"Yeah, Baby, It's More Ribbon!"

Ribbon.

The word makes my hear skip a beat. Ribbon is one of those deliciously girly things that I adore. It can go anywhere and can dress up absolutely anything.

In a previous lifetime (BC=before children) I was a floral designer in a craft and home décor store. During my time there, I developed a belief that “there is no such thing as ugly ribbon…just ribbon that hasn’t found its proper calling yet”.

So, given this pre-existing condition, you can understand my delight when I ran across a thread on 2Peas that mentioned the Really Reasonable Ribbon Club. (2Peas…the ultimate enabler!)

For the beautifully low price of $5.50 plus $1.50 for postage and handling, I can enjoy the magic of 10 to 20 yards of assorted ribbons arriving in my mailbox every single month. How awesome is that?!! Each month has a different theme.


May was a selection of summer brights seen above.
It included a total of about 15 yards from manufactureres such as Offray and May Arts.
Organza, grosgrain, awning strip, varigated, checks, and patterned.
Lovely!

In the ever-so-straight-to-the-point words of Tim McGraw, “I like it. I love it. I want some more of it!”

Ad Challenge #1

Recently, Creating Keepsakes Magazine began running a column by Faye Morrow Bell that I truly admire. It’s called “Idea Central”. In each article Faye shares a household item that she found inspiring and the multiple projects that she created using that item as a starting point. In the July issue, the item of inspiration was a very simple canvas wall hanging. From just this simple item, Faye was able to draw inspiration for design, texture and use of color. How cool is that?

So, while I’m certainly no FMB, I’d like to do this too. I have always been especially drawn to the design of magazine pages, usually advertisements. I’m posting this magazine advertisement that recently caught my eye as something that would also make an excellent scrapbook page. What do you think? Are you up for the challenge?


It's an ad for the GoldStrike Casino and Resort in Tunica, MS. Click here to see a larger version.

If you complete the challenge and want to share it, post it somewhere and put a link in the comments section.

Have fun!

Discussion...She Asked for Discussion

A PubPea whom I admire, Sherry Steveson, has posted a query on her blog that I think deserves some discussion. So discuss, we will…or rather, I will.

From Sherry’s Blog

Okay, so what I'd like to discuss (ehem.. tapping the podium) is the idea that a layout has to have these ALL STAR pictures... you know ameatur (sp?) photography that resembles something out of the pages of Architecture Digest to be publish worthy.

NOW<>

Don't we ALL want to see great layouts USING those not so great shots? I mean, didn't Ali E... the QUEEN of layout design publish a BOOK with photos from her childhood that weren't perfect?

So my question to you is.... what will it take for there to be REALISTIC layouts of realistic photos in the magazine. Is it just showboating and all fluff or is there ever a magazine willing to take a chance on printing layouts that aren't exactly "magazine" quality?

So, here are my humble thoughts on the issue of magazines publishing great layouts with less-than-fantastic photos.
In short, It’s probably not going to happen regularly. Here’s why I think that:

1—Magazines *sell* the idea that we can all make fantastic layouts and take fantastic photos and use fantastic products. They are banking on selling us that possibility. Just like Vogue and Cosmo are banking on selling us an image of a size 0 model in a skirt that costs $1,000…CK is selling a similar possibility. Even tho I haven’t spent a thousand dollars on my entire wardrobe stretched across the most recent ten years, (and probably won't start in the next ten years) I don’t buy Vogue to see what’s on the shelves at Target. I believe we have come to expect a certain level of impressiveness from our magazines and let’s face it, faded photos from the seventies just don’t impress and inspire like the stunning layouts featuring really good photos.

2—Technology (there’s the dreaded “T” word again) has made it so that those faded or damaged photos can be retouched and greatly improved by those of us without a college degree in photo restoration. With just a little practice an average scrapper can learn to scan, retouch, repair and re-size (and then print) less than stellar photos, creating beautiful masterpieces from what was once not. We want to submit our best work, right? So we fix those photos to make them acceptable.

3—Yes, we all have those less than perfect photos. Some of us, more than others. (Standing up, waving.) I think it’s important to remember that there are a lot of things scrappers do "in the privacy of their home-bound layouts" that magazines will never cover. Those rockin’ awesome Garden Girls that we all *heart* so much…they have bad photos too. Hall of Famers, Masters, Power Teammates…yep, them too, I bet. We all have them. We all scrap them. But just like there are topics that magazines won’t touch with a pair of archival gloves on, there are standards of quality that they need to hold the line on. However, just because certain things don’t appear in the magazines, does not mean we don’t have permission to scrap them! (Thank goodness.)

