rearview mirror dangles (c) -- support art students

6 years

2011-09-11T23:46:00.000-07:00

It's been six years today since we lost you and the world became a little less bright, but your memory still shines as beautiful as your smile.

This was posted on Jennie's Facebook page about you and I stole it to show what a kind hearted and amazing person you were.

"I was remembering how he was always so sweet with me. He would let me dress up in my victorian dress, and rehearse lines from Titanic with me. He NEVER made fun of me, or made me feel stupid. AND he was SO popular and gorgeous. He didn't have to hang out with me. There were a million other girls waiting for his call. He was so amazing. I miss him terribly. You are so lucky to be called "Ray's sister."

It cracks me up that she told Jennie she was so lucky to be your sister, as if you weren't lucky to be Jennie's brother. You were one of five amazing children, but you did seem to take on the role abdicated by your biological donor; and your siblings all have stories to share of your big brotherness.

I miss you as much now as I did six years ago and it still sucks that you're gone. At least art lives on a little more with your scholarships. They are given in the spirit in which you led your life and the promise the recipients hold in their future.

2011-03-20T16:19:00.000-07:00

A thank you note from last year's Enterprise High School recipient. It is that time of year again when school comes to a close for the summer. We are in the selection process for this year's high school and San Jose State recipients. It's always rewarding to help out even if it's just a little bit. Thank you to all those who have helped to make this possible.

हैप्पी बर्थडे, माय सों.

2011-03-11T21:26:00.000-08:00

Today you would have been 32 years old. It's hard to believe so much time has passed since you were born. Your memories are vivid to me despite the fact that you are gone; and so long as I have your memories you will always be with me. I heard from several of your friends today and all of your siblings, which was wonderful, and reinforces just how wonderful you were and how your memory lingers. I can still see the round like Buddah baby you were. It always amazed me your little legs could carry you around! When one is determined, as you always were, it was no wonder that you could walk but also carry a kitten by the neck. I recently told someone that we never get over the loss, we merely adjust to the absence of our loved one. It has been six and one half years since you left us and I'm still adjusting, but the l;ocve that I feel and felt will never fade. Happy Birthday, to my beautiful son.

A video by his college brothers

2010-05-26T21:04:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while since this was created, but it's always been hard to watch all the way through without the screen blurring. Love you guys!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_lN2Ag9Pc4

Scholarship winners of 2010

2010-05-26T19:06:00.000-07:00

Once again scholarships honoring art students will be awarded this week, May 27th, which just happens to be my late mother's birthday. I am not a public speaker and had pawned off the task the last four years on the schools art teachers. I have been asked quite a lot recently what the tattoos mean on my wrists and when I explain the meaning of the Hebrew words, it became increasingly hard to ignore the "fear less" tattoo! This year, the fifth anniversary of Enterprise High School's scholarship and I have chosen to present it this year.

Passion will be the focus of my presentation and I will once again use the photo of Raymond on Yosemite. As those who knew Ray know he was a very passionate person, whether it was about art, nature, people, food or his family, he was very passionate. This year, EHS's recipient is Audrey Kramm, a young woman who has shown a lot of passion in her short life and a willingness to share her talent and time with others.

San Jose State's recipient is Onna Hui. She is described by one of her artr instructors as "a very heart-felt, hard working young woman. Her Paintings and drawings are subtle and beautiful."

Gale Antokal, art instructor, related a very touching story. I will quote her verbatim: "A lovely thing happened yesterday. I have an older woman student who is finishing her BFA degree in a year. She handed me an envelope with $200 in cash and wanted me to give it to a deserving student of my choosing as scholarship. Thinking fast (!) I suggested that she write a check instead, send it toSandra Campos in the Arts office, and earmark it for Ray's scholarship fund. She was very happy about that solution."

My heart has been touched deeply by this gesture, and I can't thank you both enough.

The scholarships are in Ray's memory and his love for art, they are not for his family or their praise, but to help make life a little easier for those students working toward their education.

Thank you all,

Loretta

2009-09-13T21:51:00.001-07:00

Ray last wrote:

"I would rather be ashes than dust!

I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dryout.

I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, then a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is to live, not to exist.

I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them.

I shall use my time."

Yesterday my 2-year-old granddaughter Maddie found an old book, Key to Yourself with this in it:

Salutation to the Dawn

"Look to this day, for it is Life,

The very Life of Life.

Within its brief span, lies all the Verities,

And realities of your existence.

The Bliss of Growth.

The Glory of Action.

The Splendor of Beauty.

For yesterday is but a Dream

And tomorrow is but a Vision

But today well lived makes every

Yesterday a dream of happiness

And every tomorrow a vision of Hope.

Look well therefore to this day.

