Schools and Saftey

The first day of school in our area was yesterday. It was a day filled with anxiety for many in our area. Three days prior a man decided to go on a rampage. He killed two teachers and wounded another as well as wounding another individual. One teacher was shot in her home and the others at the Elementary school where they were getting ready for the new school year to start.

It bring up many emotions for me. One is I hate guns. Yes I hate them. I don't care that it is our right to own them and carry them. We simply have far far too many gun accidents and killings in this country. I know all the proponents will say "it is not the guns that kill people it is the people who kill people." No shit sherlock. The issue is too many of the wrong people have access to guns and are killing our children, our teachers, our friends.

It has to stop.

I don't allow toy guns in my home. I don't care that we all grew up with them and knew the difference. A gun is not and should never be a toy of any kind. A child does not yet have the understanding of reality vs fantasy. How can we expect them to understand that chasing your friends around and playing "bang bang" with this type of gun is ok but don't pick up this other type of gun because it could become a game of "kill kill" instead. It sends mixed messages.

The incident this week at the local school was not my first experience with gun violence. When I was in high school one of our students decided after school one day to go to the local ice cream shop where he shot his girlfriend, the store owner and himself dead. It was horrible. Simply horrible. For these two stories there are countless others across our violent country.

It has to stop.

Full Circle

Recently my mother came up for a visit and she brought me my old baseball glove and the one my father used to practice with me. My father had burned our names into the leather. Yesterday I had an amazing experience in my back yard as I wore the glove my father used to throw to me as a child while my son now was wearing mine. We played a simple game of catch and I had a huge smile on my face the entire time.

Vacation

I feel like I have been gone for months. Last week JB and I took the family on a mini vacation to NY state to visit with some of JB's relatives. It ended up being a fab vacation. First the drive through the adirondacks was simply beautiful. We ended up staying at a lake house that is in the family on JB's side. It was stunning. We were right on lake and it is just what I needed. Once the kiddies were in bed we just relaxed (with many other family members) on the deck and stared at the lake. It was wonderful. I need to make sure I get away like that more often. It is good for the soul.

My rant of the day

First of all I want to start this post by saying I am not by any means saying that parenting is easy or that I have not had my bad days. Believe me I have them all the time. Having children is one of the hardest and most challenging things in the world. That being said I just have to bitch about something -

Why do people have babies and then freak out when they act like babies?

Here are some facts in case you don't know this yet:

1. Babies typically do not sleep well at night for at least (at least) the first year of life. It sucks and most of us have gone through it but they just simply do not. Why why why do we try to "train" a baby to sleep when all they are trying to do is have their basics needs met?

2. A young baby is not manipulating you by crying so you will come into their room. Do you really think they have the thought capacity to say to themselves "self, if I cry they will come." I'm sorry but they don't. You are not teaching them anything by letting them cry it out. You are not teaching them to go to sleep. All you are teaching them is that when they cry and need something you do not go to them. They stop crying at night not because you have taught them a wonderful lesson but because they have given up. You have not taught them how to sleep through the night you taught them that crying for you attention won't do anything.

3. You cannot spoil a baby. A baby who needs to be held more will not be ruined by you holding her.

ok I am done ranting for now.

Finding home

Awhile ago I wrote a post about how my family home is up for sale. I spent a week there in May with both of my boys while JB was at a work thing. It has been hard for me to digest the fact that the house I grew up on might sell. I lived in this house from the time I was born until I moved away to college. The house and the street it is on has a lot of family history for me. My mother grew up two houses down. My grandparents owned three houses next to each other and my parents eventually bought one of them from them which is where I grew up. My grandfather's parents immigrated from Italy to the town and my grandmother's parents immigrated from England. I was the first one in the family (including cousins) to move out of state.

Now that I have a family I find myself being drawn back to the town where I grew up. Where my grandparents grew up. Where my great grandparents moved to in their late teens early twenties to start a new life. Leaving family and loved ones in other countries. A town I couldn't wait to escape I now find myself craving.

The house is an old farm house built in 1910. The other two houses that were in the family sold after my grandparents had passed away. Leaving my parents house the last one left. How do I sort out these feelings? How do I know if I am just letting my emotions get the best of me? Or is it just finally time for me to go back?

