Go West Young Man

It's FLASBACK FRIDAY and will share a condensed version of our travels to California the end of December 1978 into January 1979.  The posts will come in dribs and drabs over the course of weeks

For those of you who may not know, IBM had a very strict dress code.  They could only wear white shirts, tie and suit; no sport coats/slacks.  So when Gary had his exit interview he decided to wear bib overalls and flannel shirt to the office instead of his normal attire.  His joke being that was the dress code for western folk.

Sorry for the corrupt photo, wherever it was processed did a lousy job as several photos have deteriorated over the years.

December 24, 1978

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, all the creatures were anxious, even the mouse'.

   

As Christmas is upon us we are all tense in anticipation of the 2,800 mile trip to northern California.  I have mixed emotions about this great adventurous journey.  The family will be a huge loss in our life.  Instead of the 2 hour drive to visit them from Bowie, MD it would take a flight and drive to see them.

Yesterday (12/23) we had our last dinner celebration here in Bowie.  It was mother's birthday so she and Pat (my stepfather), Gary's brothers and wives, my uncles, Aunts, my brother and wife, my father and his wife and everyone's pets came to share a last meal together for a while.

The men all helped Gary prepare the van for her mighty haul to the west coast.  The van would be pulling our Int'l Scout which would also serve as the warehouse for needful things during our trip.  It's funny, we have had the van for over a year but 5 days before the big trip Gary takes on the big task of remolding the van for our travelling pleasure.  

They weren't small jobs either.  He put in a bay window so son Greg could see part of the U.S., put in a longer seat, replaced the radio and antenna, put in a socket for head phones for 8 track, paneled and insulated the van and secured speakers under the seat.  After the men worked on the van for a while and after several beers later we had a dinner fit for a king.  There was turkey, baked ham and all the trimmings.

It was bittersweet later in the afternoon as Eric (Gary's brother) gave us a jar filled with eastern shore farmland black soil and Assateague Island sand.  He gave son Greg an old pair of his spoons (Eric taught Greg how to play spoons one night at Trader Lee's Village in Ocean City, MD, and an old soiled striped Bass Fishing hat.

My brother Joey and wife gave us two coffee cups, a Delaware and Maryland so every morning with coffee we'd remember where HOME was.  Everyone was hugging, crying and saying their 'good-byes'.  What better Christmas present to each other than the expression of love.

The saga will continue next Thursday.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Yesterday was a busy and productive day, but not a lot of loops were pulled.  I worked in the yard for 2 hours until lunchtime.  Had lunch then did a line drawing of an antique rug for someone, enlarged it to size, cut and serged linen, then drew the pattern.  I punched my time card just before 5 O'clock so I could watch The Five.

Today the pattern goes in the mail because tomorrow is July 4th.  Am also planning to work in the yard this morning before it gets too hot and will finish for lunch and finally work on the dog rug.  Am slowly pulling some tan wool for a test drive and may go with that instead of the gold, tho I overdyed it to be more compatible with the border wool.  Jury still undecided.  Here is the rug now.

Lauren (Rugs and Pugs) mentioned I put my initials at the top; you can see an "S" further down but I  might do the 's' thing for the whole background rather than the ripple effect but don't know for sure about that one yet either.  However, the top initials are in the original antique except both are S's but took the opportunity to change the other to a "P".

When I first set eyes on the original antique thought it was one of the ugliest rugs I'd seen.  So when sharing my thoughts of hooking it to Lauren told her I was going to name the pattern "Junk Yard Dog".  But since the dog has since been adopted, uh, rather adapted 😊, maybe I'll name the pattern "Lucky".  Think it was the background which attributed to the ugliness and not the dog.

In looking at both versions now, my background seems rather anemic doesn't it?

I'd better get myself outside before it gets too hot, it's already 10:22 a.m. and will be lunchtime before I realize it.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com

FIRST RUG SHOW on JULY 1st

Let me see what photos I have on my flash drive.  Actually this isn't a rug but would make a lovely one.  It is either a water color or bird art print.  Have no idea on age or who it could be attributed to.

An animal farm rug, from Bucks county, PA hooked 1900's with dimensions of 21 x 72.5.

Rabbits continue dancing.  Don't know the age of this one but it is a little different with trees added on each end.  The original antique was/is in public domain and I've really old dancing rabbit rugs to verify that.  This one looks in good shape so may have been a purchased pattern when Patsy Becker offered them.  Patsy was not, however, the original designer of the pattern.

Deer in landscape, no date but dimensions are 26.5 x 39.5.  Am thinking that is either a sunrise or sunsetting in the background.  Yet it seems to be setting between the mountains.  No limit to artistic creativity.

A horse with leaf border, sorry, no date on this one either.

Shirred floral dating between 1830-1840.  Notice how some flowers or leaves are made with hearts.  Wonder if it was a wedding rug.

Am not particularly fond of the colors, but the roosters were hooked in the 1900's and hails from Bucks County, PA.

I like a blotchy background but can't say I'm fond of this kind.  Can't really call it hit and miss I don't think.  A hound dog hooked around 1920. 

There it is folks, another rug show put to bed.  Still working on the border of my dog rug and still haven't decided on the final color of the background.  Hope to my s#!t together on that decision soon so I can move on with hooking in confidence.  Hope you're doing some happy hooking.

Saundra

www.woodlandjunctionprimitives.weebly.com