A Morning With Jan Buday

I was delighted to take some time for good conversation with another Two Waters Arts Alliance artist, Jan Buday, on Thursday morning. Jan studied textiles and weaving at the University of Hawaii, but her
fascination with textiles and art began its spinning in her childhood. At age seven, she was with her parents in Japan and had two large emotional imprints. One was the ruins of Nagasaki, a mere decade after the blast (Jan's family, as Japanese-Americans, had endured the injustice of fear, living in America during WWII) and the other was a visit to Kurashiki Village; a village of Folk Arts.





It's here in the conversation that Jan begins to light up, her arms waving
as if one could paint the scene of colour, fabric, texture and weave she was immersed in that day. It was easy for me to feel it because we were sitting in Jan's studio, surrounded with colour, fabric, texture and weave! The
grey day lay outside, but inside I felt warmed and delighted...as if I could
be seven, safely playing in her studio.

Seventeen years ago, Jan's father made and gave her a "Marudai" which is a wooden stand used for an ancient Japanese art of braiding, called Kumihimo. Threads, silk, ribbons, etc., are weighted by tying wooden
spools to the ends, and then braided into different designs for cords and belts. Let me tell you, the first time I saw Jan working with a large Marudai...I was mezmerised! Her hands danced up and down, side to side, across the top with her threads. The wooden bobbins clacked in rhythm against the stands wooden sides. Hawaiian slack-key guitar playing softly in
the background and my eyes brimming with colours, I was transported within Jan's gentle dance and the hope I know she has for the world, as an artist grateful for the chance to affect a corner of it.

Jan combines this beautiful braiding with exquisite glass beads she makes herself, and the combination looks like jewelry for the soul. You cannot look or touch any of the pieces without feeling Jan's smile and the gift that comes within it. She also teaches Kumihimo, with a Level I class coming, Nov. 21st and a Level II class, Nov. 22nd. at Gig Harbor Beads. Their phone number for more information is (253) 858-6750. You can see the little foam form that replaces the traditional Marudai for holding in the hands and working. I'm really looking forward to my lesson this winter!

I asked Jan how her process and art have changed with age and experience. It's a question I ask of my community as I ponder it for myself. With life's serendipity, her answer, our conversation, and a poetry prompt I had received in the morning, all began to weave. So I shall leave you with a recommendation to visit janbuday.com so that you can see more from one of the amazing artists we have here, living between the Two Waters of Carr and Case Inlets. I leave you with a poem from the prompt, "growth," and the magic of a morning spent with neighbour, colleague, and friend...thanks Jan!


Growing Passion

She had a passion to begin,
details sometimes lost in the rush
to start again another flame.
So it is, when fire is young,
sparks fly and burn, too quickly done.

Now she knows her passion runs,
years grow into life poured
through emotion, her art
into details and justice,
nailing intricate finishing touches.

Drink Beer and Help Kids and Families at Mary Bridge (Yes, Really)

Nothing says fall better than a deliciously dark and stout stein of great beer. Beer. Yum!

So, raise your glasses, get some great food, be thoroughly entertained, and bid on fabulous auction items at Oktoberfest by Chambers Creek Orthopedic Guild, Tacoma Orthopedic Association. Oktoberfest is being held at Annie Wright School in Tacoma's Old Town neighborhood on November 14th from 6 PM to 10 PM. Tickets to the event are $45.00 per person. Proceeds from this event will benefit Mary Bridge Children's Hospital and Health Center.

And they will have beer there! Beer tasting! Frothy, delicious beer.

What's better than sipping the suds, dining on fun German fare, and having a casual evening out with friends and doing good for the hospital? Not much else.

Oh, and did I mention the beer?

Intrigued? Thirsty? Get moving because tickets are limited. E-mail your reservation to this e-mail address: foxbeacher@earthlink.net to reserve your tickets.

South Sound Animal Lovers, Please Help

Readers, Bloggers:

The Tacoma Pierce County Humane Society is desperately in need of pet food for their Emergency Pet Food Bank. This food bank benefits those who are struggling to afford pet food. The Human Society is deeply concerned because some folks who cannot afford to feed their pet may be forced to bring them to the shelter.

