It Is Time To Think About Who You Are Going To Support....
I would really like you to think about supporting my buddie's Girlfriend.
My Tweet buddy Tom Felton (twitter TomFelton) sent out a request for folks to support his girlfriend in the Race For Life. The cancer research support race is a 5km race that takes place at the end of May.
Jade Gordon is Tom's girlfriend. She is not an athelete, but she really feels strongly about supporting this cause. She has gone public so she can get as much support as possible. She promises "I aim to be the silliest looking fairy there! And i aim to raise as much money as i can!". She is gonna do it, so I give her props!
So now for the big ole name dropping...if you don't know the name Tom Felton, you will know his movie character's name.... Draco Malfroy. Yes, Tom is one of the famous "Harry Potter" faces....
If you have not chosen who you are going to support please support Jade Gordon...
Here is her donation site: http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/jadegordon
I love that they accept PayPal!
If you support Jade please put in the donation site comments that you found out via Motivated Motion Blog
If you support Jade please Tweet Tom (@TomFelton) a note and let him know. He has requested that.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Queen's York Rangers Family Day
(click on the photos to see them bigger)
My Husband Carl and my Son Alex are in The Queen's York Rangers. They are an Armoured Recce Canadian Reservist Unit that volunteers to fight in Afg
hanistan.
(Prince Andrew and The Unit)
This weekend was the QYRANG Family Day. We were asked to join the Regiment and His Royal Highness Prince Andrew, The Duke of York at CFB Bordon.
We had a tour of the Range and a BBQ, we had machine gun camp and we watched the promotion of Rangers by Prince Andrew.
Carl was promoted to Corporal from Trooper by the Prince.
The Prince mingled around with us all and made
a wonderful speech about why his unit is so important. He is the Colonal and Chief of The Queen's York Rangers.
The weather at CFB Bordon which is in Angus, ON, Canada was cold and rainy. The men had been on exercise all weekend before we arrived. The Prince flew in by helicopter that morning.
We had a steak BBQ, fired machine guns and had tours of the vehicles and the camp.
You are welcome to view my two facebook albums of the day:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=252950&id=768070095
http://tiny.cc/Rangers2
(Prince Andrew Promoting Carl to Corporal from Trooper)
Friday, April 24, 2009
Today is officially Etsy Day!
Today is officially Etsy Day!
I am excited about this.
The day I switched to be an official Etsy Seller, and left as an official (other web selling service) seller was an excellent day for me.
I went to Etsy on the suggestion of a friend who was a seller. She said,"You should really look at Etsy." So I did, and never looked back!
Why is Etsy so good for the crafter? The answer is simple. You are networking with like-minded people who want you to succeed. Everyone in Etsy is following their passion and dream--> To be able to share their hand-made products, or to be a collector of hand-made products and gifts.
The Etsy family has Teams, Groups, Discussion Boards, Tutorials, Advertising, and Features of every subject or craft product available on Etsy. You can make friends with other crafters and you can support them as they support you in your endeavour.
I Twitter Etsy. Most of the folks in my Twitter network are Etsy sellers. So if you like to browse Esty shops and get ideas for your own crafting or if you want to find unique crafts to buy it is a great idea to Tweet with us. Etsy Tweeters are World Wide. So you can see and network with folks near and far to you.
On Twitter you can find me as Witchamy
To see more of us who are networking on our Etsy you can look at our shops and then find the area that says "Who {hearts} this shop" and look at the list of our shop watchers.
If you like crafts join Etsy as a member so you are ready to be a buyer or a seller. The get your imagination ready!....and Go!
Below are my most recent Etsy items for sale. Click any of the item pics to head to my shop or go HERE to my shop. To become a member of Etsy start HERE.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Nerd And Craft Combo In New York
n Brooklyn NY there is a cool Hacker space called NYC Resistor, this group combines the like-minded Nerdiness of Geeks and Crafters. I think this is awesome!
If I could make an armchair analysis of why this works.....it is completely because of the psychological profile that makes a Hacker a Hacker and a Crafter a Crafter. It is the same profile.
Those that are really good at Hacking (programming, developing, reverse analyzing, and engineering) have the same mindset as a person who would be good at carving or faceting or or knitting. These are very patient people who need to be a combo of kinetic and digital/analytical learners.(as are drummers, and photographers and artists alike). So it is no surprise that a lot of folks who love gaming and programming and hacking, also have craft hobbies and are into music, and some are in bands...
I was like that. I was a race car driver, I was in bands, and from the time I was old enough to hold something in my hand I have crafted. I love video games and I am way into music in a big way.
