Friday, December 31, 2010

Happy New Year's Eve

It's New Year's Eve! 
Tonight we relax, watch movies, have a glass of champagne & watch the fireworks from our house.  We're only about 4 blocks from the town square where there's out door skating, music & fireworks...although it's warm & has been raining all day so I'm not sure about the skating.

Happy New Year!

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

New Year Intention

I'm a lazy blogger these days.
Taking time off to relax, play in the snow & practice the accordion. I have some thoughts lurking in the back of mind about the upcoming wholesale shows in January & February & all the prep I should be doing....like making samples, creating a new catalog, planning the booth & displays. Ugh!! I'm trying to suppress the urge to work all day as I promised myself & my family I'd take time off.

I have repeatedly cleaned the studio but it's hard to keep the clutter at bay. I did finish up all my year end accounting & re-organize my file cabinet.  Written in a big font & printed on a piece of paper that was taped to the cover.

It said; "As go your thoughts, so go your intentions. As go your intentions, so goes your life."

I don't remember doing this but in looking at the date & contents of the folder it's apparent I collected this during a few years of a medical crisis that really changed my life. In the new year I think I'll take my own advice!

Friday, December 17, 2010

Today's the 17th ~ Bring on the Good Luck!

Winter Solstice aproaches & in anticipation here's a little astrology update. There's a lot happening this time of year as we head toward the shortest day of the year & then turn back toward the sun.




As the Sun takes a stroll first with Jupiter on the 16th and then Uranus on the 18th, the good luck you'll experience will be nothing short of a universal gift, especially after some of the more challenging experiences of late.


Jupiter represents luck and growth, while Uranus has to do with individuality, inventiveness and the unexpected. When the Sun enters the mix, these qualities come out in full force. Between the 16th and the 18th, you can expect your luck to change, but because of Uranus' love of surprise, this will be an instance where you won't have much control over the lucky breaks that come your way. Instead, they'll just fall right in your lap!


That doesn't mean there's nothing you can do to make a good situation even better! In this case, your task will have more to do with keeping things in check and making sure nothing gets out of hand. The expansion that Jupiter brings is good up to a point, but don't forget that too much of a good thing is possible. When an exciting opportunity presents itself to you, don't hesitate to grab it, just make sure you do so with a bit of caution. Take care to enter into any situation with your eyes wide open and aware of any issues that may arise later.


One other transit occurring at this time to take note of will be retrograde Mercury travelling backward into Sagittarius on the 18th. Fiery Sagittarius is full of opinions, and with Mercury residing there until the 13th of January, you'll find yourself eager to share your own thoughts and ideas with everyone in earshot. This would be an ideal opportunity to promote some of the causes and charities that are most important to you, and just in time for the holidays.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Too Many Projects!

Too many projects & so little time...before the holidays that is!
For whatever reason I always think I'm going to have lots of time to work on projects & art techniques that I normally don't have time for
....my little illusion or delusion!
I used to paint & work with clay/ceramics extensively & have been wanting to make more of my own molds for glass. I've gathered all the materials in the studio & there it all sits while I try to get the tree up, decorate the house, clean....you know, do all the little daily things that take up so much of our time?


Here's a couple of tiles that I painted up. These will fit in the top of a small stool that will be a gift for a friend who just had a baby! So exciting! This is based on the "Hungry Caterpillar" & I have the book too as part of the gift.
OK ~ now onto other projects....maybe cleaning the studio?

Thursday, November 25, 2010

ARTS & CRAFTS WEEKEND ~ !


Please join me at the Anchorage Museum

for Arts & Crafts Weekend!

Crafts Weekend is the best place to find unique,

made in Alaska treasures~! Live music & artist

demonstrations add to the festive atmosphere.

Friday & Saturday 10 to 6 pm

Sunday 12 to 5 pm


Sunday, November 21, 2010

Arts & Crafts Emporium ~ Part II

Today's the last day of the Arts & Craft Emporium

at the De'aina Convention Center!





It's a beautiful show with all handcrafted art. Saturday was jam packed with

holiday shoppers & sales were fast & furious.

Thanks to everyone who stopped bye to chat & shop!
The show runs from 11 to 5 today ~ See you there!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

ARTS EMPORIUM ~

Please join me this weekend for the
Arts & Crafts Emporium
at the De'naina Convention Center in
Downtown Anchorage, Alaska!


