Cave Of The Cats

 I tried to find a better picture of this place in Ireland. Traditionally, I spend All Hallows Eve honoring my ancestors.  This year is no exception, but I find myself worried about the outside cats that have taken up residence outside my side door.  My landlord is suspicious (she hates cats) that those cats are mine and she most certainly is watching me closer because of them.  I wish there were someplace I could put them where they would be safe and warm...an Ohio version of Oweynagat would be perfect.  Tonight as I honor my ancestors, I will also be honoring all the cats I have ever had and that have ever owned me!
 Several sites in Ireland are especially linked to Samhain. A host of otherworldly beings was said to emerge from Oweynagat ("cave of the cats"), near Rathcroghan in County Roscommon, each Samhain.^[24] The Hill of Ward (or Tlachta) in County Meath is thought to have been the site of a great Samhain gathering and bonfire;^[16] the Iron Age ringfort is said to have been where the goddess or druid Tlachta died, giving birth to triplets that resulted from rape.
In The Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain (1996), Ronald Hutton writes: "No doubt there were [pagan] religious observances as well, but none of the tales ever portrays any". The only historic reference to religious rites is in the work of the "thoroughly unreliable" Geoffrey Keating (died 1644), who says that the druids of Ireland would gather on Tlachta on Samhain night to kindle a sacred fire. However, his source is unknown. Hutton says it may be that religious rites aren't mentioned because, centuries after Christianization, the writers didn't know what they had been.^[12]
The idea that, in Old Irish literature, Samhain is particularly associated with the supernatural is due to Jeffrey Gantz and others. Hutton criticizes this as unfounded; he argues that the gatherings of royalty and warriors on Samhain are simply an ideal setting for such tales in the same way that many Arthurian tales of are set at courtly gatherings at Christmas or Pentecost.^[25]

Post Script  I am delighted to report and relieved...my present landlord does in fact like cats.  But like me, she knows our street is dangerous for them, as cars go much too fast for cats to thrive.  It is a good thing they have 9 lives, but they need all 9 of them on our street!

Bolen Family Plot

It was rainy cold and windy on Sunday but my friend Louise and I prevailed and found my ancestors family plot in the oldest part of Hanover Cemetery.  We were looking for my Great Grandmother Laura Bell Bolen O'Flaherty Armentrout.  We did not find her Sunday.  I know she is in there somewhere though.  George Robert Bolen was the son of Colonel Robert George Bolen (Boling before the name change) who married Jane Rolfe the Granddaughter of Pocahontas.  I am guessing that George Robert Bolen is buried in Virginia.  It is always great to see my friend Louise, and I can't think that there is anyone else out there that would be willing to sleuth around in a graveyard on such a crappy day helping me find my ancestors.  Many of my family members are buried in the Hanover Cemetery.  We found my Grandpa Russ, his brother George.  As we were leaving I ran across the stone of Georgiana Harsh who is also on my genealogy chart.  Louise mentioned the last time she visited that Robert Henry Hendershot (drummer boy of Rappahannock) may have known the Bolen family.  It is a strange little coincidence to ponder, both sides of my family tree in Virginia around the same time period.  But I think that Robert Henry Hendershot came to Virginia with the Michigan regiment, and was up to no good (burning and pillaging Fredericksburg) and general mischief.  The two sides of my family didn't get together till my mom and dad got married.  As time goes on, and I continue my search, I may uncover more of the mystery.

Three Bracelets For High Street

I finished up my 3 bracelets for Werkhaven yesterday while waiting for afternoon visitors.  These are not sold yet, and I had to come up with the money for the copper; so this is an opportunity for future sales, not to be confused with actual income.  I believe in me, and my abilities, and it is not often that I get an opportunity to "gamble" with precious metal.  I don't have an inventory.  I have had to turn down mass production offers, and booths at craft fairs.  There just isn't enough money or metal to make more than one of each "thing"  The feathers have been the exception.  I sell them one at a time off of my neck.  Sometimes though, someone surprises me...like last month when a woman bought 4 feathers leaving me 3 around my neck.  I almost felt naked for a few days until I made more!  I still have to get these bracelets to Columbus, but worry that I should wait until I go to court November 15th, as I will already be there and taking the bracelets early will cost me money that should be used to buy more metal.  I used to sell my plasma 3 times a week.  I would gladly do that as Werkhaven is only two doors down from the plasma donation center.  I could see myself getting a check for my blood and walking it next door and buying silver...turning blood into silver like straw into gold LOL.  I would do it in a heartbeat, if I didn't have to sit in a crowded noisy waiting room with crack heads for an hour.  It is usually an hour wait to sell blood.  Crackheads can sell their blood as cocaine can't be traced after 4 days.
I admit that I have sold my blood in the past for several months in order to get deposit money, in order to move as my check does not cover rent and deposit, and moving expenses.  It has to come from somewhere...unless of course a person is lucky enough to get a grant to move like I did when I moved to Paul Drive.  Perhaps I will get lucky again and recover that grant money when we go to court next month.  Until then, you can imagine me happily tapping and rapping away in my studio, getting out of debt one bracelet, or feather at a time.  I will be sharing more about my blood selling experience in the next few days as it is the season for vampires and blood suckers...and such.

