Haircuts

How cute is this? People didn't notice she even got it cut and that ticked her OFF majorly. I wish I were half as photogenic as my kids.

And then there's me. Unfortunatly, it looks just like me :) My haircut is a major change and it feels REALLY REALLY short to me. But it will grow. I like it best at the in-between stage, which I'll be at in about 2 months.
This post is about 2 weeks (or more) old. We've been busy with play practices (and other things). Since I can't say no, I've been making props and helping with costumes(if you go to the play . . I made the big hoop snowflakes, the seaweed and the wind and I helped tie-dye the froglet costumes) for Honk!. If you live in Newton I think it will be a great play for families. I haven't really seen that much of it, but it looks really cute and it has 60-70 cast members, ranging in age from 7-60ish, from the community. Ellie is a froglet.

Hi-ho hi-ho it's off to work I go.

Thoughtful Friday (on Saturday)

Thanks for the comments and the prayers sent our way. I'm feeling a little less freaked out today.

I thought I could change the world. It took me a hundred years to figure out I can't change the world. I can only change Bessie. And honey, that ain't easy either.*

Annie Elizabeth (Bessie) Delany, 1891-1995
African-American Author and Civil Rights Pioneer

*Although I do think we can change the world, and we DO change it every day, in little ways (which ripple out into big ways), I loved the humor in this quote. I think there's some truth too, that we get so worried about changing the world (and everyone else) that we forget about the fact that we have something to do with the big picture too.

Freaked

Out.

I know, in the big picture, this probably isn't a huge deal, but . . .
I took Emma to the doctor today because her throat has been hurting off and on and then her ear started hurting. He was examining her and he took a long time listening to her chest and back. Then he had her hold her breath and he listened some more. Then he said something like "did we know she had a heart murmur?" Well, no, as a matter of fact, we did not know that. He went on to draw us a little picture of the type of heart murmur he thought he was hearing. He explained that sometimes this is caused by some muscle in the middle of the heart being swollen (or something) and sometimes when a person exercises or does sports it swells so much it blocks the blood from coming through at all and they DIE IMMEDIATELY. He said that. He really did. He didn't say that was what Emma has for sure, but he said no sports or vigorous activity until she can have an EsomethingG and she has to go to a pediatric cardiologist because she is under 16 and they can't see her til Sept. 24. TWO MONTHS. I held it together amazingly well. She had to have a strep test too, and she is the worst for having anything put in her throat. It was all just traumatic. When I told my mom, and Everett, I fell apart a little bit. And everyone is very reassuring . . .lots of people have heart murmurs and are fine. I know that's true. But he said people die immediately. I know there are lots of other health issues people face with their children every day that are more traumatic and life altering than this. But this is the biggest we've dealt with about our kids. And it feels pretty big right at the moment. Emma is being a trooper but she's sad about tennis. She was looking forward to playing in high school. And her throat and ear are still really bothering her, although they said it isn't strep (I won't be surprised if they call tomorrow and say it is, after the culture has done it's thing for 24 hours). Thanks for listening.

And when she dreamed . . .

They were technicolor go-go dancing dreams.

Thoughtful Friday

When we walk like (we are running), we print anxiety and sorrow on the earth. We have to walk in a way that we only print peace and serenity on the earth... Be aware of the contact between your feet and the earth. Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet.

~Thich Nhat Hanh

You've Gotta Have Art

"Art seems to me to be primarily a condition of the soul." -- Mark Chagall

You've Gotta Have Art was an art advocacy campaign during my college days. I've always believed it to be true and am so sad when I see art (music, drama, fine arts) programs cut from our public schools. I'm sad when there are programs in place and they're not taken seriously too. That's not what I want to post about, but when I chose that title it kind of made me go off on a tangent :)

I had one kid at home late last week, while the other two went on a youth service trip, which inspired me to get creative with her. We got out all our goodies to make jewelry and baubles. . . polymer clay, beads, findings, etc. Here's what the table looked like when we started. Doesn't it just make you want to dig in and create???

It did inspire us. Here are a few of the things we created (and some of them we listed on etsy too!).

