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Poems by my Greatgrandfather, W.W. Embree

2010-03-19T22:56:00.000-07:00

Be Not Dismayed
By W.W. Embree

Be not dismayed, for I will guide you,
In the way that you must go—
I will never leave or forsake you
While you’re walking here below.
Be not dismayed, that trials beset you,
They must come to one and all;
But if you cast your care upon me,
I will never let you fall.

Be not dismayed, though friends forsake you—
This you know they did to me,
But in spite of all that did it,
I went on to Calvary’s tree.
Be not dismayed, for I have paid the ransom—
Redeemed your soul from sin and shame,
That you might have that blessed knowledge;
That you, in me, shall live again.

Be not dismayed, for I am with you—
To see that you shall never fall,
For I bought you with my life’s blood,
And now be ready for the call.
Be not dismayed, the trumpet’s sounding—
To call the dead from out their graves;
And the living shall come with them
In the clouds they shall be raised.

Be not dismayed, oh glorious morning—
When I shall receive my own,
And present them, to the Father;
Hear them sing around the throne.
There, always to be with me—
Never more from me to part,
Always to rejoice and praise me,
There to always cheer my heart.

Be Not Troubled
W.W Embree

Let not your heart be troubled,
For I must now go home—
But very soon you shall see me
Sitting upon my throne.
I go to prepare a place for you—
Where you shall ever be,
And where the joy that overflows—
Is like a mighty sea.

I know your hearts are troubled now,
But yet, you’ll have to stay,
But I will send the comforter—
To lead you on the way.
Just watch and pray and do your best—
For me and men below
For I shall soon be coming back,
And then you all shall know:

Just why I went to the Father
To present before the throne—
My blood as the atonement—
That you might be coming home.
Home with God the Father,
And Jesus Christ His Son—
There to ever love and serve Him,
And there to be made one.

DUTY
by W.W. Embree

If you cannot be the watchman,
Standing on Mt Zion’s hill,
You can in the lover valley
Always do the Master’s will.
As you speak to those about you—
Pointing them to realms above,
You may feel your heart is burning
With His eternal love.

Love that sent our Lord to sacrifice,
His life on Calvary’s tree.
There he paid the debt we owed to God,
He died to make us free.
Free from sin and free from sorrow,
Free from pain and free from care,
That in that eternal glory,
We may in His glory share.

Faith in God
by W.W. Embree

If you have not the Faith of Peter
Walking on the angry waves,
You can tell the world around you—
That our Jesus came to save.
Save us from sin and folly,
That besets on every hand—
And when life’s work is ended,
We shall see the promised land.

There to see that blissful morning—
Wrought for those redeemed from Earth—
There to have an understanding
What is meant by second birth.
So we’ll keep our lamps all burning,
Filled with oil and power and love,
When the call comes from the Father—
We’ll be taken up above.

There to always be with Jesus,
Never more to go astray—
There to feast our souls upon Him—
There to see the Perfect Day.
There to listen to the angels,
As they sing around the throne—
There to satisfy our longing,
In that bright eternal HOME.

God’s Promise of Care
(see Psalm 37)
by W.W. Embree

Fret not thyself, because of evil—
For you will find it on every hand,
But I am with you to protect you—
Till you reach the promised land.
Trust in the Lord, and walk before Him—
Lay every burden at his feet,
Do not trust to self for strength,
Nor to the friends that you shall meet.

Delight thyself, in God your savour,
And always try to do His will;
Remember that He ever loves you—
And will speak the words “Be still.”
Commit thy way unto the Lord,
And He will surely bring to pass;
The great desire that fills your heart—
You’ll never need to say alas.

Rest in his grace, and wait on Him—
For He will always faithful be,
He never will forget a friend—
That’s why He went to Calvary.
There to redeem poor sinful man—
And teach him what is best to do—
That in the end he may find peace,
And have a home in Heaven too.

Hard to See
by W.W. Embree

‘Tis hard for sinful man to know
Why it is God loved them so,
And harder still for them to see,
Why Jesus should go to Calvary.

To that cruel cross on high,
There to suffer and to die.
Shed his blood and bore their sin;
That sinful man might live again.

There he took the sinner’s place,
And took the curse from the human race.
All this is hard for man to see,
Why Jesus dying on the tree,
Could satisfy and make him free.

But when they are born again from above,
They then are filled with God’s love,
Love that makes them see and know,
Why it is God loves them so.

Humbleness
W.W. Embree

If you cannot preach like St Paul,
Who the nobles gladly heard,
You can always preach like Jesus—
You can always preach the word.
Preach the word to those about you,
Never falter, never fear;
For we know that God will help you,
And will bring you good cheer.
Fill your life with loaves and fishes,
Feed the hungry, help the poor;
And you’ll find a welcome awaits you,
At every humble door.

Gather treasures for the Heavens;
Seek to know and do God’s will,
Then when Christ shall call to bless you,
He will say, “Oh peace be still.”
Peace be still—Oh wondrous blessing,
From the Father and the Son,
And at last when life is ended;
You will hear the Voice: “Well done.”
“Well done, good and faithful servant,
Enter into joys unknown,
For I’ve come to take you with me,
Into that eternal home.”

I Do Not Know

I do not know why I should grow,
And understand God’s will—
And while I wait and meditate—
My heart is saying, “Peace, be still.”

I do not know why I should seek
To know thy will,
Or why I long to be like thee;
But when the clouds are cleared away,
And I shall enter into thy day,
I then shall know.

He knows, He bids me take my cross
And follow Him—
Forsaking self, and those I love,
That I may have a home above with Him.
And while I do not understand;
But if he leads me by the hand,
I then shall know.

He knows the way I take, and when
I’ve borne my cross,
Through this dark night, and planted
It on Calvary’s height;
I then shall see the blessed light,
And be like Him, and know as I am known.

I Love Thy Word
By W.W. Embree

Lord I know that thou dost love me,
For you have proven that to me;
By the sending down of Jesus,
For to die on calvary.

In my helpless, lost condition,
Thou didst mercy to me give;
By the death of my dear savior,
Through His death that I might live.

I Love thy Word (2)
by W.W. Embree

Lord, I love thy word and ways,
Keep me in these darkening days;
Keep my lamp all shining bright,
Lest I stumble in the night.

Lead me to that fountain deep,
Safely fold me with thy sheep.
Lord, I want that thou shall be,
All and more than life to me.

So I bring myself to thee,
Soul and body yhine to be,
Teach me Lord, that I may see,
All that thou would have me to be.

Lord, Teach Us
by W.W. Embree

Lord, teach us how to pray,
That we may always do our best,
Lord, keep us ever at thy side,
And lead us into perfect rest.

Teach us Lord, to know thy will,
That we may ever faithful be—
Lord, lead us to understand, just why
You died to make men free.

Lord teach us, to ever see—
The way in which we here below,
Must travel while we are here,
For we are weak, that thou doest know.

Teach us Lord, to know thy word,
And use us in thy glorious way—
That we may more than conquers be,
And brought into that perfect day.

Fill us with power to overcome,
And lead us in the way that’s best—
That more than victors we may be,
That we may stand through every test.

Teach us Lord to humble be
And fill our hearts with love,
That we may always ready be
To come to you above.

Meditation
by W.W. Embree

As I looked upon the mountains,
Dressed in white and gold, and bleak—
Then I listened for my Savior
For I knew that he would speak.
Speak to cheer the lonely prospect,
And make me look beyond
To that hope that’s set before me,
When the winter days are gone.

How it fills my heart with wonder
As I gaze upon the view,
As I see the power and wisdom
That was given Him to do.
When I think that in the future,
those great hills must pass away,
And in the mind and purpose,
Shall bring in the new day.

A day of joy and gladness—
For there will be no sin
For in the mind of Jesus,
New things shall then begin.
A new place for his people,
Who loved and served him well—
Where cold and storm can’t reach them,
For in it they shall dwell.

How steep the path and cold the way,
That we have traveled in;
But soon we’ll be rejoicing
Because there will be no sin.
Then we shall reign with Jesus,
No Devil to molest
There we may serve our Jesus,
And give to Him our best.

My Walk with Jesus
by W.W. Embree

I went through the valley of Baca,
I stood on Mt Carmel’s height—
I heard there the voice of my Savior,
As he called me as out of the night.
I heard his blessed voice as I wandered—
Through the valley of sorrow and tears,
I heard him speak peace to the billows,
I heard Him say, “Child, do not fear.”

I walked then with Jesus my savior—
I heard Him speak peace to my soul,
As He bade me march on in the battle,
Till I reached that Heavenly goal.
I heard His command, “Go Ye ever
And seek out the lost of my sheep,
They are helpless to find the way homeward,
Though the way will be rugged and steep.”

“Yet, with all the care and the sorrow—
Remember, I have traveled the way:
So gird on thy sword and be marching,
And I will lead in the way.
The way that will lead you to victory--
If you’ll follow in my command,
For I will never leave nor forsake you;
But will always hold onto your hand.”

Puzzled
by W.W. Embree

I am puzzled and I am worried,
And I don’t know what to say,
But I’ll keep on in dead earnest
Till the closing of the day.

Then at evening by the fireside,
In the quiet of the night,
I will do my best to study what is
Best for me and right.

In the Book of Books I study—
As I walk the pilgrim way,
And I know that God will teach me,
What I ought to do and say.

For he knows just what is best,
And will lead me in this vale,
Till I reach that place in heaven,
At the ending of the trail.

So, I’ve just surrendered to Him,
And obey Him all the way,
And I know I shall be with Him—
In that blissful, endless day.

Quandary
by W.W. Embree

I sometimes wonder, and it seems to me—
That perhaps the Lord has placed us,
Where he wanted us to be;
Yet, it is hard to understand—
Just what is His way and will;
But if we do our best
We will hear Him say “Be still.”

Be still, the hardest thing
That man ever tried to do,
Yet, if we cast our care upon him—
He will take you through.
Through to victory and to joy—
In His will and way,
And when at last the journey’s ended—
We shall see the perfect day.

Yet, sometimes we fret and worry,
And we think we ought to be—
Brought into the larger fields,
In this mighty rolling sea.
But then we know that God Father,
Always knows what is best,
So we yield to Him our all,
And will see His perfect rest.

Poem to baby Mercy Onida Morris
by W.W. Embree

Dear Mercy Onida, thou dear child of God,
How I hope that you ever will be—
True and faithful to God as you walk,
Through this broad open sea.

May you ever grow stronger,
And be true to God—
Be a credit to the name tat you bear,
And be a true witness while walking the sod
And ready the burdens to bear.
That when the call comes—
To return home to God
Many sheaves of fine wheat you may bring,
As a proof of your life’s work
While walking below
and hearing the angels sing.

This poem was written and dedicated to Little Mercy Onida Morris, infant daughter of Rev. and Mrs. Morris of Enterprise Oregon.

Story of Jesus
by W.W. Embree

I stood upon Mount Olive,
And my gaze did reach afar—
There I heard the cry of the wise men—
Have you seen the kingly star?

I followed it to Bethlehem—
As the wise men oft have said,
There we found the little Christ Child--
Cradled in a lowly manger bed.

I went with Him to Egypt—
Where He tarried for a while,
Till the Lord could deal with Herod,
Who would slay the little child.

Then God spake again to Joseph,
And bid him to come home
For they that would do harm to him,
Was not upon the throne.

I saw Him at Jerusalem
With the wise men of that day,
I hear Him ask, and answer
Their questions without delay.

I saw him as He walked
on the shores of Galilee,
I heard Him as he called to Peter,
Leave your nets and follow Me.

I went with him to Cana—
Where He made the water wine,
I marveled at His wondrous power,
And the beauty of His mind.

I saw Him heal the leper—
I saw Him raise the dead,
I heard him tell the Pharisses,
“I AM THE LIVING BREAD.”

I saw Him feed the multitude,
And cause the blind to see,
I heard him preach repentance,
And I knew that that meant me.

I saw Him in the judgment hall—
Where the Jews dared not to be,
I heard them cry to crucify
When Pilot would set Him free.

I saw Him on the cruel cross—
The day was black as night,
I heard him cry “My God! My God!”
Then His soul would take its flight.

I saw Him placed within the tomb:
My heart was sad with pain,
Yet I knew that he had promised,
That he would raise again.

So on that third day morning—
According as He said,
The angel rolled away the stone,
And He rose from the dead.

Again He walked in Galilee,
Instructing those He loved—
That they might carry on the work
When He went home above.

I heard him tell the apostles,
To preach Him far and wide,
And tell to lost humanity
A savior lived and died.
He died that man might live—
He took the curse away,
And now all all who will accept Him,
Shall see His perfect day.

He then arose to Heaven
While the apostles steady gazed,
There to become their High Priest,
Till the closing of the days.

Now, we are looking for Him,
To come to get His bride,
And this will end our pilgrimages
We’ll be ever at His side.

Take Up Thy Cross
by W.W. Embree

Take up thy cross for you must travel,
In the vale of sin and shame;
Till I call you from the valley,
In His holy, precious name.

Take up thy cross, I have gone before you,
Marked the way with Blood I shed,
Then I went to Calvary’s mountain;
And gave my life as Living Bread.

Take up thy cross, and be not faithless;
I will take you all the way,
When at last the journey’s ended,
You shall see the perfect day.

Take up thy cross, and raise the banner;
That the world may know and see,
Preach the word, and tell the sinner,
Jesus died to make men free.

Take up thy cross, the Master calls you,
Do not wait another day,
Let Him lead and guide your footsteps,
In the dark and dreary day.

“Take up thy cross, Oh, weary pilgrim;
Do not falter you can’t fail,
For I am with you, to protect you,
Till you pass within the veil.”

Your Duty is Always Near
by W. W. Embree

If you cannot be the Admiral sailing
With the conquering fleet,
You can always on the shore land
Lend a hand to those you meet.
You can help the poor and needy,
You can speak a word of cheer—
You can tell them how God loves them,
And for them does always care.

You can always find your duty,
As you pass along the vale—
Helping those who need the helping,
To find the better trail.
The trail that leads to heaven,
With the Father and the Son—
Where a welcome always awaits you,
And you’ll hear the voice well done.

So you see my weary pilgrim friend;
That rewards are not to be,
Just to those who climb the mountain steep,
Or sail the boundless sea,
But to those who in the toils of life,
Have faithful to Him stood--
Were you faithful to the trust I gave you,
Did you do the best you could.

