The Ruby Slippers

  It was suggested that I should have explained the picture of the "very odd shoes"  that accompanied yesterday's blog.   It's a long story and involves a project for my Niece;s 40th Birthday.  Her husband had an idea ..  ".Let's   ask the friends and relatives that live out of the area to send a video Birthday Greeting.  We'll watch them at the party."  It seems I can never do anything in half measures, so I decided to put on a little play.  The story would be from the Wizard of Oz.
    The cast :  Dorothy- reluctantly played by my husband, costumed in a blue jumper, white pinafore, homemade wig and of course....ta -da...the Ruby Slippers.  An old pair of sneakers sprayed red and sprinkled with glitter.  He also carried the famous basket inhabited by a stuffed animal that may or may not have been a dog.
      Wicked Witch - that of course would have been yours truly.  Green faced, hatted and broomed, I told  "my pretty and her little dog, too,"  about the hazards of turning 40.  If I remember rightly they involved orthopedic shoes, muumuus, wrinkles and granny panties.  Oh, my!  
      Glinda -   my partner in many a crime , Sheryl "the Crankster,"  Crankshaw.   Credit where credit is due...she did not appear on camera but provided the voice of Glinda along with the camera operation.  Smashing good job!
    It was quite an endeavor....cue cards, music from the movie and so many laughs that it's a wonder that we accomplished anything at all.   It was a big hit...SRO...at my niece and nephew's house and of course I made a copy for my own viewing enjoyment.   Kudos to my husband for letting us dress him up.  BTW...he only had one line in the production...  "Toto, too?"  And of course he blew it.  leaving us doubled over and ad-libbing like crazy.  Wait...the whole thing was crazy and that's what put the fun in funny.

A Pair of Shoes

   A pair of shoes can hold infinite possibilities.   Just think about the names  we give them:     Loafers,  sneakers, slippers,  pumps, stilettos, sandals, spectators,  f#ck me,  saddle, white and dirty bucks , oxfords, sh*t kickers,  platforms, clogs and the ubiquitous flip-flops.   No other piece of apparel has such a flair for the dramatic...panache, as it were.
    Think about a tall, self confident business woman.  Add a pair of 4 " heels and suddenly she's got it...power, standing eye to eye with her male counterpart, perhaps even an inch or two taller.  Maybe she can intimidate the one who's used to intimidating.
   A pair of shoes can make music.  Think Tap Shoes, rhythmically carrying the tune and practically singing the words.
   Toe Shoes, so elegantly showcasing the beauty of the dance while sometimes hiding the pain of the dancer.
    And then there are the baby's...not the soft knitted booties, but that first pair of real shoes.  Infancy is gone and now there is an inquisitive, growing individual, gradually growing away from home toward a life with friends.   Growing into those expensive Athletic Shoes.  So many possibilities...so many sports and activities...so comfortable that they carry us for most of our lives.
  Yes.  there are shoes for every occasion, big and little.    Marking time.  Marking our memories.

Leaf Casting, a dirty job but someone has to do it.

Hi folks, well I'm going to try this again.  Hopefully I'll get it right this time.

                                                                                

Leaf Castings

From the

North Forty

and

Scratch Pad

A leaf casting is a one-of-a-kind replica

of an actual leaf.

The process is time consuming but very

gratifying, as you watch a damp mound

of sand become the foundation of a de-

tailed concrete sculpture.

Each leaf is unique in itself, resulting in

a finished product that cannot be dupli-

cated.

Finished leaves range in size from small

and delicate to substantial structures over

three feet in length.

Usage and prices (if you plan on selling your creations) will vary accordingly.

                Now a look at the process.

The raw materials: Portland cement,

Play sand, fortifier, fiberglass tape and of course,

water and a leaf of your choice.

The formula is: 1 part portland cement

2 parts play sand

and water enough so that mixture is the consistency of toothpaste.

Add the fortifier to your first addition of water and then stir thoroughly every time you add water.

After determining the size and shape of

your leaf, make a mound of damp play-sand on

an appropriate level surface.

Next, cover the sand with plastic wrap and replace

the leaf, face down.

Mix your dry ingredients together wearing a mask and protective gloves and with plenty of ventilation. Add your liquid ingredients til the mixture is the consistency of toothpaste. Begin applying in the center working toward the edges, as evenly as possible.

Finish covering the leaf as evenly as possible, being careful not to cover the edges of the leaf.

If the leaf is over 12 inches in either direction,

consider adding fiberglass tape in a criss-cross

pattern to strengthen the piece.

Now would be the time to embed wire for

a hanger if you wish.

Add another layer of concrete mix to cover any tape. Smooth the surface as best as possible. Misting with water sometimes helps.

Now the hard part...cover your casting loosely with plastic and leave it alone for 48 hours.

Only then should you try and lift the casting.

Lift it gently and turn it over, again placing it on a secure surface.

Now the fun part...remove the leaf from the casting to see your creation.

As you can see, parts of the leaf will remain.

Let the leaf dry for another 48 hours and then pull or scrub out ALL the remaining vegetation.

                     After all the leaf is removed, it's time to

“paint,” I use acrylics, watered down till

they're almost a wash. Several thin coats

seem to work the best. It's up to you as to

color depth and hue, etc.

This would also be the time to work on the back,

sanding rough spots, drilling for an anchor

hole or otherwise making it work for its

intended purpose. The back usually gets a

standard coat of acrylic paint.

To bring out all the colors in the leaf, apply

2 or more coats of an indoor – outdoor

clear urethane or varnish.

