How Many Shoes??? ...

I shot this picture last week with my cell phone. These are NOT my shoes. These aren't anyone's shoes. They are part of an abandoned estate that my mother in law is having to sort through. The woman that moved away had to abandon all of this, let's just say it's a "riches to rags" story.

This woman left thousands ... yes, thousands of mostly new items in the house and in the front and back yard as well. In the back yard were hundreds of wet soggy boxes (it's been raining on them for months) containing family albums, brand new linens, fur coats, vintage camera's and so much more. At first, I was saddened by all this but then I moved on to gratitude. Truly, I'm grateful that I'm not bound by what I own, or what used to own me. I'm so glad that I already did my own massive purge when we moved from OC to SD about 18 mo ago. This was a surreal reminder to me of what could happen when you look to "things" to make you happy. Seriously, most of this stuff didn't even have the price tags removed yet. I think it was just the shopping high that led to this sad ending.

I suppose if you have a bunch of stuff and you're not really attached to it and can easily give it away or use it for good, than it's OK to keep some stuff around. But if you have way more than you need, and then you let it go to waste and don't help anyone with it, then that is tragic. That's probably one of the biggest teachings of Christ that makes so much sense ... He tells one guy "Great, you want to follow me. Sure, just go sell everything you own, give the money away to the poor and follow me", the man went away sadly because he was a man of great wealth. The reality is there's a bit of this guy in all of us.

So, in my quest to digest all the "stuff" that I saw being trashed, dumped and given away. I found myself thinking about another person that had a bunch of shoes, actually way more shoes. Her name was Imelda Marcos. Remember her? In case you don't, Imelda Marcos is the widow of former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos who was ousted in 1986 and the family exiled to Hawaii. Outside the Philippines she is often remembered for symbols of the corrupt extravagance of her husband's dictatorship and political reign, such as having over 3000 pairs of shoes.

The story of Imelda's shoes has something to teach. She could never wear them all. And when she had to abandon her palace, these 3,000 were tossed and it was discovered that the money that bought them had been stolen from the poor people of the Philippines - what an injustice. But really, Isn't this one of the great mysteries of life? Why do we always want more? ... more money, more power, more of everything.

I don't have the answers but I do know that I should be asking myself this question everyday. I need to remind myself to be grateful and use what I already have. We already have all we need to be happy, we just need to chose to believe it.

Oh, and as usual I have a few things that I came across while researching all this. Here's my favorite Imelda Quotes. She definitely was drinking her own Kool-Aid.

"Filipinos want beauty. I have to look beautiful so that the poor Filipinos will have a star to look at from their slums."

"I hate ugliness. You know I'm allergic to ugliness."

"I did not have three thousand pairs of shoes, I had one thousand and sixty."

And the grand finale, here’s a video for the Santigold track "Please Don’t." It contains some actual news and archival footage of Imelda. Most of the lyrics on this one are from her interviews and quotations. Imelda believed that she could help Philippine interests by charming world leaders into seeing things her way. She called it “Handbag diplomacy”. I guess it's how she rationalized that she needed all those shoes. Enjoy ...

ps. If you are viewing this via Facebook, you'll have to visit my blog to see the video

Changes ...

I haven't posted a thing for a few weeks, but you probably weren't online much either, right?

During this past holiday break I've had a chance to slow down and think about the present and future. The move to Golden Hill has been good, I seem to be doing good with urban living. The pace here is definitely different, faster in some areas and slower in most. This slower rhythm & pace has been good. Since moving here in October '08, I've taken more walks and read more books then I did in the entire past 2 years. I seem to be adapting to the move to SD in a positive way. Jon said to me the other day "you're in your element." I suppose he's glad that I transplanted well.

So for me the New Year brings reflection and a little bit of dreaming. I don't believe in New Year's resolutions. But I do believe in change. I came across this great quote and I'm going to memorize it and maybe even post it on my wall. Maybe you'll like it too.

We are all too much inclined to walk through life with our eyes shut. There are things all around us, and right at our very feet, that we have never seen; because we have never really looked. ~ Alexander Graham Bell

I think that my eyes are starting to see a little more clearly than years gone by. So as we enter this new year of change for us as a family, you as my fellow bloggers, us as a country, all of us as God's kingdom ... my wish for you is to look and see, and become what you were created for.

