2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: GUEST,RIP
Date: 30 Dec 18 - 06:12 PM

I've never met Mario. I only knew him through Ravelry, where he has proven to be quite prolific and helpful.

I was once on the train and ran into another knitter, Mark (I didn't get his last name) who personally knew Mario. We talked about how brilliant he was and Mark mentioned his love of Renaissance Fairs and math/computing. The man was clearly a genius.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: SussexCarole
Date: 30 Dec 18 - 06:11 PM

Leo (MMario) has been such a lovely friend to me and Andrew for many years, whether we met online through Mudcat or in person at the Getaway. Leo was always gentle, welcoming, generous and a most talented singer and knitter. We are so grateful to have his CD recordings to remember him. From us both here in South Wales UK we send our love to Leo's family

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: Severn
Date: 30 Dec 18 - 03:13 PM

A loss for us all. I just know him from many Getaways and occasional sings when he stayed afterward, but I sang with him, co-hosted a workshop with him, read his contributions to Mudcat and enjoyed all the time that I saw him. He'll be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 30 Dec 18 - 02:07 PM

I was going to bring up the Ravelry connection (a site/community for yarnworkers of all species, free to join) but I see Ganyah has beaten me to it, with the excellent suggestion of sharing the poem there.

If anyone is going to continue to administer MMario's Ravelry pages, it might be an idea to support the enterprise by buying some of his lovely patterns. (I don't knit, or I would in a heartbeat.)

His main contact page is here, from which you can access the rest (copy-pasted below but un-clickified):

https://www.ravelry.com/designers/mmario

https://www.ravelry.com/stores/mmario-designs

https://groups.io/g/MMarioKKnits

For fans of MMArio Knits:
https://www.ravelry.com/groups/mmario-fan-knitics

Clickable link to his essay on shawl-shaping, "The Shape of Shawls to Come" which is a direct PDF download.

- - -

And don't forget Jeri's Deskgram link to his work, in her post of 29 Dec 18 - 01:50 PM

Aaaaaand: ANOTHER JERI GOODIE
Tune Add: Evergreen by Jeri
http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=20194&threadid=20194

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: Ernest
Date: 30 Dec 18 - 01:56 PM

Sad news indeed. RIP

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: Jeri
Date: 30 Dec 18 - 01:19 PM

No problem, Jan. Understood. Leo was a very significant part of this community.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: GUEST,Jan Pola Waggoner
Date: 30 Dec 18 - 12:55 PM

Jeri, I don’t know how to send a reply just to you but thank you for your permission. We all are so grateful for these messages of love for our brother! ??

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: fat B****rd
Date: 30 Dec 18 - 11:12 AM

My best regards and condolences to his friends and family. RIP MMario
Charlie

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Dec 18 - 10:40 AM

Here are his posts as a logged in user and here are his guest posts. It would take a herculean search to find any he might have posted to the Mudcat Tavern and Recovery Ward as "other" characters.

Happy reading!

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: GUEST,jOhn
Date: 30 Dec 18 - 10:15 AM

Very sorry to hear this sad news.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 30 Dec 18 - 10:04 AM

I've known his posts on song threads since my earliest days here, always a welcome contributor, RIP MM.

Mick

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: GUEST,ganyah
Date: 30 Dec 18 - 09:53 AM

Jeri..Thank you!

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: Jeri
Date: 30 Dec 18 - 09:28 AM

@Jan Pola Waggoner, please do repost the poem. And as for a link, hyperlinks still run wild on the internet. (And I don't think worlds colliding would be anything but good when it comes to your brother.)

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: Noreen
Date: 30 Dec 18 - 09:05 AM

I'll miss him.
Glad to have known you, Leo. xx

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: GUEST,Jan Pola Waggoner, one of MMario’s older sis
Date: 30 Dec 18 - 08:35 AM

Several of Leo’s siblings have been touched by all the wonderful messages posted here; those that have not had a chance to read them, will do so soon. Thank you all! If We would love to repost the lovely poem and a link to this thread so other friends of Leo’s from his home town etc could also read these touching words. We would not do it without permission. Thank you

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: GUEST,ganyah
Date: 30 Dec 18 - 07:34 AM

Jeri, I would love to share The Shawlmaker over at ravelry, if I could. I'm not sure how this works and how you will answer, but I will look back throughout the day to see if there is an answer addressed to me.
Dear MM was an important member of our Ankh-Morpork Knitters Guild and a sweet, gentle soul

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Dec 18 - 07:23 AM

This is tremendous and a touching tribute to my brother. I’d love to post it to FB
if you don’t mind.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 30 Dec 18 - 06:44 AM

I also have no words. Much sadness. I have added Leo to the "In Memoriam" Thread.

