Happy Birthday Dad!

Today is my father's 90th birthday!  It's a hard concept to wrap one's head around, especially when for the past 20 some years, I have only seen my Dad maybe a half a dozen times.  .. which is a whole different story, that won't ever be shared on my blog.  It goes too deep, hurts too much, and no amount of wishing it so, can change the final outcome, anyway.

But it is his birthday, and I do love him, and today he does turn 90 yrs old.

Once was a time he was surrounded by a loving family... he came from a very large family - he lost his mother when he was 12 yrs old, and being the third eldest of 11 children, grew up helping his father and his 14 yr old sister and 13 yr old brother, run the family farm, and raise his 8 younger siblings - one of which was a newborn.

I think he must have had a tough childhood - although I can't recall him ever really complaining about it much, I do believe his childhood made him a worked, a doer, a go-getter, and he has many talents that I believe he learned from necessity at a very young age.

His biggest joy in life has always been fishing... he would still rather be sitting in a boat with a fishing pole in hand than just about anything else.

Dad lives on his own, in a small apartment, and the only family he has living near is a brother who lives about 20 miles away.  All his children live in different parts of the country,  his grandchildren are scattered all over, so basically he is alone.  Most of that is of his choosing, yet, one cannot help but feel bad that a man his age, that once was surrounded by family, now spends a pretty lonely life.

Last I heard, Dad was planning on spending his 90th birthday on a trip to a Casino somewhere in the USA with his brother.  I hope they have a great time, and although I don't think Dad is really about money -  I hope he wins enough to make his life more comfortable.

I wish him continued good health, the love of family and friends, and many many more great fishing trips!

Happy 90th Birthday Dad... I love you.

FICKLE HEARTED ME? OH YEAH!

I am not sure if I mentioned it here, or not, but recently I have started taking a city bus to and from work.  It has been well over 30 years since I took a bus regularly and I have decided that riding the bus daily is not for the fickle-hearted or for sissies.

I had no idea how much bus travel had changed in all these years - and that's not even taking into consideration the people who are taking the bus every morning and evening.

To begin with - bus drivers no longer wear hats.... did you know that?  But the one who drives my 6:45 am bus wears shorts - even when it is -5C!

And then there are the buses them selves.  The new buses are much smaller, and are designed for every type of passenger.  The front of the bus lowers to curb level to allow wheel chairs and strollers easy access... and the long bench seats usually located at the front of the bus, flip up to allow space for these strollers and wheelchairs.

So along comes me - my first day on the bus, I have travelled to work sitting on the front bench seat of both buses I have been on - and now I am on the bus returning home - again on the front bench seat.  I like this seat for several reasons - the most important one being that I can see the stops and might actually be able to figure out where to get off the darn bus when the time comes... the second reason is the floor to ceiling pole that I think I need to pull my butt off the seat as the bus is careening down the street at 70 km an hour!

So there I sit - I have my ipod on, my buds in my ears ( I am not going to look like I don't belong).  I am relaxing after a long day at work, thinking ahead to my crafting evening, and I have not really even realized that the bus has stopped.  But all of a sudden there is a ballet occurring across from where I am sitting.  Two people who had been sitting on the bench seat across from me have shot out of their seats and moved down several rows, another person from several rows down has run to the front bench and flipped it up... Cripes... I didn't even know you could do that!  Coming on the bus is a man in a wheelchair, and a lady pushing a stroller, someone is yelling at ME to move, and actually pulling at my jacket.  That was lesson one of bus etiquette.

Then there was the morning earlier this week, when it was freezing rain and 90 km winds - I got on the bus, anxious to do so to warm up, and I swear everyone on it had overdosed on Garlic the night before!

Do you know they don't have hand sanitizers on the bus?  Now, wouldn't that be a great idea?

And yesterday - well, don't you know, there I am again, on my way home and a fight breaks out between the person sitting in front of me, and the one sitting beside me... The "F" bomb is flying low, there is pushing and shoving and my shoulders are as flat against the bus as they could possibly be - but still the person beside me has managed to elbow me a time or two in his anger... do I want off.... OH Yeah!  Do I get off... NO!

I sit quietly, think about bears and angels and Nat King Cole... and ride on home.

As I get off the bus at the end of my journey, I turn and thank the driver, and he smiles and says back...."Thank you too... today is my first day on the job."

Poor guy - I think I would be planning a career change, if I were sitting in his seat!

Production

Well, I am a day late on my promise to share some of my production pictures.  But better late than never...

I have been concentrating on bears the past week or so.  Each bear is made from 9 crochet pieces, each starched individually and then glued together.  Once the bear is together, I add the nose tip and the eyes, and the bears seem to get a personality.

arms and legs drying

I have enough dowels to starch 12 bears at a time, and because it is a messy business, I tend to spend a whole evening starching so I can have the mess all at one time.

I love to work in miniature, so each bear is holding something - and most of what they hold I make from Bread Dough.

If you have never tried this, it is so much fun.  It can be used for all kinds of projects, but I use it for things like pizza's and cookies for my Baker Bears - flowers for my bride and grooms, and other miniatures, that I cannot buy.

There are a lot of recipes on the Internet for the bread dough, but I use the same one I have used for years.

3 slices white bread
3 tablespoons white glue
1/2 teaspoon glycerine.