Also, today I was listening to this song by Finger Eleven entitled "Falling On" from a couple years back and thought it timely to share with you. One of the lines in the song is;

You've got to try to find what's right before your eyes

Now that's something to ponder. Hope you enjoy the video!




ps. They are the group that did the catchy song "One Thing" that got a lot of air time back in '03 - it's also a great song.

We had a little break from unpacking ...

The girls and I ventured to Balboa Park to see the Botanical Gardens. What a nice break from ugly brown cardboard boxes. The afternoon burst of color sure perked us up!

Here's some of my favorite shots from today.

Sorry for the lack of posts ...

I hope to be back to "normal" by Monday. We moved in on Sunday, should I be finished unpacking by now???

Where did these come from??? ...

I absolutely hate moving!

OK, maybe that's just an irrational response to the actual word "moving", rather then the actual act of moving. I can remember the first time in my life that I moved. I was 7 years old and my father had been transferred from pastoring his church in Los Angeles to a tiny church in the farming community of Sanger, up in the central valley of CA. It wasn't so bad, most days he just took me fishing and the rest of the time we did gardening. Then we moved again when I was 10, then 12, then 14, and the worst was 6 high schools in 4 years ... not such a great thing.

So, I suppose you can see where my loathing of moving came from. But the actual reality is that since Jon and I have been married this will only be our 3rd move, not bad for 20 years.

And as for this next move to Golden Hill in San Diego, we are surprisingly ready to go. Everything is coming together, I think we are going to really be ready for the move day that's only 2 weeks away. Once it's all done, it will be awesome. I can't wait ... for so many reasons.

In preparation for this move, we've had to downsize and dump so much stuff.

So here's my advice; based on what I've learned from my "Purgefest";

Get rid of it. Clean it out. Empty the drawers. Dump the stuff you're hiding from, that you've been uselessly protecting, that you've been scared to let go because it makes you feel safe and more clearly defined as a human when, in fact, it's doing the exact opposite.

"De-cluttering" will make you feel lighter and healthier and good the minute you start ... with no wine or nudity involved, but I guess that couldn't hurt =)

Oh, and if anyone wants these vintage Avon perfume bottles I came across in a box (that I have no clue where they came from) just let me know.

A Reminder ...

I saw this on a t-shirt and wanted to know where it came from. It originally appeared in 1939.

While Britain was about to go to war with Germany, it was feared that in the early months of the war Britain might be subjected to gas attacks, heavy bombing raids and possibly invasion. The posters were commissioned by King George VI and were intended to offer the public reassurance during uncertain times.

It's a simple message and still applicable almost 70 years later. The sentiment remains the same, and still feels a bit comforting during today's uncertain times. We can all use that as a reminder - no matter what we are dealing with. Don’t you agree?

The Story of Stuff ...

This is just a teaser, but the longer 20 min version at http://www.storyofstuff.com is a must see for the whole family.

Free Movies for Kids ...

Every summer I take the kids to the free movies on Tuesdays and Wednesday mornings at Regal Cinemas. If you go to the Regal website you can check out what is available near you, by the way they are in many states besides California.

I usually don't buy any snacks there, I just tell the kids we'll eat lunch right afterwards. Oh, and the best part ... the free air conditioning!

I like Helen Keller ...

Ever since I was a young girl, I've enjoyed stories about Helen Keller.

Her unique perspective, wisdom & positive attitude are so inspiring. I found some pretty cool wall papers for my computer at the Real Simple website, you might want to check them out.

This one was my favorite!

What is TV doing for you?

I just read an interesting article about the effect of television on our lives. I took the liberty of pulling out a few quotes:

"We are proposing that television as a simple, constant, repetitive and ambiguous visual stimulus, gradually closes down the central nervous system of Man."

Becker holds a similar view of the effect of television on American's ability to think:

"Americans don't really think, they have opinions and feelings. Television creates the opinion and then validates it."

Take politics for example; Television tells Americans what to think about politicians. The media tells people what has been said and what is "important." Everything else is filtered out. You are told who can win and who can't. And few people have the urge to look behind the images in the screen, to find the truth for themselves

"Are they brainwashed by the tube?," asked Becker of the interviewer. "It is really more than that. I think that people have lost the ability to relate the images of their own lives without television intervening to tell them what it means."

Here's the link for the full article ... it's very long but worth the time to read.

Oh yeah, "reading" ... now don't get me started on that long lost pastime!

http://www.fourwinds10.com/siterun_data/media/television/news.php?q=1213739143

Procrastination ...

