Christmas and the closing of another year...

Christmas has come and gone this year... Presents were handed out and a huge mess was made. The kids seemed pleased with their gifts and spirits were high. The food was plentiful and typical of southern homes... only extremely healthy dishes were served... and certainly eaten in moderate portions. We sat around tables and solved all the worlds more pressing issues and enjoyed each others company.

This was the second year without my dad, and his presence was certainly missed. I never even thought to watch the movie 'A Christmas Story' at all. Dad loved that movie and would fit flawlessly into the Darren McGavin roll of the father. My brother Michael transferred a few home movies over to dvd and we watched them before we ate. The sights and sounds of those that are no longer with us were difficult to experience at times, but seemed to bring a smile to everyone in the room.

My nephew Danny delivered the prayer before the meal and he, like each of us, was tearful when it came time to acknowledge the spiritual nature of the day and the need for family to be together. As he spoke his words my thoughts traveled back to past holidays. The sight of my grandparents, the heat of their small home filled with far too many people, the laughter of the children, the calls of "Close the door!" as we ran outside to throw firecrackers at each other. The simple cacophony of those moments filled with an amazing love... The memories flowed as freely as the emotion... Oddly, the one moment from the dvd that caused me to turn my back to the screen and walk away to get a drink, while masking the tears, wasn't the sight of so many people that are no longer with us, but the image of my aunt Reba's blue slaw bowl sitting on my grandparents table. Every holiday - Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Fourth of July... that blue bowl was on that table... filled with the best slaw you could imagine. I wish I knew where it is...

The faces of all the people on the dvd we had watched floated before me as I sat and stared at the fire in the open wood heater... Ghosts of Christmas past indeed... They do have the ability to create a longing in ones soul....

This upcoming week brings the end of another year. I have been reading "year end" reviews of major new stories from several outlets, pop culture we all are familiar with. Being that I have pretty much ignored politics as of late and most everyone in the entertainment industry has died this past year, I have chosen not to go over the previous twelve months....

I just hope that 2010 is a better year for everyone. The simple truth of the matter is that it can be... all we each have to do is simply decide that it will be and act on that thought. The lesson of Fezziwig, taught to Ebenezer by the ghost of Christmas past, would serve each of us well. Ill will has no place in the human heart and I believe its time that we acknowledged that fact.

Oh Lord...

Thanks to wendy for this lovely Christmas cheer...

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Carving Out a Holiday Season

This year the lead up to Christmas has been a busy one indeed. Various orders have been filled and several more are sitting in different stages of completion. All in all they are getting done and await pick up or delivery.

The machinations of poplar, cedar, and oak have taken a back seat at times when other things have popped up to stand in front me, banging a drum to get my attention. Some are enjoyable, some are pain in the ass.. but.. such is life. I have always been a fan of The Nutcracker and was shuffled off in that direction this evening by Hugh Bigney's performance as Drosselmeier, click the link for the full movie, its my favorite version. The opening scene encompasses the mindset that people who create things this time of year for peoples gifts find themselves in. Late into the night, completely engrossed in what you are doing, mind going light speed, several steps ahead of where you actually are. You find the sounds of your home, the tools, the radio and television all give way to and are drowned out by the running soundtrack in your mind. At times this soundtrack is your own voice and at others in consists of nothing more than music. The magic that surrounds you and grows from your soul in knowing that you are creating a three dimensional work that could be held by the people that are receiving it for longer than you will be around is quite an overwhelming thought. It's the magic that keeps you going when the hands of exhaustion are pulling you down into the abyss of sleep and loss of time becomes your greatest fear.


I decided early on that this year I would limit my "seasonally themed" work to nothing more than Santa ornaments. I initially wanted to limit the number of special orders as well, but when people call... you make what they want to the best of your abilities. The things you desire to make take a back seat and customer orders move to the front of the line.

When I got the order for the palm tree walking stick I found Jimmy Buffet running through my mind singing One Particular Harbor over and over as the knife sang through the hardened cedar (and a few fingers).

The poplar stick has the submarine warfare division emblem on it and took me through several hours of having various world war two novels and movies rambling around in my head as I carved. Alvin York never served on a sub.. but I constantly quoted the movie as I worked... "Come on Alvin.. Take a look at there big old woman..." was a scene that kept running through my head...

The wands I have made over the past few days and this one I just started have created visions running the course from The Lord of The Rings as Gandalf fought the Balrog to the final fight scene from Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix when Dumbledore takes on Voldemorte. Yes I know.. Gandalf didn't use a wand...

I am currently working on two swords that will be given away on Christmas day, pictured here at the beginning of the process.. When work is underway on weapons.. well.. there is no limit to the madness that runs around in your mind.. Scenes from various books, movies, songs, and visions from childhood all find their way into my mind.

