Back to our Regularly Scheduled Program

Why does blogger insist on just choosing for itself where to put pictures???? I am almost completely done with Swap-bot swaps for the moment. I have had some terrible experiences of not getting returns on my swaps of late, so I am going the private swap route for a while at least. I hope I can tie the text with the correct image here. The journal is for a "handmade item" swap. It is headed to New Mexico as you read this. I could not decide how much things were worth and this swap said to value your item(s) at approximately 10-15 dollars, so I kept adding. There is the altered journal covered with scrapbook paper, a cross stitched monogram, and tons of ribbon and string trim. Another craft apron (these are really quick and easy to make). And, if you look closely at the picture, you can see across the journal front a bracelet of glass beads. I received a journal with fabric strip tassels and I will be making some more of these to sell. While I made this bracelet, Molly will be duplicating this dainty string of beads for some of her work. I hope the new owner finds these useful and beautiful.

The competitor in my dad would be one of the traits I inherited. This is the drag car and I remember the weekend this was taken so well. Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, GA. I met people like Don Garlitts and Shirley "cha-cha" Muldowney. This was a national event and Dad brought home 1st in the B-stock class. This environment was so much fun for me. I am competitve myself. Hate to lose a card game. Hate for my sales figures to be lower than I expected. I even hate to be second on the track where we walk (for fun and excercise and I am the only competitve one in the group I walk with.) I tend to set personal goals and am disappointed if I don't meet them. I think competition is just in your blood. My girls have it and that's fun for me too.

Speaking of my girls, Molly has a teammate who has this image of me that is too funny. This young lady seems to think I am the June Cleaver type of mom. That I could be comfortable carrying a tray of cookies and wearing a cute little apron. While I do love aprons and am so excited to see the comeback they are making, the image was too funny for Molly to process, she burst into a fit of the uncontrollable giggles when Brooke said that. I think I am going to carry an apron with me, and when the timing is right, show up at a game with the plate of cookies too. I love having a relationship with them that can include laughter and fun. Other kids we are associated with are not as fortunate, and both of ours recognize how truly blessed we are.

I learned something about my Dad this weekend and this is almost bizarre. My girls use the phrase when we are traveling through long unpopulated areas. The saying - "miles and miles of nothing but miles." The first time Molly used it, it felt familiar, but it was not a phrase that I use. In our travels this weekend, we talked a lot about things. MyUncle said the same phrase about the rural road and it occured to me to ask. He said he got the phrase from my Dad. I had forgotten it entirely. I love it when the memories come flooding back. My sister and I always chewed gum when we sat behind him in the car. He would say "give you a quarter for that piece of gum" because he hated the noise chewing gum made. We would get out and ride on Sunday afternoons and he would see a road we didn't know and just turn and follow it. I have seen several really cool places just from this practice. I continue that as we travel. I do hope my girls remember these things as fondly as I do.

I had a comment on an earlier post asking if this is only recorded here in my blog. That answer is no. For years I kept journals for me, as a healing and discovery mechanism. I have burned so many of them because of the "junk" there. But now, as I am becoming more true to myself, I realize that my girls and future generations need a legacy, so I am writing letters to my girls. I have a box for each and I am including the original letter and a copy in an alternating pattern for each one of them. I want this to be in my handwriting. I am including stories, advice, encouragement, rituals, and traditions. There are pictures and artwork for a visual representation of things. Again, I hope they value this as they grow up.

Finally an art piece for a swap. This is called layers of my heart. It was created for a swap bot swap, "show me your heart" and was inspired by a line in my journals. The inspiring line - I am becoming more sure of every thing as I peel back the layers of my heart. It is created from a prepared canvas board, paint, plain and printed tissue paper, gel medium, punched out hearts, and metallic pens. I do have to say, I can see improvement in my collage skills and interpration with this project. As you study it, you find more and more to see. I created it and I even found myself going back to it to study it even more. I have made a deliberate effort to create this year and that effort has paid off in my confidence level and my desire to create more.

There is a quote in a book I have read that I am applying to my work. "Make a deliberate effort to capture your thoughts." As I do that, I have even more ideas to process.

Having set the challenge for September, I am cleaning and tossing and giving away. Look for a special post soon. As I approach my 100th post, I am putting 100 items in a box for someone. Random items, mostly craft supplies and it will be going to a new home. There will be a type of contest for this. The rules still to be determined.

I am also continuing the use what I have to some degree. I have purchased a few things for crafting. Scrapbook brads, a piece of thrifted fabric for a swap - total 2.50. And my favorite purchase - a gallon of buttons from a junk place - literally the kind of place you take your life in your hands as you dig through - black and white buttons - 1.00. Total for the month = 3.50 us dollars. My check book is so happy.

I hope everyone of you has a beautiful day.