On Wednesday December 19th, 2007, the Lakota Nation declared itself a sovereign nation, 2 days after withdrawing from every treaty it had ever signed with the United States.
“This is an historic day for our Lakota people,” declared Russell Means, Itacan of Lakota. “United States colonial rule is at its end!”
The failures of the U.S. to honor & follow the tenets of the treaties are many & well documented. My darlin' wife followed in the tracks of her beloved Grandmother, who lived among Pawnee & Lakota in Nebraska, as well as Pacific Northwest tribes as a cook in the logging camps. Both women have seen firsthand the plight of these proud peoples, their numbers decimated by war, genocide, starvation, & inflicted poverty. Both have fed those that they could, & the hearts of my family are with them.
Some of the statistics cited at http://www.republicoflakotah.com/why.html are stunning:
Life expectancy of Lakotah males - 44 years
Death rates highest in US, infant mortality 300% more, teen suicide 150% of US average.
Over 50% battle addictions, 80% of homes affected by alcohol. Along with drug & alcohol abuse comes unnaturally high rates of incarceration.
Tuberculosis: +800%
Cervical cancer: +300%
Under the poverty line: +97%
No clean water/sweage systems: +33%
Unemployment: +80%
We encourage you to visit the site & read the rest of the data there to improve understanding of the plight of indigenous peoples with the boundaries of the U.S.
It remains to see what we the non-Native residents of the United States of America can do to assist our Lakota bretheren, as well as all the tribes on this continent.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Lakota Freedom Declaration
On December 19th, 2007, the Lakota Nation declared itself a sovereign nation after withdrawing from all treaties with the United States 2 days before.
“This is an historic day for our Lakota people,” declared Russell Means, Itacan of Lakota. “United States colonial rule is at its end!
The document is available at www.lakotafreedom.com/121907.pdf & outlines the reasons for this action. More detail is available at www.lakotafreedom.com.
“This is an historic day for our Lakota people,” declared Russell Means, Itacan of Lakota. “United States colonial rule is at its end!
The document is available at www.lakotafreedom.com/121907.pdf & outlines the reasons for this action. More detail is available at www.lakotafreedom.com.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Why I love my wife!
I just figured it was a good time to go ahead & try, at least, to count the ways...
35 years, & more in love every day.
She GETS me.
She adores me - (really!)Surprising as that may seem.
She is kindhearted.
She is patient (see 35 yrs above).
I can tell her moods & health by the color of those stunning baby blues.
She has a healing touch, even before the Reiki training.
She is a world-class cook.
She is tough when she has to be.
She's as defenseless as a howitzer.
She is a polio survivor.
She is a 2-time cancer survivor.
She is a been-married-to-Wolf survivor.
She is goofy.
She calls her delicate wonderful hands "stubby mitts"
She suffers thru all my Ernest & Mr. Bean videos.
She sits thru all those hours of pro rasslin' I watch every week.
She's better informed than I am (even tho I work at a newspaper!)
I find her just staring at me in that way that makes me feel so fine!
She is gorgeous in my eyes even though not in hers (when I state it, she reminds me how blind I am - but I do not need eyes to see her beauty).
We grew up the same, surrounded by hatred, violence, & sneering disdain, so we KNOW.
She considers me a gift from God, & I know she is the same for me.
She never gives up, never gives up, never gives up!
She wants me to buy the tools I need even when I'm too cheap.
She doesn't mind that I am NOT a plumber.
She gives me great input about choker designs.
She is amazed at what I can build, even tho it may not be perfect.
She comes outside to watch me work, just to be close to me. Recently did this even tho the walk took a lot out of her, to watch me build a brick pedestal for one of our wolf statues.
She lets me wait on her, even when she feels it should be the other way around.
When she was hurt so badly recently, she insisted that it would be a temporary situation. It was, & she is walking pretty well now!
When she was mostly paralyzed by polio, she operated diaper pins with her teeth!
She very rarely used disposable diapers on our son – taught me to fold cloth ones like a pro!
After one of my back injuries, she threw me on her back & dragged me to bed, when I couldn’t walk on my own.
She stayed up all night with our infant son when he had this breathing-is-sooo- overrated phase.
She’s 4’ 11 ¾”, but we let her claim 5’.
Claims not to be an animal lover, but loves it when the cats jump up & snuggle.
Misses the squirrels that used to hang out around the lodge, & gets as excited as I do when the deer come by.
Used to be a crack shot, great hunter, could light & put out matches with her .22
Grandkids love her as much as I do
Has sung at Carnegie Hall, the White House, the Ryman Auditorium, & as backup for Hank Williams. (my stepdad's ol' drinkin' buddy)
Her head fits perfectly on my shoulder
My arm fits perfectly around her waist
She doesn’t mind me pushing her around (in her wheelchair)
She keeps telling me I need to order more beads, or to go to Tandy Leather…
She didn’t mind when I brought in 3 truckloads of free cedar lumber (Yes, I’m using it!)
She didn’t mind when I brought in a trailer load of free brick pavers (Yes, I’m using it!)
Keeps the TV on the country music channel because our birds bitch if she doesn’t
She is thrifty except when it comes to me.
She never complained about having to eat my cooking for 7 weeks.