4—We must also remember that while we feel a certain friendliness towards the magazines we have come to love and admire (and desire a place inside), they are professional magazines run, for the most part, by people who were professionals in the magazine business before they got into the scrapbooking magazine business. They owe it to their profession to continue to raise the bar instead of accepting less than the best.

5—How many scrapbookers do you know who have improved their photography skills because they became scrapbookers? I know bunches. In fact, I am one. The scrapbooking magazines have taught amateur photographers a great deal about taking better photos. Just this month, there’s a cover article in Creating Keepsakes called “Perfect Portraits with Candice” in which Candice Stringham (this months Diva Dot) shares tips on getting better shots using a piece of foam core to use as an inexpensive reflector. (I won’t spoil the rest of the article…you have to read it on page 66, July 05 issue.) I know that taking better photos now doesn’t lessen the stack of less-than-desirables already waiting on you to scrap them, but it has improved future layouts, right?

6—Lastly, not every layout ever created should be published because having a LO published is supposed to be an honor. Being published in a magazine is a remarkable thing. It’s not easy to get published (as many of us know) and if it were, wouldn’t it be far less special? Not all of Ali’s layouts make it into the pages of CK…not everything Becky Higgins has touched has been published. The designs we see from the people who regularly contribute to the pages of our favorite magazines are just a fraction of all the work they do. By keeping the bar high, the magazines continue to inspire us to press on, to become more and more creative and to develop our own unique styles and habits.

So there’s my contribution to this discussion. I hope my desenting opinion is an additional spark in this discussion. It was interesting to think about this evening.

Oh yeah, I did forget to mention that while I don’t think it will be a trend that magazines give in to…I am encouraged to see the occasional article addressing these “problem” pictures and how to use them effectively. Small doses.

Thanks for reading.

Daddy

--JLB, circa approx 1954

With all the love and admiration I have ever known,
I love you, Daddy.

I wish I could have been there today. Happy Father's Day, anyway.

Click Here to see the larger view.

School = Fun!!

One of the things I am enjoying about home schooling is that we discover new things together everyday. One of the biggest discoveries is that Julian will do anything for extra time to “do art”. Painting, clay sculpting, collag-ing and marker board time are his favorites.

He’s definitely a hands-on, experiential learner. Today he used lengths of Super Sculpey clay to “write” all sorts of things.




Greyson even got in on the clay action!

To further inspire his artistic explorations, we visited the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in downtown Nashville a few Fridays ago. He’s already asked to go back!

Ten Things I Wish I Had Known in High School

Another meme from this post on 2Peas.



circa 1990

10. It’s not all about the clothes.

9. Have some guts. Wallflowers rarely have fun. Make life easier on your younger siblings by giving your parents a little bit of a hard time once in a while.

8. Pink glasses may be cute on the shelf…but they are not cute on a fair-skinned young woman. They look like goggles.

7. When it comes to hair, bigger is not better. EVER.

6. That boy you have liked since the fifth grade…psst, he likes you too (but he won't tell you until the day before graduation).

5. When the oil pressure light of your best friend’s car comes on, stop driving immediately. PS. Immediately does not mean 5 miles down the road.

4. Get a job. You’ll be a happier person when you have a job.

3. It’s okay to be girly. Carry the purse. Buy as many shoes as possible. Don’t give in to too many pairs of jeans.

2. No one has a perfect life, no matter how they look on the outside.

1. You are talented and bright. Yes, you. Your life is what you make it. So make it.

Homeschoolers: Who ARE We? by Cathy Henderson

Homeschoolers: Who ARE We?

We are thin, we are fat, we are curved, we are straight. We come in all colors, all shapes and all sizes. We believe that One Size Fits No One.

We are married and single, separated, blended. We belong to small families, large families, extended families.

We live in the country, in the city, on farms, in suburbs, in apartments. Wherever we live, small people are there.

We are Christian, we are Pagan, we are Moslem, we are Atheist.

We have found the answers, we have found part of the answers, we are searching for the answers. And some of us have not yet figured out the questions.

We are college graduates, we are dropouts.

We are doctors, lawyers, mechanics and laborers.

We are capable. We are Professional Educational Facilitators.

We are THE experts for the small people in our family.

