Wednesday, April 18, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
13
Creating love — one spoon at a time
By Katy Yoder
Correspondent
Mike Bush didn’t want
to be a retiree with too much
time on his hands. So he
thought about things he always
wanted to do but never had. He
remembered being intrigued
by the old guys in Western
movies sitting on a front porch
whittling. It looked like fun!
It wasn’t as easy as he
thought. He burned up sev-
eral Dremel tools that couldn’t
handle hard woods. Finally a
friend steered him to the right
equipment and he became a
carver. He bought a book and
began replicating what he saw.
He carved several spoons and
cut himself numerous times.
“Copying ones from
Europe wasn’t good, I wanted
to do something on my own.
I started doing my own
designs,” he said.
Then life — or, more accu-
rately, death — got in the way.
In 2006, he says, he had a heart
attack and “died.”
“In the middle of the night,
I realized I wasn’t breathing
and my heart wasn’t beat-
ing. I was in a lot of pain and
didn’t know what to do. So I
just relaxed and everything
went black. I heard nothing.
There were no worries. It was
strange but I was euphoric.
Then the pain came back and I
was covered in sweat. By day-
time I convinced myself that
I didn’t have a heart attack. A
week later, I was walking up a
hill and went to my knees, then
down. My wife, Fran, called
for help and three days later I
had open-heart surgery.”
Bush tells people about his
life, about love, and how almost
dying changed his personality.
“I came from a family
of migrant farm workers.
Everybody smoked, drank and
fought. Fran’s family brought
me out of that but I was still
not a nice person. Dying really
changes you!”
A man who had a similar
experience asked Bush why
they’d survived. Bush had
thought about it for years.
“I survived for my wife,
Fran,” he said. “I told him there
are three things in life: love
yourself, give love, and receive
love. Love is why I survived.”
From that time on, he
decided to make love spoons.
“Every time I give one
away, I tell my story,” he said.
“I have given away over 500
spoons.”
There are beautiful and
touching stories from Bush’s
gift-giving.
“I carry a love spoon in
my pocket just in case,” he
explained. “One time, I was
waiting for three hours for a
doctor appointment. I saw a
woman with a sick child in
her arms with a temperature
of 104 degrees and other chil-
dren playing nearby. She told
me about her situation and
we sat together for two hours.
She said her husband was in
Portland, then began to cry.
She sat there rocking her son.
I took the spoon out and told
what it stood for. She cried at
first and then became so happy
and gave me a big hug and
walked away.”
The history of love spoons
goes back hundreds of years
in Scandinavia and northern
Europe.
“The poor people of Europe
didn’t have a lot of metal,”
explained Bush. “Husbands
would carve bowls and uten-
sils for their families. They
had time during cold winters
or out in the field while watch-
ing their sheep. Sometimes
workers copied what they saw
in rich people’s houses.”
Young boys were taught to
carve. Once the household had
spoons the young man would
keep the spoon they’d carved
and contact a girl that they
wanted to marry. She would
invite him to her house to eat
and he would walk in with
a long spoon hanging from
his jacket. If the girl took the
spoon and ate with it he could
court her. The better the carver
the better the chance he’d get
a yes.
“At the spring festivals
there’d be dancing and the
boys would bring in a big
spoon. If he asked a girl to
dance and she did not take the
spoon, he knew his answer.
That’s where the term ‘spoon-
ing’ came from,” said Bush,
laughing.
Bush plans to continue
carving his Welsh love spoons,
which keeps him “sparked and
happy.” Sometimes mistakes
can be opportunities for new
things.
“There are times that the
wood makes you do what it
wants,” he said. “Mistakes
make me more creative.”
The Bush home has love
spoons on the walls, in baskets
and of course, there’s always
one in Mike’s pocket. Love
PHOTO BY KATY YODER
seems to guide his hands as
Mike
Bush
carries
his
hand-carved
love
spoons
in
a
pocket
— because
he carves his next creation. He
there’s
always
an
opportunity
to
spread
the
love.
recently finished a spoon for
a new grandson. Hopefully,
someday his grandchildren
will all carry on his tradition
of carving love out of any
entertainment & EVENTS
circumstance.
Hardtails Bar & Grill Open
WED...APR. 18
Sisters Saloon Poker Night
7 p.m. Every Wednesday! $20.
For additional information call
541-549-7427 or go online to
sisterssaloon.net.
HAPPY
HOUR
MON-FRI 4-7pm
KARAOKE NIGHTS!
FRIDAY • SATURDAY
Daily Food Specials
– Custom Burgers –
Prime Rib Fridays 5pm!
175 N. Larch St.
t.
541-549-6114
hardtailsoregon.com
Facebook darcymacey
April 20 / Fri / 8 PM
Bend Burlesque
and Company
Grand
“All 70s Revue” is a
celebration of 70’s music,
culture, and fashion.
