Night and Day

I knew as I had children, that each would be unique in their own way. These two girls are so very opposite of each other in so many different ways. They were however, in unison when it came to to eluding their Mom for a picture.

Jesslyn, on the left, will tell you to call her Jessie or JB (for JessBug). She is the athletic one and a no frills kinda gal. She is jeans with holes in the knees, t-shirts and a ponytail. She's organized, structured, an A student and VERY independent. She has always walked her own path quietly.

Bailey, or Beazle as only a few can call her, is my "Gad-About Gladys" She knows everyone and who is related to who. She is my "girlie girl" and loves all that glitters. Bailey has an amazing memory when it comes to phone numbers or directions. She has an Autistic Spectrum Disorder and struggles among her peers with socializing and reading comprehension. She went through a very painful and long journey last year with scoliosis surgery. She is my hero and also the most forgiving child, I have ever known.

Both have given me the greatest joy and taught me unconditional love. It is with great pride that I take time and reflect upon them this Mother's Day. They are the most wonderful gift that I could have ever been given.

It's that Time Again...

To get all my ducks... well for me, crows in a row. Every six months, in the Spring and in the Fall, I do my Business Plan. A must for success in any business, and things put in place last Fall and even that of the Fall before have been taking shape this Spring. I am looking ahead, as well as behind, sorting what works, what doesn't for me. The economy is of course on everyones mind, as well as what the Elections will bring for next year. I am not one to jump in to anything and I look at everything from different angles. Last Spring, Netty and I wanted to come home a bit and bring our shows back near us. We did, and had a wonderful time. This year, we are continuing this path and having a look about. Revisiting some shows and scouting out new. We are scouting LARAC and ZONTA, that are very nearby and we are accepted in already; as well as shows close to us in Vermont and Mass. It's great fun to take a day and see them from the outside. We are unique where ever we go and we have a great time.

What I do in business, mirrors life also. Family plans are moving forward, economy in mind. Summer is ahead and what will we share with the kids? Sunny days in the pool, games at night on the patio table, meals made with home grown goodness from the garden. Picnics in the park enjoying local music, (Irish leading the top of the list) and "midnight Margaritas" made with jello to rouse young ladies from their slumber parties as we enjoy and have fun with our favorite movie, Practical Magic. Life and business,family and art, good economy or difficult; we lead our lives with changes to reflect the times, but we do it with great love and joy. That, my friends is the best success.

May 1st Already??

Where does the time go? It seems at times that in a blink of an eye, days become months. My days are very full balancing care taking, the girls and my passion, which happily, I can say is my work. Lemon Poppy Seeds went up late last night and by early morning, there was just one chick left. (you can visit Mrs. Bennet, along with the works of many talented artists, through my link on the right.) My email box starts filling and the phone rings... what will be offered? Sometimes "Upload Day" escapes me. I can have all but a few details left to do and get set for a photo shoot along with an early visit to set my page... then the day hits and takes on a life of it's own.

This is not just my life, but many of yours as well. Sometimes, no matter how much we try to simplify, life has other plans. Take the day and dance with it, I say!~ enjoy those that touch your lives and remember that everything happens for a reason. Kiss the skinned knees and wrap your arms around frail shoulders. Take time in running your errands to stop in and to say hello to someone that lives alone. Create random acts of kindness in the way that you can. Have a little more patience in traffic, or a with new cashier. Take a moment to look through someone elses eyes. A smile and some humor can change someone's day. Remember in it all, that something that you say or do can make a difference in someone's life. Keep positive, because it is the goode that you'd like to remembered for, not negative. Look inside yourself and see if you are the person that YOU want to be. Take time to find and nurture what is your heart and don't ever be afraid to share it. Encourage others. There are so many things that we can't change and there is caution with the economy now. We DO have the wisdom to change the things we can and really do it.

I'd like to take a moment to thank those who have taken time out of their day and busy lives to call me, email me, or stop by here in my little piece of the world. You make me smile and laugh and inspire me with your own lives. You really do make my joy a reality beyond what I ever could have dreamed.......... and I keep passing it on.