We are liberal or conservative or walk a road inbetween. We are Republicans and Democrats...or not...and libertarians to greater or lesser extent. Some of us don't vote at all and some of us feel by virtue of our increased awareness, we should be allowed to vote more than once!

We do not like government control of our lives. Some of us Do Not Like It and some of us DO NOT LIKE IT. Some of us do not believe that any entity should have that much power. Others believe only their Favorite Flavor should have that kind of power.

We have rejected the public school system for religious reasons or political reasons, or because our standards were higher, or because we value creativity, or because we were round pegs hammered into square holes.

Some of us rejected public school knowing we could do better, and some of us knew only that we could do no worse.
We have school at home, we deschool, we unschool. Some of us are passionately convinced that our method is not only the best but the only feasible method. Some of us change our methods weekly.

We are nervous, we are confused, we are confident, we are assured.

We read and read and read until one day, lo and behold, we are able to write the books we have been reading. We stop clinging so fiercely to those who have taught and supported us, and offer ourselves to those who are now turning to us, with a brief passing interval during which we ask ourselves the question"Why are they asking ME?"

We have been taught that "United we stand, divided we fall", and we have learned that Diverse does not have to equal Divided.

We have a foundation and that foundation must run the length and breadth. We must all make aconscious choice to stand upon it. For whatever our size, our flavor, our method, our value system, we believe that parents have the right to raise their children, and that right includes each and every educational decision. If we attempt to use any other tenet as our foundation, we will fall.

If we will not waver in that belief, if we will not dilute it with questions about the ability of people with orange-and-purple hair, or people who don't clean house to our standards, or people with no education, or people who do not share our religious or political beliefs, or our cultural values, or people who use other methods, then we will stand...diverse, but united.

©2001 Cathy Henderson

It's Time for Murphy to Go Away!

Why does “stuff” happen at the worst possible time? I don’t get it. I mean, here we are, walking peacefully along the path of life and b-o-o-m! Suddenly, it all breaks loose.

What causes this stuff?

What did I do?

In just the past few days, the red Jeep got sick, the clothes washer went on strike and the refrigerator has declared it’s about to go for an extended vacation. Did I mention the white Jeep’s AC decided to be uncooperative during the first really hot week of the summer?

Oh yeah, and I was so sick that Joal had to be off from work for four days last week.

Granted. Nothing on this list is earth-shattering. In the scheme of things, these are issues but not big deals. I just can’t help but wonder, why does it all happen at one time??

What did I do?

Feeling Rachel Ray-ish!

Rachel Ray is the coolest chick on the planet. Or at least I think so.

She’s the star of 30 Minute Meals on the Food Network. She cooks complete meals inside 30 minutes, including two commercial breaks. I told you, she is remarkable.

From what I can tell, there are a few keys to cooking quick:
--Have a trash bowl in your work space.
--Have a small kitchen with the workspace right next to the stovetop.
--Get it all out at once instead of making 6 trips to the cabinets.
--Prep (wash and process) fresh foods before putting them into the frig.

Basically, it’s all about saving yourself some steps. I’m all for that.

A few weeks ago, Joal and I discovered a taste for stuffed green peppers. He picked up 2 ready-to-cook stuffed pepper halves from our favorite meat market and brought them home. We enjoyed them and I decided it would be fun to make more. Tonight I made 6 stuffed pepper halves for lunch tomorrow and I must say…I’m feeling quite Rachel Ray-ish!

Here’s my recipe:

½ cup of Italian bread crumbs
½ a small Vidalia, finely chopped
half a spoon of minced garlic
a heaping spoon of Italian seasoning
an egg

Mix all of the above together.
Wash and slice 3 large green bell peppers, top to bottom. Clean out insides.
Combine seasonings with one pound ground turkey. Use your fingers. It’s fun and squishy!

Very gently, stuff small amounts of the meat/seasoning mixture into the crevices of the pepper halves. Repeat until the pepper is filled.

When you are ready to cook, place stuffed peppers in a glass dish. Cover with foil and cook at 350 degrees for about an hour or until meat is done.

Top with Parmesan cheese before serving.

Adventures in Aisle 6!!

Going to the grocery store can be an adventure. Did you know that? (Yes, it's official. I need to get a life.)

Once in a blue moon, I wait to do my grocery shopping until late in the evening, after the boys are gone to bed. I can go alone (leaving sleeping boys with DH)…it’s peaceful and less crowded, because, let’s face it, the grocery store is not the hip place to be at 9 o’clock on Saturday night.

