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Sunday, July 27, 2008

Strawhat & Sunbonnet Days

Saturday was wonderful, interesting, enlightening, & comforting. Verndale is the kind of hometown everyone wants to be from. They never really forget you, can trace you to at least one family from the area, and manage to make you feel connected by one conversation.
Bob decided to be my PR man & let everyone we met know who I was & why we were there.
We ate in the Yesteryears Cafe for breakfast (best giant cinnamon roll I have had in years...mine included) and I recognized some classmates a few years ahead of me.
Then to the several tables around the park & on the sidewalks for some raffle tickets...a riding lawnmower, a chance at one of a dozen rifles, and a beautiful quilt. Local cookbooks were purchased & then off to the museum.
The Verndale Historical Society Museum is in an old home at the north end of town. Each room has a different aspect of Verndale history to focus on...the school room, the railroad, farming in all its variations...ie grains, sheep, cattle etc... and their town heros. I talked to my original 4-H leaders & was apprised of people I had known as I lived there. Then we were invited to a tour of the school that the class of '53 was conducting.
I was able to see the class of '83's pictures hanging in the elementary hallway...well it used to be the elementary side of the school. A lot had changed since 1980, but I did peek into the auditorium & the cafeteria & the huge gymnasium. Good times...good times.

Well,I met up with Cheryl at the parade uptown & it was as if 8th grade had been yesterday. We yacked & walked around town as her brother Brian filled us in on the 3-Ds: the divorces, the deaths, & the delectable gossip! I met others I had not seen in over 25 years & filled a void I was not aware I had...I was home.
We spent the late afternoon in Wadena (most everything closed at 5PM...& I found out the population is now over 4000!), I bought scrap/stamping supplies at 70% off (you know I'd have to find at least one place before I came back), & we headed to Brainerd for dinner...a chinese buffet (what can I say...we support multi-culturalism) & then a drive by Camp JIM (Jesus Is Mine) on our way back to Staples. The site of my conversion & many great summers. It was gratifying to see it was not only still operating, but thriving. Love it!
Kim & I braved the Verndale street dance as Bob & Vanessa passed out at the room...even Cheryl was too tired to go. My younger brother Shawn (here visiting his side of the family) showed up at the street dance too. Kinda weird since I had just seen him back home in Mesa. We people-watched...real fun when beer has been liberally applied all day long.
Today we will drive by other sites of my past for research & family history lessons for the girls. Some pleasant, some not so much.
Ciao for now!

P.S The day was brite & fare with a nice breeze..around 75 degrees. BTW this post is the same color as the Verndale Pirates' color, which is my absolutely favorite...green.




Saturday, July 26, 2008

Disappointments & Redemption

It is amazing how many highs & lows one can go thru in such a short period of time. I called Cheryl from Little Falls to let her know we were coming into Staples & she had heard that the Wadena County Fair was pretty disappointing. They didn't even have a midway this year & the demolition derby had been the night before. Then the hotel was not really what the website portrayed. I mean it wasn't the Bates Motel, but it was as stripped down as it gets. Bob convinced me to drive around & to check out the fair anyways. I am glad he did.
I gave a guided tour of Verndale before the sun disappeared & a shorter one of Wadena. When we found the fairgrounds we heard loud growling sounds. Woo Hoo! The stock car race was on!! I hadn't been to a stock car race since I was a kid & it was the 4th of July & we had gone to Alexandria. (Otherwise known as Alec.) Anyways it was noisy & exciting & we were splattered with mud & I loved every minute of it! Then we wandered thru the booths & the exhibits & saw the largest cabbage I have ever seen, listened to a local band playing Aerosmith & CCR & Duran Duran. Varied, not bad...not great, but not bad. We ate BBQ chicken, corndogs, & had real milkshakes made by dairy farmers. It was great, way smaller than I expected & the midway consisted of huge blowups for the kids to jump in, that was sad. They are all feeling the economy. Today is the big day...Wadena has their Crazy Days sidewalk sales & at Verndale there is the museum, the parade, the booths at the park, & the street dance at night. There I will finally see Cheryl in person. And I have loads of notes to take for research.
Ciao for now!

