Happy Mother’s Day!
Hello to all the wonderful mothers out there and have a happy mother’s day!!
Being a mother is truly sacred and I sincerely honor all the mothers in the world, I know it has been truly a life of love for me.
Read more at: my grandmother.
Inspiration Thursday: Hard Headed Women, My Grandmother
I just got finished reading the book, “Half Broke Horses” by Jeanette Wells, and I will have to say, it sure reminded me of my grandmother. Jeannette Wells’ new novel is a “true life fiction”, as Ms. Wells puts it. It is a story of her grandmother and her life growing up in the range of Arizona. To us comfortable 21st century women, she led an extremely difficult, foreign life. But to hear her story told in her voice, yes, it was a hardship to grow in the rugged land of Arizona in the early 20th century, but it was also very fulfilling. She was quite a formidable character who took no nonsense and tried to live life to the fullest.
Reading this book, reminded me of my grandmother, Mary Martinson. At least from what little I remember of her, I was 10 when she died, 2 years older than Ms. Wells was when her grandmother passed. But there were stories, and yes, my grandmother was a hard headed woman who took no nonsense and tried to live life to the fullest.
My grandmother before she was married
She was born September 16, 1877 in Minnesota and her family moved to North Dakota when she was young. I heard stories that she told of blinding snowstorms, so blinding that they had to put up rope from the barn to the house before the snow came so they could find their way back to the house after milking the cows. When Mary was 12, they moved back to Minnesota. Being captured by the local American Indian tribes was a real treat, so my great grandfather put Mary in charge of sitting in front of the covered wagon with him with his rifle so she could be on the look out. 12 years old, can you imagine? Her parents were recent immigrants from Norway, what they must have thought of the vast dangerous land of the US. She ended up marrying and living with her husband on a farm in Frontenac, Minnesota. Rough times were ahead for this couple, living through the depression on land that was barely able to grow crops of any kind. But I never remember her complaining, she held her head high, made all her family’s clothes, large meals everyday for the farm crew with homemade bread, pies, preserves, had time to crochet entire tablecloths, and raised 4 sons.
These type of women had it rough, enjoyed few material things, but had an appreciation of the land, family, and whatever was given to them that I can only strive for.
Read more at Violin
Read more about my book recommendations at my new page Treasures
One of a Kind Joyeful Finds Friday, Rock Around the Clock
Still Rockin' Round the Clock
Take a look and listen at Bill Haley\'s Original Comets
“One-two-three o’clock, four o’clock ROCK… ”
Nearly everyone alive knows the opening line to Rock Around the Clock, a tune so popular that not only was it the first Rock ‘n’ Roll song to hit the top of the charts, and the first ever to be used as a movie soundtrack (1955’s Blackboard Jungle with Glenn Ford and a young Sidney Poitier), but to this very day the Guinness Book of World Records lists it as the biggest-selling single by any group in history – 80 million copies by some estimates!
And yet amazingly little is known about Bill Haley & His Comets, the indisputable “First Band of Rock ‘n’ Roll” whose sensational hit paved the way for Elvis, the Beatles, and everyone and everything that came after. Really now, what do you know about Bill Haley & His Comets? (Chances are you may not even know that they came from – that’s right – Chester, Pennsylvania!)
That is all about to change.
Enter Marshall Lytle. His name may not sound familiar to you, but you know him very well. That catchy “clickity-clack” rhythm you hear all through Rock Around The Clock? That’s Marshall Lytle. Only he is not playing the drums – he is slapping a bass. Lytle was the original bass player for Bill Haley & His Comets, and the instrument he used on that recording now hangs proudly in Orlando Florida’s Hard Rock Café. But as for Lytle himself, the clock is still rockin’ after more than 50 fun-filled years and, it seems, the party is just getting started.
The happy-go-lucky Lytle, now in his mid-seventies, still performs year-round with other famous old-time rockers before enthusiastic packed houses on both sides of the Atlantic. No doubt all of them have had their adventures, but at the very moment Rock ‘n’ Roll was born it was Lytle who was present in the delivery room. There is a fascinating story to be told here, and – more than anyone else alive today – Lytle is just the man to tell it. Lytle’s new memoir Still Rockin’ Around the Clock is a rare first-hand, behind-the-scenes account of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s earliest days, coupled with sometimes-amusing, sometimes-heartbreaking, but always loving recollections of Lytle’s own life in and out of music through the years.
“Still Rockin’ Around the Clock” is available through Amazon.com.
