loumercerwordsofwisdom.blogspot.com

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

I am just as serious as a heart attack!

Here I am having a visit with my geese.  There are 13 of those feathery fowl now.  This summer I did away with the pond and bought a really big stock tank.  My thoughts along that line were that it would be much easier to keep clean.  It is definitely easier.  And they love the thing.  Course I had to build them a dirt berm into it and a platform to give them footing to get out.  And in the digging process I screwed up my foot and neglected to go to the doctor so when I do get around to that I will probably have to have it amputated.  That is alright.  Easy come easy go.
So I had reason to be on the Southside a  week or so ago and happened upon a house which is currently being put on the market.  Full basement, 2 bedrooms up and 2 down.  Laundry down.  Patio. Storage shed with electric and cement floor in the back yard.  2 Car attached garage.  And neighbors.  Located on a cul de sac, so low traffic.  3 blocks from my friends Kay and Frank.  And the price is right.  I could sell this place and buy that one and put enough in the bank to live on for probably the rest of my life.
Now, I am thinking about this very seriously.  Yard work would be minimal.  Kitchen is a bit dated, but so am I.  The appliances are all new.  So is the furnace.  Only draw back is no outside fowl are allowed in the city.  Imagine the neighbors when I pull up with my stock tank and 13 honking geese!   If I could get lucky and find someone to buy this place that would take the geese and promise to never sell them, or eat them, or let the fox eat them, I would be headed for town in a New York minute. (That means really fast!)
Winter is coming on and I am sure at some point it is going to snow.  The pond will freeze.  The geese will run out of feed and all kinds of problems happen out doors.  I do not like winter.  Pueblo is not as bad as Hutchinson used to be.  We are kind of in a hole here and severe anything is just not the norm.  But if I was in town, I could just stay in the house.  Well, I still have to shovel the walk.  Except there I would have to shovel the driveway, my sidewalk and the one in front of the house. Here I just mash it down.  Cities have rules.  I forgot that.
So maybe I will just wait a little longer until I am really old and I can go into the Assisted living.  Hmmm.  Wonder if they will let me bring the 2 dogs, cat, 2 looms, machine quilter, embroidery machine, ebay crap.....
Guess I am going to be cursed with living forever!

Monday, November 28, 2011

Hey, I may be on schedule with WAD!



There is my little slide show.  I went down last night and actually started the AIDS Ribbons.  See on World AIDS Day, which will be December 1 at the Hoag Library, I have much to do.  First I had to make 2 new panels for friends who have passed this last year.  I got that done on Saturday.  They will be dedicated at our program by Rev Jeannine Lamb and Rev. Mark Hild.  That is always a very solemn occasion.
I also need to make cookies for the reception and gathering time.  I have a freezer full of those already.  See PFLAG gives out goodie bags to all the clients at the SCAP Christmas party.  So since we need 36 bags this year and have very few bakers, I will do my share.
The last thing on the agenda is our candlelight service.  This is when we dedicate a ribbon to someone who has died from AIDS.  I have 50 made and will probably do another 25 or so.  Already bought the sharpee to write the names with .  We then take them out side to a tree and hang them on as we call out thier name.  Some times we tell a  little about them.
Eddie Three Eagles and his group will sanctify the tree and grounds as per native traditions.  Now this year is special, or at least to me it is.  The Pueblo AIDS Memorial Quilt, which is my personal project, will hang on the 4th floor of the Library for one full week.  I need to write up a thing on what this is and how it came into fruition.
This will once more be an all day event.  Not at the Library, per se, but both colleges will be doing testing.  That is always a busy time.  Last year we only did the PCC campus and we had no positive results.  In this case, positive is not good.  We are testing for the HIV and positive means you have it.  So we want negative.  We are hoping for the same thing this year.
So this is what I been up to.  Hope to see some of you at the Library.  We are shooting for a 5:45 P M start.  See you there!

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Wouldn't it be great if we could keep the kids little forever?

I guess probably the hardest thing for a mother to do is nothing.  There comes that time in a child's life when Momma can't help.  It is called reality.  They must make their own decisions and follow through.  That is where my son is at this moment.  His doggie has lots of problems that are not going to go away.  So.  The hardest thing in this life is to decide to euthanize a beloved pet.  Our pets never hurt us.  They give unconditional love and they do it every day, all day long.  They may not feel well, but they love us.  I can not remember how many times I walked in the vet's office with a dog, or cat, or bird, and walked out with my arms empty.  It never gets easier.  I always thought some day I would get used to it, but I never have.
I do think that I am a better person because of the animals that have gone through my life.  So tonight while I am sad, I am proud that my son can do what is right and know that he will be a better man.  More understanding because he has loved and lost.
Some one wrote a piece once.  It is called the Rainbow Bridge and it tells it just like it is.
Rainbow Bridge
There is a bridge connecting heaven and earth
It is called Rainbow Bridge because of its many colours
Just this side of the Rainbow Bridge there is a land of meadows,
hills, valleys with lush green grass
When a beloved pet dies, the pet goes to this special place
There is always food and water and warm spring weather
The old and frail are young again
Those who are maimed are made whole 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 suddenly runs from the group !
You have been seen, and when you and your special friend meet,
you take him or her into 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 the Rainbow Bridge together, never again to be separated
Author Unknown


This has brought me much solace.  Peace Little Oliver.  

Friday, November 25, 2011

Class? Me? No, I don't think so.

