Since Thanksgiving is right around the corner, I think now is a great opportunity to be thankful for all the blessing God has put in my life. Really, we should choose to give thanks every day, no blessing is too small and they surround us each and every day. For now, I'll start with thanking God for something new everyday in November.
11/1: I am thankful for the professional development my job is pouring into me. In a few weeks, they are sending me on an all-expense paid trip to the Athletic Business Conference. I'm doing a pre-conference workshop that lets me tour backstage Disney and there is a session on the Vibram 5 Finger shoes that looks really interesting. And then in the spring, Mizzou will be sending me to get a climbing wall instructor certification as well.
11/2: I am thankful for Ellie, even if she isn't house trained yet. She makes coming home so much easier! She's always excited to see me and she cuddles up with me when I'm missing home. She also likes to walk me on her leash: She holds the leash in her mouth and pulls me places (haha).
11/3: I am so incredibly thankful for the folks who held Bry's hand after the accident, until the Medics got to the scene. They have touched my heart in ways I can't even explain. To value him enough to hold his hand even though things probably looked really grim is just amazing. I hope I would have the courage to do that in the same situation. They valued him as a human being, as somebody who belonged to somebody else. For the longest time after his death, I had sympathy for just about no one other than my family and this couple.
11/4: I am thankful for an evening to de-stress. I spent the evening in downtown, painting, eating pizza, drinking beer, and playing pool. After working for 2 weeks straight with out a day off, this evening was much appreciated.
11/5: Today I am thankful for a day off. I've done laundry and dishes, vacuumed the apt, I've got the crock pot on, I get to catch up on Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice, hoping to even get some crafting done this afternoon.
11/6: I am thankful for good hot tea. Silly, I know, but tea has a way of calming me down and making me feel good. And it's calorie free. So much better than dessert!
11/7: I am thankful for Teri and Bryan. They shaped my life and they continue to influence me in a very positive way. I wouldn't be who I am today without them. I think about them each and everyday.
11/8: I am thankful for the students I get to work with each and every day. The Team Mizzou student staff is a great group. They challenge me and teach me (and the girls ALWAYS compliment my style). They make me laugh and they make me smile.
11/9: I am so thankful for my extended family, The Gozdeckis/Hayleys. Caitlin was the first person I called when I found out Bry had died. And they've allowed me to be a part of Henry's life as an aunt. Some days I think they know me better than I think I know me.
11/10: I am thankful for the 2 years I got to live in New England. My experiences there taught me so much and really changed the way I view life.
11/11: I am thankful for Josh and all of the other heroes who serve our great nation day in and day out. Lord please keep a watchful eye over this mischievous marine! He is very important to me!
11/12: I am thankful for Pandora. I have no idea how I would get anything done around my apt (Like multiple loads of laundry, vacuuming, dishes, cleaning the bathroom, cleaning out the fridge, cooking, etc) unless I had music to rock out to.
11/13: I am thankful for the beautiful weather today! 70 and sunny was a blessing this late in the year.
11/14: I am thankful for snail mail. It always makes me happy to get snail mail.
11/15: I am thankful for my Aunt and Uncle who let me spend the past 2 Turkey Days with them! It seems weird spending Thanksgiving at home this year.
11/16: I am thankful for Guy and Connie Ambrose as well as Aunt Beth and Uncle Kevin. They have been such strong supports for my parents in the past few years. They are fellowship and support in a nutshell.
11/17: I am thankful for facebook and blogspot for giving me the ability to keep in touch with the most important people in my life!
11/18: I am thankful for all my wonderful friends who stuck with me through my grief. I know it was not exactly a properly operating relationship, but you mean the world to me and if you ever need it, you know I'll be there for you in return!
11/19: I am thankful for the library. FREE reading!
11/20: I am thankful for the people who have invested time and effort into helping me get to where I am today. I only hope that I can pay it forward and mentor the students I get to work with now!
11/21: I am so thankful for Lucy and Bandit. They are a piece of Bryan that lives on. I can be okay with the fact that he never got to be a dad because he was their dad. They meant the world to him and they helped me through my grief.
11/22: I am so thankful for all my cousins! They have shaped me in ways we didn't even realize. The older I get, the more I appreciate them (including all of their little ones!).
