Memories From the Past- Where Else Would They Come From?

The question often comes up," if you could do high school or college again would you?"  I have often answered a resounding Hell No!  But in retrospect I guess I would.  I had an awful lot of fun in high school and college. I got in an awful lot of trouble in high school and college as well.  I have just recently reconnected with one of my friends from my first attempt at college.  I guess we were 18 or 19 years old. It's funny how memories from that long ago paint the people in two dimensions.  Intellectually, I know those friends are full, vibrant people living happy lives out there somewhere in the world.  I had a lot of fun with them.  But my knowledge of them is only for this one time period.  Therefore, they are painted in two dimensions in my mind, simply photographs in an album.  They also remain forever 18 or 19 in my brain.  I on the other hand have aged, put on weight and gained an amazing road map on my face made of wrinkles.  I have earned every single one of them. No worries, I could care less.  I am happier now in my life than I have ever been.  I have 2 wonderful daughters, a great husband, and my art career is finally doing something other than decorating my walls. I am 11 months from turning 50 and life is good.
Back to my long lost friend.  Apparently it was I who was long lost. He had looked for me from time to time to see if I had actually survived my twenties. ( there were times that was doubtful)  He also has 2 wonderful daughters, a great wife and is happy.  So now his two dimensional life has filled out and become alive in the present.  It warms my heart that he is well and thriving.  I reached out and said hello to the past and it was all right.  It did not bite me as I probably deserved, it simply had grown up.   I guess we all do despite what we do to ourselves.  Thanks Philip for the hello.

Gnomeo Gnomeo Where for art though Gnomeo

Freedom University of Art and Art Alone

Any one that has ever known me knows that I have always imagined an affordable art university where all the arts are taught and learned.  Even the old ones.  Now granted, ivory carving is definitely a no no unless you acquired the ivory in a completely legal way.  I believe you can infer what I mean here.  I worry that art - ancient art,  is disappearing.  My Great Uncle Jacob was a brass smith and made things out of brass and copper.  I have a very nice coffee mill that he made.  You don't see that very much any more.  Now we all know that unless you have good press and a sponsor you do not make a whole lot of money.  But making art has never been about making money.  Oh it would be nice to make it, but that's not what feuls a true artist.  A true artist has to make their art or they will burst.  I think that is why they are such a unique bunch of individuals.
In my envisioned university we all make art with the help of our mentors and teachers to learn techniques and how to market our art. I would love to go to art school but cannot 1. afford it. 2. do not want unwanted courses.  3. What  I would like to take is an engineering class only for hanging large cumbersome art pieces not to build a water treatment plant.  I would only want to take physics so I can spacially balance my sculpture. You get my drift.  To go to an art school you or your parents will spend $100,000.00 to educate you so you can make $30,000.00 a year if your lucky being a curator or managing a paint store.  What I envision might actually be happening down at 841 Sante Fe Dr..  There is an academy called Denver Entertainment Arts and Design.  From what I can gather Zak Hennessey has a similiar dream.  He is starting from the entertainment side-  Make up artistry,Figure invention for movies,video games and comics etc. Think about it.  Everything in a movie incorporates art.  The costumes, the make up, the set, the landscap, hair, the sound, - everything.  So with a little luck and a lot of fortitude this can happen.  My yearning for a freedom art university might actually happen.  Zak's premise is to teach and to do and to not go broke.  Hmm I wonder if it can happen.  Wouldn't it be wonderful!

Exciting Times Are Just Ahead

I often find that opportunities are often just around the corner.  You go to a party and talk to someone you have never met and find that they are looking for a designer for their new apartment and guess what- you are a designer!  Do not ever be afraid of talking about your passions.  I am passionate about my art though I am very shy about talking about it.  I am always my worst critic. If I do not let other people see it and discuss it for better or worse who will ever know that this is what I do.  Talk to people, go to places where they do similar work, join guilds, participate and teach those who want to learn.  If you want to sell,  find places to sell your work.  Use the passion you feel for your craft and talk the same way. Become part of the larger community.

