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

Christmas Day 2012

CHRISTMAS DAY

2012
Before dawn on this special morning,
I awoke to the quiet hush of falling snow.

It is beautiful but my soft paws get all cold and wet
walking around the yard in search of scurrying
mice and birds at the feeder.

'Santa' Tom made breakfast for Margaret
 and I received my holiday treat,
canned Albacore tuna!

I LOVE TUNA!

 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Respectfully Yours,
JUNIOR
 "Junior Boy"
"The Junior Associate"

 



Halloween

Autumn is our favorite time of the year.

Lower in the sky, the sun's light is golden, creating a magical clarity to beautiful late fall afternoons. I like this time of the year, too. I stay warm in my thick, soft coat while chasing mice and birds all day long.

Tom carved his Halloween birthday pumpkins again this year. Before I could run away, Margaret scooped me up for a photograph with those big orange globes. I always pretend to enjoy being cuddled but I am really looking around for more mice, moles and voles.

TIKI MAN 

was purchased recently by Steffen and Claudia at the 

301 Gallery in Hood River.

 http://thegallery301.com/

You can see Tom's sculpture on Oak Street guarding the former, newly refurbished

Butler Bank Building built in 1924.

 Our friend Mike Stillman with
TIKI MAN

at 301 Gallery in Hood River
 

HONU
and
THE DRAGONFLY
were shipped to

their new owner in California

 

Dale and Judy in their backyard

Asian Bell
by Tom

 

Rudbeckia
These hardy Black-Eyed Susans are still displaying gorgeous color
in our gardens due to the warm Autumn weather
 we've had here in Oregon this fall.
 

The Moore Ranch

Millie and Dick Voll commissioned Tom to create

a unique hanger for the sign on their new carriage house in Sherman County.

Pieces of old harnesses from the ranch were incorporated into the design.

 

Mosier Creek Road

 

 

Me and my favorite human being in the whole world!

JUNIOR

CHUCK BERRY Trellis

After nearly 17 years, one of the wooden uprights

holding up the raspberries in our backyard finally rotted

away and collapsed last week while Tom was trying to

tighten the wires. Tom decided that he would

build Margaret a new trellis using steel set in concrete

so he would never have to rebuild this again.

Tom incorporated some recycled steel window rachets

into the simple design and also reinstalled

 CHUCK BERRY

on top of the south support. The north support

features a small wind chime, something Tom loves.

 

 CHUCK BERRY
Trellis

North end of trellis

 

 Me and my worm

I tried to be of assistance today but I was far too
 fascinated with a beautiful bright green tomato
hornworm Margaret gave to me.

Then, I got tired and fell asleep under the raspberries.

All in all, a very pleasant day.

 

Respectfully,
The Junior Associate

JUNIOR

MARYHILL MUSEUM OF ART Summer Art Institute

Twenty-four art teachers and art enthusiasts

participated in Maryhill Museum's

2012 SUMMER ART INSTITUTE.

This year's theme was 'sustainability in art'.

Participants explored the work of artists

who reuse or recyle materials in their work

as well as artists known for collage,

assemblage and mixed-media.

The summer institute was taught by

Maryhill Excutive Director Colleen Schafroth,

an award winning arts educator and author

who has helped develop and teach the institute

 since its formation in 1993.

Peggy Dills Kelter, local Hood River artist and educator,

 worked with the participants while Tom,

Maryhill Museum Artist-in-Residence for 2012,

 did a Monday morning presentation featuring a sampling of his

 artwork which incorporates recycled materals.

Tom also hosted a tour for the entire group at our

studio and gardens during their week at Maryhill.

Some of the art teachers and art enthusiasts

at Colleen's dinner on Wednesday

I practiced the art of camouflage

on the basalt rocks

while everyone was here.

Perhaps this qualifies me as a

'art enthusiast', too?

I'm still a little shy around strangers...

but I'm getting better!

Respectfully,

The 'Junior Associate'

JUNIOR