11/23: I am thankful for Nugget! My first "adult" purchase was a very good decision. I have built up pretty awesome credit with Nugget and she has been so reliable! LOVE her!
11/24: I am thankful for mom's sweet potato casserole. MAJOR comfort food. When Bry and I used to fight over the leftovers from Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, this was the most sought after item. I miss that about him.
11/25: I am thankful for my Dad and all his goofy-ness. I never go home without some sort of snack or food that he got just for me, and some cash. He's convinced that I'm starving and poor. Half the time I am (haha).
*Update* I was too busy enjoying my thanksgiving with my family to finish this. I'm ok with that. My family is so important to me!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Tiger Cub
You know the Tiger Mom that stirred up a ton of debate this past year? Her daughter is now blogging (see the link on the right side of my page). She was also elected Valedictorian of her High School Class. Her speech was pretty awesome. Here it is written out:
I want to thank my wonderful teachers, family and friends who are here today, and my fellow seniors for giving me the honor of speaking. When I first started planning this speech a few weeks back, I realized that every possible speech has been done before. The reach-for-the-stars speech, the don’t-reach-for-the-stars speech, the speech about writing a speech – so I thought that instead of giving a speech of my own, for the next half hour or so I’d just read aloud from my favorite book: Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.
Just kidding. I actually did write a speech. My friends, the unrivaled, indomitable class of 2011, today I want to talk about us. Along the way, I have just 3 things to say – and then let’s graduate.
So, seniors, who were we at Hopkins? We were the dream class. I don’t think any class in Hopkins history has spent so much time in the library, broken so many records, or possessed so much raw talent. We threw ourselves into our passions – as DJ’s, paramedics, and painters, running-backs, horse-back riders and center-mids – with unparalleled work ethic, integrity and zeal. We poured hundreds of hours into term papers and test preparations – and, well, it all paid off.
Yet somehow, we managed to have fun. Seniors, we were a class that crossed a lot of lines. We had ghostriding incidents, we put something in the water, and as far as I know, we’re the first Hopkins class ever to graduate in sunglasses.
Now all of this is wonderful. It’s who we are as a class. But the first point I want to make is that who you were at Hopkins doesn’t define who you will be for the rest of your life.
Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time, a mother gave her children some paints to play with. Six out the seven kids painted puppets. The last kid took the paint and drew a life-size army battalion all over the walls of the room. That kid grew up to be Napoleon Bonaparte. Similarly, some of you already know exactly who want to be. Sam, I expect you to be president by our 30th reunion; Alex I want to see that Nobel prize, and Adam, you better be a 5-star general.
Let me tell you another story. A couple years ago, studious girl from Tennessee, plays in the school marching band, aces the SAT and gets into Barnard College. Today, that girl is Ke$ha, spelled with a dollar sign.
“Just be yourself” – I know these are supposed to be words of freedom, and of course they are, but it seems to me they can also be constricting: when you change, people get scared. It takes bravery to step out of your comfort zone, and people will always have something to say about it. You make new friends, suddenly you’re a social climber. You wear a new outfit to school, and suddenly, oh you’re trying so hard. NO. Okay, maybe the denim jumpsuit was a bad idea. But don’t listen. You have absolutely no obligation to be who you are at 18 for the rest of your life. It’s not wrong to change.
“Be yourself” means “be whoever you want to be.” Not “be who your friends think you are.” Not “be the same person you were last year.” If you’ve always known what you want to be, more power to you. But it’s equally great if you wake up tomorrow morning thinking, “I’m gonna take a gap year to make a documentary in Cambodia.” “I know I signed up to do Teach For America this fall, but – I wanna start a hedge fund.” Dare to be who you’re not. The world has no right to tell you who you are, so don’t let anyone’s judgment or expectations hold you back.
That’s point one. Let’s first come back to who we are, class of 2011. I began this speech by saying we have crossed lines together. But let’s face the reality: we go to Hopkins. Sure, we all make a big show of living life on the edge. “Macbeth paper due next period? Haven’t started.” You hear that everywhere. But everyone knows that in 55 minutes, that paper will be on Mr. Johnson’s desk. That’s also part of who we are: we so want to be rebellious, but we always get the job done.
So I think there’s a good chance that, sometime in the future when we are free from the constraints of Hopkins, many of us will want to do more than talk about breaking the mold. And that’s point two. If you want to rebel, rebel in a way that matters.