A sermon by William Warren Embree, my Greatgrandfather

2010-03-19T22:54:00.000-07:00

Sermon on DUTY
by Willam Warren Embree

“Fear God and keep His commandments
for this is the whole duty of man.” Ec 12:13

I wish in this short article to just speak on one word of my text: DUTY. It is a small word but carries great responsibility for every one in this life. Solomon, the wise king, after looking at everything from every angel, and trying everything under the sun: seeking to find if there was anything that would bring to mankind perfect peace and happiness, had at last to sum up the total of all his research with my text. “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”
Jesus, in talking to His disciples, placed duty as the greatest achievement of his followers, by telling them; “So likewise, when ye shall have done all these things, which are commanded you, say we are unprofitable servants: we have done only that which was our duty.” In this text Jesus, places the emphases on, “All things which are commanded you.” And when they had done all, the full, then and then only had they done their full duty; with no place for boasting. From these texts we must find what God calls duty. We must know what He has commanded us to do and then in harmony with written word begin to carry out the plan of God, for us revealed in his word.
Duty, reaches into every step that we take in this life. Responsibility rests upon us, that we may not shirk nor side-step without great harm to ourselves, and to not only to ourselves, but to those whom we love. Our duty to God stands first at all times, and if we are faithful in this line of duty; it will not be hard to be faithful in the other duties that will come to us. We are to love God with all our hearts, and keep his commandments.
Then you may raise the question, “What are His commandments?” In St John 15:12, He said, “A new commandment I give you, that ye love one another as I have loved you.” This covered all other commandments that he had given. Then in order to do our duty to God, we must also do our duty to the people of God by loving them as Christ loved us.
That we should be willing if need be to lay down our life for the brethren. We will help them in time of need, and speak words of love and comfort to the broken hearted, uphold the weak and teach them to be strong in the faith and love of God. Then he said; “Love your enemies; do good to them that hate you.” Here Jesus clearly told us what our duty was to this class of people. Can you do it? Yes, by the grace of God we can, if we have brought our lives up to the first duty: “To love God and keep his commandments.” For this is one of them. When we obey the first, the second comes just as easy.
Then comes our duty to the lost world. When Jesus commanded, “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” you will say “Impossible! I can’t do this.” No, you may not be able to contact everyone, but you can give of your substance to help someone who can go. Then you may share their reward. Your duty will be to speak to those about you, and tell them the story of Jesus and salvation. That He died for their sins, and that it was love that made Him do it.
Then there is the duty of husbands and wives. This is a sacred duty, and one which God will hold us responsible for if we fail. Let’s examine Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, fifth chapter; we are commanded, “Husbands love your wives, even as Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for it. Wives be subject to your husbands in all things.” Then he closes the chapter by saying, “Nevertheless, let every one of you in particular so love his wife as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.”
How different the homes would be if men and women would do their duty in the home, toward each other. If it was so, there would be no broken homes, nor children deprived of the care of parents. In all ages the man has been the bread winner, and the woman the home builder. This is God’s plan for them, but in these days of Modernism, we find so many cases that women get a distorted view of their calling—and in many cases they will leave their children and husband to do the best they can, while she goes galloping over the country preaching the gospel that she is in direct violation of; even at times divorcing her husband if he objects to her leaving her home and children.
Motherhood is the most sacred duty that ever come to a woman; and God never has, nor never will call a mother from her duty of home building to preach, nor for any other purpose. In the 1 Cor. 7:10; “And unto the married I command yet, not I, but the Lord, let not the wife depart from her husband: but if she depart let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband; and let not the husband put away his wife.” In the face of these facts, what can the professed Christian that has committed this crime, base their hope upon? Let us get on scriptural grounds and then we will see again the power of God in our midst. Let us declare the whole council of God, as we see the day approaching.
No wonder that God does not bless us as in the early church. It is not because God has changed, but because of unscriptural teaching and living by professed Christian people.
In conclusion, let me say to you my friend; God will not judge us for what we could not do, but the judgment will be, did you do what you could? Did you do your duty to God? to man? to the church? and in the home? Happy is the man or woman that can say “Yes,” from an honest heart to these questions; and I am sure that they will hear that “Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter into the joys of life.
God grant that we may get on scriptural grounds so that we may claim the promises of God: and see the sick healed, sinners saved, and God glorified.
Jesus is coming soon, how will it be with you? Let us search our hearts, and try our ways and see. Let us turn again unto the Lord. Let us seek Him with all our hearts, and obey His word, and then we shall know that we are in His will, and that He is glorified in us.
May God help all who read this.

By W.W. Embree, Boring Oregon

Autobiography of my Greatgrandfather Embree

2010-03-19T22:47:00.000-07:00

I transcribed my Greatgrandfather's autobiography and I am sharing it here because I think it is interesting. I hope my siblings and nieces and nephews will enjoy reading it.

Family tree:

Great Grandfather William Warren Embree
Married to Elizabeth Jane Carlisle
William had several siblings.
Father of Iris Ethel and Grace Ellen
Iris married Abe Flaming
Grandfather of Paul, Ted and Anna Flaming
Grace married Charles Grace; the adopted 2 children.
Great Grandfather of Rebecca, Victor, Roger, David and Rhonda, as well as their cousins: PJ, May Jean and Gary, ... (I forgot their names)
Great Great Grandfather of Nathan, Amanda, Lori, Nicholas, Elissa, and the various grandchildren and great grand children of Anna (Flaming) Wood...

Preface to the autobiography, sermon and poems of William Warren Embree

The preface to this writing is to leave an account in a small way of my life to my daughters, and to show that if there is a determination in the heart that one can do even great things. No one ever worked under greater handicap than I have: left alone at a very tender age, with no one to guide or encourage; yet, I learned two good trades and got a good education and in a manner that very few would have ever undertaken. I do not wish or say this to brag but I know that if one will set their heart on anything, with God’s help and confidence in one’s self that there is nothing that will keep him from doing what he wills to do.
Had I centered my mind on wealth I believe that I would or could have been a very rich man. But wealth never did appeal to me, perhaps because I was always poor and did not miss what wealth could mean to one. Yet it is not the wealthy that have done the great things of the world, nor is wealth always to the smartest men. Many of our best men in America have been very poor and with very little chance from a money standpoint but who gained the respect and love of the nation. The greatest thing that I ever did was when I gave my heart to God. All else that I have done in this life will soon be forgotten, but this never for God never forgets. These seventeen years of service to God are the best years of my life.
These poems are dedicated to my two daughters Iris and Grace. May God bless you.
From your father, W.W. Embree.

Autobiography of William Warren Embree (1868-19..)

In a little old log-cabin in Adams County, Illinois on a Saturday morning, Nov. 28, 1868, the writer of this article saw the light of day for the first time; and while I was the honored guest of that home. Still I am wholly dependent on others for the account of my birth; but I was like all others of my kind, I soon grew and in a short time began to take an interest in my surroundings.
When I was four years old, father one day announced his intention of emigrating (migrating) to Kansas. I was very happy for by this time the wanderlust was well developed in me for a boy of four years. Well do I remember the day that we should start. The wagon was covered and all was loaded in and off we set for the far west. We crossed the Mississippi River at Quincy and headed westward for Kansas. The trip was a hard one on all of us and especially on mother as she had had a baby just one month old the day we started. Many were the hardships that came to us on the road, but we finally landed in Allen Co., Kansas on April 1st, 1873. We stayed a short time with my uncle, and then went farther out where homestead land was more plentiful. Bad luck seems to have been with us for the first year; we lost our crop with drought, and one of our horses died. Father traded the other horse for a yoke of oxen so we were able to farm the next year. This was year to be remembered by all that passed through it. It is known as the grasshopper year. Truly it was well named. I remember very clearly, although I was only six years old, but it was something never to be forgotten by those who saw it. They (grasshoppers) came in great clouds, and when they settled on the ground they just covered it. In three days time there was nothing left that was green. Even the leaves were all eaten from the trees. Stock starved for lack of grass and not a stock of corn was left. What little we had when we came was gone and father was left to hunt and trap for a living.
In the spring of 1876 we went to Missouri as mother’s father and mother lived there. So we landed in Kirkville, Missouri without a dollar. It was hard sledding for Father, as he had so many little ones to feed and wages were very low.
We soon moved out in the country and cut cord wood for fifty cents a cord, and worked at whatever mink, coons and skunks, as well as most men. Also, Father would give to me his rifle when he sent me into the woods alone. When I was nine years old I fell from a horse and broke my hip, which always gave me much pain, as it was never set.
At eleven years old, when my father died I was thrown out into the world to sink or swim. I will not try to describe to you what I suffered the first few years that I was working out. Up to the time that Father died I had not be in school as I was not strong, and now there was very little chance for me for I must work to supply food for Mother and the younger children.
When I was fifteen years old I went to school for three months, and that was the last school I ever attended, in all I think that I went about nine months. I was a good reader and got the four fundamental rules of arithmetic; that was all that i knew from books.
I then went to work in a small mill and worked there for two years, and there I learned a little about engines. Then, when I was eighteen, I decided to try the West again. To decide with me was to act. So I began to make plans to go. I did not at this time have a dollar. I was cutting wood for .50 per cord to supply food for mother and my two sisters who were at home with us. But go I must, so I found a young man who wanted to see the West. I gave him a glowing account of the things that we could do out west, and I agreed to bear all of the expenses for the trip if he would haul us out with his team. He had eleven dollars and we were to pay him back when we got through and got work; which I did. There was Mother and my two sisters and myself. So we started from Missouri on the first of March 1866. Had a winter drive with lots of snow and mud. I walked all the way out as the team was so poor that some days we only went six or seven miles. When we reached the Missouri River our money was all spent except one dollar, which it took to cross the river, but we were in Nebraska, and we got a job husking corn for a week, and then pulled on, arriving in Dawson Co. on the 2 of April, after a thirty-one days drive. I will not attempt to describe the trip, but will say that it was the hardest trip that I ever made in my life. But I was in the land of promise so why worry. I soon found work on the few ranches that were in the country. I, like all other boys, wanted to be a cowboy. Well, I did ride for the most part of two years, but soon learned that I would not get rich in that line of work. In the spring of 1890 there was a meeting in our schoolhouse and I went, and there God got a hold of me and I was saved. I was, at this time, 21 years old and I felt the call of God to preach his word; but I put it aside as I felt that I had so little education. I decided then to go to Washington; it was yet a territory. I had two uncles living at Ilwaco. Seattle was just a small burg and Portland was very small, nothing on the east side but timber and brush. How glad I was that I got saved when I arrived in Ilwaco, Washington. Here I met with many temptations, but thanks be to God he gave me power to say “No.” Again, I went into the mills and learned more about engines as that was to be my work. But after a year in the West I returned to Nebraska. The fall of 1891 I went with a thrasher until my hip, that was broken years ago, now gave me so much pain that I was forced to quit.
Then I decided that I would learn a trade, so took up the photographing trade as my chosen profession. I bought a small outfit and went to work to learn the trade. I had up to this time never known what failure meant, so in this as in all other I must win and win I did for it was through this that I met the one that was to be my wife, Miss Elizabeth Jane Carlisle. And the one that would supply to me what I had missed in education in my younger days. She was teaching our school, and I took the picture of the school. This proved the way to an acquaintance, which soon ripened into love and we were married July the 4th, 1892. I was now 23 years old. That year I farmed but did not make very much so I decided to follow my trade, which I did for ten years.
Our first little girl was born to us on the 21st of July, 1893, Iris Ethel. This meant that I must earn more as there was one more mouth to feed. 1894 was a drought year again and times were very hard. In 1895 on May 19 our second little girl was born to us, Grace Ellen. Times were very hard and I worked at any thing that I could get and took pictures when I could get any to take.
That winter of 1895 my wife told me that if I would study that I could teach school in the spring. I have often wondered whether she believed it; but more to please her I agreed to study. She was a good teacher and I was a fertile ground to work on. In this, as in all other things I was determined to win. So I just threw my whole self into the work and on the 22nd of December,1895, I took my first lesson. It took my first lesson. It took fourteen studies to get a certificate in Nebraska, so I got the books; many of them I had never seen before and went to work to master them. I worked hard and in just three months from the day I began I wrote a good second grade certificate where many that had more experience failed. I mention this because I know that if one will do his best with God to help, nothing will be too hard for him. I had here done the impossible from a human standpoint, but I continued to study and to study and to seek help from God. I did not teach that year but went back to my trade and continued in it until the fall of 1890. Then my health failed so that I was forced to give up my business. I had done well and learned the trade so well that I took 4th place at the World’s Fair in Omaha in 1899. When my health failed I sold out and then went on the road as a salesman for a wholesale house in Omaha. I worked for them for two years while I gained back my health (to God be all the glory), and in1902 we decided to come into the far west. I came to Tacoma, then to Spokane, and then to Oregon City. From there I went to Kelso, Washington. This was in 1903.
Here we both went out to teach school and I continued in this work for four years. This was the first time that I had been inside of a school since I was fifteen years old. In 1904 I wrote the second best certificate in the country. We then bought land and farmed a little, then in 1911 we went to Idaho. In 1918 we moved to Portland Oregon. I again took up engine work and my wife and both the daughters went to Westport. There I was first as assistant engineer. Wages were good and we were soon out of debt, but I lost my job and again came to Portland. Here I got a job as Chief Engineer at Bull Run mill and logging camp. I worked for this company for two years and fight months. When I went on the job I was in very poor health I had been for two years. The Dr. had given me no hope that I would ever be well again.
In this condition I began to think about my soul’s salvation. I had been saved, as I stated when I was 21, but like so many I had lost all that long ago, and now when I faced the future I had nothing to lean on but a memory of misdeeds and years wasted in sinful life. Yet, I knew that God was true and if I would call on Him that I should be saved. Yet, I hesitated because I could not bring myself to the thought of joining another church. I had so failed what time I had spent in the church that I hesitated to join another. The greatest question that confronted me is what could I do, and while pondering on this and praying that God would undertake for me—God out of Heaven spoke to me, and thanks be to God I knew Hid voice.
Then I began in earnest, just as I had in learning a trade I put my whole heart into it and sought for salvation and pardon for my sin. After many weary days, and all night prayers I finally was able to take what God so freely had provided for me: a full and complete salvation. This took place on March 3, 1919 at 4:30 A.M. It was at this hour that I touched the hem of His garment and was washed in the Blood of Jesus. I was made a new creature in Him with every habbit broken and at this time I found that Jesus saves. Oh and the joy that filled my soul. The old tobacco habit that I had for 38 years was gone and I was filled with the spirit of God so much that I could scarcely speak without crying or praising God.
Soon I was called to preach and again I was obedient and for two years I preached to the men in the camp. Then I left the millwork and from 1921 to 1928 I gave all my time to preaching the word. I was ordained in the Bible Standard Mission in 1923.
From 1928 to the present time I have farmed and preached wherever a door was opened to me, and I hope to be able to give the rest of my time to the seeking for lost souls of men. I know that the time is short and that soon I must lay down the burdens of this life; but I have a hope that when that time comes that I shall just enter into the fuller meaning of life. That life that knows no ending, sorrow, nor pain. I have gone back over my life and have made my restitution so that I can now look the world in the face without shame. My life has been a hard one, yet I can look back with joy and see how God had his hand on me and finally brought me unto Him. I am glad for salvation that saves and keeps. Also, God healed me when I was saved and now for 17 years I have never taken any medicine nor consulted a doctor.
Now that I am in the evening of this worldly life and I know that this world holds nothing for me now. My inheritance is all above with Jesus. May God bless you my dear children.

William Warren Embree

Wanted: Portland Artists and Craftspeople!

2009-10-20T23:16:00.000-07:00

Artists & Craftsmen
Wanted:
Come rent a table and sell your work at our
Arts and Crafts Fair
(this is a fundraiser)
at Reedwood Friends Church
2901 SE Steel Street, Portland, Oregon

We are charging a flat fee of $25 for a 6’ long table or $30 for an 8’ table

You stay with your table, sell your arts and crafts, take your own money, and keep your profits! No special tagging needed and no percentage taken at the end! Bring your work, a table cloth, and a warm smile. We’ll provide the table and chair.

Saturday, November 21, 2009
Set up 8AM-10 AM
Open to the public 10AM-5PM
Clean up 5PM-7PM

For forms and details email Becky at: ArtCraftFair@gmail.com

Reserve your table now before they are all taken!

