Thank you rattlesnake charmer for introducing me to this gem of a singer. I love his folk heart. How lovely are these words he sings? How wise?
If you have a broken heart or a battered soul
Find something to hold on to or to let go
To help you through the hard nights like a flask filled with hope
Darlin' do not fear what you don't really know
Cause it won't last - your worries will pass
All your troubles they don't stand a chance
And it always hurts the worst when it's the ones we love the most
Darlin' do not fear what you don't really know
I am so glad to be back home and back to the business that I do best- (kiddos and mom hanging out minus stress!) It was a great weekend and it filled me with a spirit of kindness and community again and I met many cool folks and learned a lot! My wood products were the hit and what I will focus on next year. I am beat down tired, but Mondays can often feel like this even when you don't live on the street for three days right? So I am sure Tuesday will be a fresher day. I missed my computer and all the lovely people that live in it...
Monday, June 30, 2008
And sometimes it takes more than a lifetime to know
Sunday, June 29, 2008
According to all sources, the street's the place to go
More from a day of rain and Prideparade and Comfest. I was a bit sad about the storm that messed up my tent and ruined a few things, but after it was all washed away the evening unfolded just perfectly. No one but myself was surly I noticed, so I had to knock it off. There is so much positive energy in this community festival that you simply must assimilate or you might melt into a pool like the wicked witch if you stay sour. I let it go and had an amazing night with friends and family. Joe drank many beers and I have not seen him so relaxed and carefree for a bit. Back to real life tomorrow. xo
Saturday, June 28, 2008
On the side of a hill in the deep forest green
I think there are definitely a breed of folks who are suited to festival living. I was falling right in the middle of the continuum yesterday as I felt old and tired some parts of the day, but would then be energized and refreshed randomly by a lovely person (or funnel cake) a few moments later. I am happy that the response has been positive and folks seem to like our stuff! Yay! I also had the treat of meeting her and her and her and also getting to see her again (God I love her and never get to see her!) It is really cool to meet some local bloggers that I read and I enjoyed putting the face to the blog. They were lovely! Finn and Blaise has a blast with all the people and sights and sounds. They danced all day! (The porta potties were a bit much for Finn though!)
I type quickly this morning as I have to pack a cooler, chug java, pop Tylenol, and motor. I got festival soul to develop.
Friday, June 27, 2008
I Can Go for Miles if You Know What I Mean
Today is the first day of the festival where Little Alouette will have a booth. I am excited and terrified. I hope the energy is wonderful and I hope the folks like our wares. I will pretty much suck at posting until Monday, but after some rest on Monday I will be back with full force! Yahoo!
1. DSC04778, 2. Comfest 07, 3. Comfest says bike, dont drive, 4. Comfest-ers, 5. DSC07143_2, 6. Comfest 2007 Pride Parade
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
This is the dawning of the rest of our lives
One of my girls crushes tagged me to answer some questions about myself. I am doing two of these type tags this week and it is actually quite good timing bc I am swamped with work for the festival that starts in the morning and I am very brain dead and utterly lacking in creative juices. So dear divine Jos, here are the answers:
What did you do 10 years ago?
I was living on the island of Mykonos. Wow. I was rubbing shoulders with the fancy and free and writing self indulgent poetry. I had no idea that I was about to meet my soul mate soon. I was very very free and leading a pretty charmed life. ( still am in a bunch of ways)
Five items on your to-do list:
1. Suck it up and rent our house that is not selling.
2. Join freaking WEIGHT WATCHERS.
3. Finish flooring the upstairs of our home with sambuca bamboo
4. Write my novel like a maniac in August/September
5. Relax a bit more
Snacks I enjoy:
pretzels and goat cheese
ice cream for sure
trail mix ( archer farms/Target)
dill pickles
What would you do if you were a billionaire?
I would find and buy thisI would give so much away
I would start a commune and make everyone live there with me
Places I would live:
Mystic Ct, Church Stretton UK, and Mykonos
Jobs I have had:
You must go here and laugh at my life- I wrote about this last year
I am so slammed right now I will say- Play if you like
kiss kiss
I looked to the children, I drank from the fountain
Won't ya please go check out the new fabulous BLOGNOSH magazine!!!!
It rocks and I am a lucky little girl bc I get to be an education channel editor!
