Long time, no blog: The Update

So here I am again, blogging for the first time in forever. Art asked the other day if I was ever going to blog again. I said no. I love it, but I just don't make it a priority. I probably never will. Now, if someone could teach me that it can be a habit (and not terribly time consuming - i.e. stop rambling) and still not a priority, then I could probably pull it off. Of course, it felt really good to hear Art say that she checks my blog regularly to see if I've posted. That kind of faith and loyalty really shouldn't be ignored....
So what now? Ah, the usual excuses should work. Here's why I haven't posted since February:
March: mostly devoted to hardcore wedding planning. I say mostly because work got very hectic. I made a crazy quilt for one of our plays, on top of all the other stuff I do at work that keeps me uber-busy. I have pictures somewhere around this desk. I will post if I find them. (yes, I know - you've heard that one before...)
April: I got married. Yes, I am now Mrs. Honey Bunny, except I didn't change my name.
May: My uneventful birthday - hard to top the wedding from a few weeks prior. of course, HB totally spoiled me, and he invited friends out to a luxurious dinner in my honor. But you really can't top the party we threw the month before. And it felt somewhat uneventful again because of lots of work. I even managed to pick up a side job, somewhat on accident.
June: Work finally slows down, so then I pick up yet another side job, more on purpose this time. Here's the thing - these side jobs are short gigs, designing costumes or props for other companies' shows. They're supposed to be simple, but these companies all have way lower budgets than we do (and our budgets are pretty low) so it ends up being harder because you work more to spend less. Odd, I know, but such is my career choice. Also in June I convince HB that he needs to change jobs and we have to buy a house.
July: I finish up the side job and start seriously house-hunting. This is also the month of HB's hometown family reunion and our honeymoon (upon which I should really elaborate at some point - it was beautiful). We put a contract on a house that we backed out of a week later due to poor inspection results. This puts our house-hunt to a new priority because we really need to buy before our lives get crazy again in the fall. Luckily we find a house a couple weeks later and all goes well with the contract, especially the inspection.
August: We close on the house - this is a simple statement, but not a simple task. Many, many steps go into this. On top of all that, I'm trying to pack. Luckily the roommates all moved out while we were on our honeymoon, so I don't have to pack around all their stuff.
September: HB had started back at law school, still hasn't found a new job, but has decided to pick up a part-time second job in the meantime. I wasn't happy about the second job but I knew he had to work it out of his system. I'm still gently pushing for a new day job, but I know it's hard for him because he has to adjust to his new school schedule and additional work schedule. He doesn't really have time to find a new job, but I'm convinced that in a new job he could drop the part-time gig and concentrate more time on school, the new house, and most importantly, ME. I'm not even really pushing - I'm trying to give him his space to work it out on his own, but he knows what I really want. So I guess I'm mentally gently pushing him, which probably isn't getting us anywhere. I can't help but think my opinions though, can I? Oh, and now that summer is over, work is once again kicking my butt. I got a raise, which is cool, but it's because I offered to take on more work. It's work I want to do, but now I'm really overloaded. Oops. Oh, and another side gig fell into my lap. But this one is a big rental account for work, which means money for both me and the theatre, so I couldn't in good conscience turn it down. And I'm almost done with that gig, thank goodness. Oh, and of course, HB and I took Art and buddy to the mountains where we met my sister ERF for Labor Day weekend. That was a much-needed vacation.

So that's what I've been doing instead of blogging. But I do occasionally come across a really cool event or charity that I want to share on my blog, or I often think how nice it would be to post a pic of my knitting - not that I've ever posted my knitting.....

So maybe, someday, somewhere, I'll learn the habit of blogging and once again join the virtual ranks of Farm Wife and Art and Zann and all those other lovelies. Ahhh..........

Wheelchairs for everyone!

