Halloween & Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead)

Halloween isn't my obsession at all.  I've never been one for dressing up as something other than what I am: the most awesome Tia.  However, Larry is totally smitten with Halloween and has been for a least 20 years. And for those 20 years I always wondered why he is so taken with this day.  I just didn't understand, until today.  At least I think I do.

Larry was very close to his father, to whom he looked up to in many ways. Larry tells stories of the many activities his dad and his brothers did together.  When I met Larry Sr., he put on a pretty awesome Halloween display.  It was legendary in their little town.  A coffin, hanging dead people and generally scary stuff.  This was 20 years ago when decorating for Halloween consisted  of carving pumpkins!

Larry Sr. passed away quite a few years ago and I think that's when Larry picked up the torch. Some years he hasn't been able to decorate due to deployments or being out of the county.  Even when we were in Eltmann, Germany, Larry tried to put on a little display, to which he was rewarded with 4 trick-or-treaters. Last year, Larry once again put on a good display followed by an even better one this year. 

Again and again I asked why does he spend so much time on something that really has no meaning. I just couldn't grasp why he wanted to spend a week setting up the display for the enjoyment of people that we don't even know.  Then tonight as we dressed up and he handed out goody bags to the approximately 100 kids that came by, I realized the reason.  It makes me teary eyed just thinking about it.  On the eve of Dia de Muertos, I know the answer.  This Halloween display is a celebration of his father.  It is a way that Larry can honor what his dad meant to him and in this way he shares this remembrance with everyone who comes by to enjoy his display.  

A Studio of My Own

I have been a crafter my whole life, as far back as I can remember.  My mom keeps everything I make, framing my earlier works from grade school as well as later handmade items.  My dad still wears the shirt I made for him in high school; it's made from wild cat fabric with those little kiddie lion buttons.  He was and still is proud of it!

When my husband and I bought our first house over 23 years ago, there was no doubt that I needed a room all to myself just for crafting.  There was a formal living room at the front of the house that we converted into a studio that I used to craft, teach classes and have my craft club friends over.  It was chock full of crafting supplies and I spent many many wonderful hours with my friends in that studio.  After 13 years in that house, we moved abroad for 10 years, leaving all my crafts behind.  I sold or gave away most of the crafts supplies, keeping things that I treasured or that wouldn't "go bad" while I was out of the country.  

Renting abroad gave us little room to have a studio.  I took up jewelry making along the way and at first that didn't take up too much space.  But, do you remember the name of this blog?  Yes, I have to have everything!  Still I didn't have the room to have my own space.  Once we moved to Germany, I started paper crafting again, took some ceramic and sewing classes, and continued with the jewelry making.  We had an extra bedroom that I quickly outgrew so when our landlord moved out, we rented his 2 room apartment downstairs and converted it into a studio.  Unfortunately, there wasn't any heat in it, so I rarely worked down there.  I just used it for storage.

In March 2012, we moved back to the U.S.A.  After about 8 months of renting we felt confident to buy our second home.  The search was on...online.  After looking at hundreds of homes online, researching neighborhoods and figuring out what we really wanted, we contacted our agent and started looking in real life.  Guess how long it took us to find our current house?  One day.  We found it online, looked at the house the next day, and signed the papers the day after that.  We had a long list that this house fulfilled for us, a big kitchen that opened into the living area, a 2 car garage, plenty of bedrooms for visitors and most importantly...a big formal dining/living room that would be the perfect studio!   It's got a long way to go before it's done, but its coming together as you can see!

All Things Great & Small

At any given time, I am wrapped up in at least a half dozen obsessions, uhm, projects.  Here's a few: homemade granola, our new rescue puppy, balancing MY budget, organizing my home (mainly my studio), getting ready for Christmas, specifically Christmas presents, and make-up.  Some I finish and move on.   Most I lost interest in since I have the attention span of a pea.  And then there's the odd one or two that will hold my attention for. ever.

Right this minute Buster, our new rescue pup is trying to chew on the computer cord. When I scold him gently, he pretends he's licking his private bits.  He thinks he's all sneaky that way.  I LOVE and ADORE him.  Period.  Raising a puppy that needs some special care can be taxing, to say the least. But I don't know what I would do without this craziness in my life.

                                                  Buster Dawg at about 14-15 weeks old.

My Life Is An Obsession

As early as I can remember, I had a love affair with something.   My bear & my sister's bunny were probably my first obsessions.  I loved my bear and coveted the bunny.  I took that bunny every single time my sister turned her back and I carried it by one of it's ears.  The bear lost an eye and both of them lost most of their fur.  My momma would sew bits and bobs back on.  She would add back the stuffing that was lost, but the fur was just gone.  They were both, all but bald.  However, I still loved them and to this day, about 44 years later, I still remember them fondly.