The winter has been very long for us here at home. Grey and rainy, cold and dark. We are tired of getting up to get ready for work and school in the dark, tired of coming home in the dark, tired of rain. We know it is good for the plants, the ground, the spring - but will it ever get here? We are just sick of Eastern Standard Time here on the East Coast of the United States, and ready for Daylight Savings time. Yes, my family is all into the idea of Spring – and even looking beyond that, to SUMMER! We have family dinner together once a week, and the conversation for the last several weeks has been all about getting outside, walking, riding bikes, working in the yard, CAN’T WAIT for SPRING and SUMMER, what about vacation and even going to the beach, OH YEA!We have talked about grilling out, long evenings, chatting on the patio, playing ball in the yard, summer drinks, summer salads, summer desserts. I tell you, we can’t wait.
To make the waiting a little bit shorter, I decided to bring a little bit of that summer picnic delight to the family with one of my DH’s favorite summer desserts - Banana Pudding. But every Banana Pudding recipe I have feeds, oh, like 50 (or so it seems), making a huge bowl that lasts forever. Perfect for picnics with friends, but not so great for family dinners. And so instead of going for the big pudding bowl, I found a “Cake Mix Doctor” cupcake recipe for Banana Pudding Cupcakes. I had this recipe on my mind, and before we headed off to the grocery for ingredients, I took a look at what I could find on ETSY from BBEST that brought Banana Pudding sights, sounds, and tastes into mind. Check it out!
Searching for BBEST BANANA, I found these fabulous goodies.
And then, at Bags and more by Pam, I found this unique Banana Berry Bag.
And Fantasy Creation really tickled me with the Sweet Cupcake with Orange Icing Dangle Earrings Handmade from Polymer Clay. The entry says "I acually got hungry while I was making these pretty little polymer clay cupcake earrings. I've included stoppers with the gold tone ear wires. The cupcakes are light yellow with orange icing piled high, in a pale pastel orange cup, made to look realistic." They look pretty good to me, and very much like a fanciful springy delight.
Banana Pudding Cupcakes
Vintage Vocabulary Necklace by Joonwalk, with quality metal ball chain
Last weekend I attended the Inspired Artist Workshop in Charlotte NC. This workshop is developed by Donna Downey annually, and each time I attend I am stretched into very uncomfortable places - I stress before the event because the classes are things I don't think I am interested in, things I don't think I will enjoy. I attend because I know it is good to get out of my comfort zone. And every year I learn about new arts and techniques that I didn’t know before and that I never would have tried otherwise.
Life is not measured - Cheryl Darrow
She also inspired us to be in the moment when she talked about how Ten Seconds Studio got its name – she shared a very personal experience and talked about her close call with Cancer about three years ago, before she and her daughter started their company. The experience brought her to the realization that, as she puts it - Life is about Ten Seconds Long, so we need to LIVE Every Second of it.
Deep Thoughts Journal - Cheryl Darrow
She talked about being inspired in a very candid way – you can read some of her thoughts on her web site. Through the entire course she inspired us – to enjoy ourselves, to take no prisoners in our creativity, to be brave with new techniques and mediums, and she reminded us to grow and learn in every minute.
Creating is a joyful process. It involves thought, intention, determination, time, focus, and belief. This is the case whether our craft is developed from scratch or if it is the craft of treasure hunting through flea market finds to ferret out and share special hidden treasures. Every creation holds a piece of ourselves, captured in that moment. Our hands, our time, our focus, our thought – all wrapped up in our craft.
Sharing our creations with others requires many of these same things, along with an element of risk. Risk that our art will not be appreciated or understood. Risk that that we take every time we list an item in our shops or create a custom order. This willingness to risk ourselves, to be open to our family, our friends, and even strangers – this risk makes us stronger individuals and more grounded artists. Our willingness to step out and BE OURSELVES with our fellow human beings is a demonstration of faith in humanity and in the goodness of others. It is a great and joyful act, and adds value to each piece of creation we share, each flea market find we offer.