So send me cool education posts from you or around the web!!!!
amytsharp (at) gmail (dot) com
BlogNosh is cool bc it promotes blogs and you can go there and find interesting posts from all over the web in areas that interest you most!
Go check it out now
Yahoo!
We're all looking at a different picture/Thru this new frame of mind
When I met up with the fabulous BOSSY
I also got to meet other cool ladies and one of them is sweet Amy from Pretty Babies and she has tagged me for a meme about 6 random, unspectacular quirks that you possess.
Well, I am pretty quirky all the way round, so this should not be hard.
1. I didn't really watch TV until I was 25 years old and now I am a tivo whore with a sick predilection for reality shows.
2. I don't like to share Milk based products.
3. I can make an entire room full of small children settle and come under my spell. I am like the pied piper. ( But not with my own kids!)
4. I don't mind the sensation of a wedgie.
5. I have irrational fears of tiger and lions.
6. I always kiss the plane right before I board. I try and not let the flight attendants catch me but sometimes they do and they look at me in a weird way.
OK...So here you and you and you and you and you and you are tagged. Tell me yr quirks! xoxoxoxo
Lookie at some more of the lovely little wee chairs for Friday's festival
swooning
need a girl!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
This is no ordinary love
She is by far
my favorite painted lady.
Helga Testorf
The Helga Collection
by Andrew Wyeth
I love her hair- the perfect color of strawberry blond.
I love her deliberate stillness and mystery.
Were they lovers?
Where is the collection now?
I heard it was sold to an American buyer and is poof- gone away from the limelight.
When you are really really wealthy you can probably find things and have things.
I will play the lottery next week and make it a quest for a Helga.
Seriously, if i ever strike it crazy rich that is the first thing I want.
Isn't she lovely?
If I were a chicken I'd lay the most beautiful eggs
Monday, June 23, 2008
Death came and hung her coat
In my novel there is a bit of Virginia Woolf. She is woven in and out a bit and I have been day dreaming about her. I want desperately to visit her estate in Sussex owned by the national trust this year. If we don't sell this other home then Joe will go alone to England this Fall, but if we do mama is so taking a train by herself to Sussex!!!!
I want to walk along the river Ouse and let my mind wander. I want to find that small particle I am still looking for, that thread that catches and straps the book together a bit better. I am searching here in Ohio, but I feel like I could discover more there. I think about TS Eliot and the Bloomsbury group and how I always thought I might have made a good beatnik, but now rather think about how I would have made a good Bloomsgal. I love reading about the English collective of modern thought. I love watching films and documentaries. I like the way they dressed.
I had the pleasure of knowing a woman for a little while in Athens, Ohio who was a Woolf scholar and at that precise moment in my formative brain molding, I did not get it all. I was uncertain why someone would want to dive so deep into Woolf.
I am starting to get it now. My mind grew and unfolded and every time I read Woolf now I see that spark in that scholars eyes-
I feel that spark in my own eye.
It flickers like a beacon to other women artists.
It shines.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
I'll take ya till ya all spun up/pitter, patter doesn't matter what you got
She couldn't just have one party.
She had to have two.
Bless her.
My head has a champagne halo all around it.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Go to him now, he calls you/ you can't refuse
Walking at the farmers market Finn hears him from a block away.
Bob Dylan is here mom!!!!
Of course my camera ran out of juice and I only got a snippet, but I got that first snippet of Finn giving to the arts. Finn has pocket money for the market each week and he normally and wisely buys a sweet treat from the bakery, but today he wanted to give his money to Dylan. (He really thought it was Dylan and no amount of reasoning would fly)
I told him sure. Go for it, it will feel good.
Joe and I used to buy art even when we were poor bc we knew that it would always make us feel rich. I also like to give money to those brave artist who sing out loud for us all. I have tossed coinage all over the world in guitar boxes and I hope that Finn continues to do so. I hope he becomes a missionary of artistic evangelism and I feel so lucky that I was there for that first toss- that moment that welled up in a small boys soul.
Get me delivered to yr email xo
Friday, June 20, 2008
In the washing of the water will you take it all away
I have been embracing my inner ecocheapchic this week. I collected the simple materials and made my own laundry detergent today. I felt like a pathfinder in the previously unexplored area of frugal and eco laundry arts. It was simple really.
Grate a bar of soap...You can use Ivory or Fels Naptha- I used a micro planer tool.