The show hours are Saturday 10 am to 6 pm & Sunday 11 am to 5 pm.
I'll be showing current work including the new red "Magic 8 Ball" platters, sterling & dichroic set rings, dinnerware, jewelry, ornaments, & more! Something for everyone on your holiday list!
Please stop bye & say "hello!"

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Treasure!!

My box of Treasure arrived in the mail yesterday from Kim at Numinosity!

It was amazing how much she stuffed into a little box! Lots of cool vintage envelopes, an old 45 record (T'was the Night Before Christmas), a "Bid Recorder" that William is desperate to have, green & white checked cards (maybe from a game?) & a sweet little decoupage' box......filled with....More Treasure!!!


Here's what was inside the boy box.

A little card with the word "Prize." Also, little tart tins, an enamel buckle, glass discs & milleforie pieces, a metal piece with the word "SOLACE" stamped in the center, and some of Kim's hand made beautiful BEADS!!

Yeah! Lucky Me!!!!


Here's a shot of Kim's beads. Each one is different & unique.

These are bound for something special....

Thanks again Kim!! It was a very special give away!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Time Out ~

We're in Girdwood, Alaska for a little R & R.
My husband is here for a work retreat so William & I thought we'd hang out at the resort & have a bit of a spa retreat. However, best laid plans & all that, the spa / pool is closed for maintenance & the gondola is closed for repairs. Most of the shops are closed until after Thanksgiving. Only one restaurant in the hotel is open & a glass of wine costs $12!!!!
Typical Girdwood!


We had a second home here for 15 years & not much has changed since we sold it a few years ago. It's dark, cold & rains almost every day. Some winters there's lots of snow & some years lots of rain. I believe Girdwood is the northern most rain forest. It's beautiful in a mysterious way.

William has new x-country skis so he was itching to to go skiing ~ for his very first time! So, we put on our rain gear, waxed the skis for warm slush & headed out to Moose Meadow. You might ask why we would have rain gear with us for skiing? Well, its Alaska & the weather can change on a dime & you always need to have rain gear with you!

Tracks were set ~ it was fast & icy but he did great!

Will was a quick study. He learned how to kick & glide, turn around, push up with his poles & fall!

Yeah! Success.
Now off to Chair 5 for hot chocolate.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Bullseye Striker Red


I have a few sheets of Bullseye 1122 striker red.
It's pretty yummy glass.
This is a large charger platter ~ about 20" ~ with a full
2 inch border of dichroic glass.
The impending holidays make me pull out all the reds, golds & greens!
I think I'll do a series in this design for my two remaining retail shows.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

The Wisdom of Children & Psychics

Rudi-Pa-Tuti died on October 19th & we had a ritual for her on

October 31th at 12:00 noon.

William dug a hole by her favorite peony. The one she liked to dig up near the bee hives. She always would walk right up to the hive entrance & poke her nose in the doorway. The hive would come alive with bees fanning their wings & signaling to the others "intruder!! intruder!!!"

Or so I thought....she was never stung.



On Halloween, we always have an open house for friends & family. Lots of food, witches brew, play, games & of course Trick or Treating. Jude, one of my great friends, who is more like family, said as she was leaving....

"in 6 weeks or so you'll have a new puppy."


I, of course, poo-poo'ed her! I am not getting a new puppy! For Pete's Sake!!! Rudi's ashes are barely cold under my grandmother's peony!!


The next day a friend called to ask if we wanted a puppy at Christmas as they had bred their dog & would have a litter due about that time. This friend didn't know that Rudi had died. Hmmmmm. I guess I need to eat a little crow.


Tonight, November 9th, are celebrating Big Daddy's birthday so William drew this picture for him. It's Rudi "flying to heaven in her rocket ship." As he was drawing it he said again, as he's said many times to us...." Rudi's FINE!"


She was a heavenly companion.


I don't know if she's replaceable but there might be someone

waiting for us around the holidays.

Now, I believe she is fine & it's like the song...

."There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays.'

Calling All Accordion Babes!

Looking for holiday gift ideas?

Here's one for the accordion players in your life.






Here's what Renee de la Prada, the head babe, says about the calendar;


"The 2011 Accordion Babes Album & Pin-Up Calendar is produced by independent women artists who are brave enough to squeeze the squeezebox in revealing outfits; they're also talented enough to knock your socks off. This album is WAY better than the music you usually hear on the radio; it's got folk music, roots music, jazz, some killer dance tunes...it's a delicious, eclectic and well-produced compilation album with 13 awesome bands. We even feature an artist from France this year, making it our first international issue. As for the pin-ups, you can see in the photos below that the accordion has never looked sexier."