Some one told me one time that I had class.  Well, did not so much tell me as mentioned it to someone else and I over heard it being said.  So now yesterday I had  hours alone with myself in the car and I had occasion to think about class.  There seems to be more than one kind of class, as near as I can tell.
If  an older woman walks by, dressed in a sedate outfit, maybe a hat, rings on her fingers and smiling sweetly, one might say "That is one classy lady." 
If a younger woman with an hour glass figure, short skirt and lots of bling sashays by, one might say "That is one classy broad!"
If we are entertained by an act that gives us pleasure, we say "That was a real class act!"
When some one responds well under pressure, they are said to have "class".
Well, I would like to tell you what I perceive as "class".  That would be saying and doing the correct thing at all times when in a public setting.  And what brought this on?  Well, SWM (Single White Male) that I see on a more regular basis than any other SM (Single Male) wrangled an invitation to Thanksgiving Dinner at some one's house.  Now, granted had I been cooking I would have probably invited him and he probably would have eaten with me, but I did not, so neither did he.
So, he talks to himself a lot and I am privy to his conversations.  "I will take a bottle of white wine, since that goes with poultry.  I will wear my black slacks, a white shirt, my camel hair jacket, the gray, I think.  The black loafers.  No tie.  What will you be taking?"
"The car."
"What will you be wearing?"
"My green fatigues, if they are clean.  The white and green tennies.  An obnoxious tee shirt and the corduroy coat.  I will snack on a bag of Clementines and tortilla chips with Black Olive Hummus!  And Willie and Charley will serenade me all the way."  Love that country stuff.
The man is over 6 feet tall and so he definitely has the height advantage going there. And  his nose always seems to look longer when he looks down it at me!  He listens to Classical music in his garage for crying out loud!  He knows the origin of every painting on his walls.  One is to be donated to the museum in St. Louis when he goes for his final dirt nap.  (There is another one.  He prefers to think of it as his demise.)
So, to make a long story short, I am here to tell you that class is here to stay.  I am the working class, the blue collar class, the common every day country western lovin' hick or hillbilly class.  My bumper sticker reads, "If it feels good, do it!"  When I wake up on the wrong side of the sod I will be cremated and my ashes thrown to the wind.  That way I do not have to lay in a dress on a satin bed and have anyone look down on me.   But I do want to clarify something before I leave.  I have a lot of classy friends. They know which fork to use and when to not cuss and all kinds of things.  And most importantly , I know they love me just like I am and that makes the whole class thing a matter of perception on the part of the beholder.  SWM considers me a unique individual.
"Gonna' take me to St. Louis?"
"Oh, hell no!"  :)

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

November 22, 2002

Very few dates live in memory here in my head, but this one does.  Nine years ago this morning my husband passed away here at home.  I was not aware of this.  I knew he was not doing well and I planned a little visit to the doctor that morning with the little fellow in tow.  He did not like to go there so I was girding myself for that little confrontation.  We have always been early risers, he more so than me. So it was unusual that I was up and he was still in bed.  I knew he had a rough night so I thought I would just let him sleep and I pulled the door shut behind me.  I sent Bret off to school and then decided to get him stirring so we could go to the doctor.  He seemed disoriented and that frightened me, so I called his daughter, Jackie who lives right up the road.  She came and then we called 911.
They arrived in very short order and assessed the situation.  Did he have a DNR?  Yes, but it was with papers that since had been moved and I could not lay my hands on it.  Fatal mistake #1.  If you have a Do Not Resuscitate order, keep it in your hand at all times.  Or at the very least within arms reach.  Do you know what happens if you don't?  The rescue crew will resuscitate you and put you on life support and there you will stay. If you think "putting them on life support " is the end of it, it you are sadly mistaken.
Life support is exactly what it says.  A machine breathes for you and another beats for your heart.  Kenny had a very strong heart so it kept beating without the help of a machine.  The first few days in the ICU he remained in a coma.  When he awoke from that and looked around he began to cry.  He had apparently been in a much happier place and I, through my ineptness had forced him back into this world.  And there he remained.  For three weeks he was in ICU.  Then came the point when he was stabilized enough to "take him off the respirator."  That sounds very simple, doesn't it?  Not so.
When a machine breathes for you for three weeks, your body begins to accept that as normal.  They have hospitals that are skilled at respiratory care and know how to remove a patient from the respirator with great success.  Or so they say.  So off we went to Colorado Springs, to a place called Semper Care.  And there he stayed.  I went every morning and came home evey night.  Bret was in grade school so I tried to maintain some semblance of normality.  Yeah, right.
Kenny never spoke again.  He did know us and his friends came to visit.  His kids were in and out and his mom, sister, brothers, ex-wife, the preacher, whoever would pop in and his eyes would light up in recognition.  Or at least at first they did. 
Man was not meant to be kept alive on machines.  He began to have seizures, brought on by the staph infection, Merza.  That was cleared up.  By then we began to notice that he was not his usual self.  Then it returned.  More seizures and by then it was evident that there was brain damage from the seizures or high fever or something.  What now?
If putting him on life support had been hard, taking him off was even harder.   That is a chore I would not wish on my worst enemy.  For some unknown reason all of his kids were there that morning that the decision was made.  I had kept Bret home from school and brought him to the Springs with me.  I guess we all just knew it was time.  We met with the Chaplain and the arrangements were made.  Then began our long watch.  The oxygen was left on, but the machine was turned off.  After all the time he had been on the machine his body had learned to replicate the breathing.  Towards morning it began to slow and at 5:23 A.M. on January 30, 2003, it stopped. 
The purpose of this post?  What words of wisdom do I have for you today?  Just this.  Get your affairs in order.  Have a DNR?  Put it on the refrigerator where mine is now located.  If God chooses to remove me from this place today, I want to be able to go peacefully.  Kenny would have liked that, but it did not happen.  Losing that man was like losing my will to live, and going on alone is not what I had it mind, but that is what we call life.  So that is what I will do until I hear that trumpet call in my mind and then I am out of here! And you bette wish me God Speed!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Are you talking really fast? Or am I listening really slow.