Before computers, folks who were great crafters were also great at intellectual pursuits that required lots of observation analysis of data- like anthropology or archeology. The development of computers in the digital age brought a new interest for this intellectual crew.
NYC Resistor has tapped into the base of the productive makeup of this community group with the perfect balance of Nerdiness.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Feeling Sorry For Myself Today
I woke this morning with a shrill ringing in my ears. The vibration so intense the pressure from the neuro-vibration was actually making my eardrums twitch.
Muscle spasms pulse as the inner corner of my eye puckers in a permanent cramp freezing each eyeball into place.
My lips are tingling and numb, my head is thrust backwards as my shoulders shrug in a cement like spasm forcing my chin in the air...
And then there's the pain....
Deep at the base of the brain it starts like my head is resting on the pain.
Like a sword has punctured the back of my skull and angled upwards and erupts through the bridge of my nose........
My throat is in a spasm and my tonge is pressed upon the roof of my mouth so hard you could actually hear a "Schmuckle" sound as I swallow and my tongue shifts its bond.
I am dizzy, the pain and spasms take over and it feels like my spine is curling sideways.....
I never talk about this....but today I feel very vulnerable and in the mood to share the horror of what makes me different today.
The monster that gripped me for a solid year 24/7 in 2005-2006 leaves me this migraine of a remnant of the time Normal took on a whole new meaning....
This is like a reckoning. A reminder to me how fragile all this life is and a notice to those who sometimes don't realize that I am sick because most days I seem FINE because I look normal.
Damn thing about neurological injury! No outward deformities or scars or war wounds to identify you as disabled in some fashion.
Some days my confidence still falls apart.
I know when the bad migraine is coming. In my head I am crying and screaming because I am not doing well at keeping the affasia at bay when the bad headache is coming.
Affasia doesn't go away for me. It is there but it is a purposeful act for me to stop the wrong word from coming out before it reaches my lips. It is like when the brain injury happened the affasia was so strong I didn't know the wrong word was going to come out until it was already said. Then as my body started to heal a bit I felt like I was thinking about my speech at lightning speed to catch the word before it came out of my mouth wrong. Which sounded like me studdering to fix the word as I spoke. Then as I healed more I got better at heading off the word at the pass. On my great days I just seem to pause a lot when I speak...and I can fool everybody.
But the thing is I am thinking every word through as a conscious act not a subconscious one, so I am constantly stressed if I am speaking. It is exhausting. This is why I rarely speak to someone on the phone. This is why I like being alone now. (actually absolutely need to be alone now)
I choose the days I have lots of contact with people. No one knows that. Well now they do...
I teach to challenge my mind. Like a physio therapy for my brain. The classes put me on overdrive but I figure I have to exercise my lightning word catching speed three times a week. Like going for a workout at the gym.
But on the pre headache and headache days ( I interchange migraine and headache- there is no difference for me now) my lightning word catching speed is set to "Turtle" and so the "Mumblypeg" in me is clearly visible.
People also comment on my memory. Most folks don't know I used to have a complete photographic and audiodynamic memory. Means I could remember a visual picture of anything and I could remember full conversation quotable from the past. This is why I can remember folks personal stories so well. Like the fact that MaryAnn liked her toast just passed by the toaster when we were kids, or the Fact the Laurel has a January Birthday or that Mike wore glasses and was left-handed and I havent seen him since 1981. My past memories are perfect.
But ask me to remember anything at all from 2004 and I don't know it. I remember 5 different days from 2005. I remember most of 2006. I remember from 2006 to three weeks ago. Then nothing.
The past three weeks of my life in a perpetual action are missing. But in three more weeks I will remember them fine. So if I had an exam I would have to study for it three weeks prior to the date of the exam or I would remember nothing. I then retain it in my long-term memory fine.
The consolation the education of like is not wasted on me it is just three weeks retroactive!
Problem of this is there is stress to it. Each day I awake to a new panic. Something I just remembered I have to do or tell someone but I was supposed to do it three weeks ago!
To lesson my stress I have a very large daily planner so I can referr to all my appmts and committments. I write myself notes three weeks ahead in the calendar to help me stay on track.
The tough thing is forgetting about the calendar. This sometimes happens.
Blogging helps me know what I did. And things like Twitter are great quick references. Email is a life line as I can re-read the mail. Converstation boxes and forums help me to. Well the threads references in the email are the actual true helper to me.
I have to keep all my thread historys for about a month to help me stay on the ball with stuff.
Well now I have completely scared you off. I am going to sleep. I am getting weird flashes of lights in my vision field now...