Speaking as an accordion player & someone who purchased 12 (yes 12!!) calendars last year this is a really cool gift! I bought 12 for the members of the Anchorage Accordion Club & everyone oohed & aahed over the pictures & the CD. It was a big hit and we're not just talking accordion lovers here! One of my favorite cuts is "Blue Box Waltz" by Roxanne de Oliva.

A couple of the Anchorage Accordion Club players privately told me I couldn't give this to Father Eric. Yes, we have a priest who rocks the accordion & button box. He even has a polka mass once a year ~ how cool is that???? It would make my Mother so happy if I went to church & maybe I could actually do it once a year. Probably isn't going to happen...sorry Mom!

I hadn't even thought about the "appropriateness" of giving this to a priest because to my thinking who wouldn't LOVE this calendar??? To be honest I did get a little worried & I didn't want to offend him ~ is "offend" the correct word(?) I don't think so ...maybe "hot under the collar" is better. hee, hee! Naughty!!

The solution? More clothes for the women! Yep, a set of paper doll clothes did the trick & the Padre could make up his own mind on whether he wanted them more covered or au naturel'.

His choice ~ but I think the Goddess would want him to embrace the beauty of a women's body!

I'll be ordering more this year & maybe everyone will get a extra set of clothes / costumes! Who knows but it ended up being a really fun project & I can have William do the coloring!

Monday, November 8, 2010

Accordion Monday!

are on tour this December!
(click the link for tour dates & location)
If you're in Anchorage tonight
join us for the Anchorage Accordion Club gathering!
6 to 8 pm at ASE on Brayton Drive.
Click on the "Monsters" link above to
see & hear Kong play the box!
I just may need a shopping / accordion trip
to Seattle on December 15th!!

Saturday, November 6, 2010

I'm A Winner!!

Yeah!
I'm a winner at Kim Roger's Numinosity Blog!
I've never won anything on-line before....
except when I got that email from an exiled
African Princess wanting to deposit 2 Mill in my checking account!
Woo-hoo...!
Anyway, thanks Kim!
I'm looking forward to my treasures.
If you need some inspiration head over to her
wonderful blog filled with creative ideas!

Friday, October 22, 2010

In Loving Memory ~

On Tuesday, October 19th at 11:05 pm our beloved
Golden Retriever Rudi-Pa-Tuti died.
It was very unexpected & we're still reeling from her death.
At night we listen for her footsteps & in the
morning we look for her at the bottom of the stairs to greet us.
She was a member of our family
& a faithful companion to our son, William.

Always calm & watchful.
William sharing a toy on his 1 year old birthday.
Rudi's a little over a year older.


Hummmm.....where did that toy go????


Who is that spook?
I think Rudi knows who's under that baby blanket!



A pirate always needs a good friend close bye!

Groucho & a side kick!



ARGGGGG!

You were a good First Mate. Smooth Sailing All Your Days.

My only regret is that I didn't have time to teach Rudi the accordion!!

We miss you....good dog!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Master Gardener!

Yeah! I'm so proud of myself!
I finally finished the Master Gardener course through the University of Fairbanks.

I still have some volunteer hours to put in so if you have any gardening opportunities or challenges let me know. I especially love gardening with children....maybe I can recruit my gadening helper, William?

OK ~ I'm off to celebrate with a glass of my new favorite Chardonnay....

"Valley of the Moon".

Monday, October 18, 2010

Accordion Dog

What do you do at 2 am when you can't sleep?

Practice the accordion for Monday night accordion club?

Probably not...but surfing for accordion videos on utube is fun!

Here's a video of the "Accordion Dog" that's been circulating for awhile but I just learned how to post a video via another accordion player (thanks Diana at Accordion Diaries) here it is for your listening & viewing enjoyment! Her current post is the "Accordion Idol" video which is also a must see for accordion enthusiasts!

Maybe I should be posting videos of "Mister Sandman" so I can get a good nights sleep!

If you're inspired or inclined, grab your accordion & come to the Anchorage Accordion Club tonight for our bi-monthly practice (6 to 8 pm at ASE on Brayton Drive). We're practicing up for our holiday gigs plus a few polkas, waltzes & novelties thrown in for good measure.