Scour yr local haunts and find washing soda and Borax.
Mix 1 cup Borax, 1 cup washing soda, and grated bar of soap.
Package Pretty and enjoy.
I might add some essential oil next time for scent- but I just washed a load and it smells fine- just clean.
It is cleaning day. Finn washed floors for me. I can see the bottom of my sink again. Things are better. Finn is going to visit the Olentangy Indian Caverns today with his auntie and uncle and me and Blaise are gonna chill. I think it's a John Hughes DVD kinda late afternoon. Happy Weekend. xo
p> Get me delivered to yr email xo
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Don't just stand there/ let's get to it
So instead of paying bills and sorting out my house (the state of Sir Finn's room?!!! ) I decided to play dress up today. I am slightly freaking out that in a month I will go to Blogher and will be surrounded by fabulous and frump free mamas! I used to love fashion and would dress up daily and revel in the threads, but now I mostly look like a train wreck.
I have that little spark inside of me still and I fan the flame every now and again, like this weekend I go for part deux of my big fat Kurdish wedding.
The Ohio wedding party is happening and I will rock it somehow, but for Blogher I have to plan at least five outfits and I might pass out from the stress. I am trying to not spend a lot of money on clothing right now bc it is no secret that I am not at my goal weight. Blah. It just sorta happened, I just sorta did not lose the weight from Blaise and poof all of the sudden it is 16 months later. I sorta suck.
I would love this dress if she made it in my size. Swoon.
So, I will try and pull something together. I did buy a little cheap frock from Target. Yet somehow I do not look as cute as little miss shim and sons in it. Oh well. 
I also found the little gold shift that I bought in LA last year and will sort out the destruction I caused by throwing it in the dryer and rock it perhaps? I found some other things in the deep recesses of my closet and will try. I need advice people. What can I do on a budget to look fabulous? Where can I buy a few things to freshen me up? I think I am due for a bunch of blond in my hair and a brow wax too! Please don't tell me that my bubbly personality and charisma will make me gorgeous. I already know that :)
I need concrete beauty tips and tricks to reverse the damage done in the past year of staying home with my children! :)
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Please tell me your second name/ Please play me your second game
I have very fond memories of me and my kids from school spending most late afternoons during summer school/summer program outside of Sawyer Recreation Center sat round long tables playing Mancala. It was a fierce competition nearly each day and all the Mancala players were highly skilled and highly animated. I battled a particular girl for years(Dynisha if you ever read this you rock)and could never become victorious. :(
Mancala is super fun!
The object is to compete to collect as many marbles as you can before yr opponent clears his side of the game.
Here are the rules!
You can make mancala games with egg cartons or tins, but the way we went was with the earth! Grab a patch of earth, a spoon, and some rocks!(I used some river rocks-but you can use beads or buttons or anything really)
Make two trenches on either side of yr playing rectangle and then dig 12 small holes for the rocks to sit in snugly. Simple as that! Finn loved digging up a bit of the backyard and it has been keeping us entertained all morning.
cheap
simple
learning
fun
When you tire of the game you can simply cover up the holes and throw some grass seed down!
Etymology: Arabic nakala 'to move'
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
All your suits are custom made in London
Eat yr heart out Christian Siriano
Finnian is on yr tail.
Baby is looking very "high sewing" after a round with Finn, felt, and sticky tape.
I love it when he dictates what art we will create for the day- today it was all like
let's turn this dirty naughty baby into baby spiderman super hero!
Get me delivered to yr email xo
Monday, June 16, 2008
And the white knight is talking backwards
Can't you? the Queen said in a pitying tone. Try again: draw a long breath, and shut your eyes. Alice laughed. There's not use trying, she said: one can't believe impossible things. 
Over the weekend we made some lacing cards. Last summer Finn discovered my old set from my childhood and loved them and we thought it would be fun to make some. We used an old storybook and cut out the images and took them to Kinkos to be laminated. We used a hole punch ( A new toy Finn loves) and made holes and then took some string and taped the end up and presto...the kid sat for 25 minutes quietly today! It also peeked his interest in Alice in Wonderland. Hello! We are so reading that this week!
I can't believe that!' said Alice.
