Thursday, October 29, 2009

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

Thursday, October 22, 2009

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...

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

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....


Monday, October 19, 2009

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!




Sunday, October 18, 2009

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

Thursday, October 15, 2009

as you enter into the weekend...

give some thought to what you can do for others....no, you may not have $150,000 to donate but you do have something for the food pantry, a check you can drop in the mail, or click on one of the links below; (they are always listed on my blog on the left side column, for they are helping the world a little at a time)...kiva, worldwide loans to entrepreneurs - heifer org., training people around the world - and the hunger site, where you can send children to school, supply clean water to a village, fruit trees and food to areas around the world...

i think i'll skip that cup of mocha and put $4.00 into the plastic container at the grocery store to help one of their own who is fighting cancer...





Tuesday, October 13, 2009

i do believe i am now truly a mountain girl...


it was years and years ago when i moved to the mountains from the fast paced life of dallas....i remember after arriving driving through major cities to chicago and down to florida, back and forth to the airport in charlotte...i didn't think anything of it...when i was at the airport i remember looking at the people walking by and thinking they are from 'the mountain'; for they looked different...usually wearing warmer clothes than what was necessary, or birkenstocks WITH socks, really a more laid back look than city people...

years later i find myself somewhat bundled up in my car going down the mountain, stripping off layers as i go, and switching to birkenstocks without socks...for it is always at least 10 degrees warmer just 30 miles away...as of yesterday i have to admit that over these years i am now a mountain girl, no doubt about it...and very happy to be moving at a slow pace, dressed 'funny' and at peace...



if you read yesterdays blog you will know that i had high hopes for going up and down the mountain - to be inspired by all of these wonderful colors....






i had to head out way early morning - before sunup....now i do like to be up that early to watch the sunrise from my warm and toasty home...but i'm blind as a bat when it comes to driving in the dark... so off i go, barely awake to head out in the dark...and dark it was down the mountain for a long long time...






as luck would have it the sun was coming up just about the time when i had to hop onto the interstate...being that i NEVER leave the mountain, that is terrifying all in itself...i just cannot believe the speed limits are a million miles per hour, everyone zipping here and there, and it's barely sunup....i kept repeating to myself, just another hour to go and i will be there...just another hour to go and i will be there....





finally after i arrived - purely terrorized by the flatland city drivers, (yes, that is what we call them, flatlanders)...i found my calm again...i kind of felt like i was maybe getting into the groove of the old me, the old city girl that i was so long ago...the one who at the drop of a hat would leave from one coast to another, with no map in hand...the confident, don't you dare kind of girl....

i decided to take a different way back - got lost of course, but only once, and stopped and asked a shocked looking woman how to get up the mountain (it took her some time to respond through her shock; evidently not that many people pull over strangers down the mountain)...






i was going along minding my own business and believe me speed limit, when the state trooper pulled me over....did you know that my inspection sticker AND registration stickers were expired? - neither did i until then...but i felt proud that i was able to give the officer an official looking paper with my approved temporary driver's license thingy on it...i think maybe he was impressed that i had something 'legal' on my vehicle, but still a $135 ticket...
now i will say he was very sweet, and all of 20 i think (everyone looks young to me anymore), and he told me before he went to write me a ticket that he would be back to tell me what i can do to have it waived...which was - i have 30 days to go and fix these problems that i seem to be having and come back DOWN the mountain to their courthouse and show them that i had indeed accomplished these things and they will waive the charges...i asked him if somebody could go for me (knowing I WILL NEVER LEAVE THE MOUNTAIN TOP AGAIN, ONCE I'M HOME...) he said, well yes, perhaps, but that it would be better if i came down in case there were any more problems....(do you think he was getting a feeling that perhaps there would be more problems, like getting lost, or my forgetting something?)


well as life has it, my oldest looks at me and states clearly - i think this is the first time you've gotten a ticket while i was in the car....he doesn't remember NEVADA, thank goodness...nor that one morning on the way to the 7th grade...phewwww....

well all i can say is that at least i have 30 days to get up the nerve to head down the mountain again...and after that, i will never leave home again...






www.dallisongameboards.com

Monday, October 12, 2009

it's pumpkin time....




i love fall, just love the 'amazingness' of it all...golds, yellows, shades of red...add some orange and i'm in heaven...and throw in my being the hugest scary movie fan (PG 13 or less i'm afraid, for i've become a sissy nowadays)...october is like beauty and the beast all mixed together, and i would dare say, my favorite month of the year...