These are little glass jars we covered with polymer canes we made and cut thin. We're calling them Wishing Jars and we have a little instruction card that goes with them telling how to save your wishes in them :)

These two are cell phone charms made from polymer beads I made.

Then, the weekend happened. We picked up one daughter in Murdock and went to 6 basketball games. We had one daughter come home sick from the youth group service trip. We returned one daughter to the service trip and helped the other get well enough to go to camp a day late. Here is what the table looks like now (and has for the last 3 days).Not so inspiring. But it was fun while it lasted. Just now it's inspiring me to organize my craft supplies and put them away so we have a kitchen table again. I threatened last summer that if the kids didn't get along then they wouldn't get their own rooms and I would keep one room for my "craft" room. They were bickering again this morning on the way (back) to camp. Maybe I should . . hmmmmmm.

You've gotta have art!

Look what I found

1. A really cool buy at the local thrift store

And it was only 75 cents. Obviously hand-crocheted by someone. I thought this was soooo cool and carried it all over downtown putting my purchases into it, much to the chagrin of my teenage daughters. Everyone in the shops liked it though. In it now are the shoes for work, also found at the etcetera shop -- for half price -- a whopping $1.50.

2. A cool website

Check this COOL WEBSITE (clickable) out. I've done cake decorating and it really inspires me. I'm trying to think of creative things I can do to earn some extra income and this inspires me to make cakes. I found this through someone else's blog but I can't remember whose.

3. Another inspiration

This e-bay auction! I received a jewelry kiln last year and have been wanting to learn to fuse glass since forever. So I may get a kit or two like this to try it out!

Our older two girls left today on a youth service trip. The house seems pretty quiet already. We'll have to get Erin tomorrow to play basketball this weekend and then will have to pick Em up on Sunday to take her to camp. This is a nearby service trip which is good, I guess. Lots of driving around though. We walked over to the church this morning, me pulling the wagon full of sleeping bags, etc. It was before 8 and it was already VERY MUGGY AND HOT. They are doing service projects at Camp Mennoscah for part of the trip. I know they will be hot. They get to sleep in a/c though, so that will be nice. I'm not used to having two kids gone at the same time. Now that the older two are both in high school that will become more of the norm. Our girls are exactly 40 years younger than my siblings and myself. I was in Ellie's position and I know that soon she will often feel like an only child. I don't think she'll adjust to that as well as I did so it'll be interesting for all of us. I miss the girls when they're gone. I feel like Cher in the movie Mask when Rocky goes away to summer camp and she's blubbering and her boyfriend is writing down what she wants to tell him in a letter. It's pretty funny but sad too. I used to cry every time I'd leave them at camp but I've gotten better about that. Having Erin fly to San Jose with the youth last summer helped. Ok, enough blabbering. Watch for my jewelry creations!!!

What I did this summer

Ok so this is the BEFORE video. I've never done a video on here. It's taking forever. And it's not that interesting so maybe I'll delete it. Ok, I deleted it. No one is going to want to watch a video of my bathroom that bad. Here's a before PICTURE:
And here's the after picture:The picture doesn't show it all that well but there is the pink. We're going to paint the ceiling kind of a lime green (see the green heart on the shower curtain? That color) and THEN I want to get these accessories . . . All That Jazz (that's clickable). And retro faucets with the porcelain handles. I think the pink goes nicely with the grey tiles. And no, Everett doesn't mind that it's pink. He could actually care less I think.

I'm very inspired to make jewelry to sell on etsy. I need to make some extra money PLUS I got a jewelry kiln and I really really really really really want to use it. So there you go. Watch here for details about my etsy store. I opened one this morning but, alas, there is nothing it it (yet).

I have to go back to work in 2.5 weeks. I am so NOT ready for that but I am SO ready for some income.

And here are a couple of funny pictures. First is our renaming of the gummy worms. Who wants to hire Emma & I for package design? And second is Ellie with a lettuce beard. She actually taped it on. We need to get out more!

GUESS WHAT!?!?! I just checked online and I'm actually certified to teach art AND I'm classified as Highly Qualified. Cool. I'm not really sure what that means but it sounds good, huh??

