i'm not leaving the mountain....again....ever

and i mean it this time...

as you know i received a ticket 29 days ago last time i went down the mountain...the ticket was for nothing exciting, just an expired tag...(note for 12 days)....so i did what i should've done 12 days before that, and took care of that tag...

now the state trooper had told me if i come back "down" to the courthouse to show them that i got my sticker, they will drop the charges...hmmmm....i hadn't heard of dropping court costs before, only the ticket amount, which was only $25.00.

so weeks later as i'm worrying about having to go back 'down' the mountain, what seems like our entire sheriff's department was taking a break at the gas station...i walked in waving my ticket (can you imagine what was going through their minds...)....and told them what the state trooper had said; and explained that I had never heard of waving court costs ($130), and that for $25 of savings i'd rather stay home, save gas and work...

they assured me that i do indeed need to go down....can i read between their words, you bet...

so my time was up and instead of my going down today and having the drama that i always seem to suffer hubby volunteered to take me on down...sure himself that i may not find my way back home...so as we are heading down hubby gets a call from a friend saying - you do know they are closing the road today, right? and no we didn't - for they close the mountain from 12-2:00 ...yes you heard me right....they close the road on certain days to dynamite to widen the road....oh no, we are going to have to really hustle...

so we do find the courthouse which is highly intimidating....but first we find the downtown town square, hubby said, it's a small town, it's in the square (he seems real sure of himself)....so there it is, flat smack in the middle of downtown....as we are walking up to the courthouse i see on the door a sign that says museum...hmmmm....where did they move that courthouse? so me being me asked some people walking down the street, obviously from a small town too, so they are eager to help you, nearly volunteering to drive you themselves, and to our surprise one of them was head of the tourist board there, so we took his directions and off we went...

when i saw the courthouse i said to hubby - this can't be right, is this a prison?, this is far to big and scary, what is this? as my panic settles in i consider that this might indeed be full of nothing but horribly bad people all under this big roof...i was right...all i know is that i wasn't in kansas anymore...

the hint was when we went in and were greeted by a guard sending us through the metal detector and searching my bag...ewwww...and as i was walking through i saw the sign in large print ' No Knives...and we will not hold them for you so don't ask"....we did ask for directions however to where the DA's office was....he said, 'well you have to go up two floors, and then you will go through a mob of people, it's up there"....oh my....as we entered the doors, a mob of horribly bad people had taken over the entire hallway and there was hardly room to walk through to find our little sign - DA, this way....i'm just sure they were all gang members, killers and anything that could be worse than that...

as i followed the hall over the the DA's office i was feeling much better, it was empty....i went to the window and showed the woman my sticker info., and she happily said - ok, i will enter it into the system and drop the charge... well, how sweet was that? that was it, for $155 i thought? well honestly, i did learn my lesson - i will never ever have that tag expire again on my car for the punishment was horrible enough for me to have gone through all that i did...worry for 29 days, thinking of all of that $ lost for making a mistake, the (i'm certain), near death experience from all of those gangsters....yes, i learned my lesson....

i will never ever leave the mountain again....i will never ever get a ticket again....i will never ever walk into a room of gang members...i will always be good from here on out...always...




unless i'm going to new york, chicago, dallas or home to see my mom and dad...I mean it!

i love cello...

as far back as i can remember, the cello has been my favorite wood instrument...there is something so moving, dream like about the sounds that flow from it's strings and body....i found this on youtube as i was surfing for cello music...i think he's amazing....

adam hurst...

thank you Early Homes...

boy was i surprised when i received my copy of "Early Homes" in the mail this morning....did nobody go out and get the mail yesterday? did this treasure sit in the box all night through the storm? yes....so when i saw that the box was full i laid out my soaking wet mail on the table to go through...and to my surprise was the latest copy of the magazine with a little note attached - see page 64...

so as i flipped through the beautiful layouts my eyes settled on the photo of my game boards listed in their design center....what a nice surprise when something sweet is being done behind the scenes and you have not a clue until it's done...

"early homes" is a beautiful magazine that comes out with treasures biannually as a focus edition - sister of "old house interiors".... their focus is on the period 1700-1850, which my game boards fit in perfectly with... this special edition is THE magazine that focuses on product sources, so a great surprise to me...

if you would like to browse my collectible collection: http://www.dallisongameboards.com/

thinking of gift making?

it's that time of year when we want to cuddle by the fire, read a good book, watch an old movie and usually working on one thing or another that we are making as a gift...i have a scarf that i began a year ago, determined to give eli last year for christmas...yes i know....but i'm really really determined to finish it this year....

i stumbled upon these inexpensive ideas from 'design sponge' for things you can make to give or to decorate your own home with....we are talking nearly free with what you already have around the house...and of course you can modify these all you want to put your own spin on them...

above are little crochet cozy's - i know you can whip these up in no time...think of all the endless possibilities for these...you can use a small candle holder in them, or antique bottle to hold some water, and wallah - it's done...and i'm still in the teacher's gift time of my life, what a sweet thought this would be...

the above is as challenging as you want to make it...i've listed the instructions below...there are two ways you can do this, one for people like me - wrap some wire around the neck of the bottle, stick a nail in the wall, and you are done....or for others who want it to be perfect - here you go...

