loumercerwordsofwisdom.blogspot.com

Thursday, December 31, 2009

The Good Old Days!!!

I hear people talk about the good old days and while it is true that there is a lot about the good old days to envy and wish it were that way, this picture does not reflect that yearning. Here you see a picture of my five kids and myself. This was in the good old days when I was a single mother and worked 2 jobs to keep a roof over our heads and food in our bellies. This was the good old days when if a man did not want to pay child support he really did not need to. His reasoning was that I wanted the divorce and I had the kids so I should take care of them, after all, he now had nothing. Strange as it may seem, I understood his reasoning!

This picture must have been taken in 1971. Now, I know we are a rag tag lot, but we were a family and as a family we survived to adulthood. I would change a few things in this period of time if I could, but I can't so they will stay as they were lived. As with all families we each came away with our own perception of our growing up years. I came out of my growing up years completely different than my sisters, but more on that later.

I think the whole bunch of us were rebels and still are to a certain degree. Now, as I set here on New Years Eve, I would like to address this message to the 5 little kids above. For the areas where I failed you, forgive me. For the times we fished and had fun together, remember me. For the times you felt alone, you weren't. When I told you someday you would understand, you do. These were your good old days, so take away from them what you can and look to the future. Some times it helps to alter your perception a bit to make it a growing experience.

When you see your children, remember you were once children. When you see your grandchildren, remember you were once grandchildren. A family is something that is forever held together by a silver thread. When some of you look at the above picture you may see a picture that looks like it came from "The Grapes of Wrath", but let me tell you what I see and see if you can see it also.

Back row from left Patty, Debbie. Front row Dona, Sam, Susie and mother. I saved and cut corners to have this picture taken. Not easy in those times to have a family picture taken, but I wanted one for posterity. Patty and Dona are wearing dresses I made for them. Debbie is, as the oldest, leading the pack. Sam and Dona are the same age through the month of October (more about that later). Sam looks so angelic there and Susie seems a bit distracted.

I have my own memories of this time, but what everyone should know is this: I did the best I could with the knowledge and resources I had at that time. No way would I trade one of these little cherubs to make my life different. This is my good old days. They made me the woman I am today and this woman would like to say :

Happy New Year to all my babies, grandbabies and great grandbabies!!
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Monday, December 28, 2009

If I quit smoking, you can quit smoking!!

I smoked from the time I was 16 years old until I was 67 years old. I imagine I quit over 600 times in my mind. I tried hypnosis, Chantix, Nicorette, Commit, Herbal rememdies, prayer, Colorado Quit Line, water, and about anything else that you can think of to try. Nothing helped. I did quit once for about 6 weeks, but then I got stressed and had one to relax. Six weeks down the crapper!

Then I had a very serious talk with myself. There is no one in this world that knows me like I know myself! "Self", I said "You are a woose. You have no will power, you are not honest and you are ruled by a damn cigarette that YOU go to the store and buy. Now make a list of things that is necessary to quit and just do it." Here is my list:

1. I buy these cancer sticks. I will quit buying them.
2. I have friends who smoke. I will not mooch.
3. The craving for a cigarette lasts 20 seconds. I will ram my finger in my eye for 20 seconds if necessary to pass the 20 seconds. What ever it takes.
4. I will never smoke again.

That is my list. Short and doable. I made this mental list in my mind early on the morning of March 1, 2009 when I did not want to go buy a pack of cigarettes. Today is December 28, 2009 and I am still smoke free. I do not ever see smoking in my future for any reason. Do not be misled; this has not been easy. There have been many times when I have almost rammed my finger in my eye and the habit of reaching for a cigarette is still second nature, but I do not do it. If I do not do it, I will never have to quit again.

Quitting smoking is probably the hardest thing I have ever done. Only takes a few hours to have a baby, and that was hard. Burying a loved one is a life long ordeal. Having the dog put to sleep is hard. Life is full of hard things and most of them we do not want to keep doing over and over and I sure don't want to quit smoking again. So, if I never smoke again, I never have to quit again.

If I could think of one beneficial thing I get from smoking I might do it again, but I can't. It costs money I could use for other things. I smell like a smoke stack. I pollute my lungs. It makes me short of breathe. I have to do it outside so I get nothing done inside.

Granted, I do not now have money to roll it because I quit buying cigarettes. I still have to use deodorant, and the house still looks like Mickey Mouse and friends live here. But I can now jog a little ways down the road and riding the old bike is a lot easier. So as for me, I shall remain smoke free until further notice.

Friday, December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas Morning!

Here is the Christmas tree of a true grinch! Not really! I went to Penny's last night and had Mexican food. Pretty good stuff. Mexican Lasagne, Tamales, Green Chile, Chicken Enchiladas, Chicken Taquitoes, Salad, Avacado, Sour Cream, Tacos.. . .
Now today I will have toast for breakfast and make a veggie casserole to take to Jackie's at noon. Then over to Penny's to have lunch about 2. Lots of visiting. Sometime during the course of the day, I am going to get some weaving done. I am working on a blanket. Well actually I am working on two of them.
Got some corn for a special treat for the water fowl. They do not know what today is, but I do. They just like to eat every day. That and swim in the pond. What a life!
Anyway, Merry Christmas to you all out there. Or Happy Hanakuh, or what ever you celebrate this time of year. But remember...
Jesus is the reason for the season!
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Thursday, December 24, 2009

Happy Anniversary to me!!

