Yes We Can or No We Can't

Attribution: Shannyn Moore: Just a Girl from Homer

I found this little gem the other day on a blog I follow from Homer, Alaska. I've mentioned briefly here that I lived in Alaska for 8 years. I was fortunate to teach and exhibit my work far and wide around this amazing state during my time there and going to Homer, down at the bottom of the Kenai Peninsula, was a special treat.

There is an arts community there that was just wonderful to work with and I had the opportunity to teach, to collaborate with a dance troupe, and to show my work in a number of different venues. Anyone remember listening to Tom Bodet? He lived there in Homer so I got to meet him and other NPR personalities during my Alaskan adventure.

I moved away in 1994, but when Sarah Palin began her bid to be the Vice President, I reconnected with some folks I still know up there, mainly in Anchorage, in Homer and in Palmer (right next door to Wasilla, for anyone who is following Alaska and its politics.) I didn't get to know Shannyn Moore, who is also a radio personality down in Homer now, but I've discovered her, so now I follow her blog. She's a breath of fresh air...which actually isn't too unusual for people from Alaska! So that is my rambling explanation of how and why this funny, but spot on, video landed here on my blog today......

Treasury Time!

Yay, one of my silk crocheted pieces made it into a "Spring Colors" treasury!! Perfect placement, in my mind, because these chartreuse colors smack of Spring for me....and you can see many shades of greens and references to flowers and growth....Click on the image to go to the Etsy page for a closer look...(it's like a "vote") and leave a comment if you're able!

Momgen used a piece of my work in a treasury before, so this time, I'll link you to her blog--she's got a shop full of craft materials. Have I mentioned how many of the "bits and bobs" for use in my pieces I buy from Etsy shop owners? Well, it's true, I do! Sometimes, it's because the selection is better than the "big shops" and other times, it's about great prices.

So I'm glad there was some good news because I had a tough day. Mainly, the glitch was I apparently left some light or something on in my car. I was going out to deliver my new orders to the post office with little time to spare....and my battery was stone dead. Ho boy....parked in my garage, no less. A dear friend came over with his son and they managed to push it out in spite of some frozen snow drifts sort of making the way rough. We were able to jump start it. But by the time I got to the post office, I had missed the last pick up, sigh.

And what about this Toyota mess? I must confess, I owned a Toyota truck for over 14 years and I just loved that vehicle. I'm a huge fan of this company. I was sort of embarrassed watching a bit of the grilling the head of the company got on "the hill" today. I realize it's a lot of grandstanding on the part of the politicians looking for face time...and I realize this is an issue that requires serious attention, but as a student of the Japanese culture (I've traveled there, studied and done research there, hosted their exchange students here, taken Japanese language classes, etc.) the apparent rudeness of "the American way" Mr. Toyoda was spoken to was extremely jarring to my ears and sensibility. In typical American fashion...there seemed to be little sense of cultural sensitivity or awareness...or maybe it's just another example of the extreme rudeness and lack of civility that seems to pervade Washington and politics these days? I find it all pretty upsetting and it does embarrass me, as an American.