Custom Designed Baseball pieces to raise funds for Young Audiences.

 We get lots of requests for artwork to be sold to raise money for worthy causes, and while we often do it, we aren't always very pleased about the idea because the auction price is usually less that what we charge for the item, and while the winning bidder is pleased, and  the organization is pleased, we are a bit annoyed at sort of losing a sale?

However, this time it was a challenge to create a piece of art using a baseball!  It could be as simple as painting a baseball creatively ( a lot easier than doing one of those full size "Horses on Parade" ) or whatever we wanted.  We love Young Audiences, because  they work very hard to expose kids to the "Arts", and we loved this challenge.  Cheryl was already making a piece we called "Women on the Ball" using some left over wooden parts from The Toycrafter, so it seemed natural to create a "Woman on a Baseball" with some adjustments of course, and Don thought it would be fun to create one of his "Balancing Acts" using the ball as the weight on the bottom.  After several false starts using ball bats and gloves, and even a strange idea using an image of the diamond, the design below emerged in his brain while on a bike ride!  A video can be seen here!  --- http://vimeo.com/72527698     Rockin With The Red Wings!

Come join us for a Red Wings ball game, and a great fund raising event celebrating 50 years of Young Audiences!   Buy tickets by August 19th - www.yarochester.org  or  585.530.2060 

The event is Friday evening the 23rd of August 2013 - see you there?

If you didn't figure it out, The Red Wings are our local baseball team.

Which kind of "bike" were you referring to?

I took  this picture in the parking area near Genesee Valley Park - Rochester, NY while riding through during Bike week a couple of weeks ago.  I'm struck by how often  there seems to be confusion when people use  the word "Bike".  Some automatically think motorcycle, some automatically think bicycle - I even sometimes think about my big yellow tricycle.  These folks - from Piffard, NY if I remember rightly - came up to Rochester for a bike ride on the northern section of the Genesee Greenway bike trail (bicycle).  They ride regularly on the southern portion through their hometown, but had never ridden this far north!  The little bike trailer is a homemade unit - a small motorcycle trailer with a car top bike carrier attached!  Nice folks who enjoy both kinds of "bikes"!

By the way - I'm up to 418.5 miles on my bikes so far this year.

17.2 on the big yellow trike, and 401.3 on my Biria!

Maeve graduates from Drew University today!

That's Maeve on the left!

We are so proud of you kid!

You too Wyatt - three more years and I'll re-post this picture for you!

A couple of sights on the bike path yesterday

 Wisteria growing high up in some trees along the bike path -above- and below I  thought I had missed my shot of this bunny, but actually caught a nice shot.  I  really want a camera that takes the picture when I push the button instead of some time later when it decides it is ready?

Gravestone has arrived

Dad and I went to see Mom on Sunday - Mother's Day.  We took along some lilacs from our yard, and were pleasantly surprised that their head stone was in place.  I got a phone call from the funeral home this morning (Monday) that the stone had been installed last week.  I asked Dad how it felt to look at his own stone - something not many of us get to do?  The response - "Strange".

We miss you Mom!

Just one of many signs of spring, 

and one of the reasons why I love 

getting back on my bike in the spring.

Olney Place!

 The Olney Place

 A couple of years ago, a good friend told me about The Olney Place, and told me he was friends with Nate Olney.  I did some research - mostly asking my dad - and discovered the exact relationship between Nate Olney and Dad and I.  We are cousins - second cousins once removed, and all that genealogical terminology stuff.  This past Sunday, Dad and I decided to go find Nate, and The Olney Place.  Nate wasn't around, but his son Seth Olney was, and it turns out an all around great guy and the owner of The Olney Place!  Seth and I are third cousins once removed.  The third cousin  thing is because Henry Cadmus Olney is his great great great grandfather, and my great great grandfather.  The once removed thing is because Seth and I are not the same generation - at least I think that is the correct explanation... anyway, we are related, and I'm very pleased to know Seth!

 That's Mel Olney, Seth Olney, and Don Olney above! Click on the picture for a bigger view.

 At age 32, Seth seems to be a very dedicated and successful entrepreneur - even sells his own private label dressings, spices, honey, etc. in his market and deli!  Seth and I even discussed my designing and making some additional products for his store - definitely some tops, and I'm thinking about some other ideas!

 

While he says he is not yet running for Congress, he already has a sign in the window to help spread the word that he is available!

I highly recommend stopping by The Olney Place for some ice cream, a great sandwich, a couple of t-shirts, and a fishing pole?  He is well stocked on beer, soda, chips, and whatever else you might want for a summer picnic!  Tell him Don and Mel Olney sent you!  And maybe he'll have some Olney Place spinning tops by then - handcrafted by his cousin! If you'd like to know a lot more about Seth's great great great grandfather - Henry Cadmus Olney -

 Click here

Another License Plate ... This one with the real story!

