A Question for the Ages...

Facebook... it is a great place to meet people and get to know them, however sometimes it can catch you off-guard. Recently a new found friend posted this:

“Dear You (You know who you are),
I'm not a bad person and I have a lot to offer people. I am also human which means i'm not perfect. I make mistakes and suffer the consequences just like everyone else. I ask forgivness and I give forgivness equally. Please forgive me as I have forgiven you. I know I don't need your forgiveness to move on, but I would feel a lot more closer if I knew you were ok. ~ I don't want to start a new year with reqrets of so I lay it at your feet and hope for the best. ~(name)”

I “liked” the post and then my friend wanted to know what it meant to me. Hum... I liked it because it touched my soul and in a nutshell offered an anthem of love and forgiveness from an anguished individual to a friend. Yet there is so much more to the human story...

There are multiple themes that weave through the seemingly short paragraph, which gives way to the beginnings of a short doctoral thesis; however here are a few of the more prevalent themes I found and my beliefs:

Worth of the human soul: society tends to place value on everything, especially human life. I happen to believe that the significance of life cannot be measured by any yardstick that the world has or will try to determine merit. One of my favorite quotations, “if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.” ~Albert Einstein, demonstrates that every living creature has importance, it is finding that value and magnifying that value that adds incalculable joy to human existence. A simple example in m y life is a friend of mine that lives with Down’s syndrome. She enjoys a simple life, yet she possesses the uncanny ability to remember names and dates. Undoubtedly she remembers my family’s birthdays and anniversaries with better accuracy than I. Yet dropped in Times Square she would be immobilized by the traffic and twinkling lights. We all possess different strengths and weaknesses. It is through our interactions in this mortal life that we build our strengths and strengthen our weaknesses and hopefully help others do likewise.

Perfection: This does not and will never exist in mortal life. It is the “Great Lie” of human existence. Yet, we all strive to get there and alas, fall drastically short. Human nature “encourages” us to put those down that do not reach this unattainable measure of the human experience and to ignore our own short comings... I choose to follow the Biblical interpretation of this cultural phenomenon. “Judge not least ye be judged,” and of course, “why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” In short, we should all look into bettering ourselves instead of focusing on others… easy to say, tough to do. I know I struggle with this particular facet of mortal life and hope that others may find it in their hearts to forgive me of my frailties, which brings me to the next topic.

Forgiveness: The pinnacle of all virtues. I believe the simple act of forgiveness is the ultimate form of love and charity. It requires handing over the pain and anguish of injustice and replacing it with the feelings of kindness and compassion. Again easier said than done, but it is easier when we either know the person and understand their situation, or we personally have been down that same road and know full well the emotions and trauma faced by the unfortunate soul begging forgiveness. It is even more difficult when one forgives without the benefit of the other party’s willingness or knowledge... that is the beginning of knowing and understanding one’s own soul. That is true love and the highest form of charity one can bestow on another.

Regrets and new beginnings: Since we are all imperfect beings (as stated above), our existence will be rife with situations and circumstances where we feel remorse or lament our actions toward another individual or creature. It is part of the human experience. We also have no control over others (as much as we may try), each soul is given the agency to feel and do according to their conscience. As much as we may want to start fresh or have a new beginning, this does not always happen according to our time frame, hence the necessity for the previously mentioned forgiveness factor.

Wow... this turned into much more that I imagined and has also given me many topics to “process” as I run... I believe future updates to this blog will happen from time to time. Thanks for the opportunity to stretch my grey matter!!!

The Curtis Family Top Ten of 2012

The Curtis Family Top Ten of 2012:

10. Spending Thanksgiving with Family in Washington… except playing Skipbo without Emily was depressing.

9. Janna’s new job at Battlecreek Elementary. Yea Bears!!!!

8. Family visiting and running the Portland to Eugene Relay… 178 miles of pure fun!

7. Janna completed her first half-marathon and has found joy in Mud Runs… Warrior Dash and The Cheadle Challenge were conquered this past year.

6. Emily graduating from West Salem High School and delivering the best grad speech ever!!

5. Family visiting for Emily’s graduation and just being there for her momentous occasion.

4. A visit from Cousin Dane and his moms where we explored the beach, Newport Aquarium, Voodoo Doughnuts, and OMSI – Grossology rocks!!!

3. Visiting mom in Utah as she received the Silver award for being a diabetic on insulin for 58 years!

2. Bob is still employed!!!

1. Emily off to college in Nebraska – Go Big Red!

 

Band on the Run: A most EPIC Adventure!!!

