Censorship vs Protection

This topic has become an international hot topic in the recent days. I am not surprised. I am also encouraged to see the out pouring of support from people around the world, every age demographic, business (large and small) and individuals stepping up and saying NO!
The websites for the California senators and congresspeople actually crashed last night by the heavy load. Awesome!
I want to share the discussion I had with several friends last night on this topic. Last fall several of us in the historical re-enactment community were severely plagiarized by an editor of a food magazine/blog. When it was discovered that this editor had plagiarized us it went viral. By the end of the week it was discovered that she had plagiarized Paula Deen, NPR, and the Food Network. My own book that she plagiarized from took me five years to write. You can say I was pissed off. The other SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) blogger uses her historical food blog as a teaching tool and is passion. She was beyond angry. The Offending Editor didn't even apologize and her attitude was since our information was on the World Wide Web it was public and free to take. Um No!
While I agree the laws for copywrite and piracy laws need to be strengthen to protect sites like ours and others similar this shouldn't be example or excuse for censorship. Let me say this again..... NO TO CENSORSHIP!!!

It becomes a very slippery slope.

"Remember when firemen just put out fires?"

Bless Bless

To melt a hard drive on a computer: 2500 Fahrenheit.

Winter Projects

I learned to crochet a couple of months ago. I warned my WISC instructor that this was a bag of worms that should stay tightly shut. I am fiber-holic. Any excuse to play with fiber and I am there. One of the blessings of the Waldorf schools and related communities is the incorporation of "handwork" in the curriculum. As the public schools continue to lose funding for the arts, play, physical education, music et al, the Waldorf schools continue to emphasize handwork, art and music. I am so in love! What a gift to be able to merge two of my passions: Fiber arts and education.
At the Summer Past Farms Antique and Craft Fair in December I met a woman who had the same love for fibers as I did. She was selling the most adorable children hats. I was inspired to make hats for family members for Christmas. Last count: 4 Elmos, 3 Abby Cadaby, 3 Cookie Monsters, 2 Oscar the Grouches and 3 Fairy Flower hats.
I found a Mommy Blog called Girl in Air. The Mommy in this blog is a stay at home Mom who used to be an airline stewardess. I am sure she has some wonderful stories to share. She is a crafter up my alley.
She created these Sesame Street hats for children and family. Elmo, Cookie Monster and Abby Cadaby were created from her patterns. Oscar the Grouch isn't featured, sorry. He went to my Dad.

The Abby Cadaby hat is my design based on the Girl in the Air patterns. Her site is here.


A peek at Wild Rose and Friends. They were debuted at Summer Past Farms Antique and Craft Fair in December.
This was my other winter project. Making Waldorf inspired fairy and wee folks. They were positively received and many went home to new families. More to follow.......