Made the mistake of going through the drive through at Wendy's in Pueblo West yesterday.  Have you been through one of those lately?  Damn near a fatal mistake.  First, I do not have the menu committed to memory, so I have to actually look at it.  Well, no, the first thing that has to happen is I have to manuver the car into a position so I can SEE the menu.  That being accomplished I then need to see the words.  Now I wear trifocals so one of the three levels of glass should afford me the ability to actually see the words.  Now seeing the words and awakening my taste buds to that particular item is usually like passing something through congress.  And it helps to have some little chickadee blasting through the speaker "Yareddy?"  "Reddynowhuh?" 
Now there was not another car in sight so I am sure I was not holding up the line.  I finally had to tell her, "Listen honey, I am 70 years old and any meal I eat may be my last so I want to be sure it is something I will remember on my luge ride to the Pearly Gates.  So cool your heels and I will call you when I want you."
Apparently that either ticked her off or appeased her cause she got very quiet.  I finally decided on the value menu hamburger with french fries and no drink.  So I called her back to the mic.
"I would like the hamburger and an order of french fries on the value menu."
"Yawantcheeseonthat?"
"Huh?"
"Yawantcheeseonthatornotcheese?"
"Huh"  This girl was talking way faster than my ears could listen.  "Wait a minute, just let me slow that down."  I put my brain in warp speed and played it back to me. "You want cheese on that or no cheese."
"Ok, I got it.  No I do not want cheese on that.  For future reference had I wanted cheese I would have ordered the Cheeseburger for 40 cents more."
"Whatsizefriessmallmediumlargeorsupersize?"
"Huh?"
"Whatsizefriessmallmediumlargeorsupersize?"  Once more I played the warp speed slow down and play back game.  "What size fries?  Small, medium, large, or supersize?"
"Well honey, which size comes on the value menu for $1.19?"
"Small."
"Ok, I will take the small."
"Whattadrink?"  I immediately translated that and told her, "Nothing."  Not going to guess what I might have ended up with on that one.
" $2.47."  And I took that as a dismissal.  Since no drawer was proffered and no hand came out the window I took that as a signal that I should proceed on the drive way to the next window.  Sure enough a hand popped out, grabbed my money, an pushed a sack towards me, which I grabbed before it hit the ground.
Now this is an open letter to all you little fresh faced little newbies entering the work force.

Dear Who ever you are,

    I am old.  My ears have apparently not kept up with changing times.  They are slow.  When you speak to me you need to leave spaces between your words.  At the end of the sentence there will be a period which indicates a breathe before forging to the next sentence.  Like this..."Hello, Old Lady.  I know you are slow witted and not always sure what you want, but I will give you a little time to decide.  I realize you did not wake up this morning knowing what you would want for lunch at a fast food place and since you are paying and eating it I will let you decide.  And I realize your bladder is only so big and I will not push the super size drink out the window at you."  Or something like that.

   I choose Wendy's over the other places because of the fresh faced little girl and Dave Thomas and his honest appeal.  MacDonalds has a reputation of luring children with thier ads so I never go there.  Burger King is alright, but seems a little pricey and austere.  I actually prefer the Senior Menu at Village Inn, but that involves setting alone and I do not like to do that.

   You need to know that since you are just entering the work force you probably have 50 years ahead of you during which you will no doubt encounter a lot of us old farts, but remember this, some day you are going to look down at the cuff of your shirt and see your mother's hand coming out of the sleeve.  To interpert, this means some day you are going to be old.  When I was young we were taught to respect our elders.  To help them across the street.  And if we encountered one who seemed a little confused we were to be patient with them.  Try it.

    In exchange for that, I will pay my bill promptly and move out of the way for the next customer.  And I will smile at you, because I actually like people and I know the next generation will be the one that slaps me in the nursing home.
   So have a good day and take pity on us old people.

And those are my thoughts for today. Today I will take a sandwich with me. 

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Oh, I been so busy!

Well, if you wonder where I am, try Pueblo West at the Jingle Bell boutique.  And if you wonder what I am selling, try the Arse Lookin at You face and body butter.  Had to run home last night and make a bunch!  And for those of you who do not know, I only have two hands.  So I am giving you a quick update and then into the shower, off to the West and stop and mail out 100 Crown Royal bags to a lady in MN.  Lovely lady named Mary who is going to make a quilt and I hope she sends me a picture.  I am sure she will.  Got the Crown Royal bags from my niece in Oklahoma (Hi Cindy) and they are to sell and raise money for my SCAP clients.  Can not beat a deal like that!

I think the weather is supposed to get nasty, but I hope not.  I plan on going to Lakin, Kansas for Thanksgiving.  Course it will be my usual 8 hours on the road and 2 hours visiting.  Got the geese and animals to take care of, you know.  But it is not the length of the visit, but the quality that counts.  Sam said he might drive up for the day.  We will see. 

Course then Friday is the Parade of Lights.  As I recall every time I go to that I about freeze to death.  I was dating that guy in the high rise that sets right off Union and had I kept that connection I could have watched the parade from the sixth story balcony.  But you know me and how this dating thing goes.  Men require time and when was the last time I sat still and did not fall asleep?  That ticks them off.  Well, sorrrrrrrrrrrry!

So now I am off to do the 8 hours at the Boutique.  I promise I will get back to interesting stuff as soon as this is over.  Sunday is church and then break down the tables, etc. at the VFW.  Then Monday meeting with the Insurance and Century Link.  Then I should have a breather.  So bear with me.  :)

Thursday, November 17, 2011

But are you missing my real calling?

