposed to love a separate sex version of myself? And, if so, how, exactly, would I go about doing that?

This really is one of those shake my head sadly, just not getting it moments.

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Raised Rose Bangle
(I can't remember when I took this) Outside Raleighwood
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Saturday and Sunday mark the Return of Banglemania®, that time of the year when I sit in a chair for hours upon hours at a time and do nothing but bend, cut and file wire to make bangles. Ones just like that one in the picture.

The first of the two three-day shows this month rolls around next weekend and this weekend and all of the week nights are going to be spent getting ready. Bonn's been doing so for weeks and weeks; I need that Looming, Immovable Deadline to get myself motivated.

The audio book of "Beetle the Bard" (too short. annoyingly short) and a four-story collection of Philip K. Dick stories accompanied today's Crafting Activities. Tomorrow I'll finish off the other two PKD stories and listen to Gerald Durrell's stories about trying to marry off his mother.

Sleep well, everyone.

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Shattered by Night
May 2009 Outside Raleighwood, NC
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Driving home last Wednesday, just down the big hill to the University, I stopped at a traffic light, five or six cars away from the light. When the light changed I moved on through the intersection suddenly my left ring finger hurt like h3ll, right at the side of the knuckle.

I looked down to see if I'd been stung or who knows what. There was blood. There was also a twisted bit of exposed metal banding around the base of the steering wheel. It had been there since the very minor accident that deployed the airbags that took out my windshield back in May. I'd caught a finger on it once before. "I really need to put some electrical tape over that exposed edge," I thought.

Then I looked up and slammed on the breaks, knowing there was no way I wasn't going to hit the guy in front of me.

You know where this is going. If you're interested, ( click on through to the other side. )

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Mikey & Xander Sleeping
September 2009 Outside Raleighwood
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One morning, about a month ago, I walked out to my car knowing something was different -- not so much wrong, just different. It wasn't until I was getting into the car that I realized I hadn't started sweating as soon as I walked out of the house and, in fact, the weather was being decidedly pleasant.

Then, about two weeks ago I noticed it was all but dark far earlier than I thought it should have been. Sure enough, it was only around 7:30pm instead of the customary 9pm for that degree of darkness outside. That means, soon enough, I'll be driving home on the highway with my headlights on, not just for safety, but to see the road.

The other day, for the first time, I pulled out a jacket before leaving the house. After emptying the pockets of all of the artifacts of a colder season gone by, we left the house. I'd done so on Bonn's advice but quickly realized it was unnecessary. The earth's tilt may have settled into the Autumnal Equinox, but genuinely cooler weather still has yet to settle in for us here in North Carolina.

So, since it appears Autumn is intent on creeping up on us, I might as well get used to it.

The thing with Autumn is that it the first, real signal that the year is coming to a close -- already. I'm feeling the speeding-up of time as I get older, with an increase in velocity with each passing year. Only 80-some-odd days until Christmas?

Which is starting to turn me inward, now, as I ask myself what I have done with my life, what do I have to leave behind once I'm ashes to ashes and dust to dust.

Time to get back to writing, I suppose.

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Ani Scowling
July 2009 Outside Raleighwood, NC
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( Click on through to the other side... )

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Franklin on Franklin
July 2009 Chapel Hill, NC
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Yes, I'm still around.

Werk's been smack-down crazy. Photography has been next to nil. Writing has been going well -- well, strong on character, a bit weak on that plot thing, but at least I'm enjoying myself with it.

A longer post is coming soon. In the meanwhile, how's things with you.

No, seriously. How are you?

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From Sherrill's Garden
May 2008 Raleighwood, NC
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Two deaths in one day. Two icons of US pop culture.

Guess which one had more meaning in my life?

(The answer can be found by ( clicking on through to the other side...) )
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Soren
June 2009 Outside Raleighwood, NC
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After Ice wandered off to The Crab Shack Bonn started looking through the local SPCA's web site for another cat to add to the pride. She decided she really liked many of Mika's Maine Coon Cat qualities so when she found one on the web site she wanted to go see it right away. We paid a late Friday afternoon visit and found that the cat in question was not in the best of moods. The staff there spoke well of him but it was clear that after a busy day he was not at his best. We decided to come back the next morning and see how he was after a good night's sleep.

On the way out happened to look in the window of another Cat Room. There, by the window, lay an orange striped cat, sound asleep on top of some sort of hamper.

This was supposed to be Bonn's choice so I did my best to ignore the Very Loud Voice in my head that was saying, "That's the cat! Right there!"

EXCESSIVE CUTENESS ALERT!!!

You have been warned.

Only the brave will

Driving Clouds
February 2009 Outside Raleighwood, NC
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Lest I forget to post Part Two of "My Official Thirty Years Too Late Apology to Maureen Nemecek" I'll get to it right away.

Read on by

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Maggie
June 2009 Outside Raleighwood, NC
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According to a Facebook posting by sakkijarvi today, it seems that thirty years ago on this very date I received my official high school graduation diploma.

Which brings to mind a story.

(Part One of "My Official Thirty Years Too Late Apology to Maureen Nemecek" can be read by ( clicking on through to the other side...) )

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Shattered by Day
May 2008 Outside Raleighwood, NC
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Last night was Game Night at my Friendly Neighborhood Game Store (FNSG). I was well-armed with an assortment of games (Tayu, Samuri, Ingenious, Zertz, Pandemic, Clans for those who are interested) and, as usual, didn't care if I played any of them or if I played something different. Game nights are like that for me.

After a surprisingly non-traffic filled drive on the highways I took the exit for my FNGS and got onto the main road. The six lanes of traffic at the overpass narrowed down to four, with the far left lane ending at the next light as an enterance to a shopping center. I ended up behind a huge pick'em-up truck with a bumper sticker with an image of the Confederate flag (or, more appropriately, the Battle Flag for the Army of Northern Virginia and the phrase "Heritage Not Hate." I looked at the bumper sticker and wondered if they really believed that.

We came to a stop at the light. The sun was making its slow Daylight Savings Time descent behind me and was angle was such that there was a general glare. As well, the back break light covers of the big pick'em-up truck were just the right color that, when mixed with the sun I couldn't tell if they were working or not.

The light changed to green and the big pick'em-up truck moved forward into the intersection.

And a second later my world inside the car was exploding all around me.

( (Click on through to the other side...) )
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Red Rose
May 2009 Outside Raleighwood
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Faith is never an easy question, nor is it an easy answer. What we choose to believe, what is real to us is a very individual decision. It's as much a part of our own personal definition as it is what separates us from other people.

Last week it was clear that Isis was going through the same problem she had endured last year. In the span of those months there were several new health problems that had added to make the initial problem seem much worse than it had before. (I'll spare you the details but simply add "if that's possible") Still, the question we had to face was literally one of Life and Death.

More on all of this? Just ( click on through to the other side... )
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Isis
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The company name may have been 5 Cat Gallery for all of these years, but there were really six cats. Isis was the first of them, joining us shortly after we moved down to Nawf C'lina back in '91 as a tiny kitten surviving on scraps from a park dumpster and desperate for a family and a home of her own.

It was a long, 18 year journey for her. And now she, too, is enjoying herself at The Crab Shack.

Should you be interested, ( click on through to the other side. )

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