I wasn't going to blog today but now I have too.. love is love is love

Very busy getting ready for the biggest art show in Iowa, Artfest this weekend, so I was going to skip blogging today. 

But I can't not talk about the Supreme Court's ruling on DOMA today.  If you don't believe homosexuals deserve all the same rights and privileges and obligations  of "straight" people, then stop reading this, because I do.

I have never, ever understood why anyone objected to gay marriage.  If you ask someone point blank why they do object the best you can  get out of them is a stammered religious objection. 

If you ask that same person if they feel homosexuals are real people they declare of course they are ( at least in public)

But how illogical is it to deny gay people the right to marry if they are just as good as us? (us as in straight people I guess.  Us is such a swishy-washy word... it can mean soooo many things.  If I am to be in an us, I want to be in the us of kewl, tolerant people, gay or straight, black, white, or polka-dotted who don't give a damn if you love the same sex, cause love is love is love)

I don't understand how people can say there is nothing wrong with gay people but they can't marry.  There is just no logic to that.  It makes you suspect they do think something is wrong with gay people.

I don't understand people who say there is something wrong with gay people for that matter!

That's right up there with only 2 blue eyed people should marry, or be of the same race.  It's silly.  Stupid.  Irrational. 

Love is Love is Love.  I don't care what package it comes in, as long as I get mine. 

I am straight.   I'm very happily married to the same man, my Jerry, for almost 19 years.  Jerry wasn't really my type at first glance.. I always went for really skinny tal1 6ft guys with blue eyes.  ... but something about Jerry was magical.   He has these lovely dark brown eyes and dimples.  He's taller than me, but just average male height.   Those first heady weeks after we met we only talked on the phone to each other.. for hours at a time.  I knew he was the one by the 5th time I was in his actual presence again. 

Because he's a guy and I'm a gal, we were able to get married and start a family,  socially and legally approved by all.

   I can't imagine the pain I would feel if irrational people kept me from marrying the man I love because we were gay, or he had brown eyes and I have blue.  Just think how you would feel if some small, outward characteristic prevented you from all the legal protections marriage can bestow on a couple.. on a family.

Cause in my brain that is the same sort of stupidity preventing gay marriage.  Gay folks are just like everyone else.. some are good, some are bad, all are just as human.  Logically they shouldn't be treated any differently than I am in any situation--- job, marriage, as a parent, as a dog owner!!

To think anything else is just wrong.  Just wrong!  I try to be tolerant of other people's beliefs, but when it hurts people like this, when religion tells you it's OK to treat people as 2nd class citizens that just wrong.


wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong

Watches and Clocks........

brass, Vintage watch face, crystals

Vintage Clock face (porcelain), brass, crystal

Vintage Clock spring (clock 1900-1920's) vintage crystal, vintage watch face, brass

I think I will play with watch and clock parts this week!  Here are a few pictures of recent pieces I've made.    Come see me in person this coming weekend at ArtFest Midwest at the Iowa State Fair grounds 10-6 on Sat, 10-5 on Sunday.  You can catch a Shuttle back and forth between ArtFest and the big downtown show this weekend!!

Quickie, because I'm tired.....

bracelet using Vintaj natural brass, chain

Ugh!

First day at Winterset Art Show is going just fine, but it's hot and humid and after being in that all day, dropping Jerry off at work, grocery shopping and making the Kid do chores , I'm TIRED!

This is one of the few times in recent history I have my computer all to myself.. so I"m updating my show schedule on the website , catching up on Etsy and other web-based chores.  

What I really want to do is go to bed.. but I've got to pick Jerry up at work later.. sooo... web-based chores it is.

Tomorrow back out to Winterset.  It's been fairly slow but I've actually made some things while watching my booth.

Next week is Artfest Midwest, aka the other art show

now that one I can't wait!

My computer time is limited right now.....

Watch parts, clock parts, new components, I really love how this one turned out!

OK, I know that sounds like an excuse, but it's true.  Between Little bit's extensive online anime habit, and Jerry's accelerated college schedule this summer, I barely get time to check email on the computer anymore.   Considering this household boasts 2 desktops, 2 laptops, 2 smart phones and 1 tablet, my computer is still the computer to use for writing reports, spreadsheets etc.  The funny thing about this is my computer is the oldest!! (I'm actually getting worried about it.. the fan is getting really LOUD and WHEEZY sounding.. like it's getting TOO OLD)

Why my computer ??

Part of it is because Jerry's tablet and computer are too new.  They have early versions of windows 8 which apparently nothing wants to work with.  My computer is hooked up the the printer too..

I don't know why Jesscera prefers it for watching videos.  She just does.

Me, I need it because, well ... it's mine! MINE!