Just a little note here to let some of you know that if you are not checking in on http://www.delilahsdatingdilemma.blogspot.com then you are missing my feeble attempt at a novel.  I do not want to give it away, but I am writing ahead of what you will be reading and I have to work on it in the daylight because I am scaring myself.
You will need to go to the address above and go back to the November 6 post to start at the beginning, unless of course, you like to read magazines as I do.  I start at the back and read to the front.  But on books I start at the front.  All a matter of personal preference, me thinks.
When you read this please keep in mind that it is pure fiction at it's very best  And leave me a comment which you do by clicking on that little envelope at the end of the post.  Give me your real opinion, cause you know I appreciate honesty!
The name of it is Chapter One.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Well, the Arse is now on hold!

This is what is going on in my kitchen this morning.  Absolutely nothing.  See I invented this wonderful face cream with the main ingredient of Hemp Butter.  I mean this stuff is great and I have testimonials if you want to read them. "Lou, this is great!  I wear it under my make up and no grease.  Will be back for more."  That from one of my eBay customers.  Send some to a friend in New York and told him to let his girlfriend try it.  Told him it made my face as soft as a babies butt.  He had the brilliant idea to name it "Arse Lookin' at You!"  Course he loves it and is not sharing with the girlfriend.  says she can just buy her own.
Then he came up with the brilliant idea to put it in black or camoflague tubs and market it to men with the slogan "Every man needs a little Arse!"  I have not gone there yet, nor have I needed too.
So I made a bunch of this and slapped the Arse label on half and Hemp Butter on the other half.  Between the church and the weavers sale I sold every bit of it. So yesterday I got out all my ingredients, the scales, the tubs, and the cooking pan and stick blender.  What I did not get out was the key ingredient, because I am out of that.  Seems I got busy making stuff up for the sales and neglected to order a tub of Hemp Butter.  So I got on my trusty sight and ordered 5 pounds of it.  Checked 3 day ground because the "I forgot to order and need this bad so please rush it to me" method of shipment would have added an extra $126 to the price.  Now even I am smart enough to know that if I want to make money I have to keep my cost low.  So here I set, telling you about it instead of making it.
Now I do have some in the refrigerator, but it is for eating.  It is not refined and has seeds in it.  I put it on toast in the morning with just a little jelly cause it is just like peanut butter only different.
So now I measured everything out so all I have to do is put the Hemp Seed Butter in and finish the job.  I can put all this stuff away and get busy and make something like this:
See I have a little friend coming up from Florida to spend a few days and she has a sweet tooth that will not quit.  I just wanted to let all you people out there who think I am infallible know that such is not the case.  In my defense, however, I worked very hard getting ready for the Church sale and the weavers sale, but this Jingle Bell just snuck right up on me.  Think I have plenty of other stuff, just the Arse is missing.  Should pull it on eBay but I am sure my stuff will get her quickly.  Those people in Utah are nothing if not speedy.
Hopefully tomorrow I am going to have the pictures of the towels my friend Alex sent me from Wales.  Got to frame them because it would be a sin to actually use them!
Until tomorrow then,  
May the good Lord take a liken' to you!

Saturday, November 12, 2011

As promised!

Donna Graham, like the cracker!

Drum roll, please!!!!  This is Donna Graham from Walsenburg, Colorado.  She is standing beside her art work that was actually in a New York Gallery.  Oh, I am hobnobbing with the big girls now!  I am so honored.  She explained to me that these three items are actual things she crocheted, knitted or wove and then saturated with something ( big words and my mind closed up ) and then draped them on somthing else.  See, the best part about art is that you actually have to see it and touch it.  I seen this and touched it and I was impressed.  She may be an artist and hang her work in New York, but she is still a Colorado girl!
And here is a close up of the art work as well as the tattoo she got so long ago that it had to be redone.  Seems like the original one she gave to herself when she was bored in Biology class.  Got to tell you, I have never been that bored!  Never poked myself and never let anyone else come at me with a needle either.  But as far as photography goes, I would say this picture is worth a thousand words.  We have the art work, which is absolutely mesmerizing and then we have the hand in front of it that belongs to the artist and lets us know that she is a real human.  The card from the New York Gallery which shows success.  Full Circle is what I will call it.
This is a little number that Donna knitted but first she spun the yarn.  Oh, I do envy this girl her patience.  Bet she makes Apple Pies also!                                                                                            I think this is a shawl.  I could be wrong.  Would not be the first time.  Let me go check the album captions.  Well, that was not much help because I apparently did  not know when I put the captions on the pictures.  But I will say it is Donna's until some one corrects me!
Now, I recall Donna telling me she lives in WalVeta.  That means it is the same distance from her house to Walsenburg as it is to LaVeta.  I am going to go see her next summer and hike in her mountains. She can carry a shotgun and make sure a bear does not get me!
Donna was also on the board that put this sale together.  They mostly stayed up in the inner sanctum and ran figures through the computers.  Last year they gave me an award for shutting down the computer the most times.  They gave me a pink sheep with holes all over it.  Elvira   thinks it is hers and shakes it.  The stuffing is all gone now.  I do want to commend all the ladies who made this years sale such a success.  And these are in no particular order.  Oh, wait!  They are in alphabetical order!!  Hats off to :

JANET ANZLOVAR ........DEMONSTRATIONS              
JOAN ARCHULETA.........CASHIER TEAM                  
INA BERNARD.................ADVERTISING
MARJORIE BRATZLER...REFRESHMENTS         
LYNNE GNAIZDA............ADVERTISING
DONNA GRAHAM............CASHIER TEAM-INVENTORY & INVITED ITEMS
MARILYN HOISINGTON.STANDARDS & CHECK-IN
BETTY KOCHEVAR.........PROPS & SET UP
TARA MATTHEWS...........SCHEDULING
JUDI PATTERSON.............GUILD PRESIDENT-EX-OFFICIO
TERRI ROSTAD.................GUEST ARTISTS
KAREN SMITH..................STANDARDS AND CHECK IN
COLETTE WRIGHT...........CO-CHAIR & CASHIER TEAM-TREASURER
DONNA GOWER................CHAIR & CASHIER TEAM-HEAD CASHIER
CAROLE SNOW.................SCHEDULING
CAROL SALAS...................STANDARDS & CHECK IN

                       Tomorrow I will post just a slide show of the closing day of the Handwoven Holiday Sale!  Watch for it!