The bread is best when it is several days old.  Remove the crusts and shred the bread, add the glue and gycerine and mix it with my hands.  The mix starts out to be very sticky, but the more you work it, the smoother it becomes.... don't give up on it, just keep working it and soon you will have a nice dough.  I colour my dough with acrylic paint at this stage instead of painting the finished product.  I find the finished product much better and very close to china when it dries.   I make several colors of dough at one time, and put them in sandwich bags and then in a margarine container, and they keep for months and months.  When you need to make something, all you do is take it out of the fridge, roll it around in your hand for a few minutes and then have fun creating.

glued bears without eyes and not much personality

I have done a few mice too... these are not as much work as the bears, but great little guys too.

So this is what I have been doing.  I want to have 60-100 bears for my sale in December, as well as mice, soldiers, hats, snowflakes and of course angels.  I also am adding some bridal purses this year  as well.

So now when I don't show up here for a few days, you will know what I am doing!

Happy Crafting!

I'm back... did you miss me?

Maybe you have been wondering what has happened to me as I haven't been posting for awhile?  I have been finding it very difficult to divide my time between work, crafting for an upcoming show and sale, and trying to spend a little bit of time with my family.

I feel I have been falling flat on all accounts.  I haven't been to work in a week, as I somehow managed to get an inner ear abscess, that pretty much had me down and out for a few days and left me deaf in the affected ear. It seems every spare minute I have, I've been working on my craft show and sale stuff, and yet when I look at my inventory, it seems like I have done very little.  My house is a disaster, the cookie jar is empty and my guys are complaining that I never have time for them anymore.

So it seems I am not accomplishing much.

As I started to feel a bit better last week I decided to put the crochet hook down and do some house cleaning... wow... my house really needed it, so that was one improvement.  When I went grocery shopping I deliberately stayed away from the fast-meal preparation areas and went for the more wholesome choices... which also actually require some cooking time!  And then on Sunday I started starching some of my sale items.

So now I feel like I am back on track - somewhat.  Although I have yet to fill the cookie jar, I have a clean house - even re potted some plants, I have stew cooking in the crock pot and bread rising in the oven, and I have starched and glued together, 39 bears, 4 mice, several hats, soldiers, and dressed 9 angels....

And staying off the computer definitely helped me accomplish these tasks.

Tomorrow I hope to share some pictures of my productive few days... stay tuned!

Splendid Sparky Speaks

SPLENDID SPARKY SPEAKS

Sparky was a splendid cat,

Refined, mature and wise.

He’d been around the world a time or two,

You could see it in his eyes.

He’d hunted rabbits in the wild,

When New Zealand was his home;

He’d been all around the globe,

Except perhaps, to Rome.

His humans were a caring sort,

And sought a friend for him,

The cat they bought to give him joy

Believed the house a gym.

She was a very active gal,

Naughty, more to truth;

It could have been her nature,

But he thought it was her youth.

Mishaps became the normal day,

He had to struggle through.

She listened to no cat advice,

No, not a single mew.

Soon he became complacent,

Or maybe he was bored;

For after all his humans knew

That really, he was Lord.

A tune up was what he’d suggest,

If ever they would ask;

He could even offer them,

Assistance to the task.

Ah, Sparky was a splendid cat,

Refined mature and wise;

Yup, he’d sure welcome any chance,

To cut her down to size.

2010

Katie, Sweet Katie.

KATIE, SWEET KATIE

Hurricane Katie was a street cat,

Splendid Sparky, was not.

She spent her days doing much

Of what she shouldn’t have ought.

Sparky was so refined and sweet,

He merely wished to please;

Katie, on the other hand,

Just thrived on ways to tease.

While he would nap, she’d plot her play;

He’d snore and she would plan.

Could she make a fuss and somehow

Get to blame it on the man?

Poor, poor unsuspecting lout,

Ha, he would never know.

Mom’s china cups a-flying high

Would make a pretty show.

Or maybe she could rig a trick,

To look like Sparky’s paw -

Was instrumental in the ruination

Of one of Daddy’s saws!

But first she’d sit and be so cute,

No one would guess she’s bad.

Old Sparky could forget that he

Was thought the best they’d ever had.

Hurricane Katie was a street cat,

Splendid Sparky, was not.

She spent her days doing much

Of what she shouldn’t have ought!

2010

Dale Graumann

An awesome Day, for sure!

What an awesome day yesterday was!  33 miners were rescued to safety.  Did you watch it on TV or the Internet?   I couldn't seem to stop watching it for some reason.  For once, something very good came from something very bad... only 1 comment bothered me, coming from some unthinking stupid young reporter comparing it to a Reality Show on TV!!!  Someone needs to stick him down a mine for 69 days and then say that about his experience!!

It was also my birthday, and I was truly blessed with so many birthday greetings that I was almost embarrassed.  I realize that Face book prompts it's users about friend's birthdays, but that doesn't mean that those friends actually have to act on that prompt.  25 people wished me a Happy Birthday there yesterday, and I cannot begin to tell you what that meant to me... thank you all for your lovely comments and best wishes...

I spent some extra time with my adopted cat-kids as well yesterday.  They have been alone now since the end of September, and for 2 cats who are used to having their humans near all the time, they are doing very well. 

I have learned a great deal about cats these past 2 weeks, and I do believe they are really beginning to like me - either that or I really am only a meal ticket to them.  Whatever it is, they seem want to spend time with me.  So, after they have eaten I sit down and we play or talk and yesterday I sang for them... they liked my selection quite well...

So here are Katie and Sparky...  my cat - kids!

This is Hurricane Katie

And this is Splendid Sparky