It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like...

...the Great White North. I can't really complain, it hasn't been all that cold. My poor father thinks it is though, because my parents have been spending their winters in Florida so they seem to have forgotton what cold is. He's constantly rubbing his hands together and looking at the thermometer. Mom has threatened to remove all thermometers from the house so he won't know how cold he's supposed to be. Here's who doesn't mind the cold:We got another cord of wood delivered the other day, and she's such a big help with the stacking. Or should I say un-stacking. The last time, she actually made her own pile. Don't know what that was all about. This time she seemed more interested in seeking out specific pieces, based on some criteria only she knew, and chewing on them. Fortunately it's oak, so even those strong jaws can't do TOO much damage. The problem is that she needs to be right in the middle of whatever is going on so we have to step over and around her while we stack.

Christmas is almost here and my state of mind can be summed up thusly; the other night (1:30 am) in Walmart I ran into someone I know and she said, "Ready for Christmas?" and I said (jokingly of course, I'm not a grinch), "Well...it's gonna come, whether I'm ready or not!" And so it is. I guess I've done all the shopping I'm going to do, since Christmas is in two days! Although I got an email this morning from Musician's Friend reminding me "there's still time to order".

The Food Pantry Benefit Show....

...was the success I had not dared to hope it would be. We collected a massive pile of food, and everybody seemed to have a good time. Especially "It Was The Best Of Times", who after their set had a line of people wanting to buy CDs and T-shirts. They're an excellent band, fronted by someone who can only be described as a hot chick with a lot of talent. Recipe for success. I hope Decorus Mens gets back in the studio soon to record some more tracks, because a couple of the best ones exist only on my computer because I videotaped them, and they really should be available for mass consumption.

Anyway, the holiday shopping bug has yet to bite me. I should probably be concerned, as Christmas is right around the corner, but I just can't seem to muster any level of stress about it. I'll be sorry later I know. Mom keeps going out shopping and coming home with nothing, but in between it all has managed to get most of her shopping done. I think she does most of it online, all the trips to the stores are just because she likes to get out! Not me, I'm looking forward to tomorrow, when I anticipate not having to leave the yard at all. I live for those days!

Random Thoughts of the Week...

....and it's been a week. First of all, if I had prayers (that's another story), they'd be going out to Sean Taylor's mama. I'm not particularly a Redskins fan, but I'm a mama, and he was only 24. 24!! I know people that age and younger die every day tragically, but my son is 24 (in a couple of weeks) so it hits home. And it just made me so sad to hear what happened to him. He wasn't in the war, where you know you might not make it home alive, or out doing things he shouldn't be doing (although he was no boy scout), he was at home with his girlfriend and baby and if you can't be safe in your home, what are you supposed to do?

On a lighter note (although some would probably beg to differ), the freakin' Patriots are going to give me heart failure. I guess we shouldn't have been spoiled all season by all those one-sided victories because now those close games are just TOO close. I know they have to lose sooner or later, but the more they win, the harder it's going to be to watch them lose. Kind of like the higher you climb, the bigger the splat when you fall.

This week I have thought a lot about getting things done. I'm not talking about finishing projects around the house, I'm talking about finding solutions to unacceptable situations. I really believe that there is no problem that can't be solved if one just has enough determination and resourcefulness. A minor example; the benefit show (which is tonight) for the St. Mary's food pantry. We decided to hold the concert, but then discovered that there were going to be unforseen expenses. It just wouldn't be right to stick the food pantry with the bill, so I have solicited donations to cover the cost of the police officer which we are required to have present (and he ain't cheap) and the bartender. See? Problem, solution. This, as I said, was a minor example. It wasn't a whole lot of money, just a couple hundred dollars. But there are other unacceptable situations I'm (mentally) chewing on. Stay tuned for more on THAT subject.

And so about the benefit; coverage by our local papers has been not spectacular, although at least we got some. Chariho Times put it in last week, which doesn't make any sense to me, but at least it was in there. I have been telling everyone I know, and I probably sound like a broken record, but it's for a good cause. In case you haven't heard about it, it's 5 rock bands playing at the Calabrese Club, 28 Pleasant Street, Westerly RI. The show kicks off at 6:00 with Formal Action, followed by A Paradigm Shift, It Was The Best of Times, Decorus Mens, and finishing up with Verbana Darvell. Price of admission is 3 or more nonperishable food items, baby items (diapers, wipes, etc.) or personal products (toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, etc.) which will all go to the St. Mary's/St. James Community Food Pantry in Charlestown. Cash donations will also be accepted. The bands are all donating their time and talent, and the Calabrese Club is donating the use of their banquet facility (but not their bartender, which is understandable). The only one NOT donating his time is the police officer!!! Hey I tried, but in the words of Mick Jagger, you can't always get what you want.

Nikkomo....

...was where I spent my afternoon. Nikkomo is the annual give-away ceremony at the Tomaquag Museum, (Narragansett tribe for those of you non-Rhode Islanders). They hold these thanksgiving ceremonies many times during the year, and every single time I end up having something else I must do that day and can't go, so this is the first time I had attended and I'm so glad I did! Actually I was there to sell my stuff, but the ceremony was held right in the same room so I was able to be in the circle and take part. Paulla Dove Jennings told the story of the beginning of Nikkomo, and Thawn Harris told the story of how birds got their song which had everyone laughing, especially the kids! I have never been anywhere where storytelling is performed, in spite of being acquainted with many storytellers, Indian and white, and it was extremely entertaining.

Playing the show the other night with Preston and Joe was a lot of fun...I sure do miss doing the band thing. We are supposed to get together with a guy tomorrow night and see if we can start something. Starting a band (again) is kind of like dating. (could this be the one? He seems like a good guy, but what if he's a raging alcoholic or does lots of coke in his spare time?). It's a process that gets tedious after a while, but necessary unless you're really lucky and just fall in with the right people right off the bat. In addition to the many blind dates we've had in the last couple months, my amplifier has revealed its true nature, and it's a piece of sh*t. An expensive piece at that. I think it's the only piece of sh*t Carvin ever made, because we've bought plenty of stuff from them and it's all been good. I sent the thing back to them once, and they returned it to me and said there's nothing wrong with it. But oh, there is. Someday when I win the Powerball I'm gonna buy myself a Trace Elliott. But not this week.

This is how it starts....

...the obsession with a new project. I recently did a show where I met Kim Vredenburg, a very talented artist who works in glass. While her work was absolutely beautiful, the thing I couldn't take my eyes from was a pendant she was wearing that she had bought from another artist. It too was glass, although it didn't look like it. It was about 3" long and had a picture of a seahorse on it, a very fancy one with long spines, looked almost like a dragon. Finally I had to sketch it:Because the wheels started to turn, and I could just picture it (it was shades of brown and tan) made out of fabric, in shades of teal and turquoise, with many beads and wire....somehow. So the other day I took the next step, which was to sketch out a full-size pattern. Well, the thing is two feet tall. I can't decide if this is way too big or not, so now I'm stalled. If I make it this big, it's going to be a monstrosity and may lose some of it's coolness factor. But the smaller I make it, the more difficult it's going to be to work with all those spines, which are going to have to have wire in them I think, to maintain their spinyness. (spell check is telling me that "spinyness" isn't a word. I beg to differ, and reserve the right to make up my own words.) So I will ruminate on that subject for a while longer.

On the music front, we have a show to play! I am most excited. Turns out Decorus Mens could not find an opening act for tomorrow night at Bobby G's, so PJ asked me if we would do it. Although, as I reminded him, there is no "we" at this point, I decided it wouldn't hurt to ask Joe T. if he was up for playing some stuff as a three piece. Fortunately, he was! So now we get to play. And then Sunday we are jamming with another guy, in the hopes of putting an actual band together. I sure miss the regular gigs. Of course there's all the hassle and frustration that goes along with having a band, but that's a pain you forget...kind of like childbirth, or nobody would ever do it again.

The Goth in me...

...loves my latest project, which is made of blood red fabric and black ribbon. It's a ribbon dress for Marylou S., and I'm fairly certain there's no Goth in her, although you never know! This is the fabric:and I'm using Folkwear's Navajo Blouse pattern....for the first time, which is always interesting. Some of their patterns look simple, and this one isn't really all that difficult, but the construction techniques vary from pattern to pattern so it's an ongoing education. It's good for me, I guess! I spent the afternoon listening to my Tony Elman CD (look it up), drinking hot cider, and immersed in the construction of many, many pintucks on the sleeves of this dress.

I really should get back to Debbie's house and finish the tree wall, but first things first.

Gobble, gobble, gobble....

....yeah, yeah, yeah....
It's ten minutes till Thanksgiving, and here's wishing everybody a happy one! Thanksgiving dinner is at my brother's house, because his looks like something from Better Homes and the rest of the family's houses....well, do not. My part is about done, my pie is in the oven. That's the thing about having a small house, it's both a blessing and a curse; on the one hand, I never have to have the holiday dinners here. On the other hand, I never get to have the holiday dinners here. I really would like to, but there's just no room to put anybody!

So I just bring the pie. Mainly because I'm a pie snob, I can't stand those Pillsbury premade cardboard pie crusts everybody uses for some reason I can't figure out. I always make my own, just like Mom taught me. Except Mom now uses Pillsbury crusts. I guess she figures she raised me right and now she's done so it's time to coast. Problem with all that pie is that the dinner is SO good and my sister-in-law Ronda goes to SO much trouble with it, that nobody ever has room for pie so we just end up dividing them up and sending them home! So this year it's just one pie. I did make the traditional peanut butter pie for PJ to take with him though.

PJ and his friends, for many years, have celebrated "Thanksgiving II" which entails getting together the day after Thanksgiving and making a meal out of all the leftovers they have all absconded with the day before. Several years ago I thought that peanut butter pie sounded like something different for Thanksgiving, so I made one. But the thing was just so sweet and rich that nobody could finish a piece. So I gave the rest to PJ to feed to his friends the next day. I guess it was a big hit, so now I make them one every year. I still couldn't finish a piece, and I have a major sweet tooth. But I don't have to eat it, I just have to make it!