My heart

Is so full right now....

I just spent the last three days doing something I never would have imagined possible.
I should have known... with God all things are possible!

To properly explain what happened this weekend, I need to go back to the beginning. For me, this was a couple months ago. I belong to a small group called "WELL - Women Embracing Life and the Lord" that meets every Wednesday. We get together at my aunt Tish's house, the kids all go upstairs to the playroom with a babysitter, and the moms have some time together to just talk, become friends, and enjoy each other's company. Our group decided that we would do some sort of community service project during the summer months, and one of the group members suggested we do a room makeover for the girl who does our babysitting. Her name is Rebecca and she currently has no kidneys. She is on dialysis for twelve hours a day, and is stuck in her room for that whole time. On a mattress and box spring that is sitting on the floor. Not a week prior, Rick and I had found a great price on a king sized mattress and went ahead and bought it... Wondering what on earth we could do with a perfectly good queen-sized 4 poster bed. And now I knew. We would be giving it to Rebecca.

The collective wheels in our group started turning... We learned she really likes that whole Moroccan look, so we used that as our inspiration. Soon it evolved into a "Moroccan Brights" theme... aqua, pink, gold, yellow, red, purple, jewels, beads, and anything with funky tassels, ribbons, and trim. We scheduled a couple of "work days" at Tish's house and we made some pillows, funky lampshades, and other great stuff. Things were coming along - I found some fabulous paint colors, Wendie's mom offered to sew all the bedding and pillows, and donations started trickling in.

Then, about a month before our scheduled project date, stuff started pouring in. Someone wanted to donate landscaping products for the yard. Someone else was willing to paint the entire outside of the house. A carpenter wanted to create a built-in cabinet for Rebecca's room. Cash started coming in. One of the ladies in our group, Jen, had a gazebo to donate. I had patio furniture.

Next thing we knew, this was turning into more than just Rebecca's room... This was going to be a whole house makeover. The most amazing thing about this is that Sandy, Rebecca's mom, really has been wanting and needing help with the house. Her husband divorced her three and a half years ago and life for Sandy has never been the same. She had to start from scratch, buying all her furniture from garage sales and working long hours trying to make ends meet. The house was falling by the wayside, because there was just no time or money to put into repairing it. If we could give her a fresh exterior, new landscaping, and some minor interior repairs, Sandy could maybe feel like her house was a home again.

Our first task was to get mom and daughter out of the house for the weekend. Vicki, one of the ladies in the group, made some phone calls... And next thing we knew, Rebecca and Sandy were going to have a free weekend at the Tuscany Suites, including all meals. And her husband Mike was coordinating all the stuff with the house. We could start work on Friday at 2 p.m. and we would have until about 6 p.m. Sunday.

With one week to go, Vista Paint donated 20 gallons of paint... Republic Services offered to make a special trash pickup for us... More money came in... We got Rebecca and Sandy spa treatments at the Venetian... Lowe's donated $250 in materials for the project, and CornerStone church donated the money to buy nice window blinds for the entire house. Volunteers left and right were offering to help through simple word of mouth. It was looking not only plausible, but possible. We would be doing an Extreme Home Makeover of our own... No Ty, no ABC crews, no Sears sponsorships. Just people with heart who were willing to donate their time or money to such a worthy family. Rebecca and Sandy had no idea what was coming for them, and neither did we.

The first crew arrived on Friday at 2 p.m., and after gathering together for a word of prayer over the house and the family and our project, we began the daunting task of cleaning out the house, starting with the garage. The single car garage was full - floor to ceiling, front to back, with things that were going to be sold someday at a garage sale. We emptied the entire thing, and with the guidance of Ben, separated the items into a "donation" pile and a "trash" pile. Then we went through the house and did the same thing. Sandy and Rebecca left the house at noon, and until we arrived at 2 p.m. Ben had been placing labels on every piece of furniture - green meant it could go, red meant it had to stay. We were able to take out about half the furniture. The entire front yard was covered, five feet deep, in stuff that would no longer be in the house. This sparked an impromptu garage sale, as neighbors were coming by and offering cash for some of the items in the yard. We made over $100 that we were able to put right back into the decor of the house!

