Art is my passion! Baskets, Quilts, Paintings, Drawings, Photos

Well, I have cut my hair for the 3rd time in a month.  I do not think that I could go any shorter.  I start out thinking I want to change my hair and wind up cutting, and cutting, and cutting.  I even played beauty shop.  I thought I would color the gray and go alittle bit lighter.  It ended up red!!  I think I better quit playing beauty shop for a while.  At least my hair will not get into my eyes anymore!  Just wash and dry and let the air dry it, no combing, no setting, no hair spray.  Ahh.  When a woman reaches a certain age, she can do as she pleases.  And, I do not have to please anyone but me.  Have a wonderful day.

May the Lord Bless you every day.  Judy

I find it quite disturbing that a minister of God would preach on being a racist.  How can a person have this minister as his mentor for over 20 years, and not be influenced by him. To me a mentor is someone that teaches you, helps to form your moral character. How can this not affect you and the people around you? What do you think?  Who really is Obama?  And, what does he really believe?  Can you really believe in him?  Where does he really stand?  At first, I was really sick at how long this presidental race has been going on.  But, the longer it is going on the more you find out about a person and their true beliefs.  Let me hear your thoughts about this.  We know alot about Clinton, and McCain, but we really do not know to much about Obama.  He  has not voted on a lot of matters, either yea or nay, but did you know that over 100 times he only voted present and not for or against the matters before him.  What kind of policy is that??  You either  have to be for something or against something.  You cannot sit on the fence. One cannot tell the voters "I am for this or I am against this" if you  have never even voted.  Well......let me know what you think

I am so upset.  My son John called me today from Iraq.  All I heard was "Hi Ma".  I said "John so good to h....."and I lost his signal.  I guess he could not get through again and recall me.  I had not heard from him for over a week.  I guess he had been on a mission this whole last week.  Then to hear his voice and not be able to talk to him.  Bummer.  But, alas!  He is alive and well!  Praise the Lord.  He does not get home on leave till Oct 08.  He is there for 15 months.  It is his second tour of duty. Keep him in your prayers.  Peace Be With You!  Judy

I guess when you start to see cobwebs hanging on everything in the family room and dust thick enough to draw pictures in, it is about time to do a little house cleaning.  So I broke down and did a little dusting and knocking down of the cobwebs.  Man I hate to do that, cleaning I mean.  I have so many other important and fun things to do like paint, or sew, or quilt or make a basket.  Oh well.  At least I have that chore out of the way for another year!!!!!  Hope you have a wonderful, and dust free day. 

Peace Be With You, Judy

Spring is in the air.  How do I know?  Because my husband is spending as much time outside as he can.  He has had cabin fever for so long.  This winter looks like it will never end!  We are suppose to have a high in the 70's today, then tonight rain, and for tomorrow colder and snow again!!!!  Hate this wind.  Must be blowing in Spring , you got to love that though!  Here is a little sunshine for you.   Have a wonderful day.  Peace Be With You.  Judy

I took this photo of our American Flag a year ago on the Fourth of July.  I was  on my way home to visit my mother in southern Missouri.  It was a glorious day!  The sky was so blue.  I do not know why, but I feel really good when I see our Flag flying high.  I am PROUD to be an AMERICAN!!!  And I am extremely PROUD of the men and women who are serving our country!!!  And for those who have served our great land, especially for those who have given their lives for our freedoms.  I do not take their sacrifices lightly.  God Bless the USA!

Peace Be With You, Judy

Today is February 15th.  It is cold and breezy here in the midwest.  I went to an oral pathologist today concerning my lichen planus in my mouth.  I have suffered from this going on four years now.  From what I can tell, stress is a trigger for it.  That is when it likes to flare-up.  It is a pain.  It limits what you can eat and drink.  Hot and spicy food is out.  Acid food and drinks is out.  No coffee, tea, orange juice.  No chili, Mexican food, catsups, pizza, I could go on and on.  If I eat or drink these things it burns like h.......!  Sleeping hurts also.  How, by laying my cheek on my pillow.  My body itches, especially my ankles and feet.  And another place I won't mention.  I have went to many skin specialists, and nothing seems to work.  So, now I am trying someone else.  A dental oral pathologist.  They made a cast of my lower teeth to make some kind of a gadget to put medicine in so that I can keep the medicine right on the sores on my gums.  Sounds like fun.  Thirty minutes a day, twice a day, plus a mouth rinse twice a day between the other twice a day stuff.  I have taken some serious medicines.  Having to get a blood test every month.  Shots in my bottom.  Creams, tablets, lotions.  You get the picture.  I have looked it up and it says most cases go away in 18 months.  Well, not me.  So, maybe, I should chill out and not get so stressed!!!!!!!! How???? Living is stressful, husbands are stressful, kids are stressful, weight is stressful, a child in Iraq is very, very STRESSFUL!  Another child, suffering from tramatic stress syndrome from being in Iraq 3 years ago and the Army doesn't even care, is stressful! So, I guess less stress would probably be a very good thing, if only........................

Well, enough hot air.  Life goes on.  I read another artical and it said it could last for five years or more.  It could disappear, then reappear years later.  Oh My!  What fun to look forward to!  Growing old, how sweet.  Better than pushing up daisies. 

Hope you have a good and unstressful day.

Peace Be With You,   judy

I took my first basket class back in the fall of 1997.  I saw an ad in the parks and rec.  A lady by the name of Marcia was giving the class.  I could make a basket for $30.  I had always been interested in basketry, but never had the opportunity to take a class and learn until that day.  She called me and said would I mind that I was the only person who had signed up for the class.  Being a teacher, I said heavens no.  One on one basketry would be wonderful.  So, I took the class.  I made a wine tote.  I was so proud of that basket.  It took me 4 hours to make it.  When I brought that basket home I starred at it for hours.  I could not believe that Me, I had made that thing from some wet strips of reed.  I took another class and another class and another class from Marcia, who soon became not only my basketry teacher, but also my friend.  I bought all the tools that one needs for basketry.  I bought books, and tried making the baskets from the pages of those wonderful books.  After many trials and errors I soon became quite accomplished at making baskets with or without the help of Marcia.  I then graduated to egg baskets.  These baskets are much harder to make, and quite a challenge.  You have to design the basket yourself.  It is a rib basket.  You have to make the basket do what you want it to do not what it wants to do.  It takes alot of muscle and sweat, and hard work.  But the finished result is magical.  From egg baskets I learned how to fashion a deer antler into a handle for my baskets.  One of a kind.  You can never make another quite like it.  Through the years I have made and given and sold so many baskets.  I lost track at how many that I have made over the years.  I have slowed down some because of arthritis and elbow, and carpal tunnel surgeries.  You should see my work room!  Most would say it looks like one giant mess, but not to me.  I know where everything is. So now I am going to add some of my photos of my baskets.  I hope you enjoy looking at them.  Believe me, this is only a small fraction of the baskets that I have made.  All because of that one day when I spied the parks and recs. ad looking for people to take a class in basketry!

Peace Be With You!  Judy

Many different kinds of baskets:  some flat reed, some egg basket rib, some with wooden bottoms made with flat reed.

 

deer antler rib deer antler rib deer antler rib deer antler rib deer antler side handles basket with legs, flat reed