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Sunday, August 28, 2011

Isn't it about time we stop being stingy and learned to share?


Paul Newman once said :

“I'm a supporter of gay rights. And not a closet supporter either. From the time I was a kid, I have never been able to understand attacks upon the gay community. There are so many qualities that make up a human being... by the time I get through with all the things that I really admire about people, what they do with their private parts is probably so low on the list that it is irrelevant.”

Who can argue with Paul Newman? I can't, though I've always felt this way. It never crosses my mind when getting to know someone what kind of bedroom activities we share. It's just not something that comes up.

Our country is at a crossroads right now when it comes to Marriage Rights. Marriage Rights of the LGBT community. Marriage rights of the Plural community. Though I'm against those who marry children I am for the equal rights of competent consenting adults. I can't imagine what my life would have been like if I had to hide my relationship, if I could not marry the man I wanted to.

This is an issue that is close to my heart..for mulitiple reasons. First and foremost I'm the mother of a a son who is gay,  and I'm the niece, cousin, friend, of those within the LGBT community.

Below is a piece I created because it's been on my mind as I think of all those I love who do not share the same rights. I hope that people will view it and make the connections, something will spark within them and they will open their hearts and minds to what could be.

(created using Tumble Fish Studio's kit My Picks and And So On available at Deviant Scrap)

It wasn't that long ago that women didn't share the same rights as men, because they were the public majority. It wasn't that long ago that a women couldn't make any financial decisions. Our rights were pretty much non-existant. Much the same way the LGBT and Plural communities rights are. Marriage is a right, being married has it's perks, perks my fellow men and women can't share if they are not the public majority. Isn't that unfair? Isn't it unjust to say? Isn't it unjust to keep them from happiness a happiness that costs you nothing?

No one is asking you to pay for their lifestyle, all they want is to share their life with someone they love openly and without judgement. You lose nothing by sharing a basic right you yourself enjoy. It doesn't affect you in anyway whatsoever.

My wish is simple, my wish is that people in America will open their hearts, bring compassion to the issue of Marriage Rights and change what is holding our people back. By voting for Marriage rights we can change our country for the better. Families can flourish, the stigmas can be cast aside and overall our communities will be enriched. It's a win, win.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Love Sweet Love

It's what the world needs now. 

When K was in  1st grade he had the most wonderful teacher. She gave the class an assignment that will forever stick in my head and left a lasting impression with my son.

The students had to rotate throughout the entire class and learn something from another peer. This happened during recess. Everyday they journaled their recess lessons. Every child taught another
child a skill. Each one teach one. From Braiding hair, painting nails, hitting a baseball, drawing,
climbing the monkey bars. Each child taught, Each child learned. Each  child took away from that
experience. Each child learned to accept that it was ok to be different. It’s ok for boys  to plait hair,
 or paint their nails,it’s ok for  girls to hit a ball, or get dirty.


 My son is 19  now and can still paint nails with the best of them. He is Perfect just the way he is!

I truely wish more teachers would incorporate lessons like these. It opens their eyes and makes them more accepting of others.




Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Unifying The Sidelines

I'm a soccer mom. Our 18yo loves soccer and  he's very good at it too. Our 15yo also loves soccer but he is unable to play now because of an injury. I love being on the sidelines and getting the shots of my boys playing soccer. They are tough kids both of them.

T is a defender. It fits his personality. He's always been a protector. Yesterday while watching/shooting the game I turned to my 15yo and said. Hmm, Ts like that kid from the movie Blindside. Z not understanding says "oh yeah, right cuz he's homeless." No what I mean is that T is very much a protector. He's like old faithful. If you give him a job, or in this case tell him to stay on someone and not let them near the goal he is going to do that. He is going to do whatever it takes to protect his family.

He is like that in everything. All three of our children are like that. Maybe it's because we lived so far away from family and were our own unit. At any rate they are protective of eachother and of us as a whole. Sure they may argue amongst themselves, but I dare anyone to try to say or do something against any one of them because they will quickly turn the table on you and you will be sorry.