Rain was threatening all day - the forecast was for thunderstorms and wind and rain. But God is so good. He protected us.

Several people started to work in the yard, taking out weeds and trash that had accumulated back there. The backward had never been landscaped, so it was a blank canvas waiting for its masterpiece. Sheila designed the layout of the yard, and her vision was going to be wonderful.

A cleaning crew began working right away on the kitchen. They scrubbed, scraped, soaked, and swept that room until it shone. But there was much that needed to be done in there... Several cabinet doors were broken. The oven hood needed to be removed to make room for the built-in microwave.

I was part of the team in Rebecca's room. We cleared out all her stuff, then taped and primed her walls to get them ready for the paint, which had to go on first thing Saturday morning.

Little crews of 2-3 took it upon themselves to clear out different rooms and areas, cleaning and prepping walls.

A couple of ladies went into Sandy's room and really felt like God was leading them to turn it into a sanctuary for Sandy. They spent the entire time cleaning, painting, and beautifying the entire room... They rearranged, cleaned, and got window treatments. This included the bathroom, which received a faux finish on the walls and cabinets and new, beautiful decor.

Ben and Jesse (Rebecca's other brother) worked on their own rooms, cleaning them out, clearing out stuff that needed it, and getting them ready for paint.

As volunteers arrived, we delegated different areas for them to be, and everyone happily obliged. It was amazing. Debi was our "runner" girl, and she made at least 50 trips to Home Depot and Lowe's in the three days we worked, picking up whatever anyone needed, and always with a smile and cheerful attitude.

Friday was a long day, and it was easy to see that we had made a ton of progress. When I left at 11 p.m. the donation pile was gone and the trash was stacked in the street so that the pea gravel could be removed from the front yard the next morning. But there was so much yet to be done. The interior rooms all needed painting, Rebecca's room needed new paint and so much more. More cabinet doors needed repair. Lights needed replacing. The sprinkler system in the yard hadn't been installed yet. We had no rock, no trees, and no shrubs yet, either. As I was getting into the car, rain began to fall. The rain that was kept at bay all day started to fall, right when I needed it the most. Thank you, Jesus!

With a promise to be back at 7 a.m., I went home Friday night, exhausted. I dreamed this project. And when I woke up Saturday morning, I felt like I had been working all night, too.

(to be continued....)

Thirty, Flirty and Thriving

My friend Melissa Dahir gave me the bestest birthday time ever. Thirty fabulous things to do when I turned thirty. When she asked what I wanted, I told her that as long as it involved alcohol, getting carded, and famous people, it would be perfect. And, well, it was ;). Here is just a sampling of that fantabulous time...


The envelope, from which I drew various cards that had the activity we had to do...

First card I drew was for an appetizer at TGIFriday's ...



We had the buffalo wings and I chose my next card: a shot of something alcoholic and yummy!! So I chose the Lemon Drop shot. After I got carded (YESSSS!!!) it went down very nicely ;)



Then I chose a card: Pick a birthday present!!! My favorite one of all was the soundtrack to 13 going on 30!! How fabulous!!



Then the waiters surprised us with free dessert! Woohooooo!!!



My next card was to go play a speed round of mini-golf... so off to Scandia!



I won... the score was 27.5 to 28 (I was awarded half a shot cause my ball, which went DOWN THE RIGHT HOLE, ended up in the wrong place. Plus it was my birthday so that was allowed ;))

Next it was time for dinner - I drew "Quizno's Subs"... turkey-bacon-guacamole, here I come!



Then I drew the card for a yummy drink from Starbucks Coffee... so we went through the drive through with the cranky lady...



Next I drew "swing on the swings in the park" so we headed down to the park for some swinging fun!



Then back in the car.... I drew "drink something fruity and alcoholic" and I decided at our next food destination I would have a margarita.



To the destination I drew next... the fountains at Bellagio!! My favorite place!!



It was time to pick a dessert - it was after 10 p.m.... I chose "Leatherby's Ice Cream" but they had already closed... so I chose another - the Cheesecake Factory!! Woohooo!! We took the secret way into the Forum Shops and had a yummy chocolate mousse cheesecake for dessert... after our margarita of course ;)



And then I drew ANOTHER shot of something yummy and alcoholic! So Melissa dared me to have a tequila shot. Sure!! I can handle that!!













