oh my....

sara turned 27 and we had a birthday cookout for her... but little did we know....

after dinner the 'boys' went to the family room to challenge each other at a football video game... sara and i proceeded to go sit outside where the weather was amazing, rolling our eyes at each other over the commotion of shouts coming from the family room...

time went by and we talked and talked about her upcoming trips, our gardens and what needed to be done at work. the sun was setting and it was so peaceful.

now, let me fill you in about sara.... sara is stubborn, bossy, hates most 2 or 4 legged animals, terrified of spiders and snakes, and thinks she is always right (and usually is), and we just adore her. she's a perfectionist and takes proper care of herself, physically and nutritionally.... loves to read, travel and her favorite movie, well of course, gone with the wind, she is a debutante after all. she's newly married and was so lucky to be able to buy a brand new first home... she's been busy for a year painting and decorating, refinishing furniture... and now it's garden time so she's landscaping... she is never at a standstill and i am in awe of her energy....

being that sara is not really 'rodent friendly', as we were sitting outside, slight breeze, blooming dogwood above us, swaying bird feeder... she sweetly said, "there's a chipmunk on the bird feeder", well it was strange enough that she said it sweetly, being that he is rodent like, but i new, run! she ran after me, we slammed the door and peered through the glass... to our amazement there was some creature (surely from another world, or undiscovered), swinging on the bird feeder, munching down. I being older and not as stupid... told her to grab something long and go turn the feeder around so we could see what this thing was.... she didn't take the bait, instead she said, "YOU DO IT." hmmm...

we watched for at least 1/2 hour and noticed that it seemed to be blowing these white things out of it's side, much like the lizards at my parents house, pushing that guitar pick thing out of his throat as a warning... so we were sure that it was very angry and warning us... i told her that i'd go get the flashlight.... so i pulled out the ever ready, which in my whole life has never been ready; either batteries worn out, missing, dog has chewed one end... and as i suspected, it took a couple of hits to make the weak light stay on... we were able to see that it seemed to have some wing like things.... and that the white thing going in and out and warning us, was simply his stomach, and him moving side to side.... sara said a bat! i said, couldn't be... she said, it has ears!, i said it was creeping me out... whenever it would move we holler out ewwwwww.... after 15 minutes of this the boys wondered what we were up to, but not enough to actually come and see.... but after much more ewww's they came.... i said it has to be a flying squirrel, but i hadn't seen one for many years out back, so it had to be something else... but then i'm not really a nighttime kind of person.....

hubby came and assured us that yes, indeed it was a flying squirrel and look at how cute it is.... i think only he and the other 'boy's thought it was 'cutish'... sara and i were grossed out and as always boys will be boys and thought it was cool....

so i spent some time looking up flying squirrels so that i could add a picture.... well, to tell you the truth, after seeing all of these pictures, i don't think i will sit in the dark anymore...

now the first picture, he could be considered cute.... the 2nd horrific! and now i read that the southern appalachian type are more AGGRESSIVE, and i'm terrified... and i don't know why they didn't use all caps or underline, even highlight that AGGRESSIVE word in the following description...

"The Southern type is smaller than its northern counterpart. It is found usually in deciduous forests and appears to be rather dominant and they are also more aggressive than the Northern type. The animals are characterized by large eyes, prominent ears, and a bushy tail. "

if you ask me, he sounds like a killer creature.... look at those BIG eyes!!! there is no way you can sneak past him....!

this is for you mom...

hmmm.... well it was just late last week when i got an email from mom.... it went something like this --- "you keep me off your blog (you might want to read past posts regarding diane sawyer), i mean it! you are starting to make me look like a stalker". later last week.... the same, but by phone...

i defended myself (slightly, it is mom), and said, hey, david lettermen, ellen, they always have their moms there. she wouldn't go for it... she said, "well, just quit writing about me". of course, i do not put myself within a million miles of their league, but i was trying anything to win this cause, after all, it is so fun to talk about her...

well, i was torn. (fun or not to blog my mom) it is my mom, disciplining me.... and i hate to get 'that look' that she does so well... you know, the look that could probably mean in just a moment you will be killed? sometimes i am grateful to be a thousand miles away....

yesterday, she called me.... "you have to tell everyone to vote for Syesha. Now if you don't know... american idol is down to 3. one more will go home this week and then it will be left between the 2 remaining.