Picture collected outside the restaurant where Dad, Cheryl, and I had dinner tonight!  Dad and Cheryl were already inside - I shot the pic in the parking lot, came in and showed it to Cheryl.  Took her a while to translate - she then said "Late for Supper" out loud!  A chuckle from a nearby table - "That's mine" followed.  I went over and talked with her a bit, but upon my return to our table I realized that while I had actually met the owner of one of my license plate's pictures, I had neglected to get the story!

Back to her table I went -

The story ---- I used to be a Dead Head, but discovered that having bumper stickers, etc advertising that fact led to being pulled over too many times!  Thus the more subtle license plate message --- Late for Supper is the first song on Jerry Garcia's first album!  Also, being a pastry chef, she had named her business Late for Supper also!

People have such good stories if you take the time to listen!

Top Spinners at 2013 RIT Juggle-In!

 

Above - My good friend and fellow top spinner Mike Hout with Autograph - a large top that he works hard to have autographed by all top spinners.  My limited travel schedule has kept my autograph off until now, when Mike, Mark, Dick, and Jim all came to Rochester where I could join them!  Thanks guys, and many good wishes to Jorge who planned on coming, but could not make it due to a family emergency.  We missed you Jorge!

 Above - Don Olney (ME!) with Autograph!

  

Above - Jim Neff with Autograph!

 

 Above - Mark Hayward (already a signer of Autograph) - many heartfelt thanks to Mark who organized getting these guys all to Rochester to spin tops, and to tour the top collection!

 

 Dick Stohr  above (also already a signer of Autograph) spun a pretty mean top in the Friday evening open show!  I think Dick was the only guy older than me - except of course for my Dad (below) who spent about 12 hours with us all on Saturday - from first top throw in the morning to the end of the public show!  Dad is not a top spinner, but he sure has kept me spinning for many years!

 We all spent about 4 hours on Sunday morning digging through my top collection - no where near enough time, but we sure did all have fun!  Mike Hout stayed over Sunday night, and talked me out of some of my collection.  I am no longer a virgin when it comes to selling my collection, so anyone else with some money is welcome to visit!  Below - Mike about to pull out of my driveway on Monday morning with some of his loot!  Mike and I toured Mount Hope Cemetery , and spend a couple of hours at the Strong Museum of Play before he took off for home!

Much thanks to all for almost 3 1/2 days of pure fun!

And - Jorge you have a personal invitation to come visit anytime!

Also any of my other top spinning friends, and if you can't spin a top, come anyway, and I'll teach you!
Next year's RIT Juggle-In  will be April 11-13, 2014 so put in on your calendars and plan to come spin with us!

2012 Family Christmas Tree Ornaments

Every year we create a special Christmas tree ornament for the folks at the annual holiday party.... mostly the Palmeri side if the family - our daughter-in-law's family!  Just a quick question - Why isn't there a name for that group of folks?  They are our son's in-laws, but no term for what they are to us.  I can tell you that they are family, and we are very lucky to be related to them!

Some days just give us wonderful -- another reference to an old blog post

Almost 5 years ago, someone left a note on our front door expressing appreciation of the artwork on our front porch, and in our windows.  We were very moved by the note, and I scanned it and included it in a very early blog post here.

Saturday evening at a party for a friend's 60th, I was talking  with a couple about misc stuff.  While cycling through some pictures on my phone looking for the picture of my new Big Yellow Bike with grandchildren to show them, I went by a picture that showed some of our figures.  The woman exclaimed something on the order of "Oh you are those artists!"  A few moments later she said how much she liked our house, and that she had left a note on our door several years back!  Our mysterious stranger who made us feel so good years ago, had materialized right in front of me!

I love how the world works, connecting us to people and things that enrich us.  Those "out of the blue" moments that I've always said are really very specifically oriented and aimed at our soul.  I used to say, and may need to re-establish as a commonly used phrase, "Out Of The Blue" is a very specific place! 

Thank you to whatever forces are at work in the universe that make life so rewarding and exciting!  There are a lot of folks who seem to concentrate on the things in life that are not so pleasant, rewarding, or exciting, but I find most of my life organized by those "Out of the blue" forces.  Life is very good right now - Dad is doing well (for 3 months now), and I'm feeling quite creative.  And, even with my life in great shape, "Out of the blue" sent me another reminder.  On top of grandchildren, children, wife, dad, and my Big Yellow Bike, "Out of the blue" reached out and put a nice bright cherry on top of my sundae!

A tale of an accident!

This is basically a repeat of a post from about 3 years ago.  The reason for the repeat is that on our drive two weeks ago, Dad and I went through the intersection where the accident happened.  So - read on and learn why that bad fender behind my great grandfather Herman Babcock is really an improvement over the car's condition after the icy slide of 1944?