With all the work piling up demanding untold hours I haven't really been able to find time to get the things that need to be done accomplished.. I still have to shop, get the car serviced, see to this and that, etc. etc... we all know how this is. Then you add the extra flavor of missing those that have gone on, particularly my dad. This was his favorite time of the year and again, as last year, we honored his request and thought of him as we turned on the Christmas tree lights, giving him a moment of silence and thought as the little tree we have blazed to life. Julie and I both smiled and laughed as James just kept piling the ornaments onto the tree well after we told him it had enough.. He is truly my fathers grandson and loves Christmas. I have a feeling he shall inherit my dads ability to make his home look like big lots during the holiday season.. He didn't care how old, big, broken or how many missing pieces there were with anything.. if it was in the box, it got put on the tree... Even all the Harry Potter figures are holding places of honor around the base of the tree, with about every stuffed animal he has ever owned.. He did all this with the same "shit eating" grin my dad always wore when he decorated for Christmas.. so even though we said to him, "That's enough stuff James.." over and over we simply let him go on with his work.. it was almost like being able to see my dad as a kid and it filled me with a warmth not felt in quite a while.

I'm looking forward to a late night shopping trip this week being capped off with a visit to Fuzziwigs to get everyone large amounts of chocolate to stuff stockings, and to having this wood carving soundtrack replaced with some Christmas specials and laughter from siblings and my kids (if I don't kill them first.. either group)... But then I know the wood carving will call me again later and I shall find my mind filled with sights and sounds of things I have seen and experienced as the power of creation makes me grin...

Strange days indeed...

Yesterday was surreal for me on many levels. We had a sale on the court square in Newnan to do, so the car was packed the evening before and work went on well into the night to finish a few last minute pieces. I got to bed around two thirty that morning. When we awoke it was to cold temperatures and rather blustery winds, with promises of rain mixed with snow flurries. Both of the kids were sick this past week so we told them that they were to stay at home for this one, and judging by their reactions I can safely say that they agreed to the decision with no argument.

We left the house at the ungodly early appointed hour and shivered through the set up on the square. The largest problem we faced was the cold, followed closely by the wind. There were just a few people walking around looking at the works of the local artists.. Most sane people were at home in bed. We had many cups of coffee and hot chocolate throughout the morning, but they simply couldn't combat the cold and wind. We finally gave up and packed everything back in the car early and went over to the other side of the square for lunch.

As usual, the high points of the day were seeing and speaking with friends who stopped by. Eddy Smalley stopped by and purchased the wizard's staff that I completed back in July, it was a correct fit for him. It was good to catch up with and see him, it's been too long. Eddy is a great photographer, and did this shot of the staff later in the day. I'm hoping to do some work with him in getting some good shots of my carvings...

Internationally renown author John Pender made the long trek down to Newnan for the event. He and his wife spent some time on the square and went to lunch with us at the Redneck Gourmet. John now has his book, Seven Days of Terror, for sale at Scott's Bookstore on the square. Its a great read, I highly recommend it. I have been reading his blog for a long while now and it was fun to finally meet him in person. My brother was on hand to wow the crowds with his musical prowess, yet it was just "too damn cold" to get the guitar out... Yet he did enjoy his huge ass hot dog at lunch....

Once lunch was over we bid farewell to John and Denise, again thanks for coming down guys, and headed out to a local Kroger to take care of our final piece of business for the day. Rob Cole, and Jennifer Jones were getting married and asked me to have the honor of conducting the wedding ceremony for them. There was no way I could turn this down as I have known Rob for my entire life and count him as one of my dearest friends... They first met in person at Kroger and deemed it appropriate that they should therefore get married in the parking lot...

This is the second marriage for each of them and for this go around they wanted to take everything in stride and have fun with it all.. Can't say that I blame them. The wedding ceremony was followed by a tour of the store for the taking of the official wedding pictures... People certainly look at you with varied expressions when you are taking pictures in a grocery store.. but we all had a good time. One of the bag boys had been watching as they were married and couldn't believe that they actually did it there... he was so impressed by the audacity of the whole situation that he had to have his picture taken with them... Everyone seemed to get a big kick out of it and the staff at the store were all friendly and helpful...

Good luck to Rob & Jennifer on their journey through life. Make it count guys, and never ever stop smiling.. Life is too short for bullshit, have fun and enjoy it...

On the way home to unload the car I was lost in thought of what the day had put on my schedule. Where else can you say that you worked a local artist sale, ate lunch with a famous author, and performed a wedding ceremony for a couple in a Kroger parking lot.... How in the world did all this happen....