2009-06-29T19:58:00.000-07:00

I finished Dr. Amen's Book

2009-06-16T10:04:00.000-07:00

Wow! I really think the world would be a better place if everyone in the world read Dr. Amen's book: Change your Brain Change your Life. I did buy a copy of that one for my brother's birthday. I also got a copy of the new hardback: Magnificent Mind at any Age by Dr Daniel Amen. I look forward to reading it soon.

I'm also reading Drawing on the Right Side of your Brain by Betty Edwards. I will be teaching drawing to young kids during a church camp soon and I want some good ideas. Drawing is something that mostly came naturally to me. My best friend taught me (way back in 8th grade) several things about drawing that I still remember today. It will be interesting working with the kids. They'll be doing self portraits from photos and drawing animal skulls.

Change your brain, change your life!

2009-05-29T09:55:00.000-07:00

I recently watched a special on PBS Oregon Public Broadcasting with Dr. Daniel G. Amen. Wow! I highly reccommend it and his books. Yesterday I bought 2 more of his books (I own 2 already) and I started reading. I don't have time now to share what I have learned but it is so powerful that I am debating which book to buy for my brother's b-day present later in June. I wish everyone would read his books.

Embroidered Swan

2009-05-27T13:30:00.000-07:00

One of my pattern customers bought my large swan pattern and using an embroidery machine created this work of art. She sent me these photos and gave me permission to share them in my blog. Her name is Lou Hurst and she teaches machine embroidery at SEW & VAC in Pheonix Arizona on 35th Avenue. She will be offering classes in creating swans like this in the future so if you live in that area you should check out the class schedule at the SEW & VAC.

You can find my patterns in both my ebay store and my Etsy store FantasyCreations1.

Blessings! Becky

I joined Facebook yesterday!

2009-03-12T08:36:00.000-07:00

My best friend convinced me to join Facebook yesterday and so I did! Last night I set up several scrapbooks full of pictures of my stuffed animal designs and my bead embriodered jewelry.

Today I sold a beautiful pair of earrings on Ebay.

Can you find Beauty and the Beast in the flowers?

2009-03-10T09:35:00.000-07:00

Beauty and the Beast Brooch

2009-03-02T21:20:00.000-08:00

I created this brooch to celebrate the romantic TV show Beauty and the Beast. I incorporated the symbols of the white rose and the clear crystal tip. It is not for sale and there was no intention to violate copyright. I cut out a photo from an episode videotape box and glued it under a large flattened glass marble. The beads are hand stitched onto fabric. If you like my work I sell many beautiful bead embroidered brooches and necklaces in my store, Fantasy Creations 1 on Etsy and my Ebay store, Fantasy Creations.

How I made the Beauty and the Beast Fabric Scrapbook

2009-02-25T18:29:00.000-08:00

The Story Behind My
Beauty and the Beast
Fabric Scrap Book

By Starfirehawk

I discovered Winterfest too late to participate last year. I had just gotten DVDs of both first and second season of Beauty and the beast and watched them and I searched the internet to find other fans of the show to share my rekindled passion with. When I saw the arts and crafts section of Winterfest 2008 I decided to create something unique to display there in 2009. I considered several ideas before settling on a fabric book. I had already been putting old family photos and my own photography onto fabric with my HP inkjet (scanner, copier, printer) and looking through my old videotape box cover collection I decided the photos of Catherine and Vincent would make a wonderful fabric scrapbook I could have fun making and enjoy showing to friends. This project is strictly for personal enjoyment. I have no intention of selling it.
I absolutely love the poetry that was included throughout the series so I hunted down transcripts of the poems and put them into Word, selected fonts I liked and printed them onto fabric too. My idea was to balance the printed word with the beautiful pictures to honor what I liked best about the show.
I read magazines (‘Quilting Arts” and “Cloth Paper Scissors”) and a number of books (see the list at the end) which helped to give me a vision. I rewatched episodes and took notes on themes, key phrases, and symbols that I saw and then I looked through my collection of upholstery fabric scraps, trims, buttons, scrapbook embellishments, rocks, and odds and ends (Yes, I know, I’m a pack rat. Aren’t all artists?) and gathered my treasures into huge piles. I printed pictures of Catherine and Vincent, as well as the poetry onto fabric (I used several different products to make the fabric transfers but the very best fabric sheets for inkjet I found were made by Jacouard (see their website at www.jacquardproducts.com). These sheets ran through my printer just like cardstock paper and the fabric easily peeled off of the backing and could be cut and sewn very easily. If you use “iron on transfers” instead for text remember to set the printer correctly. I made the mistake of printing some of the poems reversed but used them to iron onto sheer fabric so the poem could be read through the transparent fabric. There are two versions of the song “The first time I loved forever” in my book because I used two different techniques to print onto the fabric and I forgot I had made two versions. I like the romantic feel of both pages.
I had originally intended the last page in my fabric book, the one with Vincent looking through a window with fall leaves blowing around, as the cover, but when I was assembling the book I decided to put the page with the combination of the white rose symbol, hearts, white lace, my favorite painting (from episode Season 2, “When the Bluebird Sings” and copied from the cover of “Beauty and the Beast Portrait of Love” by Wendi Pini) on the cover. The toggle to close the book is made from a clear quartz crystal. I also glued another natural crystal on the cover (see season 1, episode Temptation for the white rose and crystal symbols of Vincent’s and Cathrine’s love).
On the cover there is also a tiny metal tag dangling from a flower motif with the words “Life is measured by moments,” which is an important reoccurring theme in the series. In Season 1, Catherine and Vincent note that Father only got to spend a few days with Margaret (“Song of Orpheus”),
In season 2, Vincent and Catherine are inspired to enjoy one Halloween night together, and in “A Fair and Perfect Knight, Vincent complains that “What we share must always be so measured, so limited.” and Catherine tells him that “There is no life without limits.”
Because of the homespun, layered, handstitched, multi-layered textures of the clothing worn by the people in the underground world I wanted the book to have a somewhat shabby look and made little effort to cut off fraying edges and wild threads. I had intended to hand stitch the pages together with a blanket stitch in a contrasting thread but simply ran out of time and used my industrial sewing machine.
As you look carefully through the photos of my fabric scrapbook pages you’ll see:
· A large variety of upholstery fabric, patchwork quilted into pages, mostly in Earthtone colors and soft velvety textures, to capture the feel of the underground world, as well as scraps of imported English Lace curtains,
· celtic knot imported trim and other fancy trims and laces,
· a ribbon with the words “my one and only my heart’s desire forever and ever together forever a dream come true no one else like you” (a lucky find-- designed for scrapbooking and sold at JoAnn’s fabrics and Crafts store), also ribbons printed with “Remember” and :imagine hope believe joy,”
· dozens of wonderful buttons in shapes of hearts, roses, snowflakes, a fan, an art nouveau design, a hat, leaves and acorns, a white and gold angel, a crescent moon, etc.,
· polymer clay pieces in the shapes of a vase, a sleeping woman’s face, a lion’s face, a dragon, a Pegasus, a griffin, a mask, an angel holding a candle, a lion snarling at a striking serpent (perfect to symbolize Vincen’t battle with violent evil men), etc.
· a tiny bouquet of white ribbon roses,
· bits of old broken jewelry and part of a belt buckle,
· stars on a wire,
· an antique rhinestone button,
· a black velvet sleeve ending in a white silk ruffle with ribbons attached at the wrist,
· feathers,
· a silk rose bud made in France,
· braded leather,
· various keys and a tiny lock (to symbolize the secrecy and that love is the key to everything),
· scrapbook word stickers that say “forgotten memories” under a picture of Father and “loved forever” near Catherine and Vincent’s picture, as well as “dream” and “secret romance”
· plastic Renaissance or Medieval themed embellishments,
· metal scrapbook word “believe” under Vincent and Catherine
· a leather “skin horse’” with fringed mane and tail, and a white velour “velveteen rabbit” I designed,
· a metal plaque engraved with the words “It doesn’t matter where you go, it’s who’s beside you that counts,”
· velvety fall leaves,

I thought long and hard about how to create a toggle to close the book and how to bind it. I used a quartz crystal, wrapped with wire and handstitched it to the cover. I used a looped leather strip with a wooden bead to lasso the crystal and stitched it to the back cover of the book. The binding was done by knoting black cord into three loops for each page and sewing them in between the layers of the pages, then lacing leather strips through the loops, tying a knot and wrapping the ends around a wooden wand with a crystal imbedded in the top (I made this) and tying bows in the leather strips. The book can be carried by the wand in the back, like a handle on a suitcase.
The only thing I would change about my project is I would like to have pages with pictures of each of the supporting characters who played such an important part in the story, particularly Joe Maxwell, Elliott Burch, Narcissa, Pascal, Mouse and Jamie, as well as others. I would like to include a greater variety of key quotes from the characters and more literary references. Ah well, maybe that will be a sequel to this project (maybe you’ll see it in 2010 Winterfest). For now, this fabric scrapbook is my tribute to the Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman, the entire cast, to the producers Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas, and the show’s creater Ron Koslow, and Rick Baker, who designed Vincent’s unique look, as well as all of Beauty and the Beast’s writers, artists, and photographers who have immortalized the show in various ways: this project is dedicated to all of you. Thank you.

Idea Resources Book List

Here is the list of books that helped to teach me about photo transfers, creating fabric books and embellishing:
1. Photo Fun Print your own Fabric for Quilts & Crafts from the Hewlett-Packard Company, Edited by Cyndy Lyle Rymer
2. The Photo Transfer Handbook by Jean Ray Laury
3. Altered Photo Artistry Turn Everyday Images into Works of Art on Fabric by beth Wheeler with Lori Marquette
4. Quilted Memories Journaling, Scrapbooking & Creating Keepsakes with Fabric by Lesley Riley
5. Mixed Media Explorations by Beryl Taylor
6. Altered Book Collage by Barbara Matthiessen
7. Collage, Assemblage, and Altered Art Creating Unique Images and Objects by Diane Maurer-Mathison
8. Fabric Art Journals Making, Sewing, and Embellishing Journals from Cloth and Fibers by Pam Sussman
9. Fabric Memory Books by Lesley Riley
10. Creating with Fabric by Jill Haglund
11. Embellished Mini-quilts by Jamie Fingal
12. Art Journals & Creative Healing by Sharon Soneff

Here are the photos of my Beauty and the Beast Fabric Scrapbook

2009-02-24T11:50:00.000-08:00

I did not make this quilt but I did make one square: the one with Jesus kneakling at the rock looking up to heaven. I found it a very challenging project and at the same time very deeply satifying. My beadwork is an extension of my passion to hand stitch to create art. I made the beauty and the Beast Brooch I am wearing in the picture. I will feature the photos of that in my next blog entry. It is not for sale.

This scrapbook is not for sale. It was made for my own enjoyment and to honor the actors, writers and producers of the TV Show Beauty and the Beast. No intention to infringe on copyright intended. I want to thank everyone who brought this unique show to life.

Essay on the symbols The White Rose and The Clear Crystal in Beauty and the Beast TV Show

2009-02-18T17:28:00.000-08:00

The White Rose and the Clear Crystal

There are many significant symbols in Beauty and the Beast. In the First Season episode “Temptation,” both Catherine and Vincent want to give each other a special and significant gift to commemorate the anniversary of their first year together. Catherine hand sews a leather pouch suspended on a long cord for Vincent and places a carved white rose inside to give to Vincent. Vincent journeys deep into the earth to bring back a treasure for Catherine. He has Mouse assist him in creating a quartz crystal necklace on a silver chain for Catherine.
They exchange their gifts with tenderness and appreciation. Both of them wear their necklaces near their hearts to honor their “dream” of spending a life together. At Winterfest (Season 2, “Dead of Winter”) we see Catherine’s crystal dangling between her breasts: a sensual phallic symbol. Vincent holds the white rose in his hands and contemplates his love for Catherine and the risk they would take by traveling with her to a lake outside the city (Season 2, “Remember Love”).
In the traditional tale of Beauty and the Beast the theft of a rose by Beauty’s father creates a debt to the Beast that must be fulfilled by Beauty staying with the Beast in his enchanted castle. In the Disney version the Beast must win Beauty’s love and commitment to marry him before the last petal of a red rose falls and he dies. Beauty must teach the Beast to treat her with patience, kindness, and respect; she humanizes him while developing compassion for him in his lonliness. Ironically, Vincent teaches Catherine to be courageous, compassionate and loving. He affirms that is what he sees in her and she is transformed from a shallow rich girl into a champion for the weak.
Researching the symbolic meaning of the white rose turned up an intriguing connection to an ancient book of Alchemy with a “White Queen” and mercury, female, lunar, cold energy. “…The two principles of the material prima then reappear as the Red King (“sulphur of the wise”) emerging from the womb of the White Queen (mercury, or the White Rose). They unite in the fire of love and from their union comes perfection, the Philosopher’s Stone: the catalyst for turning base metals into gold and the key to enlightenment.” (from The Secret Language of Symbols by David Fontana, PhD, pages 248-249). If the white rose is the symbol for Catherine, then she takes on a greater significance as part of a transforming miracle, when combined through love with the Red King (Vincent) that combine to create something new and pure. This byproduct of their love changes the people around them and it has changed all of us.
According to Florapedia the white rose is symbolic for purity, virtue, innocence, sympathy, spirituality, and secrecy. It is a traditional wedding flower (true love), as well as used at funerals (honor and reverence). It can signify new beginnings or farewell. Vincent and Catherine long for each other but restrain themselves from making love, maintaining a pure and innocent tenderness towards one another. The unfulfilled yearning heightens their bond and allows them to feel connected even though they are physically apart. A red rose would symbolize passionate love, unrestrained while the white rose captures the significance of their spiritual link. The secret, hidden white rose within the leather bag reinforces it’s symbolism as something precious, rare and withheld privately.
Vincent selects a perfectly clear (pure) quartz crystal from the cave in the depths of the Earth to give to Catherine as the symbol she will have for him. It is suspended from a silver chain (silver is associated with the moon and virgins). In David Fontana’s book on symbols, there is an association between quartz and the Virgin Mary (p. 198). According to the New Age Directory, a quartz crystal can symbolize a person’s inner being, be a tool for meditation, assist in telepathic thought and can be an amulet to be used in ritual divination.
The hardness and the shape of the crystal can also be perceived to symbolize Vincent’s masculinity while the soft petals of a rose opening can be symbolic for Catherine’s femininity. They each wear the symbol of the other bringing them balance, just as the two teardrop halves of the Yin and Yang contain a spot of their opposite contained inside. Catherine and Vincent are both strong and vulnerable, courageous and frightened, hard and soft. The white rose and the quartz crystal are perfect symbols for the unique relationship Vincent and Catherine share.

________________________________________

Thank you to the sources quoted above.

Thank you the the candlemakers of Winterest 2009 who hosted my essay Feb 7- 15, 2009.

Five White Roses I made from Sculpy Polymer Clay

2009-02-10T16:38:00.000-08:00

I hand made these roses from polymer clay.

I will make 2 of them available for sale in my Etsy store and 3 in my Ebay store for fans of Beauty and The Beast

These are photos of my handcrafted white roses.

You can compare them to the rose Catherine

gave to Vincent in

Beauty and the Beast

on the first year anniversary of the day they met

shown in the episode

"Temptation"
This photo below is a screen capture shared here for enjoyment with no intention of copyright violation.

Beauty and the Beast theme crystal necklaces

2009-02-10T08:45:00.000-08:00

I finished making these necklaces Sunday night

and posted them to my

store on Etsy

http://www.fantasycreations1.etsy.com/

and today I am going to make white roses

out of polymer clay

I'll post them in the store as soon as I can

Winterfest is wonderful! See you there! One week only! Don't miss it!