But an adventure, nevertheless.

I enjoy it because I can explore the aisles, looking at things I don’t usually buy. I get sucked into the ethnic foods aisle and usually the spices aisle. Tonight I read some of those recipe cards in the produce section. I read labels in the soup section for at least ten minutes. (No, there is no such thing as a really healthy cream-based canned or jarred soup.) Sheepishly, I’ll admit to lingering a little longer than normal in the area of the magazines. I rarely buy magazines but tonight I browsed a bit thru a few home décor issues. I resisted the urge to place Martha Stewart Livings in front of some of the issues with risqué covers...I’ve always wanted to do that.

It’s less expensive for me to shop alone. Gee, there’s a surprise. No little people asking for faux fruit things, character cereal or boxed juices. No fathers buying frozen yogurt.

To some it might seem odd that one would take such pleasure in two leisurely hours spent exploring the aisles of Publix…but I rather liked it.

Cuts Like Butter, I Tell Ya.

If you have a reason to cut out un-mounted rubber stamps, you simply must acquire a pair of Kai Scissors. Oh my goodness! They cut rubber like it was butter. Trying to cut rubber with regular scissors is about like using a hack saw on your hair. The results are just not good.

Kai.

Don’t cut rubber without them.

Incidentally, none of the stores in this area carry Kai and I was surprised at this. Even the ones that carry un-mounted rubber sheets regularly didn’t have them. (They sell for about $20. If you need a source, let me know.)

It's All Geoff Moore's Fault

There’s a meme going around that encourages writing about your first concert. I have a twist on that, with a story to share. (Sorry…apparently, this story-telling thing is becoming a habit with me…)

The first concert I ever attended was Geoff Moore and the Distance, circa 1988. It was held in a way-too-packed out high school gym and it was h-o-t…Jackson, Mississippi in the summer…you get the picture. It's one of those things you had to be really young to enjoy--and I was barely 17. I went with a friend (the woman who would later earn the title of “my danger buddy” but the reasons behind that are probably better left un-shared). To be honest, I remember it like it was yesterday. I remember feeling f-e-e-l-i-n-g the drums reverberating deeply through my chest when GM&D played “A Place to Stand” and being struck by the power of “Go to the Moon?”. 

I arrived late to the "crank it up loud" party of teenagerhood...my Dad was having none of that. In the heat, in a modest high school gym, I became a girl who loves to feel something from the music she loves. I had never known that sensation before and I was hooked. Instantly.

Geoff Moore and the Distance

Something happened to me that night. I became a huge fan of the band--and the man and I have followed his career for nigh, 16 years now. In fact, GM takes up more space on my CD shelf than any other artist. Geoff Moore & the Distance found a moderate amount of success in Christian music thru the 90’s. I have seen him several times thru those years and am always impressed. His thoughtfulness and artistry always amazes. He writes about life and love and grace and the important things.

In 2002 GM released an independent album without “the Distance”. It was different but still very “Geoff”. Guitars, thoughtful lyrics, gritty vocals…it’s all still there, just like in the old days, with some of that slightly aging rocker thrown in for good measure.

But wait, there’s more to this story.

In a way, it was Geoff Moore who brought Joal and I together. 
Well, ok, not the man himself, but one of his concert t-shirts.

Fast-forward to 1990. 
August 28 to be exact. 
Joal and I were brand spanking new college freshmen.
Eighteen years old.
Two members of the freshman class of 21 total freshmen--but if our class had included 2000 people, it wouldn't have mattered. He was tall and handsome, outspoken and bold, and I would have found him anyway.

During the orientation sessions, on the second morning, I noticed him.
During lunch, I noticed his shirt. A Geoff Moore and the Distance t-shirt.

Ahh, something familiar. 
He couldn’t be all bad…he’s wearing a GM&D shirt. 
(Shows ya what I knew at 18...that boy was all bad.)

Following lunch, standing in the chapel of our very tiny college, he turned to me.
“Hi, I’m Joal.” he said.

“I like your shirt.” I said.

And I’m pretty sure my entire life--from that day to this--was never the same.

At some point, I must have told him my name but no one remembers that now. It was all about the boy and the shirt and good music and soulfulness. Funny how that all works together.

So yeah, I'm kindof fond of Geoff Moore and that ratty old t-shirt that still hangs in the back of Joal's closet. 

