May | 2014 | Uniquely Yours Craft Journal

Celebrations

30 May 2014 Comments Off on Celebrations

by uniquelyyourscraftjournal in Perspectives Tags: breakfast in bed, celebrations, french toast, Nancy Drew, teen

Dear Fellow Journalers,

The following Random Thought is a post from Mary Beth. It is rather long, but I think well worth it!

Celebrations

My parents were big on ceremonies. They devised celebrations for everything from lost teeth to good grades. As the oldest of 6 children, I had witnessed a lot of celebrations but the one that stands out for me, was the year I turned 13.

My parents told me that the next morning I was to remain in bed because a surprise (celebration) was going to happen. So the next morning I awoke to balloons tied to my bed posts! Promptly at 8 am my Dad poked his head into my room and with a verbal drum roll, marched into my room carrying a breakfast tray. My Mom arranged pillows behind me and after instructing me in the finer art of eating in bed, left me to my french toast and Nancy Drew mystery. When I finished my breakfast, I rang the bell as I had been previously instructed to do and my parents entered my room. My Mom explained that since I was soon to become a teenager that age came responsibilities but also some new privileges. Above all they wanted me to know they loved me and were looking forward to my new teen celebrations!

How cool! You’re thinking – right! YES! and how loved!!

MaryBeth

Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given

To Sallie and uniquelyyourscraftjournal with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

You may reach Sallie at uniquelyyourscraftjournal@outlook.com

Friendships

28 May 2014 1 Comment

by uniquelyyourscraftjournal in Perspectives Tags: friendship, memories

Dear Fellow Journalers,

This post entry is about friendships. I’m glad that “G” is my friend!

~Sallie

Dinner with a Friend

Remember that movie from years back called My Dinner with Andre’? I do. In fact it’s a favorite of mine.

I must confess that there are some people who I love having dinner with. Not lunch, dinner. Lunch somehow speaks a hurried meal, a “I’ll fit you in” kind of thing. Dinner alone, just the two of you, is different. Dinner says “come linger, spend some time, and let’s really talk” kind of thing.

There are only a few people I like having dinner with. They are usually old friends (some exceptions) and people I really don’t see that often. It always happens the same way. I’ll call them, or they’ll call me, and the words are: “Hey, let’s catch up.” Each one of these friends has their favorite restaurant and nothing ever has to be said about where we’ll meet, only what time.

On the appointed day, who ever gets there first places the drink order. With some friends, we meet in the bar, and migrate into dinner. With others, we just start in the dining room.

What’s surprising is how fast the conversation starts. After the exchange of pleasantries, we somehow almost seem to pick up where we left off X number of months ago. And away we go.

Sometimes, also surprisingly, the conversation “dies” after a few hours. But more often, we end up closing the place. Sometimes we even end up heading to a bar to finish our evening. It really doesn’t matter which. All that really matters is re-establishing the “connection.”

I REALLY enjoy these times, and always look forward to them. Often, I find myself looking at them mid conversation, and asking myself ‘Why don’t I see this person more often? They are fabulous!” Of course, there are also those rare occasions where you end up saying, “Time has passed on this friendship”, and you mentally “scratch” them off. Such is life!

So, who haven’t YOU had dinner with in a while? All you need to do is pick up the phone! Do it now, before you forget.

Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given

To Sallie and uniquelyyourscraftjournal with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

You may reach Sallie at uniquelyyourscraftjournal@outlook.com

Memorial Day

26 May 2014 Comments Off on Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day!

~Sallie

Image by uniquelyyourscraftjournal

Who is your hero?

23 May 2014 1 Comment

by uniquelyyourscraftjournal in Seeds of thought Tags: courage, hero, sacrifice, stage of life

Dear Fellow Journalers,

“Our favorite heroes and heroines live forever in their stories and in our memories, cheering us forward in our daily lives and presenting splendid tales of the valor and indomitable spirits that are a lasting testament to our cherished values.”

Paul Colella

Stories connect us. Have you ever listened to an older person talk about their life and the things and events that shaped their lives? We honor active-duty and retired service men and women during this month and pause and remember the acts of courage of those who sacrificed their lives.

“Real American heroes don’t wear capes. They wear dog tags.”

“G” 11/12

I often wonder though, about the teenagers of today. Have they any heroes? I wonder if the adulation shown to movie stars and music and TV personalities is hero-worship? I’m at an age now, maybe because of Grandparent status, that I wonder, and to be honest, worry about the future our “L” will be living in.

While thinking about this subject I surfed the web dictionary for a definitive description of what a hero is:

“remarkably brave person: somebody who commits an act of remarkable bravery or who has shown an admirable quality such as great courage or strength of character
somebody admired: somebody who is admired for outstanding qualities or achievements
main character in fictional plot: the principal male character in a movie, novel, or play, especially one who plays a vital role in plot development or around whom the plot is structured”.

A tall order being a hero.

I always thought of who we now call “First Responders” as heroes. The firemen and policemen who rush into peril when everyone else is rushing out. For those of you who watched any documentaries or news programs after 911 you know who the heroes were – ordinary people some of them, just helping out.

There is a web site that I found recently: http://www.stageoflife.com

This multi-generational global community writes and shares their life stories. It’s like an on-line journal read by everyone. The question “Who is your hero?” was part of their ongoing Teen Writing Contest. The number one hero, was, you guessed it – their MOM. The winners of the essays are readable on the site, but I wanted to share the other hero choices with you because my faith has been restored. They are listed in no particular order:

MOM
My parents
Grandparents
Brothers/sisters
other relatives
Member of the military (read the post “My heroes are the men and women of the Armed Forces” by BetweenMe&U)
Famous person
Friend
World Leader
Teacher or Coach
Character
Member of a group (lifeguard, person with disability)
Everyday person

So the inevitable questions are: Who is your hero and do you know their life story?

~Sallie

P.S. Thanks to my guest bloggers “G” and Paul Colella and MaryBeth for their help with this post.

Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given

To Sallie and uniquelyyourscraftjournal with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

You may reach Sallie at uniquelyyourscraftjournal@outlook.com

A Good Read

21 May 2014 Comments Off on A Good Read

by uniquelyyourscraftjournal in Product Review

Dear Fellow Journalers,

Like all of you, I am constantly seeking out inspiration to write and create. I recently found a book that I want to recommend to you. The title is “Dreaming from the Journal Page” by Melanie Testa.

This is a really good book for journalers who are new to this media. Some of the topics are paint, color, techniques, drawing and challenges.

The author goes into great depth on all subjects. I especially liked the way the author “talked” to the reader. It was like having a conversation with a person who really knew the subject but didn’t talk down to you.