Mmmmm... that was goooood!

The next card was "call someone you love" and I had just gotten off the phone with Rick and it was pretty late, so I called Melissa. She got a giggle when her phone rang ;)



Then I had to put a max bet in a slot machine... so we went back into the Forum and found the nearest slots...



We lost that money pretty fast!! But all was not lost!! I drew my next birthday present!!! A GIANT TAPE DISPENSER!!!!



My final card was ANOTHER shot of something alcoholic!! So we dicided to go to the TI and see what we could get at the Tangerine night club (we had free passes to get in). When we got there, the bouncer saw us in line, asked if we were locals,a dn let us cut ahead of EVERYONE and get to the front!! And while we were at the front, we saw a sign saying RUN DMC is having a concert inside TONIGHT!!! And sure enough, he was!!!!!!!

We went inside and had our tequila shots .... hooooeeeeeeey they were strong! And it was packed wall to wall with people who had very grope-y hands LOL. Here's one photo of us.... imagine us surrounded in all directions with drunk people.



We stayed for about 30 minutes, but it was just not "us" - everywhere we turned around we couldn't make eye contact with anyone (that would mean we were interested in them - ack!!), so we wove our way out the door... and who should we meet just outside, all to ourselves???

THAT IS RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!! Mr. RUN DMC!!!!!!!



And that, my friends and family, was the end to my best birthday celebration EVER. :)

Done

with Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

Need to go and think about it some more...

can't....post....now

in the midst of Harry Potter Book 6......

still need to update on:

my 30th birthday
my job situation
my kids
my hubby
how i broke the doorknob off my parents' back door
and other such nonsense

promise....soon..... hopefully the book will be done tonight!! :)

"I wanna be a dinosaur, Mommy."

Um, okay, Riley... sure.
He brings over his dinosaur costume and asks me to help him put it on. As I was zipping it up, I asked him why he wanted to be a dinosaur today.

"So I can scare people. RAWWWWWWWR."

Welcome to Chicago!

I can't believe I didn't share my "Welcome to Chicago" story!!

And that one is too good to miss.... LOL. I have retold it many a time since that Thursday night when I experienced it. But it's always good for a laugh, especially now that I am alive and all.

So when I arrived in Chicago on Thursday, I got to my hotel and unpacked, then I decided to head over to the convention center to help the girls from Michael Miller set up. We worked pretty hard for several hours. At 11:30, I decided it was time for me to go - I needed to get a good night's sleep, and there were still a few layouts and projects I wanted to put together for the following morning at the booth, which meant I had to come early.

I told them I was going, and they asked if I was sure I'd be okay - after all, it was late and I was in Chicago. "Don't worry!" I told them. "I'm just going to go right out front and take a cab back to the hotel. I'll be fine!"

I left the convention center and there was nary a cab in sight. I went to the roadside to hail a cab, but to no avail. None would stop for me. Argh. So I crossed the street to where a couple hotels were, figuring I could at least get the front desk to call me a cab. But there was one waiting right out front, so I got to take it! Woohoo!

The cab driver was very nice... He gave me his card and told me to call him personally if I ever needed a ride around town. Um, okay. haha. His cell phone kept ringing... I am pretty sure it was the theme from The Godfather playing... and he talked to all the callers in Italian.

Just as I was musing over whether my cabbie was in the Italian Mafia, I noticed my hotel right up ahead, about 500 yards.

And that was when it happened. This black car with two well dressed men in their early 30s pulled out in front of the cab, causing the cabbie to slam on his brakes and sending me (who was not belted cause, well, there were no belts) catapulting forward. We nearly hit these guys.

As I was gathering my bearings (and belongings, which didn't remain on the seat next to me), the cabbie rolled down his window and was yelling at the other driver.

"What the f&$% are you doing? I was driving here!!"
And the other man replied "A$$%!*#! You almost hit me! F*%&$in idiot!"
Lots of yelling and cursing happening here - oh and spitting. This guy spit on the cab driver. This riled him up something fierce, and the cabbie, who by the way was not at fault at all, replied in more expletives, this time upsetting the other driver so much he got out of his car and came over to the DRIVER'S SIDE and was trying to open the door and START A FIGHT with the cab driver. Meanwhile I was trying to make myself as small as possible in the backseat, my eyes as wide as saucers.

