Highlighting the Talents of Others Series: Featuring Don and Toni Part 2

 Welcome back to Don and Toni's story.

In their previous post I told you how Don is a talented

Musician and Graphic Artist. The picture below shows him

with his band when he was 19.

He was the lead guitarist with the band.......

The Asenders

Don explains how they came up with their name. 

The name "Asenders" was a deliberate misspelling of a printing term

 "ascender" which is the part of a lower case letter that rises.

 The band wanted to be on the Rise. 

(Explained Below)

 Well I just learned something new....

How they began:

Don tells me that in the first band they were friends around the same age who got together in a church hall to play some popular songs that they liked. They each had a part to contribute to make a great sound and that's how they entertained themselves. They practiced to the point where they had enough songs to play for an hour without repeating any of them. So then they were ready to play for an audience. They started out playing
 in a local high school talent show. 

Then they played at the local soda bar. On one sunny afternoon they played outside a 3 story building and people came out and danced. After more practice their confidence grew enough to put on a dance at  The Legion Hall. They rented the place out and took admission at the door, sold pop and chips, and had adult supervision.

This was a big deal, large stage with lighting and a Huge dance floor.

This place held 100's of people and it was filling up with loyal fans.

They branched out taking on jobs out of town. If they weren't booked out of town they were at The Legion Hall. They played at Frat parties and private parties...pretty much anywhere they were asked to play...

Then they got a call from a local place called Sandsabarn.   

 It was a teen night club NO ADULTS, located between Warsaw and Perry in New York. It was open on Friday and Saturday nights as well as on some Holidays. They would play there quite often.

 It sounds like a really neat place to be. The dance floor was filled with white sand, no shoes were allowed. REALLY How cool was that! Below is an interior shot from www.thedailynewsonline.com. You can read more about this place on that site. 

They played there as a set up band for many national acts such as:

The McCoys who sang "Fever" and "Hang on Sloopie"

 and the Left Banke who sang "Walk away Renee" 

 O how I wish I could have been there to see that!

Interior Shot of the Sandsabarn from: The Daily News

Does anyone remember Bleeding Madras Shirts?

Picture courtesy of The Daily News  

Roger and Brenda Paddack were the owners of this Groovy place. According to the article posted on The Daily news, They were inspired to open this club after watching the movie "Beach Party".

They cut their first 45 record sponsored by The Sandsabarn. 

They played these songs every week during their sets. The record was sold locally as well as played on local jukeboxes. Don tells me there are still some around but they are rare. A copy sold on ebay a few years ago to a garage band collector in Australia for $328.34 according to The Daily News Online.

Then tragedy hit the band.....

 On May 22, 1965 they lost 3 of their band members to a fiery car crash--- Larry, Darwin,and their Manager William.  

This was a terrible blow to them. They didn't want to continue and who could blame them that was a very traumatic experience to go through, especially at such a young age. But Mr. and Mrs. Bloom thought otherwise. As sited in the articles below, The Blooms became sort of Foster parents for the band and they encouraged them to push forward. Mrs. Bloom managed to find them a place to rehearse two nights a week and Mr. Bloom became an unofficial manager, convincing them to recruit 2 new band members. They all decided to keep the name Asenders. According to Don the new members added energy, persona, and musical talent to the group. Don says it felt like,

  "OK we can do this".....

And they were off again.... 

Mr. and Mrs. Bloom premiered their debut at their Soda Bar.....

Regans 

The Bloom's really took them under their wings. Mr. Bloom managed their practice times, got them booked for Gigs, made sure they arrived on time, as well as keeping them safe. They saved some of their money to buy an old 1951 Buick hearse to use for traveling.

Mrs. Bloom handled their wardrobe and their stage presence.

Soon after that Mrs. Bloom saw an ad for a competition between teen bands and had to convince them to enter. 

There's just nothing like a women to push you through.....

So off they go to Boulder Park in Indian Falls to perform in front of the judges.

The Asenders WON!!

However, Don tells me that this contract was never honored. The promoter and the radio station never followed through. He wasn't sure why

BUT.......They still made that 2nd 45 record.  

They did it on their own with some help from a promoter from Hornell. It was under LEE records.

Don't loose heart, it doesn't matter how things look. 

Something good is always around the corner.....

The Band playing at The Patriot Club in Hornell

Don tells me a funny story about when they were in New York City.

 The band members were all standing in front of the Empire State Building asking people passing by

 "Which way do we go to the Empire State Building"......

Then someone said "look up"..... 

 Don tells me this story..... "I got this bright idea"...... 

"I think I'll hang out of the 50th floor bathroom window at our hotel to take some pictures." 

His band members hold on to his feet so he could extend out for better shots.

(Ok, I have to admit I MAY have thought to do something crazy like this....)

So once he got home to develop the film after rewinding it he opened the back to find NO FILM!!!! 

REALLY! After all that NO FILM!!! 

This shows the new band in their well coordinated

 "Threads".... 

After disbanding, some members later got into other area bands.

"We are all still good friends!" Don

In 1989 They had a 25 Year Reunion

The reunion was at the Legion Hall, Don is on the right

Don says they were all so well connected, they knew who was going to do what and when. The time spent together practicing and playing all those years together was such great times.

 " Looking back now it seems it went by so fast".... Don

Check out this Video of Don and his brother Rick performing

 "You Can't do That" by The Beatles..... 

isn't he a hoot with this "Upright" bass......

The reunion was at the Legion Hall, Don is on the right

This picture captures Don in true form. He really is quite a character.....

So now we move into Don's Graphic Artist Work.....

 Don always had an interest in art. He took 4 years of it in high school as well as attending RIT for graphic courses. When he was 15 he had a dark room. He developed and printed his own photos.
 This gave him real experience handling film and chemicals. What really boosted him was designing a new cover for the High school year book. They gave him credit inside the cover. With this as well as having the experience working in his own dark room he was able to land his first job in printing just days after graduation.....

(This part of his story brings out the commentator in me.....
He had a passion for art and he followed it where ever it lead; adding to his passion training,
 in order to be able to advance to the next level. Sometimes in life we spend way too much time trying to take steps too big or devalue what we have to offer. Instead try to do what you can with what you have and see where it goes. Take a few classes, try volunteering at places that are doing what you love and see where it goes or as in my case write a blog.....)

So back to Don..... He worked for printing companies, advertisers primarily

 designing ads and logos for customers. He has won awards in logos and

 ad designs on the state and nation level. Including a trip to Cancun, not yet taken!

(Ok Don it's time to pack your bags)

Don has a real passion for art and photography.

As I stated earlier he had his own dark room where he mixed the chemicals to developed and print his own  B&W photos. This is just a sample of the things he creates.... 

I am privileged to have his art on my wall. He photographed tiny flowers and places these sweet faces in the centers. He makes ethereal  photographs using mixed media with his ipad. He makes cards featuring his art work that he distributed in the area. I keep asking him when he is going to get a website up to show case all of his creations. For now that's all I can show you.....
                                     

Don keeps busy with many different chores around the house. But he puts his creative flare in all he does....

Don uses this little "gadget" you see him holding to quickly wash the black walnuts during harvest time. 

Black walnuts have an extremely hard outer shell. 

Toni would have to use a hammer to crack through them before getting to the walnut then shelling it. When she got tired of the shells and walnuts flying everywhere she asked Don to create a type of "nut cracker" for her....

                                                                                                                          

  That's how the " i-Crack" was born, as seen in the picture below. 

No more flying shells....                                                                                                           

Don's latest thing is an alcohol stove...

The Stove (bottom part that burns fuel) in this photo Don purchased
 and the photo below shows his Stove version he made out of the Bottle.

It runs on rubbing alcohol, methanol, ethanol, denatured alcohol, and

 Don's favorite (HEET) which is a brake line antifreeze, no wick, no fumes, no moving parts.

It can fit in your pocket.

 It will boil 2 cups of water in 6 minutes and will burn for 10-12 minutes on 1oz. of fluid. 

Re-purposing at its best....as Don says.... 

So Don decided to kick it up a notch

 and make his own stove out of a Bud light aluminum bottle.....
He made a few improvements on his version of the stove, by making a folding pot support system from "R" clips and half hinges. This allows his stove to be more compact and support a larger pot.

Now I've heard it all....

