Lauren Ferguson | There are no mistakes in art, just opportunites to embellish. (tm)

The ripple effect was enormous

It has been a great couple of days just getting back into being at home and the great high from CHA.

The Supershow was a bit overwhelming for me. But let's keep it in perspective Toys R Us overwhelms me.

I like the atmosphere of the Trade Show side. It works for me.

I did have fun with reading my blog. Craft Critique did a great article about the Crafty Storytellers.

I had a great time trying out for the next Crafting Diva on the local station here in Atlanta. It was just fun!

Can I tell you what has really made it for me. Can I tell you my epiphany.

No, not that I met Carol Duvall.... Did I tell you that I met Carol Duvall.

Oh, but I started to digress...

It was going to the mailbox Tuesday morning after repacking a simple box of stuff for one of my Tweeps.

By the time I had gotten hugs from complete strangers and some high fives from various folks, I realized that...

are you ready here come the epiphany...

I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!! That's right you heard it here first.

My small bit of indignation turned into a mini revolution.

What was originally a small box of discarded scrapbooking supplies turned into a 50 pound box of smiles.

I am glad to have been a part of it.

until we meet again,

Sharing Words: A day of sharing words

There are so many people that I have met along this jug handle in my life. 

For all of you in the Northeast a jug handle is the same as a traffic circle.
For all of you in the South a jug handle is the same as a left handed U turn.
For all of you in the West it is a digression from the beaten trail.

Oh, but I digress...

I have never met LK Ludwig.

I have never taken a class with her. What I can say is that she inspires me to be me.

Her books are not just about the pretty pictures. And trust me the pictures are absolutely phenomenal.

Her words are inspiring. Her voice is clear, not muddled. Her focus is extremely powerful.

So here was the deal from her blog:
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A Day of Sharing Words

The idea:  We have words that touch us, move into our hearts and resonate, creating a feeling, taking us some place- past, present, future- perhaps some place we have never been and may never go, but for whatever reasons, the words pulse in our blood. Meeting new words, new poets, new poems, new ways for my heart to beat, is an intruiging concept. Want to go on this adventure with me? It will be easy to travel along.

Many of us already do this sharing; this idea is just to help us find each other and hear the words we have to share.

The Date: Wednesday, November 19.

The Plan:  on your blog, post a poem that moves inside you, touches you, reaches you.  (quotes and song lyrics welcome).  Include the author (or composer or musician) and source (book, album)- perhaps also the amazon link if there is one.  no explanation required, no other revelation necessary. 

One last thing- Perhaps add an image. a photo. a video. a painting. a collage., if you would.

Come here to this post.  Add a comment with your link. 

I'll create a typepad page with the links, so others can hear the rhythm of the words, see the image and share in the experience. 

The Request: If you are intrigued enough, post on your blog about this Day of Sharing Words- encourage your friends to post.  Who couldn't use a few new poems in their treasury or new songs in their hearts?

===============================================================

So the librarian in me goes straight to a book. I have read many books in my life time and there are only two that have gotten to the top of my list and are fighting for first place. The first is The Princessa by Harriet Rubin and Book by Whoopi Goldberg. So rather than choose, I will give a hit from both.

The Princessa by Harriet Rubin

"The strategy at the heart of the princessa's art is not a menu of alternatives. There is only one strategy, of proven success by all princessas: a combination of love and war. These are not opposites for the princessa. They are the corresponding halves of her single strategy.

    To combine love and war requires understanding love in a new light. Love has always been linked to war, but as its antithesis. A solider would fight his heart out, like Odysseus, and then make the long journey back to his beloved Penelope. So, Machiavelli's prince learned that for the sake of power it is better to be feared and respected than loved. Love might compromise his ability to be tough with others. Machiavelli could never imagine that love is the most uncompromising of forces. Love does not need to compromise; to fight from a position of love is the achieve a decisive triumph. The prizes exceed anything the mind expects." Harriet Rubin

Book by Whoopi Goldberg

"So, yeah, I think anything is possible. I know it because I have lived it. I know it because I have seen it. I have witnessed things the ancients would have called miracles, but they are not miracles. They are the products of someone's dream, and they happen as a result of hard work. Or they happen because, you know, shit happens. As human beings, we are capable of creating a paradise, and making each other's lives better by our own hands.  Yes, yes, yes... this is possible." Whoppie Goldberg

until we meet again,

A Day of Sharing Words

The idea:  We have words that touch us, move into our hearts and resonate, creating a feeling, taking us some place- past, present, future- perhaps some place we have never been and may never go, but for whatever reasons, the words pulse in our blood. Meeting new words, new poets, new poems, new ways for my heart to beat, is an intruiging concept. Want to go on this adventure with me? It will be easy to travel along.

Many of us already do this sharing; this idea is just to help us find each other and hear the words we have to share.

The Date: Wednesday, November 19.

The Plan:  on your blog, post a poem that moves inside you, touches you, reaches you.  (quotes and song lyrics welcome).  Include the author (or composer or musician) and source (book, album)- perhaps also the amazon link if there is one.  no explanation required, no other revelation necessary. 

One last thing- Perhaps add an image. a photo. a video. a painting. a collage., if you would.

Come here to this post.  Add a comment with your link. 

I'll create a typepad page with the links, so others can hear the rhythm of the words, see the image and share in the experience. 

The Request: If you are intrigued enough, post on your blog about this Day of Sharing Words- encourage your friends to post.  Who couldn't use a few new poems in their treasury or new songs in their hearts?