That's me on the left! I figure that this picture was taken sometime the winter of 1946/47 - maybe Thanksgiving '46? That's my Mom, Violet, holding me. Next to Mom is her mom - my grandmother - Florence Babcock Drake. Next to her is Herman Babcock - her father, my mom's grandfather, and my great grandfather! At that time, Herman was living with Glenn Babcock - Florence's brother - and his wife Katie. The picture was taken by my Dad outside their home. The car in the background is a 1938 Plymouth Coupe.

Note the damaged fender on the car. Dad had been in an accident at an icy intersection, and the right front fender was destroyed, but the collision shop could not get a fender - it was war time, and metal stuff was in short supply. He tried driving the car without a fender, but so much mud and stuff was thrown up on the windshield that he could not see to drive. He went around to junk yards till he found the right fender - not in good shape though! Still, it would catch the flying mud! The junk yard guy told Dad he could have it for free if he wanted to take if off the wreck himself. Dad went to work, and got the fender -- or at least most of a fender! Not pretty, but no more mud on the windshield!

Thanks to Anne for finding the picture in some of my brother's old stuff. Thanks again to Anne for knowing I would want that picture! Thanks to Dad for taking that picture 65 years ago, and thanks to Dad for another of his classic stories! And thanks to Herman, Florence, and Violet for passing on the heritage!

What Dad's 1938 Plymouth looked like before?

Guest Photographer

 CJ took these pictures

 Great Grandpa Mel above

Grandpa Don below

The photographer at the bottom!

Thanks CJ!

Peeling Paint

 I love these!

Click to embiggen!

It's A Linda!

I'll post a few pictures of our booth at 100 American Craftsmen this weekend later, but first, I want to share these two pictures.  We'll probably be seeing a lot more of these "Farewell Tour" signs over the next few years.  We are all aging, and while we still love making beautiful creative  things, we are finding it harder and harder to haul all this stuff around!  Driving a couple of hundred miles, give or take a few, setting up walls (sometimes a tent too), artfully displaying our work, smiling and talking for 6-10 hours for two or three days, and then packing it all up at the end of the day on Sunday, and usually driving home that night because we really didn't make enough money  to afford another night in a hotel, is getting to be quite hard on us ought to be retired folks!

If you missed getting a wonderful handwoven piece from our friend Linda this weekend, check out her web site --- It's A Linda

And next time you are at a craft show, and see all that grey hair, consider investing in some soon to be unavailable art for your life, or for your friends or family!

Current show at Genesee Co-op Federal Credit Union - Part 3

 Our show at the Genesee Co-op Federal Credit Union is still up, and  we are gratified at how many of our neighbors have stopped us to say how much they have enjoyed the color and energy of our work!

 They even let us share our politics at the opening, but our famous fund raising handmade campaign buttons are not on display now.  You can contact us directly to get some, and have all the proceeds donated to the campaign!

395 Gregory St, Rochester, NY 14620-1327

Stop by to see the artwork, open an account, and support our neighborhood!  I'm not sure when the show ends, but it is at least a couple of weeks more!

Uncle Chet gives Maya and CJ a ride!

Maya and CJ are big John Deere fans, and after this they are even bigger fans!

Thanks from all to Uncle Chet!

Not sure if Aunt Mary went along to help CJ feel more secure, or if she is just the slightly larger kid in the bunch!  I think it is totally clear that Uncle Chet had more fun that anybody!

Grandma Cheryl's Mother's Day Azalea Bush being delivered!

 Maya and Casey deliver and plant Cheryl's Mother's Day Azalea!

Snapping turtle egg laying season is upon us!

 Above - yesterday's  egg site restored.

 Above and below - another snapping turtle laying her eggs along the bike trail.  Third snapping turtle in two days, and 6th egg site found!  Spring is a busy time!

17 mile ride today, including finding a whole new section of bike trail to use.

A day that gives me a good story is a good day!

A great ride on the bike today, and two great stories.  At an intersection in a local park, I noticed a young couple in a bright red pick-up truck.  Look exchanged with the driver as I rode by, and then about a half mile further on, the red pick-up stops as I pass by, and the young man says "Would you take our picture?"  Of course I reply, and they pull up a few yards down the rode, and as they get out, they don leather jackets, and motorcycle helmets!  My response -"Where's the motorcycle?  Are you going to photoshop it in later?"  Their response - "Well, the bike is in the shop.  See that long groove in the grass?  That is where we wiped out on this curve earlier in the week, and we thought it would be nice to have some pictures of us at the site of the accident!"  That is them above - sans helmets - at the far end of  the groove in the grass.  You can see them more clearly if you click on the picture.
Another story on my return home.  The 4 year old neighbor boy comes running over ..... "How far did you go today?"  I tell him 14.8 miles, and he says "WOW!  That almost all the way to St. Louis!"