Resolution #3 The Church Bells Are Ringing

There seems to be an open and heated debate between those who believe in God and those who do not.  I just recently saw a sign that said God is  your invisible friend.  Our country was founded on the most basic freedom.  Freedom of religion.  Now that very freedom is coming under attack.  We cannot pray in schools,  We cannot celebrate Christmas.  Easter is a joke.  Yet our country will bend over backwards to accommodate atheists, Muslims, and other religions.  Why is Christianity being so abused and so secondary.  IN GOD WE TRUST. is on our money but for how long?  I know that some people in the Christian faith have been publicly ridiculed because of their failings.  To be a  Christian does not mean to be perfect-  we are all struggling to be the best we can be.  I Follow God's laws to the best of my ability.  I too fail.  That is the whole reason of the belief That God has our backs.  He knows we will sin yet through Jesus he has saved us. Faith is a rare yet valuable thing.  To have faith in God absolutely,  you have inner peace.  To know that I am not alone and that there is a heaven after everything in this life is done gives me inner peace. I have faith and I believe.  What I do not have is a church community  So this year I have challenged myself to go and find a church home.
To be  Christian does not mean to be stupid or lazy.  To be Christian means we believe that the only way to salvation is through Christ.  This does not make us weak. Quite the contrary.  By following our faith we take pause in every decision by praying.  You laugh, but if I said meditating you would be oh yeah, cool. Do not let semantics prejudice you against Christianity.  Consider this: What truly makes us different from the other animals on the planet?  Is it because we think?  No chimps and gorillas think.  Is it because we have technology?  No we have basically destroyed our planet without any regard searching for the next bigger and better not unlike a horde of locusts eating through a field.  Is it our capacity to love, nurture and socialize-  No, animals through out the world care for their young, stay with their partners and socialize.  So what makes us truly different?  Our belief in a higher power is what seperates us. After all without God we are just another ant colony with bigger nests.

I Have A Dream

We go to work everyday.  We clean our houses, work in the yard and exist one day after another.  What do we do it all for?  Are we working towards anything?  Or are we just existing from day to day. What do we dream of in our every day lives.  If you could make it happen-  what would you really be doing?  What is your dream job?  What is your dream life?
My dream life/job is owning some parcel of land by a national forest and living in a big farm house converted into a bed and breakfast.  We would grow most of the food and have farm animals that supply us with our fare.  We would have retreats for groups of people looking for some serious relaxation.  We would have a pool, hot tubs, art studios and a huge front porch with lots of rockers to relax and watch the sun set.  We would have a huge family room where our guests could play games and warm up by the fire.  We would have a technology center,  home theater, a huge library, a big dining room where we all eat family style.    We would have a nice size pond stocked with fish for fishing.  In my dream bed and breakfast we would meet all types of people and learn about the outside world.  My hubby would be right there beside me as would our girls.  We would work it as a family.  My secret desire. My dream life.  Is it silly?  Will it ever come true?  I do not know-  But I can dream it.  Perhaps one day I can live it.

New Years Resolution #2- Get up and experience life

I am still working hard on New Year's Resolution #1.  I will work hard on it the rest of my life.  I will not win any contests because there are too many variables such as: I love to eat and I do not enjoy excercise.  I just celebrated a fantastic weekend with my  family.  We did the Stock Show on Friday  celebrating  American heritage and history.  Brought home a sick child who fully recovered by Saturday to celebrate Chinese New Year. We made lots of Chinese dishes and decorated the whole house in red banners and lanterns. We went to church which is New Years Resolution # 3 and brought the girls to Awana's.  I need another day to  recover.  My second resolution is to participate in life and to enjoy it.  Not to just sit on the couch and watch other people live pretend lives on the idiot box.  We are going to do activities as a family and experience what life has to offer.  This week was expensive.  Next week I think we will do a freebie park hop and see what kind of play parks are available on this side of the world.   I guess what I am saying is that we are getting up off our duffs and seizing life and living it.
Won't you join us in turning off the TV and turning on life.

2012 New year's Resolution #1

One of my loathsome New Year's resolutions is a common one.  Exercise more, eat less, get healthy.  Now I am not doing this to get "skinny"  I am doing this to get healthy.  My mom called the other day and said that her doctor told her she had plaque in her carotid artery.  Her cholesterol is 179.  I am only 19 years younger than she and my cholesterol is 243.  I have a 6 year old and an 8 year old that I would dearly love to  kiss and hug until they are mothers themselves.  Mostly I want to do this for myself so that I may live and not merely survive. We are a society that is growing fatter, wider and unhealthier by the minute.  We eat more processed food, more sugar and more of everything than any other nation.  One magazine article I read, stated that if the rest of the world ate as much as Americans, we would need 2 more planets to sustain us.  Think about that next time you reach for something you truly don't need.  Remember the idiom, just because you can does not mean you should.  So I have cut down the size of my helpings and the number of them.  I am eliminating processed foods as much as possible from my diet.  I am walking every day.  Sometimes I even run. Now I make this resolution every year, but this time I believe I will succeed.  Why?-  Because I have hope.

