Born in Black & White... Random Scrumble

Well-- here it is! Finally! My first ART assignment! Well, technically- not my first but the first homework. Drawing instructor Debi Fendley gave us the project of choosing one of our FAVORITE things and to draw it! Well... hmmmm..... favorite? I've got a LOT of those! To be honest- my goal in taking art was to draw and paint people! But... the subject I had in mind wasn't cooperative this w/e to modeling for me, so- I chose another fav!

SPECIAL DARK! YUMMMMMY! and I had to go buy a big old bar just to get the label, HAHA!

Definitely puts one "in the mood"! My friend, Lynette- declares that even candles and mood music are tax write-offs for artists... I wonder if that includes endorphin allowances? While I don't burn a lot of candles- I could definitely use the sweet feeling I get from a good old piece of cocoa everyday... sometimes twice an hour!

Anywhoozie.... let's see. Oh. Yes. Black & White. The title! It occurred to me the other day that I have a deep preference for black & white art. No surprise there! I was BORN in black & white! at least if you look at most of the photographs from the early 60's pretty much everything was b&w! There were a few colorful days- mostly special events like weddings and an occasional birthday party... but, for the most part- day to day life was in b&w. Now wouldn't that be a surprise to my great-great grandparents and all their g-parents? The paintings we have of those folks usually have color in the backgrounds- often times the women wore b&w garments; but, they too- were defined by a b&w world! Odd isn't it?

The other thing that astounds me about this revelation is my dog is b&w! And, he's one of the FAVS in my life!

Okay... the word "scrumble" came to my attention today. Because I was skimming- I read it as SCRUMBLE while it was actual SCUMBLE (which means to soften the outlines and colors) and went in search of it and discovered a whole bunch of textile artists that create scrumble and it's fascinating! Technically- it's not technical and not very well defined! It's freeform including crochet and/or knitting. The most intriguing ones were embellished with all kinds of found objects.

I like the word SCRUMBLE as just a free-form word and if I ever get tired of "Flourish"- you can bet I'm gonna start scrumbling!!! Writing, creating mixed medias and life! Sally Scrumbles! hmmmm... definitely gotta ring there!

Meanwhile... back at the ranch- (or farmhouse rather) work is progressing on preparing our little studio house. I like to think of it as a studio house because- it's tiny (like a studio apartment) and I fully intend to set up our studios in it eventually! B's knifesmithing and metalworking will take half and my arts in the other half! For the time being though- we will life in it and since that's the case- it is needing to be rejuvenated and "Samson"-proofed. We've been caulking and moving what the few pieces of storage (furnishings) that survived B's great "cleanup" and this w/e with very dear-friend's, Toby, help- we cleaned off the front porchlet and repaired the door so now we can lock the world OUT! He also helped move those heavy items and took the caulk gun away from me (yippee!) so that I could do some other honey-do's. He's going to help us do some other fix-up stuff (running wires and some light carpentry work) and as soon as it's painted- I will be a COUNTRY GIRL! or... country ARTIST! B prepared us a lovely dinner of roast beef and veggies and as soon as I get a stove I'll make our favorite carpenters a batch of cookies!

so... there's a LOT going on! Drawing for me! Oh! My new Tech Skills instructor is a nationally recognized specialist in his field and published a book! I can hardly WAIT til he signs my copy! He doesn't use it in his classes- and it's not even on our supply list. But, I just had to have it for my reference library!

Okay... must go and finish reading for A-History and do a couple more sketches AND finish embellishing my totes and art supplies! I figured that if I put some pink flourishes on my stuff- it won't go "missing" when all those students spread their supplies out in class! Because we have purchased the portfolio kits from the campus bookstore they are all ALIKE and there is no way to distinguish them! Since I've always color-coded everything for me and the guys; I'll do it for this, too! Ahhh... can you guess I'm happy? Embellishing my art supplies! How silly!

But.. that's me! Silly Sally.. who now likes to Scrumble!

First Day of School...

....and.... my Mom took my picture!

I think she really just wanted a photo of the Mandevilla- lol!

So, it's been a while since my very first day at college!

Heck! It's been a l-o-n-g time since first-grade and carrying a PBJ and carrot sticks in my lunch kit! If my math is right- it's been 39 years- OUCH!

But, I am a college student (again) and taking 9 hours this Fall.

Drawing I, Tech Skills for Artists and History of Art to the Renaissance on Mondays & Wednesdays!

Get this! I still remembered which end of the pencil to draw with.... now if I could only draw lips that look like lips rather than exaggerated Angelina Jolie caricatures!