Don keeps busy working on ideas to re-purpose every day items. He's also writing a true story about the family cat that walked home from a vet visit 7 miles away. He is still doing montage images with his photos. His real interest is in growing and processing food and eating it.

So this concludes Don and Toni's story...

I hope it has been a delightful experience for you just like visiting with them is for me....

Don taking a moment to cool off in the farm pond... 

Ok Don where's the solar power paddle-boat? 

Happy Valentine's Day and Happy Birthday Grandma......

I interrupt Don and Toni's Story to celebrate my Grandma's Birthday. Happy Birthday Grandma. She went to be with the Lord a few years ago. This is a picture of her at her best...doing what she loved...fishing. My grandma LOVED the outdoors. She was quite a women.

This is a frame I made from a small canvas, using scrapbook paper, lace, and a color copy of a butterfly (Thank you Lisa!) With a little help from my friend Lisa her picture came to life. I proudly hang her picture where all of my treasured items are...In my master bathroom. 

My Grandma grew up during the depression. She was a tough women. I loved growing up being around her and her brothers and sisters who all lived in the same town. I would sit around the kitchen table and listen to her talk with them telling stories about their lives growing up. She supposedly got into bar fights and was called in by her brother, Uncle Bobby to lend him a hand when he got into trouble. As a kid I loved telling my friends "my grandma has tattoos". 

She would tell me "see what they will look like when you get old". That must have stuck with me because between that and not liking the idea of ink on my skin I never got a tattoo. 

She had the biggest heart of anyone I knew, other than my mom. I watched her live the Christian life that made a real impact on me. She always was there for family and friends, regardless of any type of trouble they may be in.

As a child I remember going into the local convenience store where a young man sat on the ground outside. When we came out she handed him a loaf of bread and some other food items. I remember that really making an impression on me as a kid, that she really cared about people in a tangible way and I wanted to be that way.

When I was in elementary school we had a fundraiser event, she came to watch us kids who weren't involved with the events. It was my favorite memory of school. We all skated on the outdoor basketball court while my grandma watched us. She interacted with all of us kids and pretty soon they all were calling her grandma...

As a teenager I never felt judged by her, she made her opinion known but she loved us unconditionally. One night on her way to church she picked up a few of my Aunt's (we are 6 months apart) friends who were riding their bikes along the way. They pile into her car, bikes and all while sporting their Megadeath and Metallica T-Shirts. She loved us all very well....

She was a very hard worker, working in cotton fields growing up, moving across the country looking for work. My mom told me that my grandma hitchhiked with her from La. to Michigan looking for work. I just can't imagine what that must have been like. 

She was extremely creative too. She made my mom's clothes changing up the patterns to make something different than the norm. She poured, painted, and glazed ceramics. She was very involved with the local Senior Citizen Center. I loved going there with her. They all had the best stories.... 

There just isn't anything like growing up with really good grandparents. Both my grandma and grandpa were there for me growing up. They played cards and games with us teenagers. They drove us to football games and dances. My life wouldn't have been the same if they weren't in it.

I could go on and on about my grandma.... She is truly missed. 

Thank you Grandma for being my grandma.....I love you dearly

Highlighting the Talents of Others Series: Living the Simple Life in Western New York-- Don and Toni

    Meet Don and Toni from Western New York:                      

                                                                     

Picture taken at the recycling center
 as we hunted for treasures,
  it was raining that day and Don found an umbrella

Toni with 'Dini"

This Series begins with Don and Toni, my husbands bother and sister-in-law. These pictures sum them up. Don is a character. It's never a dull moment with him. He always keeps me laughing and enjoying the moment while teaching me about his "inventions" that I will be sharing during their series. Toni is holding her pet chicken Dini, nick named for Houdini because she always finds her way out of the chicken coop.

They "Live on the Land" here in Western New York which is where their story begins....

