Sherri Woodard Coffey

This is a video of a mobile of old unused cell phones playing a Christmas carol. Enjoy!

Experience Mobile Mobile from James Théophane Jnr on Vimeo.

My daughter and family are to fly in from North Carolina this evening.  Even though they live in Charlotte, they found a flight from Greensboro that would be cheaper.  The weather reports for that whole region of the country are not good—at least for humans driving cars and taking planes.  I am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for the best.  When they come, there is always so much to squeeze into a short time frame, and besides, I’m looking forward to seeing them.  So, the plan for today (if I can maintain some focus) is to weave for a short while, then do the regular weekly housework.  Got the guest room ready yesterday, so today it’s everything else today.  I am resisting—for now—the urge to sit down at my design table.  Things are running around in my head, but they probably need to settle into something coherent before bringing out the paper.  Maybe weaving will help with that…

In thinking about how often I have mentioned the weather lately, I have realized how much the weather affects my state of mind.  Yesterday we had a high of 44, but the sun was shining, so somehow it didn’t seem quite so bad.  Today it’s a tad warmer, but cloudy.  Prefer the sunshine.  I did get out the bird seed the other day on one of the warmer days, and it has been discovered.  I love sitting at my loom and catching glimpses of the various birds that come to the feeders.  Before this room became my studio, I had a sofa out there and spent several winters identifying birds and being surprised at some of the rare ones that would stop by for a little snack.

My wireless router went kaplooey, so off I went today to get a new one, along with groceries, gas, etc.  Something else that amazes me is how much I rely on this internet connection.  Can’t decide if that’s a good thing or not, but it just is.  We got our H1N1 shots yesterday (I know, the season for it is probably over), and I was thinking about how nice it would be to just email my doctor the update.  I wish she would email me information too, instead of mailing the results of blood tests and such.  Maybe I’ll ask about that next time I’m in.  It is good that prescriptions are coming printed out and/or sent directly to pharmacies.  No more worries about doctors’ handwriting with that method!

Enough rambling—now off to actually try and accomplish something.  Still have those design kits to sew up, a little housework, and hmmm….maybe some weaving?  Still working on focus, or lack thereof.

I hate to say it, but routine is nice.  Routine sounds so boring, but I have to admit I have been looking forward to a boring, routine day.  This day got off to a rough start because the morning newspaper wasn’t here to have along with my coffee.  But I did my weaving, then started in on the minimum of housework.  It was nice to be able to work in the kitchen without having to deal with a stopped up sink (plumber was out this week).  The laundry is washed, the floors are vacuumed, furniture is dusted, and the sun is shining!  All’s right with the world—at least for this day.  Now off to Borders to have coffee and read the local alternative weekly newspaper—our Sunday treat.  Tonight will be spent working on finishing the scans of old slides.  Amazing what you can find in old, forgotten pictures!  Hope to make a DVD of the slides, but have never done that before.  Another work in progress.

Of course, the sunshine came with really cold temperatures and wind, but all’s better with a spoonful of sunshine on top!  And there are so many folks in really cold, snowy conditions all over the country right now.  According to the news, many areas have cut back on snowplowing because of budget cuts.  Huge berms of snow in the streets…can’t even imagine.

It’s always interesting what shows underneath the warp when I take a picture of something on the loom.  As the picture is being snapped, I’m not even  conscious of what’s showing through the warp threads.  In this photo you can see a smidgen of orange and the blue/violet before that.  At any rate, this is what’s on the loom, and may still be what’s on the loom until after the holiday season.  If I can just focus, focus, focus ….

Yesterday there was a strange yellow object in the sky—at least briefly.  Wonderful to see the sun even if only for a few minutes.  I need that boost to my energy.

Work in progress—Wish there were some interesting pictures to post, but so far it’s pretty much only solid colors.  I did start the tapestry section yesterday, so perhaps tomorrow I can take a picture of the WIP.  The afternoon was spent making phone calls and doing errands.  Why do I postpone those phone calls?  I’m really just not a phone call kind of person.  Don’t even chat much on the phone.

Today will be a fun day.  Having a little luncheon with a small group of friends, and, boy, do I need it!  I offered to bring the wine, but since I don’t drink wine, it was thought that bringing bread would be better.  Now what goes with potato/leek soup? 

My plan had been taking some small little something for Christmas gifts, but real life interfered, so maybe a New Year’s gift?  Or a Just Because gift? 

I’m still going to make seed balls, even if it’s late in the season.  I read about urban seed ballers.  You casually throw out the seed balls of wildflowers onto vacant lots and watch for the wildflowers in the spring and summer.  Can’t you imagine the blooms amidst the piles of trash?  Love it!