And...yes- that book is HEAVY! My sister calls it the "Bible" of art-students!

Devo andare ora addio di studio. (I must go study now, farewell!)

Bon Anniversaire!

Buon compleanno! Buon compleanno! Buon compleanno caro di Byron di buon compleanno!

Joyeux anniversaire ! Joyeux anniversaire ! Cher joyeux anniversaire Byron de joyeux anniversaire !

¡Feliz cumpleaños! ¡Feliz cumpleaños! ¡Feliz cumpleaños querido Byron del feliz cumpleaños!

No matter which language-- a most heartfelt birthday wish to my dh, Byron who turns 46 today!

This is a retro-photo of my baby brother, Jeff, and Byron at a family wedding in 1985. My goodness, wasn't he a handsome young thing??

You're a WINNER!!

How many times have you gotten that kind of letter in the mail? the email?

About a gillion?

Well. I got one the other day specially delivered by FedEx.

It seems that I really DID win $1,000 from an online survey I entered a few weeks back. I had bought some of that Gila® Window Film and inside the product was a notification of their online survey and well, why not? Fast forward to last week and I get the delivery....But... (there's always one of those, huh?) it contained a disclaimer among other things that had to be notarized and returned before they could mail it-- and when I went to the bank to have that done- there was quite a bit of speculation about whether or not it was legit.

Reservations abounded from all quarters that it was bogus.There were a couple of concerns that all the immediate family had when I announced "I'd won!" and then the really BIG thing to alarm the folks at the bank was that it had arrived by FedEx. Apparently, scam artists have gotten wise and realized that by using the good old USPS to deliver their schemes- they are in violation of Federal laws.... so.... they resort to other means of delivery. The second alarm was the request for the SS#. Huh? Why would they need that? I figure it's cause they are required to notify the good old IRS of my winnings.

I even contacted the Attorney General's office to substantiate the legitimacy of this. Didn't hear immediately back from them- so, I went ahead and followed my gut instincts that since I had entered the contest (in good faith) and all the paper trails led to the originating site and the company is reputable- I claimed my prize and signed my name on the dotted line. All along, hoping that I'd not just sold my soul (and sacred SS#) to the devil.

Well!! It CAME! Four days after me having mailed it in! My VISA gift-card CAME! And, I'm going SHOPPING!! Woohooooooo!!!

There was a slight hitch- when I tried to log on to the issuing bank site and activate it- naturally there wasn't a code included in my envelope. With help from Margaret, David & Sandy in St Louis and another Sandy in Taos, I have a fully functioning gift-card!

A word to the wise- if you think it may be bogus. Check it out. Thoroughly.
Arkansas State Attorney General, Justin Daniel's online site is: http://www.ag.state.ar.us/
Better Business Bureau: http://www.bbb.org/
Your personal bank is always an excellent resource- thanks to Vicky!

I am soooooooo excited!

Now... if only Ed McMahon and Pulbishers Clearinghouse would show up with the BIG money!

Laura's insight and Sally's ramblings...

"Learning things is most fascinating, and I think it adds joy to life to be continually learning things so that we may be able to go on with it credibly."

- Laura Ingalls Wilder -

Once again-- Laura puts it aptly.

This coming Monday- registration for classes begins at the local University. Classes begins for many public schools. Ahhh.... the smell of fresh crayons beckons me on the school supply aisle. While it may not be academic- I will be taking some art courses and learning lots. I'm anxious to get "to it" and start drawing for real!

In the meantime- it's still hot and the hurricanes are beginning to line up. Which part of the Gulf will Dean target? Sister, Robin, and her hubby, Stephen, are watching the weather channel with baited breath to see whether or not they'll be having to cancel their Mexico plans or prepare to evacuate their home. I hope neither. But, somebody's gonna have weather to deal with. UGH. Check out the link I've added for the local Arkadilly weather if you want to know how miserable it is here. Suffice it to say- nobody's mowing their yards any longer. There's nothing growing to mow. Sad and depressing. I hate this part of summer. Thank goodness there will be classes to distract from that!

Stay tuned. Stay cool and read something chililng- I suggest Laura's "The Long Winter" because it is really about the coldest thing I can think of besides "Doctor Zhivago" or "The Long Walk". I get frostbite just thinking of those titles!

Am waiting on one last delivery man this afternoon and then I will post again (if it's there!) about some rather exciting news!

Antimonkey Butt Powder, ohmi!!!

Do WHAT???

Anti-WHAT???

