Unique Like Everyone Else

Extra Baggage

I'm not usually one to jump on bandwagons, or do things "just because I can".  And I'm not one to do something to defy those who said it couldn't be done, either.  (It's not that I feel I have nothing to prove; I think it is that I am inherently lazy.)  But when Mrs. Doer told me that "you" could knit and crochet things from recycled grocery bags, it was more my own disbelief that prompted the challenge.  After several rounds of, "No way!", "Way!", "No way!", "Way!" I decided to look up the website she had found with detailed instructions for making "plarn" (plastic + yarn--how cute is that?). 

I had to try it!  When deciding on a project to undertake, I decided to pull a Kramer from Seinfeld.  O  ne of his many brilliant ideas included a coffee table book about coffee tables which was, indeed, published.

 

My take on the idea was a grocery bag made out of grocery bags. 

 What's that?  It would sell better if showcased by a lovely model?  Well, I'm no Vanna, but here goes:

    

But look at these other ambitious and creative projects I found:

Cathy Kasdan of Clevland, Ohio was finishing up a Master's in textiles at Kent State University with a thesis based on consumer culture.

Cathy writes:

The dress is all hand knit from grocery bags that were the result of actual trips to the grocery store. As soon as I told people I could use their old bags for a project they brought them in by the bag full, I received thousands! The plastic grocery bag came about in the 1950's along with futuristic optimisim about America, so I made a "typical" 1950's ensemble complete with pillbox hat and purse, not pictured. I am going to have my pieces in an art show on recycled art at the School of Art Gallery in downtown Kent.

J-Girl loves this and thinks I should get to work on it right away!  By the time I finished it, she would likely be finishing a thesis of some sort, too!

I liked this "mixed media" bag:

It's made of bread bags, yarn, and strips from a recycled, red plastic tablecloth.

For mine I used a size "G" crochet hook, and the entire bag, excluding the handles, is a double crocheted spiral. 

When I started I was going to keep count of how many bags it took me to make it.  But I kept running out of plarn and having to make more, and I lost track.  I'm guessing 150?  200?  It was a lot.  I think if I decide to make another one I will use a larger hook to make it come together more quickly.  But overall, I love it!  The first time I took it to the market, however, I had to tell the bagger three times that this is my reusable bag--put some of my stuff in it!!!  I think he thought I was just showing him an art project.  Weird.  But the best compliment came from J-Girl who told me she liked it, and walked away with a resounding, "my mom ROCKS!"  Maybe I will make her a plastic dress afterall!

 

 

Diabetes Wars--In a Galaxy Right Here!

With her permission, I'd like to share a message from our friend, Christy.  Her son, Cameron, has been living with Type I Diabetes since he was 3 years old.  He and J-Boy became fast friends in Kindergarten, and even though they now go to different schools, they still remain good buddies.  Our family is honored to be a part of Cameron's Crew, and to join in supporting the search for a cure. 

"Hello Friends! I would love for each of you to check out this video about Cameron and his battle for a cure. It's fun and uplifting and set to his favorite movie saga...Star Wars. Cameron and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation are fighting for a cure to Type 1 Diabetes. Watch the video and learn about his battle and how you can help win the war by donating to JDRF's 'Walk to Cure Diabetes'. Go to www.jdrf.org. Click on the shoe. Search for Cameron's Crew walking in Aguora Hills on Oct 19, 2008. Thanks for watching and may a cure be with us! "  --Christy

Christy also invites you to download and share this video with others to further spread awareness and broaden the search for a cure. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxDu0OhEJC8

"The Force is strong with this one.  The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together."

Non Sequitur

If you believe strongly, or at least have mild faith in, the spiritual adage, "God knows no coincidences," then when is something considered a non sequitur? Or, by having such faith, do illogical sequences themselves cease to exist?  I think that, even as this question was swirling around my head in its primordial state, I stumbled across the answer.  And I believe the answer is yes.

Huh?

Well, we've been really enjoying the new wildlife that has found its way to our yard to enjoy our pond, etc.  Except for one particular visitor.  Have you ever experienced the annoyance of a squeaking tricycle wheel?  The methodical and incessant, eep...eep...eep..eep...eep?  We have a bird in our backyard that does that.  And it is loud, and insanely rhythmic, and goes on and on and on.  There is no warbling or change in pitch.  There is no alteration in the amount of dead space between the notes.  Just eep...eep...eep...eep...eep...

It was driving me crazy!  I had to figure out what crazy creature was doing this.  So I started my google search.  I searched for something like "squeaky wheel bird southern california".  I seemed to think I was on the right track and it's some kind of hummingbird.  And you know how the web is:  you end up going places you weren't headed for in the first place.  However, today I was pretty focused and determined.  And still, this link somehow comes up about "The Way of the Hummingbird".  Well, it is a chapter in a book about teaching social skills to children, with side bars about Autism all over the link.  Weird....or is it??? 