Running has always been an emotional release for me. It helps me think, relax, and just plain put my life into perspective. So when approached about doing a relay three years ago... I was game. Little did I know the effect that one little relay would have on me.

I wouldn't call it an obsession, an intense passion, but not an obsession!

Check out year three of EPIC Oregon:

One only needs to believe in two things when running a relay... that your teammate will be waiting to take the bracelet when you are done and most importantly... there are port-a-potties at EVERY exchange!!!!

Life is good with 12 amazing running friends, two stinky vans, and one very loud COWBELL!!!

By the way, for Christmas I need a bullhorn!!!

Best Laid Plans

Quilts are not always a cut and sewn proposition. Sometimes there are bumps along the way and decisions that quizzically impair the over taxed brain. This is what I refer to as “a quilt block.” Not the traditional 8x8 or 12x12 or even the gigantic 14x14 sized piece of pieced material, but a snafu or glitch that throws the entire quilt design into disarray. Hence, the quilt is blocked and needs a quick kick to get it revved up again.

I just was not happy with the black and white printed logos… they were too black and white. The rest of the quilt was swimming in color and then up pop these awful black and white squares. Don’t get me wrong, I love the logos… they are the beautiful art work of Salem-Keizer students through the years. It was the combination of the colorful fabric and the black and white logos. It was the default option, as the Foundation does not have digital access to all the color logos for the past 30 years. However, the contrast between the very colorful fabrics and the black and white of the logos was stark and dowdy. I was not feeling the Awesome 3000 charm.

The Awesome is not a black and white affair. It is drenched in color and excitement. The craziness of kids putting sparkly dye and huge ribbons in their hair so mom and dad can recognize them from the stands!! It is the gigantic nature of GEO and Clifford as they mingle with the crowd. There is the pancake breakfast… not to be consumed before running!!! And the activity village where one can spend a few moments between races and maybe complete a fun gift for mother’s day! The Awesome has grown from a small race with 300 kids to an event that not only raises money for teacher grants, but encourages families to spend a fun healthy morning together. Through it all there have been growing pains and changes for good and not so good, however the end result and overall consensus is, “Let’s do it again next year!”

Back to the quilt… I needed a fresh take, a new idea, or something that would make the logos pop in the quilt. I tried coloring the alligators in with green pens… that only produced big alligator blobs without definition or detail. I then attempted to color the fabric with diluted acrylic paints…

It had worked on another project. That seemed to wash out the color and design. Thankfully, Louise and her computer oriented husband put their heads together and digitally colored a couple of the blocks. The alligator came out vivid along with the reds and yellows interspersed in the logos. The colors were not exactly like the original designs, yet it gave just enough pizzazz to pop the logos from their white backgrounds and make the gators come to life! We also decided to ditch the neutral colors and stick to eye popping primaries. Yes we would have to re-print all the logos and buy more fabric, but in the long run, it would be worth it.

The Awesome 3000 is an event meant to be relished and relived. The quilt needed to exhibit those same qualities and be cherished for lifetimes to come! Which means, sometimes you need to step back, assess the plans and happenings along the way and change those things that need changing... sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, regardless, the Awesome was, is, and always will be...

AWESOME!!!

Best Laid Plans...

Quilts are not always a cut and sewn proposition. Sometimes there are bumps along the way and decisions that quizzically impair the over taxed brain. This is what I refer to as “a quilt block.” Not the traditional 8x8 or 12x12 or even the gigantic 14x14 sized piece of pieced material, but a snafu or glitch that throws the entire quilt design into disarray. Hence, the quilt is blocked and needs a quick kick to get it revved up again.

I just was not happy with the black and white printed logos… they were too black and white. The rest of the quilt was swimming in color and then popped up these awful black and white squares. Don’t get me wrong, I love the logos… they are the beautiful art work of Salem-Keizer students through the years. It was the combination of the colorful fabric and the black and white logos. The foundation does not have access to digital files of the full color designs so in order to make things uniform, I chose to go with the black and white logos for all the years. The contrast between the very colorful fabrics and the black and white of the logos was stark and dowdy. I wasn’t feeling the Awesome 3000 charm.

