Thoughts from the hot seat!

The Good, the Bad, and the Pretty...

Well, the good news first: as many of you know, my family and I have recently returned from our summer vacation. We had a fabulous time in Disneyworld! It was the first time my husband or I had ever been there...and of course it was a first for our boys, too! We thoroughly enjoyed shooting lasers at Evil Emperor Zurg in the Buzz Lightyear attraction...we got spit on by Stitch in his adventure area. My oldest son and I created a green home in the Epcot ball...and laughed hysterically when the onboard computer showed animated pictures of us with photographs of our heads on them. We rode wicked coasters like Rock N' Rollercoaster in Hollywood Studios, and crazy jet propelled waterslides like the Crushin' Gusher at Typhoon Lagoon Waterpark. We tried exotic foods from Morocco and the Mediterranean, and we laughed at silly shows like the interactive show with Crush in the Finding Nemo area. The boys were amazed to play in the Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playground...and my hubby and I voted for someone building a replica of it in our town...so cool! We had a fantastic time and I'm sure it will be a trip we'll repeat in the future.

Here is just one fun shot of my boys playing in one of the water "cooling zones" they provide at the parks. I think that is some serious foresight on the park developers...great idea!

Now for the bad news: Last weekend our town in Indiana was hit hard by the storms and we experienced heavy rainfall...more than 10" fell in a short period of time. The rivers rose, causing extensive flooding and damage to literally thousands of people's homes, farms, etc. We were very lucky to be in an area of town that was not near any large bodies of water...but the devastation here is unbelievable! Our town looks like a war zone. The National Guard came in from several neighboring states to help rescue people, and FEMA representatives are also here to assess damage and offer assistance. Two men died in the swift waters, and our local hospital had to be evacuated completely and is closed indefinitely until they can repair the extensive damage to the bottom two floors. If you know anyone in the southern Indiana area and haven't checked on them recently, you might want to touch base. There are thousands of people temporarily being housed in the high school gymnasiums, and I know the Red Cross is calling for donations as well as volunteers to help in many different capacities. I'll be off to volunteer in the morning - providing temporary child care for flood victims. So if you live close by and feel moved to help, be sure to call the Red Cross and they will utilize you in whatever capacity they can. Here are some links to local information and pictures about the situation, if you'd like to know more: http://www.therepublic.com/ and http://www.qmix.com/

And, finally - the pretty: Since I've come home, recuperated from my wonderful trip as well as a nasty bout of strep throat...I'm officially back at the torch. Make sure you check out some of these wonderful new listings on Etsy: