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You are here: Home / Archives for Personal

Me? A bully?

July 19, 2020 By Administrator

Note from Judy Vorfeld: this is not a political statement targeting any person: it is merely a composite of some of my thoughts on the excessive use of bullying in today’s restless culture, my part in it all, and my commitment to be a better person.

Ever since the printed word came into existence, it’s been closely followed by the cartoonists of the day: stretching, embellishing, & expanding stereotypes. While most of the “cartoons” spanned snarky to savage, it was a way for a publication to express political opinions.

Today, Social Media’s a huge player in terms of shaping our country’s attitude. And it has, since its inception, allowed us to make fun of political figures. We who are active in Social Media are constantly exposed to (or creating) “snarkiness,” but did you know this often plays a significant part in influencing younger generations?

Sure, many colleges and universities lean in a specific direction and that in itself is concerning. Same with much of our media, nonprofits, and corporations and on and on. But when we openly and regularly, in all our arrogant omniscience, fail to set better standards, we send a powerful message to today’s kids: “It’s okay to be mean. To bully.”

I do not care what kind of ice cream Nancy Pelosi likes. Personally, I go for Breyer’s chocolate peanut butter. I don’t care what or how much she eats or drinks, what she wears, or about anything to do with her teeth. I do pay attention to her political ideas. She’s entitled to them, and I’m entitled to analyze and decide how they fit in my life, if at all. And it’s not my job to worry about Mitch McConnell’s magnified eyes, Ted Cruz’s creative beard, or John Bolton’s magnificent mustache. It’s my job to pay attention to what they say in reference to politics. 

I’ve seen the of people who are rioting and getting in the face of authority. Where did their contempt come from? What the heck are they doing? What makes them so easily led? Could they be, at some level, expressing some of our frustration and anger at the way things are today? Perhaps, all too often, they are replicating their elders. Imitating us. If we raised our kids to be kind and never to bully, and write or endorse silly, stupid name calling, what does that make us?  I don’t know about you, but it makes me a closet bully, and today I’m coming out.

 

Philippine Elementary School Launches Vorfeld Toy & Book Library!

February 20, 2019 By Administrator

Philippine Elementary School Launches Vorfeld Toy & Book Library!

Far away from the United States is an amazing island in the Philippines: Mindanao. Tucked away in the mountains is a tiny community known as Pacuhan.

It is in the Pacuhan Elementary School that you will find the Vorfeld Toy/Book Library, a room that I had built to honor the memory of five of the most incredible men I’ve ever known: my husband, Jack Vorfeld, his brother Bob Vorfeld, Jack’s sons, Peter Vorfeld and Ted Vorfeld, and Peter’s son, John C. Vorfeld.

When it was time, I contacted the co-founder of “I Can Make A Difference, Inc.,” Meryl Grace Agudelo. At that time, Grace was employed as a nurse by the Philippine Air Force, and an enthusiastic volunteer for her own NGO and others, including The Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation. She has since moved to London, England to continue in her profession, but she still volunteers with I Can Make a Difference and endorses and encourages others.

With the encouragement of her grandmother, Cresencia Nantes Pabatao,  Grace envisioned a special way for us to honor memories of the five Vorfeld men: A Toy & Book Library in the somewhat isolated but special elementary school in the barangay of Pacuhan. Pictures to follow. Grace will be adding more toys and books (as of February 2019).

Pacuhan is a barangay in the municipality of Salug, in the province of Zamboange Del Norte, with a population of less than 1,000. The elevation is about 377 feet above mean sea level. I have included a photo of some of the Pacuhan school children.

Salug falls within the third type of climate wherein the seasons are not very pronounced. Rain is more or less evenly distributed throughout the year. Because of its tropical location the municipality does not experience cold weather. Neither does it experience strong weather disturbances due to its geographical location (being outside the typhoon belt) and also because of the mountains that are surrounding the Municipality.

All of the Vorfelds are strong believers in the value of education, and it seemed like a good idea to honor these five men by doing something to encourage school children to read and play in a colorful, specially designed library.

Mission of I Can Make a Difference

 Raise awareness of and help solve the problematic situations involving children, women, indigenous people and other marginalized members of a community, especially problems concerning health, education, and the environment; and address these problems through the mobilization of people, social institutions, and social entities of the community.

I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, Inc

June 16, 2018  Happy Anniversary I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Seven years and counting! What started an initiative to create a solar reflector for water disinfection has become a movement to develop young innovators to make a difference in their communities. Almost a decade ago, we envisioned a generation of youth who do not only have the power to mobilise resources & communities through social media, but also possess the power to create innovations to transform the socioeconomic landscape of their communities.

In the advent of the challenge possessed by artificial Intelligence, the vision of I CAN is ever more relevant, as it endeavours to make small but passionate contributions to make the Philippines a center of the sciences. One thing that time or technology can never replace is the heart and soul of a creative. Imagine a Filipino youth with the knowledge of innovation and the enabling experience to make their innovation happen. We will become a country of creatives, a vision so wonderful! To more years of innovations.

