CHRISTMAS 2013

 

 

 Learning to Play the Ipu on Christmas Day 

with Margaret and Tom 

 

Each Christmas, Tom makes Margaret

a special ornament.

In honor of their appreciation and fondness

for the Hawaiian staple poi,

Tom created a miniature

kalo plant

from wire, foam, raffia grass and a bead.

 

 

Me and My Buddy Tom

and his Taro Root Ornament

It is so pretty...and it would make a great cat toy! 

JUNIOR

 

 

 

TWO PROJECTS

                 

CEDAR AND STEEL TABLE

 DAN AND HIS CEDAR TABLE TOP
Wanting to give his wife a special anniversary gift, Dan asked Tom to build a steel support for the beautiful piece of clear, old growth, salvaged cedar which Dad purchased from a logger on the coast. The cedar had been under water for many years and was beautifully preserved.

OIL-FINISHED CEDAR TOP 

 SEDUM AUTUMN JOY IN OUR FALL GARDENS

  

 

STEEL POST SUPPORT COVER

for ANNALI'S PORCH 

Our friend Annali commissioned Tom to design and build

a steel post support cover to replace the wooden cover

which contracted in our hot eastern Oregon summers

and then expanded in our cold Oregon winters

 resulting in cracks which allowed moisture

to creep into the support.

 

POST AND SUPPORT WITHOUT A COVER

The previous wooden cover was removed and

the tar paper covering was reinforced.

PRIMED STEEL POST COVER

Tom created the post cover
with sheet metal and angle bar.

Eight separate sections were welded together
to form two pieces which overlap
 to prevent moisture from
entering the post and its support.

 

TOM AND THE POST SUPPORT COVER

IN PLACE

He was very pleased with the perfect fit.

 

FUTURE SITE FOR WOODEN CAP

Tom pointing out where the post support wooden cap top will eventually be placed.

The primed steel cover will soon be painted to compliment the house. 

 

 

IGUANA

Annali's mother Earlene is very fond of iguanas.

Created a few years ago for Earlene by Tom, this 6-foot

long steel fellow guards her house.

 

PLAYING WITH MY HOLIDAY RIBBON

JUNIOR

THANKSGIVING 2013

Gratitude refers to feeling thankfulness and appreciation for people, places and events.

An attitude of gratitude can change your life.

As Willie Nelson once said, "When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around."

 

Research has shown that people who wrote down 5 things for which they were grateful during the week for a period of 10 weeks were 25% happier than persons who didn't do this small task. 

These people were also more optimistic about the future, felt better

about their lives and exercised more.

 

I don't know if there are any studies about grateful kitties but

I know that I am very thankful for many things:

 

-For finding my way to my home on Mosier Creek when I was lonely and only 6 months old 

-For the warm woodstove and my favorite box and my blanket on the old rocking chair

-For all of the beautiful Hawaiian slack key guitar and ukulele music that plays all day long for me

-For Tom's warm arm around me each morning

and
 

 -For tasty kitty food, fresh water in my dish every day...
and occasional treats

 

 

HAPPY THANKGIVING!

 

Mahalo, 

JUNIOR

Kawika Kahiapo

 

 

 

This past Friday evening,
Tom and Margaret were honored to have

Kawika Kahiapo

perform in our garden.
 

I laid under the deck while he
sang beautiful Hawiian songs
as well as a wide variety of contempoary music
by mainland artists in the slack key style.
Kawika's sweet wife Laurie performed two lovely hulas
including a hula to one of Margaret's favorite songs
 'O 'Oe 'Io.

 

 

 

Tom and Margaret love ki ho 'alu (slack key guitar).
It was so wonderful to hear Kawika sing and play.
Neighbors and friends who had not previously heard this 

style of Hawaiian music were overwhelmed

by the beautiful melodies and gentle rhythms
 of the island music.

 

Kawika grew up in the small town of Kane'ohe on the windward side of O'ahu.

