For Today . . .

For Today . . .

Outside my window . . . the clouds are starting to come in – hopefully more rain is on the way.

I am thinking . . . I am so glad it is Friday (with a long weekend ahead)
I am thankful for . . . life (I know some people who have had some very tragic things happen lately) – it makes me realize just how important it is to enjoy each day and to take care of the people we love.  Life can change in an instant.
From the kitchen . . . a little of everything from everyone (potluck at work today!)

I am wearing . . . jeans and a fluorescent sweatshirt (felt like being bright today)

I am creating . . . a Shabby Charlotte voodoo doll

I am going . . . to leave work completely behind me today and enjoy my long weekend.

I am reading . . . nothing right now – I need to start a new book

I am hoping . . . it doesn’t rain so much that we can’t fit in some tennis this weekend.

I am hearing . . . laughter – from people I work with.

Around the house . . . (office) – It has been a somewhat quiet day . . . almost potluck time (it smells delicious)

One of my favorite things . . . my new coffee cup (a birthday gift from a friend)

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . (weekend) – celebrating my birthday . . . Sushi for lunch, and Stogie and Stout night at our favorite Italian restaurant.  Also . . . The Walking Dead starts up again on Sunday!

From my picture journal . . .

 

Today's heart (hearts) . . . . being silly at the grocery store.  I love when he acts like this. 

more this and that . . .

I love being off work . . . spending days doing what I like to do.  I slept in, finished a book I was reading, and went through some more of the stuff I brought back from moms.  I folded a few paper cranes today so I could drop them while we were out.  I have made a little progress on my paper crane project . . . If you haven't seen what my project is about - take a look   Peace, Love, Cranes 

One crane left at the doctors office.  I got the results back from my CT scan today.  The tumor on my adrenal gland has not gotten any larger, but has changed some and I am having some symptoms that are a concern.  Nothing to really worry about - but I have to go through a few more tests - just to determine if they should remove it or not.  Just more time and tests . . .

Richard usually goes with me to the doctor . . . I think me having melanoma a couple of years ago sort of freaked him out . . . also a good reason to go to lunch after.  :)

Professor Plum and Colonel Mustard with a wrench in the library . . . love this t-shirt!  Love this man! 

I found this Day of the Dead fabric when I was visiting my mom.  I have seen it online, but never seemed to get it ordered.  I bought a couple of yards, I am not really sure what I will make with it . . . maybe a bag or a table runner.  I'll have to think about that.

Visiting my mom in Missouri instead of Iowa means tons of St. Louis Cardinal stuff to choose from.   Here is our newest little Redbird fan.  She was in such a cute mood tonight.  Her daddy may like the Padres . . . but she seems quite happy in her pink Cardinal onesie. 

Great Day!

Happy Monday!

Busy weekend . . . but also lots of parties and fun.  I snapped this picture leaving a graduation party.  This is in our neighbors yard . . . her father bought this for them when they moved in.  When they asked him why, he responded, "It will make people think that you own a big dog."   ?????

So they laugh about how it looks - and decorate him according to holidays.  This month he is a high school graduate . . .

I was able to drop a couple of cranes this weekend.  My 1000 Paper Crane Project is moving forward slowly . . . but it is moving forward.  I am hoping to not be quite so busy this summer - so I can give it a little more attention.

The week is off and running.  This is the last week of school - which means work will be hectic . . . but I tend to function very well in that sort of chaos . . . . and Summer vacation is right around the corner!!!!!!

 

"Sometimes the shortest distance between two points is a winding path walked arm in arm."   ~Robert Brault

Peace, Love, Cranes . . . with Room 12

 Today I visited one of the 4th grade classrooms at the school where I work.  Each year Mrs. Crow's 4th grade students read the book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes.  Last year she heard about my 1000 paper crane project - Peace, Love, Cranes  and invited me to visit her classroom and show her students how to fold an origami crane.  I was invited back again this year . . . and once again I think 4th graders are amazing. 