I am going to pretend that today is December 23, 1983. It is very cold today, actually -15 degrees. Kenny and Gene Baugh are putting a drive line in the dump truck. Kenny Mercer is my boyfriend. Actually a little more than that, since we have been living together over a year. We have discussed marriage for awhile, but not got around to it yet.
When Kenny and Gene went to pick up the drive line at Pueblo Brake and Clutch they found it closed for, of all things, a Christmas Party. Gene went home and Kenny came in the house. It was then that I discovered how romantic that man could be! His exact words were "Let's go get this shittin' mess over with!" Now I ask you, what woman in her right mind could turn down a proposal like that?
So I got my new jeans on and my blue and white checkered cowboy shirt and away we went to Canon City, 30 miles up the road. Got the license and then needed some sort of preacher. As luck would have it we found one at the local assisted living facility. A resident minister, his bed ridden wife and another older lady walking down the hall with her walker. Having made short work of that little technicality we returned home, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Mercer, to find a very cheap bottle of wine left on our table by Gene Baugh, who knew our intentions.
Months later Gene would not drink it because if he knew he would have to drink it he would have got some good stuff. So we shared it with a son- in- law who first had to shake it up real good and then shoot the cork across the room at me.
Below you can see a few pictures of my Kenny and why this marriage worked. The first one is Kenny cracking peanuts and sharing with his dog, Polly. The next one is Kenny having a bowl of cereal with his bird, Rowdy. The third is Kenny sharing a laugh with his son-in-law (but not the one that shot me with the champagne cork!)
And of all the choices I have made in my life, this is the one I never ever at any time ever regretted. He had a phenomanal sense of humor, which is always necessary at my house. He was honest to a fault, dependable, caring, responsible and I could go on and on, but that would be gushing.
Suffice it to say, I found my soul mate in 1977 when I came to Colorado. Married my soul mate on December 23, 1983 and began life on another plane on January 30, 2003. Kenny is not "gone", nor will he ever be "gone". He just isn't here. Do I miss him? Of course. Do I need him? Of course. Will I survive? Of course.

That is my story and I'm sticking to it!
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Tuesday, December 22, 2009

The Rainbow Bridge

The Rainbow Bridge
There is a place connecting Heaven and Earth.
It is called the Rainbow Bridge because of its many colors.
Just this side of the Rainbow Bridge there is a land of
meadows, hills and valleys with lush green grass.
When a beloved pet dies, the pet goes to this place.
There is always food and water and warm spring weather.
The old and frail animals are made young again.
They play all day with each other.
There is only one thing missing. They are not with their special
person who loved them on Earth.
So each day they run and play until the day comes when one
suddenly stops playing and looks up!
The nose twitches!The ears are up! The eyes are staring!
And this one runs from the group!
You have been seen, and when you and your special friend meet,
you take him or her in your arms and embrace.
Your face is kissed again and again and you look once more
into the eyes of your trusting pet.
Then you cross over the Rainbow Bridge together,
never again to be seperated.
I do not know who wrote this piece and it does not come with anything other than the words. And I think that is fitting, because any one who has ever lost a pet can feel this in their heart. While I have set her copying this, I have been remembering the pets I have lost. Some of them have already left the meadow with Kenny, but I know some will be waiting for me!
The only one I am not sure about is that Rowdy Bird. That was Kenny's Indian Ring Neck Blue Parrot. Rowdy died of lead poisoning a couple years after Kenny, but since he could fly I think Kenny probably went back to the meadow with Chile Dog and Sysnck and Rowdy flew on over. At least I think so.

Friday, December 18, 2009

My baby is eighteen today!


I shall wear this shirt today, because I have reached another milestone in my journey to the grave. Today the little Bret who I did not give birth to, but have none the less raised to adulthood, turns 18!
He has been very responsible pending this rite of manhood. He opened a checking account with his paycheck and put money in his savings. Gave me a check for what he owes me to date, plus January's car payment. He is planning on a cookout at the park in Pueblo West, and then will go to John's house and spend the night. He will go in to work about noon tomorrow. All sounds good on paper, huh?
He did come upstairs and kiss me on top of the head before going in to shower. At least he acknowledged that I am here. He does not want a cake. Monies should be paid on his car payment.
I had the talk with him about now that he is older and not so much under control of an adult that he is now entering the age of mutual respect and yada, yada. He has assured me that he will not be coming home covered with tatooes because he heard they hurt.
In all fairness, today is harder on me then I thought it would be and I think I now have a healthy respect for the "empty nesters" out there. While my fledgling has not flown the coop, he has for all intents and purposes shed the mantel of my baby and moved on to work on his own journey. About all I can do at this point is let the little fellow fly and hope he does not crash and burn on his way to the sun.

Happy Birthday Bret Mercer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is goose hunting season!


When I went out yesterday, I was surprised to hear shotguns in the distance and see a flock of geese arise off to the southeast. I could tell by the way they flew in different directions they were startled. They finally got it together and I tried to count as they went over. I do not know why I do that, but I like to see an even number. Guess that means they each have a mate.
Geese are amazing little creatures. They fly in a "v" formation and alternate leaders as the lead goose tires rather quickly. If something happens to a goose in flight, two geese will go down with it and stay with it until it either dies or is ready to travel on. People should be so considerate.

We live out in the county, so the hunting thing is fairly normal. I actually have 2 big holes in the back of my huge garage where a couple stray shots wound up. Now that the county is getting more populated it is not so bad, but we used to be afraid to walk out back in hunting season or target practice season.

