Well, the Thanksgiving week is upon us, and that means it's time to show my Thanksgiving mantle. I really loved and prefer my crisp white fall mantle, that changed swiftly to the Halloween mantle, and I left a few pieces out for this. Some may wonder why I excessively change my mantle. Well, it's one of the only surfaces in my home that I have that I can put decor on, and so there it is. Plus, I just love to rearrange and be creative, and I bore easily of seeing the same thing up there too many weeks in a row.
Well, my sis and her 4 boys will be joining my hubs, mom, my 2 boys and myself for the weekend, and we are so happy to see them. Isn't that what Thanksgiving is all about?? Taking the time to reflect on what is important and deciding to make a change to enjoy those things a little more.
May your pies be yummy, your bellies be stuffed and your homes filled with warmth, love and laughter. I love love love this short little video of learning to see and appreciate those little things, and live in thanksgiving daily:
Here is a cute little video of random people on the streets of New York City sharing a variety of grateful responses to one simple question: What are you thankful for?
This is the all consuming project I was in the midst of during our move and during the holidays. It was a pain and a joy all at the same time, kind of like giving birth, without the tearing and diapers. Our family has always been a fan of the Snowths and Mahna Mahna trio, so when the opportunity arose to make them, I decided to take it. I've been asked to do it before, but always turned it down, so I wanted to challenge myself this time.
It was one of those things that I miss dearly, but will never do it again unless I got paid millions of dollars to do it. Actually, maybe not, I learned tricks so a second round would go easier, but the execution and planning in the beginning is quite stressful. Though if I ever did attempt these guys again, I would do puppets, not dolls.
My sister came the last night to help me do some machine sewing for the bodies, since sewing machines terrify the crap out of me, and another friend helped me sew up the arms and legs in the beginning, b/c the thought of hand sewing 6 arms and 6 legs gave me an anxiety attack. So thanks for helping me keep my sanity!!
Getting very tired, very very sore, very... covered in fur...
My husband found a sign of life in the small crack of a smile through my hair. He's goofy and sweet.
In any case, I was quite sad to see these dolls go. My husband and I made a quick little video so we could always remember their awesomeness. If only we had more time to play with them before I shipped, but they needed to go asap as they were for a birthday present. I hope you enjoyed my process, the creation of the Jim Henson sensational Muppets inspired Mahna Mahna and his two Snowths!!
*don't let the song get stuck in your head ;)
"Mahna Mahna, Do doo be-do-do, Mahna Mahna, Do do-do do, Mahna Mahna,
Do doo be-do-do be-do-do be-do-do be-do-do-doodle do do do-doo do!"
The video below is Kevin Cosgrove's 911 call for a plea for help. The video is running in real time to his call. I only recently saw this, and had to share. It feels almost a personal duty to share, even though it is a bit late, a type of therapy, a way to work through my sadness to find a sense of peace. I know there are a lot of videos out there from this day. A local documentary was being filmed in the area at the time and got much footage, the sound of bodies pounding on the rooftop as the camera rolled. But I have never seen one from an insider's voice. I listen and wish I could have been the one on the phone with him
Kevin Cosgrove
1-6-1955 - 9-11-2001
For many of us, Sept 11 is a distant memory that brought the nation together for a short time, spawned many terrorism speeches from Bush, then people started forgetting and it is always good to have a reminder... a face, a voice of one who lived it.
I was getting ready for work when it happened. I remember the news and the media wondering how a plane hit the first tower. Was it an accident, did the plane lose control, what happened to the pilot? We were all so terrified, then all of a sudden, I see a second plane. Then we knew it was no accident.
I remember thinking, no screaming inside "NO!" right before I witnessed the second plane hit on live tv. I don't remember if I cried or not from the shock, but I do know I cried later. And now. A friend had an aunt who was a passenger on the plane. She never heard from her again. A roommate's father had an office in the Pentagon that got demolished by the attack. Fortunately for him, that part of the building was under renovation and so he was safe. Many many people were lost that day, many living massively effected by those losses.
I was an assistant manager at a shop in the mall. I could barely make it to work, but life had to continue... though the mall was quite non living that day. No one came in, no one left, we were all glued to the tv screen watching in horror as the events unfolded. No information on the attacks were known then, but I still remember seeing Rudy G. walking through those ashen streets, reassuring the masses. We only watched to see volunteers come together, searching for survivors, falling in cave ins, the 343 firefighters that "answered their last bell"...
I only hope that we never forget this day. This terrible event that unfolded, that took so many innocent lives. Not only those 2,189 innocent people who died from the immediate events, but also the responders who are dying now from the exposure, debris from Ground Zero and inner turmoil from that day. That breeding hate does not make one a hero, nor a god, nor any other sort of power to be respected, not in this country. Not for true Americans and allies. Those families are in my heart and my prayers and I know that God will prosper and lift them up in their tears. I love the video on how one man survived and transformed his life through the love of Christ. My little brother is now serving in the Army, and we pray that he, and others will be kept safe and in peace as well. I can honestly say I have a profound love for these people and treasure their sacrifice immensely.