"Total cost for this project (if you don’t count the cost of the wine, because, well, you get to enjoy that in other ways) was under $5 per vase.

You will need (per vase):- (1) Empty wine bottle of your choice- (1) Top plate connector/ceiling flanges (3/8″ size)- (1) 1″ split ring hanger- (2) screws to fit and hold the top plate connector (you may also want drywall anchors if you are not mounting directly into studs or another material)- (1) piece of 3/8″ threaded rod, cut into 2 1/2″ pieces.- 1/2″ double sided foam mounting tape (optional – if your bottle’s neck is smaller than 1″, like ours were)- Silk flowers of your choice.

1.

With a hack saw, cut your threaded rod down to size. Ours were about 2 1/2″ long, as we didn’t want our bottles hanging out too far from the walls. If you are hanging multiple bottles, just be sure you cut your pieces to equal sizes.

2.

Position the top-plate connector on your wall, and mark the holes where the screws will go. Pre-drill the holes, insert any necessary drywall anchors, and then attach the plate to the wall.

3.

Screw in your cut rod pieces, and then your split ring hanger.

4.

If your wine bottle has a narrow neck (the 1″ split ring is loose around it and doesn’t fit snugly), apply a layer or two (as needed) of foam mounting tape to the neck of the bottle where it will be held by the split ring. Remove the backing from the other side of the tape, position the bottle in the split ring, and tighten the screws to secure in place. Pop in your flowers and voila!
Notes: We had quite a time finding the proper hardware. I think we went to a total of 3 Lowes around the city before we found them in stock and in the right size. Some stores had them in the Plumbing section, others had them in the Electrical. We’ve seen the connector piece called both a Top Plate Connector and a Ceiling Flange, who knows what it is actually called. The hardware (except for the threaded rod) comes in either copper or zinc (silver) finish, so you can choose whichever would best match your decor (or break out the spray paint)."

www.dallisongameboards.com

what would i do without music...

every morning i turn on the music...whether it's from the 80's, 90's or new artists i've stumbled upon...one of my 'not necessary' expenses is to Napster, my link to all music, every genre, new and old...i stumbled upon this artist this morning, which i think i could listen to over and over again...

missy higgins is not only a singer, musician but also a songwriter...personally i love a singer that is a songwriter too, for it's a poet to me singing their story...they have my utmost respect...as you all know by now, my son is a musician of many instruments, and a songwriter too...he was also blessed with 'perfect pitch', and it saddens me that he doesn't sing out loud, proud as a bird would...how many artists would be envious of this gift that he has? but, he states clearly, "not a singer"...but i can still hope...

missy higgins -

"Passionate and sincere, Australian singer-songwriter Missy Higgins is a welcome relief in a music landscape littered with disposable pop. The 24-year-old Melbourne native has enjoyed phenomenal success in her homeland, and a growing fan base in the U.S., in spite of, or perhaps because she shuns the usual synthetic packaging and tabloid tackiness. Instead she's adopted a more timeless approach, relying on her undeniable songs and unforgettable live performances to forge a genuine connection with her audience."

oh how i love november...

there is something about november that always makes me feel, well, at home....it's when the chill in the air is pretty constant, the down comforters are in full use looking like plumped whip cream; calling me in to nestle, to get warm for the night...

the leaves now have fallen, so the landscape is ruggedly beautiful as nature turns to it's own sleep...i begin to think of the holidays, pulling out recipes from magazines to be put on my pile of 'good intentions', and hiding a gift here and there for somebody that i love...

warmed apple cider and hot chocolate go hand in hand with my constant mugs of coffee throughout the day...friends drop in to warm themselves up with coffee and conversation, hubby's warm and comforting dinners by the candles as the sun now sets so early end the day perfectly...

it is a wonderful time to start my fire in the stove, turn on some music and savor the thoughts of what will come, and what will be while i'm painting...

the most perfect time of year...

to warm your eyes: www.dallisongameboards.com

i'm totally addicted...