She loves my coffee & can’t wait for the weekend when I cook a couple pots.
She brags about my mondo eggs that I make mebbe twice a year
She sings to me
She loves to hear me sing
She shares my Steelers addiction
She chides me for not pursuing my lil’ acting career or my radio fetish
She RARELY wears makeup, so I can see how beautiful she really is
She shares our ministry
The hypocrisy in Religion does not diminish her FAITH
She has a rockin’ knife collection
She knows how to use a machete
Every time I leave, she tells me to be careful
She never minds when I call her
She taught me & trained my voice for an operatic competition (tied for 1st with a roaring chest cold)
She used to bake bread for hungry reservation families in S. Dakota
An elderly chief at our flea market booth in Austin recognized her immediately from all those yrs ago
She can order those coconut cookies from the ancient woman at the flea market who speaks no English even tho she speaks no Spanish (while our son, a fluent Espanoler, has a tough time w/her).
Bikers think she’s great
She took NO CRAP from my drunken bio-family
Her Grandmother died in her arms when she was 14: she had already learned a lifetime of knowledge from her.
Come to think of it, she takes NO CRAP from anybody…except occasionally lil' ol’ me
She calls me FireFace.
She still loves my almost-waist-length mane
She used to play connect-the-dots with my freckles
She doesn’t mind that I have destroyed my wedding ring numerous times – more concerned with my fingers surviving
When her assistant was trapped under the front wheel of a Suburban, the crowd around was unable to get the truck off her. With my best Wolf growl I dove into the wheel well, grabbed the rim & suspension, & heaved the truck into the air. My dainty wife with a hearty “Oh, s**t!” grabbed the woman’s jeans & yanked. Her hands tore right thru the denim. She let out an equally hearty “Damn it!”, grabbed belt & bra, & whipped that looney out like she was on ball bearings! I set it down, she’s yelling for me to get out, I say it’s still in gear, & we’re on a hill: she leaps into the big truck & hits the emergency brake & slams it into park so that I can ease out. Didn’t even make me go to the hospital even tho my back was split open from right shoulder to left hip.
She loves to have supper ready when I get home, & to serve me at the table
When she hears the lids “set” on the canning jars she laughs with joy
She loves to garden with me
She pours my iced tea first, as do I hers
She loves fires in the fireplace in winter
She enjoys an occasional glass of wine, or a sip of my monthly beer; she mentions how proud she is that we can have booze in the house & not get drunk as my bio-family does.
She bakes wonderful breads & indulges my addiction to pie. MMMMmmm, pIIIIIeeee..
She asks me for menu ideas & then cooks what I want
She teaches stuff to our birds
She bought me an animated turtle that looks like Diana Ross – dances & sings “You Can’t Hurry Love!”
She oft compares me to her 1st husband, & tells me I win every time.
She thanks me that she can just be “her” around me – says she never had that before
She loves my hands
I realize she can still kick my butt
When I am in pain, she knows it
She gives me Reiki treatment while I sleep if she knows I am hurting
She lets me keep the bedroom cool & piles on her own blankets, so I can sleep better.
She orders her shrimp when she wants it, knowing I can’t stand the stuff – makes sure I get my oysters when I want.
She hates liver as much as I do
She’ll make me pierogies even though she doesn’t care for them
She tries really hard to recreate foods from my Hunky childhood even though my descriptions/recollections are pretty poor
She indulges my passion for deep frying turkeys, which she doesn’t like that much.
She likes my homemade soymilk ice cream experiments
She loves to hang out on the swing or one of our gliders with me
She loves our screened deck & is going to put up with the wheelchair ramp, even tho she’d rather step up on her own.
She puts up with me bringing her a wildflower, or a particularly cool leaf, or something unexpected from the woods or the garden.
She sees what I see in nature.
She once did a Reiki treatment on a lifeless hummingbird that our hunting mama cat dropped in her lap. After a while it fluttered its wings, lifted off, turned & chirped at her, & left. She still tears up about that one!
She did a Reiki treatment on a frozen stiff newborn kitten that my wacky cat birthed on January 31st. She had them on our concrete carport slab, & this one wedged itself in next to my chimney. My son extracted it & called for Mom. After a while it stirred, she kept it from Mama til it was squirming quite well, & it became the most active of the litter. We call her “Dead Cat”. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
She loves venison
She makes these hearty soup that are so thick I call them “Stewp”
She loves limburger & onion sammiches
She doesn’t mind when I eat my “stinky cheese” (Bleu or gorgonzola)
She called my stepdad “Pops”
Her hair just SHINES!
She once sat up all night sewing fake fur into my jacket & cap & pockets because I had to walk several miles to catch the bus for work.
There are innumerous more reasons why I love, cherish, & adore this wonderful woman, who is a true gift from the Creator. I pray to be able to extend this list for years to come.
35 years, & more in love every day.
She GETS me.
She adores me - (really!)Surprising as that may seem.
She is kindhearted.
She is patient (see 35 yrs above).
I can tell her moods & health by the color of those stunning baby blues.
She has a healing touch, even before the Reiki training.
She is a world-class cook.
She is tough when she has to be.
She's as defenseless as a howitzer.
