The Broken Hinge Blessing

Last weekend, I finished a few more chalkboards.  This one is my favorite!

And painted a beautiful dresser to take down to Merchant Square.  

What a beauty!

I also painted a folding closet door to used as a backdrop for hanging all sorts of trash, 

a vintage garden rack for display 

and all sorts of trashy things.

I started to pull out the massive dresser from my truck when pop – the cabinet door hinge just broke in half. 

The dresser was literally halfway out of my truck, somewhat teeter between me and the large appliance wagon.  I wasn’t sure what to do when the gentleman helping me suggested we bring the dresser in anyway.  “You can run to Home Depot, buy a new hinge and I’ll help you put it on.”

We took the dresser into the shop and placed it in my booth (#73).  

The new trash I brought in was not priced and everything was a bit disheveled, but I ran out looking for the hinge.  Before I knew it, it was past 5:00.  Merchant Square was closed. 

The following day was Saturday and Merchant Square had scheduled an event called “Let’s Make A Deal.’  The event invited all merchants to man their booth for the day so customers could meet the artist.  Because my Saturday’s are pretty hectic here at the house, I hadn’t planned on attending the event, but with a broken cabinet door and all sorts of unpriced inventory, I knew I needed to get down there.

Saturday at 7:00am, the doors opened just for vendors.  I was able to meet some amazing people.  I’m telling you, there is so much talent inside that store.  The creativity is addictive. 

Well, the hinge I had purchased at Home Depot didn't fit the cabinet from the dresser, so I was out the door again, running to Ace, then a custom cabinet shop.  Finally, I made it back to Merchant Square right at 9:00am.  The shop opened for customers and I finished up pricing this and that when I a woman with the sweetest smile approached me.  She introduced herself and we became instant friends.  

Deb has been a follower of My Dear Trash, plus a member of ANWA (American Night Writers Association), a writing group I’ve been a member of for years.  We hugged and laughed, realizing we know so many of the same people, but what fed my soul was Deb encouraged me to keep writing, complimented me on my blog and shared sunshine in the form of true friendship.  She is amazing.  When she left I wondered “What if I hadn’t been here to meet her?” 

The event at Merchant Square was so much fun.  I spoke with all sorts of wonderful customers who had questions about decorating, painting furniture and the fun of this vintage craze that seems to be taking over the world.  Later, I walked from booth to booth meeting even more vendors – all because of a broken hinge.

P.S., I’m still looking for a matching hinge so wish me luck.

My Son's ADD and Q96

My boys are spunky, ambitious and energetic.  They wake up running and have to be corralled into bed at night.  Their energy is unstoppable and most days I get dizzy just watching them, but when one of my sons was diagnosed with ADD at the age of 8, it felt like I had failed as a parent.  What had I done wrong?  Would my son have a fair chance in life?  

The counselor and I knew it years before our son's official diagnoses.  The signs were everywhere.  We'd seen his struggle to focus, his unpredictable outbursts and inability to make social connections.  He was temperamental and always moving; like a burning spinning top.  Some days were just getting through hour by hour.

The counselor and I decided we would not put him on medication, but try an herbal and nutritional approach.  As he grew older, I noticed our son was more creative and coordinated then most. He was fast- so fast I nicknamed him Dash.  He automatically could do back flips on the trampoline or win races in the pool.  For hours at a time, he would look through an art book and make elaborate paper airplanes - so many my living room floor was covered with them.  His sense of humor was off the charts and he said the funniest things. He didn't think like the rest of my kids and when he was clever, I loved it!  The counselor told me that's why we couldn't put him on medication.  We could lose the best parts of him.  The older he got his pestering grew more intense but so did his creativity.  He was more confident than my other boys, the class clown and a total flirt too.  However, the destructive side of ADD was affecting our family in a big way.  The unpredictable behavior of ADD was rubbing off on my other children.  At times our home was an environment of intense emotions, anxiety, and anger.  None of the herbal therapies were working and I felt hopeless.

I finally accepted life with my son would have more downs then ups.  His teachers had been amazing and his grades were acceptable.  He could keep it together at school, but once at home his energy turned agitated.  Unfortunately, we rarely got the best side of him.  It was difficult to go out as a family.  Even a run to Costco could be brutal.

