Barb's Weblog

A message for the Ohana.

Sammy called me last nite and Tate called today to tell me Mrs Tate had passed away in Honolulu last week wednesday, the 21st. She was very old and didn't have many memories left, but had stayed at home with Tate's sister and nephew all these years until last spring when she finally went into a care facility. Tate went home to see her and get her settled in her last home. He said she really liked him a lot, but did not remember exactly who he was. He stayed for a while to help work on the house and fix things up for the family, then returned to LA.

I know we all have great memories of Mrs Tate! I recall her fondly as the beautiful Hawaiian woman with the impossibly long gorgeous hair and the loudest scolding voice in the 50th state! Seems she was always yelling at us to stop playing music and go home, to stop drinking all that wine and go home, stop smoking pot and go home, to get out of her house and go home...How many times she chased me out of her son's bed, or chased me and Tate out of HER bed. I remember her room always seemed so beautiful and clean, pretty white curtains and yellow sunshine flooding in. Probably 'cause it was the middle of the day and we'd cut out of school again...I loved it there. Once she chased me away and made us sleep all night out in the yard, Tate such a gentleman he gave me the old hammock (remember it?!) and slept on the ground under the mango tree. Wow, it was such a different life back then, wasn't it? All lolos and laulaus.

After I moved to the mainland in 1972, presumably to become grown up, it seemed I always got her as the information operator when I called for Hawaii numbers. Strangely enough it happened a lot over many years! I'd call for help, hear her voice (that voice!) and say "Elsie? Its Barbara, Tate's high school girlfriend!" and she'd yell "Bahbra! How you stay? Still up da mainlan' or what?"
For many years I sent her mother's day cards! After all, it was she who showed me how to cook rice...

Any way, I wanted all of you to know that a great lady went along before us. I hope she is singing Hawaiian Songs on a beautiful sunlit Hawaiian Beach in her own private devachan, her friends gathered around to celebrate her arrival, perfect rice in the pot and the bells from her devotions ringing on the breeze.

Aloha Elsie Tate.
Bahbra.

4:54 PM — e-mail me your comments

Well, back from the Gates of Hell, beter known as TriCities, Washington.
Its amazing people can survive in such heat! It was sweaty and hot and miserable, and of course began to cool down the morning we left. Must have been all the way under 100 degrees by then. I'm sure it was still horrifically hot by my standards, but cool for the locals at the Hydro races. And you ask, why do I go back every year if the heat is so oppressive?
The PEOPLE are so great! Friendly earthy and very real, they are always so kind and love my work so much that I think about them throughout the year and hope they are doing well! I love them!

Seems like I never even left, so immersive is the day to day Shadowfax/Mom/work world. Up by 7:30 and still feeling late!
Nothing for us now til Anacortes Arts Festival, Aug 7,8,9. And that is always a fun one for us. My favorite junk store is there, stuffed with cool boat stuff and dusty bins of un nameable items.

Here is a picture for those of you who know how I love music. I always like to be near the stage at shows, as I love to listen and watch all the craziness that goes on. And this image shows what COULD have been the DREAM booth spot for me!

Thats us on the corner, with the view of the stage and grassy seating area from the back of the booth. But tho you'd THINK it was perfect (Jesse told me "Sure theres gonna be music, Barb!") it was truly just Karaoke. Oh, but not regular karaoke...after all Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart sang karaoke to their own stuff at Casa U Betcha a decade ago or so...wow what a night!

This was the most awful karaoke possible to hear. One drunken singer actually belched a beer burp directly into the mic, another lost points for singing a drug song (White Rabbit...well, ok it IS a drug song, but a rockin one!) and guys, it was downhill from there. They each sang one song, then the finalists (!) sang another and then the winner sang.

OUCH!!

Next time I hear "Sure theres gonna be music, Barb" I'll know to be suspicious about what its all about! Music, my ass! Thats really awful karaoke! This is one event I will NEVER do again, Heritage Festival it will never be, with the direction City of Redmond is going with this one! Too much beer, rude teenagers and, well, bad music! And the local police were absolutely gestapo-like, the crafters had to actually mutiny to escape. They finally allowed us out in groups with police escort, a very uneccesary thing, but then crafters are notoriously piratical...can't trust those ArtsyTypes, you know!

City of Redmond-figure it out! What a shame to replace the most wonderful and beloved eastside event, Heritage Festival with this brawl! Calling it PepsiCo Family Fourth next year will at least warn the true fine arts exhibitors off...this will be more of a painted rock, foam snake, green alien masks sort of crowd. But maybe an ear plug booth.............

OK I have other rants to rant, but I mainly wanted to add a note to an unknown customer!

At Edmonds Arts Festival a woman bought a beautiful pin. It was coming home to be remade into (?) a pendant. It has gotten separated from its order envelope and I have lost your name and address and work order instructions. I just found it this last weekend when I opened the order bag to put in some work orders. Lowie and I remember the moment, but not any details.

You know who you are. If you have been waiting to hear from me, please email and get in touch. I apologise for the mix up, its very rare in my shop even though a lot of orders come thru the room, but it occasionally happens. I need instructions and shipping address!

See ya later, everyone. Its off to the bench for me! Many hairwraps to grind, bezels to make.

Barb

3:00 PM — e-mail me your comments