Friday, November 11, 2011

Five Minutes on the soap box.

Well, I know I am in the middle of something with my ladies, but I have got to hop up on my soap box here for just a few.  I know they will not mind this little diversion.
America, what in the hell are you thinking?  Riots over Penn State coach firing!  Is a ball game that important?  Where have I been all my life?  I see acts of cowardice on the news when a 2 year old girl was hit in the street and people walked past and paid no attention.  I think that was in China.  What did the world say?  They said  "Things like that happen in the United States, but not here."  We have become known as a country of callous beings.
Where else are athletes paid millions of dollars to play a season of ball, put them on a pedestal, and then riot in the streets because a 10 year old boy got himself raped and the adults who were supposed to protect him turned blind eyes?  That particular coach was to be excused because he had a winning team!  I am sorry, I just don't get it.  Sandusky is the guilty one here, you say?  Sandusky is not the only one to share in this debacle.  There are laws in place to protect the weak and young and they are there for a reason.  There were a lot of responsible people who turned a blind eye on this one.  This one and how many more just like it?
I am so sick of turning on my television and seeing some one with down cast eyes making their little spiel about "Oh, well, I am so sorry.  I should have done more."  The politicians who lie directly to the camera for weeks and then when confronted with the actual picture of them with thier hand in the cookie jar tell us, "Oh, well, I remember now.  I am so sorry.  I am an honorable man, but there was that one time."  And Lord only knows if all of Tiger's women were ever uncovered.  (Well, we know they were uncovered, but I mean in the sense of publicly discovered.)  I do admire his wife, oh, excuse me, his EX wife. 
I rather live in my own little world and try to just do what I think is right, and people, this is not right.  I look at my world around me and I am so happy that I am old and this is not going to be my fight that much longer.  Man's inhumanity to man is just about more than I can stomach for many more years.  I see the "Occupy " forces over on the corner and I watched the Tea Party blossom, falter and splinter.  I long for the days before technology when we did not see what was happening in virtual time. 
If I indeed do get to come back for another shot at this life, I hope I can come back in the time of the Pony Express and no phones, no television and I can eat fresh cows cream on my cracked wheat in the morning and top it off with a pat of real butter!

Thursday, November 10, 2011

This is Marilyn Hoisington who taught me to weave.

This is Marilyn Hoisington, my teacher and mentor who taught me to weave at the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center up there in the class room. I had wanted to learn to weave since I was knee high to a grasshopper.  I think it went back to the days when momma would tear rags into strips, cut a slit in one end and link them together and have us kids roll the rags into a big ball.  This was then taken to the "rug weaving lady"  who took the balls and in due time returned to mother a rug six or 7 feet long.  That always amazed me.  The cost of the weaving was about $3.00.
While looking through the paper the Arts Center put out periodically I saw that I could take weaving lessons so I was all over that.  I remember how scared I was that first night.  Marilyn was very understanding as to my intimidation by the loom and all the threads. Just did not look like anything I could possibly master.  But under her tutelage I not only learned to weave, I learned how to measure a warp and warp the silly loom.  When classes were over, I bought her floor loom and it and I have become inseparable.
On the left is one of her items for sale.  It is a tapestry wall hanging of some sort.  And on the right is the tapestry work that greets the customers at the front door.  You should know that all the tapestry work she does is designed by her and she has wonderful taste.  I just kind of look at a blank piece of paper and all I see is a piece of paper, but she sees visions and all sort of designs.  And colors and dreams, I think.
Tapestry is not all she does.  She started weaving 30 years ago and the tapestry came to be her medium several years back.  I think in another life her name was Rapunzel and she spun straw into gold.  I have never seen anything come off her loom that was not a work of art.
But look at this one.  She says this is a failure.  Remember when Aunt Grace gave you a baby blanket and you washed it and it shrank up to be the size of a dinner napkin?  We called that "not taking care of something handmade and ruining it."  Now they do it deliberately and they call it "felting" and it is very much to be desired.  So she was trying a new technique called 'bead leno'.  That involves using a bead between the heddles and beater, I think.  She said it did not work so she felted it or something.  I got a little confused, but here is the important part.  When she held it up to the light, a design was inside the scarf.  It could not be seen looking at it on either side, but it could be seen through the scarf. And that is just cooler than anything!

Here is our little Marilyn doing what she does best which is teaching someone how to weave with nothing but a piece of cardboard and some string.  This is called card weaving.  And see the things over on the right side of this page? Those were all made on card looms.  The round ones were made on the paper plates.  Isn't that about as ingenious as you can get?  She embellishes with beads and whatever happens to be laying around.  I think her mind goes 24/7.  The little brown bear you see in the pictures is Star and he has his own little hand woven scarf that Marilyn made on the card loom.  She says when she is away from her loom her hands need something to do and this is quite easy to pick up and requires very little equipment.  So as I left Marilyn today she was busily making another scarf for little Star. Such a good Mama Bear!
 I have decided that there are so many ladies in our Guild that need to be spot lighted that one week is not nearly enough time, so I will be continuing to present more of them to you as I can catch them and beat them into submission.  I will drag them kicking and screaming through the pages of Lou Mercer's Words of Wisdom or know the reason why!
See you tomorrow when I think I am going to corner that wily little Joanne Caldwell.



Joanne Caldwell can do way more than warp a loom!

