I gave up yesterday. 

I took a day to reset. I only did the must-do on the list and then stitched on the Elephant all afternoon. I made progress. It’s slow going on the background, but rather relaxing.

Now, I need to get back to organizing the organ music, straightening up the thread stash, and catching up on viewing the AGO videos. I’m long past comparing myself to those stars. I have to smile: there are more videos of organists in the 20’s than there are of organists in their 50’s. A very pleasant shift. One can hope that the organ will live and not die.

Just like tatting is not dying, organs will sound!  

Fair results

I am very lucky. I live in a beautiful place. I have great music opportunities on the organ here. I have a great group of tatters that meet weekly. I live a charmed life! I’ve been able to connect with tatters and organists around the world through the Internet and through Guilds. I am very lucky!

A friend, who doesn’t play organ or tat, asked me the other day how I liked participating in the County Fair. It’s a positive experience for me. Lots of people see lots of creative items. The friendly competition spurs my creativity. There are things that are not to my taste: the crowds, how it manages to be the hottest weather all summer, people reacting to my tatting in a negative way. But overall, it’s positive because it encourages people to try tatting. (Get the picture here? It’s all about tatting for me. J)

This year, for Monterey County Fair 2019, I filled out entry forms for 4 items….just 4. Not a lot, I know. When it came time to turn the items in for judging, I couldn’t find 2 of the tatted snowflakes. They are here in the house somewhere. I hope to find them for decorating in December. Since they are missing, I did not have anything judged in the Tatting Division. There were quite a few pieces entered in that Division. They were magnificent! 

The 2 items that I did turn in were entered in Household decorations. These Cuffs for Candelsticks and my version of Martha Ess Two Hearts as One. They won ribbons: 2^nd place for both. I regret I wasn’t able to see the displays as I was wrapped up in Tat Days. I hope to find out exactly how many tatted pieces were judged and how many won ribbons. I call it another successful year for tatting at the Fair. 

What will be created for next year???

progress on Wiosna 2017

I’ve completed a few projects that came to light last week. Nothing very big. Nothing to show here. If you were in Pacific Grove last Sunday, you may have heard me play. Thanks, Laurie, for coming up to talk afterwards. I do plan to pursue the Pedals, Pipes, and Pizza. I’d like to expand the program to include adults, physics students, and other geeky musicians.

So, back to what’s on the shuttles. Another Candle Cuff is just a short chain away from being finished. I’ll use that chain to demonstrate hiding ends and blocking to the Study Group next week. This week we’re taking a break and I’m listening to a lecture about symphonic music given to non-musicians. I try to keep up with YouTube offerings, and have quite a bit of notes for myself. Today should be a great opportunity. More later.

I’ve begun Round 10 of my monster doily designed by Renulek:

I think things will pull together color/thread/bead with the next 2 rounds. This round is not as fiddly as the previous, but with a TOR and 3 BJ per repeat, it’ll take a while to complete all 24 repeats.

To read or not to read.....

Those of you who live around me know I love reading. I don’t mention it much in this blog because, well, reading is a hobby of mine that’s morphed into professional development lately. I have 4 magazines that come into my home on music and fiber arts each month. Articles in those send me to the internet regularly. I do read for fun some, but not as much as when I was younger.

I have been following the Great American Read program. It is fun to see what books made the list, what books they feature in the Fall shows, and what I am drawn to reread or finally get to reading. I’ll be looking into a way to read and tat just as you can tat while the TV is on, or your waiting for something to happen in an office or meeting. A good way to test out design ideas!

Festivals and such

Festivals are addicting.

You have the opportunity to immerse yourself. When I attend an AGO Convention, it’s often 4-5 concerts on a dozen different instruments in 4 days. Bach Festival is 2 or 3 mini, or full, concerts each day for a couple of weeks. And that doesn’t include the free events! I’ve yet to attend the Jazz Festival here. Maybe because my instrument doesn’t often end up outside, I’m not drawn to outdoor music. Music outside is fun, just not what I think of first. And then there’s the daily life that has to be fit between all those concerts.

On a tatting note….. I have two more ideas for candle cuffs. I’m hoping to try one out today…. Between hearing another concert or two.

Question in yellow....answer as you wish!

I like blogging. I think it’s because I can put thoughts and photos out there and people with like interests can comment.

Doesn’t work that way so much with the organ music sectors of my life. There’s a few places I visit regular on the internet. I’ve enjoyed some videos. Not just on Youtube, but on the AGO website. I like reading about these busy folks:

Morwenna

Michael’s music. 

