The Story of Stuff

Another video:
Check it out.
ok,after watching the first third of this, I'm crying for our planet!! and after watching the rest, I'm crying for us!! We must take action or there with be no more "Earth Day!"

This video puts together the snid-bits of information I have seen and heard; rumors of America and the waste we create. I've heard the politics aside from the environmental impact and vice versa. This puts all of the information together in a logical flow of the facts that have been changing our world.

It is not easy to live differently than the politicians want us to. Rob and I live in a community now that used to have a lot more farming. I used to come to this place and pick cherries and strawberries. Now I live in a house built on that old farmland. Have you traveled to Southern California and you wondered why Orange County is called by that name? There used to be groves and groves of orange trees!! It was beautiful. Not there anymore!

I have friends that have begun this journey of changing the way they live to not be consumed by our consumer economy. It is my turn to do MORE!! I am very excited to start riding my bike to work. I have to put about $100 into it. After taxes, I hope to be able to.

Quilting

It might not be well known, but I love to look around the internet at patterns! I have fallen in love with quilts even though I am totally chicken to try one out. I recently found this "Quilting Dad" and am inspired by his pictures and his blog.

Some day I will post pictures of my own quilts, like when I figure out how to make one and then actually make it!

BTW: I MISS MY SEWING MACHINE!!
Goal: have sewing machine set up in our new place by the end of May. I already have the perfect place for it!
After that: Make dolls and bags and balls and organizers!! and MAYBE start on a quilt!
After that: conspire with doll-pattern maker to construct easy pattern for charity, done by Christmas time.

Seminar

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Rob and I had a great time at Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott's marriage seminar. I am just checking out their website that has over 200 little snid-bit videos to watch, some funny, some serious. We are on the lookout for a couple of their books; hoping to find them used and discounted.

I am interesting in reading these two: "Love the Life You Live" and "The Love List"

Rob might like these: "Proverbs For Couples" and "Love Talk" and "Becoming Soul Mates"

Marriage

Rob and I are going to a marriage seminar this weekend, a one day event.

Please pray that we both come away different and new, with a clear direction for our marriage.

Nick was going potty before bed last night and he knows how to stand. So, his big bouncy ball is next to the toilet for some reason and it catches his eye during the process.

Nick: "Oh, my ball is in the bathroom with me! How did it get there?"

Mom: "I really don't know, Nick. Please go potty."

Nick: "Oh, okay. Can I pee on it, please?"

Mom: "No, Nick. We only pee IN the potty, but thanks for asking so nicely!"

Nick: "We only pee IN the potty?"

Mom: "Yep. Not in our pants, not on the bed, not on the bouncy ball. Only in the potty."

Nick: "Oh."

April Quote

"So here's what you are missing -- marketing is not the same as promotion and neither of them as the same as sales. Marketing is strategic, promotion is tactical, and sales are... well sales. Its on the "marketing" end where your argument falters. Marketing is all about creating new markets not just exploiting existing ones,
In short selling people stuff they never knew they wanted. Its about creating desire for a product within a market niche.

The problem is very few people here, or anywhere like here, actually market. They promote. Promotion is about standing on the street corner yelling your name into the darkness and hoping you get someone to pay attention. For what we do its often the wrong approach entirely."

Taken from an etsy.com forum, though the person who posted it did not know it's orginallity.