EverythingALTERED

My First brush with the West Wing

2005-12-04T21:21:00.000-05:00

I was watching the West Wing tonight (and I do not watch it often). I had just gotten my daughter down to sleep and kissed her tonight. I came downstairs with my own thoughts in my mind, just begging GOD to give me the wisdom to raise her so that she will be proud to call me her mother even when she is angry.

So I sat on the sofa, actually waiting for Law and Order and this was the most amazing thing. So amazing, that it stopped me in my own tracks.

I hope that you are as amazed at the insight and honesty as I am.

Lauren

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I find myself on days like this asking for someone to blame, I blame the kid he stole the car, I blame the parents for not teaching him better, I blame the cop who had the need to fire, I blame everyone I can think of and I am filled with rage…

And then I try and find compassion, compassion for the people I blamed, compassion for the people that I do not understand… Compassion… It does not always work so well…

I remember listening on the radio to Dr. King in 1968, he asked for compassion, and we responded not necessarily, because we felt it, but because he convinced us that if we could find compassion, if we could express compassion, and if we could just pretend compassion it would heal us so much more than vengeance. And he was right it did, but not enough.

What we have learned this week is that even more compassion is required of us, an even greater effort is required of us, and I think that we are all, every one of us, tired. We are tired of understanding, we are tired of waiting, we are tired of trying to figure out why our children are not safe, and why our efforts to make them safe seem to fail, we are tired.

But we most know that we have made some progress, and blame will only destroy it. Blame will breed more violence and we have had enough of that. Blame will not rid our streets of crime and drugs and fear and we have had enough of that. Blame will not strengthen our schools or our families or our workforce. Blame will rob us of those things, and we have had enough of that.

And so I ask you today to dig down deep with me and find that compassion in your hearts. Because it will keep us on the road and we will walk together and work together, and slowly, too slowly, things will get better.

How it all began

2005-11-28T21:51:00.000-05:00

So let me tell you how it all started…

I can honestly say that I never liked the country cute style.  I am not a paper piecing kinda gal.

It all started with a love of Anna Griffin paper.  I just loved the look and feel of the paper.

I made it my mission to own any and everything that AG put on the market – stamps, paper, brass stencils, and all her tools.  AG is responsible for me tossing my paper cutter and using a metal ruler and a craft blade.

Just around that time they started pushing the 6 by 6 page size.  I was in heaven.  12 by 12 gave me too much real estate to work with and it always seemed so bulky to me.  I think that I have done all of maybe 10 pages in 12 by 12.  I just don’t like that size.

Sorry, but I digress for just a moment…

I did my daughters first year album 6 by 6 and it has since been expanded into a Volume Series 1 thru 3.

I then got pregnant with the boys and scrapping took a back seat to collecting.  I started collecting everything and anything that I could.

I finally out of the blue one day found a book on Altering and I have never looked back.  I am now label myself an altered mixed media artist – hence the name everythingaltered

I rarely (read never) scrapbook anymore.  The twins are going to have a hard time when they get older because everything that I have since done is altered.

Right now I am presently creating an altered unabridged dictionary for my parents.  But that is a subject for another blog.

Lauren

Welcome to my blog

2005-11-28T19:57:00.000-05:00

Hi All,

My name is Lauren Ferguson, I am the blessed step mom to Iyonah 11 years old, proud mom to Chinyere (almost 3) and Chinadu and Chidozie (just turned 1).

Yes, I had three kids in less than two years.

Prior to being a SAHM, I was the Director of Informatics for a HBCU.  I graduated from Harvard, MIT and Rutgers.  I am a true over acheiver.

I found scrapbooking after my daughter was born and I am not sure what I actually did before that because it is all one big blur.

I must admit that the first time I walked into a scrapbook store, I was in awe and shock that these places even existed.

I was hooked from the moment I started.

until we meet,
lauren