Finally the cabbie pulled away and started driving again. He apologized to me, telling me it wasn't his fault and people in Chicago aren't normally like this. Just as he was saying this, however, the men pulled up next to us in their car and started yelling again. Apparently they weren't done.

The cabbie slammed on his brakes again, causing me to catapult, again. More yelling and cursing and threats. I was expecting one of the two to brandish a gun at any moment, and I just crouched in the backseat and was praying for my life, wondering if I could safely climb out of the backseat of the cab and make it to my hotel at midnight in Chicago.

Suddenly the guy from the black car said, "You wanna be that way? We'll see about that!" and he peeled out ahead of us. I watched as he drove several hundred feet, peeled into a 180 degree turn, and started SPEEDING TOWARD US. IN OUR LANE OF TRAFFIC. I ducked and prayed and hoped to God this guy cared more about his own fancy car than revenge.

And I guess that was the case... cause at the last second he swerved and missed us - by inches - shouted a few more expletives, and drove off.

I couldn't help the tears by this point, and I was on the verge of hyperventilating, not sure where I could get enough air into my lungs. When we got to the hotel (which was just steps ahead at this point), the cabbie apologized profusely to me, asking me to please not cry, and telling me to please not pay for the cab ride because it shouldn't have happened like that. I could barely get out of the car and into the hotel, and didn't stop crying until I took a good, hot shower.

But, hey - now I know how to get a free cab ride in Chicago!! ;)

(and did anyone else have flashbacks of Adventures in Babysitting while I was telling the story? Cause I did!)

So Much Fun

at CHA!
Here are a few photos....


Julie and I at dinner - we went to a pizza place


Me at the booth - the theme was turquoise and white


What we did all day - We directed the make & Takes. Here's Ursula showing several store owners how to assemble cute fabric paper purses. Isn't our booth adorable?


Us in our matching skirts... left to right: Ursula, Brenda, Christine, me, and Salvina


Brenda caught us off-guard while joking around in the booth. Ursula, Kathy (the owner), Christine (the head of the scrapbooking division), and me


Ursula and me at dinner with members of the Two Peas in a Bucket Pub Board


At the Pubster dinner with fellow CK Honorable Mention winners


Hanging out in a friend's suite late one night - drank a few too many Mike's Hard drinks and severely paid for it the following morning... LOL
On the floor in front: Laurie, Miley, and Renee
Second row: Jessie, Erica, Jeniece, Shannon (standing in back), Sara, Alison (posing), Rachel, and Kelly


The trip was all a blur - we stayed up far too late every night and got up far too early every morning. There were so many people to meet, see, visit, and contact, and so little time. I made several great contacts... nothing set in stone, but a couple of good things going on career-wise for me, I think! Still looking for the right company to turn my ideas into a product line, but I have solid leads!

I came home to a million and six dealines, so I am pretty buried. Hopefully I can come up for air soon.....
It's all good, though :)

Off to Chicago!

Going to CHA - should be a grand time. :)

I still have to finish packing, organizing my portfolio stuff, and putting together the things I have made (and still have yet to make) as samples for Michael Miller Memories. Believe it or not, I am actually ahead of schedule for where I thought I would be, though... so that is good ;).

Looking forward to reading some Harry Potter on the plane... but once I land it will be go go go go go go go go go till Sunday night. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!

Logo

How rad is this? I used the scanned pendant and made a logo.
I think this should be on my new business cards... :)

Dude.

My sister Liane is so rad. Here's why...


The small one is a pendant made of solid silver. The large copper one is a business card holder. They are so freaking rad I can hardly STAND it! I was trying to come up with a cool "signature" - or some sort of logo that I can put on my pages and my sketches were surprisingly similar to these! It's crazy how we are so on the same wavelength. Anyway, this is by far the coolest, most special thing I received for my birthday... so I *had* to share :)

The big three-oh

I am THIRTY today! I can't believe it. I am out of my twenties and officially an ADULT now. Anything stupid that I do now cannot be attributed to "my crazy twenties" and just has to be my own fault... HA!!