She is a polio survivor.
She is a 2-time cancer survivor.
She is a been-married-to-Wolf survivor.
She is goofy.
She calls her delicate wonderful hands "stubby mitts"
She suffers thru all my Ernest & Mr. Bean videos.
She sits thru all those hours of pro rasslin' I watch every week.
She's better informed than I am (even tho I work at a newspaper!)
I find her just staring at me in that way that makes me feel so fine!
She is gorgeous in my eyes even though not in hers (when I state it, she reminds me how blind I am - but I do not need eyes to see her beauty).
We grew up the same, surrounded by hatred, violence, & sneering disdain, so we KNOW.
She considers me a gift from God, & I know she is the same for me.
She never gives up, never gives up, never gives up!
She wants me to buy the tools I need even when I'm too cheap.
She doesn't mind that I am NOT a plumber.
She gives me great input about choker designs.
She is amazed at what I can build, even tho it may not be perfect.
She comes outside to watch me work, just to be close to me. Recently did this even tho the walk took a lot out of her, to watch me build a brick pedestal for one of our wolf statues.
She lets me wait on her, even when she feels it should be the other way around.
When she was hurt so badly recently, she insisted that it would be a temporary situation. It was, & she is walking pretty well now!
When she was mostly paralyzed by polio, she operated diaper pins with her teeth!
She very rarely used disposable diapers on our son – taught me to fold cloth ones like a pro!
After one of my back injuries, she threw me on her back & dragged me to bed, when I couldn’t walk on my own.
She stayed up all night with our infant son when he had this breathing-is-sooo- overrated phase.
She’s 4’ 11 ¾”, but we let her claim 5’.
Claims not to be an animal lover, but loves it when the cats jump up & snuggle.
Misses the squirrels that used to hang out around the lodge, & gets as excited as I do when the deer come by.
Used to be a crack shot, great hunter, could light & put out matches with her .22
Grandkids love her as much as I do
Has sung at Carnegie Hall, the White House, the Ryman Auditorium, & as backup for Hank Williams. (my stepdad's ol' drinkin' buddy)
Her head fits perfectly on my shoulder
My arm fits perfectly around her waist
She doesn’t mind me pushing her around (in her wheelchair)
She keeps telling me I need to order more beads, or to go to Tandy Leather…
She didn’t mind when I brought in 3 truckloads of free cedar lumber (Yes, I’m using it!)
She didn’t mind when I brought in a trailer load of free brick pavers (Yes, I’m using it!)
Keeps the TV on the country music channel because our birds bitch if she doesn’t
She is thrifty except when it comes to me.
She never complained about having to eat my cooking for 7 weeks.
She loves my coffee & can’t wait for the weekend when I cook a couple pots.
She brags about my mondo eggs that I make mebbe twice a year
She sings to me
She loves to hear me sing
She shares my Steelers addiction
She chides me for not pursuing my lil’ acting career or my radio fetish
She RARELY wears makeup, so I can see how beautiful she really is
She shares our ministry
The hypocrisy in Religion does not diminish her FAITH
She has a rockin’ knife collection
She knows how to use a machete
Every time I leave, she tells me to be careful
She never minds when I call her
She taught me & trained my voice for an operatic competition (tied for 1st with a roaring chest cold)
She used to bake bread for hungry reservation families in S. Dakota
An elderly chief at our flea market booth in Austin recognized her immediately from all those yrs ago
She can order those coconut cookies from the ancient woman at the flea market who speaks no English even tho she speaks no Spanish (while our son, a fluent Espanoler, has a tough time w/her).
Bikers think she’s great
She took NO CRAP from my drunken bio-family
Her Grandmother died in her arms when she was 14: she had already learned a lifetime of knowledge from her.
Come to think of it, she takes NO CRAP from anybody…except occasionally lil' ol’ me
She calls me FireFace.
She still loves my almost-waist-length mane
She used to play connect-the-dots with my freckles
She doesn’t mind that I have destroyed my wedding ring numerous times – more concerned with my fingers surviving
When her assistant was trapped under the front wheel of a Suburban, the crowd around was unable to get the truck off her. With my best Wolf growl I dove into the wheel well, grabbed the rim & suspension, & heaved the truck into the air. My dainty wife with a hearty “Oh, s**t!” grabbed the woman’s jeans & yanked. Her hands tore right thru the denim. She let out an equally hearty “Damn it!”, grabbed belt & bra, & whipped that looney out like she was on ball bearings! I set it down, she’s yelling for me to get out, I say it’s still in gear, & we’re on a hill: she leaps into the big truck & hits the emergency brake & slams it into park so that I can ease out. Didn’t even make me go to the hospital even tho my back was split open from right shoulder to left hip.
She loves to have supper ready when I get home, & to serve me at the table
When she hears the lids “set” on the canning jars she laughs with joy
She loves to garden with me
She pours my iced tea first, as do I hers
She loves fires in the fireplace in winter
She enjoys an occasional glass of wine, or a sip of my monthly beer; she mentions how proud she is that we can have booze in the house & not get drunk as my bio-family does.
She bakes wonderful breads & indulges my addiction to pie. MMMMmmm, pIIIIIeeee..
She asks me for menu ideas & then cooks what I want
She teaches stuff to our birds
She bought me an animated turtle that looks like Diana Ross – dances & sings “You Can’t Hurry Love!”
She oft compares me to her 1st husband, & tells me I win every time.
She thanks me that she can just be “her” around me – says she never had that before
She loves my hands
I realize she can still kick my butt
When I am in pain, she knows it
She gives me Reiki treatment while I sleep if she knows I am hurting
She lets me keep the bedroom cool & piles on her own blankets, so I can sleep better.
She orders her shrimp when she wants it, knowing I can’t stand the stuff – makes sure I get my oysters when I want.
She hates liver as much as I do
She’ll make me pierogies even though she doesn’t care for them
She tries really hard to recreate foods from my Hunky childhood even though my descriptions/recollections are pretty poor
She indulges my passion for deep frying turkeys, which she doesn’t like that much.
She likes my homemade soymilk ice cream experiments
She loves to hang out on the swing or one of our gliders with me
She loves our screened deck & is going to put up with the wheelchair ramp, even tho she’d rather step up on her own.
She puts up with me bringing her a wildflower, or a particularly cool leaf, or something unexpected from the woods or the garden.
She sees what I see in nature.
She once did a Reiki treatment on a lifeless hummingbird that our hunting mama cat dropped in her lap. After a while it fluttered its wings, lifted off, turned & chirped at her, & left. She still tears up about that one!
She did a Reiki treatment on a frozen stiff newborn kitten that my wacky cat birthed on January 31st. She had them on our concrete carport slab, & this one wedged itself in next to my chimney. My son extracted it & called for Mom. After a while it stirred, she kept it from Mama til it was squirming quite well, & it became the most active of the litter. We call her “Dead Cat”. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
She loves venison
She makes these hearty soup that are so thick I call them “Stewp”
She loves limburger & onion sammiches
She doesn’t mind when I eat my “stinky cheese” (Bleu or gorgonzola)
She called my stepdad “Pops”
Her hair just SHINES!
She once sat up all night sewing fake fur into my jacket & cap & pockets because I had to walk several miles to catch the bus for work.
There are innumerous more reasons why I love, cherish, & adore this wonderful woman, who is a true gift from the Creator. I pray to be able to extend this list for years to come.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
The Ol' Abbot's Bad Doggy Rodeo
Redneck neighbors have 2 very large dogs that are becoming aggressive. One is a chocolate lab, the other is yellow & looks like a lab/Great Dane mix. The brown one came onto our property once while back & I shooed him off. The yellow one has come over numerous times, & growls & snarls at me when I try to run him off before he hurts my cats/kittens.
Recently he was doing his macho bravado canine gig, so I drop down & give him my best alpha male wolf snarl. He yelps, jumps into the air, then clumsily skitters back to his own yard. He stops & turns, woofs: I growl, he tears off, taking up chocolate boy in tow as they bolt at full tilt past their humans' house.
Recently I heard him yelp - I bolted outside, he was in full retreat & my mama cat was strolling nonchalantly across the porch. Hmmm. Today my darlin' wife hears the same thing, opens the door & loses it. Out in the driveway is Big Yeller, howling for all he's worth as mama cat swings merrily on his side & he spins in crazy circles trying to dislodge this teeny tabby. Her tomcat tabby son is standing on Big Yeller's back, riding him like a mechanical bull. This goes on until he tires out & lies down. My cats climb down & saunter up the driveway. He jumps up & hauls for home. Yee-haaawww!
Funny today, but I worry about my wife being outside without me.I guess she'll be OK as long as little mama cat Jewel is on patrol. "Warning: this property guarded by nursing elderly attack kitty. "
Recently he was doing his macho bravado canine gig, so I drop down & give him my best alpha male wolf snarl. He yelps, jumps into the air, then clumsily skitters back to his own yard. He stops & turns, woofs: I growl, he tears off, taking up chocolate boy in tow as they bolt at full tilt past their humans' house.
Recently I heard him yelp - I bolted outside, he was in full retreat & my mama cat was strolling nonchalantly across the porch. Hmmm. Today my darlin' wife hears the same thing, opens the door & loses it. Out in the driveway is Big Yeller, howling for all he's worth as mama cat swings merrily on his side & he spins in crazy circles trying to dislodge this teeny tabby. Her tomcat tabby son is standing on Big Yeller's back, riding him like a mechanical bull. This goes on until he tires out & lies down. My cats climb down & saunter up the driveway. He jumps up & hauls for home. Yee-haaawww!
Funny today, but I worry about my wife being outside without me.I guess she'll be OK as long as little mama cat Jewel is on patrol. "Warning: this property guarded by nursing elderly attack kitty. "
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
2-rows, 3-rows, 4-rows, we got 'em!
It is always an exciting time when we craftaholics take the opportunity to add new styles to our repertoire. I have been doing 3-row chokers since the beginning, & added 2-row pieces a few months ago. I just added 4-row chokers & sold my 1st one as a custom order!
So cool to be able to build another person’s vision!
So cool to be able to build another person’s vision!