The geese above are mine and they are not to worry. Anybody wants to shoot them has to come into my yard and there is a very good chance I would use a fence post over their head. But for the next few days I think I will hang out kind of close to the house until the hunters can get their barrell direction under control. While I realize that hunting has it's advantages in thinning the wild life, I still think it is sad. Of course the whole concept of death is sad, whether it be human or the birds that grace our sky!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Bionic Fingers!


I seen something on the news that just fascinates me. They are now working on and have in operation something called Bionic Fingers. This interests me because I have a granddaughter who was born with no fingers, only a thumb on one hand. When she was small she traveled back and forth from Lakin, Kansas to St. Louis, Missouri where she underwent several surgeries that were simply gruesome.

Doctors would take a tiny piece of bone from her toe and transplant it to her hand where a finger should be. Then she wore an apparatus that needed to be turned every day and the theory behing that was that would make a finger grow there. Needless to say, it did not work!

Now many years later, a set of fingers has been specifically built for a man who lost his fingers and retained his thumb. This apparatus is fitted to his hand. Each finger has a motor with sensors that attach to nerves in his arm. When he moves that muscle the sensor in turn moves the fingers. Now that the leap has been made it will be no time at all before this will be perfected and I can just see how this will help a lot of people, not just my granddaughter.

Having been born with no fingers on the one hand, she is what is called handicapped. She never knew this. I am the one who had a hard time remembering she was limited. She never looked on this as a handicap, just a limitation. I would hand her things with both hands and she would look at me funny. "Grandma, I can't carry all those!" Again I had forgotten. Teaching her to crochet was sort of out of reason.

Now she has two little boys, she cooks and cuts up onions, does everyday chores and has recently earned her Masters Degree. But think how nice that would have been for her to actually have 2 hands when she was doing this! I may actually be able to teach her to crochet, knit and all those 2 handed things I do!

One of these days I shall do a special entry on her, but first I have to get her permission to use her name and all the particulars, but for now it will have to do for you to know that I shine with pride over this little bit of fluff who has given me 2 great grandsons!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Please don't talk about me when I'm gone!

I just woke up with that song running through my head! "Please don't talk about me when I 'm gone! Though our friendship ceases from now on. In parting you go your way, I'll go mine, it's best that we do. Here's a kiss, I hope that this brings lots of luck to you." Or something like that!
Made me remember back to when I was in 3-4 grade and we used to play a game called "Gossip". Teacher would whisper something in the first kid's ear like "It is a lovely day for a walk in the woods!" When the gossip was whispered from lip to ear through the class it would come out something like "Lizzies dad talks to himself!"
This was our lesson that gossip is not good and we should not do it. Even if we are saying something nice to start out, when it is repeated enough it can become very distorted. So we do not do a lot of gossiping around here.
My mother had a different take on it. She always said:
"As long as they are talking about me they are letting some other poor soul rest!"
"If you can't say something good about somebody, don't say anything."
"What goes around comes around."
"The chickens always come home to roost."
Mother was a very wise woman and how I made the leap from waking up to the point I am now at is almost more than even I can fathom.
So that is it for the day. Kind of a waste of space, but that is what I am good at doing!

Saturday, December 12, 2009

The doggie is running the business!

This is Cosmo!

Anyone who has ever been to Sprinkles Sewing Center knows who this is ! This is Cosmo and he is in charge of the store. While Cosmo is a beautiful little Maltese he came from very humble beginnings having been rescued from the pound in Colorado Springs. He knows a guy has to work for a living, and if he falls down on the job, he could be out the door! That Jerry is a task master that expects a lot out of a little dog! True, he gets to ride in the front seat, but never gets to drive!



When you pull in the parking lot, Cosmo is at the door watching you walk toward the store. It is then that he is deciding if you are on a mission of good or evil! He has a natural instinct to separate the customers from the bad guys meaning to do harm. He will greet you with a smile and a friendly wag. Your job is to say, "Oh, hello Cosmo! How good to see you!" Or something along that line.



Sometimes he is busy in the back, but when the door chime rings he will drop what ever he is doing and run to greet you. He is partial to his humans, Jerry and Cathy, and if he is busy with them you may only get a perfunctory wag, but when he is finished with the current chore he will be back to give you his full attention. Granted sometimes the chore he is involved in is having a little snack, but "treat breaks" are one of the "perks" of the job.



Everyone is his friend, but you need to realize that running a store takes a lot of attention and when you are only 8 inches tall and running on 2 inch legs, it takes a lot out of a guy!



Everything and everyone is his concern and for the most part he does a very good job, but this summer he had a real problem and that is what I want to share with you now. His human got him a new kind of flea medicine. No fleas for this little white doggie! No siree! The next day, Cosmo was not himself. He was lethargic and not meeting people at the door. On the second day the humans were becoming alarmed.



Having eliminated diet changes and all in the list of things that could be wrong, they happened upon the flea medicine! Being good little humans and concerned, they gave the little fellow a good scrubbing. Thanks to the astute humans who were in charge, Cosmo made a rapid recovery and was back on the job the next day!



Seems as though there was something in this medicine that the little silky haired pooch could not tolerate. They had used this kind before and had never had a problem, but apparently this batch was different in some way. Just want to reinforce here, that if you are in charge of a four legged friend, you are very lucky and no doubt have a friend for life. But, it is a big responsibility! They can not talk and tell you anything. You just have to guess.



And if you ever get over that way, stop in to see Cosmo. He is always happy to see a new face, and tell him Lou said "hi!" Oh, and you might visit a minute with Jerry and Cathy, the people he allows to take care of his needs.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Alpaca: up close and personal.