When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Youre the one who makes me come running/Youre the sun who makes me shine
A repeat
but worth it
Happy Fathers Day baby
yr the best
Saturday, June 14, 2008
All the things you treasure most/will be the hardest won
Scenes from a morning mama get together...
a simple shower for our friend Kate
who will have a baby girl soon
coffee and bagels and small pink frocks
a clothesline strung with hand me downs
lots of other pregnant bellies round
sweets and smiles and no rush
A good way to start the day
Friday, June 13, 2008
I want to hide a while/Behind your smile
Can I look at my Spiderman pictures again?
Yes Finn.
and he has
like all day
(viva la vida- coldplay)
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Well if I could walk on water/And if I could find some way to prove
The nightly plea for water is used much like a torture device for me. I was letting Finn get his own water from the bathroom faucet only to find the faucet running hours later... (It is really not his fault as even with a stool it is a bit high) So, I have been thinking for a while about leaving carafes around for us all at night. I wanted fancy pants French ones that I saw in a local shop, but thought about the cost of the fancy pants ones and decided to be thrifty and funky. Master Blaise is getting a tiny wee baby carafe that we use for pouring from this cool site and Sir Finnian is using my old Strawberry Shortcake drinking cup with a vintage baby formula glass bottle on top. (I found it at my grans!- who knew!)
Now I am looking for something for our bedroom because Joe informs me that I also torture him for water on a nightly basis. :)
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
I can hear the music playin'/I can see the banners fly
I saw this book at the library this morning and liked the lesson on Tibetan Prayer Flags.
I read about how Tibetans improve themselves and do good for others by making prayer flags. They dye cloth in colors that mirror nature and write prayers and wishes on the flags. Tibetans believe that the flags represent the voice of God and need to be high in the sky for the wind to carry the messages into the world.
I like this.
I have lots of messages, wishes, and wonders that I would love to put out there. I figured Finn would be into this and after making plans with sweet P, I decided it was a Park Art day.
We played up a sweat, met a cool family from the UK, and made some prayer flags. We left them all guerrilla art/ephemeral bad ass style at the park, hanging from the old wooden wishing well-like a reminder to the wind...
Directions:
1. Cut out some square cloth (we used painters canvas) about 15 by 15 inches (pinking shears make it non fray)
2. Paint/dye/marker yr squares and write yr prayer or message ( sharpie here)
(Tibetans link flags in color patterns of blue, white, red, green, and yellow)
3. Attach to a string or rope ( we used a stapler) so the flags hang
4. Hang as high as you can for the wind to find and release!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
You can see, you can see light
It is like when there is no underwear clean in the house
and my husband tries hard not to mumble as he plods on commando to work
and like when there are lots of ingredients in the pantry but non match
It is like when the floor is crunchy underfoot
and the ginormous piles of might be clean laundry on the wooden floor
mock to the empty pine drawers
It is like if someone were to pop in unannounced today I might die
It is like that always when my creative self is trumping my reality self
At least the children are happy
wild
but happy
and the husband still holds me tight
at night
it's OK
right?
Monday, June 9, 2008
Tell it to me slowly/Tell you what?
It was a busy weekend and I am at the final push of being ready for my festival. I found a way to make handles for my bird mobiles in bags. It turns out the a 2006 desk unused desk calendar that they were throwing out at the tiny local office supply store would work just perfectly if I tore off the sheets and folded them into handles. God I love a stapler.
Hah Hah to Joe who says I bring home too much junk. I spin some of the junk to silk.
My two goals for this week are to document some cool kid art we are working on and post summer camp week 3/4 on CMP. I promise!
My dad also let me have my old Fisher Price movie viewer and it is so freaking cool. I love the crank of it and the lack of batteries and the memory of holding the cartridges that seemed so big back then.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Saturday, June 7, 2008
I want to be the girl with the most cake
I would have liked to have been there, but I was only like eight years old. I used to dance to her on my yellow mosaic linoleum kitchen floor. She was my first love.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Jump up and down in my blue suede shoes
I wanna scream out yahoo. I am delighted that some of our products are going to be in two more local stores. Here and Here. I am freaking out! :)Like for real.
We are shipping the wee ones to grandma's tonight to continue our woodworking- we have to make a major push this weekend as we only have three weeks left until the big festival.
Work work work.
The postman came today and I ran to the table to bust open this little box from my fellow kirtsy editor and pal SimpleSong.
She sent me a lovely card for fathers day and some sweet treats. Check her shop out- love her! 