she continued.... "today is Syesha Day...", I'm like, "what, you have to be kidding", (i am so not a supporter of syesha, i like david cook... "oh yes," she continued, "she will be going back to her hometown school and doing a mini concert, appearing at another place, she's on the front page of the newspaper and they are even having a parade!". well honestly, i was rolling my eyes...., you know, being a fan of DAVID COOK, and reminding her again of that!....

i asked mom - wasn't it just the other day when you ORDERED me to stop talking about you?, and on and on i went (so rarely get to do that with her). i told her to send me a picture of the newspaper, better yet, a picture of her holding the newspaper so that all can see my mom! and then, me being me, ran off to work and i totally forgot that i should've been blogging about this Syesha.

this morning there it was in my email.... a picture of the newspaper.... (thank goodness i was reminded, she would've killed me with that look she has)....and what can i say, thanks dad?, i bet she roped you into that one!

so for all of you out there reading, please do vote for her tuesday night for my mother and for the town! here is a video of her last performance, which i thought was pretty darn good....it gave me chills, and even simon loved it....i will be voting for syesha tuesday night, even if i don't want to, and i would advise all of you to do the same unless you want to get that "look" from her...

but the good thing is i guess this means that i still get to chat about my mom, my VBFF.....

special 4th of july piece...

it's a political year, and the 4th of july is just around the corner. that brings thoughts of red, white and blue. picnics and cookouts. games and fireworks. reading and relaxing.

if you would like a piece to remind you of this historical time i am able to make several of these 4th of july penny pitches and have them to you in time to hang in your home by early june...

a special price of $210.00 - regularly $230.00...., for this celebration.

if you would like to order, just send me an email or call.... 828-265-0977.

late at night....

you might find me late at night surfing the internet, viewing youtube. i often look at art videos that have been added for viewing and came across this one.... thought you might enjoy this sand art. obviously, the hungarian artist, ferenc cako', has amazing insight...

the thing about youtube is that people who are great, wonderful, even amazing can broadcast their art - from music to demonstrations that one wouldn't be able to see otherwise.

it's the saturday music show... turn it up!

it's been a month or two since i did the saturday music show, so thought i'd better get back on schedule again.

so i thought i'd do two music videos.... you know how i'm always searching through native american music to listen to the flute? (that i'm still not good at playing!) but i've found so many sites where i can print off music and have learned so much... i came across this video that i wanted to share with you... i loved the combination of shots, land, custom and modern. it wasn't long ago when i was talking to my dad and telling him that eli is starting to use some 'southern slang', and that i said that he had to learn 'proper english' first. my dad said that he hoped the south, through schools, didn't cause the southern lyrics of the language to die... i guess this is a lesson to us all, to keep our customs close to us or they may disappear.

a friend of mine was raised on a reservation up in wisconsin. she talks about riding bareback and shooting deer with an arrow. i asked her if the 'healer', who was her mother, really had power... she said, yes. it was an amazing upbringing that she had. her mother and one other person on the reservation are the only 2 people that know the language of her tribe, and they do not seem to want to write it down so that it can continue or be remembered... a whole language being put to sleep. that is a sad thing to me.

i think it would be a good thing if we could learn to stop ourselves from judging others and learn from our bothers and sisters...

the video and music above are by Sacred Spirit - Yeha Noha

i don't know what has happened this year.... but i'm not watching american idol.

boy, since the very beginning i was hooked. but i think it must have run it's course with me, like survivor and all my children. but i still do have my favorite, david cook. i think he is just amazing, love the texture of his voice, it gives me chills. I also love his artistry of making his own arrangements, he's amazing. i would buy his album, or cd, that is. i'm betting he will win.

now i remember the big days of this album, thriller... 1982. it seems that a song will take me back to what i was doing exactly at that time of my life... 1982, moved to houston texas and started working at a brand new radio station, kkbq... when we hit the air waves the first song that was played was hey jude. we took over that town with our music and talent in no time and enjoyed the fun of being part of something so big and new that had succeeded... champagne and limos... yes,1982 was a wonderful year... this is david's version of the famous song, billie jean, and he made it his own...

it happened!!!

well... all i can say is if you dream big enough and hope strong enough, something might just come true!