I wrote a lovely blog the other day. When I tried to publish it, the whole thing froze. This has happened to me once before - I saved it as a draft and decided to come back to it. When I came back, my blog was already posted. Well, this time, of course I lost it before I could save the draft, and of course it didn't post. I hate having to repeat myself, even if no one heard/saw it the first time. But I was talking about a really cool thing, so I'm going to repeat a little. Here's the short version:

I heard once about a guy who invented a cheap wheelchair using everyday materials, in order to make them universally affordable. I heard this once in passing, so I wrote it off as a sort of Activists' Urban Legend. Well, I was wrong. I recently heard an interview on the radio with this inventor/engineer. He did indeed invent a wheelchair using mountain bike tires and a resin outdoor chair as the main body parts. He purposely did not patent it because he wants folks to copy it - make it available for everyone. He has a non-profit organization called the Free Wheelchair Mission. Their goal is to provide 20 million free wheelchairs to those who need them by 2010. They're well on their way, with over 183,000 having been distributed already. And how much does this wheelchair actually cost, one may ask? $44.40, including shipping and assembly. Pretty awesome, huh?

There's lots more to learn about this - check out the whole shebang at http://www.freewheelchairmission.org

Oop, I did it Again

How is it that I just can't seem to make a habit of blogging regularly? Perhaps it's wedding planning. Mainly, though, I think it's that I have too many other goals when I sit down to the computer. Bless Farmie and Zann, my two faithful blog-checkers. You make me feel the desire to blog on.

Here's my newest Cool Thing. It has strings attached, of course.....Just a few days ago, I discovered www.goodsearch.com. It's a search engine powered by Yahoo, but for every search you do, you can help a charity of your choice. I found out about it because my work is now on the list of charities - that's the string. I'm asking everyone who reads this to use Goodsearch as your main search engine, and to please designate Tennessee Repertory Theatre as one of your charities. We get a penny for every time you conduct a search, which can really add up. If you want to take it a step further, you could tell all your friends and family about it too. It's an easy thing to do. I know there's probably plenty of charities you would like to benefit, but please remember how important the arts are - in fact, non-profit arts organizations are among the hardest to raise money for. So this simple task could make a big difference for my company, and indirectly, the well-being of my job. Thanks!

Another cool thing I just read about - www.peacefleece.com - really beautiful hand-dyed yarns, hand-made needles, classic patterns, and spinning supplies. The company actually works to create peaceful international relationships through commerce (which, sadly, holds a lot of weight in the world). They even donate the profits from some of their products to peace-striving communities. And, the icing on the cake, their yarns are beautiful and reasonably priced. Definitely a must-see for yarn-enthusiasts, and quite possibly a site that could turn the average looker-on into a yarn-enthusiast.

I come across positive things I want to blog about far more often than I actually blog. This makes me feel good about the state of the world. When everything in the news seems so desperate, I see people reacting to the desparation - trying to turn things around. Hopefully I'll get around to posting more wonderful things more often. It brightens my day to share a little Goodness, even if it is only with two people...

Ten Thousand Knit Wits

Here's the final update on the high school kids, and then I'm dropping it. I just read an email from the yarn store that promotes them exhaustively, announcing that the kids raised almost $3,000 dollars on that hectic night - in less than three hours. Well, three hours of the sale and countless hours of knitting. Good for them! I know most of that money was from parents buying overpriced scarves that their teens made, not money from outsiders like me. But I'm glad they're willing to do it. These parents, who probably give money to church and a select charity or two, would have never thought to support this Saigon education inititive if their kids hadn't opened their eyes to it. There's something very sobering about that. I hope we as a society never lose sight of how much our children contribute. I hope I don't lose sight of that when I have my own kids.
Anyway, while I couldn't afford to purchase any of the merchandise, I did take two huge bags of yarn down to the yarn store, where they are collecting yarn for the teens' cause. One bag was from my dear friend who just moved to NYC and needed to clear our her stash, and one bag was a result of my overdue stash clearing. Now I can fit all my yarn in the assigned tubs again, with a little bit of room left over. I'm going to have to make another stash afghan soon. I should post a pic of the one I made a few years ago. I'll do that as soon as I figure out my new memory card on my camera.


