Trip report: SNAG/Orchid Dinner

Jewelry Discussion
1

Hi Gang,

Last Friday we had a gathering of Orchid members at the SNAG (Society
of North American Goldsmiths) 2001 Conference in Richmond, VA. I
believe I speak for everyone when I say, “A wonderful time was had by
all!” We met at a marvelous Chinese restaurant, fittingly called
Peking, and I believe the restaurant staff felt we overstayed our
welcome. We were having a great time, so we really didn’t care.

Attending the dinner were Jeanette Payne, Deb Karash, Karen
Christians, Donna Wilson, Judy Ligon, Dianne DeBeixedon, Dave Sebaste,
Mark Moretti, Laura Weisler, Neela Shakla, Dina Weavers, and Cathy
Wheless. Several folks from Karen’s Metalwerx group were also close at
hand. Anne Hollerbach was called into a SNAG business meeting at the
last minute and was unable to attend… and I suspect a similar fate
befell Blaine Lewis.

We discussed an incredible spectrum of subjects, and there were often
several conversations in progress simultaneously. I won’t try and
cover it… you just had to be there! I think it’s safe to say many of
us laid the foundations for some life-long friendships and
relationships. This experience serves to reinforce what a unique and
remarkable community we have here at Orchid!

I took a few photos of the dinner! Of course, I have posted them on a
Web page! :slight_smile: If you’d like to associate faces with the names, please
feel free to visit: http://www.sebaste.com/orchid_dinner.htm.

I encourage everyone to meet other Orchid members when the
opportunity presents itself. Without exception, every encounter with
an “Orchidian” over the years has been a wonderful and heart-warming
experience. Continuous thanks to Hanuman for being the catalyst and
benefactor of this wonderful community!

Now it’s time to go out to the studio and play with the new tools I
acquired in Richmond!

All the best,

Dave

Dave Sebaste
Sebaste Studio and
Carolina Artisans’ Gallery
Charlotte, NC (USA)
dave@sebaste.com
http://www.CarolinaArtisans.com

2

Dave Sebaste - thanks for the report on the SNAG Orchid dinner. I’m
so sorry that I had to miss the conference this year - and the
dinner. Had a great time last year with the group from MetalWerks.
The problem is that for some reason, I can’t access the site with the
photos. Was there a mistake in the address? Thanks for any help.
Gini in Florida, where there is a last gasp of winter going on!

3

Dave –

Thanks for all the work that you did in setting up the dinner – it
was great and I was glad that I made it there!! By the way, is that
last one of you and Mark one of the ones that I took ---- without
lightss? If so – I’m sorry it didn’t work – you guys are not
nearly so washed up looking in real life !

See you all in Denver next year! Laura. lwiesler@att.net

4

Hi Gini,

The URL for the photos appears to be good. I just pulled up my
original message and checked it out. I’ve also received feedback from
others which indicates they were able to successfully view the photos.
Give it another try? Hope to meet you in Denver (SNAG 2002) if we can
both make it!

Here’s the URL again if you want to try. Email me offline if you
continue to have trouble, and I’ll see if I can figure out what’s
going on!

http://www.sebaste.com/orchid_dinner.htm.

All the best,

Dave

Dave Sebaste

5

Dear Laura Wiesler I was a little astonished when I read your note
about the SNAG dinner. Living in Europe makes it a little difficult
to participate in your - obviously glorious - dinners, but I plan on
participating at least once in a not too far future. But what the
heck does your last syllable mean? To a non-US it is absolutely
ununderstandable. Please explain!

       By the way, is that  last one of you and Mark one of the ones
that I took ----  without  lightss? If so -- I'm sorry it didn't
work -- you guys are not  nearly so washed up looking in real life !

I’m sorry, and I don’t want to be a pain in the a…, but please
consider that this forum/list is a forum for jewellers all over the
world and just not only in the US, so please try to be a little more
international.

Earlier I have had a few listings with obviously US-abbreviations,
which are completely ununderstandable to us poor people, whose
mother-tongue is not English. I don’t want to sound sour about this
and I think a lot of us learn a tremendous amount of American
expressions in this forum, but I also hope that you will think a
little about our ‘few’ non-US people when you write your mails so
that this might still be a forum for jewellers from all parts of the
world!!

Kind regards Niels L�vschal, Jyllinge, Denmark @L_F8vschal
phone (+45) 46 78 89 94

6

I would like to comment on Niels request.

Niels, it is not only the American English that can be perplexing. We
have seen several situations where persons trying to put forth a
helpful response in English has had negative and hurtful results.

Using English, we have three sets of measures. I cannot immediately
visualize the size of anything when mm’s are used.

I did not know what “fossicking” was until it was explained. Perhaps
it is time we had an online dictionary with cross references to words
describing an activity or thing that we know in one Country’s
English, yet not in another’s.

I had to learn bonnet, boot, windscreen, jumper, nicking, etc.

This list already has shown compassion, admiration, sharing, lately I
have seen the need to add “tolerance”.

There is a Dictionary of American Slang printed, does anyone know if
there is an online version, No I have not taken the time to look,
just a question. Thanks, Teresa

7

Further comment on the request by Niels: I don’t blame him one bit
for being confused by some of our idiomatic expressions. Sometimes
even Americans don’t get them quite right. For example: washed
up is a slang expression meaning unsuccessful; finished. ( i.e. His
marriage plans were all washed up when he lost his job.)

The expression washed out means lacking in color or intensity; pale
Both of these expressions have other meanings that don’t apply
here,so I won’t add to the confusion.

It was great to ‘meet’ the Orchidians who attended the SNAG dinner.
Thanks to Dave for a job well done. It’s nice to be able to put a
face on so many contributors to the Orchid list. Dee