i heard back... you might want to hold on to your chair.... from..... (drum roll please)... diane sawyers peeps! yes, it's true.

the story goes... i blogged as you know about diane and christiana (certainly we must now be on first name basis), back in march. rene, who is one of my readers, and lover of game boards, just so happens to work there and be a friend of diane's... rene, you are so funny! her email to me was sooo funny.... so,

rene let diane know of my blog with the best friend request. diane's peeps wrote back to me and this is what they said:

This is Kristen from Diane Sawyer's office-- she wanted me to pass along that she saw your blog and loves what you wrote!!
Have a great day. And the game boards look really great.
Take care, Kristen

WOW! hubby said the other day that the world is connected by 6 people, he had heard that somewhere... and so it is so.... me connected to rene connected to diane sawyer... that is a really small world we're living in...

well that was truly some excitement for me this week, and for my mom too, who holds the number one position, but is willing to play with diane if invited... (she's hopefully going through her closet looking for something to wear)... and diane, if you do read this again, just FYI my mom will be in NY in September.... around the 8th i believe if you want to play....

and back to my life, my reality.... i'm sitting here in my robe covered with paint drinking cold coffee and wondering in the back of my head where eli's baseball pants are for the game in less than an hour and if i was to bring snacks for 10 boys....

knitted music video....turn it up

Watch this beautiful animated video for the Quebec, Canada group Tricot Machine (tricot means knitting). The video is for the song "Les peaux de lievres" where overl 700 frames are knitted. It's simply breathtaking! I also love the design of their CD cover below

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

hmmmm....

Monday

Hi: 59 Lo: 36

AM rain; Some afternoon sun; Turning colder tonight (maybe a snow flurry late); Wind NW 5-15 mph becoming 15-25 mph after midnight with gusts to 40 mph

Tuesday

Hi: 48 Lo: 33

Partly cloudy; Noticeably colder; Frost possible at night; NW wind 10-20 mph becoming light at night

Wednesday

Hi: 59 Lo: 41

Lots of sun; Not as cold; West wind 5-10 mph

Thursday

Hi: 69 Lo: 49

Mostly sunny; Warmer

Friday

Hi: 72 Lo: 52

Partly cloudy day; Increasing clouds at night; Seasonably warm

you will find me singing april showers brings may flowers.... it helps me keep my sanity... hard to believe the other day i was planting seeds and taking photos...

today i will....

today i will -

plant my seeds in my garden

plant my bushes in the front

go to baseball game

cut molding for boards

call woodworkers

sit in the sun for 30 minutes

read book

cook out on grill

call sister

watch a good movie

clean house

when did it happen? when did the above list get accomplished and i still had time left to decorate, walk in the woods, bake cookies...

something happened after 40. i remember when i was 35 my printer, kevin, had turned 40. he said, he was tired, lost his energy, couldn't do what he could at 35.

i understand.... when did i slow down to a snails pace? it was gradual, i do remember that. i stopped writing my list, depressed that one or two items were crossed off by the next morning. i decided to slow down (trying to trick myself into believing it was by choice), breath in life and not only move slower but sit and think (or was that doze).

what i once achieved in one day, i now can achieve in a couple of weeks. i've passed the torch on to the 30 somethings... the ones that are now smart enough, full of energy and endless possibilities. they still have their looks that come natural, are not fighting with the weight gains, do not have the lines on their face that make them look mean (between the eyes and downward lips).

so today, i think i'll go for the baseball game, nap and some hair color....

a month already?

i always seem to be saying....time sure does fly on by. i cannot believe it's been a month since i've been blogging... so much to say and good therapy too.

i'm going to have to do some catching up with you this week from studio to home... i guess the distraction of spring has caused all of this, i've been longing to see my garden erupt to greet the sun ...

planting day here is May 15th, and only 4 months for those plants to grow and flower and then once again, go dormant. i wonder if a law should be passed here, gardening for 4 months and then back to work. after all, isn't it france that takes a long vacation at the same time? i do believe.

the above pictures are from my garden yesterday....nature is an amazing anecdote to a creative dry spell, or as a color guide for the eye... take a walk yourself and notice the amazing number of colors and shades in a flower or a leaf....

spring cleaning...

this morning i'm up and early....starting the laundry, working on some photography and making a plan for the day...

i'm cleaning out my computer files too.... and i'm seeing things that you might be interested to see or read; past publicity and photos of antique game boards... as i'm cleaning, i'll be adding some to the blog...