Also working on a Design-Your-Own Tribal Choker page on my website at www.WolfLodgeTX.com with a photo of the glass crow bead colors I usually have in stock. Need to add photos of the bone & horn hairpipe sizes & the options for golden deerskin or black leather, & bone vs. leather spacers. Whew!Wouldn’t it be neat to have a page that would let you play around with components & be able to see a virtual mockup of your finished design? Sort of like how many clothing catalog sites let you see an item in various colors: it can be done, but it’s out of my pricing budget for the foreseeable future.
Built another 4-row custom order in dark red last night, have 1 more to build in a nice aqua/teal color. Hopefully these will be satisfactory!
I found some really neat turquoise pendants about 1 ½” wide; one blue & one green, each with an interesting matrix. Have to find the exact combination of colors to show them off properly.
Still working on my 3rd dice tower with my 1st attempt at abalone inlay – a whole lot more work than I expected!
I have more designs in my brain bucket than I have time to fashion, as well as all those home projects: the brick walkways, brick pedestals for our wolf statues (1 of the 3 still awaits paint), rebuilding the porch for a wheelchair ramp, as well as adding a ramp & screen door to our little screened room. I already have all the brick (free!), and those piles of cedar lumber (free!), just have to haul sand & mortar & my butt out there to get to work (free!). Boy, do I need retirement or what?!?
My darlin’ wife is doing better, 6 weeks out from her concussion. She is up & around somewhat, & is doing the cooking again – woo-hoo! Our zoo is very happy to see her again.
Thank You, Father, for your blessings. May we ever prove worthy of them: amen!
Monday, September 10, 2007
The Process of Family - The Beginning
It may seem otherwise to those who are blessed enough to know all their relations – warts & all – but to me, family is an ever-changing, dynamic thing, more of a process than an entity. My perception of family is a lake into which souls flow, stay varying lengths of time, then flow out again. Some float atop the waves, riding the tempests & foundering in the calms, others dive deep, & most flow out the other end. Some evaporate, a few sink into the depths. And all the while, we are floating in others’ lakes, an unending overlapping sea of transitory human experience.
At the headwaters of my particular stream, (back home, we called ‘em “cricks”), I had 2 siblings, a Mother, an aunt, 2 Grandparents. & asst. drunks. I have searched for years to find my Father, & my 5-6 half-siblings, to no avail. As no trace of this purported parent has ever surfaced, and knowing that my Mum was definitely not a candidate for ’Immaculate Conception II, the Sequel’, I have to accept that I have been misled. Funny that, as Grandma was overly fond of reminding us that the
So, how do you build a family when the fish refuse to swim together? You try to become a transitional generation. My son knows the meaning of both love & affection. Other swimmers have joined our little armada, & are closer to us than are our bio-relatives. Here is another incarnation of the Process of Family. The woman I refer to as Mother I met just 10 yrs. ago. Her son – my twin-brother-of-a-different-mother swims deeper in my heart than my sibling bro. It turns out that this Familial Process is the goal, after all. Gather in friends, acquaintances, blood relatives if you must; swim together, & watch carefully for the sharks of dysfunction.
Friday, September 07, 2007
Up Against the Wall, RedHead Fathers!
Well, here we are - smack dab in the middle of September, facing the Gallows of October. As of that fateful month, our jobs require that we achieve 80% of our revenue goals or forfeit all commission pay for the month's labors. In my case that leaves me making less than $8/hour at the tenderly ripe age of 52 years. For 6 months prior to this Doomsday Sword of Damocles, we needed to achieve 60% or go without. My desk has been averaging right around 67%: this month a bit less, & every other desk in our group is doing the same percentage. Of course, some desk have much more revenue in their book of business (much of which used to be MY business) so 'tis not really apples vs. the oranges.
Tack onto this a catastrophic diminution of my driven attitude & my competitive spirit, & the outlook is bleaker than Starbucks' chances of opening a few stores in Darfur.
So what's an Ol' Abbot to do when he is graying without growing earnings? My eBay biz slowed to a crawl & actually shifted into reverse as my fees have outstripped my sales for months now. My sales at etsy.com have been better, but still too few to cover my associated fees. I have revised almost all my photos on etsy, as well as on WolfLodgeTX.com .I am looking into a couple other sites, yessy,com for art , cafepress.com for images on t-shirts, mugs etc., & Elance.com for writing. Now if only I can earn enough for the startup fees to get into them...
Meanwhile I have been busily constructing a dice tower for resale, a castle tower with all the rock work already carved. I carefully hollowed out a niche to inlay an abalone shell only to break the shell after an hour's work. I have another shell, but his particular one was beautiful beyond any I have ever seen. Gonna make lemonade with this lemon as I have wanted to experiment with carving abalone - now I have an excuse! I have several new designs fior these towers ingrained in my brainbucket - oh for time time time!
I have piles of old cedar planks which I have used to surface a 10x12 deck & make a tabletop. A few ideas about that stuff are percolating around also.
My beloved darlin' of 35 years has been having serious health issues. She has taken 3 falls in the past 2 months, the last one incurring a concussion & a particularly nasty head wound. As a polio & cancer survivor, she is adamant that there will be no doctors or EMTs involved. So I am her healer.