Yesterday we had a garage sale. We're moving soon and we want to downsize or at least not haul it all down south. Jon has a rule, once it makes it to the driveway, it can't come back in the house. We only sold 20% of the stuff yesterday. So we put down the seats of my Expedition and packed it up tight and took the leftovers to Goodwill, I'm sure it's the most we've ever donated in one shot. I've got to say it feels good. It's really true, "we don't own the stuff, it owns us". Having to store it, insure it, haul it here and there is being "enslaved" by the "stuff". Now I have a pretty good path in the garage to actually get to my sewing table - something I've missed using for months!

I wish I had "purged" sooner. I'd like to say I've just been "busy" ... but maybe I waited so long because I'm a procrastinator.

If you are not sure if you are one then watch this great short clip and then ... get back to work!

**if this video doesn't play properly just click on the words "great short clip" in the paragraph above**

Project Mexico ....

In a few weeks our family is headed across the US border into Mexico with close to 200 volunteers to build homes for impoverished Mexican families living just outside of Tijuana. My husband Jon started Project Mexico in 1999, to date participants have built over 80 homes. The impact goes way beyond shelter for these families, it gives hope.

Our family gets so much out of doing this every fall and spring. A few trips back we built a home for Marisol and her daughter, Karla. Since I speak Spanish we all made friends very quickly. When I told Marisol how each participant pays their own room & board ($65 for the weekend) and each team of 20 raises the $6,200 for materials ($300/person) via fundraising she was completely amazed and grateful. Marisol has had a very rough life; she had an abusive mother, she's a single mom, and the list goes on. She told me that the miracle of getting a home from complete strangers with no strings attached was already overwhelming, but the fact that we all come back and visit and really do care about her and her daughter is something that she has never experienced until now. She's on a journey as we all are, I'm so grateful to be able to be a part of the story that God is telling in this little corner of the planet.

I've realized that these weekends in Mexico are so much more than just building a home, it's about using our hands & feet to show God's love for the people of Colonia de San Bernardo. If you want to know more about Project Mexico check out the site by clicking here.

Here's a video that Jon made from our last trip; hope you enjoy it!

I'm an apricot

"Soft and sweet, over time you let your provocative nature shine through. You are definitely unconventional, but you don't broadcast it. You offer people a fresh perspective on life - so fresh that it can be shocking!"

Orange is one of my favorite colors. If you like it too, take this quiz and see what color orange you are.

Would you like a margarita?

This is my favorite margarita glass. I bought a pair at the Goodwill on El Toro Rd, Lake Forest, CA they were .50¢ ea and they've lasted for 5 years. They are the perfect size and I love how they look in the sunlight next to my sink about 5:45 in the afternoon.


I hate that summer is coming to an end. It doesn't feel right to make my favorite drink while the leaves are starting to change and there's now a slight chill in the air. Since I live in Orange County, I think I can fit in a few more before fall officially arrives.


In case you want to know how to make a "real" Mexican Margarita; it's half tequila (5 oz.), one third (2 oz.) fresh lime juice and one sixth (1 oz.) triple sec which is a citrus liqueur. The rim of the glass is rubbed with lime juice and dipped in salt. The ingredients are shaken with cracked ice and strained into the salt-rimmed glass. It's served garnished with a wedge (not a slice) of a mexican lime (the tiny ones that look like key limes) You can get a bag of 25 for .99¢ at the 99¢ store, also on El Toro Rd.


This margarita is smaller and more potent and definitely more refreshing than the typical huge, frothy happy hour concoctions, you know, the ones that taste like a 7-11 slurpee. Be careful; there's a fine line between great conversation and inebriation ... therefore these should always be served with food, even if just a bowl of tortilla chips and salsa.


From my experience, the best time to enjoy a margarita is not at a noisy bar, but at home with my husband, preferably while sitting on a green plastic adirondack chair on my freshly mowed lawn under the huge tree in the front yard while watching the girls ride their the bikes and draw with chalk.


Now go enjoy your margarita before the eggnog and cider arrives =)

Money vs. Wealth

I started my day by reading the newspaper. They carried a story, from the assoc. press about Jack Whittaker, the winner of the highest paid PowerBall jackpot in the U.S. The article entitled "Powerball Win: Fantasy or Nightmare?" ends with a quote by Jack ...

"I'm only going to be remembered as the lunatic who won the lottery," he said. "I'm not proud of that. I wanted to be remembered as someone who helped a lot of people."