Monday, February 06, 2006
12/7/2005 2:45:00 PM

Games People PlayLinda BachmannSpecial Sections Editor

Set aside those iPods and Xboxes for a while. As cooler weather and longer nights beckon us indoors, board games and puzzles can offer some old-fashioned fun with friends and family. And as an added bonus, these artistic creations are worthy of display long beyond playtime.

Right: Artist Diane Allison of Boone, N.C., has been handcrafting game boards for the past 12 years. Her greatest inspiration? Memories of hours spent playing marbles and Chinese checkers on the floor with her grandfather.

Using quiltmaking applications, today Diane merges the past and the present using traditional designs and skilled craftsmanship. Over a three-week span, she creates each piece with a nine-step process, using Russian Baltic birchwood and handpainted designs, which are left to dry to a hardened finish in the mountain sun.

Backgammon anyone? This 28-inch by 19-inch Baltic birch gameboard can be hung on the wall between games. Diane suggests using old-fashioned checkers disks, which she discovers on eBay, as the perfect game pieces.

This wood-crafted dreidel, designed and hand-assembled by seven craftsmen at The Toycrafter, based in Rochester, N.Y., will add a crafty flair to any Chanukah collection. Each is four and one-half inches tall and comes with an engraved instruction board and instructions. $22.99. At Gifts from the Heart, Judaica and More, 1205 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 135, Marietta. (770) 579-6684.

“Yes you may!” is the surely the answer when your family asks to play upon the graphic “Mother May I” Parcheesi game board, also handcrafted by Diane Allison.

The classic checkerboard design receives an updated treatment in this handcrafted Diane Allison piece. Measuring 19-inches square, its comfy wood tones add warmth to any game setting or family room.

Conundrums puzzles , created by The Toycrafter, look like compact disks made of wood and are individually packaged in a CD jewel case. Shown here are Star of David and menorah puzzles. How long will it take you to assemble the pieces? $10.99. At Gifts from the Heart.

This 19-inch “Crossroads,” square board, designed by Diane Allison, is the classic High Q game of jumping pegs for playing solo or with a partner. Golf tees or nails make for perfect pegs.$215.

The childhood game “Kick the Can” became the appropriate namesake for this Parcheesi gameboard also designed by Diane Allison. Like her other pieces, each is signed on the back with her trademark black handprint and handwritten initials.
Tell us what you think

Copyright 2006, Atlanta Jewish Times, A member of Jewish Renaissance Media® Software © 1998-2006 1up! Software, All Rights Reserved

spirit of the entrepreneurs....

my mom just emailed me....commenting on her competition with diane sawyer and christiana amapour to be my best friend... you are so funny mom! they haven't called yet!

i had mentioned the heifer organization in the blog below and mom said that i should look into kiva... and that she had just lent money to Rose Nakato in Uganda. my mom and i are supporters of heifer so early this morning i am looking up kiva and reading the amazing stories that surround the organization (started by a husband and wife), and the entrepreneurs and the dreams that the people have.

after looking at kivas site i see that they have had great support in getting the name of their organization out there through the media, and one can never thank the media enough when they give you this helping hand. so i am sure many of you have already been introduced to them, but if not i am adding them to my "give" column that you can find on the left of my blog.

the dreams of an entrepreneur are the same, resulting in the same ending hopefully. success at their ideas, self sufficient and able to help others along the way. another trait of an entrepreneur is their belief in their idea, their energy and hard work to make it happen. you've head the words "american dream" a million times i'm sure.... but if you break it down, the dream is the same as all entrepreneurs... making something out of nothing...

and yes, i have the heart of the entrepreneur....starting my first home business when i was 20. and to this day a "no" will never stop me, i will just keep putting one foot in front of the other marching on. but we are looking at our $'s in other countries with kiva... where an opportunity can make the difference between poverty and self sufficiency... no esteem to wonderful esteem... and of course, the success of one will benefit many... instead of a donation, they are asking for small amounts to be made as loans...