Toni's Mother and Father were factory workers. She wasn't raised learning how to live off the land. Her father was a World War II Vet. When Don and Toni got married Don was in a band, (He is quite the musician, it runs in the family. I'll be telling more of his story later) Well, she told me she wanted a different life for her kids so she started reading Mother Earth News. She mentioned how old hippies started going back to the old way of living. ( I love the word hippie. I think I would have been one back then with a few exceptions)

At age 28 Don bought her a cast iron wood burning stove. This is when she got into baking old recipes and slowly adapting them into healthier versions using olive oil, flax seed, and whole wheat. (She makes her own lard from leaf fat from a pig. It is lower in cholesterol than butter). She learned how to can from her mother-in-law and took right to it. She canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, pizza sauce, ketchup, spaghetti sauce, peaches, pears along with many other vegetables she grew. She started raising chickens for their eggs which she continues to do.
                                                   

She grinds her own flour too. This is me learning how hard it is. Toni uses this tool as her upper body workout. Boy were my arms tired! Where's the electric version! After we ground up the wheat for flour we made home made rolls for Thanksgiving dinner. Yum!!

Toni taught me how to make dough for the rolls. I have to say it was a really nice day learning all of this. I enjoyed doing the work but I don't know if I would like to do it on a regular basis. She barters with neighbors with her eggs and bread. They both do seasonal work for a local farmer and the benefits are usually left over veggies, which we got in on in our last visit. Lots of broccoli and butternut squash.



                   
           YUMMY Thanksgiving Rolls....

 I couldn't talk about her homemade bread without talking about homemade pizza's in her Handmade

Outdoor Oven

This is just one of her BIG projects you will see in this post.Toni started out by using local clay to create the oven, then after a really long process she built this brick foundation so it would sit up high enough off the ground. The arbor was built out of an old satellite dish. (notice the top has plants growing on it) We all got to make our own pizzas. I enjoyed the process.                 

Toni had homemade pizza sauce, homemade pizza dough, and we cooked it in a handmade clay oven.

         The taste was excellent but the experience was even better.

Toni gives in to her creative side....

                                 Michelangelo look out!!!!

 The Main Bathroom  

       I asked Toni what got her into painting and she told me that her grandma always tried to get her to paint but it wasn't until after her kids were born that she decided to do something for herself so she took a painting class. It got her out of the house and gave her an outlet to connect to other women. She started working on projects with the other women painting together scenes on wood. It evolved into stenciling on the ceiling. The best thing to do during the New York winters!     

Main Bathroom Ceiling all hand painted using stencils

  

           

The Living Room
 

         

The Dining Room

Boy would my neck be sore after all that. That is quite a feat.

Great job Toni!

Now that you've seen the beauty inside the house let me show you the serene nature that surrounds the outside of their home.

HOME GROWN HYDRANGEA'S !!!

                                                                                     

      Toni grows my favorite flower..the Hydrangea. I always harvest them when we visit in the summer time. I dry them, then use them in my floral arrangements. One of these days I'll learn how to grow my own, but until then I'll just take Don and Toni's.....

               Cherry Trees....

They have quite the harvest here, they grow their own black walnuts, cherries, pears, and even mushrooms. I came across this mushroom in the yard. I couldn't believe the size of it.
     

   I couldn't forget about the chickens...

  This crazy thing came running after me when I walked by taking       pictures I thought it was the rooster  attacking me but then I read

  the sign.....it's just an attack chicken.

                                                           

        I have many favorite things I like to do on our visit. One of them is to go to Barn Sales, yes you heard me correctly they don't just have yard sales here they have BARN sales....Boy do they know how to have a sale. I find my best junk, I mean antiques here. This was my favorite item on this trip

I asked Don and Toni how they save money while living on the land. They gave me several great ideas I thought I would pass on to

you. Since they grow a small garden they sometimes have to water it by hand. So they catch rain water in this drum to use for future watering. Another cost saving item is the use of solar power.

Don uses numerous solar panels to operate different items. The chicken coop lighting operates off a solar panel. He has larger panels to generate electricity for certain indoor appliances. Check out his lighting inventions.

  

Don uses these outdoor solar lights and places them in a votive to distribute the light as a nightlight in the house. He has these set up throughout the house. Notice below how he pieced together a candle holder with a globe then placed the solar light on top.    
Very Creative Don! 

Don uses these crates as a recharging center. The holes are the perfect size for them to fit in.

The Kelley Kettle. Don showed us this neat product. It's great for camping. It's stainless steel. You use it to boil water. It is all in one. You make a fire inside it and it heats up the water contained in the walls of the kettle, then within minutes we had hot water for tea. Don just uses the small twigs around the yard for fuel, no gas bill with this product!

