Ginny Diezel Studios

Well, my little brain just kicked in, and I realized that today is the 9th of September, and the update for pfatt occurs around midnight TONIGHT!!!!!

For those of you who read my previous post, I apologize.    I tell you, the holidays on Mondays play havoc with my sense of time.  Well, at least that is my story and I am sticking with it.  So, here are sneak peeks at the other pieces!  Hope you will join me late tonight at pfatt!

Two more paperweights for your consideration…..

Thanks for looking!  See you there!

It is indeed official!  Yesterday, we had the launch of the Together We Can Foundation!  We are a brand new foundation begun in Virginia Beach, Virginia to serve the needs of the underserved in our community.  Our first undertaking will involve foster teens who are aging out of the system.

Are you aware that you and I have a custodial responsibility for every foster child in our communities?  I think most citizens hear the words foster child, and don’t know what that really means.  As soon as a child enters the foster care system, he or she becomes OUR child.  No, it’s not a biological thing, and it’s nothing which requires anyone to be super human.  What it does require, in my opinion, is that a given community must be mindful of what these children experience - and they experience far more than any child should - and work together for positive outcomes.  Through no fault of their own, these children live life on the edge, and they need to come back from that edge and see that there are possibilities for them in the future, regardless of what has happened to them in their past.

That’s where TWC comes in!  We have already been networking within the community, talking with our community college about opportunities for higher education, meeting with individuals who can raise a public profile of this situation through media, etc. etc.  And, yesterday, we were fortunate to have the First Lady of Virginia Anne Holton Kaine to appear before City Council to speak about her For Keeps program she has spearheaded to help foster children find permanent homes.  Prior to her Council appearance, during which time she gave us a big boost, she met with all of the Board members and the juvenile court judges for what was a terrific lunchtime get together!  What an exciting day!

Our Board members are rarin’ to go, so  look for more posts on our activities.  In the meantime, you can check us out at the Together We Can Foundation website.  Take a few minutes and go through our interactive information.  The needs of foster children are not exclusive to Virginia Beach, Virginia.  Nationwide, there are approximately 500,000 children in foster care.  This means that you have children in your area.  Think about how you can help, can get involved, and change a life for the better!

Yes, it is unbelievably true! My new blogging friend, Sheila, from Freckleberry, presented me with this award. I have been trying to put the picture into my blog, but there’s something I am just not doing correctly! Oh well…I’ll figure it out. At any rate, this was totally unexpected, and I am so happy to be thought worthy of this! Sheila has been so kind to me, so I want you all to go and visit her blog to see the wonderful pieces she has been working on and is sending to FolkWorks Gallery in Evanston, Illinois. Her work will be there for November and December for the big Christmas show. If you are even remotely close to Evanston, you owe it to yourself to visit this rare and exciting gallery which features ooak from American artists. Additionally, Cease Giddings, the creative genius behind the gallery, carries antique quilts, vintage jewelry, and vintage linens. It is eye candy extraordinaire, AND so is Sheila’s work! Thanks Sheila!

Hello world!

Meet Mikey!   He is one of several new little friends who frequent my backyard in the late afternoon and evening. At this time of year, the raccoon babies are about two months old, and their parents are teaching them how to search for food. Well, they need go no further than to my house! I have set up a feeding station on the other side of the fence where the land slopes off to the marsh. The raccoons wade in or swim in, depending upon the tide, and stop for a while to eat. The babies are learning so much every day, and usually are pretty shy around humans, but Mikey is my new best bud. I have named him Mikey because he eats anything - cantaloupe and bananas are his faves! Actually, he enjoys little peanut butter sandwiches, apples, peaches, and strawberries, and plenty of nuts, if you have ‘em!  I put out lots of sunflower seed every day for the birds and squirrels, and raccoons love them as well.  They are able to grasp little pawfuls and are quite refined as they eat.  Look for more posts about Mikey!  He is growing daily!