All About Marsha
(aka Technocrone)
My Life Right Now
My Family
My Scholarship
I'm in the process of making my site -- and my life -- more reflective of who I really am. I'm bored with making nice and I think I'll revert to my true self: basically an old grouch. (I'm thinking of starting a club for all of us "cobs" -- Crabby Old Broads.) I'm an old (not former) hippie, mid-forties, coming into my early Crone years; hence the "Crone" aspect. The "Techno" part is more wishful thinking, at least at this point. I just learned to do this stuff a few months ago. I enjoy good conversation, and mourn the death of it in contemporary society. I read voraciously, love good music, and make quilts. I have always had some creative outlet--quilting is just the latest of a long list of creative endeavors. "Art heals," after all. I enjoy using my hands to make beautiful things. I live quietly, peacefully, and try to tread softly on the earth. I try to pursue a path of gentle, tolerant, loving spirituality, although some days are better than others.
I have two grown sons, Brian and David. Brian is in the Navy, and David is finishing up his Bachelor's degree. They are both bright, shining stars, with joyous spirits and loving hearts. Together we constitute what is now called a "non-traditional" family (I've been divorced for 23 years), although I think the culture needs to catch up -- single-parent families seem to be the norm now. Some feminists (me among them) believe that children are better off reared without too much contact with men, and my sons certainly seem to have benefited from lifelong exposure to feminist thinking and an absence of "me, Tarzan, you Jane" rhetoric. Of course, I'm biased. (*grin*)
My sister Chery is my closest friend. We have that long shared history, after all. As we grow older and become more like ourselves, we discover more and more common interests and shared perspectives. That's a pretty cool thing. Chery is bright and creative, and is back in college now. She is a Scorpio, and has the typical Scorpio wry sense of humor.
I lost my Dad several years ago to cancer, and I still miss him. He was our "Appalachian Prince." He taught me everything I know about integrity. My Mom, on the other hand, gave me the gifts of loyalty, creativity, and steadfast devotion. Mom writes songs and poems, and has a passion for Big Band music.
Now that my children are all grown up, I have found my return to school to be a joyful experience, and I feel as though I've finally found what I was meant to do. I've written several papers of which I am quite proud, and some of them are on this site. My scholarship has focused on women's history, including Civil War diaries, Latin American gender issues, and my favorite, medieval women mystics. I also have an obsession with feminist philosophy of religion.
My Art
I have done a lot of creative work over the last couple of decades: I've made porcelain dolls, collages, Solstice decorations, curtains and slipcovers, cloth dolls, I've tried knitting, crocheting, needlepoint, latchhook, crewel, counted cross-stitch, and just about every sort of textile craft you can think of. For the last three or four years, however, my thing has been quilts. I'm a Taurean, and therefore very practical, and the utilitarian value of a warm bed cover appeals to me. I also like the idea of carrying on a long family tradition; both of my grandmothers were quilters, and their mothers and grandmothers as well. Quilting is part of my Appalachian heritage, and it is a part that I cherish.
I enjoy working with fabric (Taureans are very tactile), and playing with color and design. My first finished quilts were made for my sons one winter, when I had been ill and out of work, and had no money for Solstice gifts. I used scraps from clothes I had made for them when they were little boys, and curtains I'd made for their room, and leftover fabric from the dress I made to wear to Brian's high school graduation -- oh, just lots of scraps. They loved their quilts, and they could identify the origins of every scrap of fabric. These quilts are a wonderful visual representation of our family history, and after I had completed them, I was hooked.
I like to see art and I like to make art. Creative people fascinate me. And everybody is creative in their own way. This forum, for example, really encourages creativity -- that's why I'm so intrigued by it. To make art and to share art with others -- this is way cool.
My Totem
My totem animal is the turtle. I love turtles. They are self-contained--they carry their homes and their armor with them wherever they go. They are also quite stubborn. Many times I have stopped to rescue one from a certain death on the road, only to have it head doggedly back in the same direction. I'm a lot like that myself; once I've made up my mind, there's just no turning me around--regardless of the potential folly of my path! (It's simplest, with turtles, to carry them across the road. They aren't very appreciative,
but they are open to rescue efforts as long as you don't try to force them to change direction.)
Turtles have been my special totems for as long as I can remember. I don't have live turtles, because it pains me to see them in captivity, but I have a wonderful collection of turtle figurines from all over the world. My sister and both of my sons are globetrotters, and they bring me turtles from their travels.
My favorite creation myths are the Native American stories about Turtle Grandmother. Be sure to check back later, when I have those links in place. The stories are wonderful. I am always looking for images of turtles, so if you find any, please e-mail me and let me
know.
My pet peeves include stupid people (and jeez! there sure are a lot of 'em!), ignorance and intolerance, parking tickets, and people who litter. I have a number of others, but that's enough negativity for one page.
I have wonderful sons, all grown up and off doing their own things. I love you, Brian and David, and I am so proud of you! I couldn't ask for better sons-- you are both the greatest. And I'm so pleased that you are on your own now, freeing me to live the life of an unencumbered Wild Woman.
Thanks again for stopping. I hope you'll sign my guestbook. I love to see what people think of my pages. I am so new to this that I'm amazed that I can do it at all, so every little bit of feedback nourishes my spirit. Come back often, as I will add more as time permits.
Bright Blessings to you . . .
from the Technocrone.