There’s a quote I love from Lolita – and this is probably the first time a valedictorian thought it was a good idea to quote a child-molesting psychopath – that reads as follows:
“it occurred to me - not by way of protest, not as a symbol, or anything like that, but merely as a novel experience - that since I had disregarded all laws of humanity, I might as well disregard the rules of traffic. So I crossed to the left side of the highway and checked the feeling, and the feeling was good.”
A rebel has courage. A rebel undertakes personal risk for something they believe in. Anyone can say, “forget this,” cut class, smoke weed. You know why? Because it’s easy. It doesn’t make you a rebel. You’re a failing cog in the machine, but you’re still a cog in the machine.
If you don’t like the system, get out of the system. Because a lot of the time, the system is wrong. I don’t need to describe societal injustice; you know it’s out there. There is so much to fix. So often, the system is broken. Another mistake is to think that we have somehow maxed out, or “arrived.” With iPads, 3D-Printers, 4G networks, it may feel as though things can’t get any better, as though we’ve already made every possible breakthrough. But let me tell you, people felt that same way when fire first came out, and then stairs, and car-phones. There is ALWAYS something unfathomable around the corner. Instead of being shocked by the next earth-shattering discovery, make that discovery. Be the one salmon that swims downstream. Rock other people’s worlds.
If you want to be a rebel, don’t just break the rules: make the rules.
You could characterize rebellion as doing the WRONG thing for the RIGHT reason. My final point is that sometimes, it’s also okay to do the RIGHT thing for the WRONG reason.
What is the right reason to do the right thing? I think we, seniors, wrestle with this question all the time. We know too much to think people are saints. Seniors, you know what I’m talking about: you all filled out the CommonApp, and included the 5000 hours of community service and soup kitchens. It can make you more focused on the motive than the deed itself. You wonder if people actually care about the impoverished nation they’re holding a bake sale for. You want to volunteer at an animal shelter because puppies are cute, but also because girls go crazy for that sort of thing. And deep down, a voice inside you asks, “if I’m doing this for a selfish reason, should I be doing it at all?”
But again, don’t listen to that voice. Your motives may not be pure, but by taking action, you are doing more for the world than someone who does nothing at all. Doesn’t matter if that same voice says, “Working in a soup kitchen is so cliche.” Do it anyway. We’re too smart not to be cynical. But let’s be smart enough to be idealistic as well.
Well guys, this is it. The time has come to say goodbye: to your room, to your dog, to your childhood. Our time at Hopkins is over. For most of us, it’s the last time we’ll play on a varsity team, or know the name of everyone in our grade. All of us have toasted our last Ski Lodge Day marshmallows. We’ll never again be sent “off to class.” We’ve pledged our honor here for the final time.
So what have I said to you today? Dare to change. Dare to disobey. Dare to take action. My friends, you are brilliant, you are unbeatable, and now, I ask you to be bold as well.
If you go downtown, to the corner of College and Grove, you’ll find yourself at the Yale War Memorial. It’s quiet and cool, and the names of Yale’s fallen servicemen are carved on the walls. Above these names is an inscription, and very people know this, but that inscription was chosen by Hopkins’ own Simeon Baldwin in 1912. It reads, Courage disdains fame, and wins it. My friends, Hopkins class of 2011: Be courageous. Cross the line. Congratulations. Thank you.
I want to thank my wonderful teachers, family and friends who are here today, and my fellow seniors for giving me the honor of speaking. When I first started planning this speech a few weeks back, I realized that every possible speech has been done before. The reach-for-the-stars speech, the don’t-reach-for-the-stars speech, the speech about writing a speech – so I thought that instead of giving a speech of my own, for the next half hour or so I’d just read aloud from my favorite book: Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.
Just kidding. I actually did write a speech. My friends, the unrivaled, indomitable class of 2011, today I want to talk about us. Along the way, I have just 3 things to say – and then let’s graduate.
So, seniors, who were we at Hopkins? We were the dream class. I don’t think any class in Hopkins history has spent so much time in the library, broken so many records, or possessed so much raw talent. We threw ourselves into our passions – as DJ’s, paramedics, and painters, running-backs, horse-back riders and center-mids – with unparalleled work ethic, integrity and zeal. We poured hundreds of hours into term papers and test preparations – and, well, it all paid off.
