Backache

Well, if I have a sore back tomorrow, this will be why!

 It seems there was so much I couldn't pick it up fast enough! I liked the little orange piece, it is quite small but upclose it is evident that it is a piece of glass - from a fancy dish or something.
My find of the day was this:

It is a stopper, it is my first one and I shouted a yahoo on the beach when I picked it up! (Sorry this photos isn't that great). Stoppers kept medicines, perfumes and other valuable liquids from evaporating and were used in the 18th and 19th centurys. Such a find!

Love - a day late!

I love Valentine's Day! And recently read this on a favorite blog: drippingwithpassion.blogspot.com

She explained that John Steinbeck wrote a letter to his son about love. Young Thom told his Pa that he thought he was in love, and here is how his father responded… It is a bit long, but really, very, VERY insightful. Worth the 2 minutes it will take to read.... Happy Valentine's Day - a day late!

    November 10, 1958

Dear Thom:
We had your letter this morning. I will answer it from my point of view and of course Elaine will from hers.
First - if you are in love - that's a good thing - that's about the best thing that can happen to anyone. Don't let anyone make it small or light to you.
Second - There are several kinds of love. One is a selfish, mean, grasping, egotistical thing which uses love for self-importance. This is the ugly and crippling kind. The other is an outpouring of everything good in you - of kindness, and consideration and respect - not only the social respect of manners but the greatest respect which is recognition of another person as unique and valuable. The first kind can make you sick and small and weak but the second can release in you strength, and courage and goodness and even wisdom you didn't know you had.

You say this is not puppy love. If you feel so deeply - of course it isn't puppy love.
But I don't think you were asking me what you feel. You know that better than anyone. What you wanted me to help you with is what to do about it - and that I can tell you.
Glory in it for one thing and be very glad and grateful for it.
The object of love is the best and most beautiful. Try to live up to it.
If you love someone - there is no possible harm in saying so - only you must remember that some people are very shy and sometimes the saying must take that shyness into consideration.
Girls have a way of knowing or feeling what you feel, but they usually like to hear it also.
It sometimes happens that what you feel inside is not returned for one reason or another - but that does not make your feeling less valuable and good.
Lastly, I know your feeling because I have it and I am glad you have it.
We will be glad to meet Susan. She will be very welcome. But Elaine will make all such arrangements because that is her province and she will be very glad to. She knows about love too and maybe she can give you more help than I can.
And don't worry about losing. If it is right, it happens - The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away.
Love
Fa

    

Window Seat Cushion

We have this nice front window that has a bench, but it was a worn bench. This past year I bought some material, my husband helped me to cut some foam to fit the bench and I sewed a cover. Well, almost a cover, it was lacking a zipper. I don't know why but zippers intimidate me. Over the past year I have practiced with small zippers (in little quiet books, fixing my daughters jacket) and today I decided I was up for it!

Presenting the completed window seat cushion:

I know it won't last forever with busy kids who love to take it off and use it for ramps and other imaginative uses,but these photos document it - A real live window seat cushion!
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On a totally different tangent. I had the funniest experience with my kids tonight. Some how we came up with the idea to have a campout. They brought out their pillows and blankets and laid them on the floor. Then I brought out these three fake candles that I have - little lights inside can be switched on making it look like a candle. We turned out the lights and laid on the floor.

With the suggestion that we should tell stories, Child #1 moved the lights up to the "new" window seat cushion and we watched as he moved his hands in front of the glowing light. His stories were awesome! The best part was that after he would do something with his hands, he'd run over and whisper what was happening, such as "this is when the dragon is breathing fire", as his hands slowly pulsed in front of the light.

It only got better as Child #2 decided to carefully carry over a pretend piece of candy for the dragon. (She loves to  act out that we're at a parade. One person throws the candy and the other gets to gather it off the floor, I think that is where the pretend candy came from.) Child #1 wasn't pleased with the candy and informed her that she was ruining the show.

We worked it out but really, my sides were splitting at his creativity and at his consentration to tell a story with his hands.

Fun stuff today!