Happy weekend xoxox
check out cheekymonkeyplay for a new mother-talk book review :)
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Well swimmin' up this river/With sentimental fever
I am reading this book and thinking about happiness. Unalloyed happiness. We do tend to gauge our happiness meter against things in our life. (If this/When/I will... and we sometimes need to compare/contrast/wonder)
I get fully unimpressed with myself when I hesitate and linger a bit on the negativity that runs through my veins. I unfortunately inherited ancestral pessimism and grumpiness. I did-I know folks who know me think I am gleeful and shining light and bunnies and shit, but it is work people! I am not a depressed person but I tend to go to the negative place first. I have fought this all my life.
It is true I am the life of any party. I have been on the top of a bar this year already. I laugh so much. I eat life. But...I have to close my eyes tight and force myself not to think that things are bad when they are truly not. I have to try harder to trust people. I have to open up my real heart more to people. I have to cultivate much more patience and look at the scary as possibility. It helps to be married to a beacon of positivity. Joe, my truth and light. It helps and it also hurts bc I worry that one day he will grow tired of picking up my heart and soul and gently tucking it right back in place.
I have to look right round this room and trust in the fact that there is so much happiness here. It lives inside of these boys and pours out all over my lap when they hug me. It is the smell of spiderman suits that needed washed yesterday and hair slick with sweat. It is the light from the window falling on an afternoon where we stayed inside while it rained and took photographs all day. There is great happiness in being exactly where you want to be and realizing it in the moment.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Hey window pane/Do you remember?
It has rained for two days and for the children it is hard times. We are normally outside a lot and I have found with two boys this is necessary. We pulled out our favorite puppet book and had shadow puppet work again. Finn wanted to make snakes, boats, sharks, large teeth, and crazy Bob Dylan puppets. Love him. We created cool puppets and tucked Blaise into his crib for a clandestine puppet show. (We tried to include him,but he chewed on Bob's head and it was ever so sad) The puppets are simple to make and have become a favorite pastime round here on rainy dark days. We use old cardboard boxes and junk mail, small brads, and wooden skewers to make our masterpieces. What do you do on rainy days without a car?
Also...My mom sent a bunch of my old clothes in a bag and I about died when I found my old name shirt. I laughed out loud at the thought of me walking around with my full name on my shirt in 1979! I remember though, I loved this shirt. The moment I touched it I was flooded with memories. My long blond hair in braids and a round belly running and jumping through the same stages as Finnian. I assumed it in shirt heaven along with those special few shirts I still wonder about(The Cure 1989 Disintegration tour tee and perfect heather reversible grey soft tee from Geneva Hills) Where do some things go? Some things stay at yr parents house for over 30 years! I had to snap a photo of Finn in my shirt. I had to.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Monday, June 2, 2008
Whenever you need someone to lay your heart and head upon.
The state of the atmosphere with respect to wind today is perfect. It is lovely as it swirls around and the sun is shining brighter than ever. It is gorgeous outside. Finn worked on building a house outside with his cool tools. We spent the whole day in the garden and grandma and grandpa surprised us with a little visit that included post lunch chocolate ice cream cones.
I posted and emailed all of you that requested mini camp packets...I am posting them on a blog called CHEEKYMONKEYPLAY. Here. I think I replied to all of you that emailed- if not, hope yr reading this!!! :)
I plan on getting weeks 1-3 up this week and 4-6 next week. xo
Even with weather like this and chocolate ice cream, my heart is so heavy. One of my dear friends is going into rehab this week. She is suffering from alcoholism and has been since the day she whispered it into my ear in a taxi cab at three in the morning ten years ago. She has had ups and downs but it is at a massive watershed right now. It is time to really decide to live or die. I have been torn up and down and sideways and fat hot tears slide down my cheeks when I wonder why some people get caught with things. Why did it happen to her and not me or anyone else I went to college with? How does the world work? Not with a bang but a whimper...
Sunday, June 1, 2008
She glows around you like the moon
A day full of yard work on the other unsold house. There was an open house today and I wanted to throw myself over the patch of grass where the St. Joseph statue is buried and scream through the dirt...WORK DUDE!!!!!
Instead I lovingly pulled tiny weeds from deep brown mulch and stayed positive. I smiled through the BS.
I also worked on kids chairs today and felt ridiculously proud of my garden.
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