Sheep Shearing Day @ Thistle Cove Farm

The 14th Annual Sheep Shearing Day @ Thistle Cove Farm takes place 5 April 2009. Clinton Bell, Master Shearer, starts shearing around 9 a.m. and finishes around 1 p.m. Our small flock of rare and primitive sheep include Shetlands, Romneys, Merinos and cross breeds. This is a working day on a farm; be a part of mountain community going back many generations.

Lost Arts Guild members are invited to demonstrate and sell their traditional Appalachian crafts. Hopefully, everyone will attend: Larry Counts - broom maker; Leslie Shelor - spinner; Linda Wright - spinner; Bud Thompson - blacksmithy; Mary Martin - basket maker; Charlie Butcher - luthier, Sue Shelor - gourd artist; Kevin Riddle - coppersmith; Richard Vogel - woodworker and Sandra Bennett, textile and fiber arts.

Hot food and drink will be sold by the Cove Community Association to support educational programs.

Directions found at Thistle Cove Farm website; updates at Thistle Cove Farm blog.

Service dogs only, please.

Greenberry House Yarns on Consignment

Traveling Yarn

I haven't done any consignment in years, because it's hard to produce enough yarn to have for this shop and for doing shows. But a young lady contacted me from a shop in Winston-Salem, which is in an area where 80% of the people that come to Meadows of Dan live. So I thought it would be a good idea to support a new business and get my name out more in the city by sending some yarn to her. The shop is called Nonpareil at 3560 Vest Mill Road, Suite 6, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Mary Crockett Bowen Bricker

Mrs. Bricker was known to her contemporaries and family as Mary Crock or, more simply, Crock. To her grandchildren and great grandchildren she was known as Brick-Brick, her son and daughter called her Mother and she was my mother-in-law.

In her day, she did a bit of crocheting but was better known for her ability to teach hard science and math at high school, college and university level. During the war years, Mrs. B., along with her sister-in-law and her future daughter's mother-in-law were the math department at Beaver High School in Bluefield, WV. She earned her undergraduate degree at Queens College, Charlotte, NC in 1934 and in 2004, Dave and I took her and a classmate to their 70th Queens reunion! She earned her Masters at West Virginia University and was all but a dissertation away from her PhD when her parents became ill and needed her care. She won several fellowships including a science fellowship from General Electric and taught at Bluefield College, Bluefield State College, West Virginia University, University of Illinois, Emory University in Atlanta and VA Tech.

She was extremely proud to have been chosen one of the very first cheerleaders at Tazewell High School, Tazewell, VA and would tell tales of those early days to any who would listen.

Mrs. B. supported the efforts of Fiber Femmes she knew and, in year's past, paid postage to have fifty or sixty boxes of yarn sent to The Children's Home in Siberia, Russia.

She was the last of her immediate family, joining her parents, brothers and sister on 19 November 2008. We celebrated her 95th birthday in June and all but seven of the fifty or so guests were family members including children, grand and great grands, niece, nephew, cousins and me.
It was one of those rare, beautiful days...absolutely perfect weather and enough of the "old guard" in attendance to warrant a magical knowledge this was the passing of the torch. We all knew we'd never have this opportunity again and took full advantage of the day to build love and memories. We who were there have that day to hold against the dark nights and frosty world that push against love.

Blessings ~ a life well lived ~ birthdays ~ teachers ~ family ~ friends ~ memories ~

New River Gorge Heritage Festival, Fayetteville, WV

Bud Thompson's exhibit at festival

Two Lost Arts Guild members accepted invitations to demonstrate at the New River Gorge Heritage Festival in Fayetteville, West Virginia, over the weekend of June 27-29. Despite some stormy weather and rain, both exhibitors were well-received. The hospitality of the town was delightful, with offers of shelter on neighboring porches in case of storms and a nice dinner supplied to all the Civil War re-enactors and demonstrators on Saturday.

Bud Thompson demonstrated the art of blacksmithing and told stories of what a blacksmith would have done during the Civil War. Leslie Shelor spun wool on an antique upright wheel and explained what the lives of girls and women would have been like during the period. Both artisans offered items for sale to the public.

New River Gorge Heritage Festival

Some LAG members are participating in the New River Gorge Heritage Festival in Fayetteville, WV. The event takes place June 27 - 29, 2008 and includes a heritage festival and Civil War Living Hisitory encampment.

For more information, please contact Calentha @ the Fayetteville, WV Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1-888-574-1500 or 304-237-5608.

Building a Creative Economy in Southwest Virginia

Sue Shelor, Lost Arts Guild Member

On Monday, May 19, I traveled to Abingdon, Virginia, with a fellow member of Patrick County's Tourism Advisory Council to attent the Building a Creative Economy in Southwest Virginia conference. Sponsored by several partners, including The Crooked Road and 'Round the Mountain, the conference covered subjects such as community development and revitalizing local economies by using less traditional methods. At least, that's how it was put. By traditional they meant factories, manufacturing and economic trends of the last fifty or sixty years. But the thought occurred to me that the "new" economies we talked about, featuring artisans and farming, are going back to the real traditions of Southwest Virginia.

Because Lost Arts Guild member and spinner Linda Wright is dealing with a critical illness in her family and was unable to demonstrate, I was asked to take her place in the Artisan's Marketplace. Since this was for only a short period during the day, I was able to participate in all of the sessions. It was a lively day, filled with music, interesting discussions, films and slideshows. The featured presentation by 'Round the Mountain included a film showing our own Sandra Bennett spinning on her beautiful farm in Tazewell County and talking about the planned community loop trails and Artisan Center. Sue Shelor was also asked to demonstrate her gourd art, and several woodworkers, a weaver, a basketmaker, dulcimer maker and stained glass artist all participated as we..

Greenberry House News

Just wanted to drop a note here that things are going well with the new season! I've been very busy updating my web site and am planning to be a vendor at Sedalia Fiber Festival on May 24 at Big Island, Virginia. Come out if you're in the area.