New Beginnings

"Until the Cows Come Home is now a private blog. If you have signed up and do not receive an email by May 5th, please contact me by leaving a comment on this blog. If you have not signed up and wish to, leave a comment and your email and I will get back to you. There may be a waiting list.

Enjoying the Journey

Spring is full of new beginnings and growth. As the leaves bud out and the birds come home to raise their young, one can't help feeling so inspired, especially when art rules ones soul! I've been happily networking with some wonderfully creative art doll makers. As much as I have many dolls still standing in line to make their way out, I have different medias and directions that I enjoy. Perhaps some of these will blend in the future , or perhaps they will take a path all their own, as my newest adventure ahead. Who knows? That's the fun of it! Enclosed is a picture of Mousie. She is one of my dearest beginnings. She shows my stylized kitty face and is a blend of a kitty angel years ago. More than that, she is a fond memory of my Greeter on my visits to Netty's. Mousie has since passed, and now Ted, the turkey has the job. You saw him this fall as Jake and will be happy to know that he will be a pattern.

Small Town Proud

No,I cannot forget where it is that I come from,
I cannot forget the people that love me,
Yeah, I can be myself in this small town,
And people let me be just what I want to be.
John Mellencamp

A couple weeks ago I sat n the Dr.s office waiting for my Dad. A childhood friend came in with her Aunt Jenny , now 94. What a time we had just reminiscing. Nancy lived a few houses down from my Grandparents. Between moves when we lived with my Grandparents, Nance was a part of my life in Granville, my partner in crime. We still laugh about me making my First Communion with 2 skinned knees because I was riding on the handlebars of her bike. My Mom was so very mad, I knew better. The hill didn't seem so bad and we were late for dinner, what was a girl supposed to do?

Nancy's parents owned the local Montgomery Ward catalog store, just a hop and a skip from home. We went there many a afternoon after school . The face of Main street has changed over the years. The catalog store is now gone. The Ritz movie theater and Andy's Barber Shop burned when I was in High School. The Five and Dime where we would stop after school and save our allowance for 45's is long gone. Scotties does remain as the local coffee shop. Many of grew up sitting at the counter with our parents having a soda, piling into the booths as teens doing the same, and now, at the same counter sipping coffee with good friends.

Everybody knows each other, but more than that, they know your parents, grand parents and extended family. You are more than a person in the community, you are a part of it's history as were your ancestors. There is honor in family and your actions in the community. I am still known as Jiggy's grand daughter, Jack's daughter, Jim's wife and Bailey and Jessie's Mom. Parts of the town held the Italian families, other the Welsh or Polish , we are surrounded by heritage and history. I am known in the school, the Girls Scouts, the Senior Center nearby and the Lioness Club for the talks and projects done with my art. Actions speak louder than words here. So many in the community have watched me grow up as well as my Art. They still remember my parent's Ceramic Shop, my first shows starting at age 14. They still have pieces that I made and they hold dear.

I can't think of a better honor. They watch and encourage me still. Some come and check out the blog and so for all of them, this is for you. I am certainly proud of my heritage and my work as they are. I am thankful to be a part of this small town, where everyone knows you and who you are. I AM small town proud.

A Goode Announcement

I wanted to share with everyone that I am now on ETSY. If you have not checked out ESTY yet, do so! It is a nice place to see work from various artists. With many of the Ebay changes, you will probably find most of your favorite artists have moved here. Your support will help make it the success it can be for so many artists. I will be putting up some patterns from my Raven's Haven line now and then. At this point, I am unable to offer finished as I have orders, TDIPT and Lemon Poppyseeds to keep, and the first of this years Good Wives Show is sneaking up on us! If you are near by and would like a post card telling you where we will be, just email me your address and we will be happy to send one out. We have new shows in the area this year.
The girls and I are getting over a touch of the flu, and so I will be writing and sharing more a bit later~

A Poppy Seed Thank You~

A very special Thank You to those that make Lemon Poppy Seeds such a success, not just for me, but for all the artists who put much time and thought into their creations. With every purchase, you let the Artist know just how much something hand made means to you. All of my items have been sold, but there is still lots of great pieces available. Poppy Seeds is bursting with wonderful artists and they open on the 1st and the 15th of each month. If you haven't visited before, take a ride on my link (Goode Sisters and Places). Oh...and grab a cup of something nice and hot, there is lots to see!

Mind Travels

Old tintypes and wondering what their lives were like.....
Women that followed their heart's work and succeeded beyond what the time and the people ever could imagine.

Never forgetting where we've been and realizing that we can still move forward.

Knowing that life is to short to waste . Embrace dear friends and family and enjoy goode people that will always touch your life.

My favorite ending of a day is with a cup of hot tea.

Springing Forward!

Spring is on it's way and the sap is running great! A trip to the sap house to visit cousins Mike and Lori is always a herald of Spring in this house. They will be very busy with approximately 1500 tapped trees. Some hobby!

My Red Winged Black Bird has arrived very late and calls for a mate every morning. I love listening to the birds wake up in the wee hours and welcome the sun. Netty and I are both coming out of hibernation and the show acceptances are coming in. We have one that is particularly exciting this year. It is perfect for us and our love of history. We have such a good time visiting each other and both come away inspired. We had such a good time discussing some of our favorite dolls. She has watched me study her way and the way of extreme primitives with a smile and a twinkle of her eye. She still can't believe that I still enjoy all that sewing!

There are so many things we want to do, and so little time! I have a new direction going forward that should open our show possibilities a little more. Every business has to grow and when it is at a point that it will be available to you, I will be announcing it. I have also joined a wonderful online group of ladies with varied talents and expertise in the 18th century. I am having a wonderful time learning so much. I don't have too many idle minutes in the day, but I am trying to spend time learning from these ladies and watching the John Adams series. Thank goodness for "On Demand" viewing. Not only can I watch it when I can, but I can squeeze it in to my schedule a few scenes to a time.

A very special THANK YOU to everyone that has sent prayers, picked up the phone or emailed me as my Father continues to improve. It is indeed a slow go and I am busy with special meals and Dr. appointments. I am very blessed to have so many friends here .

Keeping Traditions

Holidays bring more than families together. Years ago, Father Hal offered the women of his Church, the basement. A place to teach and learn to do Pysanky. The beautiful work is done with beeswax and dye on raw eggs. I took a class from Mrs. Prehoda several Springs ago. I enjoyed the labor intensive work and was quite proud of my dear little egg. Unfortunately, it blew up some time later. I do carry with me a sense of awe at the intricate work these ladies of our community do.

As a young girl, it was always my job to mill tomatoes on Sunday morning before Mass. The pot would simmer away as we all went to Church. My Gram would cook the meat when we got home and add it into the pot. There was much love added to the herbs and stirring that continued all afternoon. If there was a holiday, the sauce and meat would start the same way. The difference would be in the macaroni and the involvement of the whole family. The macaroni would be made from scratch and assembly would take the effort of everyone. My Grandparents are both gone now and at a time when my parents can't continue the traditions of our families, I can. I taught Tim to make the delicate crepes that would be Manicotti. The girls helped with stuffing and rolling them and a fine Easter meal was put together. The best part was watching the smiles and misty eyes of both parents. We haven't had this dish since my Grandmother's passing eight years ago. Our family may be smaller and some are far away, but hearts and memories keep us close. Both family and community.

Happy St. Paddy's Day

A simple Happy St. Paddy's Day to all of you. We celebrated with the traditional feast yesterday, so that Tim could enjoy a family gathering while he was here this weekend. He made us a loaf of Maggie Burnes soda bread and I cooked the corned beef with all the trimmings. We are truly blessed indeed. From all of us here, we wish you a happy, healthy and very safe holiday..... and no , brother Steve, I may be the shortest in the family, but I am not a Leprechaun.

CELEBRATING & GIVING BACK

The Raven's Haven Pattern line turns 5 years old today. There are 113 patterns now. I remember taking a Micro enterprise course given by the county in hopes that it would quiet all my fears about making a living from my art and how to go about it. A leap of faith taken and here I am. I've had wonderful customers touch my life and make even the dreaded chore of getting everything ready for taxes, worth every minute of it. I have never worked such long hard hours and given so much of my heart . I'd do it all over again without a thought. The best way I could think of to celebrate was to give back to all of you. I could not have made it without you. That's where this little guy comes in. Meet Little Creek.