2009-02-08T21:40:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd post these photos of my battery operated candles and the other pieces of my Beauty and the Beast collection. Go to Winterfest to read my essay, see my fabric scrapbook and my bead embroidered brooch. All done for the love of Beauty and the Beast. In a week I'll post them here but not until Winterfest is over.

Winterfest Beauty and the Beast TV show

2009-02-05T22:03:00.000-08:00

If this link works go to Winterfest the week of Feb 7-14th.

http://www.beautyandthebeast-tv.com/winterfest/greathall/

Thinking about Winterfest

2009-02-05T21:41:00.000-08:00

I'm going to share some more interesting photos. I'm looking forward to attending the internet convention for Beauty and the Beast fans called Winterfest starting this Saturday Feb 7th. I have been careful not to post any photos here of my creations honoring the show (they are being hosted on Winterfest) but after Winterfest is over I will post all of the photos here.

My husband does not allow me to burn candles in the house because of fire risk but his mother gave me three battery operated candles and I have purchased two more on Ebay. They are wonderful. I'll take a picture someday and post it here. I think any candle lover who is concerned about safety issues (I have 4 cats) would love these new candles. They are wax and they flicker but they are as safe as a flashlight.

My photos of entrances to the underworld

2008-12-21T18:24:00.000-08:00

Imagine... Vincent and Catherine in these locations:

As we draw nearer to the Beauty and the Beast fan's celebration of Winterfest I'd like to post a few more of my photos. I hope you like them.

Where to go from here?

2008-12-20T17:46:00.000-08:00

Ok, I don't really like to talk about myself, especially when it comes to negative things but I have spent the last 3 years trying to establish several internet stores where I can sell my own jewelry and stuffed animal patterns and make enough money to keep my husband off my back. I have failed to earn as much money as a 13 year old babysitter. I love making creative thins and I love working from home. I have earned over 1300 positive feedbacks on eBay and I also have a nice pro-store and 3 stores on etsy. I have fibromyalgia so I suffer from muscular pain and fatigue. I also have a very rare genetic disease called co-pro-porphyria which prevents me from taking almost all known medications (my liver will not metabolize them).

I need a new career. I have no idea what direction to go in now. I invested a great deal of time and money becoming a high school English teacher only to be driven to resign by the vice principal at the school I worked for. Nothing I did would satisfy her. I spent a year crying as I walked into the building, often during my lunch break and I also cried myself to sleep at night. I'm 53. I have had so many terrible bosses in my lifetime that I am terrified of working for another one.

I'll admit I have been battling depression for several years now. My husband insists that I earn an income and every time I think about being in a job interview, confronted by the question, "Why did you leave your last job?" I just feel a mixture of pain and anger and I can't imagine what I could answer that would make someone actually want to hire me.

I am a highly sensitive artist. I am terrible at corporate politics. I wish I could network with other people for suggestions on where to turn next.

It is snowing outside. We have several inches of accumulated snow. It would be lovely if I didn't feel so sad.

Christmas is almost here!

2008-12-17T14:15:00.000-08:00

Several months have passed since my last post here. It is hard to come up with something new and interesting to write every day. I don't feel comfortable sharing every intimate detail of my personal life and I'm not sure what would interst my readers. I have created some interesting new pieces of jewelry but is that really what you want to know? The decine in the economy has had an impact on my sales and I am becoming discouraged. Christmas sales are very poor for me. I have invested in showcases on Etsy in order to promote my work. Nothing makes any difference. I guess my absence from my blog is a reflection of my own discouragement. I feel helpless.

I have enjoyed taking some beautiful photographs over the last few months. This is the one activity my husband and I most like to share. I often think about the underground world of Vincent and Father depicted in the 1980s TV series Beauty and the Beast. I have been photographing scenes that remind me of the show.

I decided on the photographs to use in the listing

2008-09-03T08:12:00.000-07:00

Here are the photographs I'm including in my Etsy listing plus some shots I could not fit in since Etsy limits the number to five.

Photos of Memorial Jewelry I created for myself.

2008-08-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

I'm still thinking about how to offer custom memorial jewelry. I talked to my best friend about it yesterday and she made a good point about how long it would take to communicate back and forth for a custom piece. Paypal requires that sellers ship within 7 days of payment or gives you no seller protection. I have found if I ask 5 questions customers only answer 2 of them.

Below is the brooch I made after my cat died. I bought a pair of earrings and took them apart and used one as the centerpiece. The image reminde me of him with his striking features and long muzzle. I believe he was half Egyptian Mau (rudy).

In the back of the brooch I have included some of his fur. The colors of the beads and selections of stone beads were to represent his colors. Dangling from the side is a spray of beads ending in hematite hearts and crystal tears. I wore this brooch for quite a while during my grieving provess. It made me feel closer to him.

While he was alive I made a brooch with a heavy glass "marble" over the photograph.

The very first bead embroidered necklace I made was this hand sculptured and hand painted image of my cat while he was young and healthy.

The pieces in these photographs were made to honor the memory of my beloved cat. They are not for sale. I would like to offer to make custom memorial jewelry for other people on ETSY in my FantasyCreations1 shop. The watch crystals and glass hearts I have now to use in photo jewelry were not available to me then. The custom pieces I want to be able to make would have bead embroidery but the central pieces would be different. I am still thinking about how to create a listing for custom memorial jewelry. If I posted a photo of one of these pieces people would expect me to make the same sort of piece for them. I don't want people to think I would only do pet or cat themed pieces.

Feel free to post a comment. I only set up the protective barriers to prevent a virus spreader I heard about, who was using etsy related blog comment posts to entice people to click and catch his computer virus, from using my blog to harm my readers. I welcome helpful and interesting comments. The only post, so far, that has attracted comments was the one with photos of orange houses.

I need suggestions for making a listing for custom memorial jewelry in my Etsy store

2008-08-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

Tonight I started a new thread on Etsy in the techniques and materials category in the community forums. This is what I posted:

I'm a bead embroidery artist and when my beloved kitty died I created a beautiful brooch with some of his fur inside a hiiden pocket with a window in the back. Wearing it brought me a lot of comfort while I grieved. It occurred to me that I could make unique jewelry for people grieving a loss but here is my problem-- The piece I made would not be the same at all to what I would create for each person. What do I use to make a sample that will reach out to people and easily translate to them as something I could make to honor their own loved one?I could make a brooch or necklace with a photograph in the front and optional hair inside the back or not. I don't want people to think the loss has to be a pet but it could be a pet. Someone about a month ago mentioned wantion jewelry to honor the memory of a miscarried baby. I'm not sure how to bring up that idea since I don't want to cause pain. I also could make jewelry for those who want to honor a living loved one (new baby, boyfriend, husband, son), perhaps someone working and living far away, such as soldiers in Iraq. I don't have any human beings away at war or who have died in the last 20 years or so. It takes quite a bit of time to create bead embroidered jewelry so I want this sample piece to be beautiful and meaningful after I photograph it for the listing.I really appreciate your thoughts and suggestions on this.

Sara Lee Truck Driver Nearly Killed ME!

2008-08-24T15:28:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I was crossing the street with my husband. We were crossing with the walk sign, in the walk lane. A Sara Lee delivery truck driver was on the phone and made a turn directly towards us. My husband was ahead of me and saw him headed towards us. He yelled at him and I awoke from my internal thoughts and looked at the truck's grill and bumper and realized he was not going to stop and I would be struck and run over in the next 2 seconds. I ran. I barely escaped. I could have struck the side of the truck with my hand as it passed. I screamed at the driver and watched him drive away, never touching his breaks or turning his head or getting off the phone, which he held to his left ear.
If I had been an elderly or disabled person I would be at my own funeral right now.
I decided to investigate and report him to his supervisor at Sara Lee. I went into Fred Meyer and a witness gave me her phone number and said she and her little daughter had been distressed by the scene and thought they were about to see me killed. I got the driver's name from the administration at Fred Meyer and when I got home I made several calls to the offices of Sara Lee. I left messages about the incident since no one anwered the phone. Later that day I got a phone call and the woman took down all of the details and assured me she would contact the man's supervisor. I later got a call from the supervisor. He assured me that safety was their first priority and that the driver would be dealt with.

So dear readers, I am grateful to God to be alive and glad I can still run in spite of my fibromyalgia. I recently saw the movie "The Bucket List" and this incident made me think about the things I still want to experience or accomplish before I "kick the bucket." I suggest you see the movie and think about how fragile our lives are and kiss your loved ones and tell them you love them often because we never know when something will come along and snuff out our life's flame. If I were to have a Tatoo (which I will not) I think I would want the words "This TOO shall pass" as a daily reminder to appreciate today and live a life of love and gratitude. There is a story of a king who wanted a phrase that would make him happy when he was sad and sad when he was happy and a wise man came to him and offered "This TOO shall pass."

Here is the history of my stuffed animal gift shop

2008-08-07T10:47:00.000-07:00

In the Early 1980s My Gift Shop was Named
Flaming-Martin Gifts

I designed over 100 different stuffed animal patterns and created the beautiful, high quality stuffed animals and sold them in my store, Flaming-Martin Gifts. I designed and painted all the signs. I used to tell people that I made smiles for a living. People would come into my shop from their busy, harried lives, and soon begin to smile as they touched the soft fur of the stuffed animals and remembered how their own favorite stuffed animal had comforted them in their childhoods. I remember people coming back to my shop to buy more stuffed animals for friends and loved ones and telling me how much everyone loved my creations.
Sometimes people would pick up an animal and ask me if it had a name. I would always reply, "Ah, there's magic in naming things and that power must lie with the animal's final owner. Haven't you had a stray dog or cat come and beg for food and the moment you gave it a real name it was no longer a stray. That animal was now yours. If I named these little creatures they would belong to me. I am just their creator, their true owner has to find them, love them, and name them." My customer would smile, sometimes I know they thought I was a little crazy, but most of the time, I think they understood a profound truth: There is magic in naming things.

Fantasy Creations was Born in 1984

In 1984 I published patterns for 13 of my stuffed animal designs and wanted the new business to have a name separate from my gift shop, so in 1984, Fantasy Creations was born. I worked on selling the patterns in a variety of ways including through Crafts magazines. But, in the end, I packed them away in large cases to await a time when I could market them more cost effectively and 20 years later I now have several stores named Fantasy Creations on eBay, on Etsy and on the internet and I am gradually gaining more and more happy customers every day. I sell my stuffed animal patterns to people all over the world.

A Look Inside the Gift Shop
Beginning with My Magnificent
Bald Eagle in Flight

My most amazing design was the Bald Eagle in Flight. It had a three and a half foot wingspread. It was a limited edition soft sculpture with a signed and numbered card attached to the tip of the wing. I only made a few of them. It took 10 hours of agonizing work to finish one. This was never designed to be a child's toy. This design required a wire framework inside the wings. It sold for $100 over 25 years ago (I don't think I would accept less than $400 if I made one today), and was destined to grace a man's study. This creature put my male customers at ease because of its fierce, masculine, symbolic power.
Now, back to the gift shop, so I can explain more about how it worked. My husband helped me in hundreds of ways, like taking the professional photographs for the brochure, and painting and remodeling the front of the gift shop. I kept the sewing machines, cutting table, and the cases of fake fur upstairs. We rigged a system to ring the doorbell when someone entered the front door and I would drop everything and run downstairs to take care of the customer. Most of the time I brought stuffing and animals that needed to be turned right side out, and stuffed, downstairs with me, so I could make good use of my time. It is not easy trying to make a living when you have to do everything from buying supplies, to designing, to sewing, to selling, as well as accounting.
In order to make over 100 stuffed animal designs, I had to find fake fur that looked like the animals I wanted to create. I was thrilled when I bought the material for the bobcat and went to work, right away, designing a realistic bobcat pattern. Most of the time I got the pattern right the first time but I did have to go through two prototypes before I was satisfied with the final fierce, regal, wild cat design.

Dragons and Unicorns were very popular sellers in my gift shop. The Large Dragon was at least five hours of work. The open mouth with Rick-Rack teeth had to be stitched in by hand. This was another limited edition soft sculpture that came with a signed and numbered card. I made dragons in a variety of colors, black and silver, red and black, green and black, orange and black, blue and black (with silver down the back), and my personal favorite: purple with black and silver.

The Man in the Moon pillow made a great hanging piece for a baby's room or a bed decoration for a teenager. They sold so often that I made over a dozen, to hang up in my shop, in every color I thought a moon would look good in.

I filled the front window of my gift shop with lots of beautiful stuffed animals to catch the eyes of people passing by.

The Giant Unicorn Pegasus (two and a half feet tall and over 3 feet long; large enough to sit on to watch TV) was the one that really brought customers into the shop. Most people settled for a less expensive, smaller unicorn, or some other animal but if I sold one of these giant horses, you can bet I went to work on creating a new one for the front window, right away. One thing I learned the hard way though, was that stuffed animals have to be rotated out of sunny windows or the fake fur quietly sun rots and you can pierce your fingers right through the fabric! (a word to the wise).
I also created a variety of realistic horses, a giant elephant, a giant seal, and more. I really came to believe that there was a person meant for every creature I designed, and it was only a matter of time before they found each other. One of my favorite stories was when I had designed a lonely baby camel and it sat on a shelf, unnoticed, for over a year, until one day a woman came into my shop and picked it up and didn't put the little camel down. She said something about the little camel spoke to her and she had to buy him. She picked up one of my business cards before she left and a few weeks later I was surprised to find a post card, addressed to me, from the lady, telling me how the little camel was her traveling companion on a trip across country and that he had been a blessing to her. Well, that convinced me that no design was a mistake just because it didn't fly out the door every day.
I was often asked why I didn't make traditional teddy bears. My answer was that you could find teddy bears everywhere else, in every size, and shape, and color imaginable but where could you find a Loch Ness Monster (sea dinosaur) or a killer whale and its baby, or a cacomistle? I even designed life like, rare and unusual animals for the Portland zoo: a red panda, a ring tailed lemeur, and a Humbolt penguin. I loved the challenge of creating stuffed animals that you couldn't find anywhere else. I did make a cute bear puppet and a realistic polar bear cub, though.

My T-Rex was always fun to make and popular for tough little boys who would turn their nose up at most stuffed animals. I made them with those tough little boys in mind and reinforced all stress points thoroughly.
I give the bunny pattern for free to customers who buy more than one pattern from me and the pattern is also included with the Man in the Moon Pillow pattern, along with the rainbow ball.
The Canada Goose was a favorite decorative piece and was purchased by adult men and women. It carried a signed and numbered, limited edition card.
The Merhorse (one of my most popular published patterns) was always one of my favorite stuffed animals because when you held it the tail sliped around the back of your arm and pressed gently, like a hug, and gave you a feeling of comfort. I donated one to a counselor to use with children who needed to talk about things.
The puppy dog and lamb were so popular as gifts for young children that I made them available as patterns, so people who sew could make them to give or sell at craft fairs.
Eventually I had to close the gift shop in order to pursue career opportunities that would bring me more income. I can’t compete with the price of stuffed animals made in China so I don’t aspire to open another gift shop stocked with finely handcrafted stuffed animals. I have done many things that earned more money for me than my little gift shop but nothing has matched the satisfaction I got from the direct contact with customers and creating new designs every week. Selling on the Internet and reading positive customer feedbacks has given back some of that lost sense of “making smiles” for a living. It is my desire to continue to grow my Internet business until I earn as much as I did working for other people. I will accomplish that goal one happy customer at a time.