Read more Joyeful Find Friday
Inspiration Thursday: Rose Naftulin
Watercolor by Rose
Lat week I spoke about being inspired by my sister Dee. She is family, in my soul and is inspiring in all aspects of my life.
Rose Naftulin, she was my mentor, my true inspiration in painting. I met Rose through my friend and former teacher, Bill Scott. Bill knew my love of color, spontaneity, and impressionism and he knew how I painted. I attended one of his shows and Rose was there. He told me he had a friend he wanted me to meet. Rose and I bonded immediately. It didn’t matter that there was a large age difference, we understood each other through art.
Landscape oil by Rose
I was painting on a farm in Bucks County at the time and invited her to come and paint with me. She painted such exuberant, luscious landscapes, it was an honor to paint with her.
Rose had such joy and warmth about her. She invited me into her home and we had many social occasions together. Rose loved my work and made me feel like I could accomplish anything in painting.
Irish landscape by Rose
I, of course, admired her so and tried to emulate her. She gave me the ultimate compliment by asking me to pose for her. She painted an oil of me reading. What an experience to see her in the process of working.
watercolor by Rose
Everyone who knew Rose misses her so, but fortunately, we have her art.
Read more at Inspiration Thursday, My sister Dee
Inspiration Thursday: My sister Dee
I am starting a new column on my blog this week named Inspiration Thursday. Every Thursday I will be writing about someone or something that inspires me in my art.
To start off this Thursday in a meaningful way, I want to dedicate this column to my sister, Dee. She was my inspiration to be myself and create since I was a little girl.
Dee before she was married
I was 6 years old when my sister was married. Right from the start she always included me in her life. I was part of her little family. She soon had a son and I learned how to take care of a baby at ripe early age of 7!!
Myself and my nephew!!
Dee always had a zest for life. She felt it was a priority to make her family feel comfy and all snuggly inside!! One way she did that was to make hand made items for her family, from hand knitted sweaters to homemade jelly donuts (where the jelly was made from fruit from her garden!) to fondue by the fire with homemade bread. I grew up learning at her knee that making it yourself made the tastiest meals, the best sweaters, the most abundant gardens…..because she did it with love.
Me & Dee
I carried this message with me all my life as I saw her 3 boys grow up adoring her and having such fond memories of the things she created.
Dee also infused in me the notion that I can learn how to do anything just if i put my mind to it. For example, she taught me to knit when I was 8. Soon, in about a year, she had me doing complex cable stitches, knitting with more than 1 color and so on. The amazing thing was that only years later did I realize how difficult these techniques were, and most knitters didn’t tackle them until they were experienced knitters.
I learned from her that life is beautiful and people deserve respect from children on up. I can make anything I want, I just have to learn how. And it will turn out beautifully because I did it with love.
watercolor portrait of my granddaughter
Miss you my dear sister, Dee: 1939 – 1998.
Read more about joyefulart at tulips
Got to thinking about my pets
I am not sure why, but I have been thinking today about missing my pets. I mean, I got on this roll of thoughts in oh such a strange way, but, hey, I am always thinking of this, which will bring me to that, which will bring me to the price of peanuts, you get the idea.
We have had a string of family birthdays this Sunday and Monday, and I love birthdays. I think it is your special day when it is your birthday and you should be king or queen of that day. But, I am getting off the point, my pets. During our several family meals, the subject came up about killer whales, then animals, then pets.And then I started to remember fondly my cat, Oscar and my dog from childhood, Pepsi, isn’t that such a cool name?
Anyway, Oscar, now that was a cool cat.
Lazy day
About 10 years ago we found this starving, skinny kitten in our backyard that someone must have left and run. We fed him, then, of course, he became part of our family. Oscar was such a lovable cat, he would roam the neighborhood making friends with all those who would pet him. He was mellow, spending much of his day purring, but watch out if you were a baby mole, then he became a ruthless killer. He rarely complained and would love to go outside and explore. When ready to come into the house, he would sit patiently by our back door, sometimes falling asleep while he waited for someone to notice him.
Dreaming of Oscar
Oscar passed away 2 years ago from a systemic infection he got from a bite from another animal. He was sweet and affectionate to the end, even still purring when we petted him to comfort him.
Dog in Snow
Pets really work their way into your life and become part of the family. I love this and hate it because you get so attached, then they pass on and we miss them. I can’t even begin to tell the stories about my dog, Pepsi, that will have to wait for another day.
Read on about this and that at musings
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