… equals a perfect day for weaving.  I did a few things on the to-do list and ignored the rest.  The fire in the woodburning stove is going, and many inches have been woven today.  I hope to get to the part where the tapestry starts by the end of the day.  My focus is not great, but I do feel rested finally.  Two naps yesterday and an early night did the trick.  Tomorrow may mean more dreary weaving weather and a few more things from the list.  At some point I really do have to call a plumber for the kitchen sink.I went to the art supply store today to buy a few things for my grandson.  He’s a pretty good little artist, so I got a set of graphite pencils, good sharpener, eraser, and a sketchbook.  He may be too young for the pencils, but he wants a “real” compass.  Thought I’d make him what I call a design kit.  In my design kit, I keep a protractor, pencils, sharpener, compass, rulers, scissors, and whatever other stuff I may need.  Since I can roll it up, I carry it with me when I travel—you can never tell when the muse will visit.  Beck was really fascinated with the compass, so I have warned his mother that it a sharp point.  Now, the younger one is playing the piano.  Wonder how his parents would feel about a harmonica—with instructions for play the blues, of course!  

Unfortunately, I sat down last night with a calendar and realized how much there is to do in so little time.  I took my daughter to the airport today for her early flight, but she and her family will be returning in almost exactly two weeks.  Yikes!  I am so excited about having them here though.  I love having those little boys in the house and hearing them call for grandma.  Of course, it’s nice that their parents come with them, but …..

One of the major things to accomplish this week is a visit from the plumber for the very slow draining kitchen sink.  We will also have to discuss options for my shower repair while he is here.  I would also like to wiggle my nose and bring warmer weather back.  But today, it is a nap before all else and then perhaps some weaving time.  Weaving seems to bring peace and comfort to me, and that’s what I need.

In Loving Memory
Herman Woodard
12/15/1920 – 12/2/2009

My father was born in 1920, one of eleven children. He grew up in the hard times of the Depression; he worked hard all his life, and provided well for his own family of five children. He left home at an early age as part of the Civilian Conservation Corps Basically, this was the first time he had been away from home, unless you count going to Arkansas to bring his father’s body back for burial. With the CCC, he traveled to California and finished his CCC committment in Texas. Until the Parks Dept of Texas started interviewing men who had participated in this program, I did not know many of the details, just that he had participated in the program. In the interview, you could hear the tears in my father’s voice as he talked about his experiences. He was very thankful for this program because he learned new skills and could help out his family. The “boys” (and they were really young, most of them) got to keep a few dollars, and the rest was sent home to help the families. Here in Texas there are many outstanding projects from the program still in use. The Municipal Rose Garden in Fort Worth is a good example of one as are many of our state park facillities.

Amazingly, my mother, an only child who had graduated from high school at 15, was allowed to take the bus and travel to Corpus Christi (where he was serving in the Navy) to marry my father when she was only seventeen. I simply can’t imagine that now, but it was wartime, and my mother’s parents realized what a responsible man my father was. For his part, my father looked upon his father-in-law as a father. My parents later returned to their “home” area, and my father started a business. My parents were married 66 years.

All of us (we were a family of four girls and one boy) were expected to go to college. We were all made to feel that we could do whatever we wanted to do, and that hard work was what made one feel good. He was so proud of his children and grandchildren.  For me, the knowledge that I could do anything is probably the most valuable gift I have received from my father. 

Right before Thanksgiving, my father had a severe stroke. We were able to arrange hospice care and bring him home. Even though he appeared to be sleeping peacefully, it was hard for me to look at my father in that bed. This was my first experience with hospice, and I have come to believe that those nurses have a special calling. They took such wonderful care of my father, which was comforting to us all, especially my mother. I am grateful that he had a good, long life. I am grateful that my son was able to see him the day before this event happened, and that he was here to say his good-byes.  I am grateful that my daughter was able to be here for the funeral and the next few difficult days.  I am grateful for my father’s “can do” attitude. I am grateful that the grandchildren all have such wonderful memories of their grandfather (he was so patient with them). I am just grateful that I had him as a father.

how much to actually write here.  What’s totally private and what can be shared? 

My father had a massive stroke on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and, after a short stay in the hospital, is now at home with wonderful hospice care.  I am grateful that he can be at home with his wife of 66 years in a comfortable setting.  I am grateful that my son was here, saw his grandfather before this event, and was able to make his own personal good-byes in the hospital.  I am grateful for all the wonderful memories that all the grandchildren have.  I am grateful for my father.