Please, please help this heartbreaking situation from happening. Drop off your bags or cans of dog or cat food at the shelter (they will gladly accept partial bags, too!). Click HERE to get all the info.

Our South Sound animals and families thank you in advance.

University Place May Take The Hatchet To Youth Sports Programs

I have been the recipient of e-mails that indicate there is strong and substantiated buzz about the city of University Place potentially cutting city sponsored youth sports programs beginning January 2010 due to financial woes. Personally, my children don't use any of these programs; nonetheless, this community is sports oriented and these sports teams mean the world to a number of local families. Yes, times are tough, but I had a tough time believing the city would pursue this avenue. So, I dug a little, read a little, and here's what I found.

This website has been floating around (created by Mayor Linda Bird, who happens to be up for re-election this Tuesday) called Save University Place Sports (click HERE to view). Mayor Bird lays the foundation of what's happening, adding a strong sense of urgency to citizens, while at the same time taking a swing at fellow council members, particularly Council Member Flemming (who is retiring at the end of his term). Interestingly, I have been the recipient of e-mails taking jabs at Mayor Bird from Flemming for a variety of issues.

So my take?

Politics as usual. Ick.

I find this blog in it's entirety and the timing of its creation from Mayor Bird rather strange. While her proposal to initiate council pay cuts to save vital community programs is intriguing, what's the deal with the blog? Suspect to me.

The bottom line is that the political climate of this city is very heated. Citizens are angry about The Town Center long time construction site (which is a mess all around). Clearly council members are bickering amongst each other and it's getting nastier as we approach Tuesday.

My proposal? Let's get the facts of these proposal cuts outlined in a NEUTRAL, non-biased format (hint, hint UP City Website). City leaders, if you want to duke it out politically, do what you've got to do, but leave the kids out of it.

Thoughts?

Working for the Ideals

Yesterday my husband Dave and I chose to spend part of Halloween standing on a street corner in Tacoma, demonstrating for equal rights for all citizens. Those who put Initiative 71 before the people sought to over-turn the State of Washington’s “everything, but marriage, law” passed last year. Just when it seemed that Washington had struck a blow for fairness and enlightenment, the unenlightened Born Again Hypocrites in the state thought that they’d make and end-run around equality.

What drew us out despite our overwhelming belief that 71 will pass was the experience last weekend of a coworker who had demonstrated in front of Border’s Books on 38th in Tacoma. He was verbally abused by a church group demonstrating to reject the initiative. The story made its way around the local Facebook community and another rally was born. We all were excited when Dave went across the street to stand in the midst of the Reject group. He moved when they brought out a bull horn, but the Tacoma Police Department made them put it away.

Dave and I fail to see how allowing committed couples to make decisions about end of life issues, inheritance, and benefits impacts their lives. If anything, we see it as strengthening of the entire community of Americans. We also honor every American’s right to an opinion and free speech so we were respectful of the Slavic church group who showed up with their “one man, one woman, protect the children,” but really can’t understand how Initiative 71 is damaging to anyone’s children or marriage, especially since it has nothing to do with marriage. Of course they had the “slippery slope” theory which also doesn’t hold water since the fact that the heterosexual couple down the street gets a divorce or our homosexual friends are allowed to marry, impacts our marriage not in the least.

One of the beauties of American democracy is not only the right to free speech, but freedom of religion which means that no one can force their religious values down the throat of any other citizen. The Declaration of Independence was about the ideals of equality, opportunity, liberty, rights and democracy. We did not begin as a nation adhering to all of these ideals for every citizen, but we are an ever evolving society, seeking to make the dream come true for everyone.

Happy Halloween from the Grittys!

Happy Halloween, Neighborhood, From Gritty and her Gritty Dog. Have fun!

The Hart of Poetry

Fellow blogonia Lorraine Hart will sing her own songs, but isn’t good at tooting her own horn so, drum roll please! It is with a great deal of pleasure that I bring to you dear reader a wonderful new blog The Poet’s Hart featuring the poetry of my dear blognian Lorraine Hart. Lorraine is a poetess, wise woman, photographer, writer, singer/song writer, expat-Brit who lives out on Key Peninsula at Home in Northwest Washington. I would like to add that she is my treasured friend. Check out her stuff!