Although sunflowers are pretty (and I enjoy eating their seeds) they are not my favorite flower. However, this morning an enormous bouquet of sunflowers adorns my desk for Only The Good Friday. I’ve placed them there to honor my husband’s favorite aunt, who died one year ago. I’ve told you about Aunt Cleo before; she was my hero.

Her favorite flower was the sunflower, and she decorated her home with a profusion of them. The sunflower is a fitting symbol for Cleo, for they represent warmth and happiness. The color yellow is also a good match for her, for it means optimism, enlightenment, and happiness. That sums up Cleo pretty well.

Cleo battled Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease.” Perhaps you don’t know anyone who has the disease, which gradually paralyzes the muscles of the body which allow us to move, eat, and breathe (but not the part of the brain that allow us to think, feel, and remember). Usually it develops in people between 40 and 70 years old, and 90% of the people who get it did not “inherit” it. It is not contagious, but it is a disease that strikes randomly. According to Frontline, “It is estimated that 30,000 people in the U.S. have ALS at any given time, with approximately 5,600 new cases diagnosed annually. More than 5,000 people die from the disease each year.” There is no cure … yet.

If Cleo were still here, there would be one soon! Even confined to a wheelchair, she “walked” to raise money for ALS research. She knew it wouldn’t help her, but she hoped it would help somebody. This year, her daughters Kase and Patti walked in her memory.

Obviously Cleo didn’t win the battle with ALS (no one does), but she faced this deadly disease with courage, dignity, and laughter … even when she lost her ability to speak. Those would be reasons enough to admire Aunt Cleo, but there was more.

Cleo had the ability to make everyone feel special. She accepted people, no matter their foibles, and welcomed them into her heart. Her heart was doggone big. What a wonderful world it would be if there were more “Aunt Cleos” out there!

I’m betting that you have a hero or two. Who has touched your life, and taught you how to live it fully?

© Shelly for This Eclectic Life, 2010. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Aunt Cleo, Memories, Only The Good Friday

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

We all have an “inner child” who speaks to us occasionally. My inner child, whose name is “Muse,” won’t shut up. She can be alternately willful, petulant, charming, funny, humorous, or acerbic. I can often pacify her with coffee, chocolate, or bacon … or by playing dress up and letting her be a pirate. Without her input, I can’t write, for she is my creativity. When she is working with me, she’s “cooking,” but I had no idea she really knew her way around the kitchen!

Hey, Gloomy Guts! Why are you so down? It’s Friday and you are supposed to think of Only The Good … that’s your rule, you know.

I know, Muse, but I’m not feeling it today.

I know somebody who needs her designer coffee! Find your shoes and let’s go down to the coffee house. We’ll turn that frown upside down! Coffee will make you perky. Perky … get it? That’s a joke.

Shush, Muse, I don’t feel like laughing. We can’t go. Haven’t you looked at the checkbook lately? We don’t have work until September. With the kid’s wedding coming up, we have to slow down. If we want to do other fun things, we are going to have to cut out the coffee.

OK. You are probably right … so let’s play in the mud.

I don’t want to get all dirty this morning.

Sheesh! You are slow this morning. “Mud” …”coffee” … get it? C’mon, let’s go in the kitchen. There you go. Now get a pitcher. See that leftover coffee in the pot? Make one and three fourths cups of coffee walk over and hop in the pitcher.

Do what?

C’mon … you always say that your coffee is strong enough to “walk to the cup by itself.” Get it in the pitcher! Good. Now, add one tablespoon of sugar and one fourth of a teaspoon of cinnamon and stir it.

You aren’t doing it right. When you stir it, you have to shake your booty a little. C’mon. There you go! Don’t you feel better already?

Not really …

I’m not finished yet. Now, dance over to the refrigerator. No, you have to dance! Get out the milk, the cream, and the chocolate syrup … the dark chocolate syrup. Good. Add to that pitcher of coffee: one half cup of milk, one half cup of cream and … mmmm … about one sixth of a cup of chocolate (I’d tell you that in tablespoons, but you always tell me I’m not good in math). Now stir, and when you stir you have to shake …

I know, I know. I have to shake my booty.

Now, get Granny Armour’s teapot …

My great-grandmother’s teapot is fragile, Muse! I’m not gonna …

Don’t argue with me, this is for your own good. You played with it when you were a kid. I know that was fifty years ago, but you need to play now. Pour you a cup and let’s sit on the porch and watch the hummingbirds and listen to the mockingbird.

Mocha Mud

Mmmm. That’s good, Muse!

I know! It’s better than the coffee house, isn’t it?

I think so.

When we get work again, we have to go back to the coffee house, though. I need to see my friends. They miss me, you know.

I love YOU, I love bacon, I love YOU, I love bacon.

For those of you who didn’t understand the Muse’s recipe for Mocha Mud, here it is. It’s simple, quick, better than the coffee house, AND it uses up your leftover coffee:

Have a delightful day. I hope it is filled with only the good!