Little Creek was a request from Tim after I made him Rosie the beagle. Tim is a rabbit hunter and Rosie is best team mate. When he asked me to make him a running rabbit, I thought I would go for the long stretch look, but Tim had a different version in mind. We sat one afternoon looking up pictures of rabbits in motion, to get what he had in mind. Because I draw, faster than I can keep up and sew, I have asked friends and new artists to try some of my designs, so that I could see if they needed tweaking. They can then use the design as long as they give designer credit to me. Thank you Doreen Frost, when you first put him on Crow Soup, I had many emails asking if he was a pattern. He was a bit small, so I sent him to be licensed instead. He has done well there, but many who saw him through Doreen, have written and asked if they could make him for themselves. I have taken the best part of both designs and made Little Creek, just for all of you. Little Creek is 8" long and 6" tall. If you would like to use him with Rosie, he will need to be reduced by 50% and you do have permission to do that. The pattern is FREE, and to get it, just send a LSASE to me,

Stacey Mead

PO BOX 165

Granville, NY 12832

I'm a YA YA!!!

Thank you Kat from Katerpillars No More for sharing this wonderful honor with me. And to know I'm a YA YA on top of it! I need to make a hat! There is a great crown idea in the latest Somerset magazine using chicken wire! Now that is me! ...minus all the lace and fancies of course... a crown would be good, perhaps with a chicken bone attached to represent my oneness with the movie. As with all my friends here, Kat is such a gift! If you haven't met her, there is a link to take you to her blog! And I'm off to find some friends to embrace in the spirit of Ya Ya. I can't put my whole list here can I??? hmmm...

June~ from Ruby Junes~ quietly steadfast and always a friend.
Cassie~ from Mockingbird Hill~ A great friend and YaYa in the Rick Club.
Lori~ From Stitches in Tyme(Notforgotten Farm)~ a wonderful spirit and she has the perfect Ya Ya crown already if you visit her blog! I'll have to dig up my picture to share!

Thanks to all of my friends here that touch me in so many ways. Tomorrow will bring the opening of TDIPT and also a celebration. For those who have sent well wishes and prayers to my Dad, he is home, finally but it will be a while before he regains everything. I will only be working part time for now so that I can take care of both parents.

Pulling The Strings A Little Tighter

Most everyone is feeling the grip of the economy lately. Here in Upstate NY, we have felt the pinch for quite a few years now. This was at one time, quite a tourist area. Ski slopes were not that far away for the winter and the nearby lakes have been enjoyed by many throught the summer. The winters haven't been as lengthy or snowy as they once were.Many of the nearby areas built outlet malls to keep the tourists here and are finding that with it, they lost the charm of some very quaint little villages. Now with gas prices and the mortgage crisis, I wonder what will become of places such as this area, where so much industry has gone overseas, and the tourism dollars may be scarce.

The garden will be a little bigger this year, I am sure. Already, we are planning out what to plant. We decided last Fall that we really wanted to spend more time together with the kids. Picnics in the park by Tim's and some in the old cemetaries here are top on our list. Lazy evenings by the pool and an occassional movie at the Drive In are favorites here. We have a area that we make a fire at as often as we can~ the kids all enjoy roasting marshmallows and hotdogs. It is a time for us to talk about our day, voice our hopes and dreams and yes.. even a scarey story is told. Keep it simple...

The area has been seeing some regrowth this past year and should continue ahead. We are all unsure what the nation's economy will do in this area, but we remain possitive. We plan a little more, to waste a lot less. Slow down and enjoy what we have with friends and family. Realize in all of this, that we are rich indeed.

A New Month Ahead

http://www.lemonpoppyseeds.com

It is with great pleasure that I announce the March 1st opening and my debut at Lemon Poppyseeds. Just look for "The Good Wife". My pattern Shoppe there isn't opened yet as I had hoped, but I will be working on it over the next few days as time allows.

I'm sitting and typing this as snow is furiously swirling about. By morning, another 8 inches will have accumulated. It was just a couple days ago that we were so blessed. The snow was so beautiful and it stuck to the tree limbs for quite a while....my yearning for greener days will have to wait a bit. I love all of the seasons, so patient I shall be. I went to the store today and picked up a few needfuls and saw a display of fresh vegetables. All of the makings for Ratatouille! I haven't made that for years and it was the perfect comfort food for such a chilly and snowy evening.

The days here have been quite busy. My father is in the hospital, we almost lost him. No one is ever prepared to let a loved one go. He seems to be making slow progress the past couple days. No matter what, it will be a while. New items and patterns may be a bit delayed in coming, but I work on them everyday as time allows. I have also been looking into a notecard line towards the Fall. Remember the Pumpkin Princess this past Fall? There is so much I could get lost in... sigh, but I have to take it a step at a time. I'm always impatient about these things! All Goode things do come in time. Till then enjoy the Poppy Seeds site. It is a site that is best viewed while in your pajamas and a cup of something hot to drink. Chocolate is entirely optional, but this Goode Wife won't be caught with out it! Enjoy dear friends.

I Can Feel It

Spring is on it's way... I can feel it. Yesterday's snow won't be the last here in the North Country, but that's OK. The mornings are appearing quicker now and I can't wait for the clock change ahead. My backyard friend, the Red Winged Blackbird, hasn't made his appearance this year. I'm afraid I will need to listen for another generation. The Red Wing Blackbird will Herald the Spring before the robin's appear and call for a mate. A few Robins have danced on the front lawn already, even after yesterday's snowfall. It will soon be maple sugar season and we will visit my cousin's Sugaring House. Spring is on it's way for this Good Wife also. I'm sorting and packing fabrics for the new studio and going through last year's Spring designs that I didn't have time to use, along with new ones since my last holiday show. There are some fun bunnies, chicks and chickens along with some more extreme dolls ahead. Many thanks for all the emails about the new Blog Header. Maude has a new home now, but you will see more of Dearie and her friends.

Evolution of a Rabbit~ Which do you like best?

Both were drawn by me. Keep watch for a surprise ahead!

Happy Birthday Jiggy and Cheers!

I grew up living with my Grandparent's between military bases. It was a quite a full house! A very Italian and loving home as I grew up. My Granma, Doris, was the glue of the family and Granpa Jiggy, the biggest kid. So many memories stay with my heart and I miss both of them so dearly. February 16th was Jiggy's Birthday along with my brother, Kevin. Jiggy would have been 94 and Kevin would not be happy if I shared his age (I don't know why, he's younger than me!) Both Grandparents are gone now, but have lived on and inspired my work. Jiggy is of course, St. Jig's and reflects the skinny Italian with a big nose! Doris and Gertie patterns celebrate my Grandmother. The arts are all about being inspired by what touches your life and your heart. Life is truly good , and even if it can't be as simple as I'd like at times. I lay the groundwork, do what I can and try my best to pay it all forward. I am blessed to be able to share my heart and inspirations with all of you!

Are You Ready????

http://www.lemonpoppyseeds.com/

I am very pleased to announce that I will be a part of this wonderful magazine. As most of you know, I have been looking for a place to host my pattern line and announce new ones. This was the answer! Many thanks to High Button Shoe for showing me the way.I had to wait until my return from PA to get it all finalized. I will be opening on the first of each month and I am hoping to have a couple new patterns in the pattern shop for you. Look for a new crow and some fun bunnies. Unless of course something takes my fancy and lends it's spirit at the last minute! My Finished work will be under "The Good Wife" and the patten line will remain Raven's Haven.

It has been very busy since our return from the Heritage Show and I apologize for not being able to address so many personally. There are many details and paperwork that need my attention after the show and yes... taxes. Along with that we are getting fabrics sorted,organized and ready as we await spring and starting the studio. As I settle into the online magazines and work on shop orders, show work and licensed designs; I will also be looking into notecards from my drawings. It is an exciting time for me and I know that it will fall into place as it is ment. Balancing family and work takes quite alot. I am thankful to all of you. Without all of you, I could not move forward.