VALIDATION or VANITY????

Last weekend we had a craft show here at the Montesa Clubhouse.  Nothing for sale, just  display. 

It was an opportunity for residents of our community to show off their art, their craft.   Most of our artisans are quilters as you can see by a few of the exquisite examples on the walls behind me. We also have painters, photographers, jewelry makers, knitters and wood carvers to name a few of the other mediums shown.  

I was excited to have an chance to show several examples of my primitive handcraft of rug hooking.  At the end of the morning I was quite pleased to have had many people look at my 'art' and ask questions.  I left the event feeling quite validated that my work was 'nice' as well as interesting! 

It is quite a nice feeling to know that others like something that you put your heart and soul into.  I did wonder though, was I feeling validated or just simple vanity!?!?!  Or is there even a difference in those terms?

The dictionary lists the meanings of these words as:

Validate:  to recognize, establish, or illustrate the worthiness or legitimacy of 

Vanity:  something that is vain, empty, or valueless

Ok....so I think I will go with feeling validated!!!

MURDER SHE WROTE!

"911 what is your emergency please".

"Send someone quick, there's been a murder committed in my house.  You've got to send someone NOW"!

"Calm down maam, we'll get someone out right away.  Are you sure the victim isn't breathing".

"NO, I don't know where the victim is.....but there's blood EVERYWHERE"!!

"Maam you have to stay calm"!

"Please hurry, send CSI, NCIS, the CRIME LAB,  this is awful, there is blood spatter all over the floor.  Someone needs to dust for prints.  I'm sure they can get some DNA if they hurry"!

WAIT.......DID I JUST SAY CSI!?   

BLOOD SPATTER????

DNA!?!?!?





Ok....... I've been watching waaaay too much tv lately!

So I had a little brain fade when I saw all that blood!!  It did kinda look like a blood bath had taken place on my once white floor.  Alas, there was no murder, no body, no Crime Lab unit needed.

Just lots of blood from the nail of one little 15 month old Shitzu I had just groomed.   But how did THAT much blood come from just one little dog?  After all I probably didn't even nip off an eight of inch but boy did it ever bleed.  As a groomer I HATE to get a nail bleed!  Sometimes I think other groomers don't trim nails simply because they don't want to get bit or don't want to deal with bleeding.  However, that just makes it worse for the groomer that does do the right thing and trim the nails! 

The victim is the little one on your left and as you can see....alive and well.  Ok, so no one needs to dust for prints this time.  I just need to mop my floor! 

Rug Hooking Part 2

This is a much smaller mat than the one I posted yesterday.  It measures approximately 12.5" x 15" and would look great hanging on a wall or decorating the top of a table.  Featuring a Blue Roan English Cocker Spaniel, I have this one posted for sale in my Etsy store.  http://www.etsy.com/shop/FarmYardGirl

It's hard for me to let them go after I have put so much into hooking each one but I can't keep them all.  And if I sell one or two of my creations, that just means I can start another project!!!

YES I'M A HOOKER

Rug Hooker that is!  

Rug hooking is an American Primitive art form that our fore mothers did not as art but to keep floors warm.  They would 'hook' their rugs on old burlap feed bags with strips of worn and no longer used clothing.  Their 'hook' was made from an old nail with the head being fashioned into a small 'U' shape which would be inserted into the burlap and the wool or cloth then being pulled up into a loop from underneath.  

Rug hooking has become a passion for me.  I love to sit and 'hook' at night while I watch tv.  Below are pictures of my newest rug.  It combines my love for English Cocker Spaniels which I used to breed and show and my love for 'hooking'!  Enjoy!

 

  

  

  

  

HOOK ON!

GERMY GERMS!

I've decided I've become germ-i-phobic!  

Is it because I'm getting older?  I don't know if that's the reason but I find myself automatically reaching for Clorox wipes to swab the cart handles at the grocery store.  I never used to do that.  Am I sick?  Well no I'm not....but that's the point.....I DON'T want to be sick!!!!

Maybe it's worse for me this winter because of all the hype over the H1N1 flu this season.   Nope, can't blame it on that because if I'm honest I've been getting squeamish about touching public door handles for several years.   I do find myself washing my hands alot, and this winter I bought Germ X hand sanitizer to carry in the car so that when I come out of the grocery, restaurants, etc, I can 'sanitize' my digits. 

More and more I find I really dislike going into hospitals and doctors offices.  It's almost as if you can literally see the germs floating through the air as well as crawling all over the magazines and chairs.  Unfortunately I've had to visit both places several times this winter with my elderly dad.  I've been lucky enough to avoid the flu but did manage to catch a nasty cold even though I've been extremely careful. 

Having admitted all this, there is one thing that really bothers me that no one ever seems to talk about.   It makes me wonder if I really am going over the edge. 

Does anyone else out there have a 'thing' about signing credit card charge slips with pens that have been used by who knows how many people??????   

Or am I just being PARANOID!?!?!?!?