Here is the alpaca, just standing there and wondering just exactly who I am, or rather what I am. It is very cold! This particular alpaca looks like she is wearing a mask. I shall continue to refer to this one as she because she is white in the front and brown on the back. White dogs are female also. Cats are him, no matter what color.
Look, Mr. Alpaca, I have a nice fat carrot for you. Come on over here! Yum, yum!
Now, they have eaten the carrots and they are trying to get me to go back in the house and get more. The one on the right thinks he told a joke so he is laughing!

And there you have the alpaca's that live in the field by my house! I thought they were Llama's when I first seen them. I must confess, I do not know the difference, but alpaca is easier to spell! It sort of rolls off the keyboard, but the double "ll" business just sort of boggles the mind!
These 2 alpaca's are very astute. If I walk across the deck and head out to the duck/goose pond they just look at me and go on about their business. If I stop and look at them they look back at me. If I take a step in their direction, they take a step in mine!
" I start walking their way, they start walking mine!
We meet in the middle 'neath that old Georgia Pine.
You gain a lot of ground if you both give a little!
Ain't no road to long if you meet in the middle!"
Forgot who sings this!

And there you have your lesson for the day! That was not too hard was it?


















Thursday, December 10, 2009

Peacock Wall Hanging!

As promised, the lovely Peacock wall hanging is now a published work of art! This does not do it justice because it is not really finished! See the gold ribbon between the blocks? I need to sew more all the way around the white and also stitch some in the border. Problem is I am out of the gold ribbon and it is too cold here to venture out for more. I will get that done at some point tomorrow.
Now for the particulars on this. This is an Anita Gooddesign Full Collection in 20 block tile scene in 3 sizes. This is the medium and measures 35" x 29". There are a total of 514,092 stitches in this and since I screwed up a couple of blocks, there are way more than that! This will lay flat when I finish and hang it on the wall as opposed to closing it in the top dresser drawer.
The peacock is a sign of good luck and since the neighbor lady does not have very good luck keeping her peacocks in the yard, perhaps she can keep this on her wall and have good luck, after all. I will give her this for Christmas and it will be a surprise for her because she does not even know I have a blog!!!
We learned in class that we should charge $1.50 per 1000 stitches. That makes the value of this $771.00 and since I worked on this for over a week (Sunday excluded) I would say she is getting a pretty good Christmas present!!
I get to babysit today for the little one that belongs to Janea, who is Lyn's daughter. He is 5+ months old. Don't think he can do much but kind of roll around. Oh, well. It will be a break in the routine and I can snuggle with him and he will keep me warm! Reminds me of an old cross stitch I made once to hang on the wall. I don't remember all of it, but the part I remember goes:
Cooking and cleaning can wait for tomorrow
For babies grow up, we learn to our sorrow.
So dust you just lay there, cob webs go to sleep,
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep!
Author unknown

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Give us this day, our daily bread!

It is 12 below zero, do you know where your children are? Remember way back when curfews were in style and the announcer would come on and say, "It's ten o'clock. Do you know where your children are? " At the time my kids were little and I knew exactly where the little boogers were.

Time passes and those little cherubs have since grown into adults and raised their own babies and those babies in turn have spawned more babies. I look back on the trail of human lives that I am directly responsible for and I am amazed. How did this happen?

I birthed 5, who in turn birthed 8. Those 8 have turned out 7 (so far). Very quickly I am running out of fingers and toes to count them on! You probably are wondering where I am going with this and what it has to do with 12 below weather! Simple.

All of these people have homes. They all have somewhere to stay and food to eat and by the grace of God, are not out on the streets in this Artic weather. It is the time of year to look around at the less fortunate in our midst and to reach into our pocket and do something for someone we have never met and probably never will. It is time to think outside of our little circle we tend to be so generous with and encompass a little more of mankind.

I make soap and lotion as one of my hobbies. The family gets lots of that for Christmas, but I tend to forget about the homeless needing something like that. I am going to load a bunch and take it to Posada, I think. This is already made so it will not cost me anything to do that! And it may make some one happy.

"Count your many blessings, name them one by one! Count your many blessings see what God has done!"

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

My God! It did it again!

Here is Daisy in the snow on the way to the duck pond. If you have not guessed, it snowed again last night. According to Indian Lore we now have 23 snows left. Daisy stopped so I could take her picture. What a good doggie!!!Here is where our footprints converge, although briefly. You can see we only have about an inch or so. Not how much snow we have, but rather how cold it is here. I do not know the exact temperature, but I think it is the area of -2 degrees. The schools in town and here in the county are closed.
Normally I would just hang out here in my 'jammies and wait for warmer weather, but I have ducks and geese that need tending. I shut them up at night and have ever since I found the fox dining on the drake that night. By closing them up, I keep them safe and they stay warm, which you can see by the next photo, what they think of snow. They rush out the door and sit in the snow! They only set in the snow until I get the pond broken and then they are in it swimming in the ice floes!

Do you see them setting in the snow up there! The picture below is a small part of the pond that I broke so they can get water to drink. Then when they all get out there the weight of them will break off more edges and they will have room to swim. Glad I am not a duck!!

See my little footprints there? This is my strategy for breaking ice without falling in the pond. My right foot has the toes up on a brick so my weight is thrown to the back. Then with my right hand I proceed to break the crust of the ice with a sharpshooter shovel. I do not want to fall in that pond on a good warm day and doing so in sub zero weather would be the end of life as I know it!!

And there you have the start of my day. The rest of the day has got to be better, but not according to the weather report. I am going to go work on the peacock so I can post that for you tomorrow or Thursday at the latest.
"Keep a smile on your face so people will wonder what you have been up to!!"































































Monday, December 7, 2009

American Made! Oh, yes I am!!