This is supposed to be about scrapbooking...

Since my blog really is supposed to be about scrapbooking, here's a page I made a while back using the Grace alpha stamps from LaPluma.

Come Fly With Me

Five Little Words I Can't Stand Seeing...

This. Page. Is. Not. Available.

Uggh!

When 2Peas is down I get a little crazy. (I'd put a link to 2Peas, but it's down so what's the point?)

I often wondered if other scrap sites notice a spike in their stats when 2Peas is off-line?? All those bored peas, wandering aimlessly thru cyberspace with nothing to do. It's not like we have a hobby or something.

Come on Jeffrey. Hurry.

Chant with me.

Hur - ry Jeff - ry
Hur - ry Jeff - ry
Hur - ry Jef - ry

This and That...

Little catching up to do...

One of the pastors at our church, Kevin Twit, and his family have adopted a little girl from China! Here's their story of this beautiful journey. Adoption stories are precious to me. There's something so special, so miraculous that takes place in adoptive Christian families. What better picture of God's grace could there be? How beautiful it is.

I have discovered a new/old thing...Vintage Tupperware. When I was little, my mom bought some Tupperware. Yellow, orange, brown, green...those beautiful decorator colors from the late 70s. Until now, golden harvest yellow and avacado green have had NO place in my house. It's something I've avoided at all costs. I've even made fun of mom's collection, although I must conceed that it's held up very well under years of heavy use. Suddenly, after attending a Tupperware party last week, I decided to check eBay for Tupperware. (I generally operate under the premise that one can find positively anything on eBay.) Sure enough, loads and loads of Tupperware for sale there. Then something caught my eye. "Vintage Tupperware".

Oh my.

It's avacado green, harvest gold, chocolate brown and lemon yellow come to life again! Can it really be called "vintage"? Well, it is pretty old stuff (as stuff goes) and yes, Tupperware is now a multi-generational product...so while "antique" would be stretching it a bit...vintage fits nicely.

Oh and the best part...that orange, brown, gold and green Tupperware that I used to detest so much...suddenly has a familiar charm to it. It feels like home.

And it's going to go perfectly in my kitchen.

Red Alert!!

"Can I take a test drive, Mom?"

Now there's a question that'll set your world on its ear...especially coming from your 9 year old.

Such was the question earlier today. It was an addition to the conversation we had yesterday about the extent of his biking priviledges.

Yesterday's conversaion:

Julian: Mom, can I drive down the driveway?

Mom: OK, but be sure to stop at the end. Do not go past the mailbox.

Julian: When can I go around the block?

Mom: (cough cough) Why do you want to go around the block?

Julian: To explore the neighborhood.

Mom: Huh. Well. (stammering, trying to think of a good excuse not to encourage neighborhood adventures...) Um. Maybe we should let you and Daddy take a few test rides around the neighborhood. (Yeah, put it off on Daddy...that works.)

Julian: OK

So today, he asks for permission to take a "test drive" just to end of the driveway. I said OK as I watched from the window in my workspace. I dare say God hears more fervant prayers from the mothers of boys than from any other class of humans. The term "wailing and knashing of teeth" comes to mind.

Alone.

An exceptionally inquisative, brave and daring, always-pushing-my-limits, nine-year-old-boy-on-a-bike-exploring-the-neighborhood...alone.

Shouldn't that cause enough alarm to raise the National Alert System to at least red?

(In my best Will Riker voice..."Red A-lert")

Look out Neighborhood. You don't know what you're in for.

Beatiful Racket

A fellow Pea, Sabren, posted this song in her blog a few days ago and while I am a Mary Chapin Carpenter fan, somehow I have missed out that she has a new record out. (We’ll remedy that tomorrow.) This song is on her record…if every there was a perfect song for me and a perfect scrapbook page title, this is it!!