The Awesome is not a black and white affair. It is drenched in color and excitement. The craziness of kids putting sparkly dye and huge ribbons in their hair so mom and dad can recognize them from the stands!! It is the gigantic nature of GEO and Clifford as they mingle with the crowd. There is the pancake breakfast… not to be consumed before running!!! And the activity village where one can spend a few moments between races and maybe complete a fun gift for mother’s day! The Awesome has grown from a small race with 300 kids to an event that not only raises money for teacher grants, but encourages families to spend a fun morning together. Through it all there have been growing pains and changes for good and not so good, however the end result and overall consensus is, “Let’s do it again next year!”

Back to the quilt… I needed a fresh take, a new idea, or something that would make the logos pop in the quilt. I tried coloring the alligators in with green pens… that only produced big alligator blobs without definition or detail. I then attempted to color the fabric with diluted acrylic paints… It had worked on another project. That seemed to wash out the color and design. Thankfully, Louise and her computer oriented husband put their heads together and digitally colored a couple of the blocks. The alligator came out vivid along with the reds and yellows interspersed in the logos. It wasn’t exactly as the original designs had been colored, yet it gave just enough pizzazz to pop the logos from their white backgrounds and make the gators come to life! We also decided to ditch the neutral colors and stick to the eye popping primaries. Yes we would have to re-print all the logos and buy more fabric, but in the long run, it would be worth it.

Time Marches On...

Last Saturday I was privileged to spend some time with a new friend. Louise came over and we planned, cut, and organized the Awesome 3000 30^th Anniversary Quilt. It was a great experience putting our heads together in a project that will signify 30 years of laughter, chaos, color, and kids. We swapped stories as we worked and chuckled at all the craziness that ensues around the end of April and beginning of May. That is what the Awesome is all about!!

I reflected on the very first Awesome I attended only 12 short years ago. My daughter came home from kindergarten one spring day with a flyer and emphatically stated, “I want to do this!” Being relatively new to the area, I asked around about the program and received rousing reviews regarding the event, so I filled in the application, wrote the check, and put it in the mail.

I had no idea exactly what I was getting myself and by extension my family into. We arrived at McCulloch Stadium on the first Saturday in May to find controlled chaos in action! There were signs to tell us where to go and many many volunteers willing to show us the way! As one volunteer took my daughter’s hand and led her to the warm-up area and starting line, which at that time was located out of sight of a very protective mother, a caring helper must have noticed the fear exuding from my panicked stricken face and she approached me only to assure me that my precious daughter would be well taken care of and returned safely. I had my doubts!!!!

Slowly and with the help of my husband, I began to calm down and witness the incredibleness of the event. The hordes of people, many in brightly colored volunteer shirts were swirling about and running hither and yon to get kids to their proper destinations on time. It was just shy of bedlam; however there also appeared to be a measure of control hovering over the area. Be still my heart, as I took a few deep breaths, the calmness began to seep into my being and I held onto the faith that all would be well!

My husband and I found our seats in the grandstand. We patiently waited for the sound of the gun that marked the start of the kindergarten race. The excitement built as the children began coming into the stadium and running toward the finish line. Pockets of frenzy broke out among bystanders as student after student raced for their medal. It was magical. There was no difference between first place and last place; it only mattered that all finished. Friends and family members cheered and shouted encouragement to everybody!

After what felt like hours, I saw my own daughter enter the track, our enthusiasm boiled over as she approached her goal. Tired, flushed, and smiling from ear to ear she proudly crossed the line and received her medal! When we picked her up at the chutes, she lifted her water bottle and medal as evidence of her winning accomplishment. It was a satisfying morning! She promptly announced, “I want to do it again next year!”

Fast forward 12 years, The Awesome is still the controlled chaos it has always been, only on a much larger scale! The kids still run, the adults still cheer, and the volunteers are still telling people where to go to drop their kids off or pick their kids up! It is still magical! And my daughter… she will be volunteering in her last Awesome before she heads off to college! The 3000 is in our blood. It will remain there as long as I am alive! It will continue to grow and change and get better with each new crop of youngsters that dare to take the challenge! It is an institution, a Salem landmark and for all who participate, runners and volunteers alike, it is a win-win situation!

Life does NOT Happen in a Vacuum

Being the social recluse that I am, I must admit that friends are a treasure. And when I say friends I not only include friends, but also acquaintances, friends of friends that I have never met, and of course store clerks of establishments where I frequent enough to be familiar with not only names but details of their personal lives. Let’s face it, unless you have surrounded yourself with enablers, there are times that you must leave your domicile and interface with society.