Thank the Creator for Reiki & prayer & His healing touch! She has been subjected to my cooking & shopping & laundry "skills" for weeks now. Being unable to travel, I know she is detesting her confinement to the bedroom, & is getting "itchy" these past several days. Perhaps this weekend she can come out to sit in the great room for a while so that our zoo can hang out with her.
Our son is having a tough time with his roomie being unable to work for a while, & then his pay was shorted over 60% this week. Our Blond Bombshell daughter is raising her 4 yr old grandson: now his bio-mother is threatening to take him away.
I am beginning to think we should all change our names to Job! Still, on we slog through the fog of uncertainty, bound by love & leaning upon all the shoulders we can, because we know that the Father's will shall be done, & His rewards are there, somewhere, somewhen...somehow.
Tack onto this a catastrophic diminution of my driven attitude & my competitive spirit, & the outlook is bleaker than Starbucks' chances of opening a few stores in Darfur.
So what's an Ol' Abbot to do when he is graying without growing earnings? My eBay biz slowed to a crawl & actually shifted into reverse as my fees have outstripped my sales for months now. My sales at etsy.com have been better, but still too few to cover my associated fees. I have revised almost all my photos on etsy, as well as on WolfLodgeTX.com .I am looking into a couple other sites, yessy,com for art , cafepress.com for images on t-shirts, mugs etc., & Elance.com for writing. Now if only I can earn enough for the startup fees to get into them...
Meanwhile I have been busily constructing a dice tower for resale, a castle tower with all the rock work already carved. I carefully hollowed out a niche to inlay an abalone shell only to break the shell after an hour's work. I have another shell, but his particular one was beautiful beyond any I have ever seen. Gonna make lemonade with this lemon as I have wanted to experiment with carving abalone - now I have an excuse! I have several new designs fior these towers ingrained in my brainbucket - oh for time time time!
I have piles of old cedar planks which I have used to surface a 10x12 deck & make a tabletop. A few ideas about that stuff are percolating around also.
My beloved darlin' of 35 years has been having serious health issues. She has taken 3 falls in the past 2 months, the last one incurring a concussion & a particularly nasty head wound. As a polio & cancer survivor, she is adamant that there will be no doctors or EMTs involved. So I am her healer.
Thank the Creator for Reiki & prayer & His healing touch! She has been subjected to my cooking & shopping & laundry "skills" for weeks now. Being unable to travel, I know she is detesting her confinement to the bedroom, & is getting "itchy" these past several days. Perhaps this weekend she can come out to sit in the great room for a while so that our zoo can hang out with her.
Our son is having a tough time with his roomie being unable to work for a while, & then his pay was shorted over 60% this week. Our Blond Bombshell daughter is raising her 4 yr old grandson: now his bio-mother is threatening to take him away.
I am beginning to think we should all change our names to Job! Still, on we slog through the fog of uncertainty, bound by love & leaning upon all the shoulders we can, because we know that the Father's will shall be done, & His rewards are there, somewhere, somewhen...somehow.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Etsy.com - A Fees-Lite Family of Creative Folks
In my continuing efforts to escape the ravages of Cubicleism, I turned to my innate creativuty to magically create additional income while enjoying an artistic outlet. First, I naturally turned to eBay, where I still (barely) maintain a shop as Wolf Lodge Enterprises. Holy FeeCharger, BatGuy! As sales slowed to a, well, STOP, I find myself covering monthly charges out of pocket.
Last Fall I discovered http://www.etsy.com/, which provides an exquisitely affordable marketplace for handmade items only. With an ever-growing assortment of crafts & arts of varying styles & values, it quickly becomes addictive. You have GOT to check out the Time Machine!!!
My shop is at http://www.wolflodge.etsy.com/, where I offer Native American chokers built by my Ojibwe daughter-in-law as well as my own Tribal versions of hatbands, chokers, armbands, & boot chokers. A few of my oil paintings live there to color up the place.
The real value of Etsy is in the community of sellers who offer up their remarkable wares & a never-ending stream of information, guidancce, & assistance thru the Forums & Chat Rooms. For example, I read thru a 34-page (& counting) thread on identification of gemstones, manmade & natural. Information overload? You bet! And worth every word.
Some of my favorite Etsy sellers are linked at right. I admire their fresh, funny, & often irreverent views on the world as expressed thru their art. I can only hope that my art will move someone as well.
I also created my own website at http://www.wolflodgetx.com/ which is a work in progress as I learn & grow. My partner is my Beloved wife of 35 years, who shares with me a passion for Native American art & life, so our powwow visits are chronicled there as well. Please check out my favorite Etsyans, & let the cool waters of creativity buoy you up, & raise your spirits, bringing you closer to The Creator. (And while you're up there, could you put in a good word for the Ol' Wolf?)
Last Fall I discovered http://www.etsy.com/, which provides an exquisitely affordable marketplace for handmade items only. With an ever-growing assortment of crafts & arts of varying styles & values, it quickly becomes addictive. You have GOT to check out the Time Machine!!!
My shop is at http://www.wolflodge.etsy.com/, where I offer Native American chokers built by my Ojibwe daughter-in-law as well as my own Tribal versions of hatbands, chokers, armbands, & boot chokers. A few of my oil paintings live there to color up the place.
