Slim Randles'  Home Country

Art class works with elements of counseling

[November 14, 2009]  Several people, including art teacher Janice Thomas, saw Dewey out on his date with that young woman from across the county line. It was at the potluck supper and religious movie in the church basement. Dewey and his date were the youngest people there.

Dewey confided in Reverend Jeff that it was fly-tying love advice from Marvin Pincus that turned the corner in his own quest for romance. He took out his woolly bugger from his pocket, with the hook taped for safety, and showed it to him. And Reverend Jeff told Mrs. Abbott in the kitchen, and that was all it took.

Janice learned the secret of Dewey's success within 15 minutes.

"I have a special project for all of you today," Janice told her art class at the high school on Monday morning. "This will be fun as well as creative."

She then explained to them about Marvin's unique fly-tying love advice counseling service. "What we need today is a design for a sign Mr. Pincus can put in his yard," she said. "It must incorporate all the elements here: love, advice and fly tying. All right, let's see what you can come up with."

The class already had heard that Pincus' piscatorial prowess may have played a role in bringing Randy Jones and Katie Burchell together, a rumor begun by Marvin himself, so they nodded.

There was a lot of staring at the ceiling going on and then scribbling, tearing up of paper and more scribbling. At the end of the hour, it was Jennifer's design that won the day. Janice said she'd take the design to Mr. Pincus and see if he wanted to have a sign made.

Jennifer's sign had a wonderful Adams dry fly with an extra-fluffy hackle on the left and the words "Fly Tying Love Center." Below it was Marvin's phone number and this note in italics: "Wrap yourself as tightly in love as you are hooked on life itself."

The sign was in Marvin's front yard in just over a week.

[Text from file received from Slim Randles]

Brought to you by "Ol' Slim's Views from the Porch," available at www.unmpress.com.