2012...I Loathe New Year's Resolutions

Welcome to 2012.  Do I have high hopes for this year?  Absolutely.  Do I have any fears for this year?  You bet.  I always look forward to anything new.  I constantly believe that this time it will be different.  This time I will keep it nice and keep it going for the whole year.  I always believe.  I remember when a school year would start and I would get new notebooks with clean, lined, unblemished paper.  I would smile to myself and promise that I would write in my best penmanship for the whole life of the notebook.  I would succeed for the first week or two, then I would start writing a little sloppier and more carelessly.  By the third or fourth week I was back to my old ways scratching out words and writing so poorly that even an archaeologist would  be unable to decipher what was written. I sabatoge myself in so many ways that I have absolutely no hope in succeeding.  I loathe New Years resolutions because they are the prophesy of our failure.  We list our resolutions every year to emphasize how unaccomplished we truly are.  How could we possibly win?  Why do we do this to ourselves?

We do this to ourselves because one of the great attributes of our species is....HOPE.... We have hope in everything. No matter how horrible something is, there is that within us that spurs us on.  HOPE.  I write down my resolutions because I have hope that this time I will achieve my goals.  I have hope that I will excercise regularly, eat right, go to church every Sunday, be a better wife and a better mother.  I have hope in my fellow people.  With hope comes that irritating yet endearing quality that we share with our pets- OPTIMISM.  My dogs have lots of optimism. Every time we eat dinner  they are optimistic that we will share or that something will magically fall from the table to the floor.  When our kids were small the dogs were rewarded for this optimism by having a veritable bounty fall from the sky.  Now as the children grow older that optisim has not diminished, though the bounty has.  The dogs still stand watch for those treasured, tastey bits that never come.  We list the things we want to change about ourselves, because we want to be better.  This is not a bad thing. I actually think it is quite commendable to want to better ourselves and our world.  So though I loathe New Years resolutions I still make them.  Slowly but surely some of them get done.  But mostly, what gets accomlished is that I am better every year,  not in leaps and bounds but in little bits here and there.  I have hope.  So, to all my friends and family, make those resolutions, keep your hopes up and be optimistic.  2013 is only 361 days away.

Teenagers- What to Do With Them?

I have a seventeen year old in the house who is not my child.  She is here as an international student from China.
She had a friend at school call her in sick posing as me.  The school called me and informed me that she was missing.  I am her legal guardian.  I grounded her from her electronics ie phone, touch pad and computer. over the Thanksgiving break.  She only had to do it for 4 days.  She hid her computer on our trip and got caught again.  I am livid beyond belief .  She is completely unaware of how serious everything is.  I had to file a missing persons report on her.  The police filed a runaway report on her.  The police department searched for her, the school searched for her and I searched for her.  Charges could have been filed  she could have been expelled.   The only reason she is here is for her education. The least she could do is play the game and kiss ass for a couple of weeks.  But no she won't.  All I hear from her is how much smarter the Chinese kids are than American kids.  All I see is a spoiled one dimensional brat who does not think of anyone but herself.  I am very frustrated right now and quite angry.

Teaching My First Glass Class

I have talked with my friends for a couple of years about teaching a glass class.  I fuse glass for fun and profit and most of my friends look forward to my gifts.  I always thought that I should teach them how to make the glass for fun.  Because they are all so talented,  part of me did not want to do it because it was the one talent that I had that no one else had.  Every one else is so  majorly talented in knitting, crocheting and other crafts that I attempt but have not mastered that I wanted to keep this particular one to myself.  I realized that this was selfish.  I love my friends and it is time to get over my lack of confidence in other things and go for it.  So this Saturday  5 of my pals are coming over for lunch and glass.  I am very excited to see them do this and to share what I know.  Wish us luck.

Knitting Frustration-UGH!

My dear friend, Pixie, made this lovely hat from a pattern called Springtime in Philadelphia.  I love the pattern and I was with her when she found it and when she bought the yarn.  In fact she talked it up so well I believed that I too could make it.  UGH!  Was I in for it.  I cannot seem to get past the first three rows!  i left her a nasty humorous message on her face book page .  Please everyone send me some brain power so that I may get through this get it done!  I love ya Pixie!