The email I received today made me realize why I designed all of those stuffed animals over the years

2008-07-31T23:28:00.000-07:00

I got an email today from a young girl who was sad because she lost her beloved companion stuffed animal. I will share it here but keep her identity private.

My name is ----- and I am 15 years old. My mom had gotten a stuffed pegasus we named Rosy from her best friend when she was 13 years old. It was in the 80's. We see on your web sight a unicorn/pegasus that has the same face and body as our Rosy but yours is larger and the legs and mane and wings are different. Our Rosy was thrown away by a heartless maid in a hotel on our last trip two days ago we tried to get her back but it was to no avail. Rosy has gone everywhere with us for 28 years and we are heart broken. We have photos of rosy and we can give pretty accurate measurements. Would you be willing to try to make us our Rosy again? Please call ------------ or e-mail ----------- with the details of what you need from us if you say yes or if you can't, maybe you know someone who can. Thank you, -----.

I wrote her back:
Hi,
If you email me photos of Rosey I can have a look and email you back. I sold a variety of Pegasus stuffed animals in the 1980s in my own little gift shop, called Flaming-Martin Gifts, and Rosey may have been one of my creations. I was making them before they were widely manufactured by big stuffed animal companies. Do you remember if Rosey had a sewn in tag in the rear? None of my creations ever had sewn in tags. If the pattern is one of mine of course I could make you another. I would have to see which of the designs it was to tell you a price. I look forward to looking at the photos.
Blessings,
Becky

Later she sent me photos and said they had found a Dakin tag that belonged to Rosie. I will not copy another businesse's design but I began to search the internet for vintage Dakin pegasus stuffed animals and sent them links and suggestions for their search.

A few hours later I wrote her this letter:

Hi again,

I have given a lot of thought to your family and your loss of your beloved Rosie. If you have never read the book The Velveteen Rabbit you should get the book (it may even be printed on the internet) and read it. Rosie would qualify, like the beloved rabbit in the story, for becoming real. No new stuffed animal will ever be Rosie. It would be like loosing a sister or your dog and trying to clone them or find a look alike. It will never be the same. Rosie came into your life and blessed it and now she is gone. You must grieve the loss. Love again but keep a special place in your heart just for the memories you shared with Rosie and make new memories with a new soft friend. I have spent many years making stuffed animals and there is magic in it. I never name the ones I make because the magic begins when the owner looks into its face and names it. Like a stray cat that you one day give a real name to-- it is not a stray any longer; it is yours now. Rosie has become real through love. The grief you feel is real and don't feel foolish about it. Love and loss are both a part of being human. If we never love we never grieve but then we never fully live either.

Blessings,

Becky

Dear readers of my blog, after reading yesterday about how I was giving up making stuffed animals to sell how do you think this girl's letter made me feel? I am very sad not to be making beautiful creatures that go out and touch the lives of people and bring comfort and joy for years as their little Rosie did. There is magic in it and our federal government representitive was as unempathetic with my plight as any steriotypical bureaucrat could possibly be. We live in a strange world, my friends. I have no idea how we can change it but I used to tell people I made 'smiles" for a living because in the 1980s people would come into my gift shop and before long they'd be smiling.

I'm frustrated! I'll no longer be offering my finished stuffed animals for sale.

2008-07-30T20:24:00.000-07:00

I have been looking into the federal regulations on stuffed animals and after speaking with a federal representative, Dollie Nicholson, regarding flamability testing required on all stuffed animals, no exceptions for home crafters, I have decided to pull my two animals from my etsy store listings. I am feeling very angery and frustrated. Here is the correspondence. What do you think of this?
_______________________________________________________

Dear Ms. Becky:

It was a pleasure talking with you yesterday. I am Dollie Nicholson a compliance officer with CPSC. I am responding to your inquiry concerning testing of stuffed toys. For your information:

1. There are no federal safety flammability standards for stuffed toys; however, there is a voluntary standard that all stuffed toys must conform with.

The voluntary standard is in the toy specification ASTM Designation F963-07. It provides very specific instructions on the test methods for stuffed toys.

The purpose of the test is to determine if the entire toy bursts into flames within a specified time. ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive , PO Box

C700, West Conshohocken , PA , 19428-2959 , www.astm.com

2. I am not aware any laws or standards to make fabrics fire resistant/retardant.

There are CPSC requirements for stuffed toys that your product must meet. They are:

Toys/Children's Products
small parts
FHSA
1500.18(a)(9)
1501
Regulatory Summary
Test Manual
Test Laboratories

Toys/Children's Products
use and abuse tests
FHSA
1500.50 (also pdf)
1500.51 (also pdf)
1500.52 (also pdf)
1500.53 (also pdf)
1500.14(a)(5)
1500.83(a)(8)
1700.14(a)(6)
Test Manual
Test Laboratorie

Toys/Children's Products
sharp edges
FHSA
1500.49
Test Manual
Test Laboratories

Toys/Children's Products
sharp points
FHSA
1500.48
Test Manual
Test Laboratories

Toys/Children's Products
painted with lead or containing lead
CPSA
1500.17(a)(6)
Test Manual
Test Laboratories
Guidance for Lead in Consumer Products
Regulatory Summary
Metal Jewelry Enforcement Policy
Metal Jewelry Test Method
Metal Jewelry Health Rationale
US Candy Importers: Lead in Wrappers
Mexican Candy Producers: Lead in Wrappers
Mexican Candy Producers: Version Español
Lead Testing for Children’s Metal Jewelry FAQ

Please visit www.cpsc.gov for more information. You may contact me should you have questions or concerns.

Regards,

Dollie W. Nicholson

Compliance Officer

dnicholson@cpsc.gov

(301) 504-7603

*****!!! Unless otherwise stated, any views or opinions expressed in this e-mail (and any attachments) are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Copies of product recall and product safety information can be sent to you automatically via Internet e-mail, as they are released by CPSC. To subscribe or unsubscribe to this service go to the following web page: https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx *****!!!
____________________________________________________________________-

Dear Dollie Nicholson,

Thank you for sending me the information. I will not be listing them as toys. I will be selling them as soft sculptured collectibles (fabric sculptures) for adults and teens and specifically informing customers that they are not intended for small children.

It is unreasonable to require a craftsperson, who is not a manufacturer, to pay a lab to have their few handcrafted creations burned. They are very time consuming to make. I only make a few of them and the materials cost me a lot of money. Each animal is made with a different plush so I would essentially make the various animals and pay someone to burn them all up. What kind of sense would that make? These are not samples of hundreds, or thousands, or millions of the same identical animal. They are essentially each unique works of art. I make them using the best materials and only new, pure polyester fiber stuffing. I reinforce all of the stress points and use plastic eyes and noses secured with lock washers inside the animal. I don't attach ribbons or any other small parts. I never put wires or other sharp things inside.

Thank you again for taking the time to talk with me and send me this information. Now I am most interested in knowing what terminology I specifically need to use to disqualify my soft sculptured creations from being tested by fire. What would I need to say in the description that would make it clear that these are not toys? Can you send me links to information about who/what is exempt and how to be exempt? Thank you.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Flaming-Martin
__________________________________________________________

Dear Ms. Flaming-Martin:

Stuffed animals are intended for use by children of all ages. This includes children under the age of 3. If you stick a label that states your product is intended for teens and adults, that conflicts with the age labeling guidelines.

Dollie Nicholson

________________________________________________________________________

So, dear readers, I have decided not to sell my lovely handcrafted stuffed animals anymore. I will continue to sell the patterns.

Here is my Etsy mini from my handcrafted jewelry store Fantasy Creations1

2008-07-29T15:47:00.000-07:00

Here is my Etsy mini from my store Fantasy Creations

2008-07-29T15:38:00.000-07:00

I have been busy making new things!

2008-07-22T22:33:00.000-07:00

All of these pieces are for sale in my etsy store, FantasyCreations1. These are just a sample of all of the exciting new pieces I recently finished ans listed.

I had fun at the Gem show.

2008-07-13T21:09:00.000-07:00

I'm making many new handcrafted jewelry pieces to list in my Etsy and eBay stores. I went to a Gem show here in Portland and bought many beautiful beads. The (dyed) red coral beads and branches are amazing. I have handcarved coral rose beads that I already worked up into a stunning necklace and earrings set. I'll be listing them in FantasyCreations1 on Etsy.
I hope all of my lovely readers are having a great summer. It is hot here. I need to go open some windows, evening has fallen while I was posting comments in threads in the Etsy Forums. Blessings!

Here is another one of my newest additions to my growing Beauty and the Beast Collection

2008-07-10T21:56:00.000-07:00

The Unofficial Tale of Beauty and the Beast by Edward Gross. This is a treasure with summaries of all of the first season episodes and interviews and black and white photographs of the cast.

These are photos of the Beauty and the Beast TV show scripts I bought recently

2008-07-10T19:43:00.000-07:00

" The Prodigal," written by David Peckinpah, First House Draft Dated August 25, 1988. It is 54 pages long. This script never made it to the screen. It continues the conflict between Mitch and Vincent after Mitch is released to be at his father's side as he dies and then escapes from his guards.... The voices of the characters are so real you can hear the actor's voices through the script.
" Act of Mercy" written by Peter J. Kappesser, First Draft August 18, 1988. It is 56 pages long. This script never made it to the screen. It involves a lion-woman, like Vincent, who grew up in Russia. I hated the ending but the story was engaging and compelling.
"Notes from the Underworld" no author or date is given at all. It is 55 pages long. This script never made it to the screen. This story involves clearing the name of an old man who was blamed for the deaths of his men in a mining accident years before. Vincent risks everything to get the proof that the blame lies with men in power in New York... Even Catherine has to turn her back on him as the "community" sentences Vincent to banishment!

"A fair and Perfect Knight" written by P.K. Simonds, Jr., Directed by Gus Trikonis; Goldenrod paper Nov. 7 1988, (6th=final draft?)
"Labyrinths" Story by Howard Gordon & Alex Gansa, Teleplay by Virginia Aldridge, Directed by Daniel Attias Nov. 30 1988; 7th=Grey draft (final?)
"Remember Love" (Formerly "Touchstone"), Written by Virginia Aldridge, Directed by Victor Lobl; Dated September 20, 1988, Blue draft =8th (final?)
"Ozymandias" Written by George R.R. Martin, Directed by Frank Beascoechea; First Draft =yellow dated Feb 16, 1988.

More photos coming soon!

2008-07-06T20:26:00.000-07:00

I bought several Beauty and the Beast scripts and they only arrived in the mail yesterday. Three of them were never made into episodes. One of those was written by David Peckinpah, one of the key writers for the show. The date is August 25th, 1988. I googled David Peckinpah's name and learned he died in 2006. This script is called "The Prodigal" and continues the conflict between Mitch, Vincent and Cathrine. He really has the voices of the characters down perfectly. you can hear the voices of Mouse, Father, and Joe, as well as Mitch. I can see why it never made it to the screen (Vincent would have never pressured Cathrine to get Mitch released from prison even to be at the bedside of his father) but first drafts often get several revisions before they become episodes. The rhythm of each character's dialogue is distinctive. Their word choices and tone are unique to each one. I am hoping to buy more unproduced scripts. It is the only way other than reading fan writing, to get more of the Beauty and the Beast stories. I've been thinking a lot about the symbolism in the show and why it has continued to have such an impact on us, the fans, even after all these years. I'm going to sell some little leather bags in my etsy store, FantasyCreations1. I'm working on offering some quartz crystal necklaces and I want to sell white roses handmade, I think, from polymer clay.
I'll post photos of my newest finds as soon as I can get them photographed. I have a lot more to say about the show too.

More photos of my Beauty and the Beast Collection

2008-06-27T22:05:00.000-07:00

Okay, I am a little bit obsessed. I have been listening to the music and poetry being read by Ron Perlman in his Vincent voice from Beauty and the Beast, for the last couple of weeks (it is so beautiful it makes my heart ache) in my car, and rewatching episodes on the DVDs, whenever I get a chance.

I have four video tapes that have extra material I have not found on my DVDs. Vincent reads the most poetic and passionate love letters to Catherine after the credits. Only four of my video tapes have the letters and they are all different and related to the episode on the tape, as if he wrote them in his journal before going to bed after the final scene of that episode. Here are titles of the four episodes with the extra material:

Nor Iron Bars a Cage

Song of Orpheus

Masques

The Beast Within

Here are a few of the photos I'm going to post in the next week of my newest Beauty and the Beast finds, adding more diversity to my Beauty and the Beast TV series private collection. I am still looking for the Beauty and the Beast calendars (except 3rd season) and the novels I mentioned yesterday.

I discovered some treasures I had forgotten I had-Beauty and the Beast fans must see these photos!!!

2008-06-26T21:57:00.000-07:00

Well, my romantic obsession with Beauty and the Beast has been rekindled and as I hunted for new finds on the internet I came across photos of several books that looked familiar. This may sound odd but I have so many books I forgot these burried treasures. I dug them out and opened their covers and remembered years ago that two of them were signed. I got "Pascal's" (Armin Shimerman is one of the nicest people I have ever met!) signiture at a Star Trek convention. I got Ru Emerson's autograph at Westercon I think.

For those who love the story as much as I do I'm creating a fabric book (personal treasure) to honor the series and will be posting photos in the near future.

I am searching for two novels I don't have in my collection:

Beauty and the Beast Beyond Words Beyond silence by Nan Dribble

Beauty and the Beast Bright Spirit Descending by Nan Dribble

They are rare and out of print and I can't afford to pay the incredible prices I've seen on the internet: $75-$300 for a used paperback. I'm on a budget. Sales in my ebay store and my three Etsy stores have been very low. I've been collecting a few new affordable pieces to add to my collection.

Beauty and the Beast, Season 2 of the TV series

2008-06-06T11:13:00.001-07:00

I finished watching season 2 of Beauty and the beast yesterday. It left me enthralled all day. I wish there had been more with the same writers behind it. I wish Linda Hamilton had waited a bit longer to have a child so that she could have continued in the role. It is so beautiful and tragic and ends with her screaming "Vincent!!" I dreamed about them last night. The writer left us one allusion, delivered twice so we wouldn't miss it. A little girl in Vincent's literary group asks him to finish reading the last chapter of Jane Eyre to them. She remindsh im again later and tries to give him the book to take with him when he leaves them to isolate himself. I think the hope lies in readin Jane Eyre's last chapter. For those who have never read Jane Eyre it is classic Gothic romance by Charlotte Bronte. Jane Eyre is my favorite book. If you have never read it please do. I'm not going to spoil it here for you.

I posted pictures above of the DVD, season 2, the CD (it includes musical themes so romantic you want to kiss someone and Ron Pearlman's readings of classic poetry is so beautiful it makes me ache), and the graphic novel with an image of the painting done of Catherine and Vincent by the dead artist in season 2 on the cover. These are treasured possessions in my collection. I also have a t-shirt and a poster of Vincent.

I may post more about the series again.

Remember the TV series BEAUTY and The BEAST with Ron Pearlman?