Beautiful Racket

So your day begins like this
Wondering what might have been
Old regrets and chances missed
Borne away on some lambent wind
The job's ok, so it doesn't inspire
Thoughts of leaving it all behind
You used to have dreams of setttin the world on fire
All you want now is peace of mind

Chorus:
And a beautiful racket, it whispers and roars
The bitter and sweet, between the truces and the wars
The noise and the quiet, the courage and the fear
And all of the wisdom between a smile and a tear

You do your dreaming in traffic jams
You do your running in shopping malls
You do your breathing the best you can
Between car pools and cell phone calls
Who cares, you'll never live in Paris
So what, you'll never travel by Lear
How do some of us learn what matters
While others never get to hear

And a beautiful racket, it whispers and roars
The bitter and sweet, between the truces and the wars
The noise and the quiet, the courage and the fear
And all of the wisdom between a smile and a tear

Hold on, hold on
So your day will end like this
Turning slowly down your street
Silent worlds of kitchens lit
Front yards full of fallen leaves
Trees are bare, the garden's done
Another season gone to earth
Before you blink a new one comes
To remind you what the old one's worth

And a beautiful racket, it whispers and roars
The bitter and sweet, between the truces and the wars
The noice and the quiet, the courage and the fear
And all of the wisdom between a smile and a tear

Such a beautiful racket...such a beautiful racket...

Driving Me to Drink

Get out the quart Mason jar.
Fill with ice cubes.
Fill with cold water.
Drink.
Repeat 8 times a day.
At least.

I’m a drinker. Betcha didn’t know that about me…huh? Constant thirst--it’s one of the glorious side effects of being diabetic.

I’ve found that I adore drinking from a Mason jar, as “Mississippi” as that sounds. Saves having to refill 42 thousand times a day.

LaPluma DT

LaPluma is a company owned by Debra Beagle, a friend I met thru the TennScrapbooking Yahoo Group. Debra is, among many other things, the author of "Hand Lettering Made Easy". LaPluma produces a variety of magnetic alpha stamp sets that are perfect for scrapbooking and cardmaking.

It’s O-f-f-i-c-i-a-l!

I was honored to hear from Holle Wiktorek this week that I was chosen to be a part of the LaPluma Design Team. How cool is that?!!

Rankin County Angel

It’s been a while since I thought about the anonymous angel we know in Rankin County, Mississippi. On 2peas tonight there was a story linked from the NY Post that told of a little girl choking to death on a piece of hard peppermint this week. It reminded me of J’s angel…a story I should probably scrapbook.

When J was about 2.5, Joal and I took him with us to eat at our favorite hole-in-the-wall Mexican place. Cafe Azteca in Brandon. This was our favorite Mexican joint while we were in college…good food cheap, no dress code…perfect college cuisine. It’s a small place consisting of maybe 15 tables in a room about the size of a large garage and they did a booming take-out business.

During our meal one night, J began to choke on a piece of a tortilla chip. He was really blue before we could get him out of the seatbelt in the chair and up. Having had the child safety training class when he was born, I knew what to do...or so I thought. I got him up, laid him over my arm and pressed but nothing happened.

In this moment, my baby is obviously distressed, in the periphery of my mind I can hear Joal praying, the waitress calling 911 and while the whole room watches, I am having no success getting his airway unobstructed.

From another table, a woman approaches me and says “I’m a nurse. Can I try?” I handed my baby to a perfect stranger and watched as she performed the Heimlich perfectly and up came the chip. She slips a finger into his mouth and pulls it out. Then she hands me a screaming bundle of 2 year old boy. Screaming is definitely a great sound in some situations.

Now, and even then, the words “Thank you” seemed so shallow and so unequal to the task of saving a baby’s life. What do I say to this woman? I had no clue.

Needless to say, the Devendorf family meal was over. That was a bit too much excitement for us. Joal was pretty shaken up during the event. Julian was calming. I had yet to completely comprehend…that’s me…always behind. On our way out, I asked the lady her name and she said “Sweetie, don’t worry about. I’m glad I was here to help. You just take care of that baby.”

With great humility, we paid our tab and hers and slowly made our way home. About halfway home, my brain caught up with the details and I realized that the evening could have had a very different ending.

God is good.
And somewhere in Rankin County Mississippi is a woman who doubles as an angel.
A woman who quietly saved a tiny little boy’s life.
A life that is very precious to me.

I pray for her. I pray that God will return to her a thousand fold the blessing that she gave us that night. She will never be forgotten.

I’m grateful that she was present and willing and trained. As I think about it now, it takes some fortitude to walk up to a stranger and say “Can I try this on your baby?”

Yes, we took the Red Cross Child Safety/CPR classes when J was born. I still remember the head-knowledge of what to do and how. However, when it’s your heart and soul turning blue, it’s different.

Choking can happen to anyone at any time. Choking is especially harmful to children. Not just hard candy, but all sorts of foods…hot dogs, jelly beans, nuts, fruities, ice cubes, chips, and so many other things.

Be ever watchful.
For choking babies.
And for quiet angels.