Reverend Deborah Johnson of Santa Cruz, speaking on why Prop 8 is so very, very wrong (October 12, 2008). Hope you'll have a listen!

Please Vote NO on 8!

Sometimes I blog about things near and dear to my heart that aren't related to primitive folk art. I hope you will read this post.

Proposition 8 (aka "Prop 8"), if passed, will undo a ruling by the California State Supreme Court handed down in May of this year (2009). This ruling gave lesbians and gays the right to legally marry in this state. This is a long-awaited ruling, and has been much celebrated by lesbians & gays AND many heterosexuals, alike!

Now, sadly, this ruling is in jeopardy of being overturned by Prop 8. If Prop 8 passes, there will be an addition made to the State Constitution which makes marriage in California legal only between one female and one male. Lesbian and gay couples, some of whom have been together for decades, will no longer be allowed to marry.

Shelly Bailes (left) and Ellen Pontac (right), who have been together for 34+ years, hold each other's hands as Yolo County Clerk/Recorder Freddie Oakley performs their wedding ceremony on June 16, 2008.

What's worse is that those in favor of Prop 8 are lying in their ads! Here's an explanation of the fiction (what they're saying) and the fact (what will really happen if Prop 8 fails).

Fiction: Teaching children about same-sex marriage will happen here unless we pass Prop 8.
Fact: Not one word in Prop 8 mentions education, and no child can be forced, against the will of their parents, to be taught anything about health and family issues at school. California law prohibits it, and the Yes on 8 campaign knows they are lying. Sacramento Superior Court Judge Timothy Frawley has already ruled that this claim by Prop 8 proponents is “false and misleading.”

Fiction: Churches could lose their tax-exemption status.
Fact: Nothing in Prop 8 would force churches to do anything. In fact, the court decision regarding marriage specifically says “no religion will be required to change its religious policies or practices with regard to same-sex couples, and no religious officiant will be required to solemnize a marriage in contravention of his or her religious beliefs.”

Fiction: A Massachusetts case about a parent’s objection to the school curriculum will happen here.
Fact: Unlike Massachusetts, California gives parents an absolute right to remove their kids and opt-out of teaching on health and family instruction they don’t agree with. The opponents know that California law already covers this and Prop 8 won’t affect it, so they bring up an irrelevant case in Massachusetts.

Fiction: Four Activist Judges in San Francisco…
Fact: Prop 8 is not about courts and judges, it’s about eliminating a fundamental right. Judges didn’t grant the right, the constitution guarantees the right. Proponents of Prop 8 use an outdated and stale argument that judges aren’t supposed to protect rights and freedoms. This campaign is about whether Californians, right now, in 2008 are willing to amend the constitution for the sole purpose of eliminating a fundamental right for one group of citizens.

Fiction: People can be sued over personal beliefs.
Fact: California’s laws already prohibit discrimination against anyone based on race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. This has nothing to do with marriage.

Fiction: Unless Prop 8 passes, CA parents won’t have the right to object to what their children are taught in school.
Fact: California law clearly gives parents and guardians broad authority to remove their children from any health instruction if it conflicts with their religious beliefs or moral convictions.

Regardless of how you feel about the issue, we should not eliminate fundamental rights for ANY Californians.

Please vote NO on Prop 8.

Thank You to my Customers at Lodi!!

Just wanted to take a moment to thank all of my customers at Lodi! It was a bit of a madhouse early in the day, but I enjoyed chatting with all of you so much!

I've talked Jennifer into doing the show again next year, so we'll be back in both May and October ... yay! Jennifer tells me she'll get our application turned in pronto so we can have the same fantabulous location!!!

Next Sunday (Oct. 19th) is the California Country Show in Los Altos and, as usual, I'll be participating in the Folk Art Fair held across the parking lot (we'll be somewhere near the Museum -- maybe in the courtyard, or maybe outside where we were in June, I don't know yet). I have some Halloween pieces, quite a few Santas, and hope to finish up a few "snowfolk" as well. See you then!

On The Road Again!

It's that time of year again -- show season -- and, as usual, I'm a very busy grrl!!

This Sunday (October 5th), is the Lodi Street Faire. I'll be sharing booth 151 on School Street (that's the street with the antiques!) with my friend Jennifer of Crow Junction. Our booth is usually near the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (yummm!). I plan to bring some "leftover Halloween" and offer it at VERY good prices (big dolls for $45, for example!). I may have some newer items too! (The picture above is from a booth I had at Sutter Creek several years ago ... we'll have a white canopy at Lodi and will probably have an American flag or two draped around the booth!).

The next Saturday (October 11th), I'll have half of a table (!!) at A Wondrous Winter Fete at the Alamo Women's Club, located at 1401 Danville Blvd. in Alamo, CA (this is in the East Bay, near Walnut Creek). I may well be the only truly primitive artist there, as I'm expecting many of the artists to have more of a white / sparkly / glittery / shabby chic sorta display. In addition to my pumpkins, Santas and as many snow folk as I can get done in the next 10 days, I'll have my token sparkly item, my ever-popular snowballs!

And (as if that's not enough excitement for one month!), the next Sunday (October 19th) is the California Country Antique Show in Los Altos. As usual, I'll be in (or near) the Courtyard of the Los Altos History Museum -- that is, IF I still have anything left to sell!!! (And if I've sold out, I'll probably still stop by ... to shop at the antique show!)

I've also been asked to put things in the Country Collective Show, which I think is also held at the Alamo Women's Club building and runs from October 16th through October 18th. I have begged off of this for this year, however Marcia from Cottage Jewel in Danville hasn't given up on me yet ... so I may have a few things there after all!

Sooo ... I guess I'd better get back to work, huh?! See you soon!