I always Wondered what Happened ....

To Many of my Childhood Dolls... I once believed they just quietly slipped off into Doll Heaven on a white fluffy Marshmallow cloud ...or were taken by yard fairies removed of all ball point pen markings, regrew chopped off hair and were beautifully redressed in sparkly Fairy dresses to become the New Fairy Queen.... but recently I became painfully aware of the Ugly Truth....and now, the Ugly Truth can be exposed!!

Doll Turf Wars...each vying for the affections of small children, Troll against Barbie, Barbie against Chatty Cathy, Chatty Cathy's against Raggedy Ann... and so on. Brutality at it's worst....

Don't let this happen to your Child's Doll when they are finished with play...watch for the telltale signs ... missing arms or legs, large red crayon markings on the lips or eyeballs, forced to wear the clothing of Madame Alexander or stripped of all clothing and left to huddle alone in a dark toy box.... Next time...don't blame the kids....look to the Trolls!!!


A Concerned Former Doll Owner...
Jodi

Wednesday.... HOT Wednesday

Just in case some of you might have thought I was Pulling Your Leg about our Heat here in Lake Havasu, Arizona ...I bopped out last evening around 7:00 PM and took a picture of our Thermometer right outside our back door ... Yes...you are reading that correctly...it says 115.... now remember this is 7:00 PM...in the shade ,close to our cooler back door.... just imagine for a moment what it is like out in the sun away from shade.... GULP!!

OK...I will give you a moment or so to recover and regain composure ... It is a bit of a shock to the system when first is heard the words...."115 in the shade".... the body goes into an immediate spasm and it takes a few to shake it off...run outside and kiss whatever cool ground your neck of the woods lies in.... Yes, this is Summer in the Arizona Desert.

We have been having a exceptionally hot one this year... started slow but hit us right between the eyes when our backs were turned with thoughts of "Oh it's gonna be cooler this year"...HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH......rehydrate.....HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH..... rehydrate.......HAHAHAHAHAHA.
To open the front door to retrieve mail in the Havasu Heat... is like opening the oven door during Auto Cleaning (you know, the temp that turns all the baked on gookie stuff in your oven to 'Ash'....)...and then standing there for 10 minutes just taking it all in....

It is watching little Quail Families run faster than a speeding bullet across the blacktop street, seeing birdies hanging out in droves in your front pond...standing waist deep (do birds have waists??) beaks wide open panting with wings out stretched to their sides alllll day long....

Hanging wet towels on the outside line and having them half way dry before reaching the line...totally dry by the time you reach the back door...and turning around to retrieve them...

Carrying no less than 3 bottles of water with you at any one time in a small personal ice bag when you go anywhere..

And last but not least... being witness to some of the most gawd awful summer outfits you have ever seen in your life.... what people will 'or won't' wear to keep cool...BE AFRAID...BE VERY AFRAID!!!
Neighbors don't gather during these months ...there is only a weak wave of exhaustion exchanged as garbage cans are dragged to the curb.... few children play outside ...well ya gotta admit, not much fun playing ball with other neighbor kids while your mom is frantically running along side making you drink gallons of Gator aide and placing wet towels around your neck... puts a real crimp in the whole free to be a kid thing...

This is the time of year you sit or float in water, get all outside chores done before 6:00 am, visit the Movies a lot.... spend looooong luxurious hours strolling the isles of Walmart, carry an ice chest everywhere you go, and play lots of 'indoor' board games with friends and family.

I know I made Arizona (Havasu to be exact) sound like a suburb of Hell... and in truth, it really is not. I will say that it is not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach in the summer time...a good reason I guess that all our 'Snow Birds' fly back to their cooler regions...only to return in early fall...AHHHHHH Early Fall...a LOVELY time of the year ...and a time we all wait for with great anticipation of cooler more enjoyable times. There are few places more lovely than the desert in fall, winter and spring.... temps that are mild and sooo pleasant, breezes that bring scents of orange blossoms and Texas Laurel , no frost, no snow, just pleasant all around weather....the kind of weather you can plan outdoor activities ...with few surprises.

I wait for this time as do all Havasuvians ...watching the calender, for the Birds Beaks to close.... and the blast furnace to feel luke warm when the door is open...all the true signs that the relief of fall is not far behind...

Jodi aka 'Hot Headed Hannah'

Hats off to the Hat Makers...

Happy Tuesday...though late in the day...I believe it is still Tuesday in most parts!! Still hotter than blazes here...don't ask...you don't want to know!!!