ok. first of all, i gave up my DVR, i know, can you imagine? it had become my very best friend, night after night playing back all my favorites from my weekly shows down to old amc movies that i yearned to see...as i said it was my best friend, but i just had to let her go...for i stopped reading entirely, i became just annoying (said my hubby, for when he would walk into the room i would pause the show and stare at him)...so off she went...i thought it best....

so after many months of suffering...and i mean i did suffer, i have found that i just can't watch my favorites anymore - either i'm not available or i'm sound asleep...so i've become one of those really annoying channel surfers, you know the one that surfs even if it is only during the commercial? well that's me right now...

but what has come out of all of this is i have discovered:

Say Yes To The Dress - TLC

i mentioned to my mom last night that i'm hooked on this - she hadn't heard of it, and i think she thought it boring...but i just love watching everyone try on these beautiful wedding dresses! now if that doesn't sound 'fun' to you, then i don't know what i can say - other than it IS fun!

I have no idea when it is on...so that is reason to be surfing - poor little eli even finds himself watching intently with me...

but, as things would have it, i received an email from baret boisson this morning with a link to a site that featured her work as a chosen wonderful wedding gift idea - wedding portraits! baret is currently running a special if you mention the wedding blog you will receive a 10% discount on a commissioned painting.

The blog itself,


Recycled Bride

is really cool - where believe it or not you are receiving those awesome dresses, jewelry and table decor at a "recycled" price....ok, maybe everyone doesn't want a 'recycled' dress, but how would you like flower girl dress, vases or other things that you could use that would perhaps never be used again?

all this just makes me want to start collecting veils...would that be wierd...probably not...

here is baret's link: baret boison

closed for the flu...

well as i mentioned i've been wearing my nurses cap while attending to eli and his illness...now let me describe eli when he's sick...he may look like the walking dead but other than that you wouldn't have a clue...for his insistence of kicking the soccer ball against the refrigerator, chasing belle around the house; his version of freeze tag, and never sitting still for much more than a few minutes - he does have a way of waring you out over time - for i try to keep him still and resting to beat the bug that has attached itself to him...

but we have now been told that it is indeed the swine flu - which he thinks is pretty cool that he would live through this much dreaded illness; the future stories of the horror of it all to be passed down generation after generation are already being created in his mind; for after all mom, he says, i just might die...

now this isn't something that a mom needs to hear over and over again from their little ones, or big ones either...i assure him that he certainly won't die for he has parents that will protect him, dr.'s and medicines that will help him get better again, and always his response is; it could happen...

so as you can imagine i do have my hands full...he himself is a full time job but i'm also working on pieces that were to go out today; but monday will be the day now...and in this house, it is just a matter of time before his thoughts turn to; if i die i might come back as a zombie....good grief, i'm throwing the towel in at that point...

so remember - stay in for the rest of the year so that this doesn't happen to you...

in todays news...

today i'm painting a 'belle' piece that will be finding a home in california when it is finished....eli is home sick with some kind of 'muck' so i'm switching from painters hat to nurses cap to baby him as needed...

and if you have the time, or the interest here is a look at our local news:

Inaugural 'Moonshiners and Revenuers Reunion' cooks up a crowd of celebrities
Published: 10/19/2009

The wail of the lonesome siren piercing through the backwoods of western Wilkes County was reminiscent of days gone by to several of those gathered Tuesday evening for the inaugural Moonshiners and Revenuers Reunion. The guest list to the private event hosted by Terri Parsons, Clay Call and Junior Johnson and numbering around 200 guests included local officials and regional dignitaries, such as Humpy Wheeler, owner of Lowes Motor Speedway, NASCARs Jack Roush, Ned Jarrett, Bobby Allison, Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart and others like Nelson Crozier, aka "Mr. Wizard," around the circuit for his electronic/mechanical expertise and consulting.

The timing was "interesting," one guest said with a chuckle, as he referenced last weeks bust of nearly 1,000 gallons of moonshine just a few miles away, and thought to be the biggest mountain bust ever.

While the NASCAR notables felt right at home on the home place of their late, great comrade, Benny Parsons, former Cup Series champion, it was Junior Johnson and his entourage of featured guests who were the stars, literally, shining in the light of the moon.As the event got under way around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, guests were shuttled to the venue from designated parking areas in the shadows of Rendezvous Ridge, Terri Parsons mountain-top oasis, which includes her home, as well as her late husbands Racing Museum and Wine Tasting Room.

Only those who knew the secret password something about the moon were allowed entrance into the event, held on the property where Benny Parsons was born and raised. Guests were able to visit the resting place of their late hero out back of "Mama Julia's" house, where Benny flourished in the loving care of his great-grandmother.Benny's wish was always to return to that place; his family honored that desire following his death in 2007.

