Catching Happiness

"The least I can do is speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves."  - Jane Goodall

I woke up with a snap. I didn't have to look at the clock to know we were late. I am a pro at speedy morning prep. It takes me no time at all to get dressed, brush my teeth, and braid my hair. I have even paired down the time it takes me to care for the animals.

 After hurrying to select a t-shirt, I rushed out my bedroom door. If I was stressed about oversleeping before, what waited for me in the kitchen horrified me even more. There was ... nothing. Not a soul in sight! I guess I wasn't the only one who slept in.

I raced up the stairs three at a time only to find my little sister still sleeping in bed. Oh no! She takes forever to get ready in the morning. At least Mom was up but she had evidently not been paying attention to the time either. We had 20 minutes before the event began. Twenty minutes until the walk for the Humane Society.

This year's walk for the Southwest Washington Humane Society is this weekend. I am determined not to be late. The annual walk for the animals is one of our favorite traditions. If I have learned anything from my dog, I learned to find joy in other's happiness. It seems my dog lives to make people smile. We may not get to see the smiles our walk will bring but I believe we are making a difference in some animal's life.

Elder Neil L. Anderson taught us to ask "what can I give?" instead of asking "what will I get?" I found that true happiness is captured in giving. Happiness is a dish best shared.

A New Creature is Coming

A new creature is coming. What could it be? Can you guess? It is an endangered species with only 1,409 individuals left in the wild. It lives in Africa. It is a carnivore. They live in packs. The biggest threat they face is human-wildlife conflict. Did you guess it? It’s the African Wild Dog!

When I finally finish this painting, it will be a part of the collection going to the Wildlife Conservation Network 2019 fall expo. I’m excited to be a part of the conservation of this amazing species. 

While in Africa, I got to meet a couple of these critters. They are just like little African Mickeys Mouses. And they squeak like mice too. I hope we can always find a place for them on our planet. 

Magical Media Magi

Sometimes you here stories of fans that got to live the dream. I think of Evanna Lynch. Evanna was a devout Harry Potter Fan until the day she became part of the universe. Producer David Heyman said, "The others could play Luna; Evanna Lynch is Luna." I, like Evanna, grew up loving the Harry Potter Series and though the movies are over the story continues in the hearts of us Harry Potter enthusiasts. Last week, in my own little way, I got to take a walk in a new chapter of my Harry Potter universe.

Last week the Wonderful Weekend of Wizardry offered me a position as the branding lead.We promptly renamed my position to the "Magical Media Magi".  I was so excited to get started. And while the Weekend of Wizardry isn't affiliated with Warner Bros or Harry Potter we love the series and draw inspiration from it for our fan based events. That is close enough for me.

I have already started my journey sketching logos and ideas for next year's big event. From owls, to mystical beings the sketching has begun! I am so happy to have found my place in the fantastical world we will be creating. 

Beware the Sea Monsters

 Look out it is sea monster time! Pirates beware of the kraken (and black spots). Narnians better be careful when sailing the sea I hear there be sea serpents. If you are planning a visit to New York watch out for gigantic sharks. And for all of you non-believers of sea monster folklore allow me to introduce you to the Hippocampus. This name originates from the Greek words "horse" and "sea monster." In scientific terms, this is the genus name for the sea horse.  

Sea horses are certainly not the most intimidating of sea monsters, but they are amazing creatures. You really don't have to cautious of these little guys because even though they are a fish they are terribly slow swimmers and not dangerous to humans at all. On the other hand humans are particularly dangerous to sea horses, or at least our trash is. Ocean debris affects all sea life including our favorite little sea monster. 

Here are three things you can do to minimize ocean debri

1. Use reusable grocery bags
You've probably heard this one before but just do it. Sometimes you don't even need bags simply load your groceries back into the cart and take them to your car.

2.  Avoid products with excess packaging
Fruit already comes with nature made packaging (the peel) so don't buy them in plastic containers.

3. Bring your own reusable water bottle
Drinking water is great make sure its good for the environment too.

My little sea monsters are available for purchase on the Shop Sewing page. Baby seahorses are included.

How to Be Invincible

If you asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, my 8 year old self would have answered, "A magician." I grew up on Harry Potter and despite my mom's encouragement to reach for higher education and a more stable job, magician is what I wanted to be. Mom indulged my fantasy for a while, supplying me with magic tricks for my birthdays and all other gift-giving occasions. Then, one day my dad introduced me to Star Trek. Forget magician, I was going to be an astronaut! This certainly fit into Mom's requirements for higher education, and I was willing to brave the math in order to make my dream come true. Or at least that was the case, until I found out that I had to be at least 62 inches tall to be an astronaut. I might be able to study hard but there was nothing to be done about being short. Unfortunately, working for NASA isn't the only career with height requirements. Among other things becoming a Disney princess was ruled out. This was only the beginning of all the things people would tell me I can't do. I don't like being told I can't do something. I like to believe I am invincible. 

Last week my sister and I had plans to attend a Disney themed dance party. I was going as princess Anna and my twin was going to be Rapunzel. Two days before the dance, my twin asked me if I could possibly make a Flynn Rider costume for her dance partner. I am working 10 hour days not counting driving time. I have my pets to take care of and other household responsibilities I cannot neglect. Was it reasonable to assume I could do it? Absolutely! Did I agree to do it? Yes, yes I did. My dad, with my best interest in mind, told me I couldn't do it. To that I replied it was too late to say "no", I had already bought the fabric. He said, "that was your second mistake," the first being that I had agreed to do it in the first place. Maybe I should have listened to my dad it would have saved me from a lot of stress. Instead I got to work. For the next two nights I was up until 12:00 only to get up five and a half hours later to start the next day. By day two I was exhausted. That is when Mom stepped in. While I was at work on Saturday (the day of the event) my mom was finishing sewing the costume. I could not have done it without her. Flynn Rider was so surprised and pleased when he found out what we had accomplished.

From left to right: one of my best friends, Miranda, borrowing my pirate costume; me as princess Anna; my twin as Rapunzel; and dance partner, Cody, as Flynn Rider. (I made all the costumes except Rapunzel.)

All throughout the night I watched Rapunzel and Flynn dance together. They were so happy and that made it all worth it. I found that the real magic in my dream come true was seeing the joy it brought to others. While I was at the dance I saw this quote on a poster, "All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. - Walt Disney"   The moral of the story: don't let anyone tell you, you can't do something (after all despite being short I did become a Disney princess for at least one night). Surround yourself with people who will help you accomplish your goals. Find your courage and hold on tight. 

Curious Creatures

Pika: $20.00

In the frigid land, high above the treeline, you might find a curious little creature called a pika. These little critters scurry among the rocky terrain like mice. However, they are not rodents. Pikas are actually lagomorphs, or members of the rabbit family. They are the smallest member of the rabbit family and there are 30 different species spread across the North American and Asian continents.

Yet, so few people know of there existence. Even fewer people are aware of the plight they face. Just like the polar bears, pikas are threatened by climate change.

For years, pikas have thrived in some of the coldest regions on earth where most animals cannot survive But now they are experiencing something new - heat stress.

 

Climate change is not an unstoppable doomsday machine. Here is just one simple thing anyone can do to help our environment and protect vulnerable species like the pika. Waste less food. It takes a tremendous amount of water to produce our food. Cows emit greenhouse gases. Composting food products releases methane. All these factors contribute to climate change. Not only is reducing your waste good for the earth but its good for your pocket book too. 

Dog Backpacks

Aspyn Modeling her Dog Backpack

On the white board where I work there is a list of "Dog Backpack" items. This is the term we use for our "to do" list. On my first day of work, I asked why? Simple, according to Caesar, the famous dog whisperer, dogs are the most content when they have work to do (like carrying a backpack). At work, we assume the principle is the same for humans. So when we have spare time at work we always have a dog backpack item to work on. (In case you are wondering my current dog backpack is library inventory). In contrast with our work vocabulary, "dog backpack" means something very different back home. At home a dog backpack is literally a dog backpack.  

My dog, Aspyn, and I love to go play outside. In preparation for back packing season I designed a pack for  my pup. On one of those rare sunny days, we took the dog backpack out for a test run. 

In this case I have to agree with Caesar, my dog loved her backpack. She was practically grinning ear the ear. I was pretty happy with how it turned out too. The backpack never even tried to abandon ship. We made it all the way up and back down the hillside backpack, dog, and human in tact. 

We cannot wait for our first backpacking trip together. What are you summer plans? If there is a dog backpack required I do make them custom order to fit. We hope to see you on the trail!