Last summer I went to the Kimber Academy and had the chance to meet founder Glenn Kimber.  I told him about my son; his ADD struggles and my worries.  Glenn put his arm around me and told me ADD was a term that meant gifted.  "Your son has a lot to offer the world," he said and in some way, I came to understand ADD more that day.  I started looking more for the gifts my son did have.  Frankly, he was amazing.  Was there anyway he could keep the good side of his personality, but lose the destructive traits of ADD?

A few months ago my friends Mack and Rachel mentioned their daughter who is bi-polar was having a lot of success with an herbal pill called Q96.  Her symptoms seemed to be melting away.  Their other daughter who suffered with postpartum was having some relief too. After hearing both their stories, I enquired about Q96 for my family.  

Although only one of my son's had ADD, I had a second son struggling in his shadows.  I noticed in the afternoons their moods worsened.  Some days I felt like I was living with wolf cubs as these boys would fight and tease in a territorial sort of way.  Time outs and creative discipline were taking over my life.  I needed Q96 to work not just for my boys, but I needed it to help me!  For years I’d struggled with staying focused, mood and lack of sleep.  I would walk into a room and forget what I was looking for. With all my families emotional needs, I bought a bottle of 120 pills for $60 and we started taking them.

I was praying for a miracle.  Something to help cure the backlash of emotional rip tides in my home (that seemed to be happening more and more often) and by day two, I had and experience with my son that brought me hope.

That night he asked to pray with me before bed (which was a bit of a shock in its own right).  Usually he recited the same 10-second prayer said at practically the speed of light, but on this particular night, he prayed for several minutes; thoughtfully and sincere. 

“Please bless Grandma in heaven, please bless I’ll live to be 95 years old, please bless I won't get any diseases, thank you for my family,” he said.  The honesty and sweetness rang like a bell.  

So, imagine the next day when I’m in the car and he tells me about this funny incident he had with his brothers that morning.  I started laughing, really touched by how funny he portrayed this story when he said “Wow, Mom, you really heard me.  So much of the time when I talk to you, you don’t seem to even hear what I have to say.”  My heart sank.  I knew he was right.  So much of the time when my kids talk to me I’m distracted or preoccupied.  At that moment, I realized my mind wasn’t rambling around worried about this or that. I was able to listen to my son without a single focus problem.  Q96 seemed to be working.  

With Q96 my boys were doing great in the morning, but I noticed if I didn’t give them another pill in the afternoon around 2:00, their moodiness/attitude/lack of attention came back.  So, our routine now is a pill in the morning and another at 2:00. 

I want to share another example.

The counselor and I took our family to California this summer the first week of June.  

At this time we did not yet have the Q96.  Two of my boys had time-outs often throughout the day.  My son with ADD was causing so much trouble he sat in timeout instead of playing in the ocean with the rest of us.  I hated how discipline constantly divided our family, but the counselor and I certainly weren’t going to ignore bad behavior. 

Fast-forward to our trip to Flagstaff late July.  My boys had been on Q96 for several weeks and we didn’t have a single behavioral problem.  The counselor and I couldn’t believe the change with these two boys.  They made out plans, talked about ideas, validated each other and remained focused.

I can honestly say Q96 had changed my family.  

One of my younger son's acts more like a kid now instead of a moody teenager.  He can tell when he needs another Q96 and will come ask for it.  Even his voice has changed to a slightly higher pitch.

When my extended family started noticing subtle changes in my children, I was thrilled.  My sister commented on the color of my son’s eyes and later told me “I don’t think he’s every really looked into my eyes when we’ve talked before. He seems more focused.”  My mom had a sleepover with the grand kids at her house and commended my two sons who had struggled in the past with follow through for “setting such a good example and being obedient when it was time to go to sleep.”    

As with all my blogging, I write to help others.  There’s a lot of research behind Q96.  I am currently reading a biography written by Autumn Stringam.  I can't wait to do a book review once I'm finished.  It's a fascinating story; really honest and beautifully written.

A Promise of Hope reads: Some children inherit "the family nose." Autumn Stringam and her brother Joseph inherited the family bipolar disorder, a severe mental illness that led to their mother's and grandfather's suicides. Autumn, at 22, was psychotic and in in a psychiatric hospital on suicide watch; Joseph, at 15, was prone to violent episodes so terrifying the family feared for their lives. But after they began taking a nutritional supplement developed by their father and based, incredibly, on a formula given to aggressive hogs--Autumn's and Joseph's symptoms disappeared. Today they both lead normal, productive lives.

Autumn's father’s research formulated the Q96. 