Join Us!

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Last Day for Bead Divas!


Today, Sunday October 17th, is the last day of the
bead show at the Anchorage Museum!

There's some fabulous bead art, jewelry & of course BEADS!


Join Us!

Sunday 12 to 6 pm.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Are You A Bead Diva?

Join me this weekend for the
Alaska Bead Society's Bead Gala.


Anchorage Museum
Saturday 10 to 6 pm
Sunday 12 to 6 pm

I'll be selling loose beads, jewelry, & fused glass wall tiles!

See you at the Museum!


Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Spiral Bracelets ~

I'm loving these new spiral bracelets!

The bracelet base metal is German silver
which has copper in the silver instead of nickel.
Nickel is the component metal in sterling that hardens the silver.
Without nickel or another metal such as the copper
the pure silver is much too soft to hold its shape or design.
These are easy to put on the wrist & are very comfortable to adjust.
Plus, they stay shiny & bright!
I created the "confetti" style dichroic
pieces which add the WOW factor!

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Aurora Waldorf Gala!

annual Gala fundraiser
November 6th, 2010.


This is a sculpture that my son, William, & I made for the auction.
It's a large abstract sculpture with a quote by
Rudolf Steiner ~ the founder of Waldorf education.
The quote is actually fused into the glass!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Auction Art ~

I'm working on a large sculpture for the Aurora Waldorf School Gala.
Not sure how it will evolve but I have some ideas, lots of glass
& best of all a little time to contemplate.
"May my soul bloom in love
for all existence."
Rudolf Steiner

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Make It Alaskan Festival ~ Show Review

Well, the show is over!
"The Good, the Bad & the Ugly" has reared it's head.
It was an "OK" event for me ~ not fabulous but OK.
Lots of mixed reviews from other vendors & after comparing notes
I found out I paid premium for my booth space even though I was
told I had a "smoking deal" on space.
Ah....that's promoter talk for "I'm going to give you the shaft!"
Anchorage is a small town so if you want the scoop email me
& I'll fill you in.
At the end of the event the APD showed up for more drama & they
weren't buying art baby!!!

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Tick-Tock....

Check out this cool clocks my friend
Peggy Monaghan has created!

Peggy is a local musician & record producer who successfully has
produced events such as the "Song Writer of the Year",
the monthly Arctic Siren's Cabaret at the Snow Goose stage
& most recently Patrick Ball concert via the Irish Club.
She is the owner &
artist behind Arctic Siren's Records.
One of the results of producing records...
ah correction (I'm dating myself),
Cd's is that she often has lots & lots of left overs,
flawed, & old or outdated material.
After trying to come up with a way to environmentally
recycle the vinyl she's created these
charming clocks!
They are Clocks With A Past!
Each is made with a Cd, an old 45, 78 or LP!
If you can't play them anymore at least you can still enjoy them!
I'll have her creations at the
this weekend.
The clocks run from $10 to $20 each!
What a cool gift for the musician or music lover in your life!

Monday, September 27, 2010

Make It Alaskan Festival 2010!

Join me at the Make It Alaskan Festival
on October 1st, 2nd, & 3rd at the Sullivan Arena.
Friday morning from 9 to 12 pm is a wholesale
preview for retailers.
The retail Festival starts on Friday at noon
& runs through Sunday.
See you there!

Friday, September 24, 2010

"Strange Truths For Mature Humans"


My sister emailed me the following list. She especially liked #24 on the list ~ probably because she lives with 1 husband & 2 sons all of whom play hockey. I thought the list should really be titled as



Strange Truths For Mature Humans Women



1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.



2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.




3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.



4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.



5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?



6. Was learning cursive really necessary?



7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighbourhood.



8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.



9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.



10. Bad decisions make good stories.



11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.



12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.



13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.



14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.



15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.



16. I disagree with Kay Jewellers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Budweiser than Kay.



17. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.



18. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.



19. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?




20. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!



21. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.



22. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.



23. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!



24. The first testicular guard, the "Cup," was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974. That means it only took 100 years for men to realize that their brain is also important
!!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Fall Equinox & The Lemon Queens


September 21st represents the autumnal equinox, the point in the year when the length of day and night are equal (the exact time this year is 11:09 p.m. ET). Starting today (September 22 nd), the days will be getting shorter, the air brisker, the nights a little longer. Sunflowers and other garden plants that have been working hard to grow leaves and blooms now subtly switch tactics. The shorter days are a signal for them to devote most of their energy to making fruits and seeds against the time when they will eventually stop producing energy altogether and dry up.

Even though the days are shorter, there will still be blooms on many a sunflower throughout sunny September. You may want to consider saving your sunflower seeds & especially the Lemon Queen Sunflower seeds. as these are a favorite of honey bees!

If the birds and other critters don’t beat you to it, you could have a nice stash of sunflower seeds for planting or sharing next year. It’s easy. Just follow these steps:

1. Identify the earliest, biggest and best-looking sunflowers in your garden.

2. Watch and wait for the plant's seeds to ripen. When the flowers begin to drop away, you will see little green nubs all over the round head of the sunflower. In a week or so, they will begin to darken and the pollen tips will fall away easily.

3. Once the seeds are ripe, cut the sunflower head and carefully place it upside-down in a paper bag, ensuring any seeds that fall go directly into the bag.

4. Hang the bag in a cool, dry place.

5. Examine the seeds every few days. As they dry out, some the seeds will easily fall out of the flower head to the bottom of the bag.

6. When the seeds are dry (about 2 -3 weeks) remove the seeds completely from the head, separating out any leaves, stems or other debris.

7. Store in a closed container and label with the year and type of seed. If stored away from moisture, most seeds will be viable for the next few years.

Sunflower varieties readily mate. When they do that, the seeds produce plants that are intermediate between the two parent types. This means that if a bee brought in pollen from one of your neighbors Mammoth sunflowers, next years seed will not be true Lemon Queen.

Happy Autumn!

Monday, September 20, 2010

Favorites Night at the Anchorage Accordion Club!

Join us tonight for a Favorites Night at the Anchorage Accordion Club!
BYOB, dessert, a tune to share with the group & your accordion!

I've been practicing "Can't Smile Without You."
Yep, that old Barry Manilow favorite.
It's a lethal combination!

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Be My Friend....Or NOT?

I cracked up when I saw this card!
Appropriate since my husband has been bugging
me about not using Facebook for my business & keeping in touch.
I'm so not into the whole
Facebook thing ~ who has the time???



Well, over the weekend I made my husband "my friend."
Satisfied???

Glass Fusing ~ A Project for Kids Part 2!

Here's a shot pre-firing of some of the Halloween plates
we put together ~

The plate in the upper left corner is actually
yellow & orange powder that will strike (turn color) upon firing.

Here's the post firing shot.
You can see that some of the colors were transparent
so there's a bit of variance in the color.
To intensify the color the powder has to be put on thick & even.
These were done by a 6 year old & were his color choices so I think they look pretty good!

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Glass Fusing ~ A Project for Kids!

Halloween is right around the corner & we're getting a jump on our holiday decorations. We typically have a gathering at our house for hot soup, cider, & magic & then head out into the night with all the ghouls for trick or treating. This year, William & I decided to make some special hordvous' plates for our guests.
William is designing & choosing the images & helping with the production....
oops, er creative process. (Old habits die hard!)
The first step is to trace the glass blank on a piece of paper. this gives you an idea of how much space you have to work in for your design. It's good to leave a half to full inch of space between the design & edge of the paper.

William wanted to make a bat plate so here's his basic drawing on paper. Then he traced it onto stiff tracing plastic. This is a plastic tracing stencil material used frequently for quilting. He traced the design on the plastic & then it was cut out.


When planning the colors for the piece you have to think in reverse order color-wise. We decided that a spring green background with a black bat would look best ~ high contrast colors between the base & image plus a little spooky-ookie for Halloween.
Using a Sharpie maker draw an outline of the bat/design on the glass so you know where the image & background colors will be placed. The background color goes on first so here's William sprinkling on the green Bullseye frit around the bat for the base color. We're using powers which are the finest ground (08 within the system). He's using a small sifter & gently tapping the side to evenly spread the glass power over the base. It's important to use a respirator so as to not breathe in any glass & to wear protective eye gear.



Next gently place the stencil on top of the base color ~ you should still be able to see the outline of the design that you drew on the glass blank so line up the stencil over your tracing lines. The Sharpie ink will burn off in the firing. After the stencil is placed you can sift on the black for the bat image. William went a little crazy here & even covered all of the pink stencil but you really just need to fill in the open areas of the cut out design.



After the black is evenly sifted on, gently lift the stencil off & viola' you have a bat!
Now comes the fun part of embellishing. William used larger chunks of frit (01) to add eyes, nose and mouth. Be aware when you're using other accessory glasses with the powders that they will either fuse in or give texture depending on your firing schedule. These will be fused at about 1435 degrees Fahrenheit ~ cooler than a full fuse but warmer than a tack. I don't want any red eye balls coming off in someones fruit!
OK! This is off to the kiln for firing.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Fall Is In The Air

Fall is in the air!

Cold & brisk in the morning with sunny warm afternoons!
I love the fall. I think it's the memory.




Memory of starting school in the fall.
The excitement of everything new. New clothes, \
new supplies (new paper & crayons still give me a thrill),
new experiences, & new friends!

The cool mornings walking quietly on the sidewalk and thinking.

I guess I was always a thinker & the time walking to school was my meditation.
Quiet time alone is a gift & something so precious & valuable.
If given a choice between a party & being home alone I'd always choose to be home...cooking, eating, working in the studio.


My "little grey cells" are revisiting these experiences through my son.
He's started kindergarten. (sob!)
(I won't go into the whole gory story of the Charter School &
Optional School issues in Anchorage but it's a nightmare &
worthy of another post or letter to the editor)

And we walk to school almost every morning.


Quietly
Talking
Singing
Saying rhymes
It's my meditation


It's a special time to walk with your child & reflect on meaningful things,
These are the things I hope I always remember ~ even if I have Alzheimer's.


As we walk....we talk.
And we collect.
We collect little memories for our table altar.

Little do-dads like leaves, rose hips, pine cones, a rock, a dead worm, rain, a stray candy wrapper, a weed, a dried flower blossom, grass... you get the idea.

All these items lead to discussion. "Why is the rain gone???"
"Let's have a burial for the worm"
"why would someone throw a wrapper on the earth?"

We are not lacking for dinner conversation at our house!


Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Rock On!

Rock on Will!
Here's my 6 year old son....ah, RockStar, playing
his Flying V. It even has it's own little plug in amp.

Yep! You're a cool dude!

Monday, September 13, 2010

Lighten Up!

We've had a summer that felt like fall & now a fall that is feeling like summer!

Beautiful sunny & warm days.

It's a trick...fall is coming but that's OK it's my favorite season.

So in honor of a beautiful fall here's a few new

candle holders in warm colors to bring on the light!


So lighten up & embrace the change!

Thursday, September 9, 2010

No accordion practice this week....

Dang!

Because of Labor Day, here was

NO Accordion Practice this Week

for the Anchorage Accordion Club.

So in honor of "no practice"

here's some funny antidotes about the accordion.

I love to play the accordion,

playing with my friends, & stories / jokes about the accordion.

Do you have one???

Send it to me & I'll add it to my collection!

A Primer for Beginners

  1. Get an accordion. The cheaper the better because they all sound the same. Do not tell anyone what you have done - it will only cause them to worry. They will find out soon enough.
  2. Take the accordion out of the case and strap it on. It is better if the accordion rests on your chest instead of your back but, for the first few weeks, it doesn't really make that much difference.
  3. For sounds to be produced, three things must happen: The bellows must be moving in or out. One or more of the keys or buttons must be pressed. All potential weapons within a one mile radius must be collected and secured. The third is the most important
  4. The buttons on the left side are chord buttons. The "C" button has a dimple or nipple so you can find it without looking. (This is a safety feature. Before it was invented, thousands of accordionists suffered painful and sometimes disabeling injuries - much to the delight of the general public). Never use more than three buttons. "Professional" accordionists appear to be using lots of buttons but they are acutally just desperately trying to find the damned "C". "Professional" means they have learned to smile while they do it.
  5. Play the black and white keys. The high notes are at the bottom and the low notes are at the top. (That arrangement isn't supposed to make any sense. Accept it.) Note: If you find the high notes at the top and the low notes at the bottom, you have either put the accordion on upside down or you have tried to repair it yourself. If the former, turn the accordion over. If the latter, pack your acordion up with thousands and thousands of dollars and mail it far away for a long, long time.
  6. Continue playing until someone begs you to stop or threatens your life, whichever comes first.
  7. Put the accordion back in its case.
  8. Order an accordion tee-shirt and wear it to the Mall.