Monkey Butt?? Excuse me???

Well... my bff, Kim, called me to tell me that I really needed to look this product up next time I was shopping in our local farm supply store. They carry all kinds of unique things in that place from western wear to gardening supplies to paint & hardware to baby ducks... didn't know that they necessarily provided for MONKEYS... but, hey? What do I know... oh.... well.. duh... she corrected me- it's to PREVENT monkeybutt!

I've got to run right out and get some now. If you can't get it locally- then click on the link above for your instant relief. For your inner primate. For all things raw and chaffed (like your skin if you should happen to have to work outdoor in this awful heatwave!) For a good time call 1-800-antimonkey. Sorry. I just couldn't help throwing that one in there. It's not valid. Don't even try it!

Butt-- I must say.... without monkeying around anymore... See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil....and just say "NO" to monkeybutt business!

Aprons..... so comforting!

A dear sweet cousin of my grandPa's, Dotsy, brought these very special aprons that her Mama made to my Mama. Myrtle was a very special woman- I know this because of the way all the women in my family speak of her. I only wish I'd known her. I love the beautiful handiwork that she put on these and am just amazed at the creative bent everyone in my family exhibited.

As it so happens- two of my women friends in my life sent me the following story. I knew when Mama showed me Myrtle's aprons I just had to blog it! Though I've never been one to wear an apron very much- I may have to! They are just sooooo stylish!

Enjoy!

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.

And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.

Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.

In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.

When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that "old-time apron" that served so many purposes.

H is for HOTTER than HADES

Well. It's HERE. The dreaded "H" word. Hovering overhead. Hated horribly. I know it's supposed to mean High Pressure. But when I see it dangling over our fair state- it's ominous. It's horrendous.

Comes regularly every year-- sometimes sooner, rarely this late (or so it seems).

First it read 99+, 101, then 103 and finally 106 stinking degrees.

I was reminded of Eliza's pronunciation drills from "My Fair Lady": "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain. But in Hartford, Hereford and Hampshire, hurricanes hardly ever happen."

I wish a hurricane would happen. Well. Not a great killer one like Rita or Katrina. But just one enough to bring some rains to the dry South (bypassing Texas of course) and giving some relief to us all the way to Georgia. I guess it could be worse... in South Carolina the heat index is 118- ouch!

When it gets as hot and dry as it is- I always wonder just how awful it was to have lived in the dust-bowl days. Mae says she recalls all the dust even here. I'm not sure which is worse- looking at those awful pictures of those houses shrouded in such darkness from the dust storms and their descriptions of how difficult it was to breathe for years afterwards or having to watch the flood victims trying to get to safety. Weather. It's just awfully extreme and so unpredictable.

Anyway-- I'm in the cool this evening after having run a couple of errands this afternoon out in IT. Got the supplies and made a Margarita Pie (thanks for the recipe, Wanda!) for B to chill off with when he finally drags in. He's working two jobs this week and has to pull a Saturday shift at the boat plant tomorrow- they are thinking that they'll all come in at 5 in the mornings in order to get out of there earlier until the weather breaks. I just am looking forward to him coming home and us lazing around in front of some DVD's and basking in the A/C.

Be cool... stay cooler. Send ICE!

Be still, stop chattering

Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht or... Be still, stop chattering.

"Without my morning coffee I'm just like a dried up piece of roast goat."
— Johann Sebastian Bach


Ah, Lordy! What would I do without my morning cups of java? Apparently, I'm not the first to feel this way!

The great J.S. Bach wrote the original piece, the Coffee Cantata, in the 1730's of a father's demand that his daughter quit her coffee habit and that she can't have any until nor will she be suitable for (in his opnion) a marriage. What a wretched thing for a Pa to do to his young-un!

The above quote from the daughter isn't the only one that has significant meaning. I love the trio-
"A cat won't stop from catching mice, and maidens remain faithful to their coffee. The mother holds her coffee dear. The grandmother drank it also. Who can thus rebuke the daughters?"

Purrcolatte! I'm off to find more coffee beans and thankfully- my Dad doesn't mind one bit! Now if I could only convince my dear husband that he really should buy me a coffee pot (a RED one!) for our anniversary! haha!

THREE POINT TWO FIVE is nothing to sneeze at!

Achoooo!!! It's OVER! School's out for the rest of summer!

And, I DID IT! I passed! Okay- so it wasn't an "A" for speech class, but I can be happy with a "B". And am on the way to improving my overall GPA so no loss there! I would just really REALLY like to know how I did on that last test though! That's what pulled me down... I'm not a test taker!

