Blog
September 2024
September Thought of the Month
"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."
~ Andy Griffith
I was watering my porch plants the other day when someone pulling out of the parking lot across the street called out to say how beautiful they are. I smiled and thanked her. It wasn't a huge deal for her, only a few seconds of her time and consideration. But those few words really brightened my day.
August 2024
August Thought of the Month
"You gotta write your own hymms or they ain't worth singing."
~ Ray Bradbury from The Day it Rained Forever
Rod Serling, famous for his series, The Twilight Zone and Night Gallery, recognized the evil of stifling individuality. He has multiple episodes in both shows depicting how wrong conformity can be, even if wrapped in an appealing package. Dictator characters praise and enforce conformity, anyone who is different is either forced to comply or cast out, even killed. That is the death of a society.
July 2024
July Thought of the Month
"Few will have the greatness to bend history, but each time a man stands up for an ideal or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope...."
~ Robert "Bobby" F. Kennedy, Sr.
DIY Project: Window Shade
Add realistic non-working window shades to your diorama windows. You will need a sheet of paper with a width or length longer than the height of your window, a plastic drinking straw, scissors, ruler, pencil, and glue or adhesive tape. I prefer scrapbook paper to add a splash of color that coordinates with my project.
These instructions include a pull but can easily be made without. For the pull cord, you’ll need heavy sewing thread, embroidery floss, or other thin cord, a sewing needle, and beads of your choice.
June 2024
June Thought of the Month
"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot."
~ Michael Altshuler
The year is nearly half over already. While time moves pretty much at the same pace it always has, we perceive it as flying by. We spend too much of our present dealing with the future. This has made us hyperaware of time and its passing.
Why You Should Never Do This in the Artists Alley
I’ve heard stories of artists who have caught people flipping through their portfolios and taking photos without getting permission. It’s happened to me. These fans may think they are doing no harm but they’re wrong.
Imagine this scenario. A new position is being created at your workplace with a higher salary than you’re earning. You want to apply but it requires skills you don’t have. So you take night classes to gain those skills on your own dime. When applications open up, you submit your updated resumé.
May 2024
May Thought of the Month
"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
It's a sad fact of life that other people will try to pigeonhole us, telling us what life paths we should follow and which dreams aren't for us, all without bothering to take the time to know us. Our desires and preferences take a distant second place to their opinions. We waste time, in some cases years, trying to be what we aren't to make others happy.
April 2024
April Thought of the Month
"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine."
~ Proverbs 17:22
Have you ever wondered why the world seems so much worse off even if statistics say otherwise? The next time you watch a broadcast news show, compare the number of "bad" news and "good" news stories. The bad always outweighs the good. That old saw that if it bleeds it leads has become the standard. Since our news services fill our days with negatives, it's up to us to offset that with positives.
March 2024
March Thought of the Month
"Do not spend the best part of your life pursuing small ambitions."
~ Joseph Prince
I grew up in a city and will always remember the first time I saw a night sky beyond the reach of artificial lights. Thousands upon thousands of stars surround our planet and until that moment I'd had no idea they existed. Possibilities are like those stars. If you're in the wrong environment, you can't see them. And if you don't know they're there, it is impossible to make them realities.
DIY Project: Candle and Stand
Have you heard of the product Airborne? It’s basically a tablet you drop in water and drink once it has dissolved as an extra boost to your immune system when traveling. I’ve used it or a generic version for years. On a recent trip, I used up a tube and was about to toss it when I gave the lid a second look and saw ... a candle!
The plastic coil that cushioned the tablets makes a decorative cage and can be painted (see photo 3 below). The core looks like a white column candle. All that's missing is the flame.