Meet Joanne Caldwell.  Doesn't she look innocent there?  She is showing off one of her many creations.  This one just happens to be a shrug or some such thing.  Isn't it pretty?  If at all possible you should wrangle an invitation to her house.  The woman probably has 15 looms, all warped and all in various stages of work being finished.  She also has yarn up the grommit and handles sales for other people.  And she hosts classes and dye days and stores the rental equipment and her husband Bill, is an absolute jewel.  Have yet to figure who got the best end of that deal!  Just kidding there!
Now what did she teach me?  Among other things, the Inkle Loom and this old gal is very good at what she does.  In case you do not know what an Inkle Loom is let me tell you.  It is used to make narrow bands like this:              
But over here she is getting a neck massage from yours truly.  She was demonstrating so I showed her how to relax.  Sue shot the picture cause Sue is a good girl.  Now let me go see if I can find a few of her Inkle Looms that are all dressed and ready to be used.
Well, and there they are, just like magic.  I love the rainbow one there on the right.  I guess I will dig out my Inkle loom and make me a pretty rainbow one like that.  Wonder if I remember how to do that.  Surely I do. 
 Now in case you think dragging all this stuff from her house to the Vail is easy I want you to know it is not.  I have a few candid shots here that I want to share with you.  Here is Joanne coming in the front door and it is easier to bring everything in one trip then to make two trips.
And here she is looking for something in this suitcase. I think it may be Bill! You know I would never put these pictures on here if this was someone else, but it is dear Joanne and she is more fun than a barrel of monkeys and keeps me in stitches all the time. A great sport! I love you, Joanne Caldwell!
If you ever get to thinking that the Weaver's Guild is just for fuddy duddy's you are very sadly mistaken. You know me and you should know that I do not go for the mundane. The Guild is just a bunch of women who like to have a good time and share secrets and tips on how to produce beautiful pieces of art. That is what weaving is, you know, art.
The sale is just about over for the year.  We have Friday and Saturday until 3:00 PM.  Then it will be packed away until next year.  But we have a meeting every month, so if you are interested at all in this ancient art you can contact me through my profile, or leave a comment.  We would be most happy to have you in our midst and maybe you can teach us something!
See you tomorrow.










Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Donna Gower keeps them all in line!

This is the chair of the Chair!  Donna Gower is Chairperson and Head Cashier.  She is the one you go to when you have a problem.  She is the problem solver and problem solver she is!  I asked her if she would be in my blog and she used some kind of rough language for my tender ears.  NO was in there somewhere so I did talk her into letting me do one and not putting her face up front and out there.  I do not know why because she is a beautiful woman.  And we have a lot in common.  She loves purple even more than I do.  See that jacket?  It is actually purple.

On the left is her purple and white bowl, her purple die, and her purple stapler along with her purple cup.  At one point her hair was purple, but now it is white, which holds the purple dye very well.  On the right is her foot in it's usual position., if you get my drift?  And yes, she did knit that sock!
I finally told her, "Donna, you gotta give me something!  I have more photo's of Big Foot then I do of you."  Now this woman has a way of making her eyes very little and looking at me very mean, but I know she is a cream puff and I know secretely way far down in the inner depths of her soul, she likes me.  Or at least tolerates me.  So she turned around and spread her arms and I got this picture.  My coup de grais, so to speak!
She made this and if you could see this up close you would see some workmanship that rivals the best of them. ( I think you can click on my pictures and they will get bigger.  If not you just wasted a little finger muscle.)  She designed and made all those things hanging down herself.  I think it is knitted but what ever it is I may have to kill her and take it. 
As I recall, Donna moved here a couple years ago from back East some where.  I knew at the time, but that memory has been replaced by something else.  She fit right in the Guild from the first day she walked through the door and is a very take charge person and follows through on what she says she will do.  That is always the mark of a truly wonderful person. So highest accolades to Donna and her crew for a wonderful 27th Annual sale this year.
See, Donna, this was not so bad was it?
 And I think my spell checker is on the blink cause I did this whole page without the yellow coming on, so just ignore my mistakes.

Joan Archuleta and who is that with her?

Well, I'll be darned!  It is Joan and her lovely daughter, Sheryl and the twin grand daughtes, Sophia and Anna!  Come to see Grandma!  Grandpa Ruben is probably home warming up the television and rooting for the Raiders!  Bad Ruben! Not really.  Ruben is a publish author as well as a very accomplished sculpter.  And he used to be police chief or something along that line.  I do not know that personally, only what I read in the papers!  (I am a very good girl!)  Goes to show our Guild ladies do have a life away from the loom, spinning wheel, sheep  and whatever else occupies their fingers and minds.
 Now take a gander here at a couple pieces Joan made.  On the left is a purse and on the right are 2 mats.  This woman is one of the best Navajo weavers I have ever had the chance to encounter.  I am dieing  to go to her house cause I know she has a "walking loom" and I do not even know what one is.  Her rugs do not hang around long so I do not have any pictures to show you.  You might check over on Facebook cause I think Ina has been snapping pictures all week and she actually takes very good pictures as opposed to mine.  She would never zero in on a purse in front of an open window and expect that to come out good.  But that is just a small part of my charm!

But to show that wool is not her only medium, here are a set of placemats she produced.  They are very nice and she did the hem stitching on the ends which is always a very nice finish.  I do it cause it is easier then trying to catch all those thread and tie knots in them.
Now, to show her softer side, last year she was busy knitting helmet liners for our brave troops in Afghanistan.  They were  wool and made out of either drab olive or black.  She gave me the directions and I actually made one and started a second, but I never got them over to her and now I do not know where they are.  (See why I make lists?)
I am very proud to count Joan as one of my friends in the Guild.  There are probably about 85 ladies in our Handweavers Guild of Pueblo.  They come from small towns around also.  I probably know about half of them well enough to call them by name if I met them outside the meeting room.  I would love to be able to spend a day on each of them so you would know them also, but you know how this blog works.  World AIDS day is coming up and I have that to cover.  And life presents me challenges every day, that I must tell you about or pop open!  So here is the deal.  I am going to bring you one or two spaced out over the month.  That way I can pique your interest in my Guild. (Isn't that cute how I call it MY Guild?)
Course I ran into a small problem when I would say "Can I put you on my blog?"  Quick answers...."NO! Now get outta here!"  And some really got firm with me.  LOL! 
Come see my ladies at the sale.  There are only 4 days left!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Sharon Pollock is on the hot seat today!

