Polly and the Kidney Bros

My brother in law Greg aka Prince Valium (a reference to the calming affect he has had on my usually high-strung sister) is the kind of guy whose strategy for falling asleep is to imagine what he would do with a few million dollars. 

Not how he would spend it but how he would distribute it others to do the most good. 

Yes he is for real!  When he was found to be the best match for kidney donation to his brother Jeff the possibility of risking his own life to save another must have seemed like a dream come true.

The recipient of a donated kidney generally heals quickly and feels good right away as though he has been jumpstarted.  The donor's body on the other hand must adjust to functioning on only one kidney so recovery is a considerably tougher.

An important indication that everything is working properly after the surgery is the passing of gas.  In the typical spirit of brotherly competition Jeff was bragging that he was having great success while Greg had been having difficulty which was a cause for concern. 

Polly, my daughter and I went to the hospital to visit the recovering brothers and to lend a helping fart machine! 

We did the usually fart machine in the elevator but its funny how nobody even looks at a woman in a wheelchair at the hospital even when she is making a variety of loud gas sounds!

Clay Carnival in Las Vegas

We also attended the Las Vegas Clay Carnival put on by Kato Polyclay. 

She was a huge hit with the Japanese women that attended - They all wanted their photo taken with Polly and were surprisingly appreciative of the fart machine humor.

Perhaps this little device could aid intenational relations!  Let's send one to Secretary of State Condi Rice.  I'd love to see her break the eaternal gridlock of mideast peace talks with a well timed press of the magic button.  Wouldn't it be great to see those guyes snorting with laughter for a change?

Polly Merclay CHA CHA CHA!

At the Craft and Hobby Association Convention (CHA) Polly met a lot of new people.  Here she is with Suze Weinberg at the Ranger Ink booth.

Suze is an author, artist, instructor and television personality that is known for really creative applications for UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Powder), a material I'd love to experiment with.

I made Polly a special T-shirt for the convention that reads:

POLLY MERCLAY CHA CHA CHA

The National Polymer Clay Guild had a boothe at the show which Polly and I took a turn manning, womaning?  Dolling up?

We made good use of the fart machine - when someone would walk up and take a closer look and Polly, bending over we'd fire one off and reactions were mixed.  Laughter, embarrassment and even one person leaned over and whispering to Polly took responsibility for the emission.  A few seconds later we realized the truth of it LOL

Polly and the Pokies

Polly and I went to Las Vegas for the CHA Convention and to hang out with some fellow artists at another event directly following. 
We met a lot of wonderful people and Polly even did a little gambling.

She didn't do any good at the machines but we had an extra fun time because Polly is now equipped with a fart machine that is activated with a remote control that works all the way across the room.

I had the remote at my belt and Polly just sat there assuming the innocent look.  (She's good at that!)

We were there over Super Bowl weekend and had a great time especially in elevator.   Funny how the simple press of a button can empty a packed elevator on the next floor or make so many people burst into laughter. 

I like to think that everywhere we go we spread a little happiness... or something!
Hmmm... This will add a whole new element to the toilet sitting trick we like to play on visitors!

We Three Witches

 

Last year was fun but I wanted to be a little closer to the action this time.  I'm pretty good at sitting very still not making any sound or discernable movement  probably owing to to all those years in church...  So with the aid of some makeup, a wig and an electric blanket I was able to sit for hours on the porch passing for one of Polly's friends.

People around here are fairly used to seeing Polly sitting on the porch and even wave or say hello when they pass by.  Adding another friend or two wouldn't seem terribly out of character.

Since our house has a bridge leading up to the front door there is plenty of time for trick-or-treaters to wonder about the nature of the women on the porch as they make their approach in the dark.  (These photos were taken with a flash so try to imagine the scene in the mostly dark, the cobwebs gently waving in the breeze...  BTW- Its very difficult to make Morning Glories look sinister but I did try!)

 

Just as visitors would get close, staring from one still face to another there is a scream from a motion activated device that goes off at their feet and since there is no movement or reaction from the women its seems pretty certain all three are dummies. 

Assured and bewildered they begin to look around and see they cannot reach the door or bell but spying the basket of candy in Anna's lap, they reach for it in something like relief. 

This is when I leap forward and shout "HEY!  You didn't say, "Trick or Treat!""  The word must have got out because there were cars driving up to visit only my house.  I really scared a group of older kids that kept saying, "I thought you were the fake one!" and "this is the best house ever!"

I live for this stuff!  Unfortunately I think I may have traumatized a little princess for life.  It wasn't that she was close enough to actually see me come to life but her mother and her friend's mother nearly trampled her trying to get off the bridge!  No matter how much I apologized or how much candy I offered she kept screaming and wouldn't come near me.

I love Halloween... I can't wait until next year!

Polly has a sister.. or maybe cousin

I made another life-size doll and it was suggested I name her Anna... get it?  Polly, Anna, Polly-anna? (Thanks Leah!)  I like the name partly because she reminds me of someone I knew with a similar name.

Unfortunately that person is my ex-mother-in-law.  The grey wig is actually from my xmil so I guess its fitting.

I don't like her as much as Polly but what better time for her official debut than Halloween?

And now we wait...

We had a buddy staying with us for the ski season and this is the view from the doorway of his room.  His girlfriend (ahem... extremely jealous girlfriend) was visiting from out of state and we figured we could sort out right away whether or not she has a sense of humor. 

Turns out she did but HE was rather alarmed every time he walked into the room

Australia Day Party 2005

Polly was preparing to party hard at our annual Australia Day Party. 

In a kangaroo costume I made for my Aussie husband she sat overlooking the party with cans and bottles of Foster's and a stuffed joey in her pouch.

Amazingly several people had been at the party for hours before being startled to realize they were standing right underneath her.

Shrimps on the Barbies, one of our Aussie Day Party Traditions:

Meet Polly's Mom

...or is it creator?   Hmmm... does that make me a Goddess?  I kinda like that!

My name is Lorie O Follett and I've always been an artist. I don't even remember when I wasn't driven to create.

Mostly I make art dolls and figurines that are sold online and in shops.  My primary medium is polymer clay these days although I use a lot of different materials and techniques.

As a child I didn't like to play dolls or rather my idea of playing dolls was dramatically different than my sister's idea of playing with dolls.

A year and a half younger than me, my sister would absolutely beg me to play Barbies with her. Sometimes I would not accept until she did my chores. I know I was a bad sister.

Every time the problem would started with the very first thing to come out of her mouth. It would go like this:

Her: " Okay, so Barbie's going to the beach..."

Me: "Oh! She needs a towel! and swim suit! and a beach bag! ... it'll only take a minute."

I'd immediately set off happily, frantically cutting, stitching , crocheting while my sister would be making like a tea kettle!

First the arms cross in a huffy manner, then the whimpering, followed by crying with a steadily increasing volume and ear-splitting shrillness until finally she'd explode "You always do this!"

Looking back I don't understand why she continued to want to play dolls with me - it was a never ending battle for her to try to find something Barbie could do that did not require anything for me to make.

For me it was a like a crazy, exciting Project Runway thing - Junior edition. Funny, she never came up with Barbie as a nudist... oh yeah, we were Mormon and didn't know what that was!

I haven't really changed much. In high school and dating often I would just be finishing up sewing something to wear as my date rang the doorbell. Again a crazy, exciting Project Runway - Teen edition.

Years later I was finishing the hem on my wedding dress in the car on the way to the ceremony.

Polly's creation was a bit like that too except it wasn't her hem I was sewing at the last minute!