The Road Diverged

The Fire and the Flame

2010-05-20T20:11:00.000-07:00

Tonight my heart kindles and flames with a hope I have not felt for a long time. I am also overwhelmed with feelings of panic and terror.

We have decided to send AJ to pre-school. This may not seem like a big deal, right? The thing is, we are going against the establishment, bulking the man, and sending him to a Montessori based learning program specializing in Early Intervention for special needs children. It sounds so good when I put it that way but it is not where the government established credentials have been pushing us to send him.

Let me back up. We have been trying (read: fighting) with the government program in California that handles services for special needs children called the Regional Center (RC). Federal Law mandates that children 1-3 years should be given the services needed, free of charge, to help them overcome their disabilities. However, these programs are run and structured by the individual state as they see fit. For those who don't know, California is in a horrendous financial crisis right now and has been for a little while. So, services are very, very hard to get because the need is so great and the money is so short. The RC that allocates the money for these services bases itself on the credence that they are the last resort when the Money for services is being paid out. Therefore, the counselor we are working with who is supposed to be putting us through the system is inclined to push us towards a program called LEAP which is paid for in conjunction with the school district. So of course they want us to go there, that way they are spending less out of their budget.

Don't get me wrong, we gave the LEAP program a chance. We visited the classroom, met the teacher and even saw some of the children coming to school. We were specifically asked not to bring AJ when we visited. Many, many things about this program just felt off, somehow wrong for us and the way we want AJ to grow and learn. It is a very regimented system, requiring all the children to learn the principles and routines assigned to all of them. They are trained in a "Pavlov Dog" response system where they are asked to do a task and then they get a treat when they do it right. It works, of course, because everyone wants a treat for doing something right. It does not seem to teach these kids to work within real world circumstances. The major things that really turned us off were :
1) Of all of the children who arrived while we were there, only one was actually happy to be there, the rest of the children clung to their parents as if they were drowning. The were not new to the classroom, as could be the explanation for the uncertainty of being left.
2) I asked if they used sign language within the classroom as a communication alternative since most of these children don't speak much. The teacher, a Speach Pathologist, said they did not use sign because "Sign goes away and not everyone understands it anyway." Hmmm . . . I object to this because, for now, that is the only way that AJ communicates with us.

This new school, called Newport Montessori at Phases, is a completely different approach, atmosphere, and overall feeling of right. We were welcome to tour the facility, twice, with AJ both times. AJ loved it. He did not even venture beyond the first room the first visit, he was so enchanted with the toys and the teacher within. The Early Intervention Teacher was there as well as the Montessori Certified Teacher for both tours, answering our endless questions.

As most of you know, we are "out of the box" thinkers when it comes to bringing our child back from the darkness. We are treating the whole child in order to help him the best way we can. Special diets and supplements have helped AJ develop so much. We know this because we have been fighting for services since January and still have none beyond the speech therapy we are paying for privately. The teachers at Phases knew about every supplement we have tried and the diets we are using. They were not shocked nor did they try to warn us away from our approach.

So we are doing this. We will be sending AJ to Phases starting next Tuesday. Four days a week for 3 hours each day. I am so excited about this decision. I hope that AJ will improve even more as he integrates into this program. I am terrified as well. It has always been him and I. We hang together, we spend every day together. I am now going to drop him off and trust someone else with his care, to know when he is sad, scared, or overstimulated. This will be hard for me even though we think this is the best idea. We are also going to be paying for this on our own unless we can convince the RC to fund for this program instead of LEAP. That is a huge financial burden we will be taking on as we get ready to welcome a new member to our family next month.

Keep your fingers crossed and pray for us all.

Potty Training, the ER, and my wallet

2010-05-04T11:41:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, we decided yesterday was going to be the "big day" to begin potty training for AJ. Well, let me tell you, yesterday was rough! 14 count them, 14 accidents yesterday and 4 loads of wash. Whew! We made it through but by the end of day Andrew and I decided that we would put him in Pull-ups to sleep. Even though we had gone cold turkey all day, I was exhausted by the end of the day and Andrew's back (which has been acting up lately) was really hurting him. So, Pull-ups for the night.
BEST decision we made! You see, at 1:00am Andrew woke up in so much pain that we debated calling an ambulance. We hemmed, hawed, and generally stalled until 4:00am when I made the decision. We were going to the ER! I called my guardian angels (Sam and Holly you know who you are) and Holly was there in 20min. I must give props for the 20 min since she was dressed and ready to go to work and arrived at our door in 20min! AJ slept blissfully through all of this and we left him in Holly's expert care.
I made the decision on the drive to the ER that potty training gets shelved for now and we would try again later. I got home around 6:15 this morning to relieve Holly so she could go to work. Little boy was awake and his Pull-up was full. So I got him dressed and we then got the call that Andrew was being discharged after being pumped full of drugs. I packed us up into the car (AJ in a diaper)and we went to pick up Andrew.
Upon arriving we discover that Andrew is not leaving and can't stand up so we will be staying a little while. Little boy started getting fussy, whiney, etc. My smart, smart boy (she says with complete bias) was completely dry! He got on board and was wondering why we were not. In a public restroom, outside his safety zone, my great little boy went potty 3 times!
OH! And to the @#@#%%#$% person who stole my wallet while I was getting pain meds for my husband, you will get yours! Karma comes around.
On one of my darkest days, my son continues to be a shining light.
Wish me a better day tomorrow!

RANT . . .

2010-04-09T13:03:00.000-07:00

Please allow me to rant for a minute . . .

As anyone knows, when dealing with the government, there are many hoops you have to jump through in order to get what you need or want. This is strongly brought home to me today but allow me to give you a little background first.

Since AJ was 18 months old, we have known there was some sort of problem although now we know it as Autism, then we knew there was a speech delay. So the battery of tests and assessments began.

18 months- Speech Evaluation through Kaiser Health Insurance (we were told to bring him back at 2 years even though he already showed major delays because "By then he will be so much further")
2 years- Speech Evaluation through Kaiser Health Insurance (Still showed significant delays. No follow up)
2 years- Finally evaluated at Regional Center (Government fielding house for all disabilities) with an Occupational Therapist and Intake Case Manager (Showed all markers for needed immediate therapy including speech and behavior)
2 years 1 month- Evaluation with Psychologist to determine if he was autistic (determination was yes)
2 years 1 month- Evaluation with Special Needs Pediatrician at Kaiser Health Insurance to determine that he needed services, that he was autistic and then to get denial for those services
2 years 2 months- Evaluation at a play class by the Psychologist to further determine that he is autistic.

2 years 2 months- finally assigned a permanent case manager who signed him up for the waiting list for a pre-school program that is full integration of speech, behavior, and occupational therapies 5 days a week each morning.

The school mentioned above sounded like a perfect solution. AJ really needs a lot of attention and focused therapy, a lot more than I can give him with my knowledge base. Of course there are more hoops to jump through in order to get into this program. One being a 3-part, 3 week, mandatory class that the parent(s) have to take before any therapies can begin. This class was never mentioned by our first case manager which put us even further behind.

So, I am now signed up for the class and have been to one session already. I tried to contact my case manager in order to be sure things were moving along with the other hoops that needed jumping so that we would be all set when I was done with these classes. She is on medical leave until mid-may!!!! So again, we hit stagnant!

I have since contacted her manager. Another hoop we need to jump through for the class is to have an in-home evaluation done by yet another company because the 5 evaluations listed above are not enough. Oh yeah, and the person who does the evaluations for that company in this capacity is now on vacation until April 16th!!!

Further into the conversation with our new supervisor/ case manager (now our third one) she starts looking at the waiting list for this pre-school program to see if we get all our ducks in a row as I have listed above when we might get in. AUGUST! We can't get in until August!! I am so angry, so very, VERY angry! Meanwhile we are shelling out of pocket for private speech therapy because my son needs something, something to help him. Because every day that he hits himself, cries because he can't communicate, he breaks my heart in two.