The real value of Etsy is in the community of sellers who offer up their remarkable wares & a never-ending stream of information, guidancce, & assistance thru the Forums & Chat Rooms. For example, I read thru a 34-page (& counting) thread on identification of gemstones, manmade & natural. Information overload? You bet! And worth every word.
Some of my favorite Etsy sellers are linked at right. I admire their fresh, funny, & often irreverent views on the world as expressed thru their art. I can only hope that my art will move someone as well.
I also created my own website at http://www.wolflodgetx.com/ which is a work in progress as I learn & grow. My partner is my Beloved wife of 35 years, who shares with me a passion for Native American art & life, so our powwow visits are chronicled there as well. Please check out my favorite Etsyans, & let the cool waters of creativity buoy you up, & raise your spirits, bringing you closer to The Creator. (And while you're up there, could you put in a good word for the Ol' Wolf?)
One Year, One Tear
One year has gone since Wes, my beloved Brother of a Different Mother, passed home. It is terribly difficult to grab on to the fact that I have not hugged him in that long. He wanders around my heart & through my thoughts every single day, as if I just got back from hanging out with him in East Texas, digging up mischief & causing those Exasperated Eye Rolls we both loved. I can still hear his voice & see his face clearly. I thank God that he gave him to us to love, and that He ended his suffering.
We lost a treasured friend last November. Nick was the first person to accept us & befriend me when we moved here 20 years ago. He remained a tried & true friend to all my family until we lost touch with him a couple of years ago. Whenever we speak of Nick, it is with deep love, respect, & admiration at the kind of man whe was. He touched many people over the years, & even his few detractors had to admit he was one heck of a man. I had seen him in the depths of sorrow at the loss of his mother, joyfully doing his best James Brown shuffle, touching my wife's shoulder with the greatest of loving touches, & standing tall in a courtroom after being insulted by a shoplifter who did not know his character.
It is startling to realize the impact cancer has had on my life. These are the loved ones it has taken from me:
Sandra Hashim (bio-sister)
Wes Willis
Nick McDonald
Nick Flanjack (Cousin)
John Hritz (Stepfather)
I am sure that I missed some, & that the list will grow. My belove wife has survived it twice. My cubicle neighbor is a survivor as well. My son was horrendously misdiagnosed with leukemia as a small child. Cancer: it's like an evil mist that swirls around our lives. We cannot help but breathe in its' vapors: we can only pray that we breathe them out as well.
We lost a treasured friend last November. Nick was the first person to accept us & befriend me when we moved here 20 years ago. He remained a tried & true friend to all my family until we lost touch with him a couple of years ago. Whenever we speak of Nick, it is with deep love, respect, & admiration at the kind of man whe was. He touched many people over the years, & even his few detractors had to admit he was one heck of a man. I had seen him in the depths of sorrow at the loss of his mother, joyfully doing his best James Brown shuffle, touching my wife's shoulder with the greatest of loving touches, & standing tall in a courtroom after being insulted by a shoplifter who did not know his character.
It is startling to realize the impact cancer has had on my life. These are the loved ones it has taken from me:
Sandra Hashim (bio-sister)
Wes Willis
Nick McDonald
Nick Flanjack (Cousin)
John Hritz (Stepfather)
I am sure that I missed some, & that the list will grow. My belove wife has survived it twice. My cubicle neighbor is a survivor as well. My son was horrendously misdiagnosed with leukemia as a small child. Cancer: it's like an evil mist that swirls around our lives. We cannot help but breathe in its' vapors: we can only pray that we breathe them out as well.
Life Times at Best Buy
ROWE vs. Wade: as in wading thru life slogging thru the mire of a dead end career, thigh deep in dissatisfaction, depression, & dissillusionment. Every day to the pointless solitude of my corporate gray cube I go, hoping against hope to find another source of free Sudoku & crosswords to pass the time til the tide of commuting laps against the clock.
Tides & times have passed me by - I can dream only of that elusive & ephemeral dream job that would let me live my life in peace, close to my beloved wife of 30+ years, & oceans away from the increasingly deadly hour-plus commute of doom & the riptides of drowning opportunities.
Enter the tsunami of the ROWE program at Best Buy. The acronym stands for "Results Only Work Environment. This revolutionary outlook on the work-life balance (it is to laugh!) eliminates scheduled hours, cubicles, mandatory meetings, & face time. Employees can work from home, the park, the beach, or in some cases, a deer blind, as long as their work is done & their productivity is high. Gone are the long commutes, gone are the decisions between work & familial responsibilities & time conflicts. In the case of Best Buy, productivity is up, as is job satisfaction.
I have often opined to my bosses that I am a prime candidate for telecommuting. However, my job is such that I cannot currently perform it remotely. Or can I? ROWE makes all things possible. Quite frankly, I have an increasingly difficult time leaving my darling wife each day. I am not a lazy person, I like to work hard, but I cannot shake the feeling that I am missing the biggest part of life by repeating my death drive every Monday thru Friday.
I know that my lack of higher education is coming back to haunt me, like a ghostly pirate stalking the holds of my career caravel. I hear his chains rattle, his cutlass straining to lift itself from its' scabbard of restraint. Unless there is a sea change, it's Davy Jones' locker for my working career. Pink slip at morning, sailor take warning. Oh, to ROWE, ROWE. ROWE my boat to Minnesota...
