Also...

I'm still trying to figure out how to format these posts...sorry my last one is a little awkward

Tomorrow is Another Day

I went back over to Tim Ryan's, theresident gardener, house today for another helping of Sunday brunch. I got there early so I could help make it. Again we had potatoes, biscuits, sausage (vegetarian and ragular of course), eggs, fruit, and coffee. Three guesses s to what I ate the first two don't count. Mmmm, it was tastey. The work studies don't get fed on the weekend so I especially enjoyed today's brunch. There were a goodly amount of people there...like 13 I think...but if there's one thing I learned from our former host, Forrest (he just left on Saturday) the Folk School is about community and that was big coming from him 'cause he hated the Folk School.

Towards the end of brunch it got out that I cut hair, and I had just given myself a haircut a few days ago so people knew I could do a decent job, I ended up cutting four people's hair this morning and they were all satisfied by the results, which is a good thing 'cause I only met some of these folks this morning and I didn't want to make a bad impression.

Well, today starts week three which means more new faces and names to remember.

Here we have an example of an item I blacksmithed...don't really know what it's supposed to be, it's just sort of practise.

My new haircut.

And a picture that's in the workstudy lounge...it's kind of what the contra dances look like around here.

ps

Watermelon...I only believe in good clean fun...like doing puzzles

Crazy Weekend

Today I was able to sleep in until about 8 which was nice. After breakfast I went with one of the other workstudy girls and the resident gardener of JCC, and two former hosts to the flea market, stopping first at the Waffle King for breakfast...personally I still prefer Waffle House, but Waffle King isn't so bad either.
We spent the morning wandering around the flea market...there wasn't anything too special. I did buy some strawberries because I felt bad for the old man selling them. But they were pretty tasty. I also got a center punch and an inverted center punch for $1!!! That's pretty cool.
After the flea market I took a nap and now I'm about to go to bed and it's not even 9 yet.
This has to be the most boring blog entry ever...EVER! Sorry about that.
I'm taking my second class this next week...it's another blacksmithing class...woohoo! My right arm is going to be so strong.
Gah, I'm going to go to bed now...this post is putting me to sleep.

My Hands Are Too Dirty to Touch Anything

Pretty much my whole body is covered in a layer of grime. Normally I wouldn't be this dirty from blacksmithing but when you work with a coal forge instead of a gas forge there's a world of difference, the primary difference being it's really really dirty. Somehow I seem to be the only person in my class with this problem...Oh well I wear it well.

But I am learning a lot in that class. I've made quite a few things so far including a hook, a spoon, a forkm, a really cool pointy thing, and a couple of horse shoe shaped pins. More to come!

Watermelon

Not pineapple. You know who you are if you understand this.
(Hey Girl!)

Today starts my second week at the folk school woot woot. It feels like I've been here longer than that though. This morning I went to brunch with a few of the other work study girls. The resident landscaper for the folk school, Tim Ryan, has a standing invitation for hosts and work study students to have brunch on Sundays. It was so good, I ate so much food I had to wear pants with an elastic waist for the rest of the day and all I could do was lay on my bed and rub my belly. But oh my goodness that man has an awesome house. He even keeps a live turkey out back, with his chickens of course. He pretty much has a collection of anything you could imagine, or he could probably make it. I have date to go back there sometime this week and play him in Scrabble.

This week I am taking my first class which is Scandinavian blacksmithing. I've traded in my purple work study name tag for my yellow student name tag. The most exciting thing is that I'm not the youngest person in my class. This is a pretty big deal because the average age of the students here corresponds with AARP discounts. Not sure what I am gonna make yet, I'll have to think more about it.

I am looking forward to some ludfisk later this week though.

This is the garden I've been working at all last week and the views I've been looking at...Pretty sweet ! That log cabin thing is the tool shed. I helped to lay down the irrigation strips and put down the sawdust pathways.