I just want to hit something! My poor little guy does not understand why I am stomping around the house and slamming doors and being not so happy with him when he does the smallest thing wrong. Pray for me. Give me the strength and power to see this through. Because he is worth it, even if others don't care.
Dorothy

A bit more information . . .

2010-03-03T14:20:00.000-08:00

Dear faithful readers,
After last night's post I am sure you understand why I have not been writing these last few months. We are fighting the good fight to treat AJ and bring him back but more on that later. I wanted to back track and fill you in from the beginning.

In October, my mother-in-law (bless her) gave us 2 books called "Special Diets for Special Kids Volumes 1 & 2". She said the diets she had read about might help with AJ's speech problems and to give them a look. I shrugged, stowed them on a shelf and forgot about them.

A couple of weeks later, I was on a play-date at a friend's house. She has a little girl who is 3.5 months younger than AJ. She has always been a super advanced child, walked early, talked early, and is just an overall amazing kid. She sat on the couch reading a book full of animal pictures with another Mommy friend of ours. As this mommy asked the girl to point at a particular animal (zebra for example) the little girl did so with such precision and accuracy I felt jealous. My son has never done that, even with me who he seems to "hear" the most.

This got me thinking. That night I pulled the first book down and began to read. The beginning of this book starts with the author's own story of trying to help her son who was diagnosed with autism. I began to cry as I read this little boy's story. I was reading bullet points of AJ's life!! This scared and terrified me. This is when the awareness and the first trickles of real fear began to take hold. My husband was sitting beside me and we went through the information together. We agreed to try the diet as a start and see what happens. That was November 11, 2009.

So much has changed since that night. I will fill you in as I get time and hopefully this will help me get a clearer picture of it all.

Thanks for reading,
Dorothy

What can I do?

2010-03-02T23:14:00.000-08:00

What do you do when you are told your child has a disease? A disease that has no cure? That it is something that you can't fix. When more and more each day you see the glaring "different" that your child is from all the others. Sure they all talked at different speeds, they walked at different ages, but now, they even fight over the same toy.

My son does not.

Does not talk.

Does not fight over the toy because someone else has it. He does not even seem to know that the other child is there, so fixated on the object that he can't see past it. What can I do? He does not sleep, at least with any regularity.
Will he ever see me and say"Mama!" with joy instead of "mamamama" with no recognition? I don't know.
Most days I do OK with that dreaded word . . . AUTISM, but tonight? Tonight I cry for what was, the potential of that little boy I gave birth to, who we may never find again. I want my baby back! Help me find the strength to fight.
I love you my son,
Mama

The Ache

2009-12-11T14:34:00.000-08:00

My husband travels a lot for work. I do mean a lot! Days like these, when the baby is sick and so am I, I miss him with and ache that sometimes threatens to overwhelm me. I strive to do what I can to take care of both of my children, the 2 year old and the one growing inside me. We are having a mellow day full of movies and naps. And we pray every night for his safe return home. Unlike most people, my Sunday can not get here soon enough.
I miss you dear,
D.

Busy, busy!

2009-09-21T19:23:00.000-07:00

Dearest Loyal Readers,
I momentarily fell off the radar but I am back now. Pictures below of what I have been working on. Halloween is almost here already (at least in proportion to the work I need to get done).

So, you have seen this little guy before (notice that AJ is still little in this photo). I have had several requests to make another elephant for this year so I now have one in stock but used the pictures from last year.

This beauty is also a remake of last year. AJ actually wore this as his Halloween costumes last year. I loved it so much that I made one for my Etsy store for this year. The fabric is slightly different than the original. I made AJ's personal one out of scraps that were being thrown away from the LA Opera's Rosenkavalier. Not likely to find that fabric again so now this one is made from corduroy that I found in downtown LA.

I am now working on two chipmunk costumes that someone on Etsy has commissioned me to build! I am really excited about these. The Mommy wants "Chip and Dale" from Disney. They are going to be in fur. I am trying to be excited about that part but well, yuck. It just sheds so much.

Other projects are also in the works which I will tell you about soon!
Dorothy

The Woman Inside

2009-08-15T21:40:00.000-07:00

A dress is just a dress until the woman is inside. On this day the woman, the bride, glowed with the inner power that only a girl in love can have. Here she is, all dressed up with beautiful flowers that I must say show off the dress in the perfect way.

It blew in the wind off the water in the loveliest way, just as she had planned.

My son was very good all weekend and even seemed to have some fun.

My cutie!
Whew! The dress is done and she was so happy and looked stunning. No time to relax, Halloween is on its way!
Dorothy

The Library was a Bust!

2009-07-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

So, in an effort to keep my very active and curious child entertained, I have been taking him out into the world each morning before nap to do creative and fun things just for him.

Today we attempted the library. We went to the Cerritos Public Library. For those of you who live around these parts and have not been, it is a must see and is air conditioned so a great getaway during this ridiculous heat.

The children's section alone is worth a visit to this place. There is a double sided, two story aquarium when you walk in the front door of the library. The back side makes up one wall of the children's section. They also have a creative design integration that includes a dock and lighthouse as well as what seems to be a full size tree growing out of the floor. There are all sorts of cubbies and comfy chairs of kid size to curl up in and enjoy that great book you just pulled off the shelf. I thought it was high time I introduced my son to my secret joy/ obsession with libraries.

It seems he is still too young to appreciate this unique setting as anything more than another place to climb on. I picked him up off of the cushions he was climbing upon and tantrum ensued! Oh well, we will try again when he is a little older.

It was not a complete loss however. AJ did get involved with one of the books I picked for him when I set him up in a cubby to read. This lasted for about 8 minutes but I did manage to get a picture!

Outside we did a little better, mostly because he did not have to be quiet. There is a marvelous fountain outside with sculptures mixed in. AJ enjoyed walking around and around the fountain on the ledge while holding my hand.

There are also fish in the fountain which were fun to look at. He did try to climb in at one point.

The fountain from the other side:

There is also a great big tree beside the fountain that seems to have been there forever.

New adventures coming soon!
D.

Homesick

2009-07-19T23:05:00.001-07:00

Tonight is one of those nights that I really miss home. Most of the time I call LA, and more specifically Long Beach, my home. But nights like tonight, when I have been greatly put upon to be nice in the face of ignorance and discord and well just people, I miss home.

Virginia where I grew up has a different set of people, a different mindset, and a different temperament. "Courtesy!" I say, courtesy at all times, to oneself, ones neighbors, even to complete strangers. When someone new moves in, pie is baked and brought, with words of welcome and offers of help for anything that might need help.

Everyone waves where I am from. In the car, in the store, on the street, people wave as a courtesy. A "Hello, a pleasure to see you, because I do see you. I see a person worth acknowledging, even if I don't know you."

Neighbors, in particular, are never rude. If a party is planned and noise will be heard, all are invited and notified with plenty of time.

There is also space where I am from. Space for children to play, to be loud, to run free. No confinements like fences or the street to hem them in. Of course there are streets and fences but, the fences in particular, are for decoration not deterrents. Sadly, here we need more deterrents.

Perhaps, not growing up in a place where space must always be shared as well as air and noise, I am not used to it, therefore not as tolerant, but is it too much to ask for a little peace? I miss the peace. I used to think that I hated where I was from because everyone knew everyone and frankly my mother could keep track of me way too easily. Now I miss it. Even with the busybodies who want to know everything, you can still go home and find peace, looking out over the cove with no one for company but those you choose and the water birds of course.
D.

She likes it!!!

2009-07-19T16:49:00.000-07:00

This is my bride seeing her dress for the first time. She really likes it and so do I after some alterations.

PLEASE NOTE: For my more discerning readers, the following photos are pre-alterations and the first time she put the dress on.

You can see that there are two different fabrics as the band right now. We ended up picking the first one since it is darker and pops out more. I will say that I am using every trick in my playbook to get this dress right. I am installing an inside band to fasten before the dress is closed to hold the weight of the fabric on the skirt and train. The whole dress was being pulled downward and too much stress was being placed on the halter so it was creating all sorts of strange wrinkles. I have worked out those kinks but now I have a lot of alterations to complete, a zipper to put in and seam finishing to do. That does not include the hem which I will have to mark when we get to her neck of the woods before the wedding. Thank goodness we can drive since I will be taking two sewing machines with me to finish the hem.