After a side trip to Amazon.com to add the book to my shopping cart, I get back to business.  I HAVE to find an audio clip of this bird to confirm my hypothesis that it is a Blue-throated Hummingbird .  But in the back of my mind, I can't help but think about the Autism Detour.  J-Boy seems to like birds over all other animals.  And this book is divided into social tips like "The Way of the Crow" and "The Way of the Owl".  Long ago I was giving him a lesson on not letting things get to you, and you have to "be like a duck.  They have oily feathers so water just  sssslides off of them.  You gotta let that stuff just slide off of you like water off a duck's back."  Hmmm.  That could be a useful book...Funny how that came up while I was looking for that squeaky wheel bird...

And then, speaking of books, because that totally follows a logical sequence, right?  Well, speaking of books I somehow ended up on this book blog called Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast...Why Stop At Six?.  And as I'm mulling over the freakiness of the bird-book coincidence (or is it?) I think I'm beginning to see that it ISN'T.

 

About the title of this book blog:  "...It's a reference to Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass.  In Chapter V:  "Wool and Water," Alice meets the White Queen, who informs Alice that her age is

"...one hundred and one, five months and a day."

"I can't believe that!" said Alice.

"Can't you?" the Queen said in a pitying tone.  "Try again:  draw a long breath, and shut your eyes."

Alice laughed.  "There's no use trying," she said: "one can't believe impossible things."

"I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen.  "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."

Even though it is the Red Queen that screams, "Off with her head!" I still think I shall side with the Queen on this issue of non sequiturs.  Everything happens for a reason, whether it seems illogical or impossible.  Is your head spinning???  I'm sure it's just a coincidence...

 

The Gentle Barn

Today we visited a local ranch called The Gentle Barn.  All of the animals (about 60) are rescued from neglectful and abusive situations.  The staff nurses them back to health and gives them the kind of life that, knowing how we pampered our Junior all those years, Big Daddy and I would give them if we could.  The barn's main mission is to provide sanctuary and rehabilitation to the animals, and to teach compassion and forgiveness, strength and trust to abused, at risk, and special needs kids.  They are open to the public on Sundays.

Here, J-Girl and our neighbor, B, are brushing Buddah.  The eye mask is to keep the flies out of his eyes.  It is mesh, so he can see through it.  The cows really like to be petted and brushed. 

 

There were around a dozen horses, a miniature, and a donkey.  They were all so friendly.  Unlimited carrots were available to feed them, and boy were they clamouring for them! 

    

Not everyone enjoyed themself, however.  I know it was soooo hot, and there were flies, and if you don't tolerate licks from a dog, why on earth would you want a giant beast with lippy lips all over your hand? 

There was talk of a sweet emu named Yoda at the top of the hill .  Hmmmm...a Star Wars reference?  Maybe that could work to our advantage.  Here's C, B's mom, warming up to him.  J-Boy?  I told him he could stay in the shade of a barn till he felt like joining us.  He eventually did, but only if I promised not to take any more pictures of him. 

 

There were quite a few pigs lounging in little barn-shaped sheds.  But my favorite one was cooling down in a mud puddle.

   

He came out to visit and was just so friendly and looking for some love.

   

There were also goats, sheep, chickens, and a dog and a turkey.  It was a great little visit.  We'll have to go again when the weather cools down.  I know Big Daddy will like it.  J-Girl and B were enthusiastic to learn that they take volunteers at age 14 . 

Wine about Autism?

I am becoming more involved in a local support group and resource information provider for parents and loved ones of people with Autism Spectrum Disorders.  I, in fact, am the new Secretary of the Board of Directors.  (Funny, I said I wanted to be more involved and did they need help stapling and labeling their newsletter, and ended up on the board…Ha-ha!)  Anyway, we were approached by the owners of our local Vino 100 and asked if they could fundraise for us.  Whoa!  We’ve never really had any fundraising efforts outside of ourselves! 

Ok, so the bennies of being a Board member kicked in right away.  Before I'd even had to take a minute's worth of Minutes, I (we) was invited to a private wine tasting hosted by a prominent local business couple and benefactor, a City Councilmember who has a son with autism, and our California Assemblyman and his wife, to launch Vino 100's partnering with Hope Wine and to benefit our group,.  Hope Wine offers several varieties of wine, of which 50% of the profits benefit various charities incuding ACT Today for Autism, the Susan G. Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer, and AIDS Lifecycle.   

  

 

 

From the Wine Maker:

CABERNET & AUTISM

Generally Cabernet is the varietal of choice for the male wine drinker. Naturally, it makes sense to pair Cabernet with Autism because recent statistics show that four in every five children diagnosed with Autism are boys. In addition, Autism tends to be one of the few causes that have an equal amount of male supporters as female supporters. Autism affects 1 in every 150 children, and for each child that has autism there is a father who wants to help in the fight against Autism and more than likely enjoys a glass of Cabernet.

AWARDS

Silver Medal - 2007 Taster's Guild Wine Lover's Consumer Competition

 

From the Blogger:

Kind of a weird statement about the fathers and the Cab, but their heart is definitely in the right place. 

 

 

Last night Vino 100 hosted a Parent’s Night Out, also to benefit our group.   What a lovely event.  Several friends of ours, for whom our family is their closest tie to autism, came out to share the evening with us. Even  my buds from Ventura came out.  We went to dinner afterward and caught up on all the Lab Happenings, and kid, girlfriend, updates.   What a great time!  Definitely nothing to whine about here!