Let me see how the old memory is working today.  Well, I know this is Sharon Pollock.  I know she comes from Colorado City, which is just up the road a ways.  The "road"  is I 25.  I 25 is one of the nations supply lines from Canada down to Mexico and vice versa.  And according to the paper I see it is not all legal trade either.  I am not really sure Canada exports a lot of merchandise into Mexico, but I only read headlines anyway.
Ok, now I think I remember.  This is Merino and if you click on my pictures they will get bigger.  This has a lovely design and check out the edges on her work.  They are as even and her tension on the whole thing amazes me.  I may have her come hold my little paw and teach me a few tricks.  My edges usually look like a drunken caterpillar laid them out!
On the left is a hand dyed scarf that Sharon made.  On the right is another she made and went to a lot of work tying this into a knot that the ladies have learned to tie and I have not as my attention span is not that long.  I have even forgotten who taught them how to do it, but I knew at one time.  Oh, I remember, it was Jennifer some one.  Hang on and let me go to Youtube and see if I can find the video.  It is called Jennifer ties one on.   Found it.  I will post it at the end of the blog. 
Back on topic.  As I recall, both of these scarvers were white and she hand dyed them at one of Joanne  Caldwell's "Dye Party's".  Remember when we used to throw Tupperware Party's?  Now we just throw Tupperware.
I know Sharon has worked two days at the sale already.  Maybe more.  She is a very good salesperson.  She is a Guild Lady!  And I am very happy I got the chance to work with her at least the one day.  I enjoy working the sale as it gives me a chance to get to know all the ladies better.  So here we have Sharon at the end of her shift and I could be wrong, but I think she may have dozed off on me.  My stories do get a bit boring!



See ya tomorrow!!   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiB6HtZNXb8

Monday, November 7, 2011

Betty Kochevar, one of the Grande Dames of the Guild.

Here is our lovely Betty standing by the perpetual calendar, which we are selling at the sale going on right now!  Now when I say Betty is a Grande Dame it is not to be pronounced Grand Dame.  The "a" will be soft as "Graund Daume".  See?  This woman is every inch a lady!  Know up front that classy ladies rarely befriend me, but the ladies of the Guild are different.  See I have to give you a lesson in ladies here.  Women fall into three classes mostly.  There are women, ladies and then the "B" words.  Most of the females in the Guild land right smack in the lady category.  They all have a rather genteel quality about them which is not something that can be forced, but rather something deep inside that is a part of their very being.  Imagine when I first stumbled into a Guild meeting.  Oh, dear!  But most of them accept me without question and actually seem to like me just the way I am.  So, I hang out with my ladies of the Guild!
But this is about Betty and her endeavors.  I forgot to ask her how long she has been with the Guild, but I bet it is a long time.  (When you meet Marilyn Hoisington  I will give you more history.)  Betty was there before me.  She lives over in Joanne Caldwell's neck of the woods and more on that little fox later also.
And here are pictures of Betty showing off some of her work.  Top picture is a Christmas Ornament.
Then a very beautiful scarf of which I did not get a very good picture, but you have come to expect that, haven't you?
Bottom is a beautiful blue vest, which I thought pretty strongly about stealing, but for some odd reason, the women of the Guild bring out the "not being bad girl" side of me.  Bet if I asked her for that she would give it to me.  Sure hope it sells , but the chances of that happening are very good.  Stuff is flying off the shelves.  I think we are going to set a new record on our sale.  I think I heard someone say this is our 27th sale.  Same time, same place every year; the first weekend in November at the Historic Down Town Union Avenue District. 
But once more I do digress!  Back to Betty Kochevar.  I do not ever recall not seeing a smile on her face.  And what I know about her  life is pretty much zilch.  I know she has a husband and that exhausts my knowledge of her home life.  Oh, wait!  This woman is a fantastic cook!  Course most woman that weave their own clothes are not going to be picking up a lot of fast food on the way home from anywhere.
So for the sake of brevity, let us bid a fond farewell to our little Betty and let me go do some thing about that mess in my kitchen!  See you tomorrow; same time, same place!














Saturday, November 5, 2011

Tara Matthews is showing off her wares today.

I would like you to meet Tara Matthews.  She is showing off a something or other here that you pull over your head.  She told me what the name of this is but the vacuum between my ears was so loud I missed it.  I think it is like a shawl kind of.  I do know it was very pretty and very soft.  She did a very good job, but then she does very good work.
Now this is a very lovely scarf.  Tara likes to makes scarves and I like to buy them so we have a lot in common there!  Tara has been with the Guild off and on, sometimes here and sometimes moved a way  for about 15 years.  Oh, I like her fingernails!  I usually dine on mine.
When the elections are held next month, I think, Tara will be our second vice president.  First we have a president, then a vice president and then a second vice president.  I think that is how it goes.
Can you see that purse back there?  I did not get a very good picture of it, I am sorry to say. The colors in it are abosolutely vibrant.  Now, what else did you make Tara?
"Oh, let me see!  Hmmm.....I forgot."  I know that feeling Tara, so don't feel bad!  I have never seen so many handwoven pieces in one room before.  I do not even know where mine are.  So I want to thank Tara Matthews for being my subject for today.  And a very good subject she was!
OK, I am going to call it a night and hit the sack.  Remember to set your clocks back an hour.  One year I set them the wrong way and I was two hours early for church.  Course I had 3 grandkids with me and they were little and just figured I was old and addled so I just let them think that.  But now that I am old and addled I have to act like I am not or they will revoke my park pass!!
Have a lovely evening and I will see you tomorrow when I once more go the Vail Hotel and run down some innocent little Guild member and embarrass her to tears.  I am so worthless!


