Memories Like Glue

I am surrounded by many creative people in my office.  They do beautiful work with their hands.  Recently, one of my colleagues brought in some boards, as well as some boxes filled with a wide assortment of paints and adhesives.  We set up a table in our office so that everyone could use their breaks to make signs with messages of their choosing.  From family crests and mottos to single words that remind us to hope, each sign reflects the tastes and talents of the artist.  I really have no talent whatsoever with my hands, but I decided to give it a whirl.  With some coaching, my signs will remind me to take time to be and to measure my words so that they are always kind.  As Cathy started placing bottles of paint and liquids on the table for our projects, I nearly gasped, for I recognized the gold bottle with the white writing as Aleene's® Tacky Glue®.  Just seeing that bottle brought back a flood of happy memories from my childhood.  When I was a little girl, my dad appeared quite regularly on our local NBC television affiliate station  on a program called "Outdoors Calling," hosted by Stan Bran.  While Dad was on TV with Mr. Bran, Mom and I would wander the other program sets, including one for a woman named Fern Fowler who made clever craft projects that often involved a product in a gold bottle called Tacky Glue®. In my child's eyes, I felt that if anything was worth creating, it must involve Tacky Glue®.  So now, some 50 years later, I know in my heart of hearts that I will never live up to Mrs. Fowler's amazing creations, but somehow, I've attempted to make something that feels as if it has been worth creating -- because of Tacky Glue®.

Crafty

My friend Ellen and her neighbors hosted an art and craft sale one recent Saturday.  When Ellen extended the invitation, I immediately marked my calendar.  Although I have no talents for creating art or crafts, I always enjoy seeing the quality work of others.  Such was the case that day when I saw Anita's fine jewelry, Ellen's quilted and sewn items and the handiwork of others whose talents abounded.  I ended up buying a Christmas gift for a dear friend and a little gift for myself. I just couldn't leave without one of Anita's beautiful tree pins.  Made of meticulously wound silver wire and artfully placed ice-blue beads, the pin formed a delicate deciduous tree.  I am fascinated by trees, as was my mom.  Among her pieces of nature jewelry was a bronze-tone evergreen pin that will be getting a lot of wear now that we're approaching winter and the holidays.  But, the deciduous tree pin will receive equal wear, for its loveliness reminds me of the artist-friend who made it.