They save money in many ways. They barter food with locals; Toni barters her bread for blood sugar testing supplies and chicken feed as well as water for their well when it gets dry. They save energy by using their wood burning stove. They reuse rain water caught in barrels to water the garden. They shop for clothes at yard sales and thrift shops. They "shop" at the recycling center where they take us to hunt for treasures. I found pieces of an old iron railing that I used as decor in my living room. They found a keurig coffee maker once. Toni gets magazines there. I even found several home decor magazines there before. People drop off various items and you are free to take what they leave behind. They unplug all of the regular appliances at night to save on electricity. They use the solar panels to operate the TV and stereo. They filter their own water using a Berky. 

Stay tuned for Part II of Don and Toni's story. In the next post I will share more about Don and his talents as a graphic artist and musician.            

Introducing a New Series: Highlighting the Talents of Creative People and the stories behind their successes

  We are all being transformed by many things and many people. So why not be transformed into the person you were destined to be. Transformation takes time; it happens in stages. Not all people follow the same path but we all do share the same building process. Regardless of where you are in life you can learn from someone who is further along in their path or teach someone who is not as far along as you.

   In the following posts I will introduce you to various people who have been an inspiration to me in many ways. As you read through their stories you will see how different each person is and how different their gifts are. They all have these in common: they discovered who they are, what they love to do (their talents and giftings), and they are all operating in them. Some of them had obstacles to overcome but regardless of the difficulties they all prevailed. 

Crackle Paint Fireplace Mantel

In my earlier fireplace post I told you how I HATED my fireplace. The second picture shows how it looked originally. The third picture shows my attempt to hand painting the bricks to match a brick color I liked. It turned out better than the original brick but I still hated it. So I asked for some advice from my friend Lisa whom you will meet in a future post.

She said why don't you crackle the mantel. I said "why not!" So I went down to Lowes and bought Weathered Crackle Glaze and two paint colors. I asked the lady there how to do this correctly

Basically the instructions were:
1. Paint the base coat in a satin or semi-gloss finish. (I chose an off white color). Allow to dry 4 hrs or overnight. I didn't have that much patience so I waited the 4 hours.

2. Paint the Crackle Glaze on using a nylon brush or short nap roller. (I used a nylon brush) I found it easier to paint a few thin layers rather than trying to paint on too thick of a layer all at once.
                                                     
3. Allow the crackle to dry 1-4 hours before applying the top coat.The longer you wait the larger the cracks will be. I waited 2 hours.

 

"Original"

     
4. Apply the top coat with a Matte finish paint. Use a slow smooth one direction brush stroke.(I used valspar Labrador color) If you brush it back and forth it will pull away the paint so be sure to use one direction brush strokes in order to achieve a smooth paint job. The cracks will appear in a matter of seconds.
     
   It may sound difficult but this was my first attempt and it turned out great. Just be patient and make short strokes in one direction stopping frequently to reload your brush with paint.

"First Redo"

                   The bricks were painted the same off-white as the base                      color on the mantel but I glazed the bricks with a little bit                        of the Labrador Brown  using a small artist paint brush as                        well as a rag. This process was not difficult at all, you                              just have to work with it until you achieve the look you want.

"When you know something is in there you will look harder to find it".....

Today's Post sums up the purpose of this blog.

One day I was making 'Beer Can Chicken". Now if you haven't had this before you should try it. It's an amazing roasted chicken. You can use any type of liquid; beer, coke, chicken broth, etc.

So, I was looking for my measuring spoons in the drawer and I couldn't find them so I closed the drawer and started looking for something else to use. I then remembered that I placed the measuring spoons in that drawer so I pulled everything out until I found them. Yes, they were right where I believed they would be. I then clearly had the thought, "when you know something is in there you will look harder to find it." It felt like I was in the scene from the movie Field of dreams when Ray heard "if you build it they will come"....I just knew the Lord was referring to the treasures he placed inside of us. If you believe you have something of value in you, you will look harder to find it. This blog is a celebration of those discoveries I've found within myself during my journey of working on many many projects, as well as through the projects of others. My desire for this blog is to inspire you to find your treasure too.