I love the town I live in now. Both of my sons were born here. JB and I have it rough though. We have never known the luxury of having the support of family near by to help us at all. We have a few friends but most of my closest friends are still living in my old town. I feel like I have been trying for years to create a village here and it just isn't happening. Would I regret moving back? Would I regret leaving the town where I have been trying to grow roots for my family? I used to always live with the grass is always greener attitude. I hated it. I was never satisfied with my location. I have worked hard to overcome these feelings but here they are sneaking up on me again.

I want to feel settled.

Self Promotion News!

I have a few updates on my jewelry business. I have changed the name from Purple Elm back to what it originally was Subsixstudios.

Last week I decided to put 6 of my necklaces into a great new store in Burlington called Made Boutique & Gallery. I just found out that two of them have already sold since being in her store since last Friday.


My Etsy Shop has hit 1000 views!

Two reasons to celebrate!

Two of my necklaces sold at Made Boutique & Gallery after being there for a few days!

My Etsy Shop has hit 1000 views!

A trip to the islands

We took a trip to the islands this weekend and stayed in a rustic cabin. Sounds fancy huh? Well in reality it was the Champlain Islands and the "rustic" cabin was in a RV park. The cabin was rustic in the sense that it was just one room with a double bed and a bunkbed, a small front porch with a swing (bonus) but other than that our view was of weekend trailers and seasonal RVs. I didn't care though. I decided last week I needed a quick getaway and that is just about all you can find around here in August at the last minute. They had a pool which was just lovely after getting a leach on my leg swimming in our lake a few weeks ago. The kids loved it. Enzo's highlights were staying up late to roast marshmallows and look at the stars and sleeping on the top bunk of the bunkbed.

The highlights for me were swimming in a pool and sitting by the fire with John having a few beers after the kids went to bed. It was nice to have no tv or computers around. Oh and best of all there were no bugs. Not one mosquito in site. The first night we ended up going out for pizza because we couldn't get our campstove to work. Yes we forgot to check it before we left. The second night I made a makeshift stove over the fire pit and cooked soydogs and baked beans.

I grew up camping with my family for two weeks every summer so I am picky about where I camp now. Nothing I find can compare the campground we went to each year. We were a tent family so being in this RV park was a bit of a shock to my system but I was able to get through it. I had to realize my ideals were not what mattered this weekend. It was watching Enzo stare up at the sky in amazement and watch his tired eyes try to focus on roasting just one last marshmallow.

I have been busy all summer creating new and exciting pieces. I am pleased to announce that 6 of my latest pieces will now be for sale at a wonderful new boutique called MadeBoutique and Gallery in Burlington VT.

If you are in the are stop in for Made's GRAND OPENING! ~ FRIDAY, AUGUST 4TH! The store is also participating in the First Friday Art Walk from 5pm-9pm

Check out thier website for store directions and hours.

Weather girl

Summer is not almost over. I am sick of people saying it is. Today is August 1st. We have an entire month left. Everyone lives so far in the future it makes me sick. With back to school supplies hitting the stores already it is hard not too. I feel like it just started getting warm - hot in fact so I am so not ready for fall clothing. Where are all the frickin' tank tops. Bring them back out people. Summer is far from over.

Plus have you heard? September is the new August. This is what I tell everyone anyway. Depending on where you live you may or may not relate to this but where I am living the seasons have changed. The weather patterns of the months have been changing ever so slightly the past few years. This year is has become crystal clear to me though. September is the new August. I am right. Just think about it. April felt like March, May felt like April, June felt like May and July started off feeling like June but it did start to get much warmer mid month. The warm weather will continue into August but it won't stop there. September is no longer the sweater weather month it used to be. Oh no I guarantee that your sweaters will still be in your closet and you will be thanking me that I told you this secret news.

Purple Elm hits a boutique

I have been busy all summer creating new and exciting pieces. I am pleased to announce that 6 of my latest pieces will now be for sale at a wonderful new boutique called MadeBoutique and Gallery in Burlington VT.

If you are in the are stop in for Made's GRAND OPENING! ~ FRIDAY, AUGUST 4TH! The store is also participating in the First Friday Art Walk from 5pm-9pm

Check out thier website for store directions and hours.