Anywhoozie-- it's over! And, the next class?? ART of course! Whoopie!

I can hardly WAIT til registration! Already bought a new sketch pad and some graphite and toolery!

A big old happy 3.25 weekend to ya!

Don't Allow Politcal Correctness to Infringe on Freedom of Speech

SARAH DIXON
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
SUMMER II SEMESTER
JULY 31, 2007
PERSUASIVE SPEECH

SPECIFIC PURPOSE: To persuade individuals to recognize that freedom of speech is being compromised when a group decides to limit sports competition because of the use of a mascot that offends an outside group.

CENTRAL IDEA: Using the altered motivated sequence method to state my specific purpose and using analogy to show why political correctness has
gone too far.

I. INTRODUCTION
Imagine, if you will, a neighborhood group of children being rounded up by police for their participation in a role playing game. Their parents arrive at the local lock-up center to regain custody and are faced with the announcement that their children are being held for using hate speech. It seems they had been playing an innocent game of Cowboys and Indians when a group of Native Americans took offense.

TRANSITION: No, this is not a real scenario, but, as ridiculous as it sounds- there are cases being tried where schools and professional sports teams are finding themselves in the position of losing their beloved mascots and traditions. They are essentially being financially hamstringed into relinquishing their identity to satisfy political correctness.

II. ATTENTION STEP/NEED
In 1999 the NFL’s Washington Redskins were told their trademark was canceled- later in 2003 the Federal courts overturned the US Patent & Trademark Office decision that had sided with the complainants (seven American Indian activists that felt they were being insulted) for this same assumption of political incorrectness.

In a bow to public opinion the NCAA in 2005 adopted a policy of declaring the use of Native American mascots by its member institutions to be hostile and abusive and further declaring that member institutions using such imagery will not be allowed to host any NCAA post season championship events.

Last month- Arkansas State University at Jonesboro announced it is retiring their mascot the Indians (formerly Warriors), a treasured mascot that they have used since the first quarter of the 20th century.

TRANSITION:
Role playing is an intrinsic part of play for children of all cultures. For centuries- they have played some form of foe vs. foe and most children will tell you that they enjoyed both sides and the benefits that they had from the characteristics of playing on either side be it: Navy vs. Pirates, Cowboys & Indians, Normans vs. Saxons, Knights vs. Conquerers. Will Pirates, Cowboys, Steelers, etc be the next to fall? Is this such a stretch from children’s role playing to the school’s choice
of mascot?

When does political correctness infringe on Freedom of Speech? For that matter- when should political correctness dictate the expense and upheaval of changing something as traditional as a mascot? Or requiring that students only voice their opinions when in a designated (often remote) location?

I took an informal poll of my son and his friend who both felt as if they were much more censored in what they were allowed to voice in public settings and their freedom of speech was limited. They related to me the instances of Speech Free Zones on college campuses. I was stunned to discover they were correct. These have actually been in place since the 60’s and have had a recent resurgence on both campuses and political settings (such as the Democratic National Convention in 1988).

A poll conducted by Sports Illustrated and reported in the Washington section of National Review indicates that 80% of Native Indians polled were not offended by and further did not feel that schools or teams using Indians as mascots should have to change them. The poll also found that 75 percent of Native Americans don't think the use of these team names and mascots "contributes to discrimination."

Sports Illustrated writer S. L. Price reaches the obvious conclusion: "Although Native American activists are virtually united in opposition to the use of Indian nicknames and mascots, the Native American population sees the issue far differently."

I can even understand no longer accepting new schools membership but for existing schools- shouldn’t they be allowed to continue to practice their adopted traditions? Especially, when there was no harm intended by claiming the role and certainly the vast number of fans that have always considered the use of the mascot as honoring?

On a personal note- I attended a high school who mascot was the Indians, we embraced a rich heritage of the Native American culture and held many of their traditions and honorable rites. It saddens me to think that many communities will eventually lose this adopted sense of unity and pride.

While North Dakota State officials are taking the NCAA to court to challenge its restrictions on the University of North Dakota’s Fighting Sioux nickname. Other schools initially deemed to have unsuitable nicknames by the NCAA have won the right to use their monikers on appeal. They include the Florida State University Seminoles, the Central Michigan University Chippewas and the University of Utah Utes.

IV. VISUALIZATION/SATISFACTION
The political correctness pendulum has been a pivotal bone of contention ever since our Country was founded. It is now swinging again in regards to the right to speak freely in our own country. Most school children are aware of the term “Freedom of Speech” even if they don’t realize that it is the First Amendment in our Constitution also known as the Bill of Rights.