The next pictures will be of the finished garment on the big day. I have some work to do on this so I had better get to it!

Dorothy

Whew! She is cut!

2009-07-13T21:52:00.000-07:00

So, after 6 hours of cutting over 2 days, I now have 23 pieces of a fabric jigsaw puzzle to put together. 3 fabrics and yards later, my hand is sore and I curse the day I ever said "Chiffon will be fine to use." This poor girl will be wearing approximately 24 yards of fabric on her little body. My goodness this is becoming a big deal.

Oh yeah, did I mention she will be here on Friday for a fitting? CRAP!

Since everyone wants progress photos I have included a few, including the wonderful impromptu table my hubby made me to cut all this yardage and big 'ol pattern pieces on. (Please note my hubby was very amused at the paper I used to draft these pattern pieces and felt the need to preserve them for posterity.)

4 x 8 Sheet of 3/4" plywood on our kitchen table. The table was groaning and we had about 6" around it to get past it. Someday I dream of a studio that this table would fit in and have room to move around it. Perhaps even adjustable height . . . *sigh*

Here is the beautiful fabric we found for this dress. They are lined up in order that they will be built into the dress. White chiffon on top, blue embroidered chiffon under the white, and the blue silk as a slip layer.

There she hangs, all 23 pieces, waiting for me to make magic and create a gown.

To be continued . . .
Dorothy

Gorgeous!

2009-07-12T23:23:00.001-07:00

Well, we found IT! The perfect fabric for the wedding dress.

Belle and her mom came to LA and we went shopping. We meet in downtown in the fabric district. We started out at Micheal Levine's Fabrics which is a store that has a little of everything. Don't get me wrong, this store is HUGE, but even a big store can only have so much selection. We arrived in the store and she seemed pretty game. The store can be completely overwhelming so we started on one side and went walking. Right away Belle surprised me with what she was thinking of on fabrics. I was expecting a print with maybe some floral even leaning towards a Hawaiian print of the lighter shades. I had asked before what her favorite color was however "black" was not really a color I thought would be the best choice for a her wedding dress, but really it was up to her. Once we began walking she volunteered that she was leaning towards the ivory or white tones! She went completely bridal on me! Not in a scary "Bridezilla" kind of way but such a girl and her Mom was along for the ride.

She found at Micheal Levine's, a blue lining fabric in the "perfect" blue and an eyelet to go over it. I did have to explain however that I could not make her a wedding dress out of lining fabric so we would need to find a proper substitute fabric in the blue. We did not find it at Michael Levine's so we ventured forth into the Los Angeles Fabric District. Again, very overwhelming. We went through several stores, still not finding the steel blue of the lining fabric. One store with a very helpful staff did have something close but a little dark. We got a swatch and moved on to a few more. One store we stumbled across that was very large compared to most of the stores in the Fabric District had a beautiful embroidered blue polyester chiffon in the perfect shade of blue. Belle thought it was too much until the suggestion was made to put white chiffon over it to soften the look.

Beauty was born! She was in love and I am now in for, count them, three layers of fabric to make one, mind you gorgeous, wedding gown. Yes, it is a gown now, not just a measly dress. So we have, from the top, white chiffon, blue embroidered chiffon, and a bottom layer so there is no see through at the wrong moment, of the perfect shade of gray/ blue silk charmeuse. She got all of these fabrics for a steal with the irony being that the most expensive will be the one not seen. However, that silk will hang so well and feel so soft against her skin on the big day.

We now have the fabric and we solidified the design. Simple, simple is the key. New drawing is below. I don't have pictures of the fabric yet but I am cutting and constructing this week so check back for more fun in the coming days. Now just keep your fingers crossed I don't screw it up.

Dorothy

Too Cute

2009-06-17T12:22:00.000-07:00

So these are the cutest things I have made lately. I can not take the credit for the idea but owe that to the artists on Etsy. In particular I have been checking out Bug Bites Play Food at http://www.bugbitesplayfood.etsy.com. Her items are so fun and decently priced, I suggest you check them out for yourself.

I made a ham sandwich and some ravioli for my niece for her birthday. Since it was a gift I felt it was Ok to copy some of Bug Bites ideas. I would not put these in my shop and call them my own but in this case I think "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery".

Ham Sandwich with cheese, lettuce, tomatoe, and ham on 2 slices of bread. I did sew my bread by hand I now understand why most people do it by machine. The bread took me forever to make after the "fillings" were so quick on the machine.

Felt ravioli with marinara sauce! These little gems were super fun and quick. I did decide to scallop the edges for a more "pasta" feel. Below is a better picture of just the pasta.

I had a great time making these and did so in about 3 hours start to finish including making a pattern for the sandwich peices. Just a little side trip from my major work. Wedding dress news coming soon!
Dorothy

Garden Grows

2009-06-12T19:24:00.000-07:00

The garden is doing so well! I have included a few pictures below. As you can see below the garden is really filling up our small plot but at least we know I made the best use of our space.

Below is a picture of the different types of peppers I planted. This came in a six pack with none of the individuals labeled so half the fun is discovering what we have as the peppers are getting big.

Below is a picture of our first "Purple Beauty". I am so excited to harvest this and all the other exotics to see if they taste different than a normal pepper. I will keep you posted. We are about to have LOTS of peppers so now I need to gather good recipes besides roasting on the grill. Any suggestions?

The broccoli is looking great, this plant seeming to be the first we will harvest. YUM!

So that is all on the garden front for now. I will post about the wedding dress tomorrow!
Dorothy

Mary, Mary, How does your garden grow?

2009-05-21T18:40:00.000-07:00

Quite well in fact! I have included pictures of how my garden is doing lately. Can't wait for the first real harvest besides the herbs. The bougainvillea is also blooming, close up at left.

My very first tomato. It is supposed to be on the cherry tomato bush but it is huge! I am wondering if they are just going to get bigger and be more like regular tomatoes before they turn red. I will keep you posted.

This is the cherry tomato plant. It certainly has gotten big!

I am not sure you can see it but right in the center of this plant is the first pepper just starting to grow. Lots of blooms on the other plants (below) but this is the first one to yield anything besides blossoms.

Do you like our super sophisticated watering system?

The broccoli is doing very well now that I have been able to get the little green worms to leave it alone. The lettuce has not fared as well. Oh well, at least I know the lettuce is tasty!

There is one set of lettuce that may still be saved. You can also see how well the cilantro and parsley are doing in this picture.

That is all I have to report on the garden. How is everyone else doing with theirs? Let me know what is growing best for you.
D.

Around the yard with the kid

2009-05-20T14:41:00.000-07:00

For all of you (hello Mom and Dad) who want more of my cute kid, I have included a few pictures. He really enjoys being outside so we try to take a few hours a day to "garden". Most of his help usually entails throwing dirt in my direction or picking up random sticks, leaves, or any other item that seems interesting.

Rocks are a tasty find!

I am not doing anything wrong, I swear!

I'm helping!

HI! HI! HI!

And lastly a day at the pool while we were in Las Vegas a few months back.
Enjoy! D.

Helping Design a Wedding Dress

2009-05-14T14:41:00.000-07:00

I am helping design a wedding dress for a dear friend. I say helping design because my definition of my own design is I draw it, make it, and you wear it, no questions asked. This time the bride and I are working together. I have come up with some jumping off points (sketches below) and we are then collaborating to make the perfect dress for her.

I want to start this by saying the bride wishes to remain anonymous. You see, nobody knows she is getting married to the great guy she is marrying. So, we shall call her Belle and him Prince from now on. Don't worry, her family knows (and the groom knows), just not everyone else.