These bowls were donated by local crafts persons for the empty bowls dinner. I helped to set up that little shindig. There was some really cool pottery and generally I'm not too big a fan of pottery but there was some really nice stuff.

Maura Had to Stop For Pie

Twice actually. And not just any pie but fried pie. I made friends with one of the guys in the cooking class and all he does is make fried pies and give them away. So I took a good 20 min. break from gardening today to get some fried apple pie and then for second desert I had fried chocolate pie. This may be my new favorite desert right after a thinly sliced piece of pound cake topped with cottage cheese and maple syrup.

What Do You Do With a Drunken Sailor

What do you do with a drunken Sailor
What do you do with a drunken Sailor
Earl-y in the morning

I could not get this song out of my head all day. There was a performance of it last night for our small St. Patrick's Day party with an accordion and a fiddle, but that was the only song that the two musicians knew how to play together.

Not too much else is new...Wake up early...go to Morning Song...Eat breakfast...work a lot...Eat lots of lunch...Work more...Eat...Go to Dinner...Pass out on my bed...Go to sleep at 10:00.

I did get to drive one of the school pick up trucks today...that was so cool!!

I'll try and take more pictures to put up and show you because oh my goodness I can not get over the views here.

Here is the view from my room. It was rainy and foggy all yesterday but bright and sunny today...honestly I prefer the rainy and foggy.

Also...

Cutting wood with a hydraulic wood cutter is the coolest thing ever. Seriously do it!

Sing Behind the Plow

I got to the Folk School yesterday and I successfully avoided getting lost in Georgia! So, that's a bonus! However, I almost drove off the road because I was looking at the beautiful scenery. I am not used to curvey mountainous roads.
I met the four other lady-girls I will be working with. I'm the youngest and the oldest one is a grandma. I'm in a room with two girls.
Today was my first day of work. This week I am scheduled to work with my roommates actually. So we're bonding over work duties...but I still think we should open up a trust circle.
We did a variety of tasks from potting seeds to raking gravel in a zen garden to getting wet in the rain. It's pretty damp here which creates this beautiful mist on the mountains and everything is so lush and green. I will have to post pictures soon...when I take some.

Also, I already got mail! From one of my blacksmith instructors, but that means I know my mailing address:

Maura Cartwright
c/0 John C. Campbell Folk School
One Brasstown Road
Brasstown, NC 28902

Heading Down South to the Land of the Pine

I have been packing and re-packing all day...with long breaks in between to watch the Office so you know it's been pretty productive and I'm still not done...nope not so much.

I'm looking forward to a change of scenery...going from flat to hills (which are pretty much mountains to midwesterners).

I am going to miss a lot folks though.

To Do List

Stuff I need to do before I go:
-Pack
-Teach Art
-Finish Metal Project
-Make Jewelry
-Start Sleeping on My Bed Again (instead of on the floor)
-Try to read Eclipse and Breaking Dawn
-Get some Stamps
-Mail Stuff

Awkward Phone Call

I got a call today from my friend Liz who is the head of the Work Study program at the Folk School. She was just calling to "touch base" and answer any of my questions which was really nice of her to do. I couldn't really think of anything to say so I mumbled some stuff about the weather and how excited I was to be coming down there. I also learned that there are five people in my group all of them girls. I was also told to bring a skirt for the contra dances...I think I have a skirt somewhere...and also dancing shoes, 'cause you don't want to clunk your way around on the dance floor in work boots.

This is My First Time

All of the cool Peace Corps kids are doing it.

I know I'm not going anywhere as cool as Africa, but I do like the blog approach as a way to stay in contact with folks, probably my second favorite way right after the old-school postcard.

9 weeks isn't that long, but I have a feeling that some pretty cool stuff is gonna go down that I'm gonna want to share with all y'all out there...Like I don't know...SCANDINAVIAN BLACKSMITHING!!! You can look forward to that happening sometime later this month.