-The Sanskrit

Five Years

2009-09-11T21:29:00.000-07:00

It's been five years since your passing. It can't hardly be called an anniversary as there is nothing to celebrate. On the good days, I remember our last conversations regarding Maslow's hiearchy of needs, the movie American Beauty and living life with a purpose. On the bad days, I don't even want to crawl out of bed. It just doesn't seem fair or just. A beautiful person with so much to offer this world and you're taken while others, lost in soul and character, remain contributing nothing but leaving grief wherever they go. It just doesn't seem fair and no amount of time is going to change that. Your friends still call and let us know they are still thinking of you. That helps and reinforces who you were as a person, my beloved son and the resident artist in the hereafter. It helps to have the sacholarships and knowing that others will carry on where you left off.

grads awarded

2009-06-27T21:54:00.001-07:00

This year Enterprise High School awarded Brandi and San Jose State University awarded Kat Raymond's scholarships. Both are gifted artists in their own right and know the importance of giving back to their communities. I wasn't able to make it to either presentations, but hope to next year.

The little mountain community I live in is trying to raise money to establish a radio station where we live because we are in an area that receives little to no radio or television reception. We've had different fundraisers so I've donated quite a few dangles toward the cause, and they have been warmly received, but as in other areas, I've been playing around with different things because people repeatedly try to wear the dangles as necklaces! It all goes toward a helping out whether it is a person or a community.

Exciting news! A good friend is organizing a cultural exchange between our extended community and Cuba and I'm going. I will have my dangles in a foreign country! Oh wait, there's already some in Canada -- but not in a Latin country! Yahoo!

Trying something new

2009-04-24T20:27:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd try something new. These necklaces sit at the base of the throat and that is where the emphasis of the design. I came across some vintage seed beads and will incorporate those with the new to create elegant but simple designs.

2009-03-11T21:36:00.000-07:00

Raymond would have turned 30 years old today -- a milestone that should have been. I couldn't help wonder what good the world was cheated out of by his early death. I can't help but wonder what difference he would have made in the lives of the African people he would have encountered while a Peace Corps ambassador. Happy birthday to my beautiful son.

We're awesome and San Jose State has recognized that awesomeness. I received a letter the other day tellling me that I'm an ambassador to the Tower Society as a result of the donations we've made. I was given a lapel pin with the Tower emblem, which I shall wear proudly.

On another note, my husband and I took our tax info to our accountant and as he looked over the information he was startled to see the contributions to the Tower Foundation/Society. He was quite happy knowing that I was making contributions to his alma mater. I invited him to join me.

We had to make a trip to Larry's hometown of Dresden, OH, recently and while there a childhood friend of his tracked him down. His friend has a son with Williams Syndrom, and despite his age in the mid-30s he hasn't progressed physically or mentally much past that of an adolescent. Sports and firefighters are his passions. He was thrilled to tears when Larry gave him his own firefighter dangle that hung from our rearview mirror. While driving through Illinois, we stopped to gas when a young man began a conversation with Larry about firefighting. He was a firefighter from Oklahoma and as they swapped stories, Larry remembered he had a spare firefighter dangle in his coat pocket and retrieved it for his new friend. The young man was truly happy to receive it knowing he would be the only one in Oklahoma to have a dangle!

Update: Good News

2008-12-28T14:42:00.000-08:00

Time for an update! Twenty-eight firefighting dangles with the number 39 attached were given to the graduating class of the 39th Shasta College Fire I academy this month. All loved their dangles and were grateful to receive them as "good luck" charms, as my husband calls them.

I've had more requests for custom dangles, which is awesome because it forces me to use whatever creativity I have to come up with dangles to suit the request. To date I've made dangles for a belly dancer, a Hawaii lover, an Elvis fan, a medical first responder (not a firefighter) and a dangling modifier!

I received in the mail the San Jose State University Tower Foundation Annual Report and in it on Page 36 as a Tower Society Loyal and Committed Annual Giving of $1,000 and above is our name --- well, my name, but we all did it and deserve credit for it. Last week I received an invitation to the "2009 Spartans in the Desert" fundraiser for San Jose State. It's a golf weekend at Desert Willow Golf Resort in Palm Desert, CA, and while I'd loved to go and tell them I work in my private sweat shop making dangles for a scholarship, I don't think my Levis would meet the dress code! If any of you would like to go and can afford to attend the reception/dinner and golf tournament, I'm more than happy to send you in my place so you can hob-nob with the elites of the scholarship world.

Thank you all for helping us get this far!

Firefighting dangles

2008-08-16T21:28:00.000-07:00

The flags in California returned to full staff today as the nine firefighters died in a fiery helicopter crash in the north state were laid to rest. These firefighters were mainly from Oregon and had been fighting fires in Trinity County. We all felt the loss, and hold their families in our thoughts as they struggle to put the pieces of their lives back together.

