Wound Tight

I get a little wound up at times. Things bug me. There are times when everything seems to bug me, or maybe I am just being sensitive and it seems that way. I am currently in one of those phases.
I hear and read such bizarre tales about people these days. I have to wonder what this world is coming to. I have come to the realization that there is no normal and the normal I think of as normal had gone by the wayside. There are more crazy people in this world than normal people, whatever that is.
I have been dealing internally with the 8th commandment of the Bible, "Though shalt not bear false witness against your neighbor." With the Internet now the world is so small. We are able to put ourselves out there to the world like we have never before. We are able to control what the rest of the world sees and doesn't see. We are able to show the world just what we want them to see of ourselves and hide the rest. Is that then bearing false witness? Is it wrong to make yourself look like one thing on the Internet and live quite another? I've really been struggling with this lately and a lot of it comes from Facebook. I see so many preaching one thing, including quoting scripture, and then living quite another, including getting drunk on their butts in the local bars. Is that what they want their friends to think Chritianity is about? No wonder those people chase others away from it.
I have always been a "what you see is what you get" person. I even had a sweatshirt that had that on it when I was in high school! I've always tried to be an honest and sincere person. I just don't get all of the phoniness and it really bugs me. I guess I never will.

A Day That Will Live In Infamy

December 7, 1941. The day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. And then in August of 1945 the United States attacked Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
I am not old enough to remember WWII, but my father in law served as a Marine during that time. He doesn't tell many stories. All we need do is read the history books to know what happened. We must not forget, but we can can forgive. Is this not what we are taught? Forgiveness, no matter whom or what you believe in.
Who would have known that some 69 years later Japan would be suffering such a great natural disaster and we would come to their aid? As it should be.

My heart aches when others are suffering. Compassion, empathy, call it what you will. Some humans are incapable of either one. I even feel sorry for them. Empathy is what unites us as a human race. It saddens me so that something bad has to happen in order for folks to pull together. Is that just human nature? Why must it be that way? Why can't we practice kindness, compassion and empathy on a daily basis in our daily lives? I see such division each day everywhere I look. It's gay or straight, black or white, Democrat or Republican and the list goes on. Frankly, I don't give a rat's patootie about any of that. What it boils down to is we all cry the same tears and shed the same blood. We are all of the same race, the HUMAN race. We need to start finding some middle ground or we will destroy ourselves and each other.

Please consider kindness.

Stuff

Yes, stuff. My life is filled with it. I must admit I like stuff and at times (most anymore) there's too much stuff around here. I am picking away at it, but always manage to bring more stuff in. Take this past weekend for example. I came across this wonderful jar of stuff. I couldn't pass it up. It was just too intriguing to let slip by me. How could I resist?



Then I brought it home and much to my delight, my son had to sort through it with me! Then the next day my daughter spotted it and flipped! She said it was like a real eye-spy! She promptly had to open it and sort through all of the treasures. This jar 'o junk cost me $10. It's the most fun I've had for $10 in a while! Well worth every penny. It's just now I am not sure if I should be pleased or concerned that I've passed this on to my kids!

Why do you blog?

Honestly, I'd like to know. Why do you blog? I've been blogging since November of 2006. That's almost scary to me to think about. I LOVED my old blog, as most of you all know, so I won't bore you with those details. When I first started blogging my adult children had a fit. They told me blogs were for people who liked to talk about themselves. I was offended. I feel my life is pretty much an open book. I wade around here knee-deep in well, shit, most of the time. Literally and figuratively. Life is not perfect and I refuse to pretend that it is. Some bloggers do, but I guarantee you, I am not one of them. I have been told by many people over the years, "Well, at least I know where I stand with you!" I like it that way. No pretenses. It is what it is, so why try to pretend you're something you're not?
I blog because I can't seem to keep a journal and I'd like to think that when I am gone from this world, my children might have an online record of my thoughts and goings on.
My 5th grade teacher, Evelyn Peterson, complimented me on a story I had written in her class. I was reading out loud in front of the whole class. We all know how never-wracking that can be. She complimented me in front of the whole class for using the word "meanwhile". I am almost 49 years old and I've never forgotten that. She didn't have a clue that one little compliment would give me the courage to keep writing, even if it's just for my own personal release, which most often is my main reason for writing. Thank you, Mrs. Peterson!