I am delighted to be a part of the BBEST community, which is not only a group of astoundingly talented crafters, but is also an incredible gift, regularly enriching my life and inspiring my craft and art. The influence of this team is broader than we may perhaps think.
***
SO, my daughter went off to a Fine Arts Academy for Contemporary Dance (a boarding school by any other name) in August, the week after she turned 16. It was a very hard time for her and for me. We were very close, and though we both knew that this was an incredible opportunity for her, we had a very difficult time being apart. The first night was the worst, and she called me several times, whispering into the phone so that her roommate wouldn’t be disturbed. She cried, but didn’t want me to come and get her. I cried too, but not when we were talking. I second guessed the decision to send her away, and rode an emotional roller coaster for the next several weeks.
My daughter was determined and stuck it out, and though she didn’t stop missing home for a moment, she made new friends, learned a new routine, began to understand her teachers, and started to dance. The dance brought her great joy although the discipline required made her grumble and complain. She was inspired by the upper classmen though, and worked hard to grow. She learned about the routine of the dorm and settled quickly into a rhythm of learning and living and laughing. All the things you want for your children!
In October, she told me about auditioning for pieces that were choreographed by upper classmen, and how excited she was to get some opportunities to perform. She was immersed in the creative and learning process (are they separate? maybe it is all one process.) and was very happy.
When she came home at the end of November for a long weekend at Thanksgiving, she was VERY EXCITED. I picked her up and she talked most of the way home. She told me about a boy, a college senior in the Contemporary Dance program, that was a beautiful and breathtaking dancer. She certainly didn’t have any classes with him, but she had seen him perform once and had been very inspired. Right before break her teacher told her that she was actually going to have the opportunity to dance with him in a piece they would be learning in December, to be performed before Christmas. She was absolutely thrilled to be chosen to perform, and even more thrilled to have a chance to learn from someone so astounding. She talked about how he danced – so strong and graceful – and about how perfect his technique was. It made her want to practice and stretch and grow better NOW.
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and when I drove her back to school and dropped her off it was very different from the first time. She had a big smile and a wave, and didn’t need any help into the dorm. She immediately saw friends and they were laughing and talking before I drove from the parking lot.
I was about 20 minutes away when the cell phone rang. It was my daughter, and she was sobbing.
When she and her roommate got onto their hall (up the three flights of steps with their bags dragging behind them), they noticed papers stuck on every room door. Some announcement, they thought as they rushed down the hall to their little room-haven. When they got to their door they unlocked it and pulled the announcement off the door.
They both stood and read. The paper explained that the young man, the senior, the inspiring dancer that everyone knew from his performances, had committed suicide in his dorm room over the Thanksgiving holiday.
My daughter was filled with grief. Overcome. Bowed down. It brings tears to my eyes now, 7 years later, remembering our conversation and what she went through. She had never met this boy. I had never met this boy. But in my mind was the image of his dance, strong, muscled, perfect technique. In her mind was the actual memory. I was filled with grief.
The entire school student body felt the impact of the young man’s passing, and December was a more somber time than we ever expected. When Christmas break came, though, I felt strongly that we needed to have some serious conversations about what had happened. We talked then, and truly, we talked for the next several years. My daughter worked through this loss in her dance and when SHE was a senior, she danced in a piece dedicated to this young man – and it was a phenomenal and emotional experience.
Trying to make sense of the senseless must be a human foible, but we did come away from all this with a lesson that reminds us of this young man. Our lesson, that neither my daughter nor I ever forget – You can never know the impact that your life has on another person. You may never even meet them, you may never see them, you may never know that they saw you. Your interactions may be slight, may not be in person, may be oblique. But your influence and contribution to the world and the lives of others is greater than you know, your impact ripples out from your life touching those you see and even those you don’t. Your gift is grander than you ever imagine. So share it, and give it, and make your impact on the world. Go!
***
Thank you BBEST. Every day.
Posts
All Comments
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