Friday, July 25, 2008

Minnesota Arrival

Well, before we get to MN I want to discuss Nebraska. Colorado was pretty and I loved all the trees & the fact that at one point it was 43 degrees, that was at 4AM Colorado time at the top of Wolf Creek Pass. Now Nebraska is a little flat for me until you see all those corn fields and cows...my goodness...I loved seeing all of those cows in assorted colors and so fat from grazing on lush green grass. Even the horses were fat & sassy. We decided to stop in Nebraska to sleep, but found that the State Fair was going on and every hotel in the surrounding area was full. A nice gal in the Holiday Inn Express in Colombus found us a room in Fremont at the Wilderness Lodge for only $49. Okay we were a little scared. Too cheap & too vague of a name. But we were tired of napping in the car. We hit the jackpot, new pillowtop beds, comfy down comforters and very nice people. I would definitely stay there again. While driving thru the most beautiful old town...I believe it was Winslow (but I'll have to check the camera because Bob even turned around and let me take a picture of the Swedish Heritage Center) it was as if we had stepped back in time. The lovely old homes with gingerbread trim and wrap-around porches...just absolutely fabulous.

It was overcast when we drove into Minnesota...& we were too late to see the Biggest Ball of Twine. We plan on seeing it on our way out. My 3rd daughter, Vanessa had managed to find all the odd, obscure places to visit on the way. She is my Ripley's believe it or not child.

Well today I meet my MN co-workers that I have worked with via email & the phone and we will check-in to our hotel in Staples...it was the closest since the Wadena County Fair is going on...and then the Fair. Hopefully we see the Demolition Derby! And I get to see Cheryl! No more searing AZ heat, but Bob did get attacked by mosquitos last nite. Goodness are they voracious.



Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Minnesota, here we come!

Today is the day we leave for leafy green Minnesota! I have lots of birds to kill on this trip, ewww...sounds gross. Anyways, I am visiting my Dad & Stepmom for the last time in MN (they are retiring & moving out of state--not dying) and I am attending Verndale's Strawhat & Sunbonnet Days (museum, parade, & street dance included) and attending the Wadena County Fair (huge event with massive participation...okay that's a lie, the town population is around 1,700 I think... but the entire county will be there. I'll apprise you later of the attendance), and the biggy is I am continuing my research on my fictional book series...Cris B. Bacon (more on her later).

I also get to see friends that I have not seen in over 25 years. One of those is Cheryl, we have not seen each other since she moved from Verndale in the 8th grade. Thank you classmates.com for bringing us together! Sounds like a commercial, but it is true. We have been talking for months. Now we get to talk in person. Look out people, never get in the way of a reunion. This could last for hours.

I plan on blogging as often as we can pull into a hotel parking lot and use their WiFi...haha. Hopefully I can upload pictures before I get home, Kim has been trying to teach me how to do all of this. Everything except the blogs are the work of Kim so far, she is so talented! And she starts her Photo Imaging course in August. Can't wait to see what this site looks like then.

Well, I am off to pack, etc...next stop Minnesota!

Monday, July 21, 2008

Glamorous GRUNGEBOARD Jewelry

Today I found out that my class at Mystic Paper is September 2nd at 4 PM. The cost is only $15, includes everything & you leave with 3 complete necklaces!

I use alcohol inks, embellishments & seal it all with Diamond Glaze...fabulous! So quick, so easy, & the results look fantastic & the pendant is so light to wear.

Come join me & my lovely assistant, Kim as we create Glamorous GRUNGE Jewelry.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Stampin' Up! Workshop

I am so jazzed today! I am having my first SU Open House in over a year. I have 2 Make-n-Takes: The first is a card using our chunky glitter & the second is a natural stone tile coaster using the StazOn pad.

9 peope have RSVPd yes & I have lots of free gifts to give.

Marlena has been visiting me from Wyoming, while her Dad is in the hospital.

And Bob will be home tomorrow. He is returning from a trip to Gettysburg Pennsylvania. The house went to the KOA at the battlesite. Wish I could have gone. Maybe next time.

I have pics of the entries I sent to SU this year for their Artisan Award Contest.



http://picasaweb.google.com/justchickenscratch/SUArtisanAwardContest





Photobucket Photobucket

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

GRUNGEBOARD

My first contact with GRUNGEBOARD was during a trip to Payson for my anniversary. At http://www.paperandmetalscrappers.com/ Bob & I went in to browse. (yes ladies my husband loves to shop & he loves to buy me anything I am interested in...in fact he overspends! Enough rabbit trails.) I loved the shapes & the textures of GRUNGEBOARD & so I bought some, but it wasn't until my youngest daughter, Kim, & I went to the store for the Scrapper's Shop Hop that we were shown the alcohol inks & how amazing they worked with the GRUNGEBOARD. I was hooked!
Since I love to create individual gifts, I had to incorporate the GRUNGEBOARD into my jewelry design. Gorgeous Glamorous GRUNGE Jewelry was born!
I am still experimenting with techniques & products and noting the results.

Example: If you turn over a round GRUNGEBOARD shape and apply direct heat to the back it will begin to curl & become concave. I do this after I apply the inks, but before I seal it.
More on this later.
P.S. I have been invited to teach this in Mesa at
http://www.mysticpaper.com/ this fall. I'll post the particulars when I have them.

BTW it looks to be brite & fare today with the possibility of scorching heat mingled with oppressive humidity.

Monday, July 14, 2008

RWE

RWE stands for Renaissance Woman Extraordinaire!

About 5 centuries ago men like Michelangelo (artist, poet, sculptor, architect) & Di Vinci (artist, architect, engineer, thinker, scientist, mathematician) had varying interests and yet have not been labeled as unable to commit to a career. Di Vinci began scores of projects & managed to only finish 6 works in 17 years. Of course 'The Last Supper' and 'The Virgin on the Rocks' were among those he completed, but think of all those he slacked on.

My point is that we have allowed a Japanese mindset to influence how we determine our worth. Check out this article from yesterday http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/12/AR2008071201630.html?hpid=sec-world

I grew up during this heyday of work til you drop, dedicate yourself to a career and stick to it, company loyalty at any costs. But I could never really be that kind of person. I tried, especially when I was pursuing career. But deep inside I wanted to try it all, taste every flavor, dabble, maybe even do more than dabble. I wanted to be a Renaissance Woman.

So, one day I declared to myself that I was a Renaissance Woman Extraordinaire!
I put a seal on it & have never looked back.

The definition from Dictionary.com is:
Renaissance woman
–noun (sometimes lowercase)
a woman who has acquired profound knowledge or proficiency in more than one field.

So go ahead ask me some of the fields I have gained knowledge or proficiency in.
Have a great day!
BTW today was cloudy & muggy.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Chickenscratch

Why chickenscratch? Isn't that what it all is anyway? Just chickenscratches. I have avoided a MySpace or any other form of web post for a long time. I didn't want the responsibilty of maintaining it and in some way it seemed sort of narcissistic. Maybe it is, but it seems I must join the ranks afterall, anonymity be hanged.

Today was brite & fare (for you "Real Diary of a Real Boy" fans)and I created some more 'GRUNGE' jewelry. I will have my lovely assistant, Kimberly, upload the pictures she has taken of them. Oh, & I was taken to task via email when I directed some people to snopes.com to check out a mass forward...I am sorry for being too vigilant, but I cannot apologize for being the truth police on occaison. Too many trusting souls, mine included, have accepted the grey for black & white & the only acceptable grey is in dress slacks, cute cuddly kittens, and GRUNGEBOARD.