This summer we did something we have never done.  We entered an egg in the county fair.  We also entered our asian pear jam.  When it comes to produce, in a semi-agricultral neighborhood, to try the first time with a food, is real scary.  Anyway, back to the egg entry.  Who knew what the competition would be - against a carved egg.  After all, we are going after a prize - aren't we?!  What kind of prize could you get at a country fair?  Probably a ribbon or trophy, or more.  I was proud of what I entered.  I wanted as big a reward as I could get.  How about a 3 foot trophy and an 1" inch notice in the local newspaper.  Well, we need to define what a prize is.  How much pride can I pump up?  Webster says " A reward for victory or superiority, as in a contest."Superiority - I love it!  Okay, I'm getting a little ridiculous. There has been a large debate in the United States regarding whether we should reward (give a prize) a victory in a competition.  Could someone tell me why we would  have 2 people or teams of people do the same thing without deciding who might be better,  When we  made 3 or 4 batches  of jam, it was to get better taste, gel or use less sugar. We "strive" to get better, even if it is to compete against myself.  How do we acheive anything without testing against something previous or someone doing the same thing?!"  Strive - to exert oneself vigorously, to make strenuous efforts toward a goal, to rival, compete".  Isn't there always a goal?  To grow better , to advance.

    Now, in America at least, we've  heard all about "fairness and fair" for at least 3 years.  Our President has made it abundantly clear  that he wants us to be fair ( or equal) with the rest of the world: that is regress backwards.  History has taught me that America has been "striving" to be better, more efficient, and help others "up" to our level. I guess it is our drive to be better, that is our shame.

Now, how long has the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) gang been occuping, 3 months?  They protest for
"fairness" or everyone to be fair with ones' wages,  talents  and possessions.  The only time we are all egual is when we enter the world - naked!  The Creater puts each one where He wanted us, with  the gifts He had given, that is our minds, how they are developed, how our environment shapes us, what interests we  bend toward,  what needs we see in our society that we can find solutions for.  For the OWS gang, and our President who  supports them, we'll write another blog about the Tower of Babel.    

     Back to our fair experience, cutting an egg  can be a real challenge. Depending  on the detail involved. Every egg  is different (just like people) in that I can change the focal  point  because of color inside, depth of shell or a slip of the bur.  I "strive" to be better with every egg - is that a weakness?  Come on - let's shoot for the moon!

Well, the fair committee gave us a 3rd place ribbon for the intricately hand carved ostrich egg and  second place went to a bird house, I was so disgusted that I didn't look at the 1st place winners entry.

     Now, let us be "fair", let us give each and every person a chance to be his/her self.  Let them mature in the family they are born in, with the limbs God gave them, with a mind that can choose (at the proper age) in the place in the world God placed them to live and with all the needs  of the day to fulfill.

     May we enter into the next year( being fair) with less pressure on everyone to be the same.                       And thank the Lord Jesus Christ for who He has made us.

                                                  Ron Schipper

Have you spent any time looking at natural beauty?  We are talking about plants, animals, rocks, mountains, clouds, etc. Including bugs, rainbows, waterfalls, and waves and sand at the beach.

We have carved lots of roses on eggs, both ostrich and emu eggs.  We go outside and pick roses, buds and leaves.  Just outside in our garden, we have picked  to look at the details.  Have you observed the texture of petals?  They look soft and velvety.  Have you ever pulled a petal, put it on your hand-thumb to first finger-then pop it with your other hand flat? Well that's kid's stuff, right?! Anyway, the colors blend and grow darker as petals dive into the center.  The stiffness  and bends of the inner petals to the bowing of the outer petals.  Then have you noticed the green raps of the buds hold up the outer bowing petals, as if they might fall apart if the rose opens too far.  Some leaves have small shaped pricks along the outside edge.  Well we will let you check out roses for yourselves.

Recently, we carved an ostrich egg covered in oak leaves.  So we took a trek outside to pick up a few leaves.  Some green, orange, brown, crinkly, some flat, some with curled edges.  Oak leaves can have (what I call) abrupt cuts that make points.  Some are just leaf  shape that has a point at the pinnacle. The point is, have you ever thought how are these made?  How do roses always produce roses and not carnations? Or acorns from oak trees budding Redwood trees.  There is a large debate now called "Intelligent Design".  The case for "Intelligent Design"  is to challenge us to look at the world around us and think about how, when and the why of its'  beginning and maintenance.

