Mama, Am I Pretty?

As you crochet your newest, prettiest potholder, or put together an intricately layered, pretty quilted one, consider the following poem about pretty.

This poem is taken directly from my new, favorite author's website, barkingspiderspoetry.com.   C. J. Heck writes, publishes and speaks to children of the world.  Her insights are deep and meaningful, her talents - obvious.

Mama, Am I Pretty? - (from "Barking Spiders 2")

Mama, am I pretty?
"Why do you ask?" She said.
She held me gently to her
and kissed me lightly on my head.

"Your clothes are neatly ironed,
your face and hands are clean.
You're such a sweet child, little one,
what does your question mean?

Mama, am I pretty?
I really need to know.
Am I pretty like the other girls
at school where we all go?

"You have a very loving heart.
You're gentle, kind and good.
Your friends all think the world of you,
anybody would."

But Mama, am I pretty?
Sometimes kids point or stare.
I've got these real thick glasses
that I wish I didn't wear.

Mama said my time would come,
be patient and I'd see.
The things that really matter
were there, inside of me.

Mama! AM I PRETTY?
I didn't mean to shout ...
Then mama smiled and told me,
"Sweetheart, yes, inside and out."

Consider one of C. J.'s books as a perfect gift for your favorite child(ren) this holiday. Barking Spiders, and other such stuff is available at this link:  http://www.barkingspiderspoetry.com/Store.html

Midwest Book Review comments on Barking Spiders: "...Often funny, sometimes introspective, always honest, these poems form a brilliant introduction for young readers to the magic of poetry and rhyme."

We so often use words like pretty and beautiful.  What does that really mean? C. J. says,

"That's beautiful!  This is what we say or think when we see the sun rise or set over the ocean, see a spectacular view, or a good-looking man or woman. But what we should ask is, where does the appreciation of that beauty originate? Where does our ability to understand beauty come from? It's right there, in our own consciousness."

Visit C. J.'s website, read her interviews, get to know a lady who Loves children and respects and understands the joys of Nature and the Universe that we all share.

Enjoy more information about C. J. and her profound writing  from www.writerthoughts.com. You don't have to be a child to enjoy C. J.; check out her e-zine articles, guaranteed to leave a footprint or three on your heart.

Potholders...Plus...healing

I have received several questions in my e-mail, daniellesimone0@gmail.com, regarding information related to this site and the making of the lowly potholder. Please accept my apologies for the lack of input to this site for over a year. Serious, ongoing illness in our family, in addition to a move to Missouri, has pulled me in numerous directions with no time left for serious writing.

My plans include returning to this site shortly, with weekly, detailed photos and directions for special potholders and other small, easy-to-make items. There will be continued, numerous links to related potholder sites for each post, such that readers can have numerous and different methods available for each project. I believe every crafter has varying ways to approach a similar idea such that the more information they have to fashion a particular item, the better their chances of success.

My intentions remain for creating a site which gives pertinent information for creating pretty, easy-to-make and unique potholders including lots of detail and photos. I want to give all crafters and quilters alike, the opportunity for learning and growing in their abilities and capacities with quilting, sewing and crocheting potholders. A small project such as a lowly yet useful - sometimes most necessary potholder, can give quick quilting or crafting results...building confidence and inventory for their creators - with a small amount of effort, time and expense.

See you in a few weeks. Get your machines ready and your supplies handy. The lowly potholder will arrive - stage left...soon.

As always, Nature prevails.

Danielle

The Lowly Potholder

Hardly a kitchen exists that does not house at least one, functional potholder. They serve a major role in the safe handling of cookware. Yet, the lowly potholder works in silence, toiling away, day after week after year, with little - if any recognition.

According to ehow.com, Some of the most unusual and charming pot holders date from the 1950s. Many of these were crocheted in a variety of novel shapes, including fruit, flowers and more.

(I wonder what the cave dwellers used to handle their pots over their cook fires).

Today, many types of heat protection are available for the center of potholders; silicone textiles, old towels, blanket parts, quilt batting, and of course the special Kevlar type batting specially made for potholders, found in craft stores and online.

We can hand-make potholders of knitted, crocheted and loomed textiles. They are easy to fashion with a sewing machine. And not to forget the lowly potholders patiently awaiting a home, hanging in the kitchen areas of stores. Many more are only a click away, online, as they will be here, in the near future.

A potholder is limited only to the imagination of its creator. For the most part, potholders are made for their simple, utilitarian position in the home. We're here to change that! The lowly potholder is moving out of the work quarters and into the guesthouse! There is nothing too proud or desirable for the new, improved potholder that it cannot carry with grace, beauty, class and style.

Keep an eye on our progress here, over the next few months. We will eventually offer our own crafted beauties...limited only by our imagination. And we tend to think...a bit out-of-the-box!

Meanwhile, we'll be searching the net and linking to all the sites that offer potholders. If you are looking for a particular type of potholder, let us know and we'll endeavor to hook you up with your need.

Since Nature is our penchant, we'll work harder to find the more natural fibered potholders as well as homemade ones.

Please post any comments you may have on our new debutante. Maybe your Grandma had a special one she bought or fashioned. Maybe you bought a unique potholder at a craft show. Maybe you make some potholder pretties that we could display here. Let your imagination be your guide.

And as always...Nature prevails.