I had an epiphany!! I sell seed catchers over on ebay and one of my customers emailed me to be sure these were made in the U.S.A. I assured her that they were indeed made right here in Pueblo, Colorado. She was thrilled and then it dawned on me that perhaps there is not much out there any more that is made in America. Sooooo. . .

Yes, Isle, this was made in America and I was made in America. My ancestors came to this country through Ellis Island at the turn of the century and that is documented! They came here from Germany to seek a better life in a free country. We trace back to the Erms area and there were a lot of vineyard keepers in our line.

We raised turkeys and geeses and Great Great Grandmother was a midwife. She also took care of people in her area around Abbyville, because doctors were few and far between. The boys hired out on farms in the area. Great Great Grandfather raised sorghum and made molasses. The names Haas, Gagnebein, and Hatfield were well known names in that area.

So when you ask if my products are made in America, the answer is a resounding "YES"! Made in America and made by an American and sold to another American! I had not thought of that angle before.

So thank you, Isle, for opening my eyes to what a rarity my little store actually is in this world. From now on I shall point to myself with pride, because people like you and I are becoming fewer and farther between.

So you and your little rescued chinchillas have a good day and keep searching for American made.

" For I'm glad to be an American, where at least I know I'm free! And I'll gladly stand up next to her and defend her still today......" and I don't remember the words, but you get the idea!!!

Saturday, December 5, 2009

What did I do yesterday?

As the chips fall yesterday was spent downstairs trying to wind up a lot of projects.

This is project #1. This one is not wound up yet. This will be my Peacock Wall Hanging that I am making for the neighbor lady who can not keep her peacock home!

This entails embroidering 20 blocks and then sewing them together. Sounds easy, huh? First I have to hoop the fabric with stabilizer. Then thread the machine. This machine holds 6 threads and kind of works on its own until it needs a thread change, runs out of bobbin thread, breaks a thread or just misses me.

I need to do 3 more blocks and then I can assemble the blocks and put on borders and a back and some embellishments. Will post a picture when this is finished, but don't hold your breathe!

This is project # 2. This is my machine quilter and there you see Joanne's quilt which I just finished quilting. I work on this between attention to the 2 embroidery machines. She does her own binding so this project is finished! I can now cross this off my list. Crossing something off the list always gives me a heady feeling of power!
This is project # 3. This is going to be the Nativity for my church. This particular machine is very needy as I need to do a thread change every time it completes a color. It also has silver metallic thread for the stars and I need to hand feed the silver to it, or it shreds it and spits it out. I have 6 blocks done and need 14 more. The next 14 are really time consuming. Watch for the finished product some day!

And there you have yesterday. Today I need to make 2 seed catchers and then make cookies for cookie bags for the Southern Colorado AIDS Project. So I shall commence my day and hope that you enjoy yours! I think the weather is going to be a little nice today.
Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday!!



Friday, December 4, 2009

The Cycle of Life

This is Polly. You can not see from this angle, but her right eye has a big black patch around it. She was a very good dog and now her ashes are back at the house. As soon as the ground thaws out, we will bury her right there under that lilac bush.

And here is her buddy, Daisy. You can not see from this angle, but Daisy has a black patch over both of her eyes. Right now Daisy is by my left foot, setting on her haunches watching me. I do not know what she thinks I am going to do, but she will be ready for it when it comes!
And thus is the cycle of life. I was born and as I grew I lost my grand parents, then my father, my brother, friends, aunts, uncles, mother, sister, more uncles, husband, and finally it came to the inevitable. My Uncle Ray passed at the age of 96(?) and I am now the matriarch in my family and I am the "older generation" in the Haas family line.

You know the funny part of all of this? I don't even feel old. Logistics tells me I am, but I don't feel like I am. It makes me wish I had paid more attention to the grandmas and aunts and uncles so I would know how to behave as a septegenarian! I remember once, my dear son, Sam telling me, "Grandmas don't behave like you! Get your apron on and get in that kitchen and make some cookies!"

I do now know exactly what the cycle of life entails . And as more time goes by and more deaths occur, whether it be canine, feline, human, friend, family, or stranger, the cycle of life is an integral part of the every day. It just happens in different forms and we accept and even embrace it at times. For part of the cycle of life is new birth!

So, as a very old radio program once used to sign off with, I shall copy it today:
" It is hard to sprinkle showers of happiness on other people without getting a few drops on yourself!"


Thursday, December 3, 2009

What function does the doggie actually perform?

Have you ever really paid attention to your doggie? Dogs are man's best friend and I am sure there is some sort of reasoning behind that statement. For years, when I would be planning a trip and would be gone for several days, Polly knew. I would start packing several days ahead in preparation, and Polly would start acting all sad. While I was gone she did not eat.

Then I decided, I would not talk about the trip nor pack early. She still knew and when I started out the front door, she would look at me all sad and turn and go downstairs. She knew. When I came home, she would be standing by the back gate waiting. The neighbors assured me she did not do that until shortly before I came home. She had to know I was getting close.

When I took her for her trip to the vet, she knew. I am not saying only Polly had ESP (Extra Sensory Perception), I am saying all dogs have it. When my son was here with his three dogs it was almost humorous the way they acted. If he left them and went some where they would lay around, but suddenly, they would wake up, leap to their feet with ears alert. And after a few moments, Sam would come driving up the drive. They knew the exact moment to run to the front door so they could be there to greet him.