As the game went on more people showed up. It's funny because these people at games all sit in little groups. I'm the outsider because I'm new and well they've been together probably since their kids were little. It doesn't bother me really because I'm used to it. Armed with my camera I'm up and down the field anyway and after the game I'm loading gear into the car. So what do I need camaraderie for anyway.

But I did think to myself as I saw these little groups, "they need unity". So I came up with a little game.


The Tip It Game

How many times have you seen a goalie tip the ball. A player tries to score the goalie jumps up high and tips the ball with his fingertips. It's the perfect scenerio for a drinking game. Drinking games are the best kind aren't they?

So here's the rules.

BYOB (or whatever ails you)

You may only take a swig when the ball is Tipped.

Here's where we unify in the stands. Everyone should encourage the goalie with a cheer. Tip It! Tip It! Tip It! we will all chant.

We can expand the game to, just think about it. There are so many plays we could be cheering and drinking to. Everyone will be happier while sitting out in the heat or freezing cold. Further it fosters team spirit.

I'm gonna take a bottle of Jack to then next game. ;)



Thursday, August 18, 2011

The Snake Creature almost killed me!

1 event 2 viewpoints


We've moved into our new home and while I'm not finished upacking (who is ever finished upacking right?) we are getting there.

With the weather being so nice out and an offer from my youngest to help pull the weeds, today was just as good a day as any to complete the task. So we ventured outside to tackle the weed problem.

First let me say that we have a wonderful relationship..at least I think we do. We joke around, respect each other and really like spending time together. So even though he doesn't remember the events as they actually happened I still love him and accept that he was outside his mind with heat stroke when it happened or he'd remember correctly. ;0

Now I give you 1 event 2 viewpoints.

Armed with gloves a garbage can and our best outdoorsie weed pulling will we headed to the yard.

After showing him everything that needed to be pulled, You know how boys are they will pull a rose bush if don't tell them not to. we got to work. The new house has already been landscraped and really the weed pulling on 3 sides of the house was not bad at all. The worst was the right side which sits adjacent to a vacant lot. We are in a newer subdivision and the lot is full of weeds that were encrouching on our nicely landscaped yard.

So we are pullling weeds and talking have a good time when all of the sudden I feel somthing slithering through my hand. Immediately I dropped my weed filled hand, while SCREAMING as loudly as a girl can, jumping up and down stomping my feet and running away as fast as possible all the while shaking my hands in the air.

My son, being the sweet caring son he first and foremost wanted to make sure I was ok asked "What's the matter?"

I screamed "Snake"

Both of us looked and found the slithery icky monster, that was at least 10' ft long by my account and could have killed me with his snakey mouth bite. He was sneaking into the window cover of the basement.

That snake had 4 legs which my son tells me is not a snake but a lizard of some sort. I don't care it was still 40' long and could have killed me.

Well, I'd had enough so I came inside and left the boy to weed pulling and snake handling.

His dad called and I told my Giant that I almost died today from a snake bite by a snake creature with a head the size of a basketball and it was at least 60' long.

My son hears this and starts laughing asking to talk to his dad. He tells my husband that it was just a little lizzard, and that I'm exaggerating.

Don't you hate when the men folk make light of scary situations and downplay them to make you feel like a typical girl.

Below is photographic evidence these beasts do exist.


photo not by me but stolen from the webernets and I don't have any affiliation with this website. It's just that this thing looks almost exactly like the 2 headed, 4 legged, 1000' snake creature that lives outside my house. The same snake creature that is holding me hostage inside my house because admit it people you would be scared for your life too if you saw this thing.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Mother Nature bit me in the leg and it HURT like hell

But I still love her :)

Have you ever thought you could take on the world? I do it at times and don't realize until things go to pieces that I just can't do it all! Take for instance the month of July.