I just thought of another positive plug: Ten Thousand Villages. http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/

I wish I had thought to mention this store before Christmas - it's a perfect shopping spot. My family spent every summer in the mountains when I was growing up. There was a store we went to there called International Market (we found it because it was in the same building as the ice cream shop) that always had great baskets and pottery and small handmade instruments. At some point I learned that the store was a part of the Self-Help Crafts organization, which was established (I think by Mennenites, but don't quote me on that) to teach people in poor cultures a trade - or how to put a trade they already had to good use - that they could market for livible wages. Then the organization goes a step further by buying these products at fair prices and selling it in these store fronts. The mark-up is minimal, only covering the costs of shipping the products and running the stores. The majority of workers in the stores are volunteers, so costs are very low.
Several years ago, International Market became Ten Thousand Villages. The organization had grown, and I assume they wanted to become a little more uniform and therefore more recognizable. They started offerring a wider variety and higher quality product, but still operating on the same principles. Shortly after I moved to Nashville, I was ecstatic to discover a Ten Thousand Villages open just a few miles from my apartment. Now, any time I need gift ideas, I go there. They also carry fair trade coffee and chocolate, and the brands they carry happen to be my favorites. So I often stop in just to pick up some coffee (and browse the new wares). I picked up a Christmas gift for my mother there, and I couldn't stop eyeballing all the beautiful earrings and purses and everything. So when HB asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I named a couple things, then I added "walk into Ten Thousand Villages, and if it's in there, I'll like it." Well, HB listens well. I got a ton of chocolate, two pairs or earrings, a necklace, an embroidered silk scarf, an evening bag, and an embroidered coin purse all from there. HB's mother and sister raked it in as well. Even though I feel guilty that he went overboard on my gifts, I'm not as guilty because he bought it all fair trade and supported my favorite store.
I posted the link above that goes to their website - check it out. I'll wager that Ten Thousand Villages is one of the oldest (if not THE oldest) fair trade companies in the nation. It's a very worthy company - one I highly recommend supporting. Or, if you don't have one in your town and don't care to shop online, spread the word about it to friends!

Socially responsible blogging....sort of

Further into my studies of trying to blog about something meaningful...I haven't had much inspiration lately, so I'm recycling.
I got an email from the yarn store announcing that the high school kids were having a big sale of all the stuff they've made to raise money to build the school in Saigon. So, totally excited about this, I sent an email out to my crafty night buddies scheduling a special shopping night. (Sidebar - my crafty night is struggling. There's more than 40 people on the email list, several of whom respond when I ask what night is the best to meet, and then only a couple show up. Actually, it's down to me and one other gal, since 3 regulars moved away, one got serious with her boyfriend, one is busy with school, and one had a second baby. All the others talk a good game via email, but never show up. It's rather disheartening.) So anyway, me and the one other crafty-nighter met at the sale, knowing that the knit goods would probably be out of our price range, but wanting to show support and shop anyway. We were sorely disappointed. I expect some beginner projects, but not ALL beginner projects, which were priced exorbitantly. I still went to the table to shop for that one item I could justify buying for a good cause, when a teen informed me that I wasn't allowed to shop at the table - I had to view everything on the "models." Looking around, I realized that all the kids wearing knit hats (that were baby size) and scarves, who were just standing around gabbing with each other and blocking the walkway were supposed to be models selling their wares. All notions of monetary support flew out the window at that moment. You want me to work hard to spend too much money on something I don't want? That's not the way to build a school in Saigon. Yes, this high school is in an upper-middle class neighborhood, and yes, the fundraiser was clearly geared towards parents, but don't piss off the outside community who wants to help! My loyal fellow crafty-nighter and I walked out and down the street to a Japanese restaurant, where we were much happier spending our money for no cause other than filling our bellies.
Yesterday I did, however, clean out my yarn stash very liberally to fill a large bag with (fun!)yarn that I will still donate to those kids. They are, after all, working together for a good cause, even if I don't agree with their public relations policies.

