Day 359

The year 2010 is coming to an end. No bells or whistles just time, a concept far greater than our thoughts comprehend. Dates, years, hours, goals, dreams and achievements are all measurements of time. The beginning of the year usually starts out the same, an art exhibit in January and February followed by a lecture series in March during Women's awareness month. April and May my mother and I sift through pages of seed journals looking for exotics to WOW our farmers market customers in the summer. 26 weekends of baking pound cakes, and cleverly displaying vegetables for faithful customers and sometimes unappreciative lookie loos continues through the annual fall festival in October. Cold weather staggers in like the drunk uncle, everyone hopes, forgets the reunion date, but always arrives, right on time. Cutting wood, raking and burning leaves along with the last lawn cut of the season have become tradition. I've decided that Fall is my favorite space in time with smears of yellow and crimson just below the skyline. Woodpeckers, Blue jays, and our fish thief the Heron hang around foraging through the stuff I've raked up or left behind. November is always a blink, turkeys appear and disappear like eggnog, bringing us to December. Was the year mundane? Hardly! My oldest daughter graduated High School, enrolled in College, landed an office Managers position, got her drivers license and went on a 3 hour trail ride with her 4 year old gelding. My middle daughter turned 16, cut twelve inches of her hair, read 20 books(all romance)enjoyed technical theater, learned to speak Spanish, traveled to Tennessee to the Celebrations Tennessee Walking Extravaganza and faced her fear of honors chemistry and won! My Baby girl grew 3 inches over night, maintained her 98 average in all subjects, turned 14, and still looks forward to competing with 4-H judging teams. My mother announced that if we don't convert the garden to raised beds she's "not Gonna dig another hole!" She's finally learning to be a lady of leisure and enjoying her retirement. Reading Robert Ludlum dictionaries, rug hooking with the Crescent Lane hookers, knitting again after a 30 yr hiatus, naps in the middle of the day, with a little facebook on the side. My year has been filled with a lil art promotion, a lil book promoting, and a whole lot of school. Yes I made the decision to return to school after a "living life" break. I've discovered that after 27 years, my zest for learning has not wavered. I am my harshest critic, and continuously challenge my personal best to be better. Like my mom, I too am a rug hooker, book reader, mommy and daughter, whose every waking minute is filled with something, laughter, anger, disappointment, expectation, mediocre teachers, great educators, memorable lyrics, and trashy radio moments. Severing my 14 year relationship with DISH network and pulling the plug on television in general is not earth shattering news but it has allowed more time for quality conversation amongst 5 giggling girls. That's my year thus far, I definitely plan to keep you all abreast of any new developments.
Until next TIME

Tying Knots

I live in a place where people are of few words, not because they're conversationally challenged but because they're not eager to waste words. Meet-ups at the town post office draw men in overalls with plaid shirts, dusty boots, and cow tales about a time when there were no people, imagine that. I've discovered that one liners have a respected place in Americana and for those who don't get it, they are truly missing out on generations of storytelling. So after logging several hundred hours of gathered information, I've taken bits and pieces to form my own ideas about overalls, dust, cows & planting. There may be an exact science to planting, the local University receives millions of dollars to prove it, but around my neighborhood the education is free if you just listen. Trellising beans is the subject for this blog, in one liner jargon the question is, how'd you tie your beans? I've mentioned previously that our produce business focuses on Naturally Grown vegetables, no pesticides, heirloom seeds, composting and well water, so why not use a natural trellis method. Many experts use wire fencing because the beans get heavy and there is a sense of permanency, but I've discovered that beans have feelings and they prefer natural, organic support to lean on when possible. With the help of our neighbors and my mom we now have a trellis supported with T-post and Jute for our climbers. Its taken some time to hand string a fence but I'm looking forward to the result. The quality time with our friends and my mom are priceless and the rest is Gravy.