Have Fun!

Leaf Casting...Not

OK...I spent 2 hours putting this post together and it wouldn't post and I lost the draft.   Maybe tomorrow I'll try again.  Sorry.

Leaf Casting.

TGIF

Well.  Two days...two  blogs of writing.  Time for something different for the weekend.   Writing about my friend, Mel was a compulsion...an obsession that had to be written.  The first time I've felt that way in a while and it was a bit draining but exhilarating.   Oh, I'm still submitting, but really dragging my feet on my current writing projects.  Need to do more research on my "Tween"  title.  Need to get to the Library.  Yes, Virginia.  They do exist... in the hearts of all us Boomers.  So...........time for another craft project?   I thought that I'd post pics and instructions for Leaf Casting.  A very satisfying garden craft that can be used for a multitude of things.  Only your imagination sets the limit.
Plenty of Slate Juncos outside my window, a sure harbinger of more snow.  That's OK.  Last week's snow is already melted away.   Look tomorrow for me being artsy-craftsy.

Memories...part deux.

When we last spoke of Melrose she was spurning potential partners after the death of her Husband.

   The second part of this archive will be less of a narrative and more of a collection of fond memories and "Mel-isms."   Enjoy!
     Mel loved elephants and often voiced the wish that she could have one of her own, to keep as a pet.  I'm sure this stemmed form a childhood memory of an elephant chained up in a parking lot, to advertise the opening of some sort of retail establishment.  The poor thing was out in the heat, rocking from side to side and even then, she cried over the cruelty this involved.    But Mel loved animals of all kinds and always had at least two birdfeeders all year long.  The feeling must have been mutual for the Chickadees knew her and "rode" on her seed container from the garage to the feeder.  Once there, they often chose to eat from her hand, rather than the feeder...a mutual admiration society if there ever was one.    Another of her favorites were Chipmunks.  Of course, they were all named Alvin and because they liked the sunflower seed she kept in the garage, one of the garage doors was kept propped open with a tuna fish can so Alvin would always have access to the seed.   The one exception to this love affair was ...don't even say it...S-N-A-K-E-S.  I have never known anyone with such an aversion to the hapless reptiles in and around her home.  Even a shedded, empty skin would send her shrieking and dancing away.   In keeping with the subject, I must tell you that  Mel believed in a well stocked larder and each Fall would buy 150 lbs. of potatoes which would be stored in three covered bins in her basement.  Said basement was lined with laid up stone so it was inevitable that snakes would occasionally find their way in.   You can imagine what followed...the frantic phone call,  the rush to Mel's basement and the removal of the offending serpent.   At one point she bought  some sort of "Snake Repellent" that had a drawing of a Cobra on the package.  She refused to look at it and always made sure the snake was always facing the cellar wall.   Mel  referred to snakes with only one adjective, "GROSS!"  and she had a unique way of pronouncing the word that I could never duplicate and always made us laugh.  Eventually, my husband and another neighbor inspected the cellar, inside and out and caulked or otherwise filled any potential snake portals.   On a side note...Mel made the best Potato Salad I have ever tasted and oh...they were "potatees,"  not potatoes.
     Mel believed you could tell everything about a man (sort of like Sherlock Holmes)  by the state of his shoes.   Clean and polished shoes meant a clean and polished man and of course the reverse was also true.  Oh, she loved her a shiny pair of shoes.  In fact, she'd offer to polish anyone's and she meant it.  "Just bring 'em over.  They'll be shined to a fare-thee-well."
     Another of Mel's loves were Birthdays.  Everyone needed a party or at the very least, a cake.  They were important because "it's the only day that's just your own."   She would go to any length to make sure her friends had some sort of celebration.  Her favorite cake was called "Orange Crunch,"  but the rest of us couldn't get enough of her Cream Puffs....everything homemade and filled with real whipped cream.  She always tried to make them when she knew my daughter was coming home...a special treat for Jennifer.   They were absolutely delicious!    Another of her favorite holidays was New Year's Eve.   The beginning of each new year was full of such possibility that it was imperative to celebrate.  We would show up at her house dressed in our finest.   All our jewelry, faux furs, feather boas and of course hats had to be worn.  Even if this finery was worn over jeans and a sweatshirt, that just made it more fun.  Why did I NOT take pictures? 
     Another thing we had in common was a love of Bugs Bunny.  In Mel's opinion, Saturday morning was dedicated to  Warner Bros. cartoons.  Her favorite was Tweety Pie.  How can you not love someone who loves Tweety!
     I just have to mention this one...Mel's husband had been Highway Supt. when he retired and she had absolutely no respect for his replacement.  We only knew him as "Drag Ass Harold,"  and I suppose the "shoe fit."
     I couldn't finish this document without mentioning Mel's generosity, especially to her friends.  I had to be careful of what I said.  If I were to mention ....say....that I needed a new mixer, more often than not , one would appear.  I had to put my foot down when she wanted to buy us a new freezer.  From then on her gifts would be limited to food.  I assumed this would mean pie or cookies, but in Mel's opinion, "nothin' says lovin'" like the gift of meat.  Turkeys and roasts and hams, oh my!
     She was a unique and loving person, one of the finest I've ever known,  never judgmental and always accepting  and I often find myself smiling and thinking of her when something happy or sad occurs.  She would have had an opinion that would leave everyone smiling.
     Alas, the conversations ended in 1994 when she chose to leave us and join her beloved husband.   She left the rest of us sad and bereft,  but also happy that we had experienced the pleasure of her company.