You may want to visit these websites:

https://wikivisually.com/wiki/Salug,_Zamboanga_del_Norte

https://schools.trokis.com/pacuhan-elementary-school.html

https://www.facebook.com/icanteam/

Special thanks to Meryl Grace Agudelo

https://www.ossweb.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/PacuhanVideo-1520560171.mp4

Obituary for Lucia Julia Fort

March 19, 2014 By Administrator

Lucia Julia Fort, 57, born October 27, 1956, in Lima Peru, to Pedro Emilio Fort and Julia Maria Aste, passed away at her home in Denton, Texas, on February 14, 2014. Lucia spent her life as an artist. She will always be remembered through her work. She is survived by her mother Julia Maria Fort; three sisters, Diana Maria Fort and husband Joseph Boudeman of Pacifica, California, Constanza Fort and husband Eduardo, Silvia Rita Fort and husband Alfredo; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. She will also be dearly missed by her beloved dog “Bella”. Lucia was preceded in death by her father, Pedro Emilio Fort.
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Here is an interview with Lucia which I completed years ago and posted on this website. She was my client, and we became friends, but because we were both busy, we lost touch. One of her clients (who found the article below) called me last week, saying she couldn’t get hold of Lucia, and didn’t know what to do. I decided to check the obituaries in her town, and was heartbroken to discover her death.

A Biography of Artist Lucia Fort

©Judy Vorfeld

Today, Peruvian artist Lucia Fort hand paints tiles that adorn the interiors and exteriors of exceptional homes and commercial buildings. Not long ago, she lived for a month on less than she makes now on the sale of one tile. The story of her transition reads like a novel, but it is only too real.

“Because of hundreds of years of Spanish rule, tiles were integrated into the art culture of Peru as they were in Mexico,” says Lucia, a second generation Peruvian of Italian and French heritage. She always loved art and graphic design. As a young woman she began supporting herself by working in graphic design and advertising, while making time to teach others how to create art on tiles. This elegant artwork, however, could be no more than a serious hobby, because of Peru’s economy.

In 1990 and 1991, Peruvians experienced extreme hardships: hyperinflation and terrorist attacks shattered all hope of living a normal life. During that time, while Lucia was in a restaurant, a bomb ripped apart the adjacent building, killing many people. Stunned by the realization of how short life can be, even though she was not injured, she decided that the only thing that matters is doing what you really love to do.

Almost broke, she decided to test her luck in the “country of the opportunities, America.” Lucia got a visa (her sister lives in San Francisco), but she soon realized the costs for starting a business were too high for someone without capital. After several months she moved to Texas, only to learn that graphic design jobs went to people with computer experience. She had none, so she began working as a baby sitter, house cleaner, etc.

One day while browsing through a library, she picked up an interior design magazine that showcased custom tile work. The artwork, she thought, was adequate, but not extraordinary. And the cost! She’d never seen such expensive tiles. She earned $30 dollars a month in Peru, working two jobs.

Suddenly, an exciting new window opened. She knew she could paint better art on tiles anything she’d seen. Unable to make appointments by phone because of her limited English, she started painting samples and taking them to builders. “I learned that it was more difficult for them to say no when they saw you sitting in the reception area for hours,” she says.

Once she had her first client, Lucia bought a small kiln and rented a shop, even though it had a large hole in the roof. Every time it rained, she simply moved everything and cleaned up the mess. Laughing to herself, she took pictures of the ceiling and the mess below, saving them for later. She wanted a reminder of her first American shop with its hole in the roof.

Full of hope, she began visiting stores and leaving free samples of her art on tiles. Sales grew. Five years later, with the Internet in full bloom, and still without a computer, Lucia sacrificed to have a Web site designed.

In August 1997 she stopped by the library to use a computer to check her e-mail. Did she have a sale? Yes! She realized that the Internet was an important communication medium, and that by using it to the fullest, she could reach buyers without having to open a store. Since she couldn’t keep paying a designer to maintain her Web site, in February 1998 she bought her first computer. Five months later, Lucia Fort opened http://www.artontiles.com.

Lucia applies her formidable determination to perfecting her English and wishes it could happen faster. “Right now, I’m working seven days a week,” she says. “As soon I have more time, I will enroll in an English class at the university. For now, I read a lot and listen books on tapes while I’m painting.”

“Not bad for someone that rode a llama six years ago, metaphorically speaking,” she laughs. “Many people know more than I do, but if I’ve learned one thing in life, it’s this: if you try to find the perfect time or the perfect location, etc. to do something, you will never do it. Sometimes you need to jump into the pool and you have no option except to swim. Just make sure the pool has water.”

Christmas Tree Harvest in Mossyrock

December 4, 2013 By Administrator

mossyrock2013Every year my brother, David Crook, flies from Arizona to Washington State to help with his son-in-law’s Christmas Tree Harvest.

This is a huge undertaking, and the preparation is ongoing, as there are Christmas trees that are very small, and on upward. Acres and acres.

I spent Christmas with the John Burtons (along with the Crooks) about five years ago and it was magical. Lots of snow, and with a family of eight kids, some grown, some in school, it was such fun.

Just wanted to share the picture David took as they got their first real snow. Probably not so much fun for the employees as it is for kids, but typical of that area this time of year.

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