Dear Fans of Robin Williams

Dear Fans of Robin Williams,

I never knew Robin Williams personally.  I never had an opportunity to be in the same room with him, nor, as far as I am aware at any given time, the same city.  I am a simple small town girl with high hopes and big dreams.  And yet, I am deeply shaken by the loss of this accomplished artist.

I am shaken to my core by what this loss can mean for us as a society of consumers.  We so easily, these days especially, use things and then throw them away as if there was nothing ever important there.  This happens so readily with artists.  One minute they are our favorite, and the next minute, they are yesterday's news.  And then the ever present question, what could be so wrong with their life?  They have everything.  And to the uneducated, it would appear that they do have everything; big houses, fancy cars, $$$ careers.  But maybe, just maybe, that isn't enough.  It's not for me.  I could have all of those things and still be unhappy if I didn't have love and acceptance.

I may not have known Robin Williams, but I am also an artist.  I was a dance teacher and performer for 13 years, and a performer still before that.  The mere consumer lacks the detail and scope that an artist dedicates to a performance; character development, wardrobe, analysis, demeanor, execution...   The list goes on and on.  We performers and artists dedicate our lives to the enrichment of others.  We open our hearts and our souls to the average person so that for a brief moment, they can live outside of themselves.  We dream big enough so that we can share those dreams with others.  It is difficult to live so dangerously on the edge of self because of the fine line that separates us from disaster.  Yet, there we are.  Our souls are open.  Our feelings exposed.  There is nothing to hide or hide behind.  One wrong move, and we fall.  And it is never a quite unnoticeable fall.  It is the kind of fall that back in Jr. High School meant that you had your mother call you in sick for a week to give the other kids a chance to forget about your blunder and move on to the next person.  But when you live in the lime light, they never forget.

We know of Robin Williams substance abuse problems.  Many knew he suffered with depression.  Most denied the second.  How can a man that is so funny and spontaneous be depressed?  He can make me laugh, why can't he be happy?  I ask, why is this the business of anyone else but him?

I am grieved by this loss because of the unknown.  How many more characters could he have developed in the course of his career?  How many different ways has he made us laugh.  Who hasn't quoted the Genie?  His laugh was intoxicating.  His smile had a healing quality.  When he cried, we cried.  When he laughed, we laughed.  He took on the roles and characters that helped make a difference in my life and had a huge impact on me.  Needless to say, I was a huge fan.  Patch Adams taught me how to treat people, no matter that circumstances.  What Dreams May Come took us on a journey through Hell to be reunited with love.  Good Will Hunting gave us a professor that actually cared more about his students than his career.  Hook brought us the grown up child that lives inside all of us.  And who could forget the Genie on Aladdin?  I never will. 

Robin Williams may be gone from this physical world, but he has left behind a legacy of laughter and tears; of lessons and learning; and of fun and frivolity.  I can close my eyes and see his smile and hear his laugh. I only used a few examples of his career because they are the ones most near and dear to my heart.  I was too young for the days of Mork and Mindy and to be honest have never watched a full episode, but thanks to the power of technology I will be able to see those when I am ready.  I can relive all the moments of the wonderful actor that was so familiar to me that he could have been a friend, had we only had the opportunity to meet and greet.  I will grieve the loss and hope beyond hope that we will see him again on the other side.  His work in this world was so great and touching that I think at some point, the soul becomes so wearied...  That's all I will say about that.

Grievingly yours,
Summer

Dear Makers of Farmville2,

Dear Makers of Farmville2,

I hate you.  I had just gotten over my horrible farmville addiction on both myspace and facebook and then you convince my friends to play it and now I am hooked.  So, here is a picture of my farm, keep the good stuff coming.

Did I mention how much I LOVE Farmville2???

Thanks,
Summer

Dear Book Lovers and why REAL books are better than digital books,

Dear Book Lovers,

I love books.  Do you love books?  I love books.

I've had a lot of time for reading lately...  Which is good, because I love reading.

There is something sensual and comforting about the feel of the paper between your fingers.  The way you hold the next page ready to turn in anticipation of what is coming next.  Or the feel of the book sitting in your lap while you hold your coffee.  And if you spill your coffee, you just wipe it off and now you have a memory of what happened while you were reading that page in your book.  Maybe the dog jumped in your lap, or your Son marched through the room wearing his underwear on his head.