RIP

Peter

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: GUEST,gnu
Date: 30 Dec 18 - 06:34 AM

RIP and... thanks.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Dec 18 - 04:35 AM

Years ago at Camp Ramblewood when I met MMario and became aware of his creations, we spoke of Quiviut and I resolved to myself that I would send him some when I returned home just so he'd have the experience of working with clouds . I never did, because he said it would require 2 - or was it 3?- ounces for a shawl and the retail shop in Juneau was charging $84 an ounce. I simply could not afford it. Now I wish I had done it. But now- I just realized that he will be knitting real clouds. Lovely man.

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 30 Dec 18 - 03:16 AM

Nothing to add, sad to hear this, RIP.

RtS

Subject: RE: 2018 Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 30 Dec 18 - 03:02 AM

Very sad. In the days before transferring information was as easy as it is now Leo was instrumental in getting an old book of Russian folk songs I have online. He was so helpful and epitomised the spirit of Mudcat. The world is now a poorer place.

Dave.

Subject: RE: Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: wysiwyg
Date: 30 Dec 18 - 12:25 AM

Leo kindly came a long way to attend my husband Greg's retirement dinner just a few weeks ago, and never spoke of any health issues. He was full of life, good spirits, and love, and we planned to connect more often now that we were finally about to join him in retired life.

We were chosen siblings.... our new Ohio home has a big annual Ren Faire a half hour away... we planned on long annual visits.

Greg has gone to bed in prep for his final liturgies tomorrow and the new friends Leo made at Greg's dinner will join in our sorrow... he was, like us, Episcopal, and the liturgies planned for tomorrow are exactly the sort he'd have loved.

If anyone has contact info for Sue, please PM it to me ASAP.

~S~

Subject: RE: Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: KT
Date: 29 Dec 18 - 11:54 PM

Jeri, your song is wonderful as is
And
I hope you'll mold it into what you feel is the finished product. It is a lovely piece of writing. Mario would be so touched.

To Leo's siblings, Jan and Lauri, welcome to Mudcat. I hope you'll find some comfort here as you realize how well-loved and deeply appreciated your brother has been in this community. There's a net here that reaches across borders and oceans. Know that you and your family are being held in it now.
KT

Subject: RE: Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: GUEST,Norma Moore Sutton
Date: 29 Dec 18 - 11:28 PM

Leo will be greatly missed. He taught me to love knitting lace instead of being intimidated by it and he taught me to see my mistakes as possibly new designs. Rest well Leo. I will continue to think of you each time I knit one of your beautiful patterns or any lace pattern.

Subject: RE: Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: Helen
Date: 29 Dec 18 - 11:12 PM

Welcome to Mudcat, Jan and Lauri.

You have our deepest sympathy in your loss of Leo.

It's difficult to convey the community feeling here at Mudcat, but I think that the outpouring of love for Leo/MMario shows how we feel, not just about him but about the whole Mudcat experience.

I have been a member of Mudcat for over 20 years. I am in Australia so I never met Leo in person, and have only met a very few members of the Mudcat community, but the friendship, love, sharing and support is strong.

Helen

Subject: RE: Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: GUEST,Celtaddict (cookieless)
Date: 29 Dec 18 - 10:58 PM

Shattered.
So many rich memories.
He’d greet me with a hug that lifted me off the ground.
He never minded me following him around like a puppy, eagerly awaiting songs.
He adored all his nieces and nephews; it broke my heart a bit that they and many more were all borrowed’ children.
On arrival at King Richard’s Faire, the first thing he would do is get a rose for Baz’ memorial; when I was there he’d get two, one for her, one for me. I still have last October’s; yellow.
Every Getaway he’d find/make time for a private concert; said my insatiable hunger for his singing was good for his ego. I don’t think he had an ego.
I have never known a more gentle, giving, loving soul.
He created, and gave, gentleness and beauty day in and day out.
So many of us are better for having known him.

Subject: RE: Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: GUEST,lauri hall Leo's younger sister
Date: 29 Dec 18 - 10:53 PM

thank you so much for those beautiful words

Subject: RE: Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Dec 18 - 10:53 PM

MMario was behind the scenes on that Mudcat Lullaby CD produced when Max's daughter Lily was born. We emailed back and forth on the files and the disks were produced on campus where I was working. There were never any glitches, he had everything the way it needed to be for those CDs to be produced. That's a rare thing. It was called the Blue Plate Special.

