Post #8: Happy Thanksgiving & Another UFO Report

     Can you believe I have so many UFOs (un-finished objects) that I actually have one that is appropriate for Thanksgiving? That is sick, sick, sick. Not that there's anything wrong with giving thanks. I have many things I am thankful for: my health, my husband, my dog, my peace, my friends, my freedom, my faith, my sister...I could go on and on. The sick part is how many UFOs I actually do have lying around. Actually, I'm quite thankful for the UFO's, too, because they're a sign of me living a life where I do get to spend at bit of my time doing things I really enjoy, things that make me happy and bring a sense of satisfaction.
     Let me introduce you to another one of my long-time UFOs, a Thanksgiving turkey made out of a natural gourd adorned with wood putty, paint, and silk flowers. I made him, well...started to make him about four years ago, (this was in a workshop taught by Tonia Owen at a gourd-crafting group in Bradenton, FL), but I have not completed this project either. He's another one of my “almost complete...over 90% complete” projects.

     I know I have revealed in prior posts that I am a bit of a flake when it comes to completing projects that I begin, but there are some extenuating circumstances that have contributed to this. I lived in Tampa for most of my adult life, and although I occasionally moved from one house to another, it was never a big ordeal as I pretty much stayed in the same area for 29 years. Then in 2004 dear hubby and I decided to make a huge move out-of-state to Tennessee, where we stayed for about two and a half years. When we returned to Florida and decided to live at or near the beach, many things occurred in our lives. There's no need to go into the gory details here, but the end result was that in late 2004 we moved to Tennessee, in early 2007 we moved to Madeira Beach, a year later we moved to the Largo/Indian Rocks Beach area, another year and we moved to Treasure Island (two places in 2 years there), and then back to Hillsborough County east of Tampa in late 2011. I really don't want to sound like a whiner or complainer, but six moves, including two state-to-state moves, within seven years does take its toll. I do not come from a military family; I'm not used to being uprooted like this; I have a lot of furniture and a lot of craft supplies and whatnot.

     Each time we moved things got shuffled around and mixed up further and further. I spent so much time packing and planning and moving and unpacking and settling in that it's a wonder I've gotten anything accomplished at all and an even greater miracle that I have anything left of my sanity. Or do I? I guess it depends who you ask about that! At each place we lived it became increasingly more difficult for me to not only concentrate on projects I had already begun, but sometimes I could not even find them, and when I could locate the project to work on, I couldn't always put my hands on the other assorted materials and tools that I knew I had but were carefully packed away.

                                              

There are more “feathers” to be added to fill out his tail as well as to cover his rear. When I got to this point I discovered that he has the same problem I suppose many middle-aged turkeys have: he is bottom-heavy. When I added the additional "feathers" he ended up tipping over backwards. At about the time I was trying to figure out whether to resolve the problem by either adding some decorative element hanging around his neck to act as a counter-balance or if I should simply mount his legs firmly on a larger, weighted base, we ended up moving to Treasure Island, so in a box he went, and he has been there ever since.

     

I am quite pleased with the look of his feet!

    Even though it didn't start out this way, it is now my hope that writing this blog will not only be an inspiration and encouragement to others, but to myself as well. I also hope to let you know in a future post that this poor, neglected turkey did not make it through another winter without all of his proper adornments. Maybe he'll finally get to join us for Thanksgiving dinner in 2013!

Wishing you a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.

Peace in creativity,

Meryl