Anyway... just finished a new miniature (1:12th scale) witch hat and hat stand today... have not made one (by itself) in a very long time...normally I have the hats perched on top of a witches head...but alas I wanted to try one by itself...like I said, been ages and ages since we last made one... Funny and Scary all at the same time... I find..that when I don't do something for a while , I become all 'thumbs' when attempting to do it again...no matter what it is... It is like retaining my brain to function...and I spend a lot of time backtracking (and talking to myself) saying things like...How did I do that again? What materials did I use? Pattern!!! I had a pattern for this??? DUH DUH DUH!!! If I could slap my brain I would..Snap out of it!!!

So I tip 'my hat' to the Hat Makers out there that can do this task blind folded and with such style and Panache ...

I do love Richard's little hat stand though... Can anyone tell I am REALLY starting to get into my Halloween Phase of the year....OOoOoOoOoo I can hardly wait, can I decorate yet??? Too Early ya think??

OK off to decide if this little ditty goes ETSY or EBAY...some many 'E's'...so little time!!

Later Gators

Jodi

Our Newest on EBAY

1:12th Miniature Scale ...Luna Penumbra is 5 1/2 inches tall and little Teeter is 3 1/2 inches tall... A really fun set to make...I smiled non stop...

Hope everyone had a Great Weekend...

Hugs,

Jodi

Something is Afoot once again in Blog Land

OK...My Favorite Pieces ...

I want to THANK EVERYONE who played along with my 'Questions Post' ...what fun that was...hope more come in and answer at some point....I think everyone here wants to hear your answers.
Anyway...I don't really have 'ONE' ...sorry...have to choose 3....for 3 different reasons.

At one time I did portraits...in both oil and Pastel (above) ...

1.) The Lady 'Hull House Worker' was an emotional piece for me... I saw a old turn of the century photograph and read about 'Hull House' I love this piece because of the power...but also the power was there enough for others to see because I was asked by a National Woman Organization who were having a Convention in Las Vegas in 1973 (where I was living at the time) to Show this piece and talk about it in front of thousands of women and men... on a stage no less. This was my very first time to be on a stage, talk to that many people and display my art to so many at one time.... WOW...to say it was life changing is putting it VERY mildly...my life and direction started to change that day...I still own the piece... sorry for the bad 'glare' picture.

2.) 'Buck'.... was the first piece that I created when Richard and I were together (1975)...In the evenings , he would sit at his table and draw and paint lovely Ghost Town buildings ... I would sit at my easel on the other side of our VERY small apt. living room and pastel paint. We listened to our records, drank coffee and enjoy 'our space' ...I remember the air being filled with creative energy...those were happy memory times...we still own Buck, hanging on our living room wall.

3.) Richard and I differ on our favorite doll...this was mine. Maria Martinez... the famous Native American Potter from New Mexico. I did my first real in depth research on her before starting...buying several books and knowing as much about her as I could. We were living in Phoenix and the Southwest 'spell' was upon us BIG TIME! This was just one of those pieces that from start to finish we were hitting on all cylinders ...it flowed with such ease and enjoyment...I hated to stop at night and could hardly wait to start in the morning...I cried often while making it (always my own personal sign that I am in tune with what I am creating) ...and wept uncontrollably when finished. And as a 'surprise' at the ending ...Richard made the special little 'Bird Pitcher ' and placed it in the scene...I knew nothing about this... the reason it meant so much...I have the 'Original Pot' in our collection...that my Uncle got from Maria Martinez in the 40's ....Richard recreated it perfectly!! I LOVED this piece.... sadly, it is gone from our life...living with Demi Moore... the only things that makes me feel not so sad about this piece being gone...is that I know she loved it as much as I did/do!

So those are my favs.... for very different reasons.

Art is a glorious thing...it figures out ways of touching our hearts and fortifying our souls in such a manner that carefully molds our journey in life...it gives us a voice that is heard by many and allows us freedom in what we speak...

Have a Terrific Tuesday

Jodi

Questions...I got Questions!!!

I woke up this morning 'Pondering' ... a strange little phase that I occasionally go through. I ponder everything from the earths rotation to why everything seems to 'taste like chicken'....

This mornings Ponder is about Art...and I decided to make my ponderings public with a question for everyone who cares to answer...


"What is/was your favorite piece of artwork you have ever ever ever created....and...Why? Also...did you keep it...give it away...or sell it?


Looking forward to hearing everyone's answer....


Have a Terrifically Tempting Tuesday

Jodi