I am, surprisingly, not traumatized by this change. I am at a good point in my life - I am happily married with two gorgeous kids and a nice home, I feel like my artistic career is taking off, and I am happy with who I am right now. Life is good!!

We're heading up to the mountains today for a family birthday party... the kids are gonna have a great time, and I just love the cool, refreshing mountain air. Rick, the kids, and I are going up a little early to grab a good spot, and I am taking my Harry Potter book. Hopefully I will actually get to READ it a little today ;).

The kids got me a postal scale for my birthday... LOL... really I wanted it! Now I don't have to lug them down to the post office when mailing my packages to the various magazines. I can just weigh them at home and print postage from USPS.com, and leave them for the mail lady to pick up. Wheeee!

And speaking of magazines, good stuff in the works for me... can't wait to share with you all the stuff I have been working on!!!

If I were a knitter,

I would *so* be going to Martha's Poncho Show!!

Pray

for London.

Just for the sake of creating

Thought I needed a little reminder that I was, indeed, an artist. So I made a little painting for myself. Journaling reads: Then she decides it's time to just do it - there's nothing to be afraid of. It's just paint - the brush moves along the canvas with fluid motion and soon it has a mind of its own. And she realizes, yet again, that this is truly what she loves. The hours speed by and yet time has stopped. When you do what you love, nothing else matters, until the sun rises beyond the window panes and with the sun comes the stirring of children and so the paint must be put away until another day. Sooner next time. I PROMISE.

you know what today needs?

More cowbell.

creative juices

were flowing about this time last night. Liane was over and we were scrapooking. I was helping her create a gift for her friend Anna, who is getting married next month. We made Anna a really great little album as well as an address book. It was Liane's first time scrapping, but she totally fell into the groove so quickly. I love her creative mind - she totally gets me. We think so much alike. It is very cool. We were in such a rhythm last night we didn't stop scrapping until 3:30 a.m. - yes you read that correctly! It was CRAZY!!! She ended up staying over and sleeping on the couch cause I didn't want her driving home at such a freaky hour. Then this morning when we both got up, we finished the projects, made a card, and even decorated a gift bag. Anna's gift ROCKS the house. I can't wait to hear how she reacts to it. I know she's gonna completely love it more than anything. She has to - cause I love it so much!

We went to Papa & Mama Lali's for a family get together for the 4th. Fun and games - we did a water balloon toss with the kids. Riley loved making the balloons pop. We swam in the pool (of course) and Violet had a great time pretending that Shark Boy and Lava Girl were there, too. Rick and I orchestrated a little "treasure hunt" for the kids, too... Violet had to first find the treasure map, and then she and Riley followed it all over the yard until they found the spot in the ground with the "X" on it - and that is where Violet dug up the buried treasure - glow bracelets to wear while we watched fireworks! Dad barbecued burgers for dinner, mom made and apple pie from apples that grew in the backyard, and we all enjoyed watching the fireworks from the end of the cul-de-sac. It was a perfect end to a super holiday weekend. The only thing better would have been if Tinty, Luke, and Carl were here to spend it with us ;)

p.s. happy belated anniversary, Tinty & Luke! The first (and toughest!) year is behind you!! All good stuff from here on out! Wheeeeeeee!

Wants

1. More hours in the day so I can read Harry Potter
2. This book: Living Out Loud
3. For my ideas that are stewing in my brain to spill out in a creatively genius way
4. A chance to write a book
5. More hours in the day so I can write a book
6. To move to Portland
7. To know whether a move to Portland is really the right thing to do
8. For decisions to be easy
9. That cool glass melting beadmaking torch kit from Aardvark
10. More hours in the day so I can make beads
11. This book too
12. Patience. And can I have that now, please??