2008-06-03T07:04:00.000-07:00

My best friend gave me a DVD of Season 1 of Beauty and the Beast and while I have been working on Fimo roses lately I have watched the episodes. I ordered season 2 from Amazon.com and have watched the first 4 episodes. For the first time I see the visual archetypal symbolism that resonates with me and it makes me think about how those symbols show up in my art or in collections, dreams, etc. Vincent and Catherine are yin and yang--opposites that complete each other. She comes from the world above and lives high in a sky scraper in an apartment that is surprisongly uncluttered. She has a collection of crystal eggs and balls. Outside, on her balcony is a large round relief of a winged goddess or angel. "With love's light wings did I o'er perch these walls..." and Vincent climbs the skyscraper to meet her on the balcony. But hesitates to enter her apartment. He lives deep beneath the earth, a world cluttered with books, art, stained glass, bronze statues, etc. The underworld is a place full of dream symbols and a spiral staircases leading down to echoing chambers and crystal caves. It is a place where someone like Mouse, who clearly has classic ADHD, is a valued inventor and problem solver, there is a blind "witch," and an old eccentric woman who paints murals. Children come here to escape from abuse above and are taught to appreciate classical music, Shakespeare, chess, etc. with no radio or television. Helpers above provide medicine and food. The clothing is amazing in its shabby beauty, layers of cloth, leather, fringes, etc. Catherine's clothes are so beautiful it makes you want to see a revival of some 1980s fashion designs.

Since that show was aired in the 1980s I have never looked at storm drains and workers going down into a hole in the street the same way again. I used to remark to them. "say 'Hello!' to Vincent for me." Now I realize that his underworld lies in each of us, in our subconscious. Jung would have been fascinated with that series. I would love to read what he would have written about the meaning of each archetypal symbol and light/dark image.

It was my favorite TV series and I'm sad to say that the third season destroyed it and will never be in my collection. The people behind creating the series left and Linda Hamilton was pregnant and wanted out so the new writer had her character murdered after giving birth. Don't watch the 3rd season. Pretend the series ended with the second season cliff-hanger.

There is so much more I want to say. Perhaps I'll write another post to say more about the symbols in Beauty and the Beast. For my readers who are too young to remember it I say see it if you can. The poetry Ron Perlman reads as a backdrop in some episodes is achingly beautiful and the images of New York at night and the waterfall in the underworld are lovely. The use of light and dark is an art in itself.

I thought you might be interested in seeing some of the new things I made for my Etsy stores recently

2008-05-24T11:08:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of the new things I have recently been working on for my Etsy stores. I hope you like them. My roses will be sold in my supply store Starfirehawk, the stuffed animals are available in my store FantasyCreations and I sell handcrafted jewelry and other handcrafted things in my store FantasyCreations1. There are links to my store on the left hand side. Note: the blue merhorse was sold as a custom order. The lavender one is still available.

The real Mother Goose steps forward in a strange Canada Goose family

2008-05-19T20:56:00.000-07:00

I visited a beautiful park in Portland twice recently and both times I saw a strange group. There is a large gray/white goose who is a member of an extended family. She looks like Mother Goose and functions like a nanny or a great aunt in this family of Canada Geese and gooslings. She guides and protects the little family but they are not her kin. Have a look at the pictures. This is an amazing group.

Blue Scrub Jays Nesting in my Yard and Attacking my Cats!

2008-05-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

I constantly hear the rasping CHEEEeeee! of two scrub jays (also called California Jays but we are in Oregon) who are raising young in the large rhododendron shrub in my back yard. The have laid claim to the entire yard and constantly terrorize any of my cats who are out walking or even on the front porch taking a nap. I have had a hard time catching them in motion but if you look carefully at the pictures you can see a blue blur as one flies by. They actually hit the cats in the tail, back or head from behind. One distracts the cat with scraming, pecking at things and picking up debris and tossing it around. Then the partner swoops in silently and swiftly from behind and hits the cat! Their team effort has proven successful. My cats would rather stay in the house now.

Love Orange? Look at these Orange Houses!

2008-05-08T13:31:00.001-07:00

There seems to be a strange new trend in house colors in my neighborhood. Orange houses are blooming like dandilions in my neighborhood. My neighbors are talking and most folks don't seem to like it but I think they are fun and cheerful. I cansee one through my kitchen window. I think it will make winter seem less gray. I hope you are having a great day!

Obama has earned my support

2008-05-06T20:47:00.000-07:00

I just have to say that I hope Obama is the next democratic candidate

for president. I think Hillery feels entitled and she has no problem

with lying to us and saying what she thinks we want to hear.

I am impressed with Obama and he has my vote.

I am making both HOPE and Obama earrings, and a bracelet that spells out "Yes We Can" and selling them from my FantasyCreations1

store on Etsy so that Obama fans can wear their support as jewelry.

Cat Earrings will raise money for House of Dreams

2008-05-06T11:28:00.000-07:00

I am beginning to list cat earrings in my FantasyCreations1 Etsy store as a fundraiser for House of Dreamd a no-kill cat shelter in Portland, Oregon. I will donate 50% of the price of the earrings to the shelter when they sell. I hope you'll purchase cat earrings from my store and help the shelter provide for the need of these kittys. The photo I'll post here is only the first of many darling earrings.

My 3 line LUNE poems

2008-04-30T10:27:00.000-07:00

LUNES are little 3 line poems like haikus only easier for children to write. I wrote these when I took a class on various poetic forms. The rules are simple: first line 3 words, second line 5 words, third line 3 words.

Bobby Sherman sings

Lifts my spirit high above

A world forlorn

Happy little faces

School bus pulls out groaning

Loaded with children

Substitute teacher laughs

They thought they could trick

A wise woman

Shuttered windows wink

a world of noise without

quiet peace within

My Prose: Daffodills are Fairy Teacups

2008-04-25T08:18:00.000-07:00

Daffodills are Fairy Teacups

When the gentle moon smiles down upon the creatures of the night, and cricket sing of broken hearted lovers yet unborn, the fairies come out of hiding. They dance through the night spreading love dust and drinking ambrosia from teacups of yellow gold. They eat cherries, grapes and strawberries, and riding on the backs of nightngales they search the darkness for small children and lonely women. Fairies watch our dreams for entertainment.

When the fairies have found a lonely woman sleeping soundly, they sneak in through an open window, or down a chimney, and creeping carefully into the theatre of her dreams they watch like clever begger's children as she plays out all her hopes and fears. Sometimes they tickle her ear with a tiny feather and whisper ideas into her ear to make her dream change. Their favorite dreaming women are artists because they dream in full color with all of their senses involved.

When the sun's rays lighten the sky and the lark's voice splits the morning silence, they run to hide in secret places. Sometimes, in their flight they may knock something from a shelf or leave the feather in her ear, or a single dewdrop in the corner of her eye. Often they awaken a sleeping dog or cat while making their escape and the confused animal searches through the house for the strange little invaders, creating chaos and awakening the woman.

"What is going on here?" she calls out as a glass is knocked off the kitchen counter and shatters on the floor. She rubs her eyes and sits up in bed, calling to her pet. Stroking the soft fur, and scratching the velvet ears, she looks into the face of her old friend and says, " I had such strange dreams last night!"

My poem/song lyrics: Lord I Surrender

2008-04-24T09:31:00.000-07:00

Lord, I Surrender

Lord, take control of me.

Renew my life and let me see

that the fullness of Your life and love

is mine to share.

Make me a channel

Of your saving grace and cleansing blood;

Make my life a shelter for a person in dispair.

Release me into the current

of Your Spirit's Power

And fill me each moment of the day

and every hour.

Make my life count for You

in everything I say and do.

Help me ever to pursue

the fullness of Your love.

Lord, take complete control

of my body, mind and soul.

Give me grace to trust You

and surrender to Your will

Let me know Your promised rest

When I face each trial and test

so that You may manifest Yourself

to all the world.

Release me into the current

of Your Spirit's Power

And fill me each moment of the day

and every hour.

Make my life count for you

in everything I say or do.

Help me ever to pursue the fullness of your love.

Take my life and fill it with your love,

Lord, take my life and fill it with your love.

Eyes Wide Open Peace Exhibit

2008-04-23T10:29:00.000-07:00

This exhibit at my church last Sunday has been so moving to me that I wanted to share it with my readers. The shoes were scattered beside and on the pews with tags attached with the names and sometimes photos of Americans and Iraqis who had been killed in the war. There were small pieces of fabric with names and death dates sewn to ribbons and draping the walls of the foyer with more shoes beneath. I photographed several of the displays and I think I'll let them speak for themselves. I started to cry several times during the service and couldn't sing. I go to a Quaker church and this is a traveling exhibit.

My poem: Thank you to a Handsome Young Stranger

2008-04-17T07:51:00.000-07:00

Thankyou

How can I say thank you

For things I can't explain--

For giving me back blushing cheeks,

A pounding heart and the joy of life.

Thank you

For making me smile when I'm alone,

For filling a rainy day with sun,

For making the air heavy with sweetness,

And each breath I take a pleasure.

This little love poem was written to a young man who locked eyes with mine

and smiled when I was looking out of a study area at PSU

32 years ago. I watched for him for several weeks but never saw him again.

The memory of that brief encounter boosted a lonely

college girl's self esteem and I was left with a sweet feeling of gratitude.

My Poem: Anthology Love Poem Poet to Poet

2008-04-16T20:53:00.000-07:00

I wrote this poem when I was taking a poetry class and had become attracted to a fellow student. I imagined our poems published in an anthology on facing pages.

Love Poem

Poet to Poet

Our two poems lie

Face to face

Between

Crisp white sheets of paper

Pressed title to title,

Signiture to signiture.

More than reflections,

They are ourselves,

Stripped naked

And unmasked,

Beautiful and unashamed.

We meet each other

Within a dimension

Where we can't make excuses,

And are unable to lie.

Strangers,

Like old lovers reunited:

Speaking without words,

Touching without hands,

Sharing secrets in silence,

Embracing each other

Beoynd the barriers of "self."

My Poem: Nightmare

2008-04-15T21:46:00.000-07:00

This two part poem was written when I was in college. The second part is based on a real nightmare that was so intense I fainted in the dream and awoke in a cold sweat with my heart pounding in terror. It was the final term of my senior year at college and I was determined to earn straight As and graduate with honors. After the nightmare I immediately made changes in my schedule and stopped my volunteer tutoring in the PSU Writing Workshop, since it was obvious that I was overextended and on the verge of some sort of melt down. I have used my dreams and nightmares since then to help me monitor my hopes and fears.

Nightmare

No time--

I'm late!!

Hurry to classes,

Don't make excuses,

Eat on the run,

Read on the bus.

(Sometimes I wonder if I'll make it through.)

My calendar warns me that midterms are due.

Finally finished,

I read what I've written

and find it all rubbish,

my efforts in vain.

Visions of FAILURE

like black curtained hearses

slowly and silently

file through my brain.

Exhausted and empty,

I drop on my bed,

my alarm set for five,

and close my eyes.

Trapped

and surrounded,

crouching,

bent double,

in a windowless room

with low ceiling

and cold white walls,

That press in upon me.

Ugly black spiders

wait in the corners

watching my struggles

thirsty for blood.

They crawl across ceiling,

Abandoning corners,

slowly advancing

straight for my head.

Tensing cramped muscles,

I draw myself tighter,

I scream only silence,

my knees turn to water.

I feel myself fainting,

I fall into blackness.

I welcome the darkness

that welcomes the dead.

Blaring and humming

a noise screams "ATTENTION!"

I open my eyes,

The clock says it's five.

Taxes are done!

2008-04-07T19:57:00.000-07:00

Thank you for your patience! I finished my taxes and will be posting again soon!

I Met Mark Lindsey Tonight

2008-04-07T19:42:00.000-07:00

Tonight I met Mark Lindsey!

Tonight I went to Mark Lindsey's Rock and Roll Cafe and Mark came out of the radio station booth and signed my copy of his Silverbird album and posed for a picture with me. He sang my friend and I "Happy Birthday" and he was lovely and gracious. I highly recommend the delicious food too. What a fun and memorable evening! If you were a Paul Revere and the Raiders fan, or a Mark Lindsey fan, you should visit his resturant on NE Sandy, in Portland, Oregon and meet him yourself. What a sweetheart! Enjoy the photos!

My Poem: True Confessions

2008-04-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

TRUE CONFESSIONS

How an English Major Spent Spring Vacation

Barbarian for a week

I sit hunched over

In the middle of the floor

Greedily consuming

Mountains of forbidden delights.

For breakfast

I munch comic books

For lunch

I ravenously devour

whole Gothics

in one sitting.

Before dinner,

I gulp down

a couple of volumes

of home grown

Fantasy and Science fiction,

By dinner time I'm drunk.

Having lost all sense of decency,

I lie in bed

Curled up with

Alfred Hitchcock

And Ellery Queen

Mystery magazines

Until early morning...

Monday morning comes.

I blow the dust from my literary tomes

And hurry back to PSU

Once more dignified and proper.

My week of wanton reveling

forgotten

Except for the stiff neck

and bloodshot eyes.

Written when I was earning my BA in English Literature in 1977.

My Poem: The Other Reality

2008-04-06T14:46:00.000-07:00

The Other Reality

Come to me

In the darkness

Out of the past

On bare feet

Hesitating

Empty handed.

Slip boldly through the window

Left carelessly open

Into waiting arms

That close around a pillow.

Time has no power here.

You are slender, sensual,

Making reality out of dreams

and dreams out of reality.

Take all that I am;

all that I'd hoped to be.

Chase away the shreiking solitude

That haunts my days,

Consumes my dreams

And streaks my hair with gray.

Make love to me

in dusty chambers

Long ago prepared for you;

abandonned and forgotten...

When I awaken

And find myself

Alone again,

I will savour the warmth of

Your wet kisses

And bare shoulders

In the darkness

Ot that other reality.

My Poem: Pacific Dogwood Blossom

2008-04-05T12:45:00.000-07:00

Pacific Dogwood Blossom

Wildwood blossom,

Six cream colored petals

Symetrically arranged

In a Star of David pattern.

Star stem center

Bouquet of tiny flowers

Fairy feather fine

In shades of green and gold.

Blossom burdened branch,

Lovely, slender, fragile,

A curving artist's brushstroke

Against the April sky.

Sky song dancer,

Prima ballerina,

Moving to the music

Whispered by the wind.

Please Note: Pacific Dogwood blossoms

have 4 to 8 petals, unlike their dogwood cousins

with only 4 petals per flower.

I'll try to get a photograph of one to post here in the future.

A Poem I wrote dedicated to Christy McAuliffe, the teacher who died in the Challenger shuttle disaster

2008-04-04T15:34:00.000-07:00

To Christy McAuliffe

Written after watching the disaster on television January 28, 1986

One moment, pulsing with life,

the next,

your atoms scattered on the solar wind.

You never achieved your dream of sharing space with us.

Today we feel the weight of our chains even more.

We dreamed with you, Christy,

we left Earth's gravity behind

on the wings of your spirit

and we also "died"

Not knowing the wonder of space;

cheated out of our look back at Earth

through the window.

We are the

Children of the United States.

And we are

All the ones who could not go.

We are America

And we weep for you.

You took a risk.

You weren't afraid

to live fully and reach for your dreams.

It took us by surprise.

We took it for granted

It was supposed to be safer than a drive to the store.

But we now know

that space flight is not so easy.

We wanted to experience the voyage through your eyes.

What we saw was our own mortality.

We saw how brief life is

And how suddenly and without warning

We can cease to live.

A lesson in mortality.

You were a "regular person"

who dreamed of traveling into space.

You were our proxy.

You were there for us.

Our hopes and dreams went with you.

But fate clipped our wings.

We can not go into space.

Twenty-five times the shuttle went

beautifully up

piercing the blue sky like a silver needle

toward the moon and stars

But you were cheated out of your dream.

