Regrets

Our neighbor across the street, Elizabeth, passed away this week. When, exactly, we aren't sure. She lived alone and didn't have any relatives to speak of and she died sometime between Monday when Mark saw her and yesterday. The paramedics estimated that she had been gone probably since Monday night or Tuesday morning.

Our mailman came over yesterday and asked me if I had seen her because she hadn't been getting her mail or her paper...this is the same mailman that she shared her newspaper with every day for him to read at lunch time...so that set in motion various neighbors trying to figure out if she was in her house...she called me last week to tell me that she wouldn't be able to walk Zoe for a couple of weeks - oh, did I mention that she walked our dog..and our dog before this dog...everyday, just because she loves dogs - because she had a masectomy the week before. When she called, I asked her if she needed anything - if there was any way that we could help her - she, of course, said no and I didn't push myself on her too much...partly because I knew she meant it, partly because I was busy with my own family. I left for Oklahoma and Mark was busy with the kids so that, coupled with the fact that we knew she had had surgery, made us not notice that we hadn't seen her for a few days.

Its sad to me that she died alone in her home from a heart attack, or some results of her surgery and that she laid in her house, unnoticed for probably three days....its sad to me that even though she did this nice, wonderful thing for me by walking my dog - that sometimes I looked at her as an annoyance because she would come to get Zoe at times that weren't completely convenient for me...its sad to me that we lived across the street from her for over 5 years and we had to look at some of her mail in order to find out her last name so we could call the Bishop from her Ward and let him know what had happened...Its sad to me that she requested that she not have any type of service to remember her life - which brings all kinds of implications with it about how she saw herself in this life, etc....

If you met Elizabeth, she might have been a little gruff with you, she wasn't a naturally smiley, friendly person...I think she lived a hard life - she was married to a man who I don't think was very nice to her...But she was a good neighbor and we will miss her...As Lora said today, "I wish Elizabeth didn't have to go and live with God, I think she should come back..."

Update...

So, I'm still going ahead with my "business"...I put it in quotes because I don't think its really a legitimate "business" just because I have an Etsy store (with nothing in it yet) and business cards ordered from Vista Print (that haven't arrived yet)...but since my last post, I have finished two bags and an apron that could be listed in my store, I'm kind of waiting until I have 10 or so items to list AND once I get my business cards I'm going to use them as tags on my items to look more professional....I've also had a few people ask me for special orders so I'm working on getting the fabric for those...its kind of fun.

I leave tomorrow morning for Oklahoma City, my mom is having a little surgery so I'm heading down to keep dad company at the hospital and be there for them. Tomorrow is also my 38th birthday, so as a present to myself, I get to fly to OKC completely alone, with no children...reading a book or magazine or whatever I want....I land in OKC at around 4pm and my parents are actually out of town until about 8pm so I'm going to head off to "Hobby Lobby" my favorite OKC store and meader around...rest at my parents house until I head back to the airport to pick them up....it actually sounds wonderful to me....too bad my mom has to go through her surgery in order for me to get some "alone" time! :) So pray for my mom on Monday but, most of all, pray for Mark and the kids, especially Mark for the 5 days I'm gone...

Have a good weekend everyone...

Willo Creations

Well, I decided on a name for my little "business"...I'm calling it "Willo Creations", which you may notice is a combination of my two kids names. And please don't tell me if you don't like it because I've already created a shop on Etsy using that name...I think its cute, and I guess that's what's important...I haven't listed anything to sell yet because I don't have anything made that is available, even all the fabric I have right now is promised to people already. But, I thought I would list a few pictures of some of my latest creations, all of these are already for others, but anything can be replicated...for a price! HA! Anyway, I'm going to see if I can figure out how to list multiple pictures on here...we'll see how it goes...

Okay, so I accidentally listed one twice, but its really cute and I can't figure out how to delete it without having to do it all over....and my pictures are a little blury so I'll have to work on that...let me know what you think...

Aprons and Bags and Fabric...Oh My!

I kind of went on a fabric "binge" last week...I bought fabric for about 7 aprons and 3 bags or so...then RLG got me some more fabric for a bag...I'm like a kid in a candy store every time I go downstairs and look at it all...so many pretty colors and patterns.

My favorite fabric designer right now is Amy Butler, check her out www.amybutlerdesign.com I love her fabric and patterns so much! It is all so pretty on line, but so much better in person.

I've been looking for some kind of business that I could do for a couple of years, as a stay at home mom. Its hard to find something that pays enough to make it worth spending the time...I knitted baby hats for awhile but never really sold them, I ended up giving them to Lora or other friends. I really enjoy creative things like knitting and sewing, but don't know if I could ever make a business out of it. I saw a woman in Red Robin awhile ago wearing the coolest apron/blanket thing that was covering her up while nursing her baby and I thought "Why didn't I think of that!" And now I see them on e-bay and etsy all the time....

I started making aprons for us to wear at Mosaic and often have customers ask me if I sell them, then for Christmas this year, I made bags for family/friends and they went over pretty well...so, recently, I've had two friends from Lora's school ask me to make items for them...one bag and one apron...so, I think I'm going to try and make a couple of things for profit. Its hard for me because if someone says to me, "How about $20 for a bag?" I always answer, "Great" even though I have about $20 of materials in each one...its hard for me to say what I really think they are worth, thinking that no one will ever pay me that....