He was my Santee early on in the annual Mudcat Secret Santa events, and that year my kids and I chose fabrics and I made a lap quilt that we put in the mail to him. That was the only year that I made something like that, but it seemed entirely appropriate, making it for someone who felt like Mudcat royalty, by his demeanor and not by position. There was another year when I won the MMario shawl in the Mudcat Auction and it was the Secret Santa gift I sent to another Mudcatter that year. What a prize! It was clear to all that he was a lovely man and I only wish I'd had a chance to meet him and to see that garden he was so pleased to share with us over the years.

Subject: RE: Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: GUEST,Jan Pola Waggoner
Date: 29 Dec 18 - 10:42 PM

As a guest to this group, please let me express my appreciation (and those also from all of all Leo’s many siblings, nieces and nephews, and many other family members) thank you for all the wonderful messages you have said about our Leo. To know he touched so many in his life is so heartwarming. His voice was great, his knitting designs superb, his shawls legendary. He will be sorely missed by so many. To my dear brother, #6, from #2, Rest In Peace and please give Mom and Daddy hugs from us all

Subject: RE: Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: GUEST,Dani
Date: 29 Dec 18 - 10:24 PM

"a soul's thought, spoken by hands"

Thank you for that, Jeri. It's gorgeous.

I'd forgotten the Lullaby For A Borrowed Child. Now I can hear him singing it in my head. What a sweet, lovely great heart he had. I hope I told him so.

Mmario was one of the people who tied me to the mudcat, and then to the Getaway. He inspired me with his courage and his joie de vivre.


Dani

Subject: RE: Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: ranger1
Date: 29 Dec 18 - 10:14 PM

Oh, and Jeri - He was at the last Getaway you were at. That's the one you, Tinker, myself, and Janet shared a room. And you, Tinker and I were walking to the Retreat Center and Leo looked up, saw us and said something like "Well here's trouble!" and then when I informed him we were sharing a room, he remarked "I'm surprised the cabin hasn't burst into flames yet."

Subject: RE: Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: ranger1
Date: 29 Dec 18 - 10:08 PM

It has taken me all day to come up with words to post, and they still won't be everything I want to say.

Leo was always the first person I'd look for when I arrived t Getaway. We'd do the chitchat thing, he'd ask me how I was doing, and one year, he let me finish blathering on and then said : "OK, now how are you REALLY doing?" I think it was the year I helped remove my mother from an abusive relationship. Whatever. He knew I had the happy face on and that wasn't what he wanted to know about.

I remember one year he was knitting tiny little sweater sets for a grand niece the whole Getaway. The love for that child shone all over him while he was knitting them. And the year he sang "Lullaby For a Borrowed Child", a song he'd written. And the warm hugs, good conversation, wicked humor, and beautiful voice. The two of us swapping stupid tourist stories - he grew up on Cape Cod, and I grew up on the coast of Maine - and the things we'd do to the obnoxious ones. It's amazing how much fun you can have "giving" directions to annoying tourists.

Most of all, what I I will remember about Leo is his warmth and kindness.

Subject: RE: Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: Jeri
Date: 29 Dec 18 - 09:39 PM

KT, no, I never felt I could finish it, but maybe I'll put some work into it.

MMario didn't crochet, but I think crocheting is just sideways knitting. It's all yarnwork, though, and making beautiful things.

MMario led the effort to get as many tunes for songs in the Digital Tradition as we could manage. He was somebody nobody - and I mean nobody - ever had a negative word to say about.

Subject: RE: Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: Helen
Date: 29 Dec 18 - 09:36 PM

I'm saddened and shocked to see that MMario has gone.

As Jeri said above, "This is why many of us talk about Mudcat as more than a website, and more than just fighting. MMario swam deep in the currents here, and they swam in him."

He was part of the fabric of this community.

Thanks for the lovely poem, Jeri. You have reminded me that when I crochet or knit or make something or paint something for someone else, I am usually in a sort of meditative or prayer-like state, thinking good thoughts about that person. So the gift of a shawl from MMario, it seems to me, is as much a gift of his caring, creative and giving soul as it is of a comforting item made of yarn.

Rest in Peace, Leo.

Subject: RE: Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: KT
Date: 29 Dec 18 - 09:13 PM

Jeri, your song/poem The Shawlmaker, is brilliant! So beautiful, so perfect. Does it have a melody? If so, I'd love to learn it. It is fabulous.
KT

Subject: RE: Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 29 Dec 18 - 07:57 PM

I'm so very sad to read this. I never met him in person, but always enjoyed seeing him around the 'Cat. Another good one gone.

