A World of Super Heroes, Princesses, Knights and Fairies

This blog introduces my sister's new business venture.  As you know I don't generally advertise ads on my blog but am happy to promote books I have read and enjoyed from the authors on this blog site.  But in the case of my sister. . .

www.cqsartforkids.com

My sister has my mother's creative genes.  She sews beautifully, and can plan children's parties that are magical.  For two years she had a brick and mortar children's art studio and birthday party store in the San Bruno, California area, and decided to continue her line of party favors and craft ideas for children on-line.

Her web site introduces her first line of party costumes and crafts for children's parties.  This way, moms who would like to plan a birthday party for their little girls or boys can order party favors like tutus, crowns and magic wands for their daughters and their guests.  The tutus are already made but the guests are given sequins, glue to decorate their tutus.  The kits come with all the craft items that are needed.

The super hero line has the special cape and mask; the knights have felt "armor;" the fairies have exquisite wings that are already made waiting to have those birthday quests add just the right sparkle.  And all these items can be played with after the party.  Many little girls love to wear their tutus everywhere.  These items are handmade by my sister and are of much higher quality than others you may have seen on other web-sites.

But the best way to imagine all this is to visit her web-site.  Ordering is easy and shipping in the United States is free. www.cqsartforkids.com 

I am very proud of my sister and am happy to promote her new venture.  Just wish my mother could be here to see it all.

I have added a photo from one of my sister's parties.  The little girls faces are sunflowers to protect their identities.

Floods Worst in Colorado History

We are having the worst floods in Colorado history, but to look out our windows and without television, radio, social media, etc. we would never know it.  

We live at 6400 feet here near Castle Rock, Colorado and have had hard rain, especially the previous five days, but no flooding and this morning we have blue skies, puffy clouds and emerald green lawns, trees with a few leaves turning yellow, but not the horrific scenes that we see on TV and the newspaper, (yes we still read the actual newspaper).  How can this be happening only 40 miles away from us?  During our fires earlier this year, which were south of us, the fires were about 40-50 miles in the opposite direction.

Quieter weather is forecast for the next few days, but the cleanup and assessment is beginning.  Here are the stats:  6 people are presumed dead and 1253 are unaccounted for; 19,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed.  The area of flooding is the size of Connecticut.  FEMA (The Federal Emergency Management Agency) has personnel here; also search and rescue teams from neighboring states are here.  The rescue personnel are amazing, so many stories of bravery and heroism.  

One story that particularly touched me was this one from The Denver Post, 9/14/13:

"Hero cop gives guide dog the credit for saving man."

Ronnie Web, a seeing-impaired man was knocked over by flood waters while walking his dog on Friday, the 13th of September.  While a Denver police officer was patrolling the area near a drainage culvert,  he noticed a dog was paying particular attention to something in the water.  It was the dog's owner, Mr. Webb.  As the officer approached the scene, Mr. Webb screamed which caused the dog to jump into the water and then both were sucked in the drainage culvert.  But, Officer Del Creason, who grew up in the area knew where the drainage culvert surfaced.  Calling for help, Creason followed the culvert  and both the dog and his owner surfaced a few blocks down.  "He and the dog were in the tunnel for 17 minutes," the officer said.  "I'm sure that he used the dog to keep afloat."  Both owner and dog are fine.  Not all heroes have two legs.

 I am adding the following You Tube -- when you reach the 5 minute mark  there is a story about another hero who rescued many horses and other animals.  It must be heartbreaking to leave your animals behind to save your own life.

Syria, a Tragic Chess Game

"Bon Air, Beaux Sites, Belles Routes, Bons Hotels,"  reads this 1927 Travel Poster, Syria and Lebanon.  Here we are, 86 years later, more than one person's lifetime perhaps --  1927 between WWI and WWII looking at a travel poster depicting interesting and beautiful places to visit in Syria and Lebanon. 

Power shifts, lines drawn and redrawn. Syria is one of the oldest historical/civilized countries on earth and now is in the midst of a civil war.  We here in the United States do not seem to understand and have a grasp of the situation and the ambivalence and shifting positions of our political leaders reflect this.

Chemical weapons are not new to nations.  Syria has one million pounds of chemical weapons (or more) which Russia is offering to dismantle and to remove  from Syria.  This is a checkmate to our plan to use some kind of military force to state our disapproval of the use of chemical weapons.  More meetings, more proposals, as the world's leaders scramble to seem to be the ones with the answers. 

And so it goes, confusing, complex and tragic.