9-piece funk rock band,
comedians, and dancers.
“Now You’re
Talking”
7 one-act plays.
Cutting-edge technology to get your carpet its cleanest!
Baby & Pet Safe • Red Stain Removal • Chemical-free Cleaning
>>>> TWICE A YEAR MAINTENANCE PLANS <<<<
<
F
F
O
5
2
$
D F O R
458-292-6842
Call or text
Sisters Owned &
Operated
I S A
H
T
N
O
M E N T I
5
m of $8
Minimu
FREE
F
REE ESTIMATES
FRI...APR. 20
SAT...APR. 21
May 3-5 / 7:30 PM
Chamber Member
Hood Avenue Art Live
Music Benefi t with Tony
Lompa & JJ and Circle
Singers 6 to 8 p.m. Art salon
fundraiser for Circle of Friends.
Donations gladly accepted! For
information call 541-719-1800
or go to hoodavenueart.com.
Sisters Saloon Karaoke
Night 9 p.m. to midnight.
Every Thursday, no cover! For
information call 541-549-7427
or go to sisterssaloon.net.
The Belfry All ’70s Revue
with Bend Burlesque and
Company Grand 8 p.m. $20
at bendticket.com or $25 at the
door for dancers, comedians,
and the 9-piece funk rock band.
Info, go to belfryevents.com.
Hardtails Bar & Grill
Karaoke Night 9 p.m. Every
Friday (if no live music is
scheduled), no cover! For info
call 541-549-6114 or go online
to hardtailsoregon.com.
Silent Echo Theater
30 Years Experience
THURS..APR. 19
May 18 / Fri / 8 PM
Dirty Revival
Soulful sounds and
energetic beats
enrapture any audience.
PUB OPENS 1 HR PRIOR TO SHOWS
BelfryEvents.com
541-815-9122
Paulina Springs Books
Author Reading with
Valerie Geary 6 p.m. Geary
will read from her psychological
mystery, “Everything We Lost.”
Free! For info call 541-549-0866
or go to paulinasprings.com.
Cork Cellars Live Music
with Dry Canyon Trio &
Fiddler Lily 7 to 9 p.m.
No cover! For information call
541-549-2675 or go online to
corkcellarswinebistro.com.
Hardtails Bar & Grill
Karaoke Night 9 p.m.
Every Saturday, no cover!
For additional information
call 541-549-6114 or go to
hardtailsoregon.com.
MON...APR. 23
The Belfry Live Jazz with
the Western Hemisphere
Orchestra & Orquestra
Brasil 8 p.m. $5 suggested
donation (but students and
seniors are free). The two
groups from Western Oregon
University are touring Central
Oregon for the fi rst time! For
info go to belfryevents.com.
Mic & Jam Night 7 p.m.
Every Monday, no cover! For
info call 541-549-6114 or go
online to hardtailsoregon.com.
Sisters Saloon Painting
Party 6 to 8 p.m. $35, every
Monday! For additional
information call 541-549-7427
or go to sisterssaloon.net.
TUES..APR. 24
The Belfry Sisters Science
Club presents Nancy
Hughes 7 p.m. Doors open
at 6 p.m. for social hour. $5
entry (club donors, teachers &
students are free). Hear from
the founder of Stove Team
International on how they’re
improving lives in developing
nations. sistersscienceclub.org.
Sisters Saloon Trivia Night
6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sign-up is at
6:15 p.m. Free, every Tuesday!
For info call 541-549-7427 or
go online to sisterssaloon.net.
WED...APR. 25
Sisters Nails & Spa 1st
Anniversary Party & Live
Music with Jeff Ibach
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Come
celebrate the salon’s fi rst
year in Sisters! For additional
information call 541-904-0979.
Sisters Saloon Poker Night
7 p.m. Every Wednesday! $20.
For additional information call
541-549-7427 or go online to
sisterssaloon.net.
THURS...APR. 26
Sisters Saloon Karaoke
Night 9 p.m. to midnight.
Every Thursday, no cover!
For additional information
call 541-549-7427 or go to
sisterssaloon.net.
FRI...APR. 27
Downtown Sisters 4th
Friday Art Stroll 4 to 7 p.m.
Galleries & shops feature live
entertainment & refreshments!
Info: istersartsassociation.org.
Hood Avenue Art Artists’
Showcase 4 to 7 p.m. During
Art Stroll, see the art exhibit
inspired by the Shibui Spa mini
retreats. Art wil be auctioned to
raise funds for Ten Friends. For
information call 541-719-1800
or go to hoodavenueart.com.
Hardtails Bar & Grill
Karaoke Night 9 p.m. Every
Friday (if no live music is
scheduled), no cover! For info
call 541-549-6114 or go online
to hardtailsoregon.com.
Events listings are free to advertisers. Submit items by
5 p.m. Fridays via email to teresa@nuggetnews.com