He and his wife Laurie and 3 of their 5 children now live in Waimanalo.

 

In 2007, Kawika was honored as the

2007 Na Hoku Hanohano Slack Key Artist of the Year.

 

 www.kawikakahiapo.net

 

Tom and Margaret extend a warm
Mahalo Nui
to
Kawika and Laurie
as well as to

 Linda and Greg
who arranged for Kawika's performance

while he and his family were visiting Oregon.
We look forward to seeing Kawika and his family
again next year!

 

Tom, Kawika, Margaret and Linda

Linda and Greg gifted custom hoodies to
Kawika and his family.
It was a little chilly here Friday night so those sweatshirts came in handy.
The design, created by Tom, is the Columbia Gorge Ukulele Players' logo.
The logo features Columbia River salmon as well as
the well known Native American petroglyph
Tsagaglalal ('She Who Watches').
This beautiful petroglyph lies near Horsethief Lake
along the Columbia River in Washington.

Jeremiah, Linda, Laurie, Greg, Tom, Kawika and Alana
 

Next year I promise not to race through the gardens
after a bat and bring it into the house.

I only meant it to be my gift to Tom and Margaret

for hosting this kind man who sang the beautiful music.

Fortunately, the unharmed bat flew out the opened door.

  

 

 

Aloha, 

JUNIOR 

 

 

 



Sanoe's Trellis and Gate

It is springtime in the Gorge!

The  leaves of the white scrub oak trees

 are not yet unfolding 

but blue lupine and balsam root,

native wildflowers in the Columbia River Gorge, 

are blooming all over the hillsides.

 

Tom has been busy working on several projects including

a new garden trellis and gate for friends up the valley. 

Linda has met with Tom on several occasions

to discuss the details of the design as well as

to select the colors for the fused glass on top of the trellis.

Local Gorge artist Linda Steider will create

custom glass pieces for the frames Tom will be building.
 

Old Wooden Gate and Trellis

 

Linda and Tom Measuring the Old Wooden Gate
 

Once the design was completed,

Tom purchased his steel and remesh and started to

build and weld the gates and trellis.
 

Finished Gates of Steel Square Bar and Re-Mesh

 

Friends and fellow welders,

Jeremy and Bert from

Schlosser's Machine Works in Hood River,

were asked to help install the structure.

 

Discussing the project with Jeremy and Bert

 

 

Leveling and Welding
 

Tom Checking Details

 

Once the gate and trellis were in place,

Linda and Tom discussed the final details

for the top panel of the arbor.

Linda selected rich red, deep blue and intense blue/green

colors for the fused glass panels

... and a flying pig with copper wings, too!

I liked that idea!

 

                                              

When Linda Steider finished the glass,

Tom was ready to complete the decorative top panel. 

 

Jeremy and Bert Checking for Level 

Removing the Protective Paper On the Fused Glass
 

Installing Sanoe, The Flying Pig
She spins, too!
 

Cleaning the Fused Glass Heart
 

Finish Gate and Trellis Looking East
 

Sanoe's Trellis and Gate Looking West

 

 Sunset on Sanoe

"What began as a practical arbor/gate design evolved
into an "objet d' art" with a touch of whimsy.
My family always enjoyed John Steinbeck's work.
He used Pigasus, The Flying Pig,
as a symbol of himself ,"earthbound but aspiring".
It was a reminder that
one must try to attain the heavens
even though his equipment is meager.
He sometimes added the motto
 "ad astra per alia porci"
("to the stars on the wings of a pig").
Tom's rendition utilizes copper wings
which reflect the color and light
in a constant dance of joyful aspiration.
The beautiful glass pieces by Linda Steider
reflect my husband's love of the ocean
and my affinity for hearts (and for my hubby!)."
LC
August 2013

 

I like the pig the best!

Time to rest with my artist buddy.

 

Tom and Me
 

  JUNIOR