Stones and Icebergs

During a moment of distraction today, stumbled upon a new lovely blog, resurrection fern...her photography is breathtaking, and her artistry amazes.

And then, as so often happens, she led me to Jenn Hart's "You'll Go Far." My heart hurts from its beauty, and I wish to get lost in the stillness.

Tag...I'm it

I must start by saying that I am in awe of folks who regularly blog...who make the time to maintain the practice of blogging.  It takes a whole big bunch of discipline.  Let's just say that I'm working on that...

To help me get back in the swing of it, I'm taking advantage of being tagged by an amazing photographer and friend, Vahneesa Norberg, at Black Dog's Photographer.  Still feels strange to share so much about myself to the world at large, but I'm the one who decided to blog...big breath....

5 things I was doing 10 years ago:

1.  completing much too much paperwork 

2.  traveling to and from North Carolina to see my then- beau/now-husband

3.  swing dancing and contra dancing at least once a week

4.  taking yoga with Lisa Belfiori...best instructor ever!

5.  reading novels,  attending concerts and plays, eating at restaurants, seeing films, gardening into the night, attending pottery classes, and taking time for granted...things one can easily do without young children

5 things on my to-do list today:

1.  coordinate kiddoes playdates

2.  finish custom order for wynzia

3.  organize studio

4.  get on with life after euphoria of the President Obama inauguration

5.  start second book in Stephenie Meyers' 'Trilogy' series

5 snacks that I like:

1.  whole grain Goldfish (paired with a Summit Pale Ale...favorite night time combo...so pitiful)

2.  Honeycrisp apples

3.  carrots and hummus

4.  chocolate anything and everything

5.  cherry tomatoes straight from the garden

5 things that I would do if I were a millionaire:

1.  help family and friends get back on track financially after losing their jobs in this crazy economy

2.  help husband start his own business

3.  give to Heifer.org, Nature Conservancy, God's Plumbline, and our local food shelf

4.  move family to Africa or India for a few years

5.  visit my Top 10 places to visit, starting with New Zealand

5 places that I have lived (for any length of time):

1.  out of a backpack in Peru

2. on a boat in Amsterdam

3. oceanside in Mexico

4. the northside and the southside of Minneapolis

5. in a wigwam in Wisconsin

5 jobs that I have had:

1.  Touch Key Professional (aka cashier...pre-scanners) at Target

2.  child-care worker at live-in shelter for abused children

3.  teacher with Peace Corps-Nepal

4.  junior high teacher

5.  learning specialist at University of Minnesota

I'm supposed to tag 5 additional folks...I'll get back to you on that.

Music

Every once in awhile I find a new band to adore.  This doesn't happen as often as it did in the days of old (aka before kiddos), so when it does, it's such a treat.  I reconnected with an old college friend recently...my "Let's go see so-and-so play at 7th St Entry tonight" friend.  We used to go hear local bands of the late 80s such as Trip Shakespeare, the Widgets, Stickman, and Tina and the B-Side Movement, as well as Billy Bragg, Chris Isaak, and U2.  A lifetime ago, it seems.  So fast-forward a bunch of years, and through the magic of technology, I can see what music my friend is now calling his favorites.  I was so thrilled to discover a new band for me by the name of Hem.  Beautiful...the stuff that makes my heart hurt, but in a good way.  Have a listen...

It amuses me to see which songs from my iTunes play list make my daughters' toes tap.  For awhile, my eldest was continually singing "Yes, We Can"...the moving song created by will.i.am from Barack Obama's New Hampshire speech.  Currently, both of my girls are requesting Kacey Chambers' "Not Pretty Enough."  Now, it's a bit odd...even disconcerting...to watch their innocent little selves belting out the lines of a song about a woman's insecurities in the face of a failed relationship.  But I like how KC used a different message in her video so that it can also be about not discounting anyone, nor making judgments, based on appearance, sense of humor, or idiosyncrasies.  I can now say that I have no reservations about cranking the volume and singing my heart out right along with them.  

Music and dancing on the brain this week.  Here are some fun little doo-dads in my Etsy shop which have music written all over them.  (ba-da-bum)

Balance

I can't help it.  I am a political junkie.  I'm much too emotional to ever be front and center, but I do enjoy working behind the scenes, and try very hard to stay informed.  (I'm not always sure which task is the more difficult.)  Since some of the dear people in my life are not on the same political page as am I, I'm choosing to be cryptic and unemotional in this posting...getting on my soapbox, even on my own blog, to me isn't worth the division it may cause.  So, here's some info...do with it what you will.  Feel free to contact me with questions if you'd like. :-)  

A few thoughts on this...

I've connected with a great group of folks in my community who gather together once a month at a local pizza joint for dynamic conversation, interesting speakers, and creating of action plans.  This week we watched together the film UNCOUNTED: The New Math of American Elections by David Earnhardt.  I truly am not a conspiracy theorist, but I must say, this film gave me pause.  For the most part, it is not Michael Moore-ish...rather, especially at the end, it has a bipartisan tone.  If you have inclination, check it out.  

There's also an interesting 'quiz' on the internet being circulated which is called the Bush-McCain Challenge.  It asks just a few questions about the differences between the two politicians, and the answers have been rather surprising to many of my friends, especially those who are moderate in their political leanings.  I'd like to think I'm rather informed...and I was humbled at how off I was on most of my answers.  

So, there you go.