I also want to say that I swore never to make a wedding dress. It is such an important thing in a girl's life, even though the guys usually say "What's the big deal? It's just a dress." Come on girls, you know. This one is supposed to be different. She just wants something to wear on the beach while she and Prince get hitched. No pressure right? But Belle is more of a girl then she would like you to beleive. I think this is becoming more important to her by the day. Time will tell as to how important. I will keep you posted.

So, for the girl who does not even currently own a dress (yeah, tell me about it) I need to design something comfy but feminine that will work for a beach wedding but also, to quote the bride "tug on [Prince's] heartstrings". Hmmm . . .

Belle picked the two sketches below as the ones she liked out of the choices I sent. Please forgive the not so great artistic skill, I really need to start sketching more to get back into practice. Let me know what you think.

Belle and her mom will be traveling to LA to go fabric shopping for the dress next month. Oh no, we don't live in the same city, that would be too easy! Once we pick the fabric I think the design will fall more solidly into place. Oh, did I mention that the wedding is in August? Yes, this year, 2009 August. I really have a tight schedule to keep in order to make this dress in time. The big thing is that we will only be doing one fitting, the final one, about 4 days before the wedding! Yikes! I am taking my machine with me "on location" to finish it up. So, while they are here fabric shopping I am also doing extensive measures and a muslin of her body as a reference for this. I hope it works!

Although it may sound like I am panicked about this, I also SUPER excited about it. I have not had this much fun with clothes and fabric in a long time! Yipee!

Dorothy

Reaping the benefits of our labor

2009-05-06T21:31:00.000-07:00

Reaping the benefits of our labor is so fulfilling. I got to use the first thing out of our garden today. I made pizza sauce tonight (recipe below) and I used fresh parsley in the sauce. I also picked the first leaf off of my lettuce plants. I guess the lettuce must be tasty because I have little green worms having a great time eating up my plants. I am going to do some research on an organic way to rid my plants of these visitors.

Pizza Sauce
1 can tomato sauce (hoping to make some of my own soon)
3 medium size cloves of garlic
quarter cup chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons oregano (dried, soon to be growing fresh)
1 teaspoon basil (dried, soon to be growing fresh of this as well)

Simmer on low for half hour, super yum as pizza sauce or a quick pasta sauce.
Dorothy

Watering the Baby . . . and the Flowers

2009-04-20T17:18:00.001-07:00

For those of you who don't know, it has been very hot in Southern California. So, while I was out watering the veggies, with AJ's help, we had some fun!

This was very spur of the moment so we just went with it, no bathing suit required!

You can even see how well the lettuce is doing beside him!

Saggy wet butt!

Droplets all over his face!

My Kid and the Lord of the Rings

2009-04-16T18:27:00.000-07:00

I want to premise this with the fact that I adore my son and this is just a blog and reflection of some of The Ring traits but of course not all since my son is one of the best things that ever happened to me which can not be said of Frodo's relationship with The Ring.

Sometimes I feel that my relationship to my son is like Frodo's relationship with The Ring in Lord of the Rings trilogy. He is "precious" to me. The most precious thing in my world. My husband is the love of my life but he can sort of take care of himself. My daily care of my son, being a stay at home mom, makes him more precious to me each day.

Every day I fight the urge to do what he wants to do versus what is good for the whole, including nap time and things he really should not play with. We are currently struggling with a proper sleep pattern for AJ. He has been waking in the middle of the night and crying. Not because anything is wrong, after diaper check and all that, he just wants our company instead of sleep. It is very hard for me to sit there and let him cry. I was reading a book recently that worded it this way, "If my son is crying when I am holding him I believe, as his mom, that I can somehow make it better. If someone else is holding him or if he is left alone to cry it feels as though I see a child drowning in the middle of a lake with no help in site and no way to get to the child." I know a healthy sleep pattern will be better on the whole but, gosh this hard!

I would also do anything to keep him safe, just like all the bearers of The Ring would do for it. AJ has recently figured out how to climb on the soft by himself. He is so proud of himself! Daily he takes years off his life as he climbs around on it and sometimes comes so close to falling my heart actually stops. I am now having to constantly ask him to sit down so that he can learn to be safe on the couch.

Wish me luck!
Dorothy

Sprouts!!

2009-03-24T18:25:00.000-07:00

I am so excited! The lettuce has sprouted! I have included a pic above which I hope you can see the tiny green shoots just pushing through the earth! I am so tickled by such a tiny thing, I can't even tell you!
The peppers are growing nicely . . .

Sorry for the terrible picture, but am working with the web cam currently until the camera comes home with the hubby.
Cherry tomato in the ground is cute . . .

Although the one in the pot is doing better and growing faster. Hmmmmm . . . .

And in Goes . . .

2009-03-18T16:21:00.000-07:00

The other cherry tomato, the parsley, and some lettuce seeds. These three have gone into container pots since my current usable garden space is limited by several factors. The broccoli will still have to wait as I am still trying to de-forest (re: weeds as tall as my chest) and then make the soil set up for veggies including tilling with a shovel and then fertilizer. I am having to work around the renovation plans for the house based on what will be worked on next versus when the veggies will be done harvest wise and therefore not in danger of being trampled. This cuts out most of the back planting beds since the next on the list is the porch re-do and then the divider fence.

If you are wondering why I am planting what I am, I asked myself what was best. I always spend money on salad makings since we eat a lot of salad around here, hence the lettuce and tomatoes. I also love peppers in salad and most stir frys and fajitas that I make. I don't have the space for cucumbers or green beans which are Aj's favorite veggie. I went with broccoli because that is Aj's (and the grown up's too) other favorite veggie and it does not need that much room. And of course parsley just adds yummy flavor to everything.

Pictures to follow soon, after the camera comes back from Philly with Andrew.

Dorothy

Depression Era Mentality

2009-03-17T22:10:00.000-07:00

Not in a bad way! The Industrial Revolution brought about the availability to the mass consumer many things that were formally a luxury or a homemade product. During the Great Depression and the World War following it, Americans and I am sure most people throughout the world found themselves coming home and centering inward to make it through the unemployment, the fear, and the Depression. As part of this, people started to come back to the Handmade Life.

The Depression brought about a return to homemade skills. Growing your own veggies instead of buying them, making your own clothes, etc. became a gathering in which the families were built around. I am trying to trim our budget any way we can these days, because, well, things are tight.

Today I have successfully gotten planted 10 bell pepper plants and a cherry tomato plant. Tomorrow I have plans for a second cherry tomato, 6 broccoli plants, and a parsley plant. I am trying to get my green thumb back so that I can bring in veggies as opposed to buying them. The peppers are the thing I am most excited about since I planted some crazy varieties included the Ivory.

I am also making my son (who is a weed not a kid) his next size in clothes. I have a couple of shirts and some shorts cut out so far. Now I just have to get them put together. You may ask where the fabric came from. In the true art of Conservative spending, it is fabric I already have which is not saying much. I have A LOT of fabric.

I will keep you posted as I progress on this journey of conservation which will certainly help in the pocketbook and perhaps environmentally as well.

Dorothy

Those 25 random things

2009-01-30T21:40:00.000-08:00

For anyone who is on Facebook (or as I like to call it Crackbook) you have probably been tagged to read the 25 random things about another person. I must admit that I had a hard time finding 25 things that only had to do with me. My husband and my son are such a a part of the fabric of my life these days that I really had to think deep. I have pasted below the list I originally wrote but, of course, I thought of some other things after I published my list. So . . . You get to hear more about me.

The biggest thing I thought of was my time as the Treasurer and then the President of the Longwood Players. I went to college at Longwood College in Farmville, VA. It is now Longwood University and has grown a lot since I was there.

When I was in the theatre program at Longwood, the main stage shows were run and produced entirely by the students in the theatre program through the Longwood Players organization. This is a completely unheard of way of operating for a teaching facility but it worked here. The biggest risk involved was the student body was also in charge of the money that was used to produce these shows. As treasurer I had to submit PO's for each expenditure for the productions, and any receipts turned in, to the school's accounting department for payment to the companies that gave us a line of credit. I balanced the budget and made sure the productions stayed within budget on a weekly basis. I also, with help from the faculty for cost references, wrote the budget for the next season. We also had a petty cash system for the 3:00am trips to Wal-mart. I was a Sophomore in college at the time! This could easily have gone to the wrong way but the system was entrusted to miraculously responsible group of students who passed down their dedication and strong work ethic to the classes below them.