Actually I put all of the pictures on my computer, so if I want the blog to have pictures, or post something to facebook or etsy, I need to use this computer.

Besides the desk is set up for my comfort,  and I have the better computer chair.  And it's mine.

At least it's mine when no one else wants it, which of course means I'm the only one here right now :)

Something new to destroy.......

This is got to be the most butt ugly cash register I've ever seen.....

but the guts are pretty! can't wait for Jerry to start ripping up this one....

In our grand adventure - making jewelry out of  salvaged bits of machinery- Jerry and I have a hard and fast rule.  We don't take apart the pretty ones unless they are non-functional, and even then we might hesitate.   Becides, the pretty cost too much.

 The ugly ones can get taken apart even if they work... So imagine our joy when Jerry scouted out this brute of a cash register at one of the local Flea Market.  It is built like a tank ( this model runs approximately 70 lbs!!) and sort of looks like one.  In researching this, I discovered it's a NCR (National Cash Register brand) model 126(4) made in 1946. 

I'm guessing ( and this is conjuncture) this model is so very plain because the idea was companies would buy them and decorate them to match their chains.  I saw many models with a coke-cola theme, and one company had a bunch done up in bright pink! ( I think it was a gas station company?)

The one we bought doesn't look like it was ever altered in that way.  And got rained on, it's rusty/dingy/grey on the outside. the insides look great though.

It sort of works... the keys function, but the drawer sticks.  ( which is the prettiest part btw.. it's all beautifully polished wood  on the inside of the drawer.. Jerry and I are already talking about incorporating the drawer into our display somehow...

Jerry is taking accelerated classes this summer for his teaching degree, so his time to destroy is limited... still I might have to have this one "bumped"  up the list......

What comes out of a old sewing machine......

Part of the bobbin case from the 1917 singer sewing machine.  I added the compass because all the folks who sew always seem to know where they are going...  which is a good thing as the compass doesn't seem to work right now ( We think sticking basically a magnet inside a hunk of steel might have something to do with it)

The rest of the bobbin case.  I added a old clock gear and a crystal.  Yes, the gear can move!

A hinge from the sewing machine.  I love how it looks!

This is the latch from the sewing machine

Bracelets, shows and Farmer's Market

American Made Brass from B'sue, sanded for highlights, riveted.

Same bracelet, different view

Whee!!!!! MacNider Art show yesterday went really great! Not the least of it --- we had nice weather.  Grant you, it started to rain around 445pm ( the show was over at 5pm) but up until 4pm .. it wasn't too cold, the wind was almost non-existent... This is the first show of this year we were able to do a complete and full set up, using all of my displays, for the the entire show!! ( In Omaha the weekend before, we changed the display 5 different times to accommodate the change in wind / rain/ or temperature.. )

Another lovely bit about MacNider is just how darn nice everyone was, from the folks who run the show and to the customers who shopped there. 

So we had a great time!

Something Jerry and I are both noticing... we must be getting old.

It use to be we could do a show, drive home and stay up til 1am.

Now we get home from a show like this, and we are in bed within 2 hours.  I kid you not.  Jerry was in bed before I got home doing the weekly store run, and I was in bed approximately 20 minutes after that.  That means we were both in bed no later than 10pm.  Course we got up that morning at 4am, were on the road by 5am, got to Mason City around 710am, set up for the show that started at 9am, packed up at 5pm, headed back home by 545pm.  Got home just before 8pm.  I left the house to go to the store around 810pm, got home around 930pm, and in bed by 10pm.

OK, maybe we have the right to be  tired! lol

This is one of the reasons I adore doing DownTown Des Moines Farmer's Market! We still have to get up really early (usually 430ish) but the drive is only 10 minutes, and we are home by 1pm usually.  It leaves us most of the weekend to do other things.

So I hope I'll see everyone This Coming Saturday ( June 15th) at Farmer's Market.  We should be on the north side of 2nd street.  You don't have to get up at 430 though.... It's open 7am-12pm.

just a quickie.. This Sat see us in Mason City IA

My leaf bracelets are proving popular, these too feature birds.. I've used butterflies also in the past... I wonder if I can get away with using a kitty??

Considering how crappy the weather was Saturday ( no snow, but it was cold, windy as hell and rained off and on all day ) we did very well at Countryside.. but then again we usually do.  And Sunday was all we could ask for weather-wise...  Sunny, no rain drops in the sky!!

This weekend is MacNider Art Show.. We haven't done this one in a couple of years, but I love it.  They are super friendly, have a great pancake breakfast, and I get to visit the puppets in the Museum there.  ( want to know what I am taking about? see them here..   ( I now hear in my head "soon her ma-ma with the gleaming gloat heard ....." )

If you are in the Mason City area, you have to stop by!! (it runs 9-5pm on Sat!)