On a lighter note and without any proper segue...I think it's time again to go dancing.  It's easy for me to get overwhelmed with all there is to do to make this world better.  But all of that earnestness is not so good for my soul...so The Mister and I went contra dancing last weekend.   It was so fun.  Lifted my spirits through the roof, it did.  I'm so grateful for Tapestry Folkdance Center...there's a huge sense of community amongst the folks there, and it's just a very happy place, filled with beautiful mountain music. All of those 'dancing in the kitchen' moments with my mom and/or grandma prepared me well! I'm happy to report that we're continuing that tradition with our girls, the little dancing machines that they are.  It's the best way I know to escape the seriousness of life, if even for just a moment.  I hope you have a chance to dance soon.

Though a swirly peasant skirt is more the proper dancing attire at a contra dance than is the tutu, here's a cute little red and pink one I'm working on for the girls...they love it.   

Dancing and politics...a great way to bring balance to life. 

A month...gone

So much can happen in a month... 

Chicken pox hit our house, and with The Mister out traveling, we were basically housebound for the week.  (Yes, the kiddos had the vaccine...it made for a much milder version than what I recall in my youth...baking soda soaks in the tub were the activity of choice.)  Not the highlight of my month.

RITE of Spring Earth Day event in our little town!  The day was cold, cold, cold, and we even had a bit of snow falling in the morning, yet we still estimate that approximately 600 people turned out for our event.  It was a wondrous thing to see such a diversity of vendors, displays, and activities, all in the name of creating a 'greener' world, one family at a time. Some of the folks we pulled together provided info on such topics as composting & recycling, how to create rain gardens, bike safety & repair, electric car conversions, permeable asphalt driveways, community supported agriculture (CSA), and so much more.  Local elected officials from ours and the surrounding communities opened the doors and distributed free goodie bags to the first 200 families.  County residents were able to recycle their electronics at the free drop off...we nearly filled two semi-trailers with the stuff!  I created a display board with fun finds from some of my amazing fellow EcoEtsy members, such as...

Recycled Plastic Bag Keychain Moneypouch by sweetsweetyou

Save the Planet for Me child t-shirt by WowThemInc

Clipboard made from recycled circuit boards by DebbieAremDesigns

Eco-Friendly Shopping Bags with inspiring quotes by niccocojm

Reusable Produce Bags by remarket

Due to scheduling conflicts and such, I missed some of my favorite spring events, including the May Day Parade in Minneapolis, the Minneapolis/St. Paul home tour, and the Bryn-Mawr neighborhood garage sales (the latter 2 being long-time annual events with my dear friend, Lori).  

But, I did have my very first craft show!  It was such a fun experience.  I was able to sell, network, and learn.  Even some friends that I hadn't seen in ages came to visit.  I'm now preparing for the upcoming Art Along the Willow art show in Hudson, WI on Sunday, June 8. That's probably it for the summer...but I've one planned for each of the months of September, October and November...more info to come on those.

And last but not least, my big girl turned 5 years old!  How did that happen??  Sigh.  She's amazing, and I've been reflecting a lot on these quickly-passing five years I've known her.  I can't begin to describe how blessed I feel.  

My girl, 5 years ago

Time passes so quickly.  Be sure to pause and enjoy the moments.  

 

Good job

I heard something interesting today...we praise our kiddos too much.  The words, "Good job," are the words of choice for myself and many of the other parents I know.  Could it be true that we're teaching our little people that they need external validation (aka praise) for everything they do in order to feel good about themselves or the task itself?  It does make some sense to me.  It's all about moderation, right?  Of course we should let them know that we are proud of them, but maybe we need to balance that with simply acknowledging their hard work, or asking how their accomplishment feels to them...with the goal of helping them internalize that good feeling, rather than focusing on pleasing us.  And also giving them a healthy bit of honest yet kind constructive criticism as needed....the big ol' world is going to do that for them sooner or later, so we need to start preparing them a bit now.  Apparently some Gen Y young folks are having a tough time staying with a job unless they receive little notes on their desks from their bosses, letting them know how great they are.  After having this conversation with other moms this morning, I caught myself saying "good job" about a million different times today.  It trips from the tongue.   Great...yet another aspect of parenting over which to fret.  Sigh.  

Okay, now my secret admission...I still love to hear praise.  It's almost embarrassing how much. One of my favorite things to hear after I've created something new is that someone else also likes it.  It could be one of my girls, or my husband, mom or good friend.  There is a special thrill, however, to hear kind words from a stranger.  They can say "good job" with no strings...and I must say, it feels mighty good.   So I've taken to spreading around that good feeling...I love letting a manager at Target know that my cashier was awesome, for example.  Or finding a great photo on Flickr or an interesting read in a blog and letting that person know that I was impressed.  It's fun.  I think of it as little random acts of kindness...

There's no way that I can stop myself from completely praising my girls...once a cheerleader, always a cheerleader, I guess.  The leftover words of praise...well, I'll just share them with all of the others in my world.  

ps:  I have some new items in the shop, and more in the works for the crafted together show.  I promise that I'm not fishing for compliments...honestly.  

Peace & Flower Ponies

Jolly Roger Pink Ponies

Pink & Tangerine Jersey Flower Brooch

Life

I was planning to write about a spontaneous sleepover with my folks last night, and today's busy-ness in parenting and creating.  But my heart is too heavy right now to be flippant and witty.  I just finished posting a message on a CaringBridge guestbook...it is a wonderful communication tool, but my heart skips a beat every time I receive an email update, and I find myself unable to exhale as I read, hoping for the best, but fearing the worst.  An old friend's sister is battling a cancer that is ravaging her body.  I think of her and her family throughout each and every day.  I simply can't imagine.  Another good friend lost her husband just a few weeks ago, and every time I see her I just want to hug her and make everything better.  All of them inspire me with their strength and grace, and help me want to be a better person.  Whining about the weather and being glib about crafting...seems kind of silly at this late hour.  Tonight I will whisper to my sleeping children and husband that I love them so, and feel grateful for the bounty of goodness in my life.