“Hand Puppets” was misleading. It’s actually “Hand Puppet.” As in… one. I made one. I need to make quite a few more, but I’ve had to change my course. When I started out, I planned on making hand puppets that somewhat resembled Disney Princesses. I decided to start with Jasmine. This is what I came up with.
Please keep in mind that I’m terrible at stuff like this. I don’t know WHY I think I’m capable of attempting crap like this. As I hot glued the second gogglie eye on, I looked at the puppet and laughed.
She looked a little less like Jasmine and a little more like Potiphar’s wife.

So I picked her up and tried to force her to be Jasmine.

But I really REALLY just wasn’t feeling it. I was a little depressed that I had just created a rather less-than-admirable Bible character for my daughter. I guess I COULD teach her a few new stories with puppets.
“Mommy, what does ‘lie with me’ mean?”
Nothing baby. Go play with your Barbies…

In the end, I decided to simply rename her but keep with the whole Bible theme.

Queen Esther. THAT’S someone we can all get on board with, right? Who should I make next? The King? Her Uncle? The man who is hung by his own gallows? How would one make gallows for a toddler’s puppet theater? Pipe cleaners and yarn?
Anyway, as soon as I’m done with Esther’s story, I’ll probably start on Ruth and Naomi. I COULD go with Moses or Jonah, but the idea of making any sort of animal hand puppet is daunting.
I’ve tossed around the idea of making a few Book of Mormon hand puppets, but they’re a little harsh. For example: is it in good taste to make a puppet sword out of pipe cleaners for Nephi to smite Laban’s head off?
What about Ammon and the arms?
Just how WOULD that work in a puppet theater?

Maybe I ought to stick to less-than-worthy princess puppets.
Maybe I ought to bag the idea entirely…

I’m a quote nut. I love them. When I was about 10, I discovered a beautiful red quote book on my mother’s shelves. I read it every chance I got. I even snagged a quote from it to cross stitch, “A light heart lives long.” I loved alliteration before I even knew what it was. The word gods smiled kindly on me one day, and my mother gave the book to me. I keep it always at the ready. I rely on it. I’ve given it a spot in the lately added Reading Corner of our bedroom. The Reading Corner, it must be noted, is sacred. It is my pacification for my lack of a library. The Reading Corner is wonderful. The only thing its missing is a chair. Rather important, I know… and just as soon as I have the cash-o-la, there WILL be a chair. And when I fully assemble The Reading Corner, readers will come. Mainly me, but STILL.

As I adjust back to my pre-holiday schedule, I’m struggling to find my pace again. My life is too full, and after May I’ll be making some radical schedule changes. Until then, I’ve got to keep muddling through. Until then, my quote book won’t be far away.

There’s one quote I keep always at the forefront of my mind. It’s by Benjamin Franklin, who I truly believe would have been my dearest friend had I lived in his time.
“Either write something worth reading, or do something worth writing.” That’s what he said. Why did he say it? Because he knew I would need to hear it, for though we can’t be bosom friends in real life, he certainly can’t shy away from being my guardian mentor. Oh, he can try… but his words are immortal. I will find them. I will use them. I will write something worth reading.

In fact, when I’m not writing something worth reading, I’m usually doing something I end up writing about. I write about everything -hence, this blog.
And now I will admit something to you. Last night, I nearly bid adieu to you and you and you. My domain was about to expire, and I seriously considered letting it. I didn’t WANT to, mind you, but I brought it up to my husband in the form of “Perhaps I ought to be focusing my writing elsewhere. Perhaps I ought to be with my children. HEY perhaps we ought to get rid of the internet and make our own soap and live off the land! I’ll make bonnets for myself and the children! Let’s buy wool! Let’s make you wool pants! LET’S MAKE OUR OWN WOOL!”
At this point, he jerked me back down to earth, handed me my debit card and begged me to renew my domain name. So I had a passing fancy. So I want to rewind time and live in a land without technology. So what?

I thought about Benjamin Franklin as I woke up this morning. I long for a greater measure of simplicity. I long for many more days exactly like I had over the holiday. I long for The Reading Corner. I long for a bonnet.
Well, there’s always the reading corner, anyway. And there’s always Benjamin Franklin. Do you think he’d mind showing up a little bit more? I mean, he doesn’t have to actually come around. He could just send a few green papers with his picture in the middle of them. I’d be happy with that -and what guardian would do less? I ask you.
In the meantime, I’m logging off. I’m going to make hand puppets that hopefully resemble Disney Princesses as a birthday gift for my soon-to-be FOUR year old.
I’ll be back tomorrow telling you all about it. It may not be worth reading, but it will certainly be worth writing if for no other reason than to serve as a reminder to never attempt it again. I’ll see you the other side of a few felt catastrophes.