In Shasta County, my husband Larry spent 17 days fighting fires and as he came upon firefighters from Oregon, Washington, South Dakota, Nevada, Idaho, and Arizona he gave them a firefighter dangle for good luck. He'd pull the dangles out of the pocket of his turnouts, determined to give them to as many out of state firefighters as possible. These dangles are made with little fire truck and fire hydrant buttons. When he happened upon one firefighter from Oregon he'd given a dangle to, the man told him that every morning his strike team (a crew of firefighters) took turns going into his truck and touching the dangle for good luck. Fortunately, these firefighters made it home safe.

Thank you note from a recipient

2008-07-24T19:21:00.000-07:00

“Hello, my name is Hanson Lee and I am the recipient who received the Ray Carrico Art scholarship awarded to Enterprise students. I would just like to say thank you. I intend to pursue a career in art in the future and will live out Ray's dreams of becoming an artist.
… Tell Joe thanks and I wanted to meet you too. But in the future I will definitely write back and tell you how I'm doing. Feel free to use my note anyway you want. Hopefully it will inspire young artists in the future. Once again thank you, Hanson Lee”

Hanson was kind enough to send an e-mail thanking us for the scholarship he received at Enterprise High School. My youngest son Joe worked with Hanson during one of his visists to the school and was happy to hear that Hanson was selected to receive the scholarship.

It's amazing what we can do when we all work toward the same goal; and while we didn't pay his tuition, we did make his journey a little easier with some extra cash! Thank you all!

2008-06-10T10:19:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to thank all of you who supported the scholarships. This year three art scholarships were given out to well-deserving students.

Some people expressed concerns that it is against the law to hang the dangles from their rearview mirrors. I was told by an officer that officers only make an issue out of items hanging from a rearview mirror if it obstructs the driver's view --- like big dice or a huge wad of strands shells!

I've not only made dangles for rearview mirrors, but dangles for hats, and even necks; but the most creative dangles have been the customized ones. They really challenge me, and I love it!

Thank you all!

neck dangles

2008-04-20T21:32:00.000-07:00

When two people tried to wear their rearview dangles as necklaces, I figured it was time to offer dangles with clasps. So if you see a dangle that you think would make a nice neck dangle, I would be happy to adjust the dangle for that purpose. The donation would be the same.

I do want to thank everyone for their support. Three scholarships will be given out this year; two at the high school and one at the university. Giving these students a little extra help in getting their education is so awesome -- thank you all!

how i became a dangle designer

2008-03-22T14:01:00.000-07:00

This site is set up to market "dangles" with all proceeds going to two memorial art scholarships set up in my son's honor by his high school and the university art teachers. It was very easy to write a check to both schools, but I didn't feel comfortable asking people to donate to these scholarships. As a way of using the left side of my brain, hopefully the creative side, I started working with glass beads, and then I added stone chips and finally buttons to create my dangles. The dangles hang from rear view mirrors and catch the light, amuse and bring a smile to those seeing them.

I initially made dangles with fire truck and fire hydrant buttons for the firefighters working with my husband, Larry, who prefers to call them "good luck charms." They loved them, and a number of them asked to purchase dangles for family and friends. I then made different ones for friends to see their reaction, and their reactions were equally enthusiastic. So, now I come to the world of the Internet and hope the reaction is the same. No two dangles are exactly alike.

Like his four other siblings, Raymond was an awesome human being with a wicked sense of humor. He did art therapy with terminally ill patients at Stanford Medical Center, a proud Sigma Chi brother, and died one week before reporting to the Peace Corps. He was looking forward to going to Africa, sharing his knowledge and love of art with the people he met. Raymond also loved dragging his friends on hikes to Half Dome in Yosemite National Forest.

Raymond saw the value of art in everyday life, its therapeutic principles and healing powers through self-expression. My dangles are a way to express myself while helping aspiring artist like my beloved son, Raymond Carrico-Henley 03-11-79 / 09-11-04.

A mother's grief knows no end, but trying to help art students through designing dangles or good luck charms brings some comfort and a sense of optimism in helping future art students.

Each stock dangle is priced at $15.00. That price includes materials and shipping. If you'd like a custom-made dangle, please contact me at vicsgma@frontiernet.net with your request, and I will contact you with the price and shipping information as soon as possible.

All proceeds from the sale of the dangles go to one of the two scholarships established in my son's memory. The first is a scholarship for students from his high school, Enterprise High School in Redding, CA, hoping to attend college to pursue a degree in art. The second is a scholarship for students currently attending San Jose State University, Ray's alma mater, and studying art. It is my hope that through the sale of these dangles, and the contributions to these scholarship funds, we can help students with the potential, talent, and drive to become artists, realize their dreams.