My Surprise 60th Birthday Party

November 30, 2014

The last day of my birthday month... and what a month it's been! My 60th birthday, which actually fell on the 18th, is one that will go down in the history books. Friends near and far phoned or e-mailed with best wishes, and I was happy and surprised to reconnect with some who I couldn't believe even knew my birthday. Many cards arrived. My husband, who knows me so well....

chose this one.

And Flowers arrived, too...

My greatest surprise had been in the planning stages for many months. My daughters and my husband organized a party which was a total surprise until I walked through the door! How did they keep it so hush-hush?! My deepest thanks to them for all they did to celebrate my 60th birthday.

Cecely, Mariah, Me, Lindsay



                    

Ted, Me, and my sister, Elizabeth. 

Very funny, Sis...

 

What's a party without balloons?


This is my grandson, Emrys, 2 1/2.

...or CAKE!

             

My oldest daughter, Cecely, organized a memory book of photos for me.

Oh, the memories! That's me at age 6 with my cat, Henry. I was a cat-person even then.

Family and Friends... You're the best!

 

My dear friends- Jane, Jane & Evelyn

Chelsea, my step-granddaughter

I think there were 30 to 40 people...

My dad and brother, Jon

My sister, Elizabeth and her wife, Bonnnie

Greg and Suzanne Dirmaier, and me

Middle daughter, Lindsay with her boyfriend, Matt

Youngest daughter, Mariah with family friend, Hutch

My step-daughter and I chat (and eat!) Great Food thanks to the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Montpelier.

 Sue and Art Stukey, Ted's sister and brother-in-law

Ted and Suzanne

Family friends- Terry, Sage, and their daughter Lily

A Happy turn of Events in Nova Scotia

Thursday, July 31, 2014

One of the special things about being on vacation is that you often don't really know what will happen each day. You make plans, but then one small tweak will lead you down a whole new path. Such a thing happened last week while Ted and I were visiting the southern shore of Nova Scotia. We planned to visit Lunenburg, but stopped on the way to eat our sandwiches at a lovely beach. We noticed a sign that said 'Hooked Mat Display', so naturally after lunch we followed the arrows and wound up at the Maritime Museum of LeHave where a dozen rugs were exhibited and several more were on display for a raffle. The 2 young people who were interpreters for the summer at the museum were delightful. After seeing how interested we were in the rugs, they encouraged us to visit River House Rug Hooking in the next town where we would see more rugs. A short drive brought us to a rug hooking shop where there was a hook-in going on. I felt right at home. We chatted with the owner, Jane Steele, and the other hookers, while looking at the terrific rugs hanging on the walls of the shop. Several rugs caught my eye and on closer inspection, I noticed that they were hooked by Doris Eaton. I've admired Doris's work for a long time and recently ordered her book. Jane told me that Doris lives in the area and frequently hooks with them. And, coincidentally, that day was Doris's birthday which they were celebrating that evening with a pot luck dinner. 'Would I like to come?' ...Why Yes! Ted and I made a short trip to Lunenburg, did a few touristy things, picked up a fruit salad to share and headed back to River House for Doris's birthday Party. We enjoyed a lovely evening and I felt quite lucky to be there.

Doris Eaton is the 'birthday girl' 86 and still hooking.

Many friends came for the pot luck.

Jane Steele and me, Stephanie. July 31, 2014 in Petit Riviere, Nova Scotia

Monday, July 28, 2014

Ted and I are off on another wonderful adventure. This time to Nova Scotia. We started our trip last Sunday (the 27th) from Portland Maine with a fabulous dinner at Vignola, a delightful restaurant just off the waterfront, then headed to the State Pier where we boarded the overnight ferry to Yarmouth, NS. This is the best way to get to 'Novie' (as Grampie used to call NS). We watched the lights of Portland fade into the night, had a good night's sleep in our cabin, and arrived rested and ready to head for the cottage on the south shore. We didn't have Internet for the whole week and only spotty cell phone reception which seemed odd, but also a relief.