I don't think most of us even give any thought to how well they take care of us, even when we don't know they are taking care of us. I know if I am sad, Daisy now lays by my feet. When I go out to do chores, Daisy is by my side. When I go down to sew, Daisy is the one who lays at the sewing room door to stop intruders. I pet her, but she knows she is not Polly.

Someday I may not miss Polly so much, but until that time, Daisy will be here trying to fill the void. Why? Because that is what the doggies do. They are here to fill a void in out life and be a warm body to pet, when there is not other warm body around. And what do they ask in return? Nothing, only that we be there for the petting thing!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

This is my gourd!!!

Above you see the inside of my gourd! It takes a lot of woman power to scrape all the seeds and gross stuff out of the gourd so it can become a lovely vessel like this!
After I got it all cleaned inside and out, I put tan shoe polish on and buffed it all pretty. I used the kind that is a wax in a can.
Then I wove pine needles around the top, stuck in some feathers, strung on some metal jewelry things, like this butterfly and the silver feather.

This is some sort of pine coney like seed pod. This sets on top of my entertainment center for all the world to see. I am working on a red gourd which shall be a harem belly dancer when I get it finished. Now I am even excited about that one getting finished!!
More gourds at a later date! Just kind of keeping in touch with you today! Have a good one and keep in touch with me!!



Wednesday, November 25, 2009

The Day Before the Big Day

This is the Indian who will be bringing me a turkey to go with the corn I already grew. That is , of course, a big lie! That is one of the fellows in native garb at the Chile Festival back in September.





Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, but today is not. Today is the day I have to take my dog Polly in to the vet and today is the day she will not come back. It is so sad when this time comes. She was Kenny's dog. He picked her out of all the puppies in the litter. She slept under the bed until Kenny passed and then she slept on the floor on his side of the bed.



She mourned Kenny for a very long time and never did quit watching for him to come home. She was never far from my side. If I was in the basement, so was she. If I went in the bathroom she lay on the floor outside the door, waiting. When I went to Kansas and left her home, she didn't eat. She lay under the buffet and waited. When the neighbors came in to check things, she growled at them, but did not move.



And how is loyalty like that rewarded? It is rewarded with a trip to the vet so she can go to the Rainbow Bridge and find Kenny. When she is too weak to get up the stairs without falling, when she growls at Daisy for no reason, it is time. I did not do this for my selfish reasons, I did it because she was not happy. I only wish that when I get in her shape that someone could take me by the hand and make me happy again.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Trying the woven blanket again!!

Look at this!! I have a picture here. Hope it is here when I publish this! This is one block on my blanket. This is the right side. You know I wove the whole thing with the wrong side up, so was very suprised when I say what it looked like.
This is the full blanket. It measures 52" x 48". Just the right size to not be too big or too small. It is made with 8/2 white cotton and washable wool. The wool is not itchy at all.
This is what the wrong side of the block looks like. Looks as good on the back as the front! I am so proud of myself that I could jump up and down. There are a couple mistakes in this one, so I am going to make another just like it only I will weave it right side out and it will be just PERFECT!


Whole blanket, wrong side. I sure hope when I hit the publish button that the pictures will be there.

If the pictures are there please let me know how you like my blanket, because I am really a very needy soul!




Monday, November 16, 2009

The blanket unveiling at last!!!!

At long last I am able to get these pictures posted. Unfortunately I have lost complete control of my blog and it is going to do whatever it wants to do, which at this time seems to be centering everything I type. Trust me, if this is the worst that happens we will be very blessed!



Ok, now it I can do this on the left. We will go with that. This is the blanket I have anquished over for two or three weeks. This blanket has 960 ends. That means the warp, which is what I weave across is 8/2 white cotton and there are 960 threads. Each one of those threads had to be measured, cut and then threaded through a reed and then through a heddle. A heddle is what is raised or lowered to give you a place to put the weft (cross) thread to make the pattern. The weft in this case is a beautiful blue wool that I got from Joanne.

Since this is what is called an overshot pattern I throw 1 shot of blue wool in the pattern and then 1 shot of white 8/2 cotton in tabby. That is why there is so much white. This is actually the wrong side of the blanket. Let's go down farther and hope we have a right side! Before we leave I should tell you the name of this block is Lee's Surrender and the blanket consists of 4 blocks. Shown below is 1 block.


Here it is!! This is the right side. See how predominate the blue is in this picture? That means this is the right side. You know, I look at this and I am not sure which is the right side and which is the wrong side. I guess it really does not matter. Since I did not listen when Joanne was trying to tell me, I wove this whole blanket with the wrong side up unless , of course, the wrong side is the right side. By this time, I am so confused that I think I will have a tiny draught of something fermented and go to bed.


Well, it looks like this is going to center stuff for me again. I must confess, I am ready to give up and let the computer rule my life. So with that being said, tell me if you like my blankie!

Unveiling of the Weaving!!

Pictures have been postponed until this thing will cooperate with me! If you sign up as a follower you will be sent a message when it happens. Otherwise keep checking back!

Sorry, Lou

Saturday, November 14, 2009

The Loom in Action

OK. This is your last viewing of the loom before the big unveiling which will happen on Monday, November 16. I am so excited! I can hardly wait to see how it looks!

This is the back of the loom all tightened to the proper tension and ready to be woven into something that will be a work of art, but something grandma and great grandpa did as a matter of course. Men were actually employed in the weaving profession a long time before us women settled on it as an outlet for our creativity.

This loom is 60" wide, which is a little wider than a lot of looms, but when I bought this from the lady who taught me to weave I had in mind that I would weave carpet for the whole house. That little projuect did not last long.