I love the poem, Jeri. Crochet is one of my sanity-savers too (and it's needed a lot of saving these past two years, for reasons both personal and worldwide) so it really resonates with me right now. Thanks for posting.

A new voice in the heavenly choir. Rest in peace, MM

Subject: RE: Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: nutty
Date: 29 Dec 18 - 07:14 PM

So sad ...... RIP Leo

Subject: RE: Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 29 Dec 18 - 06:57 PM

the choir is getting larger ...

condolences to his family & friends

thanks for the youtube link, stilly, I'll have to go thru the piles of CDs that fell from the very tall CD tower I knocked over recently & find his CDs & listen to more of his songs.

Thanks jeri for the poem, I'm planning to share it with knitting & crochetting friends.

sandra

Subject: RE: Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: hsempl
Date: 29 Dec 18 - 06:09 PM

Beautiful tribute, Jeri. I can hear MMario singing it.
-Heather

Subject: RE: Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: Bill D
Date: 29 Dec 18 - 05:58 PM

A wonderful tribute, Jeri... in exactly the way Mario should be remembered.

Subject: RE: Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: Lighter
Date: 29 Dec 18 - 05:57 PM

He was a Mudcat stalwart. Sad news indeed.

Subject: RE: Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 Dec 18 - 05:47 PM

He was so good to so many of us. Rest well, MMario.

Subject: RE: Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: Janie
Date: 29 Dec 18 - 05:27 PM

Oh Jeri. Perfect.

Subject: RE: Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 29 Dec 18 - 05:23 PM

Leo joined us several times at both Press Room sessions when he was attending a nearby RenFaire.

I have no words... (just tears).

Linn

Subject: RE: Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: Jeri
Date: 29 Dec 18 - 05:22 PM

The last time I saw him, was, I believe, at the last Old Songs Festival I went to. Maybe 3 or 4 years ago. I can't remember if he was at the last Getaway I attended.
He seemed to be one of those folks everyone at Mudcat wanted to meet. He had the most amazing, thick mane of long, brown hair, and a huge voice. The knitting needles went everywhere with him.
He knitted a shawl for Heather Fielding when Rick died in 2004, and knitted one for me.

I started a song a long time ago, and never finished it. MMario started a Mudcat trend: making shawls for people who needed them. JacquiC has continued this, and there may have been others I missed. This is why many of us talk about Mudcat as more than a website, and more than just fighting. MMario swam deep in the currents here, and they swam in him.

So this is for him.

THE SHAWLMAKER

Sometimes the world is a terrible place
Misfortune can wear away love and faith
And you feel that there's nothing that you can do
But the shawlmaker knows that's not true

A shawl's an embrace that hands can crochet
It's a craft, not an art, many people would say
But art is a soul's thought, spoken by hands
And the shawlmaker's soul's in each one of those strands

For the shawlmaker knows that grief and despair
Are borne of a love that will always be there
When there's nought we can do, and little to say
The shawlmaker knows there's a way

Vulnerable love, tender and raw
Fragile, it waits for a cold world to thaw
The soul of a child, cloaked in older skin
The shawl reaches through to the dreamer within

The shawlmaker's work is more than it seems
The yarn is the stuff of wishes and dreams
There's compassion and love in each delicate strand
Touched by the shawlmaker's hand

Subject: RE: Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: LilyFestre
Date: 29 Dec 18 - 05:03 PM

I had the pleasure of meeting Leo a few times......great guy with a tremendous voice and sense of humor. Much love to his family.

Michelle

Subject: RE: Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: Genie
Date: 29 Dec 18 - 04:32 PM

Shocked and saddened this morning when Dan Schatz posted on Facebook that Leo, whom I first knew as MMario here, had died. Leo was a great source of information, wit, and warmth here and later when I got to meet him in person at Getaway. He will be very much missed.
Mudcat’s Celestial choir has many fine voices but is growing too fast.

Subject: RE: Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: GUEST,Hawker
Date: 29 Dec 18 - 04:30 PM

I don’t frequent here as often as I used to but MMario was a lovely and talented man! He will be sadly missed.

Subject: RE: Obit: MMario (Leo Pola)
From: Morticia
Date: 29 Dec 18 - 03:44 PM

We cooked auroch together in the Mudcat Tavern, we compared notes on knitting ( although that was a lot like a 3 year old talking to god). I was one of the earliest recipients of a beautiful hand knitted shawl. It turned up all the way from the States from someone I had never, at that time,met and arrived exactly when I most needed it to.   It meant the world to me. So did he.