I'm no Town Crier

I've recently joined a new facebook group called "I live in Georgia where all four seasons happen within the week." That's an understatement. At the beginning of the week, my neighbor was teaching us how to split our own firewood, toughening up our hands, making us feel self reliant, and dependent on the land. As I walked across the yard while waving my hand, here and there I casually mentioned how I'd like "someone" to Kill all the Privet in Georgia until it's dead beyond recognition. Kill all the Kudzu and wild onions too its useless! He assured me that we had another few weeks before the weather broke and the plants I mentioned, wouldn't begin to thrive until the middle of April. As I strolled up and down the aisles of Lowes I watched people load their carts with dainty little annuals, pricing shrubbery, potting soil and seeds. I thought to myself "they're gonna get hit with that April Frost" I'm gonna wait. Now my garden has been plowed for two weeks ready to go and my dearest neighbor and Spiritual brother gave us several Onion and Garlic plants that he's grown through the winter in his greenhouse. Established, strong and tall they've stood alone for the past two weeks enduring some cold temps. Upon waking this morning I heard the distinct sound of a wasp over head and why did I hear it so clearly,because the air was heavy and still. I immediately made plans to take advantage of the spring day. I surveyed the front yard scanning the flower bed for weeds, then I looked through the kitchen window at the garden plot with 5 perfectly straight rows of Onion and Garlic. It appeared from the window, that there were some grass shoots coming up, which is to be expected, but as I went outside to get a closer view I gasped in disbelief, apostates in MY garden, attempting to invade the territory.Looking just like my precious green house babies, but out of line. I'm no town crier so before I sounded the alarm I did some research on wild onions and garlic. Some people love them, cook with them, boil, blanch and eat raw. Others dislike the scent,and or taste and advise not to eat them because of the toxicity to dogs, horses and children. Well I'm a horse owner,I have 3 children and I'm human, that's enough for me. I probably won't win the battle but I'm sure gonna try!

A Month of MADNESS

October came in with a gust, donning wings equipped for the ride. I graciously accepted an invitation to sit amongst a group of exceptional childrens book authors and illustrators. Side eyeing everyones prized accomplishments I eagerly anticipated the chance to brag without exuding arrogance. So pleased with my latest achievement, its illustrations, its purpose, its meaning, I thought to myself, Just how comfortable am I wearing the Authors Chapeau? I've been Margo Candelario Folk Artist & Poet, labeled by those who do the Labeling. Reconnecting with friends who are load bearing walls of support helped me to realize that I have the means, ability and talent to write my own labels in Sharpie. I've wasted enough time dimming my light like a dying ember. I am a force to reckon with. Talented enough to be called a Fine Artist, International Poet, Author of whatever I choose, Friend, Daughter, Mother, Business Owner, Farmer, Animal Owner, Landscaper, yes I cut the grass too. Borders Bookstore in Athens, thank you for hosting a powerhouse panel of accomplished authors. I recommend you pick up the recent release by Donny Bailey Seagraves Gone from these Woods. Elizabeth O. Dulemba's Soap, soap, Soap ~ Jabon, jabon, jabon. Gene Fehler's YA Free verse novel Beanball. Robyn Hood Black's nonfiction interactive book Wolves. Donna Bowman's Did Dinosaurs Eat People.

Juiced & Not Tipsy

In an effort to readjust my thinking about food and companionship, I've committed the next 12 weeks to healthier thoughts, healthier friendships and wiser food choices. I've been sucking on the porkchop pacifier to long and my teeth are bucking, along with some other parts of me. At week 5 of the rest of my life, I'm feeling better, breathing easier and at ease with "ME". The American Heart Association needs the support of all women to eradicate the #1 killer of mothers, sisters, aunts , and nieces, HEART DISEASE! Through awareness, and prevention, we can beat it. So along with adjusting my attitude, I'm eating food straight from my garden, some I'm cooking and others I'm juicing. I've been inspired by friends and family to get moving, one foot at a time. Learned behavior is a tough habit to break, but I'm NOT gonna be broken!
~Margo~

UCONN Art Exhibition Stamford Connecticut

Stamford art show honors Black History Month
Posted on 02/16/2009
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Stamford art show honors Black History Month

STAMFORD

By AMANDA NORRIS

Hour Staff Writer


A Stamford art show and new children's book focus on the family in celebration of Black History Month. Four visual artists whose works represent various transitions in people's lives submitted paintings and installations to "The 3rd Eye: A Study in Transition." The show opened Thursday and works will be on display at the University of Connecticut Stamford Art Gallery, 1 University Place, Washington Boulevard, through this month.