Yet somehow, we managed to have fun. Seniors, we were a class that crossed a lot of lines. We had ghostriding incidents, we put something in the water, and as far as I know, we’re the first Hopkins class ever to graduate in sunglasses.
Now all of this is wonderful. It’s who we are as a class. But the first point I want to make is that who you were at Hopkins doesn’t define who you will be for the rest of your life.
Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time, a mother gave her children some paints to play with. Six out the seven kids painted puppets. The last kid took the paint and drew a life-size army battalion all over the walls of the room. That kid grew up to be Napoleon Bonaparte. Similarly, some of you already know exactly who want to be. Sam, I expect you to be president by our 30th reunion; Alex I want to see that Nobel prize, and Adam, you better be a 5-star general.
Let me tell you another story. A couple years ago, studious girl from Tennessee, plays in the school marching band, aces the SAT and gets into Barnard College. Today, that girl is Ke$ha, spelled with a dollar sign.
“Just be yourself” – I know these are supposed to be words of freedom, and of course they are, but it seems to me they can also be constricting: when you change, people get scared. It takes bravery to step out of your comfort zone, and people will always have something to say about it. You make new friends, suddenly you’re a social climber. You wear a new outfit to school, and suddenly, oh you’re trying so hard. NO. Okay, maybe the denim jumpsuit was a bad idea. But don’t listen. You have absolutely no obligation to be who you are at 18 for the rest of your life. It’s not wrong to change.
“Be yourself” means “be whoever you want to be.” Not “be who your friends think you are.” Not “be the same person you were last year.” If you’ve always known what you want to be, more power to you. But it’s equally great if you wake up tomorrow morning thinking, “I’m gonna take a gap year to make a documentary in Cambodia.” “I know I signed up to do Teach For America this fall, but – I wanna start a hedge fund.” Dare to be who you’re not. The world has no right to tell you who you are, so don’t let anyone’s judgment or expectations hold you back.
That’s point one. Let’s first come back to who we are, class of 2011. I began this speech by saying we have crossed lines together. But let’s face the reality: we go to Hopkins. Sure, we all make a big show of living life on the edge. “Macbeth paper due next period? Haven’t started.” You hear that everywhere. But everyone knows that in 55 minutes, that paper will be on Mr. Johnson’s desk. That’s also part of who we are: we so want to be rebellious, but we always get the job done.
So I think there’s a good chance that, sometime in the future when we are free from the constraints of Hopkins, many of us will want to do more than talk about breaking the mold. And that’s point two. If you want to rebel, rebel in a way that matters.
There’s a quote I love from Lolita – and this is probably the first time a valedictorian thought it was a good idea to quote a child-molesting psychopath – that reads as follows:
“it occurred to me - not by way of protest, not as a symbol, or anything like that, but merely as a novel experience - that since I had disregarded all laws of humanity, I might as well disregard the rules of traffic. So I crossed to the left side of the highway and checked the feeling, and the feeling was good.”
A rebel has courage. A rebel undertakes personal risk for something they believe in. Anyone can say, “forget this,” cut class, smoke weed. You know why? Because it’s easy. It doesn’t make you a rebel. You’re a failing cog in the machine, but you’re still a cog in the machine.
If you don’t like the system, get out of the system. Because a lot of the time, the system is wrong. I don’t need to describe societal injustice; you know it’s out there. There is so much to fix. So often, the system is broken. Another mistake is to think that we have somehow maxed out, or “arrived.” With iPads, 3D-Printers, 4G networks, it may feel as though things can’t get any better, as though we’ve already made every possible breakthrough. But let me tell you, people felt that same way when fire first came out, and then stairs, and car-phones. There is ALWAYS something unfathomable around the corner. Instead of being shocked by the next earth-shattering discovery, make that discovery. Be the one salmon that swims downstream. Rock other people’s worlds.
If you want to be a rebel, don’t just break the rules: make the rules.
You could characterize rebellion as doing the WRONG thing for the RIGHT reason. My final point is that sometimes, it’s also okay to do the RIGHT thing for the WRONG reason.