===============================================================

So the librarian in me goes straight to a book. I have read many books in my life time and there are only two that have gotten to the top of my list and are fighting for first place. The first is The Princessa by Harriet Rubin and Book by Whoopi Goldberg. So rather than choose, I will give a hit from both.

The Princessa by Harriet Rubin

"The strategy at the heart of the princessa's art is not a menu of alternatives. There is only one strategy, of proven success by all princessas: a combination of love and war. These are not opposites for the princessa. They are the corresponding halves of her single strategy.

    To combine love and war requires understanding love in a new light. Love has always been linked to war, but as its antithesis. A solider would fight his heart out, like Odysseus, and then make the long journey back to his beloved Penelope. So, Machiavelli's prince learned that for the sake of power it is better to be feared and respected than loved. Love might compromise his ability to be tough with others. Machiavelli could never imagine that love is the most uncompromising of forces. Love does not need to compromise; to fight from a position of love is the achieve a decisive triumph. The prizes exceed anything the mind expects." Harriet Rubin

Book by Whoopi Goldberg

"So, yeah, I think anything is possible. I know it because I have lived it. I know it because I have seen it. I have witnessed things the ancients would have called miracles, but they are not miracles. They are the products of someone's dream, and they happen as a result of hard work. Or they happen because, you know, shit happens. As human beings, we are capable of creating a paradise, and making each other's lives better by our own hands.  Yes, yes, yes... this is possible." Whoppie Goldberg

until we meet again,

And they said that it could not be done

Yep, that is what they told me. They told me that I could not do it.

Now for me, and anyone who knows me, this was nothing more a gauntlet challenge.

Here it is less than 2 years later and I am doing this. Everyone thought that it was the dumbest thing for me to do.

And when I mean dumb, y'all I mean I had to have a sit down and let them know that it was not a sacrifice but a choice.

I have made some good choices in my life. But the truth is that this was the best choice that I could have ever made.

Not only am I doing what I love, but I am doing it with abandon and on my terms.

I was just thinking about all the things that I thought I had given up in order to be the Mama that my Mom was for me.

I can remember her being at everything that mattered in my life at that time. And if she was not there she made damn sure that whoever was there was screaming, cheering and doing it louder, better and faster than any other parent there.

I sit back now and say WOW!!! How did she do it all? How did she do it and still keep dinner on the table and still let us know that we were the most important things in her life? How did she do it and never let me know how scared and tired she was on any given day?

I had the same front door key, the same address, the same phone number for over 35 years. I actually asked them to move closer to me when I had the boys. Not realizing that they had to close a chapter of their lives and transition into this new geographic place and create new memories.

How could I ever be anything other than grateful for their compliance with my wishes once again???

You know it makes my heart sing to know that at 43, my mother still wants to mother me. She still wants to keep my interests, desires, aspirations, hopes and dreams a priority in her life. My Dad still wants me to make sure that all my I's are dotted and all my T's are crossed.

While I was in NJ these past few days, my parents were at every single book store, grocery store and kiosk buying any and all copies of MEHC. Then I sent them on a mission to find Scrap and Stamp, October because I had a two page spread in there.

My parents find joy in my success no matter where it comes from. I am truly grateful that I have the best gene pool on the planet.

The love they have for me at times is so overwhelming that it makes me want to be a better parent. They have set the bar so high that falling short is always my fear.

Now don't start crying and think that I lived the life of Ozzie and Harriett.

My Mom is crazy and my Dad has driven her there in the HOV lane.

But they are mine and I am forever grateful.

until we meet again,

Don’t be sad that it is over be glad that it happened

As Shannon and I were driving to her work this morning, we were talking about death and dying and regrets and no regrets and all of that stuff that you talk about when someone you love is experiencing the loss of a loved one.

And of course, we decided to remind each other of our wishes… Now remember that this is my blog that you are reading, so make sure that you keep the drinks far away from the keyboard.

Ok, Shannon and I both agree that we want to be cremated. Philosophically, it is because we do not want our families to feel obligate to have to take care of a small piece of grass. Plus if I cannot get anything other than dirt to grow in my house then what makes you think that I am going to be able to do it in death. No matter how much fertilizer you put on that plot, I will still be able to kill it in death. So no guilt for not making grass grow over my plot.

Plus, I want to have my ashes scattered. There are two things that I have always wanted to do.

First, I want to bungee jump off the side of the George Washington Bridge. 9/11 made that impossible. So I figure if they just throw my urn over the edge, I will get my wish. Now if they do not want to deal with the morning commuter traffic, they have a second option.

Second, I want to go over the Falls at Niagara. Now please do not think that I am that crazy to even believe that it is possible to do in life. I have been there and I have to admit that the fools who go over the Falls alive are plain crazy. I am not crazy. So I figure if I want to go over the Falls, I need to do it when I am dead.

So that is me.

Now, my friend Shannon has only one wish. She wants to be spread in the Garden at Disney World. She figures if she has to spend eternity anywhere she wants to spend it at the happiest place on Earth.

Yep, that is about as deep as it got in the car on the way to work this morning.

I think that we all process death differently. I have realized that if I can't do anything else, I want to make sure that I am able to leave just a bit of laughter and a whole lot of love.

So for the record, there will only be 30 minutes of crying at my transition. If you are 5 minutes late then you only get 25 minutes.

After that, you must bring your sense of humor and a list of all the crazy things that I have ever said or done. The first person who makes me sit up in the casket wins!

I am grateful of all of heartfelt lessons of life and death that I have learned in these past few days.

So now to get on with the business of living.

until we meet again,