I'm not a big fan of digital books.  I have one with a fancy cover and a little light I can pull out to illuminate the page.  But still, it's a little thing.  It's not a book.  My hubby bought it for me, thinking I would like it.  It's okay.  I still read with it, but I still prefer books.  I have a whole list of reasons why REAL books are better than digital books.

1.  Bookmarks:  You can use bookmarks.  Bookmarks are great.  There are a million bookmarks out there.  I like handmade bookmarks, like this one from UUendysCraftyCorner on +Etsy

https://www.etsy.com/listing/166125038/bookmark-angeljoy?ref=shop_home_active_12

 

2.  Instant gratification:  When you wake up the next morning after loosing yourself in your book you can look immediately at the bookmark to see how much progress you made.  I like that visual reminder. 

3.  You can throw it:  I know what your thinking, you can throw a Kindle or a Nook as well.  But do you really want to throw your Kindle or Nook.  I mean, come on, those things are expensive!  They can break in any number of ways.  With a book, you might dent a corner or put a hole in your wall, but after you have expressed the emotion compelling you to throw the book, you can go pick it up again and continue reading it.  You might not have that much luck with your digital book.

4.  You can take your frustrations out on the book:  You ever get to a point in a book where you are so emotionally baffled that you don't know what to do?  Yeah, me too.  You can throw a book, tear it up, burn it, or, like Joey from Friends, you can put it in the freezer for a while.  Now, we've already discussed throwing a book.  Let's talk about the actual destruction of a book.  It's not always the best idea, and you should probably wait until you are done reading the book.  You never want to get into a situation where you destroy the book only to have the desire later to finish reading it.  Then, you have to buy another copy, only to most likely feel the same way in the end, and now you are out the cost of two books!  For this, and this reason only, a Digital book might be better.  I don't know about you, but digital devises just don't burn or tear as well as a book...  Just saying.  And what about the freezer?  Do you really want to short out your Kindle or Nook?

5.  You can sell a bad book after you are done:  After you buy and read your book, if you don't feel like keeping it, you can take it back to the bookstore and sell it to regain some of your money.  You can't sell back digital downloads, and it is against the law to sell them to other people.  What's up with that?!

6.  Books make pretty shelf decorations:  If you find yourself short on knick-knacks or brick-a-brack, you can fill those shelves with books!  The classics are great for this, or you can find color coordinated collections on-line, like this collection redladybugz on Etsy.

Whatever you want to say about books, I think they rock!  I love getting lost in a world created by someone else.  Books seem so plain in black and white with their only decorations usually coming from the cover, but once you dive in the colors places, sights and smells can seem as real as the chair you are sitting in.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/162424423/keep-calm-and-read-canvas-book-tote-bag?ref=sr_gallery_17&ga_search_query=keep+calm+and+read+a+book&ga_ship_to=ZZ&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

 

 

Have a great day!

Dear Friends,

Dear Friends,

I realize it has been a long while since I have written anything.  My life turned into a whirlwind during the last months of 2013.  I am sincerely hoping that 2014 will be much nicer to me and my family.  First off, the hubby took a new job and we have moved.  That meant selling (well, we'll call it selling.  I felt it was more important to keep the studio open and in good hands than actually making a profit or closing it) my small dance studio and putting our house on the market.  So far, there has been 0 interest in our house.  I am devastated.  I listed it below our Jan 2013 appraisal value and we haven't had any bites.  All the realtors and everyone else keep telling us that we are priced appropriately for our area and home size, but still...
So the hubby is NM living in a little dinky house with all of our stuff crammed into the rooms, while the little boy and I are living with my Mom in TX.  I miss my dear hubby desperately, but I know this is the best decision for our family, seeing as how we just couldn't stay there any longer.  Maybe someday I will be able to give full disclosure without hurting the feelings of too many people, but you never know.  In the meantime, let me show a little of what I have been up to.

SKWOriginalsbySummer

SW8PaperAndStuff
I hope to add a ton more things to my shops soon!

Thanks!