Tuesday, November 25, 2014

This week in my garden

Good morning, blog friends!
This has been a deliciously busy time in my life and I haven't been playing with my big camera as often as I used to. I was home on Sunday and the light was just right so I grabbed my camera and headed outside for a walk around our garden.



My actual "garden space" has been sorely neglected - I haven't played in the dirt in over four months! Save for a volunteer shrub and a ratty looking snapdragon that are barely hanging on, the only things thriving are the ice plant and rosemary.


Nights are cooler now and our turtles are slowing down. I'm making myself not worry about them this winter...turtles have been hibernating for forever and resurfacing every spring. Right? {sigh. Still, I worry...}
 
It looks like we'll have a fairly decent blood orange crop this year, {yes, I will most likely try my hand at marmalade again in January...} but our trees aren't looking very healthy. They live in the shade of a giant eucalyptus tree so sunlight isn't abundant for them. Still, by some lovely miracle of nature, they bear fruit...
 
Oh that yummy November sunlight...

A little over a year ago I started this pencil cactus from some clippings I helped myself to, and I love how it's branching out among the ice plant...


Thanks to Doug, we have a beautiful winter lawn again this year so at least something is thriving out back! While other parts of the planet are preparing for winter and keeping warm inside, we are finally able to enjoy sitting outside without heat exhaustion.





So there you have it, a little look around our garden and a quick note from me to say hello. It's Thanksgiving week here in the U.S., and Christmas is seeping in. I have things to bake, things to make, and stuff to wrap. I have an anatomy project to complete for my yoga teacher training, and a few classes to sequence and document. I have a road trip to plan for next weekend, and a two-week vacation at the end of the year. I have the best friends and family on the planet, and a life that I am so grateful for.

Wishing all of my friends in the U.S. a safe and happy Thanksgiving.
And to all who read this, my gratitude for the time you take to visit PaperTurtle.

Friday, November 21, 2014

Just a Quote for my 6 year blog anniversary



"The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand."
~ Vince Lombardi

PS: My sweet little PaperTurtle blog turned 6 years old this week. :o)
PPS: My ring is from Dogeared and is the symbol for karma.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Music, Memory, and my Yoga Voice

Good day, my friends.
Let's talk about music today.
Theodore Roosevelt said, "Comparison is the thief of all joy" and it's true. Over the past several months I've been taking yoga classes from some amazing yoga teachers, all who have calm and velvety sounding voices, soothing and melodic and mesmerizing. Compared to my yoga masters, I think my voice sounds more like a California girl, caught up in crazy banter with my daughter, both of us talking over the top of each other, fast and furious with sometimes two subject matters going at once. That's how I identify with my voice.

I attended a workshop called "Yoga of the Voice" at my favorite yoga studio this past weekend. As I prepare to complete my 200-hour yoga teacher certification at the end of December, I thought this workshop would be good for me and I was right. The workshop was awesome! I was pulled out of my comfort zone and I really did learn a lot. You know, the voice is like a lot of other things - if you don't use it, you lose it.

me with my daddy's guitar

I sang a lot when I was younger - especially when my dad was still around. He played guitar and I even sang up on stage with his band when I was five years old. I sang the chorus of "Tiger by the Tail" and thought I didn't do well because nobody danced - they were all too busy watching me perform.

When Carrie was little we sang together a lot too. Our night time routines involved reading a story (or two), and then when the lights went out I'd lightly rub her back while I sang two (or three) songs. I loved waking her up on school mornings with a lively rendition of "It's a beautiful morning... ahhhh... oooh-oooh... I think I'll go outside for a while..." Ha. She wasn't as fond of that song as she was of her night time favorites.

I'm sure all of us can identify with songs from our past. Those songs that instantly take us back to a place and time, or remind us of a certain someone. So during the workshop when the subject of an organization called Music and Memories came up, I was very interested in learning more about it.

Music and Memories is an organization that is bringing music to nursing home patients with Alzheimer's and dementia. Watch this trailer for a documentary called "Alive Inside" to see some touching footage of patients receiving the gift of music. The transformations are incredible! I love knowing that an organization like this exists, and that somehow those who seem lost from this life are given the gift of memory through music.

You can make a donation on their website, or click here to learn how you can help by donating your used iPod. They'll even pay the postage for sending your iPod within the United States.

Yoga means "union" - union of body, mind, spirit and even voice. How wonderful to have experienced such a unique workshop last weekend, to be reminded of my own sweet music memories, and to be able to spread the word about a worthy cause such as Music and Memories. As for my yoga voice? I'll keep working on that!

It's such a blessing to be me.

Friday, November 14, 2014

Just a Quote for Friday




“Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.”