Tides & times have passed me by - I can dream only of that elusive & ephemeral dream job that would let me live my life in peace, close to my beloved wife of 30+ years, & oceans away from the increasingly deadly hour-plus commute of doom & the riptides of drowning opportunities.
Enter the tsunami of the ROWE program at Best Buy. The acronym stands for "Results Only Work Environment. This revolutionary outlook on the work-life balance (it is to laugh!) eliminates scheduled hours, cubicles, mandatory meetings, & face time. Employees can work from home, the park, the beach, or in some cases, a deer blind, as long as their work is done & their productivity is high. Gone are the long commutes, gone are the decisions between work & familial responsibilities & time conflicts. In the case of Best Buy, productivity is up, as is job satisfaction.
I have often opined to my bosses that I am a prime candidate for telecommuting. However, my job is such that I cannot currently perform it remotely. Or can I? ROWE makes all things possible. Quite frankly, I have an increasingly difficult time leaving my darling wife each day. I am not a lazy person, I like to work hard, but I cannot shake the feeling that I am missing the biggest part of life by repeating my death drive every Monday thru Friday.
I know that my lack of higher education is coming back to haunt me, like a ghostly pirate stalking the holds of my career caravel. I hear his chains rattle, his cutlass straining to lift itself from its' scabbard of restraint. Unless there is a sea change, it's Davy Jones' locker for my working career. Pink slip at morning, sailor take warning. Oh, to ROWE, ROWE. ROWE my boat to Minnesota...
Thursday, June 14, 2007
One More Earthtrip Around the Sun
The Big Blue Marble has spun completely thru its' orbit since I started this new work assignment last March. Just had my annual review ( only 2 weeks late this year - woo-hoo!!) & it was relatively painless compared to the chew-him-up & hit-the-spitoon session I had last year. My new boss is very kind to me & does a bang-up job despite it being her first command.
She was bothered by my inherent lack of positive outlook regarding my future. To sum it all up, my long term (10 years) goal is basically "Cremated & Forgotten". Don't get me wrong, I know I have family that will miss me: however the workplace will not. So what? Who cares if I'm "Tits-Up" instead of "Guns Up!?
My previous boss in this job was catastrophically inept. Shortly after I moved over by the windows here our product underwent a major header-to-footer remodel. Some of the changes were great - most were so badly mishandled that my Director plans to use the whole debacle as a case study on how NOT to go to market, when he retires soon to teach at the University level.
Within a few months of my move, all my major accounts were stripped away & given to co-workers who were already overloaded with business. Now a year later I still have not been told the real reason why, so I must conclude that it was performance-based. Despite winning a sales award my first month in position, I must characterize the last 14 months as a failure which I have been unable to overcome. I have faced great adversity in the workplace over the years & traditionally clawed my way back to the top. Not this time - my clawing days are over.
For several years I have tried my best to transition out of Sales, to no avail. Amazing what few opportunities there are for 50+'ers with no skills! That loud Baby BOOM was me hitting the bottom sans bounce! So, here I sit. Now we have a new compensation plan which is tied solely to percentage of goal attainment. Payout is zero unless you achieve 60% of goal: in October, that increases to 80%. Like I needed more stress, right?
MSN had a recent article relating to the decrease in life expectancy caused by chronic stress. Put 2 & 2 together, you get Bye-Bye!! So, I will spend the time I have trying to make my Beloved Darlin' of 35 years as happy as I can. A legacy would be too much to ask...
She was bothered by my inherent lack of positive outlook regarding my future. To sum it all up, my long term (10 years) goal is basically "Cremated & Forgotten". Don't get me wrong, I know I have family that will miss me: however the workplace will not. So what? Who cares if I'm "Tits-Up" instead of "Guns Up!?
My previous boss in this job was catastrophically inept. Shortly after I moved over by the windows here our product underwent a major header-to-footer remodel. Some of the changes were great - most were so badly mishandled that my Director plans to use the whole debacle as a case study on how NOT to go to market, when he retires soon to teach at the University level.
Within a few months of my move, all my major accounts were stripped away & given to co-workers who were already overloaded with business. Now a year later I still have not been told the real reason why, so I must conclude that it was performance-based. Despite winning a sales award my first month in position, I must characterize the last 14 months as a failure which I have been unable to overcome. I have faced great adversity in the workplace over the years & traditionally clawed my way back to the top. Not this time - my clawing days are over.
For several years I have tried my best to transition out of Sales, to no avail. Amazing what few opportunities there are for 50+'ers with no skills! That loud Baby BOOM was me hitting the bottom sans bounce! So, here I sit. Now we have a new compensation plan which is tied solely to percentage of goal attainment. Payout is zero unless you achieve 60% of goal: in October, that increases to 80%. Like I needed more stress, right?
MSN had a recent article relating to the decrease in life expectancy caused by chronic stress. Put 2 & 2 together, you get Bye-Bye!! So, I will spend the time I have trying to make my Beloved Darlin' of 35 years as happy as I can. A legacy would be too much to ask...
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