As President of the Longwood Players I was responsible for raising the money that funded the 6 main stage productions we produced each year. This was a budget of around 50 to 60 thousand dollars a school year. Most of our funding came from the Student Government Association (SGA) which was allotted its money from the college for student projects. The SGA was a hard sell every year because they argued (rightfully so) that the money they were allotting to our productions was educational in nature and should come out of the department budget, not out of the SGA budget which was for student extra-curricular activities outside academic auspices. We, as an organization also helped pick the productions that were produced each year. This was the major aspect that the faculty had a heavy hand in because they were the ones who brought in the guest teachers and helped mesh in a well rounded and educational season. I worked very hard for this organization and enjoyed most of it. I was a leader and still find myself taking charge in most situations. Some people call me bossy. I consider myself capable and those who truly know me, know I mean no harm.

As a final note, my junior year of college a new man became the Director of the Theatre Department. He and I went head to head again and again because he walked into the situation that seemed so at odds with what he was familiar with in other academic atmospheres. By the time I graduated from college, the Longwood Players was being stripped of it's power and all responsibilities mentioned above being turned over to the faculty. Knowing what I now know about running a professional company I agree with this move. It was hard to swallow at the time. Everything I knew about costuming when I graduated from college, I mean literally everything, I learned from other students. I did not even know how to sew when I went to college. By the time I left, I could reasonably draft a pattern on my own. I would not trade my experience for any other and the skills I learned as well as the drive and passion I was given are irreplaceable.

My original list:
1. My husband and I have been together for almost a decade!

2. When we were children, my parents used to take us to an apple farm to pick baskets of apples then we made our own applesauce.

3. I am named after both of my grandmothers. Dorothy is my Mom's mom and Esther is my Dad's mom.

4. I helped build a Lego tower while working at the Santa Fe Opera. It was almost 5 feet tall and 4 feet across when we were done.

5. I have my Grandmother's sewing machine. A Kenmore just like my mom's. They bought them together.

6. I have a degree in Drama Therapy as well as Technical Theatre.

7. Pasta with red sauce is my comfort food.

8. I had my own canoe as a kid. It had holes in it I sealed with duct tape.

9. New Zealand is by far the best foreign country I have ever visited.

10. All the dogs I have ever had have always been German Shepards.

11. For a long time, I never wanted children.

12. When I was little I wanted 8 children. Yikes!

13. I went to 3 proms my junior year of high school.

14. I had (and still kind of have) a huge crush on Christian Slater as a teenager.

15. I want to be the main character in "The Art of Mending" book. She makes her living sewing one of a kind quilts on request.

16. I did the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in 2006. I walked 39 miles in 2 days.

17. There were only 26 people in my graduating class in high school.

18. We had to wear white dresses to graduation instead of a cap and gown. I did not get a cap and gown until college.

19. I went on a vacation with my family when I was little to Maine in the summer. The cabin we stayed in was so remote we only had a generator. It was only on for half the day.

20. I really hope to have a lucrative online business some day. Not just a hobby.

21. My current favorite pastime is watching my son discover the world.

22. Both of my female cousins on my mom's side put themselves through college being the Guess Jeans Girls. SOOO jealous!

23. I have seen the Great Wall of China. It was the most amazing thing, words do fail you.

24. I love to sew. I know most of you know that already.

25. I know the password to The Safehouse.

Change the Law: Trouble for the Handmade Life

2009-01-28T16:48:00.000-08:00

As parents and concerned citizens I’m sure most of us at one time or another have been confronted with the question of lead poisoning. But have you asked yourself what your government is doing to protect your children from lead contained in toys? The answer? They're banning toys, taking books from schools and libraries, hurting low income families, killing entrepreneurial spirit and risking putting the economy in an even greater depression than we've seen in decades. I'd like to introduce you to their solution: the CPSIA.

Do you know about the CPSIA? No? Then I ask you to take a few minutes to find out about it.

The CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on 10 February, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way. Make no mistake, this is very real. View it for yourself. If Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying attention, perhaps you should too.

How will these new laws affect you? Well, here are a few examples:

To the Parents of Young Students:
Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. While those paper clips weren't originally intended for your student to use, they will need to be tested now that your 11-year-old needs them for his school project. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being used by children under 12.

To the Avid Reader:
Due to the new law, all children's books will be pulled from library and school shelves, as there is no exemption for them. That’s okay though, there's always television. Our children don’t need to learn the love of reading after all.
Article from the American Library Association http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322

To the Lover of All Things Handmade:
Due to the new law, you will now be given a cotton ball and an instruction manual so you can make it yourself since that blanket you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it's passed testing. It won't even be the one-of-a-kind blanket you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So that gorgeous hand-knit hat you bought your child this past winter won’t be available next winter.

To the Environmentalist:
Due to the new law, all items in non-compliance will now be dumped into our already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the Big Box Stores as well. You can't sell it so you must toss it. Or be potentially sued for selling it. You can't even give them away. If you are caught, it is still a violation.

To the Second-Hand Shopper:
Due to the new law, you will now need to spend $20 for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second hand. Many resale shops are eliminating children's items all together to avoid future lawsuits.

To the Entrepreneur:
Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue to make and/or sell them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. Due to the current economic state, you'll have to hope for the best when it comes to finding a new job in Corporate America.

To the Antique Toy Collector:
Due to the new law, you'd better start buying now because it's all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. “Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren't certified as safe.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189645948879745.html

To the American Economy:
Already struggling under an economy that hasn’t been this weak in decades, the American economy will be hit harder with the inevitable loss of jobs and revenues from suppliers, small businesses and consumers. The required testing is far too costly and restrictive for small businesses or individuals to undertake.

To the Worldwide Economy:
Due to this new law, many foreign manufacturers have already pulled out of the US market. You can imagine the impact of this on their businesses.

If you think this is exaggerating, here is a recent article from Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html

And for those of you prepared to be stupefied and boggled, The New Law
http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html

Did you know? If this upsets or alarms you, please react.

Those people!

2008-12-20T16:09:00.000-08:00

Do you know anyone in your life who everyone wants to be with? Not because they are rich or famous or especially pretty but because they are comfortable. Comfortable inside their own skin, and happy to be wherever they are. They find joy in what they have not what they covet. They are love. Of course I ask this with my own set of people in mind. My husband has some relatives, we will just call then Larry and Jill, who are what I have described above. They say nothing bad against anyone (except perhaps when discussing politics) but do this with a genuine meaning for the good of all. All while having a great sense of humor and make those around them feel special and listened to. This is a great skill indeed. They also love each other very much. If I was able to see this or if you set any credit by these things, their personal auras would be warm and comfortable, encompassing all that they come in contact with.

Pictures in my head

2008-11-10T23:49:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while, out of nowhere, an image from my past will jump into my head. Tonight, for no particular or explainable reason the one below popped up to say hello.

After my son's second night of life in the outside world, I got a phone call from my mother. She was "manning the post" at our house waiting to see if there was anything we needed after having our night together with AJ. We already had a list of things that we thought might be useful after the hardest night of our life with our son to date. She walked in about an hour later, beaming from ear to ear with a basket. The basket sticks in my head the most. This seems to represent my mother to me so much because what she does best is take care, of people, of needs, of everything. The basket had our requested items in it but was also filled with careful items that only my mother (and perhaps all mothers out there who have been there a time or two) would think to bring but were very welcome. Such things as food for my husband who, unlike me, was not getting a tray delivered each meal. She also brought the small sweet potato muffins she had baked earlier in the week since I had said they sounded good. Over this entire goldmine of useful and precious items she had placed a dish towel and tucked it in so that the overall effect was homey and attractive. That's my girl, practical but always with a hint of beauty behind each act. Thanks Mom for that day, that image and all the other special things that have gone un-thanked but not unappreciated.

Back in the Saddle

2008-11-05T16:22:00.000-08:00

Well it has been far too long since I have blogged so I will spend some time catching everyone up. We (the family of Mom, Dad, and baby) spent nine days in New York City for Andrew's work. He was working at the Javitz Center for the Photo Plus Show. For those of you not familiar, it is the consumer showcase for all the geeks and cool cats who are really into photography. AJ and I went with him and it was a very interesting experience. Having a baby in New York definately presented some challenges but we did also have some great times.

When we are in New York, we generally enjoy the extensive food selections that are available. Our first night we ended up just around the corner from our hotel at the Irish Pub. For those of you that know us, this is not unusual at all. What was strange is that it was about 10:00pm in New York by the time we were finishing up dinner and we got many looks from the other customers for having a baby in a bar so late. FYI, we kept AJ on west coast time for the entire trip which worked out great for us and him with dinners after Andrew got off work.

But, back to the Irish Pub . . . they make a killer Shepard's Pie and I had a great Grilled Shrimp Cesar Salad. Our friend Rick joined us that night as well. All in all very nice for the first night in but did notably not have a high chair for AJ.

More tomorrow!

Come and . . . gone

2008-10-14T11:49:00.000-07:00

I am so excited about the Elephant Costume that I made for my web site. AJ was a doll and modeled it for me and we took some very good photos. As soon as I posted it to my web site things started happening. I got over 400 hits to that item in 2 days and I was added by the Etsy.com administration to their Halloween gift buying guide. All of this was very good for my ego (which as an artist needs stroking every once in a while). Then at the beginning of the third day it SOLD! Super quick, just like that! Someone was willing to pay a large amount of money (yes, yes, I know it is reasonable for the time I put into it) to buy this item. It turns out to be a gift to an nephew from his Auntie "A" and Uncle Dan. Finster, wherever you are, I really hope you like it and have fun dressed up on Halloween!

Midnight and Me

2008-10-02T18:03:00.000-07:00

So . . . midnight and I have been spending lots of time together lately but with great results. I have been getting a lot done with my business and still having the time to spend with AJ during the day. The first major project I completed was a set of lab coats I have been making for about 2 years. Yikes! I began them back before AJ came along for my husband's uncle, a dentist. He brought me a lab coat that he really liked and had bought long ago but was unable to replace. I took this old one apart for the pattern and then time got away from me. Flash forward 2 years, AJ has been born and I am finally working on my business again. I had the fabric and finally, finally built 2 lab coats for his uncle, one to replace the one I dismantled and a new one. I did add a special touch by embroidering his name across the lapel. I must say that they came out very well. Picture included below (sorry the quality is terrible).

He wrote me the best note in review: "Thank you for the beautiful embroidered clinic coats. They are the highest quality and much better than anything I could have purchased elsewhere. The attention to details and the care in fabricating the coats is very obvious and I am impressed with your skills" - Dr. J.S. Heidbreder, DDS

Sadly, we found out this weekend that Dr. Heidbreder has retired out of necessity because he has sold his practice to focus fully on his recovery and treatment for pancreatic cancer. He is in our thoughts and prayers. Keep fighting!

Fufillment beyond motherhood

2008-09-19T23:09:00.000-07:00

I actually said these terrible words to my husband tonight. Terrible because it makes me sound ungrateful for the gift I have been given, terrible because it seems I need a bit more than my son and family and dishes and diapers can give me.

This all began yesterday . . . we are being interviewed for the HGTV show called "Carter Can" to redo our kitchen on this show. Very exciting stuff even to be considered thanks to Andrew's cousin Kristen. So, in walks ten people, most of whom I did not even catch their names, looking very groomed, assured and overall very Hollywood (except for the head of construction who did not need to look good, and also did not seem to care). These women in particular stand out in my head because some of them were asking me about my sewing. I mentioned my online business, responded to with polite "Oh, how nice". Then I mentioned I once had a career as the Production Coordinator for the Los Angeles Opera Costume Shop. I hit the button with that one. Responses of complete enthusiasm and interest abounded. That is when it started to push a button I did not even know I had.

So, to be interesting and a contributing member of society (not to mention a good candidate for the camera shoot) I needed a career, a job, a life outside of being a mother and a wife because that's not really a job is it? I mean women do it every day, don't they? And have that successful career that makes them meaningful members of the larger society. It seems that we have through women's liberation and the change of public views completely turned the value for women from mothers to career gals. It feels as though there is not much value placed anymore in the raising of the next president or, hopefully, the person who finally brings peace to the world full of strife, for who can know what any of these children can become.

I venture to sound blasphemous by saying that if it is possible (yes, I am so lucky to have a partner who provides me with the space and care to choose) and the want is there by the mother, let her stay home and raise the children. Give these women credit for the JOB they have that is so great a thing, and allow them to feel value as contributing members of society.

I do not say any of these things with the idea to provoke and belittle those women who don't stay home, either because they choose to or they have no choice. I commend them for the ability to do both. I am not sure I could do this and thank my great husband as a good provider and equal partner for not making me have to find out.

With all of that said, I do want to branch out a little into my online business and I find myself setting goals for that pursuit. The only caution I give to those people who do appreciate the role of the mother, remember just because we are the mother of a great person, that is not the whole person. As about our dreams sometime.

Dorothy

My Aching Heart

2008-09-12T23:25:00.000-07:00

My husband was so productive today and just sent out a big chunk of photos to our friends and family of our son from the past several months. It honestly makes my heart hurt that he is growing up so fast. You can see the difference for yourself. 3 weeks old

8 months old

I am so glad I took the time today to sit down and play with him on the carpet. I am so glad I enjoy my time with him so much because I will never get this back I am so grateful to my husband for being a good provider so that I can stay home to raise our son.

I hope you all find something good within your family and remember to appreciate it.
Dorothy

Sewing with my son

2008-09-01T10:46:00.000-07:00

My son has reached the age where he loves to do whatever I am doing and be wherever I am. This poses a problem when I am sewing since there are scissors, pins, and other poking objects involved. I ended up putting him in high chair and bringing that over to the doorway of my studio so I could talk to him while I work. I gave him a scrap piece of the fabric I was working with. It was so fun to watch him . . . First he tasted it, made a face, and tasted it again to be sure it still tasted bad. He then examined ever inch of the scrap, tasting it a few more times along the way. He pulled at all the threads and then waved it around to see if it would make noise like some of his rattles. Then he started the whole process over again. It was amazing to see him find out about just a piece of fabric.

I think tomorrow I will give him a spool of thread and see what happens.

Dorothy

My husband should give lessons . . .

2008-08-27T15:56:00.001-07:00

. . . on being the most awesome, considerate husband on the planet. For my birthday he sent me to a spa. I did not just get a massage and go home, this was an all day wonderful, decadent experience. First, I was there with one of my best friends, Leslie Ann, so it was a girl day on top of it all. We got there and the experience began with lovely robes and great facilities. I was ushered in to have a manicure and then Leslie Ann joined me for a pedicure. Such luxury for me to sit still and have someone pamper me for so long. After that I went off to a "Sea Lavender Massage" that included having my hands, feet, and back wrapped in lavender scented warm towels after each part had been massaged. The lovely massage went on for 80 minutes and I felt so calm and relaxed afterward. I then received a facial that left me glowing and feeling beautiful. I got to use the hot tub and Leslie Ann used the pool and we both took showers under very large showers heads. It was a treat all around including having lunch delivered on the patio between services so we could eat in our robes.

Thank you my perfect husband for treating me to such a day and making me feel so cherished.

Dorothy

Counting the blessings!