Katherine Crozier.

I especially like talking and listening to organists in my area. I’ve been here 2 years now. (Egads!) I’ve met quite a few. I hope to meet more. Now that I’ve finished a couple of big projects at the house, I’ll be getting out more in the area to document what organs are here.

I know some of you will have strong feelings about the next question. Those who comment here will likely be published. Those who tell me privately I may just publish in a post or two. Consider yourself warned. I will ask permission of course, but beware.

Question:

Start a new page on this blog showing what organs I’ve discovered here?

OR

Start a new blog and merge the organ stuff from this blog onto the organ blog?

I’ll be making a decision this summer. It’ll likely take me that long to amass the raw material for posts. Or find the camera and learn how to use it better!

A surprise in my mailbox

Something possessed me during my senior year of college to pledge to a music sorority http://www.sai-national.org/home/ . I know, I know, my SENIOR year! I had been a bit independent at my first college, and settling in after a transfer meant that I missed the boat my Junior year. I didn’t really think I’d pull off the degree in 4 years with the transfer and all, but I did. So, my Senior year saw me initiated as a SAI. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed flipping through the Pan Pipes. http://sai-national.org/home/Publications/PanPipes/tabid/78/Default.aspx The philanthropy always inspires me. Not that I can even manage to get my personal act together, but it is inspiring. So, imagine my surprise when the Summer issue has not one, but two articles about organists! One announces Eileen Guenther’s appointment as Professor of Church Music at Wesley Theological Seminary. The other profiles a program that the Wichita Kansas group runs educating folk about the organ. http://kids.agowichita.org/  It sounds very cool!! Inspiring articles for li’l ole me.

after a long hiatus

Life has been lively lately. If I look at what I wrote down months ago for goals and see what I’ve accomplished, I get upset. If I look at what others around me have accomplished with my help, I smile. Guess what?? I’ve been smiling a lot lately. All that is hard to document in this blog. So, I say, life is good.

The sun is rising after I awake now, so I can see some spectacular sunrises.

The Fall term is starting for college kids I’m connected with. Their energy and liveliness is wonderful.

Our Sacred Threads ministry is up and knitting and stitching and bringing God’s peace to many.

The small number of tatting students I’ve been privileged to work with are sharing their talents with a whole lot of people.

Our Organists Guild chapter is embarking on reaching out to other musicians that love the organ.

So, to paraphrase Handel, and I again I say life is good!

organ factory tours and such

Well, my idea didn’t work too well. I just need to tweek it, but that won’t happen for a while. Other things to do.

Like visiting an organ factory.  Now, before you roll your eyes, let me say that I joined over 30 people on this tour! A bus was rented to get the group from South Bay to North Bay. That meant that on the way, we were treated to a DVD of a tour of another organ company’s factory, a short excerpt of a talk by a third organ builder, and plenty of time to chat with other organists and curious people. It was a wonderful day! I think the comment that I enjoyed the most was from a non-musician. And the commercial at the end of the DVD for the shows visiting other factories (over 300 have been taped) really “tickled me” as my Mom used to say. If you're in the Bay Area and love to see what people do working with their hands creating cool stuff, call and see if you can stop by. They don't always have an organ being put together, but they lots of cool parts.

Like tatting the earring pattern in Sulky “Piano Keys"

I need to finish another one to make a pair, but I can’t decide which one to match. I would like to wear the for the Memorial service this week. So, best get busy eh?

Like having fun at Exclamation Point demonstrating tatting and the different techniques used with different tools. I’ll be working on my supplies for that later.

Like cleaning house (ugh!) and paying bills (double ugh!) and maybe even completing another pattern in the TAT binder (I have to stay focused!). And there’s the list of errands…….

Liebert bookmark version 2

Yesterday was a busy day. I played a service in the morning. Nice small Lutheran congregation. A very pleasant way to spend the morning sharing my gifts! Then after lunch, I spent the afternoon with my colleagues at a Professional Development program sponsored by our San Jose AGO chapter. It’s surprising the reaction folks have to the words “contract” and “employment” with respect to the arts.

I wanted to post my next version of the Liebert bookmark pattern I’ve been working on. (See the Feb 12 post) Unfortunately, the hands were just too achy to tat that much after the morning’s exercise. So, instead, I offer the sample I did.

Liebert pattern interpreted for a circle bookmark

Now off to prepare for romping through the hair bun holder idea I’m sharing with the Online Tatting Class.