© Shelly for This Eclectic Life, 2010. | Permalink | 14 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: coffee, humor, muse, Only The Good Friday, recipes

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

That’s what my friend Jennymcb said in an e-mail as we talked about Share A Square 2010, “It’s Goosebump Time!” She knows as well as I do how long it took to get the word out about the project the last time around (2008). It was months before we felt comfortable about the number of people participating to make crocheted squares for children with cancer. This time, all it took was starting a group on Facebook and one on Ravelry. Social media is a powerful tool!

[In fact, as I was about to hit the "publish" button, I discovered that folks are talking about this on Crochetville, too!]

Why goosebumps? The Facebook group was started June 30th, and already has 150 members. The Ravelry group has only been up a few days and has 84 members already. If it keeps growing, I have no doubt we will be able to get 12,000 crocheted squares by the end of December. Then we will start whipping together the 150 afghans for Camp Discovery.

Please keep in mind that you don’t have to be a “member” of any social group in order to participate. But, if you are in the groups, you’ll find new friends, lovely pictures of squares, and you might find some inspiration, like this pattern at My Blue Angels called Shells Around.

It works up nicely:

Jennymcb has agreed to be my “right arm” this year, and I didn’t even have to twist her arm to make her! She is the moderator of the Ravelry group, and is a co-administrator on the Facebook page. Either of us should be able to answer any of your questions. I can’t tell you how big a relief it is to have a partner! A lot gets done behind the scenes that has nothing to do with crochet.

We are spreading the work around a little bit. In fact, later today my friend Thorne, at Thorne’s World, will be posting about the tags we are asking people to send with their squares. Those are being done a little differently than last time. I’ll add the link to that page when she posts. She is a night owl in a different time zone than mine and has probably just gone to bed as I write this.

Do I have goose bumps? Yes, I do. And, that makes this a very good Friday! Y’all enjoy your day and I hope it is filled with Only The Good.

© Shelly for This Eclectic Life, 2010. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Only The Good Friday, Share A Square 2010

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

It’s not a game, really. And, I’m not making ketchup, like Joy does at Stop Blogging and Cook. That would be much more fun (and delicious!). I’m simply trying to catch up! Do y’all have days like that? Probably not. I bet every doggone one of you have your world totally organized. So, would you like to drop by my house and help?

I can’t seem to “clean my plate.” It’s almost as if I have one of those magical dishes from the folk tales that is always full. Could it be that I bring this on myself? Nahhh!

Now, some of what I’m doing is great fun — like finishing the centerpieces for our upcoming wedding. I’ve got all the cowboy boots now, and I think I have the smells gone (thanks to your suggestions!). Yesterday I scavenged in a junk shop to get old bottles, Prince Albert tins, and other funky items for my vignettes. Yes, I know it sounds strange, but I’ll show you pictures when I’m satisfied with my results.

Some of what I am doing is challenging — like beginning Share A Square all over again. We are trying to “do it right” this time and eliminate some of the glitches we had the first time around. Two difficulties I’m having:

• I started a Facebook group for Share A Square, but it doesn’t alert me when there is a comment or a new group member. I don’t know how to make it do that. I’m having to read through everything several times a day so I can keep up. Anyone knowledgeable about Facebook?
• I’m trying to figure out ways to publicize Share A Square! Any suggestions will be helpful.

Then there are a few things that are just time consuming — like emptying my inbox and tallying the comments on four posts so I can give away $100! You still have a few days to comment (I said I wouldn’t tell y’all again, but I lied), so visit the contest landing page to see the 4 posts included.

That might not seem like an Only The Good Friday post to you, but the “good” part is that I am making headway, and I’m optimistic about it … and I might get through in time to watch the Merlin marathon on the SciFi channel! I can crochet while I do that, so it isn’t a total waste of time. Heck, if I had Merlin here right now, I could be through with all this in a snap!

So, how is your day going? I hope it’s all good!

© Shelly for This Eclectic Life, 2010. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Only The Good Friday, Share A Square 2010

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

“Get a hobby.” That’s what experts in aging tell us. They say that we should develop hobbies before we retire as a means of promoting longevity. Longevity? They aren’t kidding, but why don’t they tell it like it is? What they mean to say is : If you don’t have a hobby when you retire, you and your spouse will be at each others throats! After years of going off to their respective jobs each day, retired couples sometimes experience too much togetherness!

Down at the coffee shop each morning, I see a bevy of older men sitting on the benches shooting the breeze. I imagine that it’s in self defense — their wives probably want them out from under foot and kicked them out of the house! I wonder if they have hobbies?

I’ve read that having a hobby is a way to reduce stress and provide a sense of accomplishment. That’s true, I think, unless you are a perfectionist diverted by Attention Deficit Disorder. That would make it difficult to enjoy a hobby. Sometimes we can have so many hobbies that it’s difficult to pick which one to indulge!