Finishing Up

One of my friends from Washington Court House visited me yesterday and helped me take some pictures of my latest art projects to submit with my grant materials.  That is the only thing holding me back from submitting grant proposals.  Unfortunately, my court case hangs in my immediate future and I don't want to lose sight of that.  I am one of the few people I know that does not believe that multi-tasking is a good thing.  This is a great photo in a lot of respects.  However, I will not be able to use it to submit with my grant materials as the detail of the Thunderbird on the bracelet mandrel is washed out (the subject of the photo).  This is my fault as I was not prepared to take pictures of my work yesterday in addition to preparing my court case.  In essence, I was not able to multi-task.  Thankfully, I have more than a couple friends with good cameras and I will be able to re-shoot photos for my grant submissions.  Taking the time to set up good photos will pay off in the long run as grant proposals without great pictures would not glean me the results I am trying to obtain.  In fact some artist's actually write grants to fund photography of their work.  In the future, I will be looking for just that perfect photographer to help with that.  Jewelry is a hard sale as most people have to touch it and handle it before they buy it.  I know I do.  So the photographs that I am trying to imagine will have to have a quality about them that causes the desire of the person viewing the photos to want to reach in through the photo and pick up the bracelet, or the ring, or the pendant!  That is a photographic quality that is magical.  I will be back tomorrow dear readership to finish up loose ends and share more of my magical journey.

Copper Bracelets Up Next

I started finishing up some copper bracelets for Werkhaven this week as I am writing a grant and preparing my court case.  I am hoping to expand my Native American jewelry and market it after the Christmas rush.  Keep your fingers crossed for me dear readers.  It is like I have angels helping me succeed.  Friends that are coming through with everything I lack, and opportunities opening up all around me.  With librarians helping me get funding, and helping me recover my legal losses,  who could stand against me?  Certainly not my scumlord from last year and her two bit attorney.  Am I supposed to be afraid of these jokers?  Hey Nesley, are you feeling the heat yet?  I will be seeing you in about 20 days or so.  If I were you, I would have more than a lease and a disbarred (reinstated) attorney to beat my counter claim.  Prepare yourself for battle my friend (not my friend)...I am!

I Geek Grantwriting

I will be busy this week tweaking my grant for The Ohio Arts Council.  This year I have the help of librarians who are specializing in grant writing.  The grant I am writing this week is a grant I have received several times in the last few years.  But it seems a shame to just apply for one when I could be applying for others that will require the same slides, letters of recommendation, artist bio etc.  I would love to apply for a grant in the future to do a full size metal quilt.  Perhaps I have only limited myself by thinking too small!
I am delighted also to report that a friend of mine with 17 years legal experience is going to help me tweak my small claims court case.  This may be my year to persevere and shine!

Newark Murals

I have been seeing this mural downtown Newark and am wondering who painted it.  There are several murals here of interest and I plan on taking my own pictures of them and researching the artist's.  I will be writing grants this week and attending a grant writing webinar on Tuesday.   After that it is back to tweaking my legal case for my upcoming trial in November.

Humane Society Is Everything But Humane

I have had to revisit old stomping grounds this week and Stubby the cat and his colony has come up in the topic of conversation.  If you are not familiar with Stubby's Cat Colony and my animal activism please enter Stubby in the search bar at the top of this blog and you can read his history.  I am hoping to visit Stubby soon and visit my old neighborhood.  Here is a link to this picture and Stubby's story.  I am working with a friend to try to get my neighbors kittens inside out of the cold for the winter.  However, Stubby and his cat colony thrived due to their location and I am not going to get evicted or arrested over my neighbors negligence.  I was almost jailed February 18th this year for preventing my sister from shooting a neighbors cat in front of my young nieces!  A cat that my sister willingly admitted that she and her son Taran had fed in the summer!  You have to know that this stuff makes me crazy!  I am not the crazy one though.  The law that would allow her to murder a neighbors cat because she is a property owner is crazy.  Her feeding the cat, then deciding to kill it is crazy!   A organization that raises money to help cats, but then euthanizes them is crazy.  People blindly donating to these organizations without researching them first is crazy!  I am doing everything I can to help stray cats, and I just wish the world would get it's head out of it's ass and get off the cell phone and do a little activism.  End of rant!

Grant Workshop

This is going to be my office for the next few weeks as I will be writing a grant to replace what was destroyed last year when my studio flooded.  Ten feet behind this desk is the area designated for legal and law materials...so between the two desks I should be able to compile everything I need to to put last year behind me FINALLY!  It has been a long haul, and I am so lucky to have the support of great friends and fabulous librarians to help me get on with life and the next project.  Next Tuesday, this library is putting on a Webinar designed specifically for art grants.  What a coincidence or synchronicity. 

Mother Hubbard

This about says it all!

Syd's Not Havin It!