but i am so late on doing my porch and deck decorations this year, it seems something always comes up on the day that i'm planning to go gather mums and pumpkins; work, sports, vets, errands, there is always something to steal that bit of time away....



today i have to go out of town....it will take me probably 5 hours, but with some fine calculation i will have 2 hours before i take off for carpool...and what a way to be inspired, driving up and down the mountains taking in all the color...so i will buy those mums and pumpkins, by the carload...and have just enough time to do the deck and porch so i can enjoy them for the rest of this wonderful season...



maybe that is why my new 'charlie' parcheesi came to fruition, those yummy warm colors...
for some color inspiration, here is my site link: www.dallisongameboards.com

Saturday, October 10, 2009

i got lost...again

the other day i was out in the county renewing that drivers license....what an experience that is all on it's own...after the picture was taken i asked the dmv man - do we need to do a little photo shop?, his answer was - no, i think it came out really good...no telling what i will get in the mail...





then i decided to head over to the next town, after all the leaves are breathtaking right now, and it will be an adventure going a 'back way'...so off i go, trying to judge which direction i was going and needed to go....and as usual i find myself lost in the mountains, having no idea of what direction i'm going or needing to go....and yep, you bet, i was playing my bluegrass along the way....


i noticed after some time that the mountains were taking on an entirely different look, looking like the smokies, which honestly started to make me a bit nervous...certainly i couldn't have driven that long over to the 'other' mountains....but knowing me, i could've...

after some time of being lost i finally found a 'soul' out there and pulled over to ask where i am and how do i get to where i'm going...he pointed me back to where i think i originally began my travel...it was well worth getting lost, for this is what i stumbled upon.....


(yes it was bambi crossing the road and dashing into the woods...)


i came upon another man, pointing me further down to another road, he having a carved walking stick, i of course had to start up a conversation about what wood he used (heart of pine)....he said he carves his walking sticks from old tobacco sticks....not that easy to find anymore...he was 87 this past april...



sometimes being lost is a good thing...

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

a new checker board

emma's dance




i've added a new checker board today, titled, 'emma's dance'. this is a twist on the joker checker that i introduced years ago...but it will be a limited edition of only 35 pieces...


the namesake? my great niece...she will dance through her life, doing it her way...and will have a wonderful time of it...sassy thing...






if you would like to go to my site, here is my link: www.dallisongameboards.com






Sunday, October 4, 2009

2 new reproduction game board designs added...









if you didn't see your latest email - the two pieces are finally done and available for you to view. the first piece is an oversized board but is also available in the 19" x 19" size if you would rather have a smaller piece. it's namesake, charlie, is after my grandpa who sat on the floor playing hours and hours of games with me, my inspiration for my company, to say the least. it is full of the warmest of colors, as he was; terracotta, gold, green, black and an off-white...i'm not sure of the date of the original piece that inspired me, but i'm guessing 1920-1930 at the very latest.







the 2nd piece i'm guessing dates back to the late 1800's - and my son named it "the beagle board", so we negotiated on that a bit and named it belle after our beagle, for she deserves everything in the world as far as we are all concerned, even a board named after her...









and the big announcement is: all future game boards (including the above) will be Limited Editions....i've decided that i will make 35 of each design and then it will be retired. this will benefit you, for the pieces will be more collectible than ever, and the benefit to me is i will be adding more new designs more often...so if you see a NEW piece, be sure to snatch it up!

to view these boards, here is a link to my site: www.dallisongameboards.com

Friday, October 2, 2009

2 new designs...


i am almost done with 2 of my new designs....i thought i'd give you blog readers a sneak peek...i still have to finish the woodwork - sanding and then adding another coat of wax, but this gives you an idea of the coloration and design...i'll be adding another new checker board next week too...they have as yet to be named; eli and i are still shooting ideas around...
these are limited edition pieces - i have decided that all future game board designs will be limited to 30-40 pieces only. this way they will be available for 1 or 2 years and then can make room for more new designs....
i am not able to date these boards - most of my reproduction designs are from the late 1800's with the texas star chinese checker board being the youngest at 1930. My guess is the smaller board on the left is from the late 1800's and the larger parcheesi is from around 1930.
if you need to get to my site, here's a link: www.dallisongameboards.com