Each student folded a paper crane.  Those who knew how or caught on quickly helped the other students.  They truly amazed me and warmed my heart.  I have been a little lax on dropping my paper cranes . . . this motivated me to get moving along with my project. 

love these mushroom boxes . . .

I would not consider myself a hoarder at all -  (although my sons accuse me of being one - because they cannot understand why I keep some of the thing that I do.)  Like these cardboard containers that mushrooms now come in . . . I cannot bring myself to get rid of them for some reason.  (I do put them to use.)  If years from now Luke and Jake clean out my house and find hundreds of these stacked in the garage . . . then they can call me a hoarder.  : )  For now they have to just understand that I think these are great little boxes.

They are great for catching little bits and pieces of stuff to use in my journal. 

Origami cranes made from scraps of papers and envelopes need a place to nest.  (I can just see my son Jake's eyes roll as I am typing this . . . why keep the box? . . . why keep the cranes? . . .)  But this is from a young man who has a Wheaties box on a shelf because it has a picture of a baseball player on it.  One man's trash is another man's treasure - right? 

I also used one of these recyclable containers to start this calendar.  You write an entry for each day . . . then just move the card to the back and then add a new entry for the next year when the date rolls around again.  If you look close you can see that the entry for yesterday reads . . . Richard in a car accident on his way home from work.   Life is like that sometimes . . . (the truck seems to be in worse shape than Richard - although his back is hurting him this morning.)   Just happy it wasn't more serious.  And happy about my little recyclable boxes . . . hmm - what else can I use them for?

50 new cranes ready to go

I worked on cranes for my crane project last night.  I have 50 new cranes all folded, quoted, and ready to go.

 

If you haven't seen my crane project before . . . check it out here.

It is taking me a little longer than I expected.  Life gets in the way once in awhile and I don't get as many cranes dropped as I would like, but I am still at it and will finish with 1000 cranes. 

I've had some responses lately - both from people who have picked up my cranes and from people who have found my 1000 crane project on-line. 

I love how they look . . .

ICAN HIROSHIMA YOUTH COMMITTEE

Check this out . . . A group of high school students in Hiroshima have sent 1000 paper cranes to every president and prime minister worldwide. In return, they are asking for a message of support for a treaty banning nuclear weapons.
http://www.icanw.org/
http://www.icanw.org/files/PaperCraneProject.pdf


I have my own paper crane project.
Look at it here . . .
http://chs1000cranes.blogspot.com/
 . . . or on facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/1000-Paper-Cranes/170850606364512?ref=hl#!/pages/1000-Paper-Cranes/170850606364512

Peace, Love, and the Planet

I have been terrible about posting regularly . . . I think I have been waiting to post about something I have made - waiting for some creativity to post about . . . I am getting frustrated that I do not devote more time to that part of my life - but it will happen.  For today - I am just going to post some of the pictures that have been piling up on my phone.

These paper hearts come from my friend Jessica . . .

My new favorite coffee mug that Richard got for me.  This little girl makes me smile!

Of course there are always pictures of Stella on my phone.  I was cleaning like a mad woman last week - and she found her way into everything I was doing.  She could not resist this empty bag on the table . . . she never can.

She eventually fell asleep and fell out of the bag - not too concerned about what was going on around her.

I found this wax for my hair.  I have seen this at Nordstroms (and what I think is way to expensive) - but found this at a discount store.  Love, Peace, and the Planet.  I had to buy it just for the label.  I will find some use for the container when I am done with it.  For anyone out there who doesn't know me very well - my nickname is Planet.  That goes back to the 80's and a song by the B52's - "Planet Claire"

Soup face . . .

 . . . and a place mat crane.

A cold drink from this weekend.  This tasted so good after playing tennis and visiting . . .

 . . . the pigs at Fresno State.  Don't know why we decided to go look at the pigs.  We have been talking about taking Lily to the Fresno State Farm . . . and Richard decided to check it out while we were driving by.  Of course the first thing you notice is the smell . . . which actually smells so good to me (for awhile anyway).  I guess growing up in a small town in Iowa - then moving away - makes you like this smell.  I got out of the car and the first whiff reminded me of home. 

