Monday, September 22, 2008

MAG TIME FRAMES AT THE MUSEUM ON MAIN

i have so many people to thank, i'm not sure where to begin..

but let me begin with bernie, linda & claude. bernie berke, some know, is my former flute teacher and a cherished friend for life.. linda is bernie's wife, another wonderful music teacher and claude is bernie's music partner in crime


and these are exactly the kind of friends you're very lucky to have if you happen to be peddling mag time frames at a leisurely paced art & heritage festival in challenging economic times..


so bernie, for example.. he tells his wife to pick out one of my designs, forces $10 in my hand, and while linda and i make a halloween themed mag time frame together, bernie stands back a little and with a giant enthusiastic voice starts sayin'

"oh! we have so many mag time frames.. we love your product.. you do such a great job!"


and he makes sure every passerby can hear him. -and even though it didn't create any long lines at my table.. i sure felt lucky and couldn't stop smiling listening to him go on like he was

here's his wife w/her mag time halloween frame:



thank you linda and you http://www.twosguys.com





and when i say forced $10 in my hand, i kinda mean it. this is a


terrible weakness of mine.. i can easily accept money from strangers, but from friends or family.. very hard. "no, no! you drove all this way.. it's on me. no! no! you've done so much for me already... it's on me. no! don't you dare pay me.. you just helped me with all that stuff.. no! no! this is how i can thank you for..."


and it does feel really good to have something.. some way.. to express a thank you. since i don't bake or cook.. this is my one special thing i can do. so i hit a compromise here with my dear blogger friend, ren man (AKA: jim ott) and his two beautiful daughters: 2 for 1. and want to say THANK YOU to jim, kelsey, melissa for stopping by too and making some mag time frames
























and then i want to double-thank my daughter, because she helped so much with designing the magnets, helping me organize and prepare, and then hung out at our table all day. bless her heart.. it was non-stop when i did this at the livermore farmer's market, and based on that experience i solicited her help "i won't be able to do this without you" i told her -and she stepped write up, but it turned out (and you can never really know in advance), that there were long stretches of doin' nothin


but i must say here, if you're commited to hanging out somewhere for a while, downtown pleasanton, on main street, in front of the museum, with live music being played behind you, the aroma of food fair all around you, sunshine, gorgeous shady trees, and plenty of booths and guests for people watching -this is not the worst way to spend a leiusurely afternoon.


but i could not have even had or set up my booth, without my mom's help.. so thank you mom for helping me load/transport and set up everything! -and made the whole weekend extra special to have my beautiful aunt betty, my uncle ernie, my uncle dave.. (all of who helped me several years ago set up at the HUGE hobby industry tradeshow, where i was never discovered, ripped off & robbed and which can now only be seen as "prelude to a bankruptsy")


-anyway-


i've never stopped believing in my mag time frames, and neither have they.. THANK YOU!!


and then all of the pictures i'd like to post write here, are still with my new photographer friend curtis finger, and i won't have them 'til next month.. but i'll be publishing, mag time frames & creative things (one way or another), and curtis came on a sunday -despite a crazy, hectic, schedule & busy life, to take some group/posed and candid photos for the book.. so thank you to my mom friends who brought their children by for some make n' take mag time frame fun and thank you children for your smiles for the camera -debbie, megan, matthew, lisolette, julian, chloe, keeshie, sarah, matthew, virginia, katie





and for me personally.. extra fun to have virginia & katie a part of this book, because they are both in my hokey, hometown, 30 second comcast commercial from 2003, i think it was.. (in the archives at magtimeframes.com)



and speaking of my hokey, hometown, 30 second comcast commercial



the BIGGEST, BESTEST SURPRISE this weekend was having my dearest, life-saving, entertaining, 5 day a week, blogumnist friend LEONARD STEGMANN, and his wife MELINDA




stop by.. (and p.s., that cutey pie blond is not their daughter, but my camera shy niece sneaking in again)

otherwise known as: SQUIDMANN & SPIKE. -what a treat!- a huge surprise! -and that's how we met in the first place, when leonard was working for comcast and came to film my 30 second commercial.. -and i haven't seen him since 2003, but we have had great fun in the blogosphere since he introduced me to his blog in 2005..



he's now posted over 700 blogs, and i've read and commented on nearly every single one of them.. so playful and fun.. absolutely has lifted me out of the most dark and dreadful times..



as i told his wife, "i get to start everyday with a smile instead of a headache" - i just treasure him so - and it was the first thing i did this very morning.. wake up, turn on the computer, read squidmann's post at http://www.leonardstegmann.blogspot.com/



and he's had a few events over the past couple years in half moon bay that i've known about, but have not, for one reason or another, attended; and i've had a few events here in the tri valley, that he's known about, but for one reason or another, not attended.. so i just figured that's how things would stay.. that we would never see each other in person, just blog n' comment, blog n' comment..



so just was the greatest, biggest surprise to see them.. made my whole weekend.. and not just to see them.. but to watch my leonard "create his own" mag time frame.. too much fun, honestly..


( i know he's melinda's in real life.. but he's my leonard in the cyber world)






and his wife melinda is a school teacher, so she was so much fun too.. giving him a hard time about his "fine motor skills." these pictures are priceless to me. i had made and mailed a mag time frame some years ago for their turtle ellsworth, and they said the cat was jealous, so here they are making a mag time frame for celine (is it celine?.. sp?)








































and do you see the same trend i do?




that i'm not so much sustained by profits, but by inspiration and the love of friends of family.

