If you are curious about the Fargo flood:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdxtwROYTgE
2 weeks ago
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Flood Fight
The Red River is on a rampage again this spring. We have been flooded twice by this normally placid river. In '79 it unexpectedly filled our basement while we were gone. We had gone out to my sister's, 350 miles west of here, for the weekend. One of my other sisters called on Saturday morning and said, "I have really bad news for you...your house is flooded." We thought she was joking. She wasn't. We came home - the water was within 1" of our main floor. We threw everything into junk piles for the trash trucks to pick up.
In '97 the Red rose again to unprecedented, 100 year levels. This time we hauled everything out of our basement dry, much to the disgust of our teenage daughters who were enlisted to help. ("This is so crazy - we are miles from the river - it'll never flood our house.") It did...dikes broke and all the water gushed across our flat city. We threw only one bed that somehow we had forgotten about after setting it up against the wall to get it later. And we threw carpet and sheetrock and insulation.
Now our city has a dike protection system. We are counting on it this year...everything is staying in place in our homes. This will be the first time the system is tested...so we are nervous but hopeful.
We are praying for everyone in Fargo, North Dakota who are in the flood fight of their lives. Two of my sisters live there and they have been working 'round the clock to build sandbag dikes in their neighborhoods. I can feel their aching bodies and know what is going through their minds. It is an emotional roller coaster of fear and hope. Several of my art students live next to the Red in Grand Forks. They, too, are fighting the waters, as they are outside the protection of the new dike system. Please keep the communities along the Red River in your thoughts and prayers for the next several weeks until the river crests and subsides.
On another note, there are a few days left of my grand opening sale. My website now has an online store! Go to www.jackiesart.com and click on my gallery. Everything is 20% off through the last day of March.
In '97 the Red rose again to unprecedented, 100 year levels. This time we hauled everything out of our basement dry, much to the disgust of our teenage daughters who were enlisted to help. ("This is so crazy - we are miles from the river - it'll never flood our house.") It did...dikes broke and all the water gushed across our flat city. We threw only one bed that somehow we had forgotten about after setting it up against the wall to get it later. And we threw carpet and sheetrock and insulation.
Now our city has a dike protection system. We are counting on it this year...everything is staying in place in our homes. This will be the first time the system is tested...so we are nervous but hopeful.
We are praying for everyone in Fargo, North Dakota who are in the flood fight of their lives. Two of my sisters live there and they have been working 'round the clock to build sandbag dikes in their neighborhoods. I can feel their aching bodies and know what is going through their minds. It is an emotional roller coaster of fear and hope. Several of my art students live next to the Red in Grand Forks. They, too, are fighting the waters, as they are outside the protection of the new dike system. Please keep the communities along the Red River in your thoughts and prayers for the next several weeks until the river crests and subsides.
On another note, there are a few days left of my grand opening sale. My website now has an online store! Go to www.jackiesart.com and click on my gallery. Everything is 20% off through the last day of March.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Saturday musings
We are heading to our daughter, Jennifer's, shortly to meet up with them and our middle daughter, Sara, who is on spring break from teaching math in Wichita. I feel so blessed to have our family! I got to thinking about something I'd read a couple weeks ago about abortion, the killing of our unborn and how crazy our thinking has become.
Excerpts from another's writing: "We have become desensitized as a nation. The crime of killing an eagle is punishable by a fine of $100,000 or a year in jail. There are laws against harming an unborn eagle, but we allow the killing of unborn human babies. We save the owls, whales and trees but not our children."
I just don't get it. How can we, as a society, condone this? Let's save and protect our babies and place them in loving adoptive homes. Let them bless the lives of couples who cannot have their own children. Let's stop using abortion as birth control, support and help the women who are pregnant and don't want to be. Let's enable them, emotionally, medically and financially, to carry their babies full-term. Let's use some of the billions and billions of economic recovery dollars to develop programs for these mothers.
Praying for the baby killing to stop...and appreciating so much our family and the young people who come to me for art in their lives. May your Saturday be blessed!
Excerpts from another's writing: "We have become desensitized as a nation. The crime of killing an eagle is punishable by a fine of $100,000 or a year in jail. There are laws against harming an unborn eagle, but we allow the killing of unborn human babies. We save the owls, whales and trees but not our children."
