Mudita Monday - 27 May 2013

Ya know...despite all my set backs the last few years and the people who have done wrong by me...I have many people to be happy for, to be "unselfishly joyful" for.  But today is not a day of joy.  It is a day of remembrance. Remembering all those who have fought before our generations (as well as those current) and paid the ultimate sacrifice.  To remember those veterans you may know in your community.  Some may be silent about their service, and other are vocal about their experiences.  It's time to remember that this freedom, that the government is trying to infringe upon, was not free.  People who believed in freedom for the people, free of government and religious directives and interference; fought for their rights to live in a nation they wanted to raise their children in. 

This is probably one of the more politically tinged posts I have and will ever post.  But this is important to me.  Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines all have continued to fight for that freedom since the day the Declaration of Independence was signed July 4, 1776.  Please remember to thank a veteran today.  If you see someone with a Korea hat on walking down the street, thank them for their service.  If you see an OIF veteran in a wheelchair, thank them for their service.  So I guess you could say, for today, my "mudita" or unselfish joy, is in the joy and happiness of other veterans, who are living life one day at a time, the best they can and the only way they know how. 

Thank you to those active duty as well as all the veterans in my friends and family circle!!!

Kathy Mayo
Joe Mayo
Tracy Anderson
Cory Smith
Chris Degen
Don Anderson
Bud Anderson
Archie Maze
Barney Degen, Sr.


Cory Charpentier
Amanda Broomfield
Jody Cope
Christina Dickson
Kandi Wilson
Kimberly March
Brandy Barraza
Nicole Phelan
Sheldon Yamasaki
DeShon Bell

ALL 3/3ID Dogface Soldiers!

And to anyone I may have missed, I am sorry!  You know my memory sucks!!  heh

Patience is a Virtue

Did you ever hear that from your parents growing up??  "Patience is a virtue"??  Lord knows I DID!!!  Well let me tell you what, having to wait for my extruder (which is coming via TA Metalworks) to come in is TORTURE!!!  And they didn't have the pugmill in stock, so that hasn't even shipped yet!!  OMG!  I want to get my hands on my new toys so I can start playing!!!!! There are so many things I can make with the extruder... vases, cups, sculpture bases..

Anyway... while I have been waiting for my new toys to come (that are only possible thanks to my Kickstarter backers)... the creative bug has bitten me.  I have been working on hand built hummingbird feeders.  I am working on two different versions; one that will hang with the help of wrapped wire.  The second feeder will be a garden stake type...hopefully.  These are all prototypes as I've never made them before.  But I am looking forward to process.  Inspiration has definitely found its way into my hands.  As I sit here typing this, I am wishing I was in the studio creating.  Lucky for you all... my legs have other ideas and are hurting; so I'm sitting in my chair with my feet up.  To see the sneak peak photos of the hummingbird feeders, you can see the album I have on Facebook.      

Here are a few sneak peaks if you can't access the hummingbird album!!
HUMMINGBIRD FEEDERS

Speaking of my chair..its new!  Well, old new.  My honey and I hit up a couple of garage sales today that were still happening despite the rain.  Found some REALLY GREAT stuff.  We got a wooden rocking chair, a green upholstered rocking chair that swivels (of which I'm sitting in now), a big jack for Justin to be able to raise up his truck in order to work on it, a nice tall dresser for Caden... and there's a bunch more little stuff, but those were the big items.  And we got everything for amazing prices!  So overall...it was a really good day! :)

Mudita Monday - 20 May 2013

It's time for Mudita Monday again!  "Happy Happy Happy"!  hehe  Any Duck Dynasty fans out there?  You will know what that's from.. :)

Today, I want to show my appreciation to one of the most amazing women I have ever had the

OLD SCHOOL!  hehe  Mom, Dad, myself, and my sisters Brooklyn and Brittny...26 years ago.  <3

privilege of knowing.  Today just so happens to be her birthday!!  She birthed six "nerd children", never gave up on her dreams, served our country as a Soldier in the US Army, and demonstrated to her children what true love looks like.  Who am I talking about?  My MOMMY of course!! :-D  No matter what our individual situations are/were, she was always there with the required tough love to help us get back on our feet and learn the lessons life has to offer.  She has always supported our dreams and encouraged us to be the best we can be in whatever profession/occupation we chose.  I would not be the woman I am today without her love, devotion, and encouragement.  She is strong, stubborn, emotional, loving, selfless, dedicated, hard working, studious, and an inspiration.  I could go on...but there just aren't enough adjectives that can describe how amazing of a woman she truly is.  If you have met my mother and been her presence, you can understand all that I've said. 

I don't know what else to say... My mommy is awesome.  She provided my sisters and I with an amazing childhood where many life lessons were learned that have made us all strong adults and productive members of society.  There is nothing I would take back about my childhood.  There aren't enough words in any dictionary for any language to truly explain what an inspiration my mom is.  So thank you mommy for helping to make me the woman I am today.  <3

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Mudita Monday - 13 May 2013

It is rather refreshing to be thinking of all the positives in ones life, rather than focusing on the negatives.  There is so much negativity in the world, that sometimes by taking a step back and looking through a different lens, the world doesn't look so dark. 

Today, is all about my future mother-in-law (MIL).  The last eight months have gone by in a whirlwind.  While it did seem that the winter dragged on and on...now that we are only three months from the wedding, it seems like it was just yesterday that my fiance and I set our wedding date!  Robbie, my future MIL, has been such a tremendous help!!!  She went with me to go dress shopping for my wedding dress, planned my bridal shower this past weekend with gram (her mom)..and those are just a few examples of the icing on the cake.  When Justin and I first started dating, she (along with the rest of the family) welcomed me into the family right away and made me feel welcome.  When I introduced her to my 11 year old son, she didn't bat an eye, but welcomed him with open arms and already considers him her grandson and part of the family.  If there is ever anything we need, she is one of the first ones to offer to come help.  She faces some health issues as well, but always makes sure that Justin and I are all set.  When she and John come up to visit, she helps get the house back to being squared away and clean.  She watches her great-niece and nephew during the week after school as well as during school breaks. 