Sunday, April 19, 2009
In The Studio This Weekend
(click on photos to see them bigger)
This two week period is filled to the brim with workshops and lessons and prep for the next manuals. I am also taking some time in the studio to do some re-organizing.
It takes so much time to re-org a room.
I started over a week ago, but didn't get very far because I was committed to tons of stuff to do elsewhere.
I have workshops planned, and my weekends are full.
This weekend was supposed to be the first Rose workshop class but I ended up unwell on Saturday, so I have had to postpone it until May 2nd.
I opened my third compartmentalized container for my roving. I have tried to organize like colours but not like fibre.
Now I am trying to figure out how to store the large cases. I toyed with the idea of attaching them to the wall of the closet, but that idea was scrapped quickly when I realized there was not enough room on the wall for 3 cases!
I had an awesome idea for marketing the Needle-Felted Rose kits. I put the roving and needles into a dollar store bud vase for each student so they had a bud vase to display their finished rose.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
"There Was This Time...There Was This Time In High School......"
In the past you have heard stories from me about my public school education back in Scarborough Ontario. You know that I had great opportunities for art and music that other folks didn't get, just because of the area schools I had the chance to go to.
Well one of my artistic buddies from high school is finally showin' the world his talent.
I was really surprised when I joined up with him on facebook to find out he DID NOT become and artist or designer as per his post secondary education, but choose the security of an artistic trade as a stone mason instead. Like me, his family is getting to the independent age and he seems to have more time to focus on his art as a secondary income, and perhaps change it to a full-time income.
This guy is very very talented. He whips off his cartoons and sketches like they are doodles! I asked him to try to post a daily cartoon on his blog, and I would like to see if he can get a following.
The great thing about this is that Canadians have a very quirky sense of humour and he really represents the Canadian mood, so he is fresh! I believe he has the potential to be the next "Toothpaste For Dinner".
I am appealing to everyone, especially my Nerdy Sons' friends who follow all the cartoon icons on the web. Let's all pay it forward. Give a buddy a chance, and let him be as blessed as we have been with our blogger followings. I know we can to do it! I know we can be part of changing an newbee's blogging life forever! I have faith in my blogger friends to ask their friends to post about him, and their friends to post about him, and so on and so on and so on.......
When you ask your friends to post about Mike Spicer and his cartoon blog please direct them to come to my blog at this url: http://motivated-motion.blogspot.com/2009/04/there-was-this-time.html and add themselves to the Mr. Linky so they can get the recognition they deserve too!
Please blog post about Mike Spicer, and Tweet, and "Stumble Upon" and DIGG This! Please, Please Please!
I am asking all my blogger friends to post this url http://tiny.cc/spicer on their main posts and ask their friends to do the same. Can we make this week Mike Spicer week?
If you guys help me get him famous I promise to post more stories about when we were teens and the silly stuff we did at school! I will even post pics!
I want you to imagine what it was like sitting beside this guy in classes, and at the lunch table......
I am keeping stats on the Tiny Url so I can let you know how many hits he is getting through my tweets and the blogs.
We bloggers can all remember the first day another blogger wrote about us and expanded the number of readers we received. I am appealing to you all to post about Mike Spicer and use the Tiny Url so we can see the difference we make for him.
Friday, April 10, 2009
See What Me And My Peeps Are Up To This Weekend
What is your Weekend craft project?
(Click any of the photos to see them bigger)
These are my "Girls" from Ewephoria
Everyone is wearing a handknit sweater or vest.
The Entrelac Vests and the Mitred Square Sweater are current projects!
The Entrelac vests and the Mitred Square Sweater are done with Noro Yarns
This is what it is like when I do Needle-Felting workshops.
Tables full of fluff beverages and lots of giggles
Sandra Won!
Thursday, April 09, 2009
I Want To Show You Something Amazing!
I was really disappointed when Scott MacIntyre was voted off American Idol. I had predicted in the Tucker Family Idol Debate that Scott would finish 5th.
Alas Scott's final performance was this week.
I think Scott's personality and quirky upbeat humour made him a favorite of the fans. It was also very noticable that he was able to hold up accompaniment duties for the Idol 12 when other contestants did not have to do that. He was often at a keyboard playing along with the band.
I have a sneaking suspician that Scott was probably able to offer some really good advice to the other contestants about score, so it will be interesting how it all goes for the other contestants now the Classically trained pianist is out of the mansion....
In my search to find some web sites on him I found these great videos.
If you have been watching Idol you have noticed the cheering section for him that is his family. I am sure, like me, you wanted to know who they were.....
