Author Archives: maryjane

Nozomi Project

Posted on February 16, 2014 by maryjane

I love the ability of womankind to transform tragedy into beauty, connectedness, and hope.

This is exactly what the women of The Nozomi Project are accomplishing in the wake of Japan’s devastating 2011 tsunami.

Their aim?

To train women and grandmothers who have suffered myriad effects of the disaster to craft beautiful, one-of-a kind jewelry from ceramic shards found among the rubble.

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Photo courtesy of NozomiProject.com

“Nozomi,” which means hope in Japanese, is teaching self-sustaining skills to women while providing them a safe haven where they may gather with others who have shared traumatizing experiences.

“Each of the women working with The Nozomi Project has created a collection of her own to honor a loved one, featuring shards of the stunning pottery that Japan is so famous for,” writes Kimberley Mok. “Meticulously crafted in a setting of collective healing and hope, The Nozomi Project is a wonderful example of long-term aid that takes into account of wounds that may take longer to heal than re-building mere buildings.”

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Posted on February 15, 2014 by maryjane

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Introvert Video

Posted on February 15, 2014 by maryjane

This one’s for the club.

What club?

I’m hailing that group of quietly connected, loosely knit, and elegantly empowered introverts who clamored

(in their own understated way)

about my post last year titled “A wise woman once said … nothing.”

I was surprised and delighted by the response—how incredibly affirming!

So many of us, it seems, feel that our personality characteristics (like the deep need for alone time) are peculiar quirks, unique and, well … rather odd.

Not so.

Not so at all.

Hence my use of the term “club” (no commitment required).

If you piped up about that post, or just silently listened in, I think you will appreciate this video created by the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce) to illustrate points made by Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking.

Enjoy!

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Posted on February 14, 2014 by maryjane

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Today’s Recipe: Stabilized Whipped Cream

Posted on February 14, 2014 by maryjane

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Stabilized whipped cream is a light and delicate frosting for cakes, cupcakes, and layer cakes, and it can be whipped up ahead of time to top pies, cobblers … really, anything you can think of. Unlike plain whipped cream, stabilized whipped cream keeps its shape over time instead of melting or deflating. When making this recipe, the key is to slowly sprinkle in the ChillOver Powder while whisking to avoid any clumps, and to keep whisking during the 3-minute simmer time.

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Hear Ye!

Posted on February 14, 2014 by maryjane

Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)

Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)

My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Sherrilyn Askew!!!

Sherrilyn Askew (Sherri, #1350) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning an Expert Level Sew Wonderful Merit Badge!

“I made a “BakeOver TakeOver” from the pattern in the Ideabook, and made 4 hot pads using repurposed fabric and embroidery patterns that came from there too.

The bakeover will be travelling to a Girl Scout sleepover tonight for the potluck dinner, and donated to the fearless Troop Leader to take home.

I looked at the purchased purse handles in the picture then looked at all the branches waiting to be chipped in my yard, and decided to make my own handles. I took an apple branch about and 1-1/2″ in diameter, cut it about 9″ long, split it in half with my hatchet, stripped the bark off, and sanded it smooth. I then put holes in either end for ribbons to go through, and rubbed both halves with a little olive oil, followed by beeswax. They turned out beautiful!”

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Posted on February 13, 2014 by maryjane

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Posted on February 12, 2014 by maryjane

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Posted on February 11, 2014 by maryjane

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i see change

Posted on February 11, 2014 by maryjane

Oooh, I just stumbled upon a neat project! i sea change?

photo by Paolo Costa Baldi. License: GFDL/CC-BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

icey change?

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It’s called the iSeeChange Almanac, and besides having a lovely website, it’s also a revolutionary undertaking.

Instead of trying to explain it to you, take three short minutes to watch this video:

Imagine the power of collaboration between citizens and scientists …

People like you and me watch the weather roll through our local landscapes, we soak up the sensations of seasons shifting, and we notice subtle changes in the environments we call home.

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Photo by Florida Memory via Wikimedia Commons

“People know their own backyards,” Julia Kumari Drapkin, the lead producer of iSeeChange, told Treehugger.

So, who better to speak up and record the odd dry creek, an unusual bird flock, or a grove of suddenly ailing trees?

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Photo by Walter Baxter via Wikimedia Commons

If the climate is changing on a grand scale, WE are the ones who recognize the minute clues beneath our noses.

The earth around us is like a second skin.

This is what the iSeeChange Almanac is all about. Unlike its charming predecessor, the long-loved Old Farmer’s Almanac, this evolving collective is meant to be continuously crafted by farmers, birdwatchers, gardeners, hikers, cyclists, ranchers, fishers, and casual observers of nature. It is interactive.

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And scientists are paying attention.

“My greatest moment is when NASA sent a climate scientist to a rancher,” Drapkin says.

Something is happening here, and we should all be a part.

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