I can see now where Justin gets his constant giving and selfless behavior from.  Robbie is selfless and gives all she can to her family and those she loves.  I am very lucky indeed to be able to call her "mama", my MIL.  Thank you for all you do for our little family mama!  I don't know where we would be with your help and support! 

Mudita Monday - 06 May 2013

MY VERY FIRST MUDITA MONDAY...and this blog never made it to being published.  WOOPS!!  hehe  Better late than never, right?? 

It's hard to pick just one person to celebrate today.  In recent months, there have been SOO many people that have stood by my side when the going got tough..Today, I wish to celebrate and bask in the joy of my fiance.  No matter what is going on in our daily lives or the state of myself, he always puts on a strong front and is there for me.  He supports me and my business unconditionally.  I don't really appreciate watching sports such as basketball or baseball, but I sit in the living room just to be in his presence because I know watching it brings him joy.  He has sacrificed so much for us to get where we are today, and there will never be words enough to let the world know how much I love and appreciate all he does for our family.  <3 

My fiance is the kind of person that wants to do for others and not seek payment in return.  We recently found out a very dear friend of ours was having severe kidney issues...his first question was about what his blood type was, because if Justin was a match, he would get tested to see if he would match as a donor.  <3  He currently looks like one of the men out of the show "Duck Dynasty", because he has been growing his hair out starting over the winter in order to donate it to a charity that makes free wigs for children who lose their hair due to cancer. 

What can I say....I love this man!  He is selfless in so many ways, and brings joy to any room he enters.  So today...I celebrate my future husband!  I look forward to a lifetime of happiness with him!! 

Time to Kick Start My Biz!

As of Wednesday night, I had officially raised $5,120 with my Kickstarter campaign!  THANK YOU to all who have helped support me and this campaign!  It really means a lot!  This allows me to get the pugmill that I need to help streamline my creating process.  And crazily enough...there is still 10 days left for the campaign!  Which means I can continue to raise funds!  If you check out my Kickstarter campaign, you can see that I have already thought of stretch goals in mind.  The additional equipment will .... well....  it will just be awesome and make creating sooo much easier.  You can see the campaign and the stretch goals explained HERE.

This week has been one CRAZY week!  SOOO  much has gone on!  I was accepted into Maine Made.  A really beautiful article was written in the Bangor Daily News!  I have been asked to put my items for sale on consignment at 3 different places!!! And I have been contacted by soo many wonderful people!!  There IS beauty and kindness in this dark world...Brings hope and happiness to my heart!

Well, sorry this is so short, but I need to get creating those backer rewards for the Kickstarter Campaign!!!  Please remember to check out all the links within this little blog though!

Mudita Mondays

I got this wonderful idea from my good friend, Mei Ho.  Here is her explanation from her webpage/blog.

Mudita Mondays

What is the purpose of Mudita Mondays?
Mudita. [Pāli and Sanskrit: मुदित]
Simplest meaning translated is unselfish joy.
It is finding joy and pleasure through other people’s well-being rather than begrudging it. If this doesn’t make any sense to you, read on to find out why you need to change your perspective. If this makes sense to you, read on to find out how you can spread the feeling of Mudita in your life.

Indeed, being truly happy for another is easier said than done because we live in a world where we judge ourselves against others a lot – not to mention the power our media has on us and particularly the younger generation. In today’s world, kids want to grow up to become famous rather than be astronauts or a President / Prime Minister. Albeit this is changing, there’s always going to be a subconscious inner-self or ego that will try to compete rather than to be happy for another.

Why you should be happy for another
Let’s breakdown the meaning of Mudita by contrasting it with words Western society knows best:
Envy:”a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else’s possessions, qualities, or luck”
Judgment:”an opinion or conclusion”
Comparsion:”estimate, measure, or note the similarity or dissimilarity between [you and the other person]”
Avarice: “extreme greed for wealth or material gain”
When we allow envy, judgment, comparison and avarice take control of our feelings, we gain dissatisfaction and contempt in our lives. Not only do we stop giving or helping others, we distort our own realities by either inwardly destroying ourselves through unrealistic expectations or we destroy others through ‘hatin’ and spreading negativity or faking Mudita until you achieve what you want. Here’s an example of struggling through feeling Mudita from a yoga instructor, Charlotte Bell. No, yogis are just human beings as well and we don’t float on mountains with our legs crossed.  Rather, Mudita, as Bell states in her writing, “helps uproot the unhappy states of envy, judgment and comparison.” Wow. That was brilliantly worded. 

What you can do if you are attracted to Mudita
1) Mudita is a state of mind. It is not something you achieve and move on. If you want to feel this, you must do a temperature test every time judgment, envy, avarice or comparison creep into your mind. Buddhist philosophy or even E. Tolle calls it mindfulness meditation which in turns allows these feelings to pass you by and let go of the ego and turn on your positivity and Mudita onto others.
2) Define those people around you that you can feel Mudita for. Pay close attention to those you envy or compare to because once you let that pass, they are those whom may change your personal welfare. It may be family members, close friends or just those who are truly brilliant!
3) Try Mudita Mondays.

SO...  here is to trying to be mindful and appreciative of those around us.  I'm going to do my best to embrace Mudita Mondays!