Proud to be HER Mom...

My really incredible daughter, mother, teacher, and woman with a huge, huge heart... needs to take her heart to Africa. Swaziland specifically.

To do so, she is fund-raising (there it is...the f word) and the deadline is quickly approaching. Jamie wants (or more like needs) to go to Africa and see for herself the challenges they face, and she has made a personal commitment to help change the lives of those she will encounter there.

She has a Heart for Africa

Swaziland is a small country located in southern Africa that is home to approximately 950,000 people. The needs in Swaziland are staggering, as HIV/AIDS claims the lives of an estimated 42.6% of the population. The life expectancy in Swaziland is the lowest in all of Africa at 29 years.

Currently it is estimated that there are 200,000 orphans and 15,000 orphan-headed households in Swaziland.

Jamie and her Heart for Africa team will work side-by-side with the children’s homes and organizations to better support them and the orphan headed households in the community. They will help plant backyard gardens and community gardens. They will bring clothing and shoes for the homes that they serve. They will develop small business opportunities for the impoverished women in the community as well as help to provide AIDS education and basic academic education.

She needs to raise about $1600 more dollars by May 7th. Will you please help Jamie get there by making a donation? Even a small one is GREATLY appreciated.

The deadline is MAY 7th.

Click here if you can help, even a little.

Thank you from the bottom of my proud Mother's heart!!

Things that make me scream.

Another guest post by Henry

by Henry W.

Things that make me scream:

Pie that is moldy and bad (I like pie)
Huge loops and 100 foot drops on roller coasters
A test
Homework
No T.V.
Losing a fight with the Ice Climbers
Losing a fight with Peach and Zelda
Fighting Master Hand (and losing)
Getting attacked by a wolf
Those are the things that MAKE ME SCREAM.

Where I'm From (A Guest Post by Henry)

Where I'm From

by Henry

I am from my fish's bowl and a lot of water and small pebbles
I am from the upstairs living room and kitchen
I am from the downstairs office and bedrooms where I sleep at night and where I relax

I am from my piano that I play from day to night
I am from my bike that I ride all the time
I am from Monopoly where I buy Boardwalk and Times Square

I am from my moped riding up the street at 15 mph
I am from watching the Matrix series watching Neo fly
I am from my lizard Bullet, watching him eat crickets
I am from the Battle of the Labyrinth watching Percy Jackson walking through the Labyrinth

I am from Boomers playing a 3 minute song on medium Guitar Hero arcade
I am from LIFE, schooling my Dad and leaving him in the dust

I am from those moments
Snapped before I budded.
A leaf, fallen from the family tree

I can play Malagueña with one hand tied behind my back...

Guest appearance by Henry

Don't forget to wear sunscreen.

In which it is established that I am genetically programmed to be a hippie.

I was adopted. And it was obvious to me at a young age, that I didn’t fit into the family that adopted me. Without any genetic or family information myself, even as a little kid, I found myself a bit confused and fascinated by genetics and nature vs. nurture debates. I felt like a ship without a port for 30 years.

Then I found my bio family. One of the first real relatives I ever met, was my Uncle Jim. My birth-mother’s brother. He lived in San Francisco and ran an alternative health business out of his house. He was funny and spiritual and artistic and loving and cosmic. He kept a journal and drew, and opened his life and home to everyone. He lived and taught and loved to the fullest. We connected from the moment we met, in a way I had not experienced connection before. I adored him. It was because of him, I finally collected, understood and owned an actual piece of myself. Because of him, I know, that I was genetically pre-programmed to be a free spirit. I am a happy, peace loving, free spirited hippie. And I am claiming it! It is not all that I am. I am not defined by what I found, but I understand that part of myself better now and I can embrace the hippie in me.




Last week, Uncle Jimmy passed away. A small memorial was held for him in his “cosmic kitchen.” A celebration of his life with the MANY friends he had, will be sometime in the next few weeks and I will be there. In the meantime, I am posting some pictures that will surely show what kind of man he was. My beautiful Uncle Jimmy. My cosmic, genetic connection to who I really am. Goodbye Uncle. Tell my birth mother you got to know me on this earth. You will be missed!

Jim Karnstedt passed away peacefully, surrounded by loving friends and family July 10 at the age of 63 following a sudden illness. Born in Minneapolis, MN, he lived in San Francisco since 1969. He was a healer and educator, sharing his wealth of information through lectures, video and his business, Ion & Light. Jim touched many lives with his generosity and his enchanting spirit. He was loved by all who knew him. A celebration of his life will be held soon in San Francisco.

In honor of Billy Mays...

Kaboom! Your Oxi is clean and your Orange Glo's…
This story previously posted here, is being re-posted in honor of our favorite guy Billy Mays who died yesterday. We are heartbroken.

(TRUE STORY!)

When Henry was a tiny infant, barely able to raise his head, I remember being completely amazed at his reaction to infomercials (adverts as he calls them.) This little half Brit baby had no interest in Pat the Postman, Bob the Builder or even Black Adder (my favorite.) Nor could I convince him to even look up for a second at Sesame Street, Barney or Teletubbies, but Billy Mays got him every time.

A peddler, pitchman, trafficker of cleaning products made Henry look up and watch with eyes wide open for the full 2 minutes every single time he came on the telly. That Billy Mays was better at creating a sense of urgency than Elmo or the Cookie Monster.

And apparently, get it NOW, really stuck with Henry.

A conversation with Henry the other night (in 2007) while I was working on the computer and he was watching Nickelodeon.

H: (Running down the hall) Mummy, Mummy, you have to let me get on the computer RIGHT NOW!
M: I am working Hen, what is so important?
H: I have to sign up TODAY for Westwood College’s Online Program.
M: What College? You’re 7? What are you talking about?
H: Mummy, they said on Nickelodeon that I can go online to learn to animate and design video games. I have idea’s and I want to design one NOW. Go to the website NOW please. Right NOW please. NOW OK? NOW, please Mummy.
M: OK, let’s go see what it says. (There was no way he was going to let me finish my work until I went there and checked it out.)
M: Sorry Henry, it says here that you have to graduate from High School to take these classes. You are only in 1st grade.
H: It’s OK. YOU went to college. Pretend it’s you signing up and I will take the classes… or how ‘bout you sign up and learn how to do it, and then you can teach me. Do it Mummy! At least ask for more information NOW.

I sent in an online request for more information that night with Henry looking over my shoulder, directing me as to what to ask. How long does it take? How much does it cost? How old do you have to be? Do you really have to graduate from HS before you can learn?
He came to me 3 times Sunday night asking me to check my email to see if they had answered yet and he directed me Monday morning to keep checking email while he was in school, just in case they answered.

I have gotten 3 hard sell phone calls, from admission advisors since then, asking me when I want to start Westwood College of Game Art and Design. The program costs $70,000. And it takes 3 years. At that rate he wouldn’t be able to design a game until he was in 4th grade.

I gave Hen the bad news… I told him that it was way too expensive I didn’t have that kind of money right now.

He went away (dreams crushed) for about 5 minutes then came running down the hall again…

H: Mummy, Mummy, do you have any scrap gold? We could sell it for cash! I just saw an advert on Nickelodeon about how to get fast cash for your scrap gold to make extra money for anything you want. And if you go to www.goldkit.com you can get a FREE gold kit to send in your teeth today. And shipping is free! Then you can afford to go to college again.

Do it Mummy won’t you please? NOW?

Thank you Billy! You will be missed.