Deadlines

All sorts of projects going on...
Finished my Memory Makers projects. Whew. Those were a weight off my shoulders.
Need to package them & mail them.
Need to work on CHA stuff for Michael Miller.
Need to scan/print my portfolio layouts so I can bring something SMALL to share and not my big ole binder.
Need to get my design ideas in a presentable way.
Need (NEED) to fold laundry from the 8 loads I did when we came back from vacation. They are currently in baskets for each person... but they are getting pretty wrinkly that way. LOL
Need to work on more layouts for Memory Makers Masters Book. I have completed 4 of the 17 I need to do. Lots more to work on.
Need to re-read the Harry Potter books so that I can be ready for Book 6, which comes out in less than 3 weeks. Just gotta keep plugging away.
Need to work on Riley's swimming skills... he's finally hit a breakthrough and loves going underwater now. We have to start really focusing on perfecting his kicking skills and his ability to get himself to the side of the pool safely when he goes in. Liane's been a great teacher so far.
Oh and still need to lose 25 pounds ;)

5 years ago

yesterday, I gave birth to my first child - a daughter. After struggling with an ectopic pregnancy and unexplained infertility, my dream of becoming a mother had finally come true.

And through all the
smiling
crying
nursing
barfing
cooing
pooping
cuddling
late nights
crawling
standing
walking
talking
running
climbing
playing
napping
teething
bathing
learning
sharing
growing
maturing
that has happened in the last five years of *my* life,
I am so thankful.

Happy birthday, Violet :)

A Lady Azusa Story

When I was a little girl, my grandmother Abu would tell me stories of the most beautiful mermaid in the ocean named Lady Azusa. I loved those stories so much, and I so miss them. Abu is 82 years old right now, and she doesn't tell her stories anymore. But tonight at dinnertime, I believe that Abu somehow shared her spirit with me. I do not know where this story came from, other than straight from the heart of Abu. So thank you, dear Abu, for sharing your gift with me. I will use it wisely, and I will carry on your tradition.

Lady Azusa's Message

Once there was a beautiful little girl named Violet. She was visiting the beach with her family. One night, as the moon was full in the sky above, she took a walk along the beach. She saw a lot of shells, and some of them sparkled a little bit in the moonlight. Just then, a few steps ahead of her, she saw a shell that shone and sparkled like nothing she had ever seen. Violet picked it up and a few sparkles fell from the shell.

She knew this shell was special – even magical – and she held it to her ear. At first, all she could hear was the whooooosh of the ocean. But then suddenly, Violet heard something else – a quiet voice that whispered to her,

“Hello! This is a special shell that has been sent to you from Lady Azusa, Queen of all the Sea. She would like you to come right to this spot on the beach tomorrow morning at sunrise, and there will be a special messenger waiting to take you to see the Queen.”

Violet’s eyes widened, for she knew that this was a very special message that she must heed. She ran back to her house as fast as her little feet could carry her, in the door and up the steps to the bedroom where her daddy was sleeping.

“Daddy!” she cried, “I just got a message from Lady Azusa! She told me I had to meet her tomorrow morning at sunrise on the beach!”

Violet’s daddy was a bit skeptical, because although he had heard stories of Lady Azusa, he didn’t know she really existed. But he agreed to take her to the shore the following morning, and they set their alarm for very early so they could be there at sunrise.

The next morning as Violet and her daddy walked hand in hand to the beach, they came upon a strange sight. There, right in the spot where Violet found the sparkly seashell, a dolphin – with a crown on his head – waited to greet them in the water right where the ocean met the sand.

“You must be girl who received Lady Azusa’s message,” said the Dolphin with a very regal voice. “I am here to take you to meet her.”

Violet looked at her daddy and back at the dolphin. Her daddy nodded at her and said she could go. “I’ll wait for you here, sweetie,” he told her.

Violet stepped up to the dolphin, which looked long and low at her down his snout and said, “Can you breeeeeeeeathe underwater, young lady?”

“No,” Violet replied with a concerned look on her face.

“Then place my crown upon your head, and you will be able to breathe underwater so that you may visit with The Queen.” Violet picked up the crown. It sparkled as soon as she touched it, and as she put it on her head it glowed a soft purple. “Now climb onto my back and we will swim through the sea and the waves to her castle.”

Violet carefully climbed onto the back of the dolphin and held onto his dorsal fin. He turned toward the sea and flipped his tail and into the waves they went. He dove down, down, down into the salty ocean. Violet was afraid at first… she had been holding her breath and needed to breathe soon – would the crown really work? Could she really breathe underwater? She knew she couldn’t hold on any longer – she had to take a breath – she opened her mouth and GULPED! And she could breathe!! Under the water! She looked around with a huge grin as they passed coral gardens and schools of fish and kelp beds as they went deeper and deeper in the sea. The deeper they went, the more sparkly the water became. It shimmered and glowed all around them.