As I reflected on this today, I thought a lot about my dad. He was a preacher, his churches were mainly in the middle of California; the farming areas and were mostly comprised of migrant workers. He barely made any money, as a matter of fact our family was often paid with crates of fruit or vegetables.

Since he had such a flexible "work" schedule, he often spent the week fishing & gardening; and I spent most of my childhood with him outdoors. We ate fish often, since it was readily available because my father was such an amazing fisherman. He taught me how to tie my first hook and do my own line by the time I was 4, he even taught me how to clean them too. That's me in the picture, I'm 5 and was so proud of all the fish I caught by myself. I really should teach my girls to fish, I really miss it.

So after all this thinking and mulling over the difference between being rich vs. being wealthy, I pulled out my favorite gift from my husband Jon, a poem he wrote for me the year my father passed away, hopefully he won't mind me sharing it with you.

The Wealthiest Man I Ever Knew - by Jon Hall, Christmas 1995

The wealthiest man I ever knew wasn’t a man of many possessions. He didn’t have a fleet of cars, a big house, or attend expensive therapy sessions.

He was a man of simplicity, of gentleness … of servant hood and of thoughtfulness – with a fair share of caring, he had a character like no other … strong, but not overbearing. Of worldly things, he had quite few … that which he had tended to be recycled, used, and not very new.

But of earthly things, this man was beyond rich. The love of his family, and of his God, carried him through life without a hitch. Oh, he had problems, setbacks, and failing health like the rest of us. But the love of one daughter, she is the essence of love – represented in its simplest.

This daughters’ love, showed more than caring. It showed more than admiration, something far more daring. Her love was the essence of unconditional love. Something more than from herself, something more like from above.

This man showed his daughter this love, every chance he would … He showed it through the lessons, he showed it when they were fishing, he showed it whenever he could.

And from his example, she learned something quite valuable. She learned to love in a way that was gentle, but unstoppable. It showed in those hours, many a long hour, that she sat at his bedside, frustrated, but not sour.

For she knew that this man, tired, in pain, and near the end, was going to a place unlike any other … he was going to a place where his body would more than mend.

What made this man so wealthy, was more than money could buy. It’s worth more than anything … more than the world, bigger than the sky. It’s worth more than all the possessions of the world, more than all this earth could offer. His wealth was so staggering, greater than the world coffer.

For this man’s wealth was based on a love. The love of his God, the love of his daughter. An unconditional love, more than this world could eve offer.

And in the day, that she sees her father again, she’ll give him a hug, she’ll share a tear, but she’ll know where he’s been. In the place he is now, in a place we can only imagine, this wealthy man’s there now, in a place called heaven.

Just one last thing to leave you with, it's a little snippet from my favorite Nooma video ...

Balance

School started for us two days ago. This will be my sixth year teaching, I think it will be the most challenging and hopefully the most rewarding. I'm following a wonderful classical home school education outlined in the book The Well Trained Mind, this year we cycle through Ancient Civilizations again, my absolute favorite time period to cover. The girls are in 1st, 4th & 5th grade this year. I have not posted recently, I've spent the last few weeks trying to get organized and work out a schedule of sorts, I think I'm ready.

In the past few weeks, I've been contemplating how chaotic my life has become. Lately, I've been so busy juggling my clothing design business, running a household, teaching, attending church events, keeping in touch with friends and all the other things I cram my life with that it's getting tougher to juggle it all.

I want to balance ... I don't want to juggle. Not sure what to do about it, but while thinking and digging around the web, I came across this fascinating little vintage animation from 1990, it won the Oscar for Best Animated Short that year.

I'm definitely not a deep thinker, but this little movie has got me thinking. I suppose it's a commentary on our society. My thought is, if they stayed perfectly balanced forever and didn't move, that would be boring. It didn't get interesting until they started shaking things up. Hopefully you'll enjoy or be bothered by it, let me know what you think.

Vintage Finds!

On my weekly trek to my favorite thrifts, I found these. They came from 3 different stores, but match so perfectly. The avon index box is my favorite. My kitchen loves them all!

Getting In The Game!

I'm a little slow. I've been needing to have a blog for quite some time. One of my passions is designing girls clothing. I get phone calls asking "anything new this week?" So in an effort to update my friends, I'll be posting pictures of my newest creations along with some relevant events of my day. We'll see how it goes.

I sell my one of a kind creations on Ebay, Etsy, Journal Modiste, Blossom Street, Craft Shows and personally to family and friends. Here's a dress I made today. My youngest daughter models it in this picture. It's called Scary Cherries!