What is the right reason to do the right thing? I think we, seniors, wrestle with this question all the time. We know too much to think people are saints. Seniors, you know what I’m talking about: you all filled out the CommonApp, and included the 5000 hours of community service and soup kitchens. It can make you more focused on the motive than the deed itself. You wonder if people actually care about the impoverished nation they’re holding a bake sale for. You want to volunteer at an animal shelter because puppies are cute, but also because girls go crazy for that sort of thing. And deep down, a voice inside you asks, “if I’m doing this for a selfish reason, should I be doing it at all?”
But again, don’t listen to that voice. Your motives may not be pure, but by taking action, you are doing more for the world than someone who does nothing at all. Doesn’t matter if that same voice says, “Working in a soup kitchen is so cliche.” Do it anyway. We’re too smart not to be cynical. But let’s be smart enough to be idealistic as well.
Well guys, this is it. The time has come to say goodbye: to your room, to your dog, to your childhood. Our time at Hopkins is over. For most of us, it’s the last time we’ll play on a varsity team, or know the name of everyone in our grade. All of us have toasted our last Ski Lodge Day marshmallows. We’ll never again be sent “off to class.” We’ve pledged our honor here for the final time.
So what have I said to you today? Dare to change. Dare to disobey. Dare to take action. My friends, you are brilliant, you are unbeatable, and now, I ask you to be bold as well.
If you go downtown, to the corner of College and Grove, you’ll find yourself at the Yale War Memorial. It’s quiet and cool, and the names of Yale’s fallen servicemen are carved on the walls. Above these names is an inscription, and very people know this, but that inscription was chosen by Hopkins’ own Simeon Baldwin in 1912. It reads, Courage disdains fame, and wins it. My friends, Hopkins class of 2011: Be courageous. Cross the line. Congratulations. Thank you.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
craftMANIA!
Some Crafts I want to work on but not on Pinterest:
Quilting: http://www.makeandtakes.com/10-week-basic-quilt-along-series
Crocheting more than a basic chain: http://www.makeandtakes.com/basic-crochet-series-getting-started
A list of craft blogs I'd like to further peruse:
1. http://ellebelleblog.blogspot.com/
2. http://blissfulanddomestic.blogspot.com/
3. http://pintucksandruffles.blogspot.com/
4. http://www.craftbuds.com/simple-summer-headbands-tutorial/
5. http://landeeseelandeedo.blogspot.com/
6. http://thecreativeitchboutique.blogspot.com/
7. http://www.morganandkari.com/
8. http://gingersnapcrafts.blogspot.com/
9. http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/ (BC now, in addition to crafting, I seem to enjoy trying out new recipes)
10. http://sofabulouslyflawed.blogspot.com/
11. http://afishwholikesflowers.blogspot.com/
12. http://suburbsmama.blogspot.com/
13. http://sarah-hennesseyhouse.blogspot.com/
14. http://runwithglitter.blogspot.com/
15. http://somethingcreatedeveryday.blogspot.com/
16. http://www.livingwithpunks.com/
17. http://johnnyinadress.blogspot.com/
18. http://whisk-kid.blogspot.com/p/recipe-index.html (BC suddenly I'm into cooking/baking too)
19. http://scratchycatcrafter.blogspot.com/
20. http://www.simplysadiejane.com/
21. http://littleloveliesbyallison.blogspot.com/
22. http://kitchenfunk.blogspot.com/
23. http://youngancrafty.blogspot.com/
24. http://dreaming-n-color.blogspot.com/
25. http://persialou.blogspot.com/
26. http://amandaparkerandfamily.blogspot.com/
27. http://taylormadehome.blogspot.com/
28. http://www.redtedart.com/
29. http://fullofgreatideas.blogspot.com/
30. http://lindycottagehill.blogspot.com/
31. http://www.creatingreallyawesomefreethings.com/search?updated-max=2011-06-14T07%3A00%3A00-05%3A00&max-results=10
32. http://dittledattle.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-05-26T15%3A28%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=5
33. http://icandyhandmade.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-06-13T16%3A44%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=7
34. http://scrappingwithbuffie.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-03-29T18%3A04%3A00-06%3A00&max-results=500
35. http://www.mesewcrazy.com/search?updated-max=2011-06-15T00%3A00%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=6 (I really want to learn to sew)
36. http://www.whateverdeedeewants.com/
37. http://makingtheworldcuter.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-06-02T13%3A08%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=50
38. http://www.thegirlcreative.com/
39. http://christyrobbins.blogspot.com/
40. http://www.finecraftguild.com/messenger-bag-cool-map-craft/
41. http://melaniescrafts.blogspot.com/
42. http://holy-craft.blogspot.com/p/link-up-parties.html
43. http://karascreativeplace.blogspot.com/
44. http://karascreativeplace.blogspot.com/
45. http://firefliesandjellybeans.blogspot.com/
46. http://sweetpeasandbb.blogspot.com/
47. http://smithcraftadventures.blogspot.com/
48. http://afishwholikesflowers.blogspot.com/
49. http://livingcraftilyeverafter.blogspot.com/
50. http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1CdgnQ/www.creatingreallyawesomefreethings.com/2011/09/20-unique-pumpkin-ideas.html
I also have to do this: http://whoopdwhoop.com/register/index/r/745
Quilting: http://www.makeandtakes.com/10-week-basic-quilt-along-series
Crocheting more than a basic chain: http://www.makeandtakes.com/basic-crochet-series-getting-started
A list of craft blogs I'd like to further peruse:
1. http://ellebelleblog.blogspot.com/
2. http://blissfulanddomestic.blogspot.com/
3. http://pintucksandruffles.blogspot.com/
4. http://www.craftbuds.com/simple-summer-headbands-tutorial/
5. http://landeeseelandeedo.blogspot.com/
6. http://thecreativeitchboutique.blogspot.com/
7. http://www.morganandkari.com/
8. http://gingersnapcrafts.blogspot.com/
9. http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/ (BC now, in addition to crafting, I seem to enjoy trying out new recipes)
10. http://sofabulouslyflawed.blogspot.com/
11. http://afishwholikesflowers.blogspot.com/
12. http://suburbsmama.blogspot.com/
13. http://sarah-hennesseyhouse.blogspot.com/
14. http://runwithglitter.blogspot.com/
15. http://somethingcreatedeveryday.blogspot.com/
16. http://www.livingwithpunks.com/
17. http://johnnyinadress.blogspot.com/
18. http://whisk-kid.blogspot.com/p/recipe-index.html (BC suddenly I'm into cooking/baking too)
19. http://scratchycatcrafter.blogspot.com/
20. http://www.simplysadiejane.com/
21. http://littleloveliesbyallison.blogspot.com/
22. http://kitchenfunk.blogspot.com/
23. http://youngancrafty.blogspot.com/
24. http://dreaming-n-color.blogspot.com/
25. http://persialou.blogspot.com/
26. http://amandaparkerandfamily.blogspot.com/
27. http://taylormadehome.blogspot.com/
28. http://www.redtedart.com/
29. http://fullofgreatideas.blogspot.com/
30. http://lindycottagehill.blogspot.com/
31. http://www.creatingreallyawesomefreethings.com/search?updated-max=2011-06-14T07%3A00%3A00-05%3A00&max-results=10
32. http://dittledattle.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-05-26T15%3A28%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=5
33. http://icandyhandmade.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-06-13T16%3A44%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=7
34. http://scrappingwithbuffie.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-03-29T18%3A04%3A00-06%3A00&max-results=500
35. http://www.mesewcrazy.com/search?updated-max=2011-06-15T00%3A00%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=6 (I really want to learn to sew)
36. http://www.whateverdeedeewants.com/
37. http://makingtheworldcuter.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-06-02T13%3A08%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=50
38. http://www.thegirlcreative.com/
39. http://christyrobbins.blogspot.com/
40. http://www.finecraftguild.com/messenger-bag-cool-map-craft/
41. http://melaniescrafts.blogspot.com/
42. http://holy-craft.blogspot.com/p/link-up-parties.html
43. http://karascreativeplace.blogspot.com/
44. http://karascreativeplace.blogspot.com/
45. http://firefliesandjellybeans.blogspot.com/
46. http://sweetpeasandbb.blogspot.com/
47. http://smithcraftadventures.blogspot.com/
48. http://afishwholikesflowers.blogspot.com/
49. http://livingcraftilyeverafter.blogspot.com/
50. http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1CdgnQ/www.creatingreallyawesomefreethings.com/2011/09/20-unique-pumpkin-ideas.html
I also have to do this: http://whoopdwhoop.com/register/index/r/745
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
TED Talks about style...