Violet and the dolphin rounded a rocky corner and suddenly she saw the most beautiful sight ever – Lady Azusa’s castle. It rose up from the sandy bottom of the ocean with blue-violet spires that glimmered like jewels. The dolphin let Violet off his back right at the door of the castle. She swam up to the huge door and pulled the sapphire blue knocker out from it. The knock was a loud, hollow sound that echoed in the castle.

The castle door opened slowly, and at first Violet didn’t see anyone there. Then she looked down and saw a little red crab. It was Sebastian, the crab from The Little Mermaid! “Lady Azusa is expecting you,” he said with a smile. “Follow me.” With those words, Sebastian skittered along the floor of the castle to The Queen’s reception room as Violet followed close behind.

As they entered the beautiful hall adorned with sea flowers of all kinds, Violet caught a glimpse of the most beautiful lady she had ever seen in her life. Lady Azusa had a long pink tail that shimmered as it moved through the water. Her hair was long and golden and wavy and it moved as the current moved around her. She had big, beautiful eyes and a lovely smile. “Violet!” she cried. “Thank you so much for coming to see me! I am so very happy to see you!” and she swam over to Violet and gave her a big, long hug.

Lady Azusa took Violet by the hand and showed her to a fluffy flower chair. They sat together and Lady Azusa smiled as she spoke. “Violet… I am so glad you got my message on the beach. I was hoping you would find it! Do you know why I asked you to come down here to meet me?”

“No,” said Violet as she shook her head.

“I asked you to meet me because I have a very important task for you. Do you think you can help me?” Lady Azusa asked Violet.

“Of course!” Violet said enthusiastically.

“Well, Violet, I don’t know if you noticed – but the ocean has been getting very dirty. People are leaving their trash on the beach and they are dropping it off their boats into the water. This trash is hurting the fish and dolphins, and it is making the ocean unclean and unsafe for all of us. I am asking you – dear Violet – to help me by picking up any trash you see when you are walking along the beach. If you did this, it could be the start of something very special for all of us, both on land and in the sea. We could once again have clean, sparkling water for all of us. The beaches wouldn’t be cluttered with trash from visitors, and it would be a safe place for you to play and make sand castles. We want to keep everything clean and beautiful, the way God made it. Do you think you can be my helper and clean up the beach for me?”

Violet said she would. And she would tell all her friends and family to do the same.

“Thank you, sweet child,” Lady Azusa said. “And I have a gift for you. It is a Mussel Shell Amulet, and it will remind you of what I told you. The back side is rough and dirty – just like the ocean and beach will look if no one takes care of it. But if you turn it over, it is smooth and shiny, like the sparking water of the sea. This will remind you that if everyone does their part to take care of our world, we will all have a sparkly, shiny place to live.” Violet humbly accepted her gift from Lady Azusa, who placed it around her neck.

“I do not want to keep you from your daddy too long, but please join me for a little Mermaid Tea before you have to return to land,” said The Queen, and Violet of course said she would. They dined and snacked for a short while, and then Violet knew she must go. With another hug, Lady Azusa bid her new friend Violet farewell.

Violet climbed onto the dolphin and they swam back to the surface together. When they broke through the water, she saw her daddy waiting for her on the shore. Violet took the crown from her head and placed it back on the dolphin’s head. “Thank you for my wonderful ride, Sir Dolphin. I shall never forget it!” she told him, and waved as he returned to the water.

Violet ran toward her daddy and showed him her gift from Lady Azusa. The necklace sparkled even more out in the sun. She told her daddy how she now has a task when she is on the beach. If she ever sees trash, she is to pick it up and put it in the trash bins, so that the oceans and the beaches are clean and sparkly for people, mermaids, and all the creatures of the sea.

And with that, the two of them walked along the shore, picking up things to put in the trash cans, so that Lady Azusa’s dream of a beautiful shore would come true.

The end.
Copyright 2005
By Jessie Baldwin