~ author unknown

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Returning to intentions

“Have only love in your heart for others. The more you see the good in them, the more you will establish good in yourself…” ~ Paramahansa Yogananda


In a yoga class last weekend, our teacher suggested that we choose an intention at the beginning of the class. She encouraged us to think about that intention as we inhaled, and visualize it happening on the exhale.
I’ve taken this teacher’s class before, and I love that she invites her students to practice with an intention. She said, “Maybe your intention is to be joyful so on your inhale you think joy. But then on the exhale you think, ‘Yeah, right’…" We smiled as she continued, "Just let that go. Don’t think you messed up your intention; just keep calling it back with every inhalation.”

So on my mat last weekend I chose a challenging intention: “Love everyone.” I’d had an experience the day before where I was the target of someone’s unkind words, and I really wanted to love that person in spite of their behavior. Then, as I exhaled, I visualized little pink hearts floating away from my chest – right out of my heart and out into the world. Inhale, “Love everyone.” Exhale, ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥...
This sweet teacher reminded us to come back to our intention during the course of the class; to feel it and believe it. I felt so full of love at the end of the class! I was ready for anything that came my way.
And then, like a mean little trick from the Universe, I was tested again just a few hours after class. My head was filled with judgment and ridicule directed at someone who innocently and unknowingly said something that I allowed to rub me the wrong way. Loving everyone was the farthest thing from my mind, and little pink hearts were definitely not flowing. My intention from that morning's yoga class flew right out the window.

Don’t think you messed up your intention,” I could hear my teacher say.
Just keep calling it back with every inhalation…

An intention is just that - a thing intended, an aim or a plan. It's not a steadfast rule, and straying from that plan doesn't mean I've messed up. While I might have the best intentions, the fact remains that I am human. I know that there will always be situations to test me, but the practice of yoga is teaching me the art of starting over. I will continue to choose intentions, there will always be distractions, and I'll keep returning to my breath and intention, over and over again...
♥ ♥ ♥

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

A Quilt Square for Denise

Oh how bittersweet it is to post the final month's installment of Fiona's Friendship Quilt exchange. For the month of October, we each made a quilt square for Denise.

With every quilt square I've made for this project, I knew right away what design I wanted to use for that month's recipient. And when I found out that Denise was joining the exchange, my mind instantly went in one direction: Donny Osmond. You see, Denise and I share a fascination with Donny Osmond - a common ground we realized early in our sweet blog friendship.

(Here's the part where you can click on this link and it will open a separate page. Then you can listen to Donny's "Puppy Love" and come back and read the rest of this post while it plays in the background. I'll wait...)



But how would I make a quilt square with our beloved Donny Osmond on it? I tried my best to come up with another idea and kept coming back to Donny. Denise has sons close to Carrie's age...she loves Himself...and her dogs...puppies... PUPPY LOVE. Done.


I used my Cricut to cut letters to use as templates, then traced around them on the back of fabric after I'd ironed on some fusible webbing. The solid background fabric is from my mom's fabric scraps, and so is that little pink heart in the middle of LOVE. :o)

And they called it...


~dreamy sigh~

I loved stitching this Donny Osmond inspired quilt square for Denise. :o)
And I have loved participating in Fiona's Friendship Quilt Block Exchange. I have plans to join all my blocks into a fun quilt top after the first of the year, and you can bet I'll be sharing my progress here on my blog when that happens. Many thanks to Fiona for organizing such a sweet and meaningful project!

You can see the other squares I've created for this project by clicking here.

Monday, November 10, 2014

Seeds of Hope Bracelet Winner

Many thanks to those who entered the drawing for the Seeds of Hope bracelet giveaway, and also to those of you who shared my link on Facebook. Seeds of Hope is an organization committed to saving girls from sex trafficking, a worldwide problem far greater than I ever imagined, and described by my cousin Dana on my blog last Monday. If you missed it you can read it here. And if you missed my post, you also missed out on being able to enter the drawing for this pretty bracelet...
 
I put all the names in a bowl and then emptied it over the top of this rock. The name that fell the closest to the bracelet is the winner... 

Hooray for Audrey! :o) Congratulations!
{I have your address so I'll put this little lovely in the mail for you this week.}
 
 
Thanks to Dana for taking the time to join me on PaperTurtle with her thoughtful answers to my questions, and thanks to Seeds of Hope for the amazing work they continue to do in Costa Rica.

You can check out more of the jewelry for sale by clicking here.

Friday, November 7, 2014

Just a Quote for Friday

"You are unrepeatable. There is a magic about you that is all your own."
~ D.M. Dellinge

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Good to know yoga therapy / Joint Freeing Series



Last month in yoga teacher training, we learned a series of stretches designed by Mukunda Stiles called "joint freeing series." Our master teacher encouraged us to practice the series every day for 30 days. I've done just that (ok...confession...I've missed four days) and I can already tell a difference in the way my ankles, hips and shoulders feel! My range of motion has improved, and my body actually craves these movements now.