2008-08-23T20:49:00.000-07:00

My poor son has his first cold. This is the first sickness we have encountered with our child. For those of you with children, you know how long a night last night was and we look forward to at least a few more before the little tyke is totally better. As I was rocking him to sleep tonight, I looked down at my son who is such a treasure and realized that even though he is sick, we have been extremely lucky. We got to bring him home from the hospital on the same day I was released. I have several friends who can not claim the same. To this day we have not had to take him to the doctor for anything more than a routine check-up or shots. I feel for those parents who can not say the same. I don't know what I would do if I had to leave my child in a children's ward for some terrible disease, I pray each day for those parents to be given strength. So, even though today was a rough day for my son and I, I count all the blessings we have been given, the health we have, and the love that comes from all sides!

Inspiring dedication

2008-08-09T00:07:00.000-07:00

I have just finished watching the opening ceremonies for the Olympic Games in Beijing, China. I am torn as much of the world seems to be by how I should react to these particular games, mostly towards where they are being held. I have been to China, Beijing in particular very recently. The transformation for the Olympic Games had already begun. There were flowers everywhere in the shape of the rings and in Tiena min Square Flowers built into shapes for each sport such as a basketball, a baseball, etc. The thing that struck me then and still strikes me now is that it is a very well held up illusion. We saw such abject poverty next to extreme wealth. We were in a hotel that was across the freeway from the Olympic village as the construction of those buildings was happening. The death toll rose each day as more workers fell off of these building to their death. No one in China will tell you this side of the story or about the guards. There were guards everywhere! I am not sure if they were there to keep the peace or as a show of strength or to keep people in line. I must say I did not want to push the theory in case I had to find out the hard way.

In this same moment, as I think about my experience in Beijing, I also happen to agree with my husband who says that the Olympics are about the dedication and challenge of the athlete not the the political views of the country they represent. You have to be inspired by what these people do to get here. The life they give up to have this moment to prove to the world and to themselves that they are some of the best, ever. I have never given that much dedication or motivation to any job I have ever had. I am in awe of these people and I hope they all accomplish what they dream of over the next 2 weeks even if it has already been accomplished just by getting there in the first place.

Congratulations to all the athletes from around the world that made it to the Olympic Games 2008!

Dorothy

Realizing Our Potential

2008-08-07T22:17:00.000-07:00

Isn't it interesting how differently we all think from each other? The logical way I would accomplish a job is usually something completely different from the way my husband, for example, would accomplish it. The question is really, whose way is best? I don't know if that question can be answered without the circumstances behind the question being given for each situation. Isn't the CEO of a particular company going to be better at managing his or her .com industry than I would be while they would probably not be any good at being the mother to my son but, if I do say so myself, I am a damn good mother to my son. I think, I hope, that every person can find their place in the sun, so to speak, when it comes to being the best. Your bliss may be being the best accountant in the world (which would be my personal version of hell) or you may be the artist who creates sculptures out of drift wood.

I hope to teach my son, and my husband will surely be a big help with this, to find his place, to be the best he can be at whatever he finds to do. My parents were always so good about this. I am the strange black sheep in my family but with none of the bad connotations it has in most families. I am simply . . . different. I am a liberal, theatrical, pro-gay marriage, artist to a family of conservative, Catholic, mechanical engineering, medical people who love me just the same. That is the beauty of my family and I hope to pass that openness, whatever his pursuit, on to my son. I hope that, even if he would approach a job with a different thought process from mine, I will help my son to discover all the potential that he has to give this world something that perhaps will change it forever.

Dorothy

SALE! Whoo Hoo!

2008-08-02T00:03:00.000-07:00

So I got a sale today, a custom request about one of my T-shirts! Yay! A complete stranger, not a friend or relative, is willing to put down hard earned cash for something I created. This has happened before but not enough for me to be any less excited about this! This will be a short blog tonight because I really have to get to bed but I wanted to share.

Dorothy

My other great love

2008-07-31T23:49:00.000-07:00

Besides the most obvious great loves of my life, my husband and my son, there is one other great and sometimes secret love that I have . . . books. I can loose myself in a single book for hours and sometimes days (as the Harry Potter series can attest). These imaginings of other people written into one place that works and I mean really works to bring about another world, another place. I sink in and have trouble finding my way out. I have to be aggressive and self ruling in what and when I allow myself to read. I will accomplish absolutely nothing if caught in the throws of a good book. I of course still take care of my son and feed myself (goodness knows feeding myself has never been a problem) but no cleaning or creating for my business or anything at all gets done during these periods.

Lately I have tried to restrict myself to reading only as I am going to bed. I have slipped up badly though and began a new seris of books this afternoon by Stephanie Meyer called the Twilight Saga. I hope that some of you are already thinking, "Oh yes, the books on vampires." These are nothing like the Vampire Chronicles by Ann Rice (also very good and hours gone on them). The first story called Twilight which I have almost finished (I told you I slipped in my restraint) is about a teenage boy and girl. I have to say she is funny. Her descriptions are mundane and at the same time so accurate without being banal. Comments that the heroine are thinking in her head make me laugh out loud. I am always up for a book that makes my emotions actually stir. The best part is this woman, this writer is a Morman housewife! If you fall into the stereotype she should not even be writing about such things.

I am fascinated by the great novelists of the world. I am also very jealous of great writing. On my list of things to do before I die is write a novel. I really don't think I will ever get there though because I don't seem to have great writing as an art in me. So . . . in the mean time I will enjoy this art in other people.

Check out Stephenie Meyer's web site at www.thetwilightsaga.com

Dorothy

Flocks of Dragonflies

2008-07-30T21:09:00.000-07:00

On several occasions over the past few weeks on my walks with B. and our children we have seen flocks of dragonflies hovering over the bamboo on a certain street or around a particular tree on our normal path. Not to sound cliche, but I have been inspired by nature to create some new works. I am designing some dragonfly embroideries which I want to put onto t-shirts for children and adults. I want to put flocks of dragonflies out into the world because they are beautiful and perfect in the world. They cause no harm, are gorgeous to behold, and do that thing which we humans strive for but will never be able to fully do, fly. I think they are a little more masculine than butterflies and have that streak of determination in their insect shape.

I keep referring to them as a flock because, even after looking it up on Wikipedia, there seems to be no predetermined name for a group of dragonflies (nothing fun like parliament for owls). I also became inspired there because there were so many different pictures of dragonflies from around the world in so many shades and ranges of color, my head is swimming with the possibilities.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Dorothy

The zone

2008-07-29T23:08:00.000-07:00

Alright, I am officially in a funk. I can't seem to get motivated to do anything including dishes or even washing fabric for a project. (Don't get me wrong, I did the dishes because leaving them is gross but, God that was hard!)

I crave the zone. You all know where I am talking about. That place where everything works including your sense of self-motivation. I get things done, things happen, plans fall into place, and the fickle muse is mine for a time. I really, really need to get back to that zone and I can't seem to get up the energy to find it. In the past I have been able to blame this on lack of exercise but since I am walking everyday now, that is not an excuse. And don't be all impressed with the walking thing, the only reason it is happening is it involves other people so I have to put on the good show.

I miss my husband more than anything I think. He travels a lot, and anyone who knows me knows this. I enjoy alone time and usually get lots done while he is away. I am not sure if this time is different because I had him around for a while between trips. I got used to having him around. I really do appreciate the little things he does like washing the baby bottles (which is a 4 times a day job). I guess I got a little spoiled having him here so long and now I have to get back into the "just me" grove.

Tomorrow brings a new day and hopefully finding even a bit of the zone. My son has to get shots in the afternoon (Yuck!) which hopefully won't make him cranky.

To better days . . .
Dorothy

Childlike Wonder

2008-07-28T23:27:00.000-07:00

Peaceful, relaxed, cuddly and cozy warm, but not too warm. The moment at the end of the day when my son is falling asleep in my arms, so comfortable and warm. His tummy is full of milk and he is happy to be still, a rare occurrence these days since he is learning to crawl. I treasure this moment as my favorite part of the day because I know I will not have them much longer. He is only 6 months old right now but I know if I blink too often he will be growing up and too cool for cuddling with Mommy. He makes me want to be a better person every single day. The innocence of a child and what they bring to this world is why I love everything about them and why I chose to create for them. I can sew just about anything but I love to create for the wee ones of the world.

