Tieing Flys

For my Dad 

I am very much my father's daughter.  If there was something new to learn or something looked like it would be fun to do (within reason...no marathon for either one of us) my father was all over it. Tennis, hiking, camping, trains, photography, violin, keyboard, painting, boating, woodworking, just to name a few.  His favorite part was to "acquire all the accoutrements" (his words) needed for said project.  He was a gatherer!  One of his later adventures was fly fishing.  He had the waders, different poles, the jacket with all the pockets to hold all his gear but what he really loved to do was tie flies.  And that allowed him to acquire even more with this one hobby, score!  After many outings he finally caught a fish!!!  He held it up proudly, Mother captured the historic moment and all was right with the world until the picture came out of the printer.  He is standing tall, arm up in the air, with a big grin, but the fish was so small and blended in with his jacket that it cannot be seen in the photo. It is framed and predominately displayed on the bookshelf...which my father built.  With this piece, when rocked the casting line comes to life and the fish wiggle about. The fly in my piece is one that he tied.  We lost him 6 years ago in April and I miss him dearly.

A note on camping:  To go camping once and only for one night you need 2 months preparation, 2 trips to campground with all stuff needed including but not limited to a HUGE tent, a hand built wooden kitchen area with electric hookup and running water ( he was extremely proud of this), cooking supplies and food to cook full meals, cots, chairs, lamps, leisure materials and firewood.  Not having much experience with fire building he put so much lighter fluid on the wood that a massive fireball flew up into the air and singed the tall pine trees hovering innocently above.  That was our only experience with camping.  Funny enough, I love camping... but not in a tent.

Today is clean the porch day and it is a beautiful day to do so.

Peace, 

Hilari

Really!!

 

Family

This piece has some great movement.  When you tip the side the girl swings back and forth as the parents rock from side to side.  Getting the girl to move the way I thought she should was a bit tricky.  I would get a good swinging motion but she would bump into the father or her foot would catch the mother's dress. I would then adjust the problem parent, which would in turn affect her arm placement so the girl would lose her wonderful swing.  A little bit of this and a little less of that, with a dash of patience, and it came into itself.  I really, really, really like when there is movement in my pieces...really.

This is my very, most favorite Christmas present I received this year. (Samantha, the long, warm socks are awesome too!).  It was made by my 4 year old niece, Emma.  I absolutely love all the colorful fingerprint dabs that cover the entire center of the bowl. I am an avid crocheter and it makes me smile whenever I use it.



Spring is just around the corner!
Peace,
Hilari

Spelling is Not My Forte

Our book making club has been invited to have a showing this month (through March 31st, not May 4th) along with a photography group from the area.  We are very excited to show our work because for all but one of us this is a hobby and for the one who "works" at it, it is a second career during retirement.  In other words, we do not have many opportunities to share what we love to do.  Also, my mother is so proud when she gets a postcard with my work being highlighted...top left corner and bottom middle.  It will make the rounds at church.

I met my partner in crime, Cheryl, last night to drop off my pieces for the show and was so excited to share with her the new piece that I mentioned I was starting in a previously post where I used  rebar, pulleys, a piece from a deck post, and an old quilt.  I swooped it out of the box and her face lit up then immediately sank.  The words on the piece read Be Unapopogetic, Commanding and Incredibly Sure of Yourself.  Yea...Unapopogetic.  I did not even have to look at the piece to know I had misspelled something.  The women in my family are not spellers.  Luck #1 , the quote was on cotton batting glued to a piece of paper which I had run through the printer (Surprise! It worked).  Luck #2,  I happened to have in my work supplies a razor blade that I could scrape off the curve of the P and make it a L to get... Unapologetic. I am very glad that was addressed before it was set out to show.  The whole world doesn't need to know can't spell.

 I neglected to get a picture of it before packing it up so I will have to share it at a later date.

The enticing smell of frozen pizza wafting from the kitchen and the sound of rain hitting the roof is telling me it is time to settle in for the evening.
Good night to all,
Hilari