Swimdancing a Revolutionary Exercise Idea

2008-04-02T09:57:00.000-07:00

Swimdancing

Instead of boring water walking and repetitive exercises I have invented a fun, motivating routine of swimdancing! I start woth a swimsuit and a t-shirt (to keep my shoulders warm) and add water shoes (I get several pairs in the Spring), then I clip my H2O Man waterproof MP3 player (I bought it online) on my suit and put the earplugs in and turn it on! (I have loaded fun, dancy 80s and 90s rock and roll and sci fi convention dance favorites onto it.) And the music just makes me want to dance! I used to do my physical therapy exercises and just walk in the walking lane at my athletic club and now I dance through the water. It takes practice to figure out what movements you can and can't do with the water resistance and the reduced gravity but my muscle tone has improved, my mood has improved and now daily exercise is FUN! I have fibromyalgia and I really believe that the swimdancing reduces my frequency and duration of flareups of severe fatigue and pain. Try it!

My poem: SEAGULL

2008-03-31T21:10:00.000-07:00

Seagull

Alone.

A seagull

runs across the wet sand

in the early morning mist.

Dappled grey feathers

and a shattered wing.

shall no more

soar

into the blue vault

dip into the sea

to pluck a fish.

will never see

another

morning's mist

for

he has lost his license

to the sky.

Alone.

waits here for death.

Soon,

dogs dashing across

the wet sand

will find him

welcome sport.

My Poem: Coyote's Song

2008-03-31T08:02:00.000-07:00

Coyote's Song

Chartruse violets

Fall into my hands

Petals of pain and promise

From Nature's breast.

I laugh, tearfully, running

Along the path to the sound of

My heart beat drumming in my ears.

Nonsense lyrics form with each

Footfall and my movements

Become song, become dance.

I dance my life.

My Poem: A Lover's Song

2008-03-30T14:59:00.000-07:00

A Lover's Song

Let me wander barefoot

through the hills of your desire,

Drinking of the living springs

That set my soul on fire.

Lead me through the forests

and the jungles of your mind,

Let me be your shadow

and I'll not be far behind.

Let me know the passion

That burns within your heart,

And I will blend my world with yours

and we will never part.

Let me touch the hopes and fears

You've locked inside your soul,

And I will take each broken dream

and give you one that's whole.

by R. F-M

YOUR POEMS (dedicated to the ONE who said "Let there be light!")

2008-03-29T23:38:00.000-07:00

Your POEMS

Hang sparkling in the air

Hand cut crystals

Shattering the darkness

With rainbow light.

Your POEMS

Ring like bells

Singing for us all

Cutting through the silence

With a pure voice

Your POEMS

Blow warmly down my throat

God's life giving breath

Transforming cold clay

Into living flesh.

Your POEMS

Melt in my mouth

Sweet, sticky syrup

"Nectar of the gods"

to a starving soul.

Your POEMS

Are the laughter

Of a mountain streem

clear as glass,

cold as ice, sweeter than honey.

Your POEMS

Are tiny snowflakes

Crystalline perfection

Formed by a master designer.

Your POEMS

Are as big as the universe

Contained in an atom

Revolving, evolving,

Infinite and finite.

Your POEMS

Speak with ten trillion voices

In ten thousand languages

On a hundred other worlds

formed by your words.

Love poems

2008-03-29T11:13:00.000-07:00

If the chains that bind my heart

to yours

Could bind your love to me,

This world of sorrow, pain and strife

A Heaven on Earth would be.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

I stooped to pick a dandilion,

It wilted in an hour.

A lot like life... or love.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Sunny beaches

are barren icelands

when you're not there

with me.

by R. F-M

Two Small Poems

2008-03-29T10:56:00.000-07:00

Memories

are ghosts that haunt us;

some are friendly,

some are not.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Walls of frozen silence

imprison me,

Indifference and Hatred

watch the door,

while I,

chasing butterflies

and picking daisies

inside my mind--

am freeer than my

jailers.

This poem was published in a literary journal.

Written by R. F-M

My Poem: Prisoners With No Parole

2008-03-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

Prisoners with No Parole

I recently toured a prison,

Not many know it's there,

The captives never had a trial

And no one seem to care.

Their eyes spoke words no tongue could say,

They paced the floor or slept,

For a moment I put myself in their place,

Then I turned away and wept.

They're waiting, clinging to the hope

That this is their last day,

Without that hope their fragile lives

Would fade and slip away.

For these were never criminals,

They once roamed wild and free,

Like human slaves they were trapped and chained

and shipped to this country.

No contact is permitted between them

and loved ones left behind.

To their growls and screams to be released

Their guards were deaf and blind.

And now, huddling together

in bare, gray cement rooms,

They pace and dream their lives away;

These cells become their tombs.

Tomorrow is another day

and we'll live each a free soul,

But the ZOO is crammed with animals;

Prisoners with no parole.

I wrote this poem 35 years ago and our zoo has been improved since then.

However, there are honored institutions where animals are tortured in the name

of medical science like OHSU in Portland, Oregon, and very few people care

or are aware of their suffering. Experiments are repeated

even when the benefit to humanity is zero.

Industrial farms keep animals in tiny cages or pens and fill the animals

with antibiotics to keep them alive until they can be slaughtered

to become our food.

I am a great admirer of Albert Shweitzer, who promoted

the concept of reverence for life

A Few Haiku I Wrote

2008-03-28T21:51:00.000-07:00

I hang perfect joys

From silver threads inside my mind

Like crystal butterflies

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Magical moments

Captured by an artist's eye

Never truly lost

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Tenderly I watched

as every dream was shattered

and I loved him still

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

In the arms of love

I drank the dew of ecstasy

Savoring each moment

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Within the soul of love

the lion and the lamb merge

Victory and Surrender

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Turbulent winds churn

Impelling snowflakes down around

in the white fog morn

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Raindrops dripping drop

Splashing into a barrel

Seeping through the cracks

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Seeping through the gray

Spring's warm sunbeams filter down

Waking sleeping seeds

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

by R. F-M

2008-03-24T12:16:00.000-07:00

Love Song

Come blend your soul with mine, my love,

come blend your soul with mine,

Until the two entwine, my love,

And I am yours, and you are mine,

Until the end of time, my love,

Until the end of time,

Our lives would be so fine, my love,

'Twould fill a plan divine.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Destiny

has decreed

that I shall love you

longer than eternity

stronger than the timeless sea

deeper than the truth

without condition or measure...

It has also been decreed

that I must love you

with my eyes,

and voice

and thoughts

but never with my hands,

my lips,

my dreams.

Ever at a distance

must I love you.

Never shall I hold you to my heart.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Knight In the Rain

Blindly I ran,

'neath thunderclap and pouring rain

I cried out when I felt my

foot catch in the drain,

I fell, sliding in the mud,

feeling dumb and like a child.

You came and lifted me with such ease,

and looking down, you smiled.

Poems by R. F-M

My Poem: Bridal Mountain (written about 30 years ago)

2008-03-23T16:24:00.000-07:00

Bridal Mountain

Veiled and snowy, a lovely bride,

The Winter winds caress her face,

And clouds, her maids, are gathered,

Dressing her in snowflake lace,

Our mountain waits for springtime,

Waits for her bridegroom's smile,

When he'll give her bright wildflowers,

and warm her every mile.

We, peeping from our cabin,

See crocuses in bloom,

And know her lover, Summer,

Will melt the winter gloom.

she trembles with impatience,

And crickets can be heard,

The air is crisp, the sky ice blue,

We'll soon hear the bluebird.

The bluebird is her messenger.

Perhaps he'll come today,

And sing to her that Summer

Isn't very far away.

When Summer comes to her at last,

He spends three months or four,

But he's a rambling lover,

And can not linger more.

Golden tears fall from her trees,

For Summer days are gone,

Gray clouds o'ershadow the sky,

And she's steeped in snow at dawn.

We'll wait with our dear mountain,

and watch with her for spring,

When daffodills and warm sunshine

will cause her heart to sing.

Summer's hand will come again

and dry her dewdrop tears,

and she will learn to live like this

For a hundred thousand years.

by RF-M

My Poem: Too Busy

2008-03-22T11:31:00.000-07:00

Too Busy

(written about 35 years ago)

What ever happened to yesterday?

Our lives flash by like a busy freeway,

The things that we buy now

simply do not last

Joy and satisfaction are a thing of the past.

We rise, rushing to be on time,

ever in a hurry

Doctors tell us we are dieing

of bitterness and worry.

Where are we going at this mad pace?

Like lemmings, to our deaths we race.

What have we accomplished

through all of this?

Fast food, diabetes, and kidney dialysis.

by R. F-M

My Poem: Memorial to Yesterday

2008-03-21T22:00:00.000-07:00

Memorial to Yesterday

Bits and pieces fit together

In the ruins in my mind,

Memories in shattered fragments

Of the years I've left behind,

I stumble like a blind man

As I wander through the rooms

Cobwebbed corners, shaded windows

And the musty smell of tombs,

Wrotting coffins lit by torches,

That will burn forevermore,

And I, weeping, wander sadly

Opening each and every door.

I place flowers to the memories

Of Loves I've seen grow old,

And I mourn, for 'twas not my heart

But 'twas theirs that did grow cold,

And when leaving I blow kisses

to the dreams I leave behind

Each of them are broken pieces

of the ruins in my mind.

by R. F-M

My Own Poems and a Painting

2008-03-21T11:19:00.000-07:00

A Rose in Politics

A rose is like a politician,

Full of promise of perfection,

on the surface true confection,

Until you're stuck

'til next election.

Published in The Oregonian Sept 22, 1974

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Redeemed from Despondency

Gray sky staring down upon me,

Harsh winds tearing at my soul,

fingers of ice creeping through my veins,

Vague shaddows grab and pull,

Tiny flicker of light above,

Hope comes dancing on a sun beam,

How can I be freed from hopelessness?

Surely unreal--it must be a dream.

Warmth is flowing into my heart,

Fear departing as the shadows flee,

I'm drenched in love's sweet light,

The chains fall off and I'm set free!

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FALL

Autumn countryside

sheltered by the mountain tall,

warmed by Summer, turning Fall,

Winter's frost fingers will

steal the color from the hills

golden orange to silver white

like blazing sunset to misty night.

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HOPE

Oh slender hope,

how bright and flighty a butterfly you do appear,

and yet, although you might take flight

at any moment and leave me

cold and hungry,

I gently, slowly reach my hands out to you

and pray you will never leave me,

But, as my fingertips touch your delicate wings---

gold dust flies

and you are gone!

Hours pass in solitude, the silence

only broken by the endless throbbing

of my broken heart.

Suddenly, I see a flutter of gold

and the soft, sweet creature

lands on my nose

and spreads her golden magic

over my face,

Until I awaken to find

my dreams fulfilled,

my heart healed,

and my patience rewarded.

poems by R. F-M

Poem: Starfirehawk's Dream

2008-03-20T13:24:00.000-07:00

Starfirehawk's Dream

Circles of wisdom,

Eyes that are wise,

Hearts of fire,

Wings of wind,

Horse's hooves thundering,

A drum's heartbeat,

A strong Gaelic voice

so pure, so sweet,

Celtic knots wound

round my wrists,

An Indian ghost lover

and midnight trysts,

Dreams of dazzling,

Magical things,

Crafting Heart Magic

with thoughts that have wings,

Soaring, wings wide over the trees,

I range, I glide upon the breeze.

A Poem by R. Flaming-Martin

More "Little Gems" Quotes

2008-03-18T10:34:00.000-07:00

"Little Gems" is the title I gave to a pocket journal. I jotted down quotes I liked from all kinds of sources.

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From Dr. King:

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

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Nothing pains some people more than having to think.

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From Abe Lincoln:

Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?

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I don't think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.

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The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time.

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From Vince Lombardi:

The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.

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The harder you work the harder it is to surrender.

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It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up.

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The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will.

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Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.

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In great attempts it is glorious even to fail.

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You cannot shake hands with a clinched fist.

--Golda Meir

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If everyone is thinking alike then somebody isn't thinking.

--George Patton

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From Franklin D. Rosevelt:

Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

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The truth is found when men are free to pursue it.

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The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.

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Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.

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Remember, remember always, that all of us... are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.

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I think there is only one quality worse than hardness of heart and that is softness of head.

by Teddy Roosevelt

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Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't.

--Margaret Thatcher

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We must build a new world, a far better world-- on in which the eternal dignity of man is respected.

--Harry S, Truman

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From Booker T. Washington:

Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way.

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One problem thoroughly mastered is of more value than many poorly mastered.

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There are two ways of exerting one's strength: one is pushing down, the other is pulling up.

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If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led like sheep to the slaughter.

--George Washington

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From John Wooden:

Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.

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Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.

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Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.

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Sports do not build character. They reveal it.

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Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation. Your chacter is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are.

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If you can imagine it you can achieve it. If you can dream it you can become it. William A. Ward

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The great thing in this world is not so much where we are, but in what direction we are moving.

--Oliver Wendell Holmes

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Success... it is focusing the full power of all you are on what you have a burning desire to achieve.

--Wilfred A. Peterson

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Never give up for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.

--Hariet Beecher Stowe

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No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

--Eleanor Roosevelt

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The fault-finder will find fault even in paradise.

--Thoreau

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Write on your heart that everyday is the best day of the year.

--Emerson

Favorite Quotes from "Little Gems" Journal

2008-03-17T07:41:00.000-07:00

The following favorite quotes were jotted down in a Pocket Notes journal I called "Little Gems" and carried with me everywhere. I have tried to give credit to the source and some quotes were my own ideas. If I have failed to attribute any quote to its rightful author, my apologies; I have had no intention of taking credit for someone elses words.

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"...for only beings who think are men." Alexander Crummell (1819-1898)

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We believe that happiness is in having what we want, instead of realizing that happiness is in wanting what we have. (From pastor Stan Thornberg's sermon)

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A definition of COURAGE: to proceed despite the fear.

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"It's important because all we've got is each other...."

(from the TV series Stingray)

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Visualize crawling up into God's lap and snuggle against his chest. Trust HIM. We were created for that love relationship.

(paraphrased from Stan Thornberg)

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It is unloving not to speak when sharing is in the other's best interest.

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I am youth! I am joy! I am freedom!

from Peter Pan

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Second star to the right and straight on til morning!

from Peter Pan

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You just think lovely, wonderful thoughts and you GO!

from Peter Pan

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Become a tree with deep roots, flowing with life--

Everything else will follow.

from the film Forbidden Dance

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from Joseph Campbell:

"Find your bliss.

Follow your bliss--

There's something inside you that knows you're in the center; that knows you are on the beam...

if you get off the beam to make more money you've lost your life.

Find that burning point--

that becoming thing that is fearless.

It is not the destination that counts--

it is the journey.

The end is the journey.

This moment is the heavenly moment.

EDEN IS.

Men do not see it.

The Goal of your quest for yourself is to find that burning point--

that becoming thing--

which is fearless and desireless--

life is movement--

the life point--

coming into being.

(see the text of the series of interviews called, The Power of Myth with Joseph Campbell)

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The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil

is for good men to do nothing.

--Edmund Burke

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"Hey! We're all on this ride together!" Sally J. ( possibly Sally Jessy Raphael)

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"Life always flies back to life if it isn't penned up."

Liz Taylor in the film The Sandpiper

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"Never be afraid of change, for change is progress....Welcome change as being a new opportunity and go with the flow, keeping your focus on the highest and best that you know." Fred Meyer

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"It's every man's business to see justice done." Sherlock Holmes

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The following is excerpted from

Dr Martin Luther King's "I have a Dream" speech:

"...I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

...Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the highest plane of dignity and discipline.