As I carve fish and birds and flowers into egg shell, I am reminded of how hard it is for man to make anything as beautiful as the world's creatures.  Then even more impossible for the creation  to make anything new from itself.  Oh, have I mentioned "Intelligent Design" was suppose  to introduce a "Creator" into the creation/evolution debate?!  Here in America, the science community wants to hold on to "provable science" theory, the politican wants to hold on to the "Power Pole" while the clergy holds to variable possibilities because they don't want  to explain "God's work".  Define for yurself how a rose plant maintains its blooms in texture, shape, color, smell (or lack thereof)  and beauty.  Oh I have not mentioned thorns on roses bushes.  Well thorns are the result of man thinking  he knows more or better than his "Creator". Genesis 3:14-19 especially verse 18, the thorns are a curse put on creation because of man's disobedience against God.  In the same  judgement came pain in child birth and work-both aspects of life man has tried to rid himself of.

Speaking of curses, the government of the United States of America is aggreviating the nation of Israel to give ip its' soverignity.  In Genesis chapter 12, verses 2&3 and chapter 27, verse 29, God tells Israel "I'll bless those who bless you , and curse those who curse you".  Why would a government seriously oppose the Creator of the world, the judge of men's actions, and the promise keeper?

Now those of us who grow roses, we  know that thorns are not the only miserabe thing about roses.  How about aphids, black spot fungus, suckers and dead heads?  All of these things except maybe deadheads are consequences of sin against God;  including the work that it takes to care for all those curses.  Go out and look at flowers or leaves and try to duplicate one of these fascinating creations.  Meanwhile, I'll try to interpret Creator God's handywork in my carving and hope you enjoy Wildrose Creations egg-citing objects.

So we have relaunched our website and Melanie would say "finally".  We want to say "thank you" to so many of you that has crossed our path on this long road we have been traveling.  We have had a site a number of years; just not the site we have envisioned at the beginning.  In the beginning, Kathy Dunn [kieranna.com] developed our site using a program we could not open on our Mac. So it was a while for updates and, most of all, new eggs.

Back to the relaunch. We talked to our friend Bob [oddballolddog.net] who mentioned his daughter was the greatest web designer. So we asked Melanie [sisarina.com],if there was any way she could help us making the site more friendly for us.  You have to know that we, Tanda and Ron, are 60 type non-computer brain, so we need all the help we can get. We are grateful to Melanie and her crew - AJ, her developer, Michele [creativefreedom.com], her designer.  It is beautiful and now useful for us and the world.  Also, Mark Behrens taking pictures that are clear and site friendly, [flickr.com/photos/emptybee].

The eggs make us look good.  The shells are our canvas, the colors we use as much as possible.  We really try not to paint anything - only to make the design more clear.The stands pictured are so different and not always available  in that we try to match eggs with a stand that will show off the egg. We love carving the eggs and making egg and art more beautiful.

We also like to thank the Creator who created an egg that has 4 colored layers,  who I'm sure knew we would be intrigued by the layers and what to do with them.  The aboriginal people of Australia, carved tribal pictures and designs into the emu eggs. The african peoples used ostrich eggs for water jugs.  God surprises us by changing 3rd color-green, blue or blue/green (almost turquoise) just as He surprises us in life like bringing someone into our mind to come along side and help us.  We thank Him for all the incidences that come our way. including you - for you may want something special carved into an egg. Occasions, celebrations, achievements, collections, gifts all could be used on eggs.

So the launch is on, on God's timing not ours'.  Again, thanks for all those who have helped us along the way and all their creative know-how.  Now it is our turn to make something beautiful for you.  Oh for my God also, in that I am reminded by the Bible, 'whatever I do (carving eggs)  do everything in the name of Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God'- Colossians 3:17.  Remember, these eggs are special, each and every one. They are numbered, dated and signed. Some of them reflect my unusual quirky mind; so I'll do my best.