That is not to say that I would rather stay cooped up in my home, because I really do enjoy getting out and mingling. However, I seem to need a purpose, like needing food for the family, or feeling the need to run, or the necessitate of getting a project started for the Awesome 3000! Wednesday’s purpose was the project and the upcoming A3K status meeting that spurred me toward downtown. It was a natural propensity that directed me not just to the store to pick up the disk of logos (which had been waiting at the front for a couple of weeks), but directly across the street from Awesome 3000 headquarters, is situated Greenbaum’s Quilted Forest. A cornucopia of all things fabric!

I blogged about this experience a few days ago, however today I would like to focus on the people. When one enters a commercial establishment, there is an expectation of customer service. Greenbaum’s has never disappointed me in this aspect of their business model. As I proceeded to shop for the fabric and as the layout began to gel in my mind, Donna began to take hold of the idea and in true Greenbaum style, began to pull fabric bolts off the shelves. The process of compare and contrast took hold and it was a race to see which bolt looked best with the foundational pieces. After the final selection had been approved and accepted by all, Donna began cutting… 16 bolts in all ½ yard of each...

 I am well aware that this is her job, and she does earn a paycheck for her efforts, yet her attitude was stellar throughout the process and her willingness to help and her expertise in color combinations proved to be invaluable. What would have taken all afternoon to accomplish took little over an hour. And there was help from others in the store, as they would pass by or if we needed a “second opinion” somebody would provide the needed input on the spot. It felt magical just being a part of the experience and listening to each and every comment. I learned more about fabric, how certain materials, such as batiks, are made, and also just how to proceed with the pattern. Advice from individuals that had hours and hours of experience with such projects helped inspire me and put the process in motion.

It is about many perspectives coming together to put a project in motion. Another example of this happened in the organizing meeting. As I was introducing the project and showing off the fabric colors and design, another member of the committee volunteered his wife to help and also gave me names of others that would “most likely” be interested in helping. Like people coming out of the woodwork. I thought of Cinderella and her band of merry mice. Everybody working together to accomplish the task. It started to make a huge project feel more doable, without needing to pull a few all-nighters to finish the task.

The prospect of help to relieve the burden felt like a refreshing glass of cool water. I find it interesting that as soon as you put a project in motion, folks will generally jump in to help the process along, willing to step up to the plate and take a swing. This experience not only restored my faith in humanity, but the willingness of perfect strangers boosted my confidence level in the project as well as the Awesome as a whole.

And the wife of the other volunteer, yes we are getting together later this week to cut and sew and chat about how Awesome it is to help kids!!!

Isn’t that what life is all about… unless maybe it really is the “Hokey Pokey!!!”

Just Another Crazy Day in Paradise

Lately, life seems to be a routine of crazy mixed with the melancholy. The usual muddled together with a dash of chaos. I sometimes get bogged down in the habitual pace of everyday living.

How to break through and discover the hidden ecstasy on the other side? What is the hidden happiness? Where to go to find it? Who is in control of that elusive pleasure? I am not talking anything grand or verbose, just a simple feeling of satisfaction.

Hum… As I pondered on this theme, I remembered my trip to the quilt shop. Not that that is such an epic or momentous occasion, however this was a specific venture, trying to piece together a project for the Salem-Keizer Education Foundation. Thirty year of helping kids and trying to pull together a community to focus on the good in life needs a really spectacular quilt! I didn’t want the boring hum-drum five across and six down with cute sashing in between. This needs to be special!!!

                                                

I started with alligator fabric… that seemed logical, since the mascot (with which I am intimately involved – more on that later!) is a big green alligator named GEO! However, it just wasn’t what I had imagined… too dull and trendy for this particular venture. What to do… What to do… I walked aimlessly around the store and was on the verge of leaving when it hit me… I was looking at just the message that I didn’t want to portray.

Alligators for an alligator themed quilt… really… does that scream liberating? Sometimes I totally amaze myself – and not in a good way. The answer to my ever imposing questions seemed to lay in the inevitable manner I was attacking everyday tasks!

So I did the only thing that made sense… sauntered over to the pattern books and started perusing. “It only took a minute for my finger to find” (thanks Mary Chapin-Carpenter) something with a bit more adventure and a ton of daring. this is just what the doctor ordered... or at least the counselor!!!

It will be a masterpiece when completed!!! And not only will it serve to remind folks of the past 30 years of logos, but will add a touch of whimsy and color… oh so much color!!! I am even excited to begin working on this most fun and exciting project!!! It will be an adventure just looking at it and searching through the years amid the chaos that can only be known as the “AWESOME 3000!”

Pictures will be posted soon!!! As I chronicle my life immersed in the quilt!!!