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.

"It's a beautiful morning..."

♥

Rosie and Carmen for Dolly Donations

Like it or not, I have time on my hands. {read: unemployed}

And hurt shoulder or not, I'm determined to craft/sew/keep my hands busy.

So when my dear friend, Sian told me about this worthy cause,

I decided to make a couple of dolls to donate.

♦ ♦ ♦

Meet Rosie and her good friend, Carmen.

I got the free pattern here and figured while I was cutting the pieces for one doll, I might as well do two. The pattern was easy to follow, and the toughest part {for me} was drawing and painting the faces. I scrutinized them, drew the eyes three times before I settled, and finally left well enough alone. Later when I came back around to them, I actually liked the way they looked. {I could have used your help on this one, Rinda!}

I loved working on these dolls, though I probably won't be making another doll any time soon {just not my bag, baby}.

The thing I did like about working on these dolls was knowing they were going to a good cause, thinking about the little girls who would receive them, and imagining the joy they might bring.

I hope that receiving these dolls will help their recipients understand that there is kindness in a world that may seem cruel in their immediate vicinity.

And I hope that someday they will reach out and create something that will bring a bit of joy to someone they don't know.

Have you ever made a rag doll?

Or something else that you've donated to a worthy cause?

Any other worthy causes you can tell me about while I still have time on my hands?

♥

PS: These dollies are going to Brazil.

Linking to Skip to my Lou - Made by You Monday

Inspired to Unplug

Isn't this the greatest ad ever?

When I saw it I loved it instantly.

Of course, I loved the great shot of the turtle on the right,

but the message was awesome too.

I had to visit their website to get a copy

of the ad, and it's for a great cause.

Check it out!

DiscoverTheForest.org

Doug and I are taking a little road trip today...I need a mountain!

♥

Dress a Girl Around The World

I've been wanting to contribute to a charity in a way that would allow me to use my crafting skills for something other than home decorating or personal gift giving. Several months ago during an email exchange with my sweet friend Sian from the UK, she mentioned a charity I might be interested in. Funny that someone from Ireland can find a charity for me that is right in my backyard!

The charity organization that Sian led me to is called Dress a Girl Around the World and it's based in Phoenix, Arizona. This organization collects handmade dresses and distributes them through Hope 4 Women International who in turn distributes the dresses to girls in need around the world.

The dresses are made from pillowcases, and when I saw how simple the pattern was I decided that as soon as my craft space was organized enough to accommodate a small sewing project, I'd like to contribute to this worthy cause.

I purchased three pillowcases from my local thrift store. How lovely that the universe provided half-off-day on the very day I chose to shop! The pillowcases cost me 75¢ each! And since I already had binding tape and elastic in my supplies this was a very inexpensive way for me to contribute.

And my time?
I spent about 2 hours making three dresses.
And it was 2 hours well spent!

So how about it, Blog-friends-who-can-sew?
Care to join me in a little charity sewing?
♥ ♥ ♥