February 5
What happens when an evangelical Baptist minister takes his family to the Belgian Congo in the late 1950’s? In The Poisonwood Bible, you’ll hear the story from his wife and four daughters. From their perspectives, you’ll learn how tragedy marks a family and how Africa marks each of them.
February 4
Miss Brodie is a teacher at a School for Girls in 1930’s Scotland. She is an unorthodox teacher who devotes much of her time and energy to her four special girls (the Brodie set). In this movie, Miss Brodie rises to her apex and then falls. It is a wonderful movie about the bond between teacher and student, the politics of education, adoration and betrayal.
February 3
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Inspiration:
Design*Sponge – DIY Project: Kate’s Recycled Cakestands
Supplies:
Plate
Candleholder or vase (look for one that has a wider base)
Glue that will bond glass/ceramic
1. Clean the plate and candleholder thoroughly. Let dry. Apply glue. Follow the glue’s directions for use and bond the base to the plate. The glue I chose recommended that you apply glue to both pieces, let cure for 2 to 10 minutes, then bond both pieces together.
2. Allow to dry. I placed a few books on top of the base to press it down.
3. Although my glue states that it’s “waterproof,” I recommend gentle handwashing. You now have a one-of-a-kind dessert stand.
February 2
Most of us have a sense of where we stand in a family or social situation. Sometimes those perceptions aren’t accurate and sometimes things happen and you get a big “confirmation” stamp on those feelings. What follows is an incident that left me pretty clear about how I rate.
Shortly after we got the houndies, I was loading dishes in the dishwasher. Freedom doesn’t like to come in the kitchen, but when I’m in there she likes to peek around the corner so she can keep an eye on what I’m doing…because you never know when I might get the urge to grab a snack for her. When I’m standing at the sink, my dishwasher is behind me I’ve done this simple act of loading the dishwasher for years with no problem, but on this particular night I stepped back just a fraction of an inch too much and caught my leg on the open dishwasher door. Before I knew what had happened, I fell backward on the dishwasher door (yes, I broke it) and onto the floor (ceramic tile). Me, going from standing to flat on my back (with a dishwasher door in between) makes a pretty impressive noise, so Freedom was startled and jumped back. Immediately, I heard my husband’s concerned voice calling from the Family Room, “Freedom! It’s all right!” All I can say is, it’s good to know how you rate.
February 1
Scoop-able Cat Litter
I LOVE scoop-able litter. Without it…then again, let’s not remember what it used to be like.
If anything can make maintaining a litter box fun, it’s this. See that cute little heart on top of the back? It’s a scooper…always at hand! I use this with the fitted liners.
S.O.S Clean ‘n Toss
Nothing works like steel wool when you need it. These are small pads, great for those little jobs.
Lock & Lock
Airtight with easy to seal lids. Plus, they come in lots of colors and every size imaginable.
January 31
This week deals with recovering a sense of identity. At 49, I have a strong sense of my identity. I know who I am, but is that who I want to be? Is who I am now, what I truly am or where I’ve settled? Those were the questions in my mind this week.
The readings present “dangers” to discovering who you are, both outer (poisonous playmates and crazymakers) and inner (skepticism). You have to be aware of these because they don’t want you to change; they like you just the way you are. My favorite portion of the readings was about paying attention. This is a practice and an “art” that I want to cultivate more of in my life.
The exercises that I found most helpful to my creative recovery were to examine where my time goes along with people who are supportive or not supportive of those tasks, and a “Life Pie” exercise that pointed out areas in my life that were getting or not getting attention. Both had me draw out these ideas in a pie chart. I found this helpful because the adage “A picture is worth a thousand words” is true. New work and new dreams mean adjustments.
January 30
Greyhounds aren’t the only 4-legged members of our household; but I don’t think I can refer to Twinkie as one of the “kids.” She’s more of our “grande dame.”
In 1995, during my daughter’s preschool Christmas program, Santa made an appearance. He presented all the precious children with little bells and told them, “If you make a wish and ring the bell, Santa will make your wish come true.” There was an audible gasp from all the parents and grandparents in the audience. Guess what my daughter wished for? And that’s how Twinkie came to live with us.
When Twinkie was little, she was feisty. My daughter and her had a love/hate relationship. You couldn’t get one over on Twinkie, because Twinkie had a memory, and Twinkie was patient. If you stepped out of line, Twinkie would deal with you, now or later. I used to get annoyed because she would always get in front of me and STOP. I decided that I would teach her a lesson and just walk into her. Well, I did, and she bit me. She didn’t say it, but the message was clear, “Hey genius, I’m standing here!” I didn’t do that again. Guess Twinkie didn’t get “schooled” that day.
Now, Twinkie mostly sleeps with occasional breaks to eat, visit the litter box and discipline the houndies. We live with a kinder, gentler Twinkie…or at least an older, sleepier Twinkie. I still give her, her space.
January 29
Frigid January is the perfect time to read this book that tells the story of the 1913 Canadian Arctic Expedition. An epic tale of exploration, adventure, endurance and for some, survival, it’s a tale of folly, pettiness, heroics and humanity. This is nonfiction that reads like fiction. Jennifer Niven makes the characters and their individual personalities and conflicts come to life. Do you have a favorite nonfiction book that reads like fiction?
January 28
While traveling through Alabama, two New York boys are accused of murder. One of the boys has a cousin, Vinny, who is a new lawyer. Vinny, accompanied by his fiance, comes down to defend them. This is a lighthearted comedy that brings a couple of brash Italian Americans into the Deep South and the contrasting characters and cultures are fertile ground for comedy. It’s also a tale of the underdog coming out on top. What’s your favorite comedy?
January 27
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Inspiration:
I once saw a decorative pillow made from a button down shirt.
Supplies:
Girl’s Top
Scissors (I used a rotary cutter and board)
Thread
Pins
Sewing Machine
Pillow Form (not shown in picture below)
Note:Â This top will make a 12″ x 12″ pillow.
1. Cut the sleeves off the top and separate the front from the back.
2. Cut the front piece 1″ larger than your pillow form. I used a 12″ x 12″ pillow form, so I cut my piece 13″ x 13″.
3. Cut 2 pieces 13″ x 8″ (remember, these are proportioned for a 12″ x 12″ pillow form). I used the sleeves. These two pieces will form the envelope back of the pillow. With each piece, fold one of the 13″ sides under 1/4″, then turn under 1/4″ again for a neat hem. Neatly top stitch hem into place.
4. Pin pieces, right sides together. Stitch around the pillow cover using a 1/2″ seam allowance. Trim the seam allowance to 1/4″.
5. Turn right side out and insert your pillow form. You now have a great new accent pillow.