Port Joli is a very small town on the southern shore of Nova Scotia, and not necessarily a tourist destination, although for several reasons, I was eager to visit. When a rug hooking friend and recent teacher at Green Mountain Rug School, Susie Stephenson, mentioned that she had a cottage in Port Joli, my jaw dropped. Most notably, Port Joli is the entrance to the Kejimkujik Provincial Park trail which offers spectacular views of the coast,  but for me, hearing the name Port Joli (pronounced ‘jolly’) brought back many distant memories! It was a name I’d heard back in the 1970’s & 80’s from my first husband’s parents who had owned land there for many years. The land was inherited and Grampie spoke of the place in glowing terms and with a little mist in his eye. His family hailed from Lunenburg just a short way north on the coast, and I wondered if he also had family in Port Joli. He and Gramma often made a pilgrimage to their beach-front land in ‘Novie’, and although it was landlocked, they always said they’d like to built a small place. Unfortunately they never did, and after Grampie’s death, the land was sold and I never heard the name again. I have, however, always  remembered the perfectly oval, smooth granite stone that sat by the fire place in their Rockport, MA, home. Using black paint and his best penmanship, Grampie had painted on the stone the words, ‘Port Joli’.  Ted and I did a little sleuthing in the local cemetery and asked several local people if they knew anything about the Conrads, but we didn’t find the location of the land or any information about ancestors.

May 2, 2014

The weather forecaster predicted a cold, damp weekend. At the end of April, most New Englanders are depressed to hear about even one more day of poor weather, especially a weekend, but on this particular weekend, I was somewhat happy about inclement weather.  The students who registered for my rug hooking class would most likely choose to join me for the class instead of heading for their gardens. This 2-day class was sponsored by the Eliot School in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, which is a close suburb of Boston.

The Eliot School was founded in 1676, and is one of the oldest, continuously running educational institutions in the US. Originally established as a grammar school in the 17th century, changes in the late 19th century opened a new path for the Eliot School, and administrators and teachers turned their focus to teaching the manual arts. This local, non-profit gem now offers classes in a variety of crafts including wood-working, painting, sewing, knitting, (rug hooking, of course) and many other crafts. When I visited the school, I observed an upholstery class and wondered how I could join!  Classes are held in the school itself, but teachers also travel to surrounding public schools to augment the art programs that have been diminished due to school-funding cuts. The Eliot School has an excellent reputation, and has established a tradition of diverse classes for the young and old; has a talented faculty; a welcoming atmosphere; and small class sizes.

           

 

I’m pleased to continue my association with the Eliot School and to support their tradition.

My class met in the historic Loring-Greenough House just down the road from the Eliot School.

 

My Interview with a Graduate Student from the Bard Graduate Center, NY.

April 10, 2014

About 2 years ago, I was contacted by a lovely lady who was pursuing a graduate degree from the Bard Graduate Center in New York. She asked to interview me as part of her study on historical crafts, and I happily agreed. That interview with some wonderful photos is now available to the public the Bard Center website, http://www.bgccraftartdesign.org/items/show/3 and now on their Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/BardGradCenter

Here's are a few photos and the beginning of the story...

Conducted by Mei-Ling Israel on November 6, 2011 at Green Mountain Hooked Rugs, Montpelier, Vermont

       

 Stephanie Allen-Krauss, 2011. Photo: Mei-Ling Israel.

 

Stephanie Allen-Krauss, b. 1954, is a Montpelier, Vermont-based fourth-generation rug hooker, business owner and educator. Her great-grandmother, Philena Moxley, owned a store, PC Moxley Dry Goods, where she sold embroidery and self-designed rug patterns in the second half of the nineteenth century. Her mother, Anne Ashworth, was a nationally-recognized rug hooking teacher who also ran a repair and custom dye-business and was a key member in the formation of national rug hooking organizations. Allen-Krauss learned rug hooking as a child from her mother. She holds two bachelor’s degrees, one in elementary education and one in special education. In 2010, she received the Vermont Governor’s Heritage Award for Outstanding Traditional Artist.
In the interview, Stephanie Allen-Krauss traces her family’s history with rug hooking and describes the process whereby she started to make rugs. As an educator, she is especially adept at describing the craft form, its technicalities and materials, and its community of practitioners. The second part of the interview was a tour of her business and adjoining home, including the primary place where she works on rugs. This interview, illustrated with many rugs of her own making, highlights the deeply personal nature of her craft.

