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COMMUNITY NEWS | FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | JANUARY 2015 7 outdoor equipment like lawn mowers or golf carts. Her work is equally at home indoors or outside exposed to the elements. She gradually graduated from paper to sheet steel and plasma cutting. Her first metal sculptures were made from metal flashing — like the stuff used in aluminum siding. It was easy to work with because it could be cut with scissors, but it wasn't very sturdy. She experimented with heavier metal, cutting it with a welder's torch or heavy shears — then an "engineer friend" told her about plasma technique. "It makes a much thinner, finer line," she said. She begins with a flat sheet of metal. "I use different thicknesses," depending on the size of sculpture, she said. Then she draws an outline on the sheet with a magic marker. "I buy the markers when the kids go back to school and they're cheap," she said. Using the outline she cuts out the basic form then shapes it into its final, three-dimensional, curvilinear configuration. Many of her works are from a single sheet of metal. "I think of them as permanent paper," she said. Her pieces on the Four Seasons Lodge grounds portray the seasons of winter and summer, a strolling pair of lovers, marriage, birds, butterflies and other natural beauties. All of them have a human figure at the center, but Chavenelle, of Dubuque, Iowa, also depicts animals. "I love horses, the line becomes hair, the tail and the mane." "I love the curl as the strips of metal become wild hair. I am awed as a turn of a metal head creates an intimate moment between lovers or parent and child. It is my joy to speak with a metal voice." To contact Chavenelle or find out more about her art, please visit her website at www.chavenellestudio.com . Sculptures: continued from previous page Did You Know? By Bobbie Eckel Did you know that Jan. 3 is the Festival of Sleep Day? The timing could not be better. We have survived the busy holidays and it is definitely time to catch up on some extra hours dozing. It is usually cold and snowy this time of year (except in Southern California). The daylight hours are limited; darkness comes quickly. While it is not recommended that you sleep "on the job" (unless you are a mattress tester), it is a good idea to allow your body more rest after the strenuous months of November and December. Enjoy the day; think of it as a well- deserved short hibernation. Did you know that Jan. 4 is Trivia Day? This is a special day to amaze your friends with trivial facts – which may not be extremely important, but are fun to share. The whole month of January is full of tidbits of knowledge: Paul Revere was born in 1735, Samuel Morse demonstrated the telegraph in January of 1838, Batman appeared on television in 1966, the dental drill was given a patent in 1875, the American Baseball League was founded in 1900, and beer was first sold in cans in 1935. For a longer list of fun trivia facts, explore the Holiday Insights website. Your friends will enjoy your information, too! Did you know that Jan. 18 is Winnie the Pooh Day? The day was created to commemorate the birth of A. A. Milne in 1882. (Allan Alexander Milne, which name I am sure only his mother used!) created the delightful bear and his pals, Christopher Robin, Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet and Roo. I suspect that most of us have read the books to our children and grandchildren – and enjoyed the antics of the "bear of little brain" and his patient friend Christopher Robin. If you are lucky enough to have children around you on this day, find a copy of Winnie the Pooh and read it to them. Did you know that Jan. 18 is Thesaurus Day? Peter Roget, the author of Roget's Thesaurus, was born on Jan. 18 in 1779. The thesaurus has been an important part of student and graduate writers for many decades. Using the references in the book, a writer can find synonyms for words, which avoids a lot of redundant verbiage. The book also lists antonyms, which help to clarify the words for some readers. Now you have extra trivia for Jan. 4… and a lot of good memories, I hope, about Winnie the Pooh and the times you used a thesaurus.

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