He would've been proud to see what was unfolding on the land he loved, so say some of those in attendance at Tuesdays reunion. Many remembered and shared stories of Parsons' early life when he, and a number of those present, learned what "real driving" was on those back country roads.

More times than not, they agree, those boys hauling shine successfully eluded the revenuers and helped pave the way for the big race, years later. The Moonshiners Arrive Around 7 p.m., on Tuesday, the siren from a 50-model Ford Wilkes County Sheriffs car signaled the arrival of an entourage of vintage vehicles mostly 1940 Fords driven in by the moonshiners.

History repeated itself once more as the revenuers were already waiting their arrival, this time with smiling faces all around. It wasn't difficult to imagine how it all mightve played out around 50 or so years ago, except for one small detail: Junior Johnsons lead car stalled just in sight of the revenuers!

Memories and MoreTaking to their assigned rocking chairs on a platform facing their guests seated on hay-bales, the revenuers and moonshiners didnt hesitate to get on with "the show," with motor sports well known broadcasters Eli Gold, Barney Hall (MRN) and Allen Bestwick (ESPN) posing just the right questions to stir up a little friendly banter between the two groups.

Memories, some keener than others, as well as a few laughs were easily shared; "opposing" recollections were surprisingly similar. Shared were stories of hauling loads of shine, jumping from the cars, and running to allude arrest through cotton fields and barbed wire fences, and having to "give up" their cars some new with only a few registered miles in return for freedom. One shiner said he surrendered two new cars in 1960, alone.

One of the revenuers admitted to driving the confiscated cars "a little bit" before selling them. Apparently, the same vehicles returned, time after time, into the revenuers possession. "We tried not to sell them more than once in the same month! "Despite their contrasting views on hauling shine and trying to eliminate it altogether, the men expressed respect for each other through it all. Dean Combs, former NASCAR champion, and the youngest shiner on stage, spoke of his most recent "bust" earlier this year the only one since his first in 73. Combs, who was the first driver to win a NASCAR series championship in a foreign make, was recently charged with making illegal liquor near his home, in close proximity to the former North Wilkesboro Speedway one of NASCARs first tracks and one that Combs' father had once co-owned With a chuckle, he said he missed his "medicine," but that making shine was hard work that kept him in good shape.

Whether reminiscing and explaining such terms as "the bootleg turn" the sliding, high-speed 180-degree moves used to flee from roadblocks and stops or recalling how one revenuer was lauded for "a job well done," by one he had kept a close eye on for many years, both groups of men played an important role in what many agree was and still is a vital part of mountain heritage. At evenings end, the rocking chairs, which the moonshiners and revenuers had been occupying, were signed by each one and auctioned, with proceeds being donated to MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving).

The event was broadcast as part of MRNs weekly "NASCAR LIVE" radio show hosted by Eli Gold. Film crews from ABC, Fox and ESPN were on location, as well, with plans to air the event at a later date. Guests were treated to barbecue, homemade desserts and beverages, including Junior Johnson's "legal moonshine".

NEWS ROUNDUP: Agents seize 926 gallons of moonshine
Published: 5:01 PM, 10/19/2009


Source: The Mountain Times
Agents of the N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement seized 926 gallons of non-tax paid liquor, commonly known as moonshine, Wednesday. ALE agent Bobby Crumpler said the bust was the culmination of a two-month operation including surveillance involving the N.C. Highway Patrol and the Wilkes County Sheriffs Office.

The officers executed a search warrant on a residence in Wilkesboro Wednesday. Large amounts of sugar, 926 gallons of non-tax liquor and other equipment were seized. A distillery was not located on the property.The resident, was issued citations for possession of non-tax liquor, possession of non-tax liquor for the purpose of selling, and possession of equipment and ingredients intended for the use of manufacturing of an alcoholic beverage. The charges are misdemeanors.

Crumpler said, if found guilty, person could be liable to pay taxes on the seized liquor to the N.C. Department of Revenue. Purchasing non-tax paid liquor is like playing Russian roulette, Crumpler said. You don't know under what conditions it has been made. I have seen truck radiators used in the distilling process. The safety risks for homemade liquor consumption include lead content from the equipment used in the manufacturing process, and bacteria growth in the ingredients. Most illegal distillery operations are out in the woods or outbuildings, without regulation. It is a health issue, Crumpler said.

ahhhh, you have to love these mountains....

i'm up to my neck in painting!

thanks everyone for your love of my new boards; charlie, emma's dance and belle...you have all been so supportive over these years, keeping me home with kids and painting in my studio - I wouldn't be able to do this without you..., so a big big thank you to all of you!

www.dallisongameboards.com

what a wonderful world...

what a wonderful world we live in when strangers can make our hearts dance with their wonderful gifts...




www.dallisongameboards.com