Friday, November 4, 2011

Karen DeQuardo is our secret shopper today, or is she?


Today was the first day of the Handwoven Holiday Sale which happens every year the first week end of November and runs clear through to the next weekend.  What a fun time for the Guild. It is held at the Historic Vail Hotel and what a beautiful back drop this is for the work these women produce.  Oh, yeah, I do it too, but not like these women.  They are artisians.  I am a klutz.  See that towel I showed you yesterday?  Look real close.  It has a big yellow mark on it so it is in there soaking in some bleach water right now.  Some times I amaze even myself.
So I had to set up the craft show at the church this afternoon and after I checked out the black bear stuck in the tree down in the blocks, dropped a package in the mailbox, I headed down to the Vail.  I got there at exactly the same time as Karen DeQuardo.  Think way back to when I took the pine needle basket class at Colorado Fiber Arts and you will remember Karen.  She is the one that owns the place now.  She and her friend Winnie were taking turns; one minding the store and the other shopping at the sale.  Karen was shopping for a rug.  Well, that in itself is an undertaking because there are some works of art on the rug wall this year.  Hell, there are works of art all over that Vail Hotel!
So back to Karen.  I asked her how many times she had visited the sale and she told me every year for as long as she could remember!  I watched Karen wander around the sale and I think I can safely say that she touched everything in there at least once. Some of the pieces got an extra groping.  Made me laugh.  I just love to watch a woman who loves to shop and this girl does.  And she knows quality when her fingers and eyes encounter it.  And there was a lot of that going on in there.
See, if you had visited the store like I told you to, you would know that she carries some of the best fibers in the state.  Colorado Fiber Arts, located at 121 Broadway here in Pueblo, Colorado carries about anything you could want in the line of threads, yarns, wools, batts and stuff I know nothing about.  I do know there are skeins of hand spun stuff that I would trade an arm or leg for, but she does not take body parts, so I am out of luck.  And if you want to learn how to do something she can fix you right up with a class, or teach you herself.  I learned how to felt there.  Oh, and the gourd classes. And the basket weaving.  See I know a little about a lot of things.  What was it momma used to say, "Jack of all trades and master of none!"  Yep!  That is me.  Course she also told me "Do what you do, do well, girlie."  Well, mama, I am trying!

Whoops, back to Karen.  Never let it be said I have a one track mind.  So, if you wonder about anything fiber related, pick up that phone and dial 719-543-1161 and tell her or Winnie that Lou said.  Now sometimes that "Lou said" will get you in  a world of hurt, but these people like me.  They like every body and nothing would make them happier than helping you turn out a lovely piece of knit, crochet, tatting, felting or weaving.  I like to just go in there and feel stuff.  Some times I just pick up a button that is handmade for the purses I make.  I think they also have groups that meet and set around and knit or crochet and shoot the breeze.  Hope they are not talking about me!
Back to business.  Why do I call Karen a secret shopper?  Because she is very quite and unassuming and is very quietly gathering her treasures and stashing them up at the cashier so it actually looks like she is not even buying anything, but in all honesty, she did buy all three of the rugs that T.L. draped on her.  That is why she draped them on her!
So that is it for today.  I have decided to spotlight a member every day. I may expose the people who work behind the scenes one day.  But for tomorrow, I am going to do the craft show at the church and then pop over to the sale and see who is hanging out just wanting me to interview them.  Be sure and make some time for the sale! And stop by here daily and see if I have your face on my slide show.  That will be changed daily also.
Damn!  I am good!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

The Weavers Sale is going to start tomorrow and I am there!

 




This is what my towel looked like on the loom. This is the finishing end of it. I made this one with a cotton warp and Pigtail Cotton Chenille. It is 100% cotton and weighs 2 pounds and 4 ounces. This sucker is big and it is soft and I thought about keeping it myself, but I am so money hungry it makes me sick.

This is what it looks like after it is washed, blocked and then tossed in the dryer for a little fluffing up job.  My daughter has a towel I gave her three years ago that I made out of Island Cotton.  She is going to bring it over so I can see it.  She says she uses it and loves it and washes it and it is just like the day she got it only it is softer and more absorbent than ever.  Sure makes me feel good when some one actually likes something I do. 
Course it is a little hard to beat anything that is home made whether it is a tea towel, a shawl or a bowl of mashed potatoes.  I had a friend once named Judy and she always brought mashed potatoes to the pot lucks.  I think that pound and a half of butter that she added finally caught up with her because she moved to California and promptly died.  And what all that has to do with the Weavers's Sale I have not a clue, but here is the deal for you!
I am going to stop by the sale tomorrow afternoon and take lots of pictures.  Then I am going to download those pictures into my Picassa.  Then I will spend three or four hours trying to figure out how that slideshow works.  And when I hit the publish button I will also hit the notify button and send it off to Joanne Caldwell who will send it out to her contacts.  So you ladies better be ready because I am going to snap your little pictures for the next week and then all my friends out there who read this will get to meet you.  This is going to be so much fun!!
But if you are a reader of my blog and not a member of the Handweavers Guild of Pueblo, and you live in this area, I fully expect you to pop in and visit at the Vail Hotel,  217 South Grand (at Union), in Historic Pueblo, Colorado.  Hours are from 10:00 AM-6:00 PM.  And keep a sharp eye out here cause I am going to devote a lot of digital snaps to this sale this year.
I love these women in my Guild and never cease to be amazed at what wonderful work they do.  Oh, and hey!  They let me sell my soaps and lotions at the sale.  I feel so special!

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...