On a brighter topic, the book I have been praising hasn't let me down yet. I'm on the third chapter, and I'm totally excited about it. I have a new respect for the skin I'm in, as well as several recipes for masks, moisturizers, and several other pampering products that promote a healthy glow. It is so well-researched and so positive and just so cool! I highly recommend it. That's Beauty by Nature, by Brigitte Mars - here's a link: http://www.healthy-eating.com/catalog/books.pdf

There's a book I'm totally excited about. It's sad, really, because I've had it for about 2 weeks and I've barely started it. Between all the reading and time spent in front of a computer for work and the sparse free time, I don't get to read much. But when I do get it, I try to really relish it with this book. It's called Beauty by Nature. I came across a copy almost by accident and picked it up to look through as a possible point of interest for my sister (Seester). She loves making her own beauty products and learning new ways to care for her body naturally. She has several books on making everything from soap to lotions to shampoos to make up - just ask Art or Farmie - they've enjoyed some of Seester's goodies, and I LOVE them. Therefore, any time I see a book on the subject I think "potential gift." I picked this book up, and it was a gift for me. It goes so much deeper than I ever expected. It's not just about the best essential oils to add to soap. It talks about how important it is to take care of yourself inside and out. How simple things like good health make a huge difference in outwards appearance. Okay, I knew all that already, but this book points things out that I never paid enough attention to before. Example: breathing. Paying more attention to your breathing, the most basic thing we do for survival, can improve so much - be aware of your breathing patterns; take a few deep breaths and exhalations - just using strong breaths of air can improve circulation, clear the lungs, cleanse your body of toxins and stress. All that leads to a healthier, more beautiful you. Simple, right? But we never think about it, do we? This book is chock-full of simple things like that, as well as more in-depth studies. And it has fun soap recipes too. At least I think it does. I haven't quite gotten that far, but I'll keep you posted. You should check it out.

Long Time.........

I know that every time I post, I say that I'll get better about it. Don't believe me. But, if I were to post more often (say, more than once a month), I might start righting about different things. I'm not blogging much because it's starting to sound as whiny as my middle school diary entries. It feels good to vent, but I'd rather leave an overall positive outlook. I have one friend who's much better than me at recording her crafty projects - so she mostly posts progress pictures and discusses how the projects are going. I really like that, and I should be doing that because I have actually sold a few things in the past, so I should be keeping a portfolio. But, alas, I suck. If I can get that going I will.

One thing I'd like to improve upon, which I could utilize this space for, is spreading the word about positive things going on in the world - things that brighten my day. I avoid the news because it depresses me and makes me feel helpless, but sometimes I come across people working towards a better world to live in. And of course, they're all doing it grassroots style, once step at a time.

For example, I recently learned something cool from a knitting e-newsletter a local yarn store publishes. They've made a connection with a high school here in Nashville that boasts the largest high school knitting club in the nation. Big whoop, right? Well it is, once you find out that the club's main goal is to knit projects, sell them, and donate the proceeds to a charity they choose each year. Last year, these teen knitters sent over $5,000 to Katrina victims, thanks to their dedication and dexterity. I find that very impressive, especially since the school is one I associate with spoiled kids. While I know there's gifted students there, I expect all the good ones to be on Math Team or something, not knitting for a cause. I'm glad these kids have reminded me not to make generalizations about a neighborhood or school or age group. I'm also excited to hear about teenagers working to make a difference. It's very hopeful. This year, the knitting group discovered a charity in Saigon that works to educate the children there. The high school group got attached to one village that had no school, and already raised the $800 needed to buy them a brick-making machine. The teen knitters decided not to stop there: they're pushing to raise $6,000 dollars this year to send to Saigon - enough to finish the school for this village. Now how about that? Pretty cool, I think.

My small contribution to all this? The yarn store that alerted me to these amazing kids is taking yarn donations for their projects. I've asked all my folks from my crafty night to clean out their stashes and give them to me so I can in turn donate all the yarn to the cause. A couple folks have come through big time. So maybe that will help.