"It is almost physiologically impossible to be unhappy when you're wearing bright red pants" - Jessi Arrington
You should check out Jessi's blog (Look in the list of Blogs I follow. Her's is Lucky So and So.)! Her economically responsible way of looking at clothing is responsible AND fun. I have to agree that wearing fun colors makes you feel happier :)
Jessi also says to surround yourself with the right people and BE YOURSELF! If you're with the right people, not only will they get it, but they'll appreciate it!
In another TED talk, I learned that silk is biodegradable. How cool is that? It's one of the few materials that is eco friendly. Doesn't take much to create or destroy. It also forms based on whatever it is sitting on so you can copy a message into silk. It's also bio-compatible- you can put it into your body and your body accepts it.
You should check out Jessi's blog (Look in the list of Blogs I follow. Her's is Lucky So and So.)! Her economically responsible way of looking at clothing is responsible AND fun. I have to agree that wearing fun colors makes you feel happier :)
Jessi also says to surround yourself with the right people and BE YOURSELF! If you're with the right people, not only will they get it, but they'll appreciate it!
In another TED talk, I learned that silk is biodegradable. How cool is that? It's one of the few materials that is eco friendly. Doesn't take much to create or destroy. It also forms based on whatever it is sitting on so you can copy a message into silk. It's also bio-compatible- you can put it into your body and your body accepts it.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Poems on Grief
Someone I love very much wrote these poems after my brother died. They're absolutely beautiful so I had to share.
1
I sit by the window, rain running down the panes, splashing into puddles
Birds wash and preen, play in the rain.
Children romping, stomping in puddles, dancing and playing in the rain.
All I have left are my memories and tears,
I know the platitudes, move on, stop crying, he wouldn’t want you to be so sad.
I’m stuck in this valley of shadows, and death and mourning.
The world continues and I’m stuck in one day.
I have no memory past that day,
Six months later I awake in such pain
How do I live with out you?
There is no praise for God, just questions and anger and fear.
Why must you die, my life is such a lie.
I miss your smile, your voice, your laugh, your hugs, your beautiful brown eyes.
You died!
And I’m left in the saddest place I’ve ever been.
2
Drowning in the water,
Cold and dark,
I feel pain, and grief, and fear all around me.
Light, warmth and hope,
way above me.
Lying, I say, “I’m good”, I’m fine” and
“I’ll be okay.”
I’m left here,
Deep in the sea
Alone!
Later
Much later,
I feel Warmth! And Light! And Hope!
I see colors, blue skies, golden suns, green growing grass,
and hear, the birds, the wind, children laughing all around me.
Things I’ve been missing for over a year.
Happy, contented,
No longer drowning, but floating on air!
1
I sit by the window, rain running down the panes, splashing into puddles
Birds wash and preen, play in the rain.
Children romping, stomping in puddles, dancing and playing in the rain.
All I have left are my memories and tears,
I know the platitudes, move on, stop crying, he wouldn’t want you to be so sad.
I’m stuck in this valley of shadows, and death and mourning.
The world continues and I’m stuck in one day.
I have no memory past that day,
Six months later I awake in such pain
How do I live with out you?
There is no praise for God, just questions and anger and fear.
Why must you die, my life is such a lie.
I miss your smile, your voice, your laugh, your hugs, your beautiful brown eyes.
You died!
And I’m left in the saddest place I’ve ever been.
2
Drowning in the water,
Cold and dark,
I feel pain, and grief, and fear all around me.
Light, warmth and hope,
way above me.
Lying, I say, “I’m good”, I’m fine” and
“I’ll be okay.”
I’m left here,
Deep in the sea
Alone!
Later
Much later,
I feel Warmth! And Light! And Hope!
I see colors, blue skies, golden suns, green growing grass,
and hear, the birds, the wind, children laughing all around me.
Things I’ve been missing for over a year.
Happy, contented,
No longer drowning, but floating on air!
TED Talks Some More (about creativity)
If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original.
Shakespeare was in someone's elementary school English class... how annoying would that have been? And has anyone ever thought of Shakespeare as a child? Haha... Seven year old Shakespeare
Shakespeare was in someone's elementary school English class... how annoying would that have been? And has anyone ever thought of Shakespeare as a child? Haha... Seven year old Shakespeare
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