Actually that can be June and July but we'll just talk of July. My husband was transferred and being the superhero that I am, I decided it would be best to continue working full time and further to continue with other obligations. I really dislike not fullfilling obligations. Add to that I joined a swap.

Now in the midst of throwing out junk, trying to get in order the move which threw up in my face a couple times at the last minute. Yeah, thanks for setting aside our paper work for 3 weeks. House showings at the most inopportune times, trying to rearrange the move, working full time, family, and other obligations in general. Add to all of that being stung by a bee, which is the worst thing that can happen to someone who is allergic to bees.

When it happened I was in my car, that little devil crawled up the inside of my jeans and stung me. I didn't even know what was stinging me but felt very sick and started having breathing problems all while driving in my car. So I pull over while reaching in my purse trying to unscrew the darn epi pen, btw who in their right mind puts a screw on lid on an vital and time sensitive medical device and at the same time I'm frantically hitting my leg and feeling for whatever it is that is sending a searing pain into my body. Finally the cap pops off and I stab my self with the pen..no fun guys no fun at all. My husband is gone at the time and I'm left to manage the kids, house, showings, move stuff, everything by myself. So I opt not to go to the doctor. Big Mistake Huge Mistake
Let me tell you how wrong that goes when you are allergic to bees. Though I used the epi pen and though I didn't go into shock, and though I took allergy pills and though I am SheRok! and tougher than nails..that didn't stop my leg from swelling up to the size of texas or the itching to cease and desist. It's like my body didn't get the memo or ignored the memo all together.

So yeah the month of July held many changes and challenges for this girl. I took a break at the end, and into Aug. but now am back with a vengence. Last night I finished my long overdue swap and sent it off to it's recipient.

You can see it below..and even though Mother Nature sent out her devilish minion to wreak havoc on my body I still love her enough to create a shrine in her honor.


image is linked for credits


I am thankful to have such wonderful designers who understood my dilema and who are sweet enough to say take care of you. These women are really without a doubt the kindest and most gracious people I've come to know. I'm thankful to my boss who even though we were under the gun at times understood all the challenges I was facing and said take a break, or just chipped in to help me. She is by far the best boss I've had in my entire career.

Most of all I'm thankful to my husband and children who continue to stand beside me, and make me laugh even when under the weather, or just plain crabby and miserable.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Art Without Scissors

This blog was almost named Art Without Scissors, until I found like a hundred links to the subject. For months now I've been working on coming up with a name for this here blog. It's been a while now actually.
See for a long time I wanted to be the cool girl but well I'm just not the cool really. Then the most amazing thing happened ~more on that later. Anywho, at that moment I vowed to start a blog, but there was that name thing that kept stumping me and delaying the process. That was until last night.

Last night as I was creating a piece for the new collab kit by Tumble Fish Studio and Crowabout StudioB called You're Invited available at Deviant Scrap it hit me. ArtUnglued. I started googling, binging (which for your information is so much different than blinging and not nearly as perty.)

So this morning first thing I got busy on this here blog and it's all because of 2 Deviants who twisted my arms and made me crafty..jk I love being on their teams. :)

Do you ever wonder where we will this craft will take use in the coming years? I wonder what kinds of fancy schmancy things we will be doing in 2020 and beyond. Isn't it neat what kind of strides we are making in this world of ours.

Don't forget to check out the add on kits for You're Invited by Crowabout StudioB and Tumble Fish Studio both designers names are linked to take you directly to the store. If you make something and post I'd love to see it.

Hello CyberSpace

Welcome to my Unglued Life. Life is Art and Art mimics life, sometimes we got it going on and other times we are undone at the seams. It's life and you just have to roll with it.

This is the place I will be posting pieces, both unglued and glued. Journal pieces as well as fluff, scrap, and altered I'm bearing it all. If you are new to this and have any questions feel free to ask. I'm always up for sharing.

Thanks for looking,
Maggiebean