I just don't get it. How can we, as a society, condone this? Let's save and protect our babies and place them in loving adoptive homes. Let them bless the lives of couples who cannot have their own children. Let's stop using abortion as birth control, support and help the women who are pregnant and don't want to be. Let's enable them, emotionally, medically and financially, to carry their babies full-term. Let's use some of the billions and billions of economic recovery dollars to develop programs for these mothers.
Praying for the baby killing to stop...and appreciating so much our family and the young people who come to me for art in their lives. May your Saturday be blessed!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Another Blizzard
Oh, my gosh! We are having ANOTHER blizzard! I cancelled all my kids' classes today and school is cancelled all over the region. I decided to work in my pottery studio and have been throwing a large bowl and matching small bowls for my nephew. He is getting married the end of May. I hope he and his fiance' like chips and salsa! My hands are cold from being in water and working with the clay. My clay is sort of hard so it is being difficult and has a mind of its own.
I'm hoping to make a bisque mold today, too, so it is quicker for me to make small mother and child figurines. I'll be able to press clay into the mold, so each one will still be individually made. But because it should be a quicker process, I'll be able to price them for less. I'm looking to price them right under $30...we'll see!
The yarn I ordered a week ago finally arrived...after I called the company yesterday and complained about the lack of service. I was disappointed because last time I ordered from them, I had the yarn the following day. I'm making clog slippers for everyone in our family. I've made one pair but haven't felted them so I hope the size will be OK. We don't have a top loading washer so I'm waiting to felt them at our daughter's house this weekend.
Stay warm and if you are in a sunny place, enjoy and appreciate it!
I'm hoping to make a bisque mold today, too, so it is quicker for me to make small mother and child figurines. I'll be able to press clay into the mold, so each one will still be individually made. But because it should be a quicker process, I'll be able to price them for less. I'm looking to price them right under $30...we'll see!
The yarn I ordered a week ago finally arrived...after I called the company yesterday and complained about the lack of service. I was disappointed because last time I ordered from them, I had the yarn the following day. I'm making clog slippers for everyone in our family. I've made one pair but haven't felted them so I hope the size will be OK. We don't have a top loading washer so I'm waiting to felt them at our daughter's house this weekend.
Stay warm and if you are in a sunny place, enjoy and appreciate it!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Yay! My online shop is OPEN!
My online shop is up and running! It is 3 months later than I hoped, not in time for Christmas shopping or even Valentine's Day gifts, but just in time for getting something special for St. Patrick's Day. Hmmm, I guess I do have a few green items!
Check it out at www.jackiesart.com. Go to my shop and check it out, OK? I'm offering a "It's Finally Up & Running" coupon, good for 20% off anything in the shop! You'll need to use coupon code JArt2009 when you check out (put it in the 'redemption code' box). The discount will be figured in for you. The celebration sale is on for purchases through March 31 only.
I haven't had time to list everything, like my gourd clocks and Lamples. I hope to get those in the shop in the next week or two. And I'm making a new kiln full of pottery so look for those pieces in the future, too.
Please let me know if you feel the shop is not user friendly - I'd love your feedback as I'm new to this and would like to get it right! Thanks!
PS I donate 1/2 of my sales to our local homeless shelter to help them in the good work they do in our community.
Check it out at www.jackiesart.com. Go to my shop and check it out, OK? I'm offering a "It's Finally Up & Running" coupon, good for 20% off anything in the shop! You'll need to use coupon code JArt2009 when you check out (put it in the 'redemption code' box). The discount will be figured in for you. The celebration sale is on for purchases through March 31 only.
I haven't had time to list everything, like my gourd clocks and Lamples. I hope to get those in the shop in the next week or two. And I'm making a new kiln full of pottery so look for those pieces in the future, too.
Please let me know if you feel the shop is not user friendly - I'd love your feedback as I'm new to this and would like to get it right! Thanks!
PS I donate 1/2 of my sales to our local homeless shelter to help them in the good work they do in our community.
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About Me
- Jackie
- North Dakota, United States
- Born and raised in Williston, North Dakota. Degrees in Occupational Therapy (never chose to work in the field) and Visual Arts. Married for 33 years to a super wonderful guy, three daughters - all three are talented, educated, contributing, beautiful members of our great big world. I am so proud of them...they are my best accomplishment to date! I love to make art and teach about it, too. An etsy friend recently shared this quote with me from St. Francis of Assisi: "He who works with his hands is a laborer, he who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman, he who works with his hands, his head and his heart is an artist." I think it is a wonderful statement!