My friend Sally dropped off a cat carrier so I can take the kittens to Cat Welfare when they have space for them.  In no time at all Syd took up residence on top of the carrier just to say "hey no kitties are going in or comin out of here without my approval"!  They didn't have space this morning at the shelter, so I am going to try some other avenues.  Maybe I will post some pictures on Stubby's Cat Colony on Facebook and see if something shakes loose over there.  It seems like I always have my hand in on the cat overpopulation problem...even when I try to stay out of it.

Framed

I spent Saturday framing the metal quilt.  The squares on the table in front of the quilt are the leftovers that will go into the next one.  Hopefully, I will get to that along with some more projects on the bench before the snow flies.  I have a few days to admire this project before sending it off to Michigan to its new home.  I am busy writing a grant, and two jewelry orders to complete before the end of this month, as well as preparing for hopefully my final court appearance November 15th.  This afternoon, I am attending our first neighborhood watch meeting.  Tomorrow I will be in Columbus.  I will probably not get back to this blog before Tuesday or Wednesday.  A friend is coming over later in the week to help me with my upcoming court case, so the rest of the week and month is full with meetings, visitings, and webinars.  Life is full.

By The Seat Of My Pants

I am "flying by the seat of my pants" these days.  I have made and sold a second Hopewell symbol and sold 4 feathers last week.  I have to stay ahead of these as Christmas season approaches.  More silver on the way and I can't wait to show you the bracelets I am making for the High Street storefront.  Things are finally happening for me after a period of trying to get set up and going.  It only takes one dead beat landlord and a flooded studio to set me back a few months.  I am just lucky I didn't have to completely tear down and shut down my operation last year at this time.  I have the best most loyal friends on earth, and that is why evil ones can not shut me down, or shut me up.  I am looking forward to the upcoming holidays and bench work.  If you are thinking about getting someone a feather for Christmas or a Hopewell symbol, get with me.  I have a feeling I will be sold out by Christmas Eve.  I will have to take a brief break long enough to dispatch of an evil witch the first couple weeks of November.  I look forward to that as well and have been for over a year.  Patience dear Nesley, you are about to get what's coming your way.

Cat Welfare

I may be taking a trip to Cat Welfare this week if I can catch the stray cats that have been hanging around my back door.  I would love to make a donation to this organization when I go.  So if you can send them a donation online, or send me some donated items for their thrift store, I would gladly take them along with me.  My new landlord is tolerant of Syd, but frowns upon the strays that are in our neighborhood.  Syd pays monthly rental to stay with me, but the strays are not welcome to my landlord.  I haven't gotten around to telling her about Stubby and his cat colony and his facebook page.  She is not a cat person, and she would not appreciate my efforts at taking care of the feral cats in my old neighborhood.  Time is important as Cat Welfare does not accept full grown cats.  These little guys were born in May and are still kittenish, but in a couple months they will not qualify.

Objects In The Mirror

My other mirror on the passenger side of the truck says "objects in the mirror or nearer than they appear".  I feel that way about alot of things these days.  Leaves are turning and falling in my neighborhood.  One minute it was summer and now we are well into fall.  The eviction last October is also in my rear view mirror and it is hard to worry about something that has already happened.  I used to tell people that I didn't really worry too much about using my rear view mirror because I can't do anything about what is going on behind me anyway!  For the most part that is correct.  There are exceptions though.  It is the exception that makes the rule or so I am told.  Many people have helped me with my upcoming court case.  I am confident that when the judge hears my evidence that Nesley will lose the case and damage any future dealings with the court.  She may have made a huge mistake getting an attorney that has already been disbarred for misconduct and fraud.  You gotta wonder how many officers of the court know about his history?  It could very will be that her choice of attorney could impair her chances.  She wouldn't think like that.  She would think in all her grandiosity that any attorney would be better than not having one at all.  She would be wrong in her thinking as I considered hiring an attorney and decided not to, as I felt my own attorney might be persuaded to settle without regarding my wishes.  I can imagine some attorney trying to negotiate with her attorney not understanding that I am judgement proof and can't be garnished in the first place!  I don't want someone representing me that doesn't understand that this was all a personal vendetta in the first place.  I always knew I would be better off representing myself and not giving the opposition any leeway for their own agenda.  I keep thinking about this song I used to know called the 20th century is almost over.  The line that keeps me smiling is "the judgement day is getting nearer, there it is in the rear view mirror.  If you duck down, I could see a little clearer, all over this world".  Don't worry about me if I don't blog for a few days.  I have lots of things to do, and friends to see before the month is out. 

Final Formation

The metal quilt is almost finished.  I selected these 24 squares from the 35 I completed.  I kept all the advertising and the ones I deselected will go into the next quilt.  I shattered the Plexiglas on the first rivet, and have had to scrounge around the cut off bins in town to find just the right replacement.  I had to borrow a hand drill and wait till I got my check to pick up the weatherization nails.  I have used the down time wisely though as I have several projects to finish this month, as well as beginning the next quilt.  My friend Tom C. gave me 4 seasons of True Blood to distract me for the last couple days of no money that is typical of every month.  What a great HBO series!  Thanks Tom.  It was like taking a vacation with all the comforts of home.