I’ve got an entire room devoted to storing the materials for the different hobbies I enjoy. In fact, I need to determine which ones I want to continue and which ones need to fall by the wayside. There is only a fixed amount of time in a day, and I’ve finally gotten smart enough to realize that I have to pick and choose. But, I do believe that everyone should find at least one hobby they enjoy.

Perhaps hobbies can, indeed, promote longevity? I’m sure you couldn’t help but see the marionette at the top of the post. That was hand-carved by my late father-in-law, Don Tucker, as he underwent chemotherapy. It was his way of occupying his mind so he could stay focused on the positive. His positive attitude kept him alive for a very long time as he dealt with his cancer. After seeing this puppet, Don’s friend Jerry Juhl (who was the head writer for The Muppets and Fraggle Rock) had Don inducted into a puppeteer’s guild! Don’s workshop was filled with projects, and he kept working until he could no longer stand.

Don’s attitude has been one of my inspirations for my Only The Good series on Fridays. He taught me the importance of optimism for well-being, and that it is easier to stay optimistic when you have a pleasurable hobby.

The experts say that having a social network is another way to promote longevity. I guess that means that if you don’t have a hobby and get kicked out of the house, that group at the coffee shop is the next best thing?

So, tell me about your hobbies. Do you have any? Or, will I be seeing you on the bench at the coffee shop in a few years?

© Shelly for This Eclectic Life, 2010. | Permalink | 17 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Artsy Fartsy Stuff, Only The Good Friday

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

I’m breathing some life into old cowboy boots, but I’m reluctant to breathe around them. At the moment, those boots are a bit “fragrant.” I can fix that, I think, with some baking soda and sunlight. It’s my project for this “only the good Friday.” I’m trying to stay optimistic about it.

My kitchen is cluttered with cowboy boots! None of them fit anyone at this house … some don’t have a mate. Most of them are getting a splash of color put on them as I use acrylic paints to “gaudy them up.” I know that the acrylic paint won’t wear well, but these boots won’t ever be worn again. Their destiny is to become a centerpiece for tables at a barbecue at the rehearsal dinner for our son’s wedding.

This project started out simply: I was just going to put one boot on a table as a centerpiece. But there are eight tables for the guests, and … well … the project grew. Does that ever happen to you?

The wedding is being held in Mendocino, California and I’m going to be the only true Texan there … so I didn’t want to be “in your face.” I won’t put out the Texas flag, bluebonnets, or yellow roses. I know y’all think that we Texans go over the top, but I’m capable of restraint. Sort of.

We are serving barbecue, but it’s “California style.” I’m not quite sure what that is but I’ll go with it. On the tables, we will have blue and white checked tablecloths, red tin plates, and we will drink our “sweetea” out of jelly jars. Don’t worry, there will also be a keg of beer.

In the middle of each table will be a “vignette” featuring a cowboy boot filled with wild flowers on one of my grandmother’s lace doilies, with an antique bottle, an antique jigger, a pack of playing cards and some poker chips. I figure that if I practice my game, I might be able to win some cash!

Mr. Tucker and I scoured the thrift stores in town to come up with some cowboy boots.

This pair was terribly sad when we bought them. Someone had glued the heels with gorilla glue, and hadn’t been very neat about it. For $2.00, we decided to see what we could do with them. The addition of red paint is helping them … and once I’ve finished sprucing them up I think they will work.

Although this white pair of boots was in good condition, I just had to grab some beads to add to them. Did I overdo it?

So that’s what’s going on at my house right now. I’ve got doilies to starch, painting to do, and a lot of puttering ahead. I needed a simple project like this. This week was a sad one at our house, as we had a death in the family, so I’m glad to have a “happy project” to occupy my thoughts. In Mendocino, our son and future daughter-in-law had arrived to finalize their wedding plans … just as his grandfather died. That part was not good, but we were all together.

The wedding will go on as planned; it’s what his grandfather would have wanted. He will be there in spirit … and there are going to be some kick*** boots on the table at the rehearsal dinner. That is, if I can figure out how to keep them from stinking. I don’t want to be remembered for smelly boots!

Anybody have any suggestions for deodorizing old cowboy boots? What if I stuffed sprigs of rosemary down in them? It wouldn’t get rid of the smell, but it would mask it. I’ll consider any suggestions I can get at this point.

© for This Eclectic Life, 2010. | Permalink | 16 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Artsy Fartsy Stuff, Only The Good Friday

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

For the next few months, Only The Good is taking a rest as a “meme.” I will still be avoiding my snarky disposition on Fridays, and writing only about “good” things that day (you can, too!). But, life is hectic … and I find myself not being a caretaker of the meme right now. I’m not doing justice to those who participate.

I appreciate all of you who have posted for Only The Good during the course of it. Your optimism has inspired me, and I think it has been inspiration to others as well. Keep on spreading those good thoughts!

© for This Eclectic Life, 2010. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Only The Good Friday

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh