Wordless Wednesday - Little Ava

Sleeping Beauty

Wordless Wednesday: Part II

7 newborn kittens, at least 3 marbles, sexes undetermined. During her labor she was frantic to have her mother, Mollie, near her, but Mollie is nursing 4 babies herself.

Wordless Wednesday: Childbirth

Oh the pain of "Childbirth"!!! Bengal Cat seconds before delivering her kittens

Carnival: Symbols of June: The Rose and Moonstone

June has always been one of my favorite months for so many reasons: Weddings; the beginning of Summer; the end of school; warm days; long walks in the Park; sitting by the water daydreaming. Oh, I could go on and on with the endless possibilities that June can bring. I just named a few which always seemed to make June a special month for me.

So when I read our new “Carnival” topic by Shell I thought of so many possibilities to write about. Thanks to ShellMitchell, I also learned a few new things about June, that being the Pearl or Moonstone as June’s birthstone’s; and of course the Rose as June’s flower. In fact, as I am typing on my computer in front of my terrace window, I am looking out at my beautiful roses already in bloom on my terrace (the pictures above are from my terrace)! I will also share with you my favorite place that I look forward to going on a warm sunny day, Manor Park in Larchmont NY. It is one of the most peaceful places I have found – the Park is located on the ocean sound where you can climb down the rocks to the water and sit and watch the sailboats floating by and also have a beautiful view of the NY City skyline. As I climb down the rock there are many little caverns (of course, I will not tell where one might find me) but I can sit for hours looking at the peacefulness of the water and always bring my journal to write my thoughts which seem to flow in this beautifully hidden Park.

I seemed to have gotten a little distracted with my own thoughts of June; but Shell did mention June’s own symbols are the Pearl or Moonstone, and represented by one of God’s most beautiful creations – the Rose! So with this newfound knowledge, I have discovered that my own shop is filled with some of June’s own symbols. One of my pieces which I named “Moonshadow” is a Carnelian Moonstone. Although I quoted in my description of this piece from Cat Steven’s song “Moonshadow”; he says “see life as it is and don't compare it to others' lives. Every moment in life is rich and unique. This connects with the true meaning of a Moonstone as being a very person stone and is a reflection of the person who owns it; the moonstone is said to perceive that which “is”. It is said if you give your lover a moonstone necklace when the moon is full you will always have passion with each other.

In honor of June’s flower, the Rose, featured in my shop, is one of my favorite pieces, called “The Rose”. A rose has always been associated with beauty, romance and perfection. One of Shakespeare’s most favorite quote from Romeo and Juliet: “What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet”.

So as we begin our Summer, let us walk among the Roses, smelling their sweet scent, and hope we find the passion when a lover gives us a beautiful Moonstone!

May Blogger of the Month: CreateAThought

When I first looked at this shop, besides the beautiful and interesting items in this Shop, what really struck me was her “Creative Thoughts”. As one who loves to write my thoughts down in a journal, I found this quote to be one my favorites: “Everyday you are creating thoughts. Thoughts that are interesting and beautiful, profound and deep, silly and funny. Whatever your thought style is, they should be recorded.”

CREATEaTHOUGHT's mission is to help you do just that. As she states in her bio, her shop provides just such items that will fit your personal writing and recording style. As each journal is created to be unique and one of a kind, CreateAThought is willing to create a personalized journal (or item) to fit your personality. I want to be able to provide you with something that is not mass produced. You will not have to worry about someone saying "I have that same journal" !

Besides the unique and personal journal in this shop, she sells many other fun and unique items. As one who likes to experiment in various crafts, she also states that “I like making things, and like to try making new things at least once!” As you browse through this interesting shop, you will also find cards, purses, magnets, frames, prints, any of which can be personalized to your own style. As she is constantly adding new items I suggest you mark this shop as one to keep an eye on!

Another interesting quote from her shop which I love “Life is too short to have boring things in your life, welcome to my shop full of color and things for you to enjoy, and make your life bright! It was hard trying to choose which items to showcase in CreateAThought's May Blogger of the Month article.

A Fairy Tale Life

Me ( age 2) and my sister (age 4)

When I read our latest Carnival topic on Fairy Tales, we were asked which was one of our favorite Fairy Tale. So many different tales came to mind. Most Fairy Tales begin with “Once Upon a Time”; and end with, “They lived happily ever after.” Strangely, as a child I never really recognized that concept when reading or being read one of the many fairy tales that exist. Truthfully, I always found them to be dark, mysterious, and at times quite terrifying. I guess one could relate them to a theme of “Dungeons and Dragons”. The one that always stayed in my mind was Hansel and Gretel. Two young children filled with the fear of a mother who never seemed to love them, and a father forced by his failure to be able to provide for the family. The parent’s only solution was to be rid of the children. Listening to their parents plans night after night, the children saved up some bread crumbs and as they ran away from home, their idea of spreading bread crumbs along the way to help them find their way back home was thwarted by the birds that ate their crumbs. Hungry and tired they came across a most unique house in the woods; one that would attract any small, hungry and unwanted child. A beautiful “Gingerbread House” where they were greeted by a most welcoming owner. The woman not only invited them in, she fed them and provided them with the love they were so desperately seeking. It was only a matter of time before the real person emerged; a woman who used Hansel and Gretel to do chores, only to find out that her sole purpose in helping them was to meet her own needs, and eventually planning to cook them for a meal for herself. As the old wicked woman prepared to push them into the fire, they in turn were able to cast her into the fire.

I don’t exactly know why this one particular “Fairy Tale” was and has been so vivid in my memory. As a small child, you wonder how a mother could just cast aside her children so easily, and I never understood why their father did not stand up for them. Yes, Hansel and Gretel’s father finally did come searching for them and saved them, but I wonder why they had to suffer such hardships to find love within their own family.

What is so sad is that today we so often see small unwanted children deserted by their parents; mother’s who kill their own children to satisfy their own needs. We see children starving around the world, beaten and starving as they are left to exist on their own. I wonder if these small children even know or knew what a “fairy tale” was; yet they are left to live such a life of unknown, hoping for that “Happily ever after” which almost never comes. As I think back, I wonder if this particular tale of “Hansel and Gretel” had some deep inner meaning within my subconscious. For those of you who read my blogs, you often hear me speak of my wonderful grandparents who raised my sister and me. My father left before I was a year old (which was also the last time I ever saw him), and my mother who was much too young to sacrifice her life to raise her own children. So perhaps I have lived in my own little Gingerbread House, deserted by parents; but my “Happily Ever After” came in the guise of loving grandparents, who made me the person I am today.