I would like to take a moment here to thank the lady who taught me to weave for doing such a good job. I think she retired from teaching after me. I don't know if she quit cause I was such a pain, she was just tired of teaching, or if it just worked out that way and my paranoia is kicking in here.

Any way, I would like to send a big thank you out to Marilyn H. here in Pueblo, Colorado for taking me under her wing. She is a true artist in every sense of the word and I have learned much at her knee. Well, not actually her knee, but you get the picture!

Now, here we come to the first few rows of the blanket. You should know that Joanne told me the pattern I was working on would need to be altered if I wanted this woven with the right side up, but I, in my haste blew that off and forged right ahead. So what you see here is actually the back side of the blanket! I really do need to learn to slow down and listen once in a while.

Now what you see here will be the right side of the blankie. I had to get in a very uncomfortable position to take this picture! Yes, I think I will start listening and taking that extra 2 or 3 minutes to do it right.
The problem with this overshot is sometimes you will end up with a "floating" thread and it would be nice if you knew it when it was happening rather then when you have spent weeks weaving and take it off the loom and discover it. So your alternative is to stand on your head and check the underside. This is all well and good except I have 2 of the lickingest dogs in the world.

Here is a picture of the pattern. The name of this is Lee's Surrender and there will be 4 of these in my creation. The blanket is all done and I am so anxious for you to see it. I don't remember when I started this, but I think it took me about 2 weeks.

So there you have it! I think the lesson I learned from this, or the words of wisdom I give you are ones my mother told me many times..."A stitch in time, saves nine." Which means had I taken the couple minutes to translate the tie up I would not have had to stand on my head!



Friday, November 13, 2009

This is Friday the 13th


Today is Friday the 13th and I laugh in the face of danger and all Friday the 13th suggests! I scoff at the beleif that because a day has a certain number it can impact my life in anyway. Well, that is different if it is my birthday. Then I expect gifts. If it were payday, then it would be important. But to say, "Today is Friday the 13th and it is going to be bad luck." Now that statement is ludicrous!


My blanket is finished and I will put a picture of it on this next Monday, just in case today has cast a spell on my computer. So for today I will try to catch you up on all the little events in my life.
Now see what I mean about the picture thing? I typed all that above and then downloaded the picture of the pumpkin patch out my car window and it appeared on top. This is well and good, but I am not smart enough to move it. I must study up on the moving of things.
Any way, this is a pumpkin field right up the road from me that I pass on the way to the city. There are a lot of pumpkins in that field and I have no idea what the future of the little fellows is going to be. Will they be seeds? Will they be cattle fodder? Will they just be turned back into the soil?
Earlier in the year, before Halloween, school buses and cars filled with kids came and spilled their load of humanity into the fields where the children slowly, and with much deliberation, chose the perfect pumpkin. This was very carefully carried back to the vehicle of choice and loaded aboard. I am sure these pumpkins got good homes, if you think having your eyes gouged out, your guts ripped out and a candle lit and thrust into your open cavity, having a good home!
Eventually these sacrifical pumpkins ended up in a trash can some where. Not my pumpkin. My pumpkin was grabbed and thrown into the shopping cart on the way to the checkout. I did not desecrate my pumpkin. Later this week I will cut it in half and bake it in the oven with a little water. Then I will peel it and run the cleaned pumpkin through the blender and make lots of pies.
My pumpkin will make many people happy for several meals. I may make some pumpkin soup, because this summer I made cucumber soup and that was really good. I had been wanting to try that, but this year a plethora of the cucumber made it almost a duty.
I seem to be rambling! I shall go do things I do and leave you to ponder just what lesson you should take from today's missive. It may very well, that it is nothing. Just thoughts of an old lady on Friday the 13th!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Introduction to the Loom


This is the front of my loom. This loom is a LaClerc and is 60 inches wide. This shot here is of the reed which is a 10 dent. That means there are 10 open slots to the inch. This reed is threaded with 8/2 cotton and there are 2 threads in each slot. There are a total of 960 threads. This is going to be a blanket for Penny when this is done.



This is how mine looks when it is through the reeds and ready to be pulled to the back. I am not very neat and usually end up with a very big knot! But I usually get it untangled after a few attempts and a whole lot of cussing!



This is the back of my loom before I thread the heddles which are the things that manipulate the threads so I can weave a beautiful blanket.




Since I have to do a bunch of work down stairs, and I never know where the next picture will show up, I am going to wait and work on the next section a little later. This is probably enough for you to meditate on today.
"Survivor" is on tonight so I should be able to work on the blanket and get it done so you can see it in a couple days. I know this looks complicated, but this is a craft you may want to try as it is very relaxing to do. If you stop to think about it, every skill you have in life is a learned skill. Weaving is no different and I am sure if you don't pursue it, you will never learn to do it.
Some where near you is a weaving guild so get online and find it and start there. Weavers are very gregarious people and will take you in and teach you this fine art. Men can and do make very good weavers. Men were weaving way before women ever tried their hand at it.
See you at the sale! Vail Hotel, Pueblo, Colorado, from now through Saturday, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM. You folks on the east and west coast may miss it!

Monday, November 9, 2009

Inkle Loom

Ok, we are going to give this a go. I have the pictures in the wrong order, so just live with that! Here you have bands that were made on an Inkle Loom. You can make bands however long the loom you have makes and that is usually up to 3 feet, but that varies. The width also varies from a quarter of an inch to 3 inches or so. All depends on your equipment.


