The Old Man on May 3rd, 2010
Handcrafted Gifts Customized at The Mare’s Nest, Longwood
Tuesday May 31, 1983 The Evening Herald, Sanford FL.
The Mare’s Nest with its assortment of handcrafted gifts and decorating accessories is nestled in Historic Longwood. Located at 228 W. Warren Ave., just half a block west of the city hall, it was formerly in the Browsers Barn. The charming shop has been in Longwood for 2 yrs and moved into one of the sections quaint old houses on March 1st.
Most the items in the shop are the clever creations of the owners, Lois and Wendell Glisson who specialize in custom work. In conjunction with the shop. Lois operates a Doll Hospital where she lovingly restores, repairs, and re-dresses all kinds of dolls and does custom designing.
She is now teaching classes in Stenciling, Chicken Scratch, and Candle Wicking. This summer she is offering workshops on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons on such things as stenciling t-shirts and cross-stitch to youngsters 9-13yrs. preregistration is necessary. To register call 331-5546.
Registration is also being taken for the “Christmas in July”. Classes on ideas for holiday gifts and decoration to be held monthly begging July 5th.
Ever since Mrs. Piggy became a glamorous Star of Television and movies, folks have been going hog wild over things porcine- and you will, too when you see the adorable new “Pig Line” at The Mare’s Nest. There are stuffed Piggy Doorstops, Laundry Bags, Kitchen Magnets, and Magic Wands to wave over your food and remove unwanted calories (for the person who eats everything), to name a few.
Just as cute are Lois’ stuffed pelicans, mice, and “Sassy Cats”, and dolls. There are gifts for kids of all ages from the crib up. If you are looking for something different for dad on Fathers Day, Lois has a unique gift selection- a personalized wooden suit hanger, which can be painted with a variety of shirts or coats and dads name. She also has personalized gifts for graduates.
Wendell Glisson’s Specialty is woodworking. He makes Doll furniture- cradles, rockers and beds- ducks to hang on the wall, wooden weather vanes, plaques and country-rustic furniture.
They are also carrying some supplies and raw wood work for those who like to paint their own.
Some of the other items you’ll find at The Mare’s Nest including wooden bowls, baskets, pottery, ceramics, patchwork, stenciled or candle-wicked pillows.
The Old Man on March 9th, 2010
I Love You my Dearest Wife!
It is with great sadness that I announce the very untimely departure of the woman I loved very dearly. Many of my readers know of my great respect, admiration, love, and companionship I held for my wife Lois Glisson. Lois was far more than a wife. She was and still is the world in which my every breath revolves around.
Lois was a very loving and compassionate person. She has always had the ability to overcome anything and everything that may have crossed an intersection of any stage of a project she was working on. She was a veteran of cancer fights and had overcome obstacles brought forth by cancer on several occasions in our lives together. She always maintained a smile and a can do attitude. This was just one of the many beautiful traits that allowed me to adore her every footstep.
In April of 2009 we had received news from her doctors that her newest battle would be one fought but not won. She was diagnosed with a rare liver cancer known as a Klatskins Tumor. We were told then that our expectation should be low and that we would have a battle that would be tough it would also be short.
My Lois not only took the news lightly, she also took it with a smile as an invitation to not only challenge her cancer but to enjoy life to its fullest no matter what stepped into her life’s now fast lane. Lois made available opportunities that would fill our memory buckets with love, fun, and happiness. We took time to travel, visit with family, and even travel and visit with family! I love her for her drive! She made the past year not only memorable and remarkable, but with the battle at full force she still kept my heart filled with love and hope!
Lois has departed my physical life on March 09, 2010 at 3:30 in the morning. This is indeed a very sad and hurtful time in my life. I do still rejoice in the passion and understanding that she will forever be with me spiritually and emotionally. I love my wife every bit today that I did the day we got married well over 30 years ago. I am able to find happiness in my heart knowing that I always did everything possible to insure Lois knew that she was not only loved, but also adored for her strength, courage, and guidance that she provided to everyone she knew.
Lois, though you are missed on this Earth, you will forever be remembered and respected. The love we felt on a yesterday will continue for as long as a today continues to show a new sun and a tonight brings forth a new moon.
The Old Man on January 23rd, 2010
Not that I usually use another persons story, but this was an email I received from my sister Johnny Lou that I thought needed to be shared.
This is so funny to me……… Maybe you had to be there…
Last night I went grocery shopping. It was 15 degrees. I put the groceries in the back seat and some in my trunk.
I got home and I asked Bob to get the groceries because I was freezing. It was dark, I popped my trunk from inside the house while looking out the window to make sure it opened. Bob went out the back door and I kept watching to make sure he could get in the trunk. While watching, I saw some animal scurrying from under my car, it seemed… it went sideways down the driveway and then straightened out and went on down til out of sight. I was wondering what the animal was…it was low to the ground, had a white round tale and it seemed drunk as it made its way down the driveway. I thought that is some odd animal,,, bunnies are not around this time of year but it did have a big white, round tale, which is mostly what I saw…and I thought Bob had scared it away as he approached the car.
So, Bob gets in the house with ALL the bags in his arms so he did not have to make a second trip in the cold. I forgot to ask him about the animal. We were busy putting the groceries away and we wanted to watch something on TV.
The next morning, I woke up with Bob bringing me coffee and we talked and then I thought …Oh, Bob did you bring in all the bags last night.. (because sometimes he does not bring in all the bags), and I did not remember seeing the melon, that I thought would of been refreshing for breakfast…. so, Bob said, yes, I brought everything in,,,,, I was doubtful, so, I said, if you brought everything in then where is the melon? He said, I don’t know, maybe it fell in the back of the trunk……………….then he said….when I walked the dogs earlier I saw a melon squashed by the mailbox,,, which he said was odd….and it was in a white bag…. he said, oh crazy George down the road probably put his groceries on top of his car and drove off, then the melon rolled off and someone ran over it………………………….. well!!!, I laughed so HARD that I cried for a long time,,,,,and in between hysterical laughs I told him about the odd animal that seemed drunk rolling down the driveway…………………….which of course was my melon in a white bag…………………………
As days and days went by with little progress on the actual book, it was decided that starting a blog on the internet just might bring inspiration to the old man to get his book written. The main goal of the blog is to entertain and share experiences from one individuals views of the many ways that problems can often be turned into stories that contain underlying lessons. As well as to share some of the common everyday stories about his life. The approach to life usually undertaken by the author allowed him to often face challenges in ways that always worked without confrontation and friction in the workplace.