Well do I have a treat for you!
They are the McIntyre Family Singers!
Scott is not the only talent in the family.
He is accredited with doing the arrangement for his brother and Sister's duet, and he is in t
he harmony piece with his siblings.
I am so blown away by the stuff they have done as a troupe, I am kinda glad now that Scott got the Idol recognition so it would lead us all to these videos!
I would like to present to you: Katelyn , Todd , Scott , and Carole
(for those of you that may have missed American Idol-Scott is Blind, and I believe Katelyn is too)
*
*
*Todd Singing and Scott accompanying
*Todd as the Scarecrow in The Wizard Of Oz
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
TweetUP and Spring Workshops
I am doing workshops this Spring!
I am also having a TWEETUP at Ewephoria Yarn Shop.
Curious about Needle-Felting or Knitting classes with me? The TWEETUP is a great way to see one of the knitting shops you can find me at, and to see some Needle-Felting Demos. Plus there will be a draw for a Needle Felted Rabbit!
TWEETUP at EWEphoria Yarn Shop.
This Thursday April 9th, 2009 1-4PM
13085 Yonge Street, unit 17 (Oak Ridges MarketPlace)
Richmond Hill, ON L4E 3S8
I will be having my first ever TWEETUP! If you print off your TWEETUP invitation, or this blog post or RSS feed, or the facebook event page, and bring it with you to Ewephoria you will have your name put in a draw for a Needle-Felted Rabbit. Draw will be at 4:00PM.
Join me for Coffee/Tea and Chocolate!
Knitters Help Clinic!
(Every Thurs Evening for 6wks)
Thursday April 9, 2009 6:30-9PM
13085 Yonge Street, unit 17 (Oak Ridges MarketPlace)
Richmond Hill, ON L4E 3S8
Are you a beginner or intermediate knitter who needs help with project work, or you want to try a new project but you are looking for some one-on-one help to help progress?
Then this is for you.
You pick your own project yarn and pattern from Ewephoria Yarn Shop.
Come in on Thursdays and Lynn Tucker will help you progress with your project.
You need to pre-register one day ahead.
(This class will become perpetual in the future so you will be able to buy 6 wk blocks as you need.)
call Ewephoria at: 905-773-9300
Needle-Felted Rose Class
Saturday April 18th, and Saturday May 2nd 1-4PM
(This two day class requires homework)
13085 Yonge Street, unit 17 (Oak Ridges MarketPlace)
Richmond Hill, ON L4E 3S8
This two day class instructs you on how create rose petals, a long-stem, and leaf.
Learn how to make a sturdy piece with NO wire or fillers.
You must pre-register by April 17th:
call Ewephoria at: 905-773-9300
Ruffled Cravat Scarf Class
(easy-intermediate skill)
(this two day class requires homework)
Saturday May 16, and Saturday, May 30 1-4PM
13085 Yonge Street, unit 17 (Oak Ridges MarketPlace)
Richmond Hill, ON L4E 3S8
This two day class helps you create this fantastic scarf with ruffled ends and smooth sides!
It is DK weight yarn and you can choose any DK yarn in the shop to do the scarf in.
You need to buy the DKyarn at Ewephoria.
You must pre-register by May 15th:
call Ewephoria at: 905-773-9300
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Fleecy Fibre And Bustin' Out Bunny Classes This Weekend
I got some awesome face wool from Gemini Fibres. The top one is dark and the bottom one is called badger face...
I got my kits ready early for this weekend's workshops. The kits contain Roving, felting needles, a sponge and beads to make two bunnies, plus I have a manual for each kit. All bunny designs created and designed by me.
I will be at Ewephoria in Richmond Hill (Oak Ridges), on Yonge St. The workshop is 11-5 Saturday.
I will be at Unwind Yarn House in Newmarket, on Main St. The workshop is 10-4 on Sunday.
Come by and visit...
These are the bunnies we are making.....
Come on Down To the Shops and you might just get "Felt-UP" (get your mind out of the gutter!)
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
I Miss Trucking Today
This morning I was driving as the sun came up.
As I drove along the rural highway and the morning sky turned grey then pink then blue and orange, my mind was drawn back to the many years of sunrises I saw driving the truck through North America.
When I would drive all night to get to a destination, and I would be looking for my drop as the sun rose up in the sky I really appreciated the morning.
Today I was half asleep driving everyone who needed to be driven to transit or school...to where they wanted to go; my mind was in another time:
When I drove the open road and I discovered new places, and saw land where no human was ever meant to walk upon...
Today the nomad in me is missing trucking very much.......