Some new faces at Green Mountain Rug School

April 1, 2014

 

I'm thrilled to introduce the new Board of Directors for Green Mountain Rug School

Green Mountain Rug School!  

left to right- my daughter Mariah Krauss, my sister Elizabeth Ashworth, my daughter Lindsay Krauss, my sister Pam Kirk, and my daughter Cecely Conrad

And how did this come about, you ask?   A year or so ago I realized that I am getting close to that magic age when one begins to contemplate retirement and what it might look like for me.  I visited Pam in Florida in late winter and told her I was thinking of stopping Green Mountain Rug School.  As I get older, the eleven-month process to bring Rug School into being every June seems to take longer and longer to complete.  The work of dismantling the shop, reassembling it at Vermont Technical College and then reversing the process to take it home seems to be getting a little more than I can physically manage, although I have some wonderful help with it all.  Pam, nine years my senior, expressed that she had also been wondering just how long she was going to be able to physically help out.  I seriously began to consider that 2014 would be the last year for Green Mountain Rug School.     However, prior to the 2013 session, I visited my daughter Lindsay and shared my thoughts with her.  Through all of the discussions, Lindsay was passionate that our multi-generational family business should not close down.  So began the exciting journey to our current state!  During a weekend in October of 2013, some of us met in Montpelier, Vermont to discuss the future of the family business and how it might look.  One point was unanimous: Green Mountain Rug School should continue!  We agreed that each of us has special skills and talents to help with the various areas of the business.  So with passion and new energy we agreed to move forward from that weekend decision.     Our first Board meeting was held in New Gloucester, Maine in February, 2014 between two snow storms with all six of us in attendance. With luck on our side Pam was able to fly in and out from Florida, just missing each storm!  During the previous months, Lindsay and I worked together to identify specific parts of the business where board members could help.  Each board member then chose the job that best suited her skills.  We now share duties that include selecting the best teachers for Rug School and preparing for the yearly event; writing and editing a newsletter; updating our accounting system; working on a new website; and enhancing the online store. Already my workload is lighter.   One of our most exciting projects for the future will yield a history of our family business, beginning with the work of my great grandmother, Philena Moxley, and culminating with the creation of this new multi-generational Board.  And for the immediate future we are focusing on a presentation at the Green Mountain Guild's 'Hooked in the Mountains' Exhibit in October where I've been invited to be the "Featured Vendor."  I feel revitalized, energized and excited to see "my business" becoming "our business" and moving forward!                   This is of my grandson Emrys, a 6th generation rug hooker (we hope).  You can see his Aunt Mariah is starting him off early in the wool pile!    The full Board - left to right -  Pam Kirk, Stephanie Allen-Krauss, Cecely Conrad and Emrys, Elizabeth Ashworth, Lindsay Krauss and Mariah Krauss.    From time to time, we will share notes and updates from the Board as Green Mountain Hooked Rugs continues on its journey into the future.     Look for Blog notes from Board members on our website, GreenMountainHookedRugs.com and follow us on Facebook!

There's still time to register for this year's classes at Green Mountain Rug School. We have SOME openings! Visit Green Mountain Rug School, 2014  to see details.   In the Boston area, Beginning Rug Hooking with Stephanie.  2-Day class. April 26 & 27 10:00-3:00  at  the Eliot School, Jamaica Plain, MA. Also, Rug Hooking Part II with Stephanie. 1-Day. May 3 9:00-4:00 For more info & to register: The Eliot School     Don't forget about our classes and Free Hook-Ins at the Montpelier Shop. For details go to Green Mountain Hooked Rugs Happenings