Peace, Love, and the Planet!

pizza, beer, and cranes

This is one of the packs of new origami paper that I bought while we were in San Francisco.  Will my obsession with this paper ever end? . . . I doubt it.  The paper is just so pretty . . . This paper is a little larger and printed on both sides

I will use it to make some cranes . . . but with the print on both sides of the paper I had to make one of these boxes.

An origami box needs an origami crane nesting in it.

Richard and I went out for pizza last night - I had some paper with me - so decided to fold some while we were sitting there . . . I tell you - it is an obsession (the origami cranes - not the beer)

This is only about the 4th crane Richard has ever made.  He needed a little instruction to remember how they were made.

. . . and my obsession continues.

A day in the city

We drove up to San Francisco this week . . . one of my favorites cities.  We saw these (senbazuru) at the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park - a perfect place to drop some of my cranes.  (hopefully I will get some responses from some of them.)

A trip to San Francisco always call for a stop at Jack's on Fisherman's Wharf . . . for a beer

 . . . and a shrimp cocktail.

We found this little bar called the Black Magic Voodoo Lounge . . . from the outside it looked questionable - but we just couldn't walk by without checking it out.  It turned out to be a great little place.

and the bathroom was great - this mirror . . . purple walls . . .

 . . . and this reminder (which I happen to need)

Room 12 cranes

Yesterday one of the teachers that I work with asked me to come talk to her class.  They had just finished reading Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes.  She wanted me to tell them about my 1000 paper crane project and show them how to fold an origami crane.

The teacher had told me that the kids were excited that I was going to come talk to them - but what a welcome I received . . . and such enthusiasm.  There were a couple of faces that didn't look too interested - but once we started folding - they all were interested.  Some of the kids who had done origami before helped the others who were having trouble.  They were amazing!

I took a picture of every one's cranes - I especially liked how a couple of the little girls place their craned on the book about Sadako.

The boy who made this crane is so sweet.  He tried to help anyone who was having trouble.  If you would like to see all of the cranes from room 12 or take a look at my 1000 paper crane project . . .

http://chs1000cranes.blogspot.com/

The crane fairy . . .

I folded this small crane for my friend Martha.

Her husband found this small brass fairy at a yard sale and she wanted her to be holding one of my cranes.  So she becomes a crane fairy . . . maybe she will grant some wishes.  Her she sits watching over Martha's grandchildren.

puzzles and paper

 I cannot figure out why some of my photos flip when I post them.  It bothers me - but I haven't been able to figure out why or how to stop them.  So you get a side view of the Wizard of Oz puzzle.  We completed all of the puzzles that we had - with winter weather still hanging around - so I went puzzle shopping.  This one I had to get - it even came in a cute tin can.

 I think one of the reasons I keep folding origami cranes (besides I seem to be obsessed - and a little crazy about them) - is the beautiful paper.  I love how they look when I get a bunch of them done.

I can find a lot of joy in small, random things . . . I like that.

I'm becoming the Crane Lady

 I have been wanting to hang up and display some of the origami cranes that I folded.  I actually would like to do something with all 1000 of them - we'll see how that goes.  It seems like I am spending an awful lot of time on these paper birds - but there is something about them I simply enjoy.

 I am all about using what I have on hand these days.  So an old embroidery hoop, some floss, and some beads - and I have a way to display about 100 of the cranes.

 Rather simple - but I love how it looks when the sun shines through the window. 

One of my friends made a comment that I must have a lot of time on my hands.  Not really - I simply try to take the time to do something that I enjoy and find relaxing - crocheting, knitting, scrap booking . . . lately it is 1000 paper cranes.  Oh yeah . . . and I can get somewhat obsessive with things.  If you are going to do something - do the best you can and do it all the way!

So until I tire of these lovely origami birds - I will continue to post about them - and fold them.  I am going to fold another 1000 - I have a project I just started - you can read about it here - http://chs1000cranes.blogspot.com/

“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.” ~ Buddah