Editor,
I was privileged to participate in the Winter Fantasy this past weekend. This event was for military wives from Camp Pendleton and patients from the Long Beach Veterans Medical Center.
Unfortunately, due to the weather and illnesses, only a couple of military wives were able to attend. Lupe Flores, whose husband is deploying from Camp Pendleton shortly for Afghanistan, and her sister, Mary Cook, who is visiting Lupe, attended. Mary’s husband just returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan and is now stationed at Ft. Bragg, N.C.
Sawdust board member Marla Burns and Georgette Cerrutti, both long-time Laguna Beach silversmiths, taught us how to make jewelry out of copper. The purpose of this event was to offer a new hobby to military wives and possibly even a new trade while their husbands are away fighting for our freedoms.
This event would not have been possible without the generous donation of tools and materials from John Eagle, a local oil painter who is displaying his art at the Winter Fantasy this year. Many other artists and jewelry makers stopped by to say hello and give us some tips. Marla Burns is hoping to make this a yearly event.
If you have not yet been to the Winter Fantasy to see Santa and all the beautiful arts and crafts, this is the final weekend.
Diane Connell, Laguna Beach