Personal Accomplishment

Just chiming in here to say that today is my 3rd anniversary for my etsy shop! I took a leap of faith of leap day of 2008 and opened my shop. It was intended to be an online selling venue for my wool and yarn and it has turned into so much more. I am a packrat by birth, just ask my mom, and I've decided it's time to let go of some things. Besides that I love to "junk" and find many treasures for resale.
I am having a 20% off sale today to celebrate. Use coupon code 3RDANNIVERSARY for 20% off store-wide!
Thanks to all of you who have helped me along the way! 642 sale to date!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/serenitysheepwoolens

A Rag By Any Other Name.......

Rags. It's a simple subject, or so you thought. Same with my family. They have to ask me to use a rag around here for one of their projects. Their answer is generally met with, "Don't use one of my good ones!" Huh? A rag is a rag, isn't it? That's what you think. It's a family joke around here, me and my rags!
I think this is a genetic thing because I recently came across a rag that belonged to my Aunt Marie. It has a patch on it! Can you imagine patching rags? She also hid money in her house, but that's a whole other post. My point is, she came from a different era. One where you didn't have much and what you did have you took care of until it was so worn out, nothing was left. She kept everything, including the styro meat trays she got her meat on. A little bleach and she was good to go. I don't know what she ever reused them for.
Back to the rags. You see, over the years I've spent a good deal of time cleaning. My first cleaning job that I actually got paid for was a 4-year stint at the Holiday Inn during the summers when I was in high school. I learned a lot about cleaning from that job, and more from the picky inspectors who came in behind you! It was done right or it was redone. I don't have any fond memories of special rags from that job, however.
Somewhere along the line I learned that linen is awesome for window washing. No lint and streak-free! These rags should not be used for any other purpose, however, since the oils from some cleaning products can remain in the fibers and mess with your window washing.
Bar rags make good overall rags. Old towels are the best absorbent rags. Dish rags are just that and should be bleached periodically. Under NO circumstance should a dish rag be used on a face, even a child's face! YUCK! Go get a wash cloth, which some people like to use as rag rags once they are worn down to nothing. I prefer a nice, substantial rag for cleaning. I was thrilled when I found a bundle of them at Costco!
Then there are shop rags. UGH! My least favorite rag. They get so disgustingly dirty and greasy that I rarely allow them back into the house. They are typically burned in the burn barrel here. I don't want that yuck in my washer!
So, are you still convinced a rag is just a rag?

Another Fiber Fun Day!

Spent the morning getting ready to teach needle felting! I was pretty worried about having enough needles and foam since my order had not arrived even though I placed it quite some time ago. Makes me want to do a search and figure out where to buy them direct so I can bypass this current source. Her prices are good, but SLLLLOOOOW! That would drive me crazy personally. When I make a sale, I have to get it ready and out of here preferably in the same day, if not the next. I don't want it hanging over my head that I have to ship an order.
So, off to Hawthorne School to help the kids refine their birds. I am so amazed and impressed with their work! Their pieces will be put up for sale and the proceeds go back into the art dept. I know their work will do well. On the way home I saw a Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle, Pheasant, King Fisher and a turkey (my own!) It makes you look at them in a whole new light.
Chris went with me today so he could run errands while I was at school. Then we came back home so I could finish the kits up for another class at tart tonight. I was so relieved to arrive home to the foam and needle shipment waiting on the back step.
Homemade pizza for supper and off to Bozeman again to teach an owl class. I had 7 in the class and we all had a great time. I am always amazed at how different each one turns out. They bought lots of wool to take home and create some more. It's always fun to introduce folks to a new passion.
Long day and I am pooped, but a good pooped!