by Melynda Lotven Printed in "The Gourd"
the newsletter of the American Gourd Society
spring '95 | Moving out to the country with a pond and five acres was a life long dream of mine. Four years ago my husband and I built our home right outside of Columbia, Missouri. As a house warming gift, four odd shaped gourds were placed on our doorstep. What was a gourd? I really had not seen or paid attention to them. I left them alone on my doorstep while moving and settling my family into our new home. They got moldy as time went on, but I was too busy to fool with them. Until one day I thought, maybe it was time to get rid of these eyesores. I picked one up and to my surprise it was hard, light and rattled. Neato-Keeno!! I scrubbed them up and a neighbor had told me about painting them. I was an artist selling various watercolor prints around the city and this would be a fun change. I painted them up and friends and relatives admired and wanted them. Maybe it was time to get some more of these and possibly sell them. But where do I find gourds? | The second weekend of October, every year, pumpkins line the streets and yards of a little town by the river that the Katy Trail runs through called Hartsburg, Missouri. The Pumpkin Festival was where my husband had spied gourds piled around a tree in someone's yard. He came home to tell me about it and the next weekend we went to Hartsburg. What a Beautiful Sight! Hundreds and hundreds of gourds. We filled bag after bag and made wonderful friends with a farmer and his wife, Joyce and Russell Sapp. They invited me to participate in next year's pumpkin festival by selling my gourd crafts from their yard. Yes! I couldn't wait. The next year came and I did my first "Show", the 1992 Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival. What a response! People loved my gourds. They were a hit and I did quite well. Well I now knew what I wanted to be when I grew up, besides a great mom and wife - a gourd head! The 1993 Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival was flooded out but I am looking forward to 1994. |
| A fellow crafting friend told me about the Gourd Society so I became a member. Since then I have put all my time into family and gourds, growing and planting. The first weekend in December each year I have Holidays in the Country Craft Show where 20 or more other crafters decorate my house in a holiday fashion. I fill my house with gourd crafts and my gourds walk out the door with happy people. Painting gourds has allowed me to experience fairies, angels, and Christmas magic. Santa's, angels, fairies, dollhouses, birdhouses, vases, rattles, and hot air balloons have all been turned into gourd treasures. I don't know where these funny little plants will lead me but I love the trip so far. I enjoy THE GOURD so much and hope 1995 will take me to Gourd shows to meet other gourd friends. | *Since this article appeared in THE GOURD in the Spring issue of '95 I have done the Pumpkin Festival from '94-2000. Also this funny plant has lead me to being the Founder and first President of the Show Me Gourd Society, and I have became a juried Member of Best of Missouri Hands. I make numerous appearances on a local TV show, and now a Web page. I was also this past year featured in Country Woman 2000 Christmas book.
Oh my, where will this plant lead next? The ride has been great so far!!!!! |
The Columbia daily Tribune wrote up a wonderful article on me Our Town **************************************** Country Woman featured me in their 2002 magazine Christmas Special 
**************************************** I am a juried member of Best of Missouri hands, check out their website of talented artists Best Of Missouri Hands Return to Top of Page |
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