Fall, Fall, Fall

I look out my window and the world is all aglow.  The sun is coming up shining on all the fabulous warm colors of Fall.  The reds, golds, oranges and browns all look like they are lit from within.  Fall, truly is my favorite time of year.  The first frost is like icing on a cake.  My pumpkins dabble my backyard garden in small patches of color.  All my tomatoes are picked green and line my counter top with their aspirations of becoming red.  I have flowers in vases all through my house, safe and sound from the frost.  I become sweater girl this time of year and I love it.  Boots, scarves, corduroy and brisk walks in the open air.  The crisp smell of pine and  fallen leaves that crunch under my boot.  Halloween Decorations start to dot the neighborhood.  The weather is not bitter, yet.  Crisp and clean and beckoning me to explore my world through nature's eyes.  The bluest of skies, the reddest of leaves.  I think I will take my walk now.  Enjoy this lovely time of year.

There Is Something In Your Teeth!

I feel no love from my family.  I just played two hands of  UNO with my family-  Grammy, Hubby, 3 daughters with a big huge black piece of pepper between my canine and front tooth- What gives?  No one cares enough to say hey Mom you got something between your Teeth!

To Disinfect or Not to Disinfect

I have reviewed several articles about the pros and cons of disinfecting the house.  My conclusion goes right back to common sense.  If I have cut meat on the counter top or the juice has spilled on the counter from the cutting board I will disinfect the area.  If the flu or cold goes through my house I will disinfect the light switches and surfaces that have been touched a lot.  I do not believe in disinfecting on a routine basis, simply because we destroy good bacteria as well as bad.  We also begin to weaken our own immune systems and promote the growth of killer bugs (bacteria).  Not to mention that most disinfectants are truly toxic to not only the germs but to us as well.  With all of this in mind I have found a wonderful smelling natural product to do the disinfecting that I actually do. This product kills 99.9 percent of bacteria and viruses on hard nonporous surfaces.The product uses concentrated citric acid and thyme oil. The remaining ingredients are unclear and I will call to find out what they are.  Because of the citric acid  ( it comes from lemons)  this product can be irritating to the skin and eyes.  It is also not recommended for natural stone or marble.  So the fad now is for granite counter tops and I guess that is a form of stone so it is not recommended for that surface-  I will call up and find out why again.  I like the smell, I like the non residue on the counter.  I believe it works.  So I do recommend this product.
     I just got off the phone with my friend, Amy and  she has the info that I was looking for. My question above concerned "the remaining ingredients" The ingredients are not listed but they are 100% food grade, which tells me that there should not be anything to be concerned about.  So the ingredients are citric acid, thyme oil and 100 % food grade ingredients.  Once again safe around pets, children, and the household cleaner, Me.  We also discussed stone counter tops and she said that we can use another product for those surfaces-  I will order that one to try out as well.  In a nut shell this disinfectant is  nice smelling, non toxic, that works and is not harmful.

Craft Night

I have decided to host a craft night once a month during summer and then twice a month during fall and winter.  I charge money for supplies and to help cover the treats and wine.  Last night was my first official  event and I had four lovely ladies come and get their gourd on.  I had grown these fabulous gourds 7 years ago and have been storing them ever since.  It was so fun to see their imagination fly and come up with some trendy and fun ideas.

Over all I would say it was a success.  The ladies get to have some free time and create something new and I get rid of some of my inventory and catch up with friends

.

The Adventure Begins

I received my Clear Power Glass Cleaner.  I am so excited to get started.  The label says 6X concentrated.  I paid $5.69 for one bottle and I should get 6 16 fl oz of glass cleaning product or 96 fluid ounces of cleaning product.
1. The floral scent is pleasant, not over powering and dissipatates quickly.
2 surfaces cleaned:
  a.  Family kitchen table- solid glass
  b. Bathroom mirror
  c. Bathroom sink and faucette- since I am there
  d.  Inside window of back door
  e.  Outside window of back door

Okay,  I cleaned all of the above items to test this product and I am actually quite pleased and suprised with the results.  I usually use Windex and Clear Power did  a better job with less.  The back door windows had not been cleaned in quite awhile.  I have 3 dogs, two children and lots of company.  The Clear Power took care of dust, dirt, finger prints, doggie slobber, nose prints and some kind of unknown dried food substance.  It also was streak free.  Clear Power cleaned my kitchen table very well as well as the bathroom mirror , sink and faucette. I will recommend this product to everyone.
Here are the warnings listed on the bottle:
Common Sense Caution-  eye irritant, keep out of reach of children.  In case of eye contact flush with plenty of water.  Call a physician if irritation persists.  If swallowed, drink a glass of water.  Prolonged contact may cause skin irritation.  In case of skin contact flush arfea with water.  Keep away from open flame, sparks or other heat sources.
Ingredients:  Biodegradable plant derived alcohol, biodegradable cleaning agent (plant derived amphoteric surfacant),distilled white vinegar, fragrance, preservative.

Not bad for something that cleans very nicely.  If we swallow it, drink water. That should make us all feel very comfortable with this product. I like that I can protect my family and my pets from harmful every day chemicals.

Bonus:  You can use it on stainless steel and other shiny surfaces.-  I just did my fridge and dishwasher and it worked beautifully.

I recommend this product.  Ask me how you can get it!

Deciding to Go Green and Improve my Families Life-

I have been doing some thinking and have finally decided to act instead of thinking and wishing.  So I put together 4 new goals and see what it takes to make them happen.

My goals are:

1.  Create a healthier home environment, 

2. Reduce my environmental impact 

3. Make a little money to supplement my family income.

4. Support US and local businesses instead of international ones.  

I come from a long line of family members who have been green for decades.  We are originally from The Netherlands and being green is a fact of life over there.  We are such a small country that even the farmers have to account for the manure each cow makes.  With this in mind I have always wanted to be greener in my life in the USA.  However The States do not make it easy.  I recycle glass, paper and plastic.  We do all our errands in one trip so we do not go out several times a day.  The children ride the bus because it is greener even though we have to pay .50 cents a ride.  

The grocery stores are packed full of products that are processed, filled with toxic chemicals and generally not healthy for our daily lives.   So I have decided to tackle this going green piece by piece.  So number 1 of my goals is to create a healthier, greener environment in my home.  The green products in the grocery store are expensive and they do not always work as well as the chemical ones that I have used.  I use vinegar and water for glass cleaner, but then my home smells like a female cleansing room.-  Not desirable.  So I have decided to try Clear Power Glass Cleaner from Melaleuca.  It should arrive today or tomorrow.  I am going to see how good it is for one and how it stacks up against my all time favorite- Windex.  Clear Power Glass Cleaner uses natural distilled white vinegar and naturally derived solvents instead of ammonia.  It also has a floral  fragrance.  We will see how well I like it.  The other  benefit is that it comes in concentrated  form so I mix with water.  The cost is supposedly less than Windex.  I will let you guys know.  I am very excited to try.

Samples, Examples, and Whatnots

Here is a sample of some of my work.  I make all sorts of things for our home, friends and customers.  I do not charge very much simply  because I believe every one should have access to art.  I am starting a home business in the near future.  I have to iron out a few wrinkles but I do hope it will succeed.  It will be a customer service based business.  I am going to offer a service that manages birthday gifts, anniversary gift etc.  My clients will give me a list of birthdays, ages, gender and  color preferences and I will create gifts for them to buy for their friends and family.  I will notify my clients 30 days prior to the event and we will quickly discuss what they want to do.  I will charge for the service and for the gift plus shipping if it is necessary.  What do my readers think?  I can use excel spread sheets to keep track of things as wells as my computer's calendar.  Most people are so busy these days and are on tight budgets, but they still want to give something nice.

Where Does Your Inspiration Come From?

Creating new and interesting things with both form and function is such a unique talent that humans have.  As a species we seem to be very driven to create.  Why is that I wonder?  What inspires us?  What is the driving force to make something new or something pretty?  Is it the same inner voice that makes a person climb Mt. Everest?  I know I lie awake at night with dreams of things that I am inspired to make.  Not for any one in particular but because it is in my head and it dearly needs and wants to get out.  I dream of building,painting, stringing,punching, knitting, crocheting and writing.  I find an object that has been cast away and immediately start to rebuild, remake or find another  purpose for it.  My home studio is filled with these items being re-purposed or waiting quietly in the back ground until an idea hits me.I am an avid believer in recycle, re-purpose and reuse.   My grandfather was the same way and so was my mother, before her arthritis kicked in and her eyesight went bad.  I have to believe that this is an imprint in our genetic code that pushes us forward with these needs.

The following statement is from Wikipedia under creativity:

www.wikipedia.org/wiki/CreativityDeclining creativity?

Creativity as measured by the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking increased until 1990. An effect similar to the Flynn effect. Thereafter scores have been declining. Possible explanations include increased TV watching and video game playing.^[41]

This scares me.  Without creativity, our future is no longer secure.  We will not have those bright thinkers to solve the worlds problems.  So my fellow creators, go out and create,create, create!