According to tons of research and personal testimony, ADD, ADHD, anxiety, OCD, and so many other disorders can be greatly altered with this supplement.  I don’t think I’ll ever be able to live without it again.  I believe in the product so much, I have signed up as a Q96 representative.  Another reason I signed up is because this product is something I can afford for my family and I feel the pricing of $60 is very reasonable.  My website is lauralofgreen.myqxlife.com.  If you’d like to order a bottle, you can do so on my site or contact me at lauralofgreen@aol.com and I can get you started.  

My days are not perfect.  There are still outbursts and breakdowns, but nothing like before.  On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the worst, my two boys behavior fluctuates somewhere between a 1 and 3.  I've thought long and hard about sharing these personal experiences, but if it can help someone else, it's worth it.

Old Mirrors Turned Chalkboard

Sometimes this pile of mirrors gets to me, like that unsettled feeling you get when you know you have something to do but you just can’t put your finger on it.

For almost every dresser I bring home, there is a mirror included with it (sometimes two mirrors).  These mirrors are my “something to do.”  But, what do I do with them.  When I have benefit garage sales, I can barely give these old mirrors away.  I don’t think many people want an old mirror.  Truth is, I know these mirrors can be something wonderful, if only!  

The thing about me is I’m not your “attention to detail” type of person.  I’m not crafty, I don’t own all sorts of tools for up-doing and repurposing and I’m not that inventive with this type of thing.

But, still, I have all these mirrors, so I had to try something.

Chalkboards.

CHALKBOARDS!

 I see chalkboards in my sleep!

I'm in love with CHALKBOARDS!
I did keep one a mirror, but that's because it was pretty special.

And I did make some wall art, I think this would be called architectural salvage.
I want to do more things like this.

But the not crafty part is a problem.

Also, the counselor and I had a splendid yonder night at the Nickel Creek concert.  

I highly recommend I am a Lighthouse & When You Come Back Down.  The lyrics, musical talent and vocals of this group, well, I was mesmerized.  Their music is like a good massage, hitting just the right places and feeling ‘oh so good when you think you can’t feel any better.  

Yes, Nickel Creek was awesome.  

Linking up to:

My Girl

This morning, I took a picture of my daughter and was smitten.  

I love shopping for art projects with her and together we found a Frozen paint book with a watercolor kit attached.  As soon as she started painting, she was unsatisfied with the wirey paint brush. 

“Momma,” she asked, “Can I use the paints you use when you paint mermaids.”

I’ve held onto my paint kit, not wanting little hands and smudges to ruin it, but this morning I decided she was finally big enough to have a turn.  Together, we sat down at the table and started painting. 

I gave her one of my expensive paintbrushes and watched as she dipped it in water.  I knew she’d pick pink, but no, it was blue. “Light blue,” she said as she started painting Elsa’s dress. 

My daughter painting beautifully and the cares of my world faded away.  Side by side, we painted (but really I just watched her).  Her slender fingers, how she paused before selecting another color, how careful she was to follow instruction of cleaning the brush with water.  And she really made a masterpiece.

When she was finished, we went for a bike ride.  She asked about the neighbor we waved to and I told her how blessed we are to live near such kind people.  There was an overgrown plant with orange flowers we stopped to smell. 

Some day’s it hits me harder then others.  Today, the privilege to raise this little girl is as real as the shining sun is in a bright blue sky. 

E. T. Sullivan once wrote these interesting words: “When God wants a great work done in the world or a great wrong righted, he goes about it in a very unusual way. He doesn’t stir up his earthquakes or send forth his thunderbolts. Instead, he has a helpless baby born, perhaps in a simple home out of some obscure mother."

"And then God puts the idea into the mother’s heart, and she puts it into the baby’s mind."

"And then God waits. The greatest forces in the world are not the earthquakes and the thunderbolts. The greatest forces in the world are babies.” (The Treasure Chest, p. 53.)

What potential do I have with this child?  How can I influence her with my love?  What gifts can I help her cultivate?

 

I will never forget a story told by a leader in my church.  There was a story told of a group of woman from ancient Rome; some with vanity, showing their jewels one to another. Among them was Cornelia. One of the women said to her, “And where are your jewels?” To which Cornelia responded, pointing to her children, “These are my jewels.” 

Children as jewels? 

The visual of that story left a lasting impressions on me. 

I also continue to be deeply moved by the struggles girls in this world face. Last year around Mother's Day, I watched the documentary It's A Girl.   

I wrote about it on my blog here.

It’s a Girl; the three deadliest words in the world documents baby girls in parts of China and India killed through abortion, genocide and infanticide because baby boys are more desirable. In some parts of China parents can only have one child.  It’s called the One-child policy.  It’s customary for boys to take care of their parents as they age, while girls grow up, wed and leave their families to live and care for their husband’s parents.  And in some parts of India, its customary when girls marry her parents will pay a hefty dowry.  This dowry can sometimes be up to half of the family’s entire worldly possessions.  Many families cannot afford the cost to raise a girl, only to then pay and marry her off.  She will earn no money, she has little to no education and will never have the right to own property.  She may become a slave in an arranged marriage; treated poorly by her new husband and mother-in-law.   To make matters worse, many baby girls are abandoned or sold into sex slavery. 

Last Mother’s Day, I wanted to know what other resources were available for these girls (at least the girls who survived).  I think my desire started with my daughter Eden first, knowing circumstances allowed her born in America to two parents who loved and adored her.  But, what if ?  What if my daughter was in a country that wanted her dead before she even took her first breath?  I'm horrified that geography holds one girl in esteem while another has absolutely no value.  God willing, my daughter will have every opportunity life has to offer in freedom, education, religion, sports, music and art.  She will travel and see the world.  She has already learned to pray, bowing her sweet little head and folding her arms as she says thank you to God for her puppy and baby doll. She loves books, pancakes and playing in the sprinklers.  What isn’t great about a girl!

If you are a girl, you must watch this documentary.  I had to know what was happening to other girls because I am a girl; a girl born into a loving home where my family values me.  The idea that being a girl is somehow a reason to be thrown away doesn't make sense to me.  I am a human being first, girl second and in addition, I love being a girl.  

It’s A Girl completely changed my perspective on raising my daughter. I struggle, knowing every little girl is just as special but isn't treated as such.  This is where my heart is when I share my love for Eden. It’s hoping love can make a difference for every little girl in the world.  Please consider sharing this video and doing what you feel impressed to help this cause.

A Starving Artist No More

A starving artist!  That's me.  

I've painted anything from fashion design to ocean creatures, book covers and portraits of people I loved.

Here are some watercolors I've recently painted.

Can you tell I have a thing for mermaids.

But at this stage in life, I can’t afford to be a starving artist all the time.

That's why I paint furniture.

What's funny, is it doesn't really matter what I'm painting.

As long as I have a paintbrush in my hand and some paint smeared on my cheek, I'm happy.

What a joy it has been and with two shops one in Mesa at Antique Plaza (booth #52) 

and another in Chandler at Merchant Square (booth #73) , my painting is actually in demand.

I'm proud to be a starving artist, but I also enjoy actually painting for a living too.

Wow!  Imagine that!

Linking up to:

A Parking Sign from JFK's Inauguration

As many of you may know, I lost my beloved mother-in-law this summer.  My husband’s parents have been a strong support in my life and we gather often for Sunday dinners and birthday celebrations.  From the day the counselor and I married, I called my in-laws “Mom” and “Dad.”  

What a blessing to have another set of loving parents in my life.

Here we are last summer in Prescott.

We also loved U of A basketball!

 But with her gone, it has left a whole in my heart.  Still, I know she is all around and have felt her presence many times. 

My mother-in-law, “Mom” loved antiques.  With all the thrifting I do, I found many wonderful Christmas and birthday presents for her.  One piece in particular I found about 15 years ago at a school benefit sale in Paradise Valley.  There, leaning against a box was this street sign.  

For $5.00, it was mine.  Mom loved anything Americana and red/white/blue.  The next time I went to Mom’s house, I told her I had a surprise and presented her the sign.

She recognized the date as John F. Kennedy’s inauguration.  

(images found here)

She shared her memories of January 20, 1961, of President Kennedy and proudly hung the sign in her kitchen.  We examined the back, 

amazed someone had taken the time to preserve their ticket and keep it with the sign.  

Often, when we gathered at her home, she would pull me aside and thank me for the sign.  It was one of her favorites.

With her passing, Dad started cleaning up the home, deciding what would stay and what would go.  Not only did I want the NO PARKING SIGN, I absolutely needed it!  I need it to hold on to her, to the memory of her and to the joy she radiated. I need it because she loved it!

I know it's just a sign, but it means so much more.

I miss her.