Chasing Bluebirds

Thursday, January 25, 2007

love letters, can't get enough of this

this castle was drawn by one of emily's friends and i just love it. reminds me of this fabulous place: sagrada familia in barcelona, spain.

new fabric

new fabric came in the mail (superbuzzy!) i hope i can finally finish the dozen owls i have waiting to be zipped up and stuffed. not sure if i will open an etsy shop or not, i love shopping through etsy but it is a bit intimidating too, so many talented people out there!

near one of my accounts there is a japanese marketplace (yes i am super lucky!) if i ever get a long enough break, i go and check out the bookstore there. i haven't found any good place to buy fabric, other than a small kimono shop (which is still very cool) but the book store is a blast. i have seen this book on someone's blog before but can't remember exactly, i immediately grabbed it when i saw it. it is probably the cutest book i have ever seen, every single sock toy is adorable and there are little clothes you can make for them too.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

walking the neighborhood

i live in a neighborhood of fences, just about every house has a fenced in front yard. these houses were designed by cliff may, early 1950's, classic midcentury modern design with clerstory windows and indoor/outdoor living plans. growing up just a few blocks away, this neighborhood was always described as quirky, wierd, those strange houses with the fences. when i was trying to find a house, they were like a magnet to me, drawng me in. i love how the fences hide the house and courtyard, mysterious places and hidden gardens.

interesting....

i have had some interesting things happen since becoming a camp fire leader, more than a few, but so far the only negative thing has been this. why is it that several people we approached to buy camp fire candy said, "oh, i am sorry, we are girl scouts, we don't buy camp fire candy."

ok, now this comment just does not compute with me. i never realized there was a competition? is that the word? or maybe some kind of conflict between camp fire and girl scouts? or maybe rivalry is the word? it really bums me out (nice california phrase) that anyone would even think that or say something to a six year old, who's mind is open and accepting of everyone, that there is a distinction between the two groups that excludes one from the other. i guess during all my years in camp fire as a member and now a leader, i just never looked at boy/girl scouts as anything other than a really neat organization that supports kids. ANYTHING a parent does with their kid can be special. if you were a girl scout growing up then you have a fondness for it and will enjoy watching your kid belong to the same group you belonged to. i feel the same way about camp fire, it is just the choice i made between the two because i have fond memories and associate a good feeling with it.

i had to comment on this because my other bluebirds said they have heard similar responses and i just can't believe people feel they have to choose between the two groups or feel some sort of rivalry between the two. i have bought girl scout cookies for years from my scouting neighbors (most likely from the family who made the original comment) and did so with a real desire to support their program. my husband was the boy scout leader of my stepsons troop for several years, his whole family loves the scouts. it's all good, all of it.

i hope my message is that we should support all kinds of different organizations and teach our kids that although there may be differences between them, we shouldn't feel competitive or exclusive, we should always be open to different options.