And above all, may silence make you strong

I'm sitting in a quiet house right now. That doesn't happen very often. The kids and my mom are all in bed and Everett is at work. It feels and sounds wonderful. It prompted me to look for quotes/poems about silence and I found this one:

May the stars carry your sadness away,
May the flowers fill your heart with beauty,
May hope forever wipe away your tears,
And, above all, may silence make you strong.

Chief Dan George

I feel the silence making me strong already! I'm kind of a collector of quotes so I find many opportunities to find new ones. One of my favorite sites to find them is Inspiration Peak. It has some really great poems, quotes and stories. Plus some cool things to buy. I never have bought anything there, but I like their t-shirts.

We had a nice 4th of July. A few fireworks (lots if you count all the ones in the neighborhood around us), a few friends to visit with. We had two nights of festivities and made ice cream in the ball* both nights. It's good stuff. When I was a kid my dad always made ice cream in the hand crank ice cream maker. It was lots of work. Then, as a teenager, our youth group hosted a yearly ice cream social. I belonged to a fairly small country church in Iowa. We lived about a mile from the church and I spent many good times there. All the churches in neighboring towns would come (and we would go to theirs). We made lots and lots of ice cream, cranking and cranking by hand. Those are great memories. We also always had a horse tank full of ice water and bottles of pop. I remember getting thrown into the tank by all the mean boys in my youth group too. They liked teasing me. I always reacted so I'm sure that only prompted them to do it more. As a friend later in life told me "Beth, they couldn't get your goat if you didn't tell them where it was tied". I guess I'm pretty transparent most of the time. I guess that's not a bad thing (most of the time). There was also lots of volleyball at my home church and it was very competitive. I was traumatized by that, but I won't go into that now :) I think I've gotten over it (just don't ask me to play volleyball, please!). Anyway, the ice cream in the ball reminded me of those things. The taste of homemade ice cream can take me back. Oh, of course there were no raw eggs in it, which there always were in the homemade ice cream of my childhood, but it still tastes much the same.

I apologize for the lack of pictures lately. My camera batteries died and I've been too lazy to replace them yet. But, I AM painting tomorrow so will have some before & after pictures of the bathroom and maybe even some living room updates!! I know, I know . . you can't wait!!!

I made links on the Inspiration Peak words up higher and also the word ball in the
4th of July paragraph. I tried to make them show up but they don't, so click on them if you're interested.

*this ball is really fun and I recommend it, especially if you have kids (or young-at-heart adults) in your life.

Hard up for entertainment . . .

Not that there's not plenty for me to do . . paint the bathroom and living room, clean other rooms, rip up more carpet. But . ..

Create your own glittery text at pYzam.com

How cool is that???

I think it's gonna rain today . . .

Bright before me the signs implore me:

Help the needy and show them the way.

Human kindness is overflowing,

and I think it's gonna rain today.

~I think it's gonna rain today (from the movie Beaches)


Don't know why this song is on my mind this morning. It's from one of my favorite movies. I was thinking about it and trying to figure out why it's one of my favorites. Part of it, I'm sure, is because it's from a time in my life I'm sometimes nostalgic for. Not that I want to go back, but I really enjoyed that stage. I was just out of college, working at a job I loved, in a relationship with a man I loved (and later married). I was tethered but not tied down with responsibilities. Some days I think back to those times and wish I could just spend one day there, for a break. Don't get me wrong, I love this life, but some days the constant responsiblities, needs, decisions, etc. get to be more than I care to have at the moment.

I also saw this movie with Kim, a good friend from college. She and I always had Easter and summer vacations together in those years after college. Since then, she has lived on Guam and is now back in Arizona. It's harder to make/find time to get together and our lives have gone in somewhat different directions. We're still close in a different way. This movie brings back wonderful memories of our friendship and times spent together. I have some great vacation stories from trips Kim and I took -- I'll save those for another time.

Another reason I think this song is echoing in my brain is because I worked with the youth yesterday to make supper for the homeless shelter. I'd like to think that human kindness is overflowing, and I hope I do my part to make sure it is, but I'm not sure everyone feels that to be true. It's always eye-opening to spend time at the shelter, and I admire those who do it on a regular basis. It reminds us to be thankful for the blessings in our lives, big and small. Things we often take for granted.