I've looked at www.etsy.com a lot and thought about posting some things I've made on there, but it intimidates me...I immediately question whether my stuff is good enough quality to sell on-line...I think I am going to start working on some things in preparation for Fall craft fairs and just go for it....we'll see if I actually do it, or just end up giving everything away...not that I'm that nice, just insecure, I think I need to get over that...

So, anyone have a fun creative name for a sewing, possibly some knitting, business that mainly makes aprons, bags and maybe baby hats? (Maybe I need to narrow my ideas!)

Reason Number 547 why I Love Mosaic....

I'm working this morning at Mosaic and I know I wax on and on poetically about the many reasons why I love it here...and why because I love it so much I spend my Tuesday and Thursday mornings working even though that is literally the only 4.5 hours that I have per week without children....yes, I know I am a saint and I will have many jewels in my crown in heaven...HA!

Anyway, this morning a young mother came in with a baby in a stroller...it took her awhile to decide what she wanted but eventually she made her way up to the counter after everyone else was gone and said to me in a quiet voice..."If I order something today, can I pay for it tomorrow...my checking account is completely empty..." I said "Of course! What would you like?" And she proceeded to order her iced coconut latte and went on into Demitasse to play with her daughter. She looked just like I may have looked walking in with one of my kids, she probably wasn't homeless...but she didn't have any money and it didn't matter...and if she never comes back in and pays us...it doesn't matter....and that is reason #547 why I love Mosaic Coffeehouse....

One Voice....

So, RLG, Hill, Sparky and I worked an event at Mosaic last night. It was really fun and crazy. The coffeehouse was loaded with tons of people, most of them way younger and hipper than me, which isn't difficult. They were there to hear from Trong and Roni from the Tronie foundation which all along with One Voice, www.onevoicetoendslavery.com , are working to end slavery and human trafficing throughout the world.

Trong and Roni are a married couple, she's from India and he is from Vietnam, who were both vicimized as children - she as a child slave and he as a refugee who was escaping being forced into the Viet-cong army. Their stories are incredible - you can read more at www.troniefoundation.org and I highly recommend checking out what they are doing.

I was amazed at the level of trafficing that goes on here in the US. I always think of this problem going on in other countries, but not here. Its incredible too the different ways that people are used - they told a story of a girl from Vietnam who came to America with her aunt - her mother, of course trusted this relative. The girl was forced to work in the family's restaurant here in Washington up to 12 hours per day with no pay and was then locked in her room each night to prevent escape. She was thankfully allowed to go to school and was rescued by a school counselor and was able to leave this life. Another woman was brought here from India, intially forced into prostitution and then used as a drug mule, she was beaten and threatened into submission and witnessed another woman dying after a drug balloon broke after she had ingested it. So sad....I guess too that many men are being used in Eastern Washington as migrant workers - they are brought here from South American countries and then forced to work to pay off their passaged to our country.

The event last night was partially a celebration of the opening of "Nell's House" which is the first house in Western Washington that will be used as a safe house for people coming out of human trafficking. This is sponsored by Homes of Freedom, www.homesoffreedom.org .

All three of these organizations seemed to being doing incredible work and I encourage people to check them out and support them, if possible. I met representatives from each one and they were wonderful, gracious people who are dedicating their lives to ending this horrible tragedy that is happening all over our world and even in our own city! I must admit, when I shook Roni's hand I couldn't help but think "She shook Oprah's hand too!" just kidding...sort of.....I was also struck by the demographics of our crowd, as I mentioned, most were very young and were so interested in what they could do to change this problem. I think so often, the young are looked down upon. But, I really feel like that generation is extremely tuned into social justice and are wanting to DO something to change their world...A very eye-opening and encouraging evening.

Eli Stone...

Mark and I watched a new show last night, after the "Lost" premiere, of course...its called "Eli Stone" and I have to admit, it was pretty interesting. It tells the story of a corporate lawyer who has spent his life defending big corporations taking down the "little guy". He starts hilucinating, first that he hears George Michael's song "Faith" and then he even ends up seeing George Michael both in his living room and at his office...he has a series of other visions which do end up having a medical reason, but also possibly spiritual reasons

Through these experiences, he realizes that he maybe hasn't become the man that he set out to be and that perhaps he needs to make some changes. He starts by representing a woman, who he happens to have a strange connection with, that his firm was previously opposing in court...I really loved the premise and the originality of the situations.

At one point, Eli is talking to his acupuncturist after he gets his medical diagnosis and is discouraged because he felt that maybe his visions had some spiritual significance which was now diminished by the medical explanation he was given. His acupuncturist tells him that most things have both a scientific and a spiritual explanation...but its up to us which explanation we believe. I thought it was a great show and I'm always interested when Hollywood comes out with these types of shows...I wouldn't call it "Christian" per se but the spiritual messages are clear and interesting. (I'm not saying it was clean or appropriate for the whole family, so don't criticize me for recommending it...) I think you can watch full episodes of it on ABC's website if you're interested....