The show features mixed media, photography, fiber art, painting and sculpture by Barry Mason, Natalie Alleyne, Jerry Craft and Margo Candelario.

Also, Craft and Candelario have produced a children's book to be distributed by Simon & Schuster beginning this month. "Looking to the Clouds for Daddy" documents a family's experience with a particularly painful transition: the death of a father. Candelario wrote the book, and Craft illustrated it using a combination of photography and pen and ink drawing.

Candelario chose the works and location for "The 3rd Eye." She explained that to fulfill the theme of life transition Mason and Alleyne portrayed "the newlywed" through their pieces, Craft "the family man" and herself "the widow."

Candelario and Craft are both intimately familiar with their subject roles. A Norwalk resident, husband and father of two, Craft also draws "Mama's Boyz," a comic strip portraying a family of two boys and their single mother.

When she was still pregnant with their third daughter, Candelario's husband, Phil, died of a heart attack in 1996 at the age of 34. She wrote the book almost 10 years ago, when her daughters were still very young.

On Friday, Cheyenne, 17, Camaryan, 14, and Trae, 12, helped unpack the first boxes of the book's first edition at Craft's Harriet Street home, sniffling as they handled the tangible completion of their mother's artistic goal.

"In many ways, I documented their grief as a means of not dealing with my own. It was much easier to watch what they were doing," Candelario said. "I didn't want them to have psychological repercussions from this. I didn't want them to have to go to therapy. I couldn't wallow in my grief. I had three children to raise."

One installation she created for "The 3rd Eye," Candelario said, features eyeglasses, a wallet and other personal belongings of her husband which she kept in a canister for her daughters to view periodically. Another piece, a series of photographs, captures the changes in porchlight during different times of the day and night. Because her husband was a correctional officer and frequently worked nights, she and her oldest daughter would customarily "leave the light on for Daddy," she said.

According to Craft and Candelario, the book, like the show, fills a niche, making publicly visible common and universal experiences of love, tenderness, sorrow and grief not singularly from the perspective of a black family but inclusive of that perspective.




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I have been honored to be able to view Margo Candelario's wonderful paintings for the last couple of years. She is blessed with an insight into her heritage and people's psyche which is often reflected in her work. The book that she and the talented illustrator Jerry Craft have produced is nothing short of genius. To tackle a complex and emotional subject in such a novel way presents a product that can help many grieving families over that tragic hurtle. Helping her family deal with the loss of her husband and her childrens' father created a means to help many others too. Kudos to Margo and her fellow artists.

Posted by: Peter Muzyka | Feb 20, 2009
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I know Margo as a rug hooker, what a delightful person and know her show was great. Pris in Georgia

Posted by: anonymous | Feb 21, 2009
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Testing the Water

With a flood watch in the forecast my daughter and I drove through a torrential downpour to visit Greensboro Elementary School. The first group of third graders were told to sit criss cross apple sauce and scoot toward the guest, while Cheyenne and I took our coats off and situated ourselves in those tiny wooden chairs. With no script in hand just experience I introduced myself and toned my life down to a G rating. I asked for a show of hands expressing the loss of a loved one, 95% responded. Happy I didn't have to sugar coat the subject of my book I began to read and show the illustrations. With eyes as wide as saucers taking in Jerry Craft's 3-D artistry and ears opening pathways to the heart, "Looking to the Clouds for Daddy" invited dialog. My book is built around my children coping with the death of their father, but the subject of Loss is the Universal picture. Divorce, Separation, Incarceration, Single parenting, Grand parenting, Foster parenting, are Adult Verbs representing cause and effect. In an hour and a half I spoke with 200 children ages 9-11 about internalizing feelings, proper nutrition, playing outside, communicating to adults about physical pain, things we adults neglect, when we get involved in the business of living.
Donna Jones Media Specialist thank you for inviting me to your wonderful school.