Here’s where you can count on me for a quick pick-me-up post from one of my 12 categories, penned in honor of us girls and that letter of the alphabet we’ve all laid claim to, G. My goal is to gladden your heart and add some glisten to your life.
My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Marcy Lundy!!!
Marcy Lundy (#170) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner Level Cross-Stitch Merit Badge!
“I have been cross stitching for years. When I saw this pattern, I knew that I had to make it. I love cats … well, I really love all animals. And I thought this bookmark was perfect!
I love how it came out! I don’t like turning over book corners, and I just know I will use this a lot.”
There I was, surfing the Web in search of one of my old Raising Jane posts,
and Google introduced me to a group of four musically gifted mavens who call themselves
Raining Jane.
Of course, I forgot the task at hand and wandered off—ears first—to find out more.
These California songstresses, who describe their genre as “lady rock for owners of cats,” have a talent for singing from the heart in a way that dresses up ordinary details and somehow makes you want to celebrate being a woman. Or, maybe it’s just that they’re so darned good at wielding their array of instruments (guitars, cello, cajon, sitar, bass, and heavenly voices). Just beautiful.
“In an era of overnight sensations that fizzle as quickly as they spark, and a time when music seems often overshadowed by a side show of special effects, it’s a relief to know that there are still bands out there that are the real thing: bands who play their own instruments, write their own songs, and have the musical chemistry that can only come from playing and touring together for over a decade,” the band writes on their website. “This is Raining Jane.”
The women of the band (Mai Bloomfield, Becky Gebhardt, Chaska Potter, and Mona Tavakoli) launched their musical career with a UCLA concert in 1999, and although they have received notoriety for collaborating with popular singer-songwriter Jason Mraz since 2007, they hold their own with the soulful solidarity of sisterhood and have four independent albums under their belts.
Here’s one of their older tunes …
In addition to their musical work as a band, the Raining Jane ladies are passionate about community outreach. In 2010, they started Rock n’ Roll Camp for Girls Los Angeles, a non-profit dedicated to empowering girls through music education.
On their Facebook page, they say, “Every morning in the Raining Jane van, we raise our teacups to toast, ‘Welcome to your life.’ We aim to make tasty lemonade out of whatever it is we can find out there in the world … We are interested in good people who like to do good things. Those things include (but are not limited to): creating, music, having fun, helping others, dancing, eating delicious food, expressing gratitude, skipping, whistling, etc.”
WINNERS SELECTED, 3/23/16 And our winners are … Sara Kitchen, Nicole, Ally, Maryellen Benton, and Rebecca (see winners’ post here).
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I have a new obsession. It’s one of those late-night, I-finally-put-my-kids-to-bed kind of indulgences. And it’s no surprise that it’s chocolate. Well, hear me out … the chocolate I speak of is the finest I’ve tasted and … not all that bad for you. Let me back up. Who doesn’t love, love, love cookies? The problem is, I don’t exactly have time to bake every day, or sometimes every week for that matter, which is probably a good thing. But some nights, a bit of chocolaty, salty, crunchy, gooey goodness is downright necessary after a long day. So here’s my solution:
A good book and a rice cake smothered in “almond-spread-w/cocoa” is “cookie” perfection. So good, I don’t even care that I seem to be sharing my bed on occasion with a few crumby characters.
In addition, I’m helping Endangered Species (ESC) do some pretty awesome things because they give 10% of their net profits to species and habitat conservation. That equals over $1,200,000 in the last three years! From protecting elephants and their ivory to bees and their pollination habitats, ESC is working hard. So with every rice cake (or whatever suits your fancy), smothered in chocolate spread, you’re helping protect our planet. It’s a win-win (sin-win?).
I’d love to share a jar of Endangered Species’ spread with you (well, not share exactly—I haven’t opened them, I promise!). So, tell me why you love chocolate or our planet or both in the comments below and I’ll put your name in a hat and draw a few lucky winners.
My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Diane Kasperzak!!!
Diane Kasperzak (DiDi, #3657) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning a Beginner, Intermediate, and Expert Level Farmgirl Shutterbugs Merit Badge!
“I researched the photography terms and found several of them to be intriguing (especially framing and leading lines) and something I hadn’t considered when taking photos. I will try to use these techniques in the future.
I have taken well over 20 photos of horses, country scenes, and family pets, three of which were posted on the chatroom.
I got a blue ribbon at the Eastern States Exposition for the Black-eyed Susan photo posted in the chatroom, and a white ribbon at the Four-Town Fair for the photo of my parents’ dog, Baby Sammy.
I admire so many of the famous photographers’ photos, but I am particularly drawn to close-ups of flowers. There are many such photos on display online, and I was also inspired by a woman I worked with who also takes flower photos. We went to the Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls on two occasions, and I posted my 10 favorite photos from those trips in the chatroom. I also entered several of the photos in the local fairs, and shared 8x10s with several elderly family members to send them cheer.
I read “50 Incredible Photographic Techniques and Tutorials” and “Ten Top Photography Composition Rules.”
I was astonished when I first saw my photos; I won a few ribbons at the fairs; my family loved the colorful photos; I learned new techniques; and I look forward to another wonderful trip to one of my new favorite places, the Bridge of Flowers.
I have taken photos for several events where I have taken more than 100 photos at each. One occasion was a high-school graduation. In addition to a photo album for the graduate, I framed several photos of her with her family members. I also have made several calendars with photos that I have taken.
I read “Advanced Photography Techniques,” “Six Advanced Tips for Photography Composition,” and “18 Composition Rules for Photos that Shine.”
I posted one of my favorite photos of a chipmunk sitting on a raccoon statue, along with my thoughts about taking photos, in the Farmgirl Connection Chatroom.
I have recently been informed by the National Wildlife Federation that I was a finalist in its 2015 photo contest, and that my photo of a chipmunk sitting on a raccoon statue (taken in my backyard) is on the NWF website in the Honorable Mention slideshow. The photo was also awarded a blue ribbon at the Eastern States Exposition.”
5% of profits will benefit www.firstbook.org, a non-profit that provides new books to children from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Here’s how:
MaryJane will post a photo and a description of a prop and its cost along with a few details as to its condition here: https://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/MaryJanesCurations. It’s a playful way to be the new owner of a little bit of farm herstory.
