Artful Gathering Retreats

Dear Friends,

I wanted to tell you about a great experience I've had this summer with Artful Gathering 2015 on-line art retreats: http://atozinnia.org/ 

During the summer, a number of wonderful teachers from all over the world come together to teach classes for 6 weeks.  The teachers have pre-recorded videos you can access via the internet after you pay for the class.  During the six weeks the class is available, you have the most excellent chance to converse with the teacher via the web and show pictures of your work, discuss problems, and get personalized help with techniques.  The DVDs of the class are available for purchase at a discounted rate for class attendees, but will be available to the public as well at a higher price.

I took the "Fly Away With Me" class from Luthien Thye who lives in Malaysia.  She is fun, enthusiastic, knowledgeable, helpful and extremely talented!  I was able to ask questions about the project and get an answer fast, even though she is half a world away!  Another feature of the class is getting to know the other classmates.  They are from all over the globe as well.  We learn from each other too.

Here are the little birdhouse pendants I made:

I made three necklaces with different lengths of chain.  You may notice that the little hearts actually move up and down when you pull the two side chains.  Isn't Luthien's idea for that wonderful?  She was delightful to have as a teacher.

Luthien has a fb, blog and Etsy store.  Her blog address is entitled "Altered Alchemy" and her address is: http://luthienthyegallery.blogspot.com/  and find her also at: https://www.etsy.com/shop/AlteredAlchemy

My son took this picture of me wearing all three!  I love them!  I learned how to use some new materials that I hadn't worked with and new techniques.  I also enjoyed seeing how the other students completed their projects as well.

The second session of classes have started but there are a few days left to purchase before it's closed until next summer.  Consider taking a class now or next summer:  http://atozinnia.org/

Have a wonderful and inspiring Day!

Julie

Are you a Pioneer?

Dear Friends,

My husband and I are shown below in our Pioneer Trek 2015 costumes.  We participated with about 300+ youth and adults in a re-enactment of the Pioneers using handcarts to cross the plains to the Salt Lake valley arriving on July 24, 1847 in Utah. 

Doug and I were story tellers along the 20 mile trail that the youth walked over the three day experience.   They pushed and pulled handcarts and got a tiny glimpse of the toil and trouble it takes to move a group of people in this fashion.

I told about the story of my Great-great-great Grandmother Zina who's mother, Zina, died of Malaria soon after her family arrived in Nauvoo, Illinois, when it was still swampy and infested with mosquitoes. After much hard work, Nauvoo became a beautiful city with brick homes, businesses and farms. Zina was forced to leave her home in Nauvoo in winter with her husband and 3-year-old son, Zebulon. She was over eight months pregnant when her little family loaded a wagon with their belongings and left the rest in the small home.  Because of the rainy weather, the ground slogged with mud causing some of the wagons to sink deep into the ground.  Families tried to double and triple the yoke of animals, but there wasn't enough strength to pull the wagons free.  Some items were redistributed among any other wagons that could carry them, and the mud bogged wagons left standing in the mud.

Zina tells about when they needed to cross the Chariton River.  It took about 50 men to hold onto a rope tethered to her family's wagon to pull it upright through the river without upsetting it.  They made it across, but some were not as lucky with their wagons.

After crossing the river and the time was nearing for her childbirth, Eliza Snow and Patty Sessions came to bless her for a safe delivery.  The weather was cold, wet and dreary when "Mother" Lyman assisted as her midwife.  Zina gave birth to a boy and named him Henry Chariton Jacobs after the river he was born near.  Mother Lyman came to check on her the next day bringing her something hot to drink and a biscuit. Zina writes,"What a luxury for special remembrance!" After the birth, Zina recalls, "Occasionally the wagon had to be stopped, that I might take breath.  Thus I journeyed on.  But I did not mind the hardship of my situation, for my life had been preserved, and my babe seemed so beautiful."

I think of our pioneer heritage and all they did and sacrificed.  We speak of them now and wonder how they could live through those hard times.  We've been so blessed in our time with medicines, a wealthy nation, education, technology, instant communication, and so much more.

What will be said of us and what we accomplish in our lifetimes?  What mores, traditions and examples will be spoken of us by those who come after?  If you haven't started, consider writing down what you know about your parents, grandparents and on back.  If you don't write it, who will? Will children and grandchildren know who they came from?  

  What a treasure it is to pass on stories about your family to the next generation.  Check out http://www.familytree.com/ 

and http://home.ancestry.com/

for information and help to learn about your family tree and ancestry.  Doug and I enjoyed learning by doing in our participation of this great journey...but we're glad to be back "our time."

Have a wonderful and happy day!

Julie