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

If we don’t begin to demand some levity about political correctness we may find ourselves facing the example I gave in my introduction or worse.

V. ACTION (CONCLUSION)
Knowing that there is a fine line between “walking on a fence” and “straddling a fence” - how should responsible citizens respond when challenged by someone who took offense because of their own lack of education or perspective?

We have a clear solution in the First Amendment. What we need to consider is our own exercising of tolerance, I know that to be difficult because there are many things I find offensive in today’s media and society. But, the rights that were laid out by our forefathers allow for each of us to express our own opinions. For instance by playing roles, such as Indians it is not a disparaging action but rather just an expression of community and pride. In regards to team spirit- can we not believe that these teams/schools have chosen these mascots to honor a culture rather than assuming they are making a negative statement about a group of our society?

Martin Luther King said, "people should not be judged on the color of their skin, but on the content of their character." In similar fashion, People should not be judged on the way others might "color" their words, but on the face value of their content.

REFERENCES:

Associated Press. (October 1, 2003) Judge: Insufficient evidence name is offensive. Retrieved July 28, 2007 from:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1628425

NCAA Sports. (June 22, 2007) Arkansas State to change mascot. Retrieved July 28, 2007 from: http://www.ncaasports.com/story/10233982

J.C. Fullerton and J. Dixon. Interview. July 26, 2007.

David L. Hudson Jr. (September 13, 2005) Free Speech on Public College Campuses: Free-Speech Zones. Retrieved July 27, 2007 from: http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/speech/pubcollege/topic.aspx?topic=free-speech_zones

John Miller. (March 8, 2002) By Any Other Name: What do Native Americans think of sports teams named after Indians? Retrieved July 26, 2007 from http://www.nationalreview.com/daily/nr030802.shtml

Associated Press. (October 9, 2006) N.D. officials sue NCAA over 'Fighting Sioux' ban. Retrieved July 26, 2007 from http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org//news.aspx?id=17512&SearchString=mascot

First Amendment Timeline. (July 28, 2007) First Amendment Center online retrieved July 28, 2007 from http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/about.aspx?item=First_Amendment_timeline

Founding Fathers including but not limited to: James Madison, Alexander Hamilton. (1789) THE BILL OF RIGHTS: Amendments 1-10 of the Constitution. Retrieved July 26, 2007 http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/funddocs/billeng.htm

Sandy C Huckabee. Interview. July 30, 2007.

Image: http://www.bluecorncomics.com/naintell.htm © copyright 2007 by Robert Schmidt.
Copyrighted material is posted under the Fair Use provision of the Copyright Act, which allows copying for nonprofit educational uses including criticism and commentary.

Some lovely new definitions!

grammatolatry
[fr. Gk grammato- + Eng. -latry, worship of or fanatical devotion to] /GRAM eh TAL eh tree/ the worship of letters or words; fig. concern for the letter with disregard for the spirit cf. epeolatry

twitterpated
nonce-word love-struck, smitten
Nearly everybody gets twitterpated in the springtime. - Friend Owl, Bambi

carnaptious
[fr. Sc. knap, to bite] /ka(r) NAP shus/
Scots & Irish dial. bad-tempered, irritable, grumpy

These are just some random words I'd stumbled across recently- aren't they clever? Well- twitterpated isn't all that "new"- but, that it's even in a dictionary was satisfying! Makes ya wonder how much of our slang is "slang" anymore. Is it even considered slang if it's IN the dictionary? Why if it's in the dictionary then you can't use it in word games? I think that's a silly rule! OH- ha! And, speaking of word games... I finally broke 50k on text-twist online. I could always do it off-line but never online today, woohoo! So.... I lead an exciting life, eh?

Today is a much slower day that what I've had this past month. The p'rents finally returned from OH and took over Granny duty. I've spent the biggest part of it in the bed curled up with my favorite Sam-man. I wish I had a picture of him- he's all crashed out in the middle of my stack of magazines that I drug in here for some inspiraition. They are smooth and cool and he loves them on his "shaved" belly. Why on earth that cat has to shear off his hair is beyond me! He looks so ridiculous!

I discovered (duh!) that one of my fav DIY shows is hosted by a good ole Austin girl! She's mentioned TX several times, but- I'd kept not had a chance to look up her show until today- anyway, discovered her (Jennifer's) blog: http://naughtysecretaryclub.blogspot.com/