Someone asked me the other day what was the most surprising thing about being a mother. There are the usual responses such as how little sleep I seem to be able to function on. I must say however that my biggest surprise is how much I get a kick out of watching him discover the world around him. Who knew that one's own feet could be such a source of wonderment. I feel the same about the discovery of a fabric. In retail stores the employees are trained to ask, "What are you making?" I never know the answer to this question until I see the fabric. It tells me what it wants to be. That is why I have a serious fabric problem. I will see a fabric, even though I have plenty of perfectly good fabric at home, that I must have because the new fabric tells me what it wants to be. The problem is that I am now trying to catch up with all of the fabrics that want to realize their dream.

Here's to dreaming and discovering.
Dorothy

While the cat's away

2008-07-26T20:39:00.000-07:00

So, my husband left town today for a week long job in Minnesota of all places. I am kind of excited by this. Don't get me wrong, I will miss him very much but this is the perfect opportunity for me to get things done and craft projects made without interruption. Yes, my son will be an interruption but I can handle those. I find that I don't get as much done when my husband is around because I want to spend time with him. So . . this is my chance, no matter how much I miss him, to get organized and get my work moving.

Since we moved I am still in the process of unpacking and that also means my work space. I want to spend the next couple of days getting that ready to go and then work on finishing some projects that I had started before we moved. This will be a short work tonight because I am going to get started. Lots of love to my husband out there and thank you to Bryanna for such lovely comments about me in her blog.

Check her blog out at http://www.thepolkadotparliament.typepad.com/

Dorothy

The planted seed

2008-07-25T22:11:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had an idea get planted in your head and then it just won't let go? I am having that problem right now, the ghost of an idea taking hold in such a way and now won't let go. So here it is . . . I am thinking of teaching sewing classes. Not anything big, just your basic beginning level sewing to people who have no idea what to do if a button falls off a shirt. This came to me because one of my friends said she always sends anything to the dry cleaners if it has a problem including if a button falls off her husband's shirt.

I think I would advertise small time as in listing on Craig's List or something. I would charge per hour for a set number of meetings with a set lesson for each meeting. Again, the basics such as getting to know your machine, sewing a straight line, putting in a zipper, etc. I would also have reading and following a pattern part of the curriculum so that at the end of the class the person would have a finished product. I guess that means that I would have to include shopping for the correct items as a lesson. We would also cover hand sewing and patching of tears. If a person feels or thinks they are not getting of the information well enough in the allotted time frame, we would then discuss extra time and tutoring on an hourly basis for a fee.

As you can tell, this idea has been sloshing around in my head for a few days. I will have to see how comfortable I am with this after a couple more days and see what my husband thinks. He owns his own company and will be good at pointing out the pitfalls of this idea.

The rest of today was pretty crappy except that I did learn that I really don't belong at my old job anymore. I felt like a stranger there which means it really is time to start the next stage.

Dorothy

Mom with a Captial "M"

2008-07-24T23:13:00.000-07:00

I read the above expression in a book once. You know the kind of mom, one who was always there when needed for even those little boys who came over and had moms of their own.

Tonight two of my husband's friends (single mind you) ended up here for dinner. They know, as all our friends do, that our door is always open and food will always be provided. Good conversation usually follows, although sometimes a bit along the nerdy side, light sabers and comicon have come up in conversation many times. I LOVE this. Even when I am in the kitchen doing the dishes and half listening to what they are saying, that feeling of home and well being overtakes me. I am sure lots of this stems from the domestic side that my mother instilled in me as a little girl. She is one of those women who had a snack ready for us when we got home everyday from school. She even was cool in high school during those tough times like graduation night when she took everyones' keys who had come home with me and then handed me a fifth of vodka and said, "have fun, try not to break anything" and walked upstairs.

I want to be the open door for my son and all of his friends. My husband feels the same way; in fact I think he is trying to get me used to it now with his friends and mine. Again, I really don't mind as I mentioned before because it seems to give me this warm glow feeling that is hard to describe. I guess I am a social creature and now that I am a stay at home mom, this gives me an "adult" outlet. However, these friends don't get out of putting money in the cuss jar if they use profanity in front of 0ur son. Most of them view this as good natured fun since we are putting this money in a savings account for my son's college education.

So, where am I going with all this? I don't really have a point except that today was and continues to be a good day. I hope all you readers have the same.

Dorothy

Not motivated

2008-07-23T20:46:00.000-07:00

Tonight I am having a hard time feeling inspired about anything. The baby won't go to sleep like he is supposed to and I have cleaning I should do but really don't want to do. Ever have a blah day? I shouldn't be so un-motivated since I went to downtown LA today and bought some really great fabrics to start a new bucket pallet. Not that I need any more fabric at all! I have so much fun thinking up new ideas when I see a great fabric that I have to have it. I am very afriad I am a bit like my friend who said "I find that I like buying fabric more than I like making anything out of it." I hope not too much like that because I have a crapload of fabric that will never get to become something if I am too much like my friend.

'Til Tomorrow,
Dorothy

Other people's inspiration

2008-07-22T16:40:00.000-07:00

Isn't it funny when you get renewed excitement about your project creations because someone else had an inspiration about their project? My friend, the blogger informant, has a new project that she is working on, intending to make this project be a major representation of her work. She needs my sewing help, which I will gladly give in order for her to make this the picture she sees in her head.

So, that got me thinking. I view the stuff I make as pretty mundane and easy, however I know that to some people, who can't sew or have not a crafty bone in their body, what I do is great. How can I make my projects great, even to me, therefore making a more sustainable business? I will have to ponder getting outside my own box and see where it takes me.

More on me . . .
We are currently living in a house in Long Beach, CA. It is the very first home we have owned so very exciting! However, in order to get into or first home and make the payments we bought a fixer-upper. It has been fun and educational so far. I come into this with a lot of experience from my parents working on the home I grew up in. The old saying does ring true that anything that you think will only take a couple of hours usually takes at least a couple of days.

Sadly some of the work we have done is just uncovering the place. It sat empty for almost 2 years (foreclosure) and the weeds tried to take over. Yesterday I spent the afternoon taking out all but the few stems of a bougainvillea plant in order to give it a better growing pattern. However much I know it will be better for the plant in the long run, it was hard to get rid of all those beautiful blooms as I chopped away.

So, my newest goal in life is to tame the back yard. My goal for my business is to finish that darn baby blanket I have been knitting on for so long.

To all . . . a good day!
Dorothy

The blog begins

2008-07-21T21:26:00.000-07:00

I am very new to this blogger idea. So new in fact that I had to ask a friend what the whole fuss was about. She expounded on the attributes of a blog for your online business (see the pictures on the right), for venting about your life (I love my husband very much), and sharing your creative finds (the flowers in my backyard are in full bloom). So I am here to give it a shot. Please feel free to tell me what you think of my blog, my business, or my life in equal measure since I feel the beginning of a conversation can lead to great debate (or agreement) and perhaps change the world.

A little about me . . .
I was born and raised in rural Virginia in a house that my parents bought before I was born and they still live in now. They re-built this 200 year old colonial from the ground up, redoing each element as if it were precious and new. If that is not art I don't know what is. However were you to ask either of my parents if they were artists they would both immediately say no. My father creates art in wood, rebuilding cabinets, carving penguins (I will get back to that), and bringing the beauty of wood out in living color. My mother is an artist of a different kind, perhaps even from a different era where making a home was expected AND appreciated. She can do mastery with a pan of lasagna and beauty in a vase of flowers.

I am now a Southern California girl living with my husband and the best gift of my life, my son. My life is so much magic right with the love of my life and the beautiful little man we have made together. This certainly inspires me to do good work in my art and in my life. I do count it as a very good day if I get my son fed and happy, get a load of laundry done, and work on a crafty project.

I look towards the simple pleasures and try to find happiness in the little things in life. I will keep you posted on how it goes.

Dorothy