-and i want to thank God here for that!




and speaking of family.. the extra treat too, of seeing my cousin kristie, who i haven't seen in over 10 years i think, and her two beautiful children i had the great pleasure to meet for the first time (pictures w/curtis).


and speaking of friends, thank you also to debbie and her husband. doesn't this look like a romantic afternoon.. hand in hand, making mag time frames in downtown pleasanton...


and my dear friend jill, and her son..

very cool, mom & me, project, don't ya think...
















and my good friend and neighbor cheryl; thank you!


and this sweetie pie here, (daughter of a friend of my sisters ). she just made my day..

made one mag time frame, walked away, and started pulling on her daddy's shirt asking if








she could please make one more..












thank you so much!!














and i didn't get pictures of everyone.. and curtis has many pictures i'm missin' -but thank you to gita too, from amelia's.. she came by, and like bernie, she made sure everyone could hear her when she said, "wow! these are awesome! i love this!" -and she said to me, "you have a facility.. use this place.. (meaning amelia's deli).. do craft parties, whatever you want.."

and mary from centerpointe church.. thank you too! -mary came by and not only made a mag time frame, but asked me about my goals and dreams

" i want to be a famous american writer," i told her (and heard some passersby giggle at my statement)

"what do you write? what have you published?" she asked me

and i told her.. "creative non fiction... three years in a row published in the livermore wine country literary harvest, and recently -solicited- and published in the social cause diet.. creative non-fiction about my volunteer work with the tri valley haven.."

and then she brought her friend elaine, also from centerpointe, over to my table, and she said to me "tell her... tell her about your writing and your dream.."


and i had to say it out loud again.. "i want to become a famous american writer," -and i repeated what i've done so far..


and these words don't just come out of my mouth with ease and confidence. it's awkward and a little embarrassing; but it's true.


and i'm thankful to mary for encouraging me to say my dream out loud, in public; twice.









and big thanks to dianne jones from the museum for inviting to participate in this art/heritage event, and for taking in my mag time frame designs and souvenir magnets to sell in the museum.


and there were a few people.. a beautiful blond lady who purchased several kits, another dark haired lady who bought kits for her crafty daughter


but had i counted on total strangers at the fair -had i counted on the curiosity/generosity of random visitors at the art & heritage festival

it would have been one long, slow and boring weekend. but as you can see from these pictures

i'm very blessed with the kind of friends and family that make time fly.

posted by SHE @ 10:21 AM

6 Comments:

At 7:17 PM, Blogger Jim Ott said...

You ARE a famous American writer! No question about it!

How cool that Leonard and his wife dropped by. Now THAT is cool! I've always wondered what 'Spike' looked like. And she's a teacher! God bless her!

Congrats on being at the Heritage Days event and contributing to goodness in the world, Sandra. My girls loved creating a magtime frame. :-)

Jim

 
At 6:40 AM, Blogger SHE said...

ren man: God bless and thank you! -but i need to become the kind of famous american writer who gets paid for writing..

i think i should adjust my dream to "rich & famous" american writer

i want to buy this place i'm rentin'..

and yes, yes -very cool, wonderful surprise having squidmann & spike stop by -and just plain fun watching him craft up his own mag time frame. i'm still smiling..

and was so grateful too, to see you and melissa and kelsey.. and really appreciated their positive feedback about mag time frames

helps me through the challenges/keeps me inspired,

and write back to you -congrats for contributing goodness in this world; with who you are, with what you do, with what you write, with your beautiful family

love, ~s.

 
At 8:36 AM, Blogger Leonard Stegmann said...

What fun! I'll have to send the pictures of me making my very own Mag Time Frame to my mom. She still reminds me that I wasn't able to tie my own shoe laces when I went to school. I told her to drop it--that was way back in college!

Thanks for a fun time, Sandy Cheeks. Spike and I had a blast!

 
At 11:46 AM, Blogger Lisolette said...

It was just a wonderful day.
Our first real taste of Pleasanton and taste it we did (The dairy, Alberto's.
Thank you for inviting us to such a great event and letting us participate in your creative invention! Didn't know just what a Magtime frame was until this past Sunday-now i have a house full of them!!!
I think ou are already famous as evidenced by your friends and family!!!

Lisolette

 
At 9:32 AM, Blogger SHE said...

squidmann: you crack me up.. and so does your mom

happy to send evidence of your creative gifts and talents (without mentioning how much help you received from your wife; promise)

the pictures of you & melinda are my all time, all time, favorites

thanks again!! ~s.c.

 
At 9:41 AM, Blogger SHE said...

lisolette: -and can't thank you and your kids enough for driving all the way out for this event

-for smiling/posing for my upcoming book

-for sticking around so i could visit with you afterward..

love your company! your family.. we must do it again..

and watering the seed i planted earlier

-this sure is a great place to raise a family (wink/wink..

( this, the same method i used to get my wonderful friends the teeters to pleasanton..

give me your snail mail address and watch for p-town propaganda)

and big thank you for supporting me and my mag time frames!

"to wonderful friends and unstoppable dreams!"

 

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