last month, sara, my assistant, gave up flour for 40 days for her religious beliefs... if you new sara her entire diet consists of flour, so it was a huge struggle for her. i figure if i give up my ice cream i will be able to help fund someones dreams.... i give up something negative in my life and create a positive in somebody else's life.... that's a win win....

i've added a video if you are not familiar with kiva org., it's an amazing story....here is a direct link to their site too... today, i feel good, i'm helping Chhoeun Smaunh in cambodia buy a horse and silk...and i know the feeling of his heart... thanks mom!

this is a link to the video.... it is 13 minutes long, and so inspiring...

http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=604752752

here is a direct link to the kiva site...

http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=home

don't forget, heifer and kiva are great gift ideas for those people who have everything... i have given my dad bees and my mom eggs to help people in south america...just to name a couple...

i've been tagged...

well i don't know if i should actually thank jennifer lanne for tagging me... but you know how the world is always new and ever changing... this is a game of blog tag... would you have ever thought of something like this years ago as you were playing tag in your neighborhood? be sure to check out jennifer lanne's blog, art on the farm...you will certainly get lots of feel good smiles and laughs. her site is listed under the artist section to the left...also, earth angels has a large selection of her work available...

i am to tell you 5 unknown and maybe interesting facts about myself...

well as i sit and think about this for days, no kidding, i find myself going back in time to my high school days... that says to me, i'm old now and grasping at my youth of accomplishment... as silly as they were at the time... and they've grown in size too; walking 10 miles through the snow to school....etc.

so i've decided to tell a little from the past, a little of the current, and a little of my dreams...

i has a highland dancer in high school....what is that you ask?

Sword DanceThe "Gillie Callum," or Sword Dance is an ancient dance of victory and war, dating back to the days of King Malcolm Canmore. The story is that the King danced over his bloody claymore after vanquishing his enemy, one of Mac Beth's generals. It was considered a bad omen for the following battle if the blades were touched during the dance.
Today's Sword dancer "addresses" two swords, performing the first steps outside their crossed blades. Subsequent steps are danced over the blades, but once inside their field, the dancer never dances with his back turned to the swords - only a fool would turn his back on a weapon. It requires tremendous skill not to displace the swords. Toward the end of the dance, to prove their skill and endurance, the dancer will clap hands together to tell the piper to increase the tempo.

i was born in iowa and lived in des moines until i was 9, sarasota florida until i was 23, houston texas until i was 24, birmingham alabama until i was 25, san diego california until i was 29, new lenox illinois until i was 31, dallas texas until i was 37 and have lived in boone north carolina for 11 years now... yep, that makes me 48... and i am all of those places combined...from the people to the places.

outside des moines there were buffalo, introducing me to the magnificent beast that i still love.

sarasota spoiled me with the white baby powder beaches...the pelicans, and ringling brothers.

birmingham was wonderful, hills and green, enough snow to enjoy...

san diego...blue waters, cliffs and seals...best subs in national city and old town were my haunts.

new lenox, outside of chicago...the natural history museum and farmland, small town and big city, antiques galore.

dallas. there isn't enough space, still has my heart. good people, good everything.

boone, north carolina - good people, mountains, music.... home...

ok, that is 2 things.....

if i could be anything in the world (already have what is necessary to do it with) and of course, would be extremely successful at these...

district attorney or fbi agent

novelist

documentary photographer

united nations - humanitarian affairs

heifer - train people around the world to grow and raise food

work with the gorillas and elephants....

well, i'm running out of time for the above so if any of you are from the above maybe i could shadow you?

i would like diane sawyer and christiane amanpour to be my best friends... (but mom is still #1)...if any of you know them, maybe you could let them know and they will come over!

ok....i'm really really reaching back .... and some of you will know what i'm talking about, and some will have no idea at all....

i was able to take 110 words a minute in shorthand... i told my youngest about this and he looked at it as a secret code and that it was really cool that i new this.... maybe i should write some letters in this "new" secret code to all of you that can remember your shorthand.

and that is it.... and i'm thankful to say...

use your mouse to click on a picture...

Make a postcard - it's easy!

ohhhh, color!