When was the last time you rotated your ankles in one direction six times? And reversed the rotation, going the other way six times? How about your wrists, my phone/computer loving friends? Our joints were meant to move in many directions and need that movement to remain supple and lubricated with synovial fluid. These simple exercises are also a great way to practice breathing with movements - inhaling as you open, exhaling as you close.
 
The movements in this series are simple and even though some might seem challenging at first, they do get easier with practice! The sequence takes about 10 minutes to complete and is so good for freeing your joints, making you more flexible, increasing range of motion, and circulating your sweet energy. Come on, give your joints 10 minutes a day...

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Muffin tin magnet collection



I have an unexpected collection of magnets. And by unexpected I mean that I didn't collect them on purpose, but it seems like the little plastic bag I kept putting them in was getting full and I wanted to have a way to display them other than all over the front of our refrigerator.


I've had this old muffin tin that I picked up at an estate sale a while back so I decided to finally scrub the thing off and hang it in my craft room so I could display my magnet collection.


I like it. And there's plenty of room for the collection to grow.
:o)

Monday, November 3, 2014

Seeds of Hope ~ Guest Blogger and a Giveaway

My cousin, Dana, works with an organization called Seeds of Hope, and today I'm sharing information about them by way of an interview with her. At the end of this post I'm hosting a giveaway, so be sure to read to the end to find out how to enter to win the prize.




Deb:  What is Seeds of Hope?

Dana: Seeds of Hope exists to eradicate the sexual exploitation of children in Costa Rica. 







Most people don't realize the breadth of human trafficking. There are an estimated 27 MILLION people trafficked world wide.

In fact, it's the second largest criminal industry behind drug sales.
- 80% of victims have been sexually trafficked
- 800 to 900 thousand are trafficked across international borders every year
- Average age: 12-14 years old
- Average cost of a slave 90.00 world wide
- Top 3 States: California, Texas, New York

Deb: Why is human trafficking such a problem in Costa Rica?

Dana: Although Costa Rica is the most developed nation in all of Central America, the poverty there can be staggering in smaller villages. Children there are trafficked by their mothers out of necessity and as a generational occupation because no one has offered any other way of life. Seeds of Hope steps into to these disadvantaged communities and provides a way to freedom.

Sexual exploitation exists in Costa Rica due to the fact that it is a popular tourist destination. Prostitution is legal over the age of 18. The average age of a sex tourist is 55 and older and generally American due to Costa Rica’s proximity to the US.


Deb: How is Seeds of Hope helping girls in Costa Rica?

Dana: When Seeds of Hope was first founded in January 2012, our sole goal was to open a safe house for girls caught in trafficking, but it quickly became apparent that the need was far greater than those we could house. We did open a safe house in June 2013 and are fully licensed. We housed four girls at a rate of $6,000 per month. The girls eventually ran away in November 2013. We closed the safe house but maintain our licensing for emergency situations. Children in Costa Rica, unlike the US, are given the option of staying with their mothers who are trafficking them, or moving into what is considered foster care. Most children, although they hate the lifestyle, choose to live with their mothers. This is where Seeds of Hope comes in.

We started a clubhouse program in a high risk/exploitive village. We offer classes 6 to 7 days a week in various subjects such as: vocational training, English, spiritual classes, creative arts, wood working, and group counseling. In the past we’ve partnered with Love and Scissors, who spent three months in our program teaching our girls the art of hair styling. The girls are then given a certificate and are able to apprentice in local salons.

A number of our exploited girls make jewelry in return for food and utilities. No money is exchanged. Groceries are purchased and distributed on Tuesdays. Bills are paid directly as they are due. We’ve expanded since our first clubhouse opened in April 2012. We now have three clubhouses in Costa Rica with a third and fourth opening this November and February of next year. We’ve also started a boys program offering the same classes mentioned above. 


Deb: How can we help?

Dana: Since we are expanding based on need, we are in desperate need of long term volunteers, fluent in Spanish, who can raise support to live in Costa Rica for a minimum of 9 months or more. Of course, we are solely funded by private donations and would love financial support even if it is $10 a month. Our average donor gives $25 a month. Please SHARE our website and Facebook page with everyone you know! Purchase our jewelry as 100% of the proceeds goes back to those making jewelry. Spread the word!



I'm hosting a giveaway in connection with today's post. I own a couple of Seeds of Hope bracelets and wear them all the time ~ my favorites!!! If you'd like to enter for a chance to win the bracelet shown in the photo above, please leave a comment either here on my blog, or under my post on Facebook. If you share about this giveaway on any other social media, let me know and I'll give you an extra entry. I'll announce the winner, chosen in a random drawing, on my blog next Monday, November 10th.

You can check out more of the jewelry for sale by clicking here.

You can read Dana's bio here, and watch a video with lots of interesting information by clicking here. (Dana's interview begins at 20.00.)
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