Working With My Hands

About a week or so ago as I was talking to a few co-workers about some of my projects at home, a couple of them expressed the opinion that some of my interests aren’t exactly, shall we say, normal. Specifically, they expressed their opinions on my current project of restoring a Macomber loom and my eagerness to finish it so I could start weaving on it.  Remarks were made such as ‘if you want fabric, you can buy it at a fabric store’ and a total lack of understanding was shown about how anyone could possibly find standing in a hot garage sanding and refinishing wood fulfilling.

I wasn’t necessarily offended by their comments. I’m used to being considered slightly off centered. Quite honestly, it’s been years since I’ve felt the need to be ‘like everyone else.’ Junior high and part of high school were the last times I felt that way and even then, I definitely marched to the beat of my own drum and did my own thing. What I did feel was sadness for them that none of the joy they get from life is provided by the satisfaction of making something, be it through cooking or building or crafting.  

For me, working with my hands is something that is necessary to my life. Admittedly, I am an artist. I work as a graphic designer. I also write as part of my job. But I need more than just those professional pursuits. And there is something extremely satisfying to me in making something with my hands. Be it a loaf of bread, a dress, or a piece of furniture. I am currently taking great joy in seeing the wood of my loom being transformed under my hands from the dirty, beaten, somewhat water stained pieces that it came to me as into golden, glowing beautiful pieces that reflect the history of the loom. I love taking flour, salt, butter, and water and working them together into a piecrust to be filled with fresh fruit. I love that the rooms in my house have been transformed by paint I have applied, and that for one of those painting projects my hands were joined by the willing hands of my daughters and my friends. What an incredible act of love and generosity that was!

I also love that when I walk on the floor of my studio space, I’m walking on a floor that my husband and I put in together. Yes, it took longer. Yes, we had sore muscles from bending and kneeling on the floor to install it. But it was also a joint goal, a joint venture into the unknown. We had never done a project of this type before and weren’t sure we could do it. But we did jump in and we succeeded. As we also succeeded when we built the table for my studio where I sit typing this and the TV/stereo stand in our den: both pieces that were built by us from my designs.

No, I don’t expect these women to ever understand why I do these things. But I do know that at some point in time they will envy a shawl I’ve woven on my soon to be restored loom. Or more probably, I’ll come in with a cake or similar homemade goodie that they will fall on and devour. And I’ll look at their perfectly manicured hands and smile quietly, knowing that while my hands may not look beautiful, they have the advantage over theirs in being able to create beauty. 

Introducing the Messiah AKA Rick Perry

(To the tune of Gotta Dance) Gotta Rant!!! Gotta Rant!!! Got to Rant!!!!

Yes, it's another political rant! How lucky can y'all get? Two in a row! But hey, this subject deserves a repeat performance. So, once again, if you can't stand my heat, then you are excused from my kitchen. Come back later though when I've calmed down. And I promise I will. In the meantime, continuing my tradition of giving you someplace to go play safely away from the flames, I'm recommending a trip over to A Novel Woman's blog. She's a lovely Canadian and her latest post has me wanting to spend all my summers up at the lake she's been going to forever with her family.

Anyone left? Oh well, guess I'll just wail to the skies...

As if it couldn't get any worse here in Texas, with the heat and the drought. Our oh so holy governor, Rick Perry, has decided that the Almighty is indeed calling him to be America's salvation and is going to run for President. Yes, you heard it here first. How do I know this? The classic unnamed source within Perry's organization.

Not that this is a surprise. Rick's been praying about it all for quite a while, culminating with a huge prayer service in Houston this past weekend where people were exhorted to pray for the country and somewhat more subtly encouraged to pray for Rick to run.

As much as I'd like to think that the heat in Austin has affected Rick's brain, I'm afraid that he really thinks he has a chance. Even more frightening is the thought that there are other delusional people out there who think he has a chance. After all, enough people voted for him that he defeated Bill White last November in the governor's race. Bill White is a really smart, together guy who did wonders for Houston during his time as mayor. He would have done a great job as governor. But Ricky's sheep bleated all the way to the polls and got him re-elected.

What frightens me most about His Hairness is one of two possibilities. That he actually believes he's being called by God to run for President and that this run (and his possible presidency) are divinely ordained. If that's the case, someone, preferably someone w/ a doctorate in constitutional law, needs to pull this delusional man aside and give him a lesson on separation of church and state. Specifically, that it's illegal to legislate religious belief and observances in this country. Cause it sure seems like the only religion (and constituents) Rick is concerned with is that old time Christian religion and that Rick thinks we should all be praying to the same Deity in the same way. Which is just plain scary on a biblical scale. The second possibility gives me nightmares and, being a basically nice person, I'm not going to impose my nightmare on your REM sleep.

Either way, I'm hoping the voters in the primaries don't just bleat their way to the polls to vote for Rick. Remember people, voting is not something you do without serious thought. And it doesn't  take much of that to see Rick Perry for what he is. A wolf in shepherd's clothing.

Morning Prayer

*Warning: I'm going into rant mode about a certain Republican who is, unfortunately, currently governor of Texas. If that's not your thing this morning, let me give you a few alternate things to look at: Like this hilarious "Facebook post" that gives the entire plot of Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone in a series of 'posts' from the main characters. Or if you'd rather go shopping online, here's a link to the coolest, best designed temporary tattoos I've ever seen. I'm seriously considering ordering the Pantone chip ripoff set. Y'all have fun now.

Back to ranting:

I got up this morning, checked out the news on MSNBC online and found this link to a story about Rick Perry, the Governor of Texas, and an event he is having focusing on bringing people back to God and his battle to hold said event against the evil machinations (a lawsuit) of atheists. Really, Rick? Exactly what depths will you sink to in your quest for political power?

For the record, until the past year or so, I can't remember Rick praying in public all that much. He has always been majorly conservative and supportive of all the usual issues that get the conservative, uber religious voters riled up, such as abortion, gay marriage, gay anything, etc. But in the past year, he seems to have stepped up his involvement in anything involving that section of the voting populace, in particular, public praying and attendance at events involving the religious far right. All of Rick's calling on God and God's most fervent fans seems to have a definite purpose, at least to me: Ricky is definitely hoping to show, by his holy devotions, that he is the one called by God to be our next President.

Dear Lord, no. No. No. No.

While I would love to see Rick move out of the Texas Governor's mansion (permanently mind you, not just for restoration purposes), I don't want it to happen because he's changing addresses so he can move into the White House. So here's the deal Rick. You go pray all you want that God will 'call' you to the Presidency. But I'm going to be praying that God shows you a different path. One that's more tolerant. One that is more accepting of people's different beliefs and lifestyles. One that accepts that it's going to take more than prayer of a specific Christian-based belief system to solve the problems we are facing in this country. And one that has you caring more about your current constituents than your political ambitions.

Let us pray.

Why I Love Certain Dirty, Rotten, Cheating Liars

At the beginning of this year, I began a new tradition of sorts. We call it Sunday Supper. It gives us a chance to get together with my son Michael and his wife Sarah, my daughters when they are home, the Commune and various other friends and loved ones. Basically, we get together here at the house, eat supper, then deal the cards.

For various reasons, we've missed a couple of months. So last week I sent out an email to see who could come over on Friday night. I was in the mood to cook up a storm (grilled marinated pork chops and chicken breasts, grilled asparagus, these fabulous cilantro-filled rolls I found in the current issue of Bon Appetit, finished off with a buttermilk/blackberry cake from the same publication. (I'm thinking about adapting the cake by substituting fresh Texas peaches for the blackberries.)

After supper, we cleared off the table and dealt the cards. By popular demand, the game of the evening was one Michael and Sarah had taught us called Bullsh!t. The entire point of the game seems to be to lie and cheat your way to victory. Seriously. As  you go around the table, each player has to lay down cards in order from ace to king. And you must lay down the correct card(s). That's where the fun comes in. Your fellow players have to decide if you are lying. If someone thinks you are lying, a cry of "BS!" will erupt from him. So, you have to either turn the card(s) over to prove you aren't or take all of the cards in the pot. This leads to a lot of lying and cheating.

In our little group, probably no one gets into the lying and cheating more than my neighbor Andy and my daughter-in-law Sarah. They do so much cheating together that we actually said they couldn't sit together on Friday. Not that we enforced it. It wouldn't be any fun. The two of them clumsily pass cards off to each other, put down more cards than they say they are, and rarely put down the right card. Last Friday was no exception. And no one laughed harder about it than Andy. I've never seen him laugh that hard. Play literally stopped as he crossed his arms on the table, laid down his head and laughed until it hurt. It made my day, my week, my month to see everyone laughing and having so much fun.

And that's why I love dirty, rotten, cheating liars. Or at least, certain people of that persuasion.