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

a week....

as you can see, there is a system.... it may all look like craziness to you, but it all means something else to me... with a 9 step process for each piece, each mark on the board means something special... is the piece drawn, painted, sanded, stained, shipped? I have marks for stores, special gifts that have been ordered, notes for calls that i need to make for supplies.... and when your name is all the way off the board....you've received your piece and you loved it...

i love to have everyones name next to the piece that they ordered.... that way when i'm painting the board they are in my thoughts... i can also appreciate the grouping of boards that they have created in their own minds... and see what it will look like together as i'm going along.

it's been a hectic week, so many different ideas going on in the studio... i'll be painting a piece and think, well here is a new design, i like it this way too.... so off for the camera to snap the design, and then on to finishing the painting on the original piece...

a wonderful group of artists are getting together for a "gathering" where we will be sending you a postcard of our work... but time it takes and 4th of july theme, it's sometimes hard to think so many months in advance.... but i'm thinking red, white and blue right now... and using a glue stick to see what layout will be needed...lots of emails and calls back and forth....

i've updated my site.... a section called... groupings to display, has been added http://www.dallisongameboards.com/ to help everyone visualize what boards look like together in a grouping. I also joined the american-folk-art site....(which you must visit...so here is the link...) http://www.american-folk-art.com/ and spoke to a magazine about their interest in an article about me for this summer...got mail from jen from earth angels...if you haven't checked out her site lately you just MUST, she has so many new things to show you... and of course, sell to you! here is her link... http://www.earthangelstoys.com/

also, much laundry, dishes, errands, wiping runny noses to remember, carpools, bills, bird business, coffees, runs for coke and icecream.... food to feed, rides here and there, phone calls... phew.... i'm glad it's saturday and all i have to do today is work in the studio and alittle laundry! Thanks hubby!!!

american idol....i'm hooked

i started watching american idol years and years ago... as you know i'm a fan of music, especially singer/songwriters...
this year, the guys are amazingly great, i don't think i'll be able to narrow it down... my 8 year old son and i are glued to the set.... of course, it's not cool for my other son who's now nearly 25.... and being forgetful as i am, my eli reminds me their names....

here is one of my favorites.... jason castro...

new to site - game board groupings....

i've added a new feature to my web page... "groupings". so many of you collect my work and call and ask what goes together, so i thought this would be helpful for you to browse through.

it took some time to figure out what i was doing, but it's up and working now and hopefully not to confusing to use. just click on a game board that you like in the groupings area and you will be shown an example of pieces that work well together... i hope you find it useful and easy to use...

i've added the link below so that you can go straight to the new area....

http://dallison.squarespace.com/groupings/

how can it be?

i cannot believe that march is already here... my mom is right, the older you get, the faster the months go by! i was talking to my dad the other day to decide whether march came in as a lion or a lamb.... the eve of march was a lion.... and then on to the lamb... so that means just one thing, the end of march we will indeed be getting some more snow...

it's been wonderful to get up to the sound of birds back from their florida vacations... i'm keeping my eyes intently on the little guys to keep a step ahead of their nest building though.... i would hope it won't be in the air conditioner again this year and my hanging pot... so i'm diligently shooing them away from those areas....

yesterday i went to the 'bird' store and discussed with great detail of my past escapades with these little creatures... and was assured, there was nothing that i could do, and that they will win...those little wrens... so i left with insect infested suet instead.... not a lovely welcoming for my friends....what is the matter with me? i just find the small creatures irresistible!

the studio is jammed pack with boards in various stages... i'm happy to jump into spring with the new editions of loretta and gloria... such fun inviting colors to work with while my garden is making mystery below the ground....

no shadow here.... phew

i wonder how much time each year i'm hopeing for winter....the snow that is. i've finally realized that it is only the snow that i long for...

the bright white across my view.... the discovery that each snow fall is different and holds it's own special place... does it cover every tree branch which is a picture of heaven on earth... is the snow packable so that i can make a snowball or is it perfect to roll for the snowman.... or is it a dry snow, which exsists like dust, just blows...or is it to hard that you cannot sled on.... in the early morning of a snow you can follow the footprints of the night animals that have passed through and see where their burrow is...

i find that i like to watch the roads change too... from the covering to the clean plowed... to even the driven through and the sides of the plowed snow have turned black from the traffic.... there are so many things to find of interest on a snowy day...

but it is the snow that i love.... not the cold.... cold without snow, why? it makes me long for spring and to the budding of my garden...

a short winter for us.... our groundhog didn't see his shadow...