This one (below) is the one I am currently working on and in all fairness I have been working on it for 3 or 4 months. The white band is what I use to keep it all the same width, or as close as I am going to get to something uniform. My teacher just shines with pride when she sees how screwed up I can actually get! I love that woman.
And now we come to an actual picture of the Inkle Loom. I know it should have been first, but you are dealing with me, for crying out loud! I am still in my jammies!


A very knowledgable lady named Joanne taught us how to use these and the loom was in the cost of the class. You are going to need a teacher and if you are lucky enough to get one as patient as this Joanne you are going to be blessed indeed! ( Hi Joanne of Pueblo, Colorado, who is one of the best weavers I have ever met and the most patient lady in the world!)
This is a handy little thing to have because you can carry the whole thing in one in one had and thread for the weaving in your pocket! Quite a way to pass that boring time while you are waiting to get in for your dentist appointment and it will take your mind off the shot, searing pain, grinding, and all that stuff which will happen when you getbehind that door in that sound proof room!
So, there you have the tip of the iceberg for this weaving thing. Tomorrow I will attempt to put on pictures of my big loom and the blanket that I have started. It will be a work of art! Sign up over there somewhere so you do not miss a single episode of Lou Mercer trying to talk you all into going back in time!
You are never to old to learn and if I can do it-you can do it!







Sunday, November 8, 2009

The Gopher and the Dog

Oh, Lord! If you think it is quiet on this back acre of mine, I have a surprise for you! Friday I heard the most God awful racket in the garden area. The geese were, all 10 of them on red alert! I ran out on the deck fully expecting a bear or at the very least a coyote!

What I say was neither! I have had a small bit of a problem with either a gopher or mole throwing up little piles of dirt here and there in the yard. I was not alarmed as I figured when it got tired of looking it would leave. Besides that I had instructed Bret to go pee over there, because, according to the ancient legend, that would deter burrowing varmints in your yard. Has not worked yet, but you just never know!

I digress! The geese were in full battle regalia, stomping in circles, heads low and charging at the fence honking at the top of their lungs. On this side was Daisy, my dog that is a cross between a Weiner dog and a Jack Russell Terrier. Daisy had the top half of her body, to include her head and both front feet, engaged in digging the biggest hole I have ever seen a dog dig! I knew this was going to be good!

I went over and she was not interested in me at all, but rather, kept sniffing and digging. I got the shovel. After the first thrust I knew she was on the trail of the gopher/mole. There was the tunnel! I dug a little longer and Daisy kept sniffing and helping. Alas, I soon learned that I was tired of this game, so I gave up.

Daisy continued for a little while, but then she also wore out the chase. What did we learn from this? As I look out across my yard full of holes and the new piles of dirt appearing here and there, I think about Bill Murray. I don't remember the movie, might have been something like "Caddy Shack", but what I do remember is the devastation that followed his encounter with the gopher.

The golf course was all blown up, smoke hung in the air, Bill Murray was covered in dirt, and the little gopher poked his head up out of a hole and laughed! I am not going to fight a losing battle, and if Daisy wants to dig the whole yard up, then she can just dig away. I probably would like to xeriscape anyway!!

Friday, November 6, 2009

The Art of the Apology

I woke up this morning thinking about this, so I am sure I have to share with you. I lost a good friend this summer. She did not pass to the great beyond, but rather just ceased to exist in my realm of being.

I am a Democrat, born and bred. I have been known to support Republican candidates on more then one occasion, but for the most part I just support what ever or who ever I think is right and on the side of good. This has earned me the name in the family as "a flaming Liberal," but so be it. Back to my train of thought.

My friend is a Republican. Nothing wrong with that, just laying the groundwork for this missive. Republicans have the right to live also, (Hi Joe!) The problem arises when we talk politics, so I tend to avoid that at all costs. I change the subject, I walk away, just whatever it takes, but...

We live in a computerized world and in that world is the forwarded email! No need to even think, just click forward, forward, forward. Now I open most of my email because I think there may be a message in there somewhere. So when the health care debate came to the forefront, my mail box was filled with how Obama is getting ready to have all the old people euthanized, and me being an old person, should immediately write my senator and yada, yada, and you know the routine.

That part is not important, what is is the fact that I asked her not to send this stuff. I forwarded it back to her. I asked her not to, but she continued, so I blocked her and sent her a letter telling her why. I was truly offended.

Then came the apology: "Dear Lou, I am very, very sorry I offended you, but you need to know what the Democrats are trying to do. You need to know that ..." and she continued in that vein, explaining to me what I am to simple minded to understand.

So on to the art of the apology. People have feelings. People have thoughts. People just want to live. If you step on someones toes in your quest for the good life, apologize and back off. "I am sorry." "I am sorry I offended you." "I am sorry I pissed you off." Stop there at the period. Do not say, "I am sorry, but you know you are wrong!" "I am sorry, but you are stupid and need to be educated."

Just "I am sorry." That is if you are sorry. Sorry you hurt me, not sorry I am of a different belief. A heartfelt apology will go a long way toward building bridges. I am a very stubborn person and left a church I had attended for 15 years for the lack of an apology.

So just love each other, mend your bridges and try not to piss me off, cause I carry a grudge and you need to know that going in!!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Nancy's Forest

This is a picnic table that hides in the forest!















It is hard to beleive that next door to Nancy's house is a school! Her house is in a forest and there is no other word for where she lives.








































This is a bird house that her husband, Ivan built for the little feathered creatures that flit about!






This has been a test to see how to put pictures on here and I think I got it, so get ready to learn lots of stuff!!

Another year down the tubes!

Counting today, there are only 5 days left in this year.    Momma nailed it when she said "When you are over the hill you pick up speed...