Chilly-WILLy Mojo Monday

As many of you know, I live in Claremore, Oklahoma¹.  Claremore's (and arguably, Oklahoma's) favorite and most famous son is none other than cowboy/humorist/actor/social commentator Will Rogers.  We Claremorons² are very proud of our Will Rogers Memorial Museum (the most stunning museum devoted to a person who wasn't a president, that I'm aware of), and you can find Will's image all over town, from a statue of him sitting on a bench and reading a newspaper in front of the Claremore Daily Progress, to a decal of his face on the door of the city's police cars. 

(A view of the Will Rogers' Memorial Museum.  On the porch area behind this statue lies Will's tomb.)

(Statue of Will outside the Claremore Daily Progress, my town's newspaper.  As Will once said, "Well, all I know is what I read in the papers.")

I wish I'd had the opportunity to know Will.  I have a huge crush on him, similar to the ones I have on George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.  He was smart, funny, handsome in an "aww-shucks" kind of way, and just an all-around great guy. 

He was also eminently quotable.  His most famous quote is probably "I never met a man I didn't like."  But there are, literally, hundreds if not thousands of collected words of wisdom from his days as our (unofficial) Philosopher in Chief.  Here are just a few of my favorites:

• I love a dog, he does nothing for political reasons.
• No nation ever had two better friends than we have. You know who they are? The Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
• I have a scheme for stopping war. It’s this—no nation is allowed to enter a war till they have paid for the last one.
• Nothing makes a man broad-minded like adversity.
• No man can be condemned for owning a dog. As long as he’s got a dog he’s got a friend and the poorer he gets the better friend he has.
• Everybody is ignorant. Only on different subjects.
• A fanatic is always the fellow that is on the opposite side.
• All we hear is “What’s the matter with the country?” “What’s the matter with the world?” There ain’t but one thing wrong with every one of us in the world, and that’s selfishness.
• Every man’s religion is good. There is none of it bad. We are all trying to arrive at the same place according to our own conscience and teachings. It don’t matter which road you take.
• Parades should be classed as a nuisance and participants should be subject to a term in prison. Even the people in them hate them.
• Buy land.  They ain't making any more of the stuff.
• Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip.
• I never expected to see the day where girls would get sunburned in the places they do now.
• Never let yesterday use up too much of today.
• The best way out of a difficulty is through it.
• I belong to no organized party.  I am a Democrat.
• Things ain't what they used to be and never were.
• Politics is applesauce.

Today, though, I'm thinking of another phrase that is often attributed to Will.  "If you don't like the weather in Oklahoma, just wait a minute." On Saturday, our highs were in the upper 70's/low 80's.  As I type this (on Sunday evening at 5-something p.m.) the temp is currently 37 degrees.  Chilly!

What does any of this have to do with Mojo Monday?  I'll tell you. But first, let me show you this week's sketch:

And, here's the cooler-weather³ card I made with it, using Lawn Fawn's Winter Fox stamp, available at i {heart} papers:

Isn't that little fox, with her jumbo-sized cup o' joe, just the cutest?

She's colored with Copic markers on Copic X-Press Blending cardstock.  Her ears, nose, and legs have been high-and-low lighted with Prismacolor pencils and gamsol.  Her cup was paper-pieced, and she was fussy-cut out then popped up on Jody's foam boosters.  I used MFT's Die-Namics (Little Open Scallop Strip for the edge of the image panel; Let It Snowflake for the corner embellishment) and patterned paper from Echo Park's Winter Wishes 6"x6" pad.

Ready to see what the rest of the Mojo Monday Design team has put together to inspire you (without giving you a history lesson re: their hometowns and/or quotes from a dead celebrity)?  Then head on over to these talented ladies' blogs:

• Julee Tilman
• Debbie Carriere
• Marisa Ritzen
• Mary Fish
• Sarah Bigelow
• Teresa Kline
• Stephanie Kraft
• Wanda Cullen

And, of course, you'll want to mosey on over to the Mojo Monday Blog for directions on how to play along with this week's sketch. Thanks for coming by to see me, today, and indulging my blathering!

Footnotes

1.  Fun fact to know and tell: Claremore is also the setting of the musical/movie Oklahoma!  Rodgers & Hammerstein based their first Broadway musical on a play by Lynn Riggs, Green Grow the Lilacs.  Lynn Riggs is another Claremore boy, and one of our main thoroughfares in town is Lynn Riggs Blvd.

2.  Yes, "Claremoron" is actually how we refer to ourselves.  You've gotta have a sense of humor to live here, and you can't get too big for your britches when your moniker is a variation of 'moron.'

3.  Yep, that's it.  All that build-up with Will to get to his quote about Oklahoma's turn-on-a-dime weather.  Was it anticlimatic, or did you enjoy?  Let me know.

Comments

[KelliJo]

I LOVE These touches of your world Carole!!! Thanks for sharing... He had some doozies that the "unofficial" chose to share!!! :)

[teresa kline]

this is an adorable card...thanks for sharing about Will, a witty guy for sure!

enjoy *~*

[Karen Day]

Loved your post today, Carole :o)

[marisa]

I learned a ton about Will and Claremore today :) Thanks for sharing. Love the felt snowflakes and the cute fox you used. Great take on the sketch.

[Wanda Cullen]

What a fun and fabulous winter card! I enjoyed the trivia about Will and loved the parrot comment...was puzzled by his hatred of parades. :-)

[Lynn]

Love those color choices and that cute little fox! Great card.

[Stef Perry]

Will Rogers is one of my heroes because he always told it as he saw it, there was never any dissembling on his part!!

I love that pretty fox, such a delightful card!

[Loralei]

Love Will Rogers! My favorite is "If you find yourself in a hole, quit diggin'" and I thin your card is totally cute. I love snowflakes and this next statement is totally unpopular with most people I know....I love snow! And I do live in a place where it falls, just not enough for me!

[Stephanie Kraft]

Wonderful card, Carole! Love the sweet fox and fab felt snowflakes!

Thanks for sharing about Will, too - so much fun and great info!

[Linda]

Great card Carole, Love the snowflakes and that little fox is adorable.
Linda K.