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From Dr King's book "Where do we go from here?"

"First we must massively assert our dignity and worth. We must stand up amidst a system that still oppresses us and develop an unassailable and majestic sense of value."

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"We commit ourselves to a culture of nonviolence, respect, justice and peace. We shall not oppress, injure, torture or kill other human beings, forsaking violence as a means of settling differences." Declaration published in the Oregonian Sept 5, 1993 when leaders of major religions united for common values.

"What you do not wish done to yourself

do not do to others."

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Don't allow other people to tell you your limitations.

from TV program AM Northwest

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Dec 1993 McCalls mag p. 76+

"What my guests have taught me"

by Sally Jesse Raphael

Courage is ageless.

Anyone can change.

In some situations, the less said, the better.

It's never too late to forgive.

Just when you think something is impossible think again.

It's okay to grieve.

The power of truth can free you.

Another's life, dedication or passion can open your mind and change you.

There are no limits to the strength of the human spirit.

You always have more to learn.

Everyone has something to teach you.

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Kwanza

7 candles, 7 days Dec 26

created by Maulana Karenga

7 Guiding Principals"

Unity

Self determination

Collective Work

Responsibility

Cooperative economics

Purpose

Creativity

Faith

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"The price of greatness is responsibility."

Winston Churchill

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"I think and think for months and years. Ninety-nine times the conclusion is false. The hundredth time I am right." Einstein

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"The important thing is not to stop questioning....Never lose a holy curiosity." Einstein

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"Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value." Einstein

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"He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe is as good as dead; his eyes are closed." Einstein

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"Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently."

"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty."

If money is your hope for independence you will never have it. The only real security that a man can have, in this world, is a reserve of knowledge, experience and ability.

"My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me."

"Don't find fault find a remedy."

Henry Ford

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There are three things extremely hard: steel, a diamond, and to know one's self.

Who is powerful? He that governs his passions.

Ben Franklin

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The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong.

No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive.

Mahatma Gandhi

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TO BE CONTINUED LATER..............

Easy Fabric Book Cover Instructions

2008-03-16T18:51:00.000-07:00

Here are the instructions

to make your own

fabric collage book cover for

your journals and scrap books!

You can create your own fabric book covers. You'll need a piece of fabric 30% wider and 15% greater in height than the total measurements of your open journal. Open your journal onto the fabric and visualize the finished book cover like a pee-chee with pockets for the cover to slip into (see photo). This fabric should be a knit, such as a velour suede cloth. Next, you'll need 5 to 10 scraps of color coordinated fabrics with interesting designs and prints. You can include photo transfer fabric images. You will cut these scraps into pieces of various sizes and shapes. Lay out your colorful scraps on the knit fabric and arrange them into a pleasing pattern and pin them in place. Using the zig-zag setting stitch the raw edges of the scraps down to the knit fabric. You are creating a fabric collage. The pieces should completely cover the background fabric. Next, you'll need one or more yarns, cord or flexible trim. Zig-zag stitch over the yarn to cover the raw edges and create patterns and texture. Now turn the edges under and sew a shirt-tail hem all the way around.

Wrap your book cover around your book and fold the excess width under the front and back cover and pin where the edges meet at the top and bottom. Sew the edges together. Enjoy your book cover!

Little Meditations Continued

2008-03-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: I wrote these meditations in a small journal about 12 years ago. I was reading a large number of self-help books in that decade. I did not note any sources. If I have used anyone else's words I have not meant to take credit for them. Some of the ideas arose from sermons from my pastor, Stan Thornberg.
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Reclaim your life.

Reclaim your power.

You have choices.

Express your needs.

Beware of being compulsively nice and therefore remaining silent in your pain. Stop being consumed with the desire to be more and do more.

Enjoy the moment.

Take time to relax and be content with where you are and who you are

in your journey of growth.

Celebrate your own uniqueness.

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Seek moments of solitude to recharge your batteries.

Look inside for a deep inner calm.

There is a great danger in not feeling whole

by yourself.

You don't need things, people activities or sensations to be whole.

You can choose to be dependant or whole.

You have no deficiency inside yourself.

You are well and you are strong.

Believe it.

Own it.

Seek to practic self command.

If you feel you must repress your true nature you are quietly dieing.

No one can meet all you needs;

no one lover, friend, child, pet, possession no matter how unique and precious,

no one is your life.

Your life is made up of many things

and life is full of beginnings and endings.

Embrace life and step forward,

clinging to nothing.

Be at peace.

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When you feel jealous or suspicious

you are not trusting

and you are trying to control others.

Let go.

You can't control anything and life is more rich anf full if you don't try.

Fell the freedom.

Open your heart's door wide and let the light of trust flood out.

Feel the joy.

Sometime trust is part of the transforming miracle of love and it is able to change the giver and the receiver.

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Be vigilant in looking for ways to give sincere complements

and words of praise.

This is a gift of love and nurturing that never looses its value.

Br careful of criticism.

Cruel words cut to the heart and destroy as surely as violence.

Focus on the positive.

It is vitally important to every person to be praised,

to be noticed,

to be positively affirmed in their efforts.

A little applause can go a long way.

Ask what went right.

Reward people for even the smallest sucesses.

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Celebrate DIVERSITY!

This includes the diversity within you.

Honor all of the sub selves--

the various characters that are within you.

Love and accept them into integration and wholeness.

Take a forgiving and optimistic view

of yourself, the world, events, and people.

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I John 4:19 says

"Those who say 'I love God' and hate their brothers or sisters are liars;

for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, can not love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this:

those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also."

I'd like to share some little meditations from one of my journals

2008-03-12T21:21:00.000-07:00

I hope these meditations offer you comfort. I wrote them about 14 years ago. I read them onto an audio tape and listened to them in my car when I needed encouragement and hope.
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I set you free.

The bars will melt away to mist

when yo let go of the beliefs you allow to imprison you.

Let go of them.

They are only as solid and real as you allow them to be.

Anything is possible!

Dip into the well and drink.

Breathe deeply the fresh breeze of freedom

and let it wash through your soul.

Let it blow away the chains and burdens you have carried

as the family hero.

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You are free to look for truth and light wherever you choose.

Treasure the truth and light you find

and discard the false.

Help yourself to the treasures, the joys, the possibilities.

Visualize your dreams becoming reality.

Believe in your right to have everything you want.

You deserve to live out your dreams.

You are precious.

Your needs are important.

You have the right to look for ways to meet your needs.

"No one has the right to abuse you.

Christ invites us out of abusive relationships

into the fullness of life."*

*(from Stan Thornburg, my pastor's sermon.)

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**Set limits for verbal abusers.

Learn to say things like "I don't allow people to talk to me that way."

"I care about you and this relationship,

but I won't take this. You'll have to stop or I'll have to leave."

"This feels abusive; I'm going to end this conversation now."

"Lower your voice. If you can't talk to me decently, I won't talk to you at all."

Yes, it is scary.

Standing up to your abuser will require a strong sense of self esteem

and a clear understanding of personal boundaries.

Remember: doing nothing tells the other person you'll take whatever they give you and not stand up for yourself.

You earn respect by showing that you value yourself.

You deserve to be treated well.**

**(My apologies if any of the above words were taken from one of the many self help books I read.

There is no intention to take credit here for someone else's words.

I did not note any source in this journal.)

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Use things and love people.

At the end of your life you will treasure the relationships

not the accumulation of possessions.

Do not trade people for things.

Your true wealth lies in who you love and who loves you.

The rest is minor--dust in the wind.

Never take your eyes off of the really important things in life:

being loved and loving,

being good and doing good,

learning and growing,

teaching and mentoring,

giving and receiving,

enjoying the moment and keeping things in perspective,

nurturing and healing others,

being able to accept nurturing and healing from others,

celebrating and grieving.

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You are a free being

Others are free beings.

Never possess people

nor allow them to possess you.

No one owns anyone else.

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Allow yourself the time to heal.

There is no hurry.

Forgive yourself

for your weakness and your lack of trust in God,

yourself and others.

Sometimes, the pain will be so great we can not see the benefit of working on our healing.

Trust the process.

This too shall pass.

You will rise

like a phoenix after being destroyed by the fire--

reborn into a new life.

Endure.

Let go.

Feel you feelings.

Let your pain and dispair wash over you and go on.

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Accept that there are mysteries.

There are questions you will never know the answers to.

You can ask any question you want to.

There are no stupid questions.

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Value your feelings.

Trust your inner voice when you discern that it speaks your truth

and not just old tapes that are attempting to imprison you.

***Remember always that underneath all the coping mechanisms

and drowned out by all the noise of the chatterbox is your magical child

waiting to show you the journey as dance.

She dances the dance of her life uninhibited,

spontaneously,

full of life and wonder,

creativity and adventure!

She is happy to be dancing right here in this moment--having

no grasp on the past or the future to weary her.

She breathes in joy and breathes out love.***

***I believe these words are mine but my apologies

if I took them from one of the books I was reading back then.

I did not note any source in this journal.

It is not my intention to take credit for someone else's words.

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I'll continue tomorrow.

More about Creative Journaling

2008-03-11T09:29:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite kinds of journals is a collage journal. Begin by collecting interesting images from old newspapers, magazines, junk mail, etc. I prefer to use a blank book without lines for this type of journal. arrange your images into groupings on the pages leaving room (little spaces) to write. Feel free to combine your memory book or scrapbooking techniques with journaling. You may want to add fabric elements like ribbon or lace, mementos like movie ticket stubs, stickers, canceled stamps, personal photographs, drawings, feathers, silk leaves or dried leaves (warning: some things may not be archival), etc. Craft stores sell many archival glues you can choose from. The writing should be inspired by the visual elements. This is not a traditional dated journal/diary. Move back and forth in it adding new words and pictures over time. Let it inspire you-- maybe you will write a poem on one page and a dream you remember on another. Maybe you'll write a letter to someone living or dead, perhaps someone you admire from history like Lincoln or Dr Martin luther King. Feel free to include quotes from movies, books, and people you love too. There are no rules! Be creative!
Another favorite journal I always keep beside my bed is a Dream Journal. When I wakeup from a particularly memorable dream I quickly write it down before it fades. When I read through my dreams later it is very interesting to try to figure out what my subconscious was working through. Dreams are generally wishes or fears. Look for the dominant emotion you felt in the dream (this emotion is often very exaggerated). Now, look over your own day time feelings over the last several days. When did you feel that same emotion but less intensely? That will be the key to understanding the meaning of the dream.
I collect dozens of blank books, of all sizes and types, so I'll be able to select the perfect one when I want to start a new type of journal to process something like the loss of my beloved cat, notes and insights from reading several self help books with a common theme, jotting down ideas for improving society, story ideas and a list of names for characters, best memories of my life (good to reread when depressed), etc. I also cut or tear out images I like whenever I'm reading something I'm going to recycle. I have a 3 in 1 color printer so if I have a photo or an image in a magazine I want to use in a journal but I don't want to use the original I make a color photocopy.
If you like the ideas I have offered about collage journaling you'll want to read one of my favorite books: Soul Collage by Seena B. Frost. I took a series of classes on the Soul Collage process and created a collection of "soul cards." I then made color photocopies of my "soul cards" and made a journal. I created a slip on fabric collage cover for my journal and now it is a real work of art.

Creative Journaling Ideas

2008-03-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

Creative journaling begins with stepping out of the old idea of the diary of what I did and what I watched, read, etc. Although I was already doing very creative things with little blank books I took a college class called Women's Writing and the teacher took us through a series of exercises derived from the book A New Diary. I highly reccommend this book to anyone who wants to dig deeper and write more deeply from their creative self. You can work on emotional blocks by writing with your non-dominant hand; you can write letters you'll never send top people you love who have died, or people who have harmed you. You can use active visualization to rewrite an event or imagine a fantasy that gets your artistic ideas flowing, and you can combine writing, collage, painting, sketching, scrapbooking, poetry writing, quotes from favorite movies, TV and books, notes on inspiring ideas, and more! into a free flowing journal that you just love to write in and re-read over the years.
I have a journal I called The Voyage Home. The blank book I selected has a three masted sailing ship on the cover. I attached tabs to the edges of pages, creating six categories:

Affirmations

Becky's TRUTHS

Sress Management

Visualizations

Statement of Purpose

Personal Rights

As I read through many books over the period of a year or two I wrote down both quotes I liked and ideas in my own voice, weaving them together into something that was powerfully healing and encouraging to me. People who have looked it over have gotten inspiration from this little collection of thoughts too. Here is an active visualization I use to relax when I am uptight:

Imagine you are walking out into a warm, safe, calm ocean with blue-green waves softly flowing toward you and then away towards the horizon. The sun is gently beaming down it's warmth and giving you a sense of being loved by God (or the universe/nature if you prefer). In your hands are all of the things that cause you stress and anxiety. Open your hands and exhale and breathe out saying the word release. Close your hands and breathe in while saying receive. You can say the words in your mind.

I'll continue with more ideas tomorrow.

Out of SIGHT= Out of MIND (lightbulb moment!)

2008-03-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

I suspected I had ADHD when I took a class on students with exceptionalities and recognized myself in the profile of the ADHD child. It wasn't until a crisis in my teaching career that I sought out an actual diagnosis, read at least 10 books on the subject of ADD/ADHD, and took a battery of tests, that I came to see my entire life from a new angle. I became a better teacher and a more patient and tolerant human being. Learning to see my own strengths (artistic talents, creative thinking and problem solving ability, empathy, awareness of details, imagination, etc.) and my weaknesses (easily distracted from a task, intollerance of boring, tedious tasks and waiting quietly for things, impulsive talking out without waiting to be called on, flitting from one great idea to the next, forgetting names and appointments, organizational challenges, and misplacing things I had just laid down) made me more sensitive to my students' needs and challenges. A mother of one of my students with ADHD said "Out of sight, out of mind" and a light bulb went on in my brain! I needed to see things to keep them in mind! I created picture seating charts with the names of all my students and kept them in fron of me as I taught each of my five classes a day. I purchased transparent file folders and envelopes to keep papers in. I bought a transparent notebook with transparent dividers and pockets, as well as clear, hard plastic drawer systems and organizer boxes. I have taken this same idea home to my craft space and office. I hope this little tip is helpful, dear reader. Many brilliant, creative people have ADHD. If you or someone you love has this challenge I hope you'll read these books:

Driven to Distraction by Hallowell and Ratey
Women with Attention Deficit Disorder by Sari Solden
Journeys through ADDulthood by Sari Solden
You mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?! by Kate Kelly and Peggy Ramundo
Think Fast! the ADD Experience Edited by Hartmann, Bowman with Burgess
The Edison Gene ADHD and the Gift of the Hunter Child by Thom Hartmann
ADD and Creativity tapping your inner muse by Lynn Weiss
Learning Outside the Lines by Jonathan Mooney and David Cole
ADD- friendly ways to Organize your Life by Kolberg and Nadeau

Read, Write, and Create Art!

2008-03-08T21:56:00.000-08:00

Ah, the upper right hand corner tab commands me to herewith COMPOSE! I have always wanted to write and publish. My passions are reading, journaling, and creating various kinds of art. I hope I can use this space to share wonderful and inspiring things with you, my dear readers. I do not intend to bore you with the tedious details of my life, but instead, I'll try to share the silver and gold threads that run through the tapestry of my life and experiences.