Boredom and sadness...never a good combination!

You may be thinking, "Whoa! What's with the avalanche of creativity Alane's got going on? She's so productive!!!" It may seem that way on the surface, but if you dig a little deeper (and I've got the shovel!) you will see that it is really a coping mechanism. I can't believe that I didn't blog about this sooner (talk about denial) but Cory has now been across the world and completely unreachable for one whole week!!! That's right! He has traveled through the Duluth Sisters Cities exchange program to Ohara, Japan. He isn't coming back until the 13th and my veneer of denial and busy-ness is starting to crack. It's all I can do not to panic. He is staying with a Japanese family there. What is bothering me is we have had no contact from him. We had hoped that his host family would have email access so he could drop us a note every few days. Who'd have thought that many Japanese families don't have internet access? I don't even know if they have a computer. Weird. Thankfully one young woman who is also part of the exchange has sent a few emails and some photos. They aren't together every day, so she doesn't mention him but he shows up in the background in a few photos. So, it is somewhat comforting to know he's still alive! (Nervous chuckle.) He's 15 years old but he's still my baby!!! Of course my husband doesn't understand what I'm so worked up about. But, you Moms know how it is...I have kept him close his whole life and now I just let him go off on his own! It's double tough because he's my chatty kid, the one who's up for anything, always nearby, wanting a hug, or to talk. Man, he's left a hole! The only person that is feeling his absence as keenly (or more so) is Erin. I know she is as amazed and baffled by this as we are. Normally they live under a love/hate relationship. Since Erin is 16 and a girl, that leans towards hate and irritation most of the time! I couldn't believe it but she emailed all of her friends with the title "my brother's gone and I'm all alone!" And that was on Saturday! Her friends wrote back astounded that she was actually saying she missed him! It's so sweet. She gets on the computer everyday and looks at the photos the other girl is sending and searches for pics of Cory. Of course I've always known how strong their bond is, but it's really something to see her acknowledge it.
I promised that I would tell about the destruction that has been going on hear at Casa Davis. Well, as part of my Have More Fun class at Big Picture Scrapbooking, the teacher, Stacy Julian, has challenged those of us who want to participate in a crazy, no holds barred, let out your inner pre-schooler bonanza! There is this book called "Wreck This Journal" that is basically a black cover with white pages with directions to do something crazy and destructive to the journal on each page. Basically this is a giant exercise in letting go of perfectionism, working with no rules, playing and having fun all in the name of unleashing your primal creativity. It sounds like a lot to get from some paper and glue, doesn't it? To give you an idea, some of the page drections are things like: spit, dribble or spill your coffee here; climb someplace very high and drop the journal; bring the journal in the shower with you; tear out your favorite page and give it away; mail the journal to yourself. Well, the message board from my class is filling up with hilarious stories and photos from my my compatriots. One woman's kids were playing with the journal, dragging it behind their bikes when her dog, a giant Newfoundland, got it and chewed on it! I, of course, am hatching plans to coat mine in peanut butter and let the dogs have at it! After all, they need some kind of incentive! They don't work for peanuts! (No wait, actually they do.)Stacy, the teacher, showed pictures of her driving her scooter, dragging it behind her. Of course I could not wait to jump into the fray. Strangely, I have not found it at all difficult to let loose. Hmmm. I suppose their are a bunch of you going..."Yeah, like we couldn't see that one coming!" I have been told that I am (how does my friend Kim put it?) without filters? *You'd better comment and give me the right terminology, Kim!* So, I have been wrecking my journal by slapping paint all over it, sending pages through the wash, writing with my feet, etc. But the best was the other day when we were challenged to give the journal to someone else and let them poke holes in it with a pencil. Of course I gave it to Erin since she was so bored. She took her job very seriously and had a blast. I highly recommend this very weird kind of fun project for anyone who feels a little too tightly wound. No creativity is necessary, just bravery!