I began full of vigor. Never mind that I’d never taken a painting workshop before. (Never mind that I’m not a painter!) Here was an opportunity to try something new, to feel adventurous, to seize the day! I had my canvas tote packed with soft paint brushes, untainted watercolors, a new watercolor pad full of promise – even snacks! Oh yes, I was prepared for a bold, new experience. Carpe diem!

As you may recall, I like to foster my fantasies about being an artist (see my posts here and here). So after the instructor (who I happen to know) encouraged me to take his two-day Plein Air Painting Workshop at Saguaro Lake Ranch (I also happen to know the family who manages the Ranch, one of my favorite places locally) I decided to go for it.

Did I mention I’m not an artist?

Well, you’ll want to take note of that.

Day One:

After the introductory formalities and opening instructional lecture, we were told to pick a location to paint. This was, after all, a Plein Air workshop. (Plein Air is the French term for painting outdoors. Of course, doing anything in French automatically makes it more adventurous, right? Carpe diem!)

I went right for the crown jewel of Saguaro Lake Ranch. I chose a scene with the famous ridge mountain (yeah, okay, I don’t know the actual name of said mountain), framed by a sweeping mesquite tree and rustic fence line.

Praise the gods I decided to leave out the horses.

The beginning stage went well. Frame out the underpainting with a quick sketch and wash of color. Blues, greens, and browns filled the paper with ease.

This isn’t going too badly.

I started to add detail: the black, twisted trunk of the mesquite tree; a few more shades of greens and yellows in the foliage to add interest. I kinda liked it.

Then came the hay bales.They weren’t coming out quite right. I decided to come back to it.

I painted in the fence. Looked a bit, urm, juvenile (even more so than the rest of this amateur’s painting). That’s okay. I’d fix it with some highlights later.

Then came the mountain. Such a beautiful, peace-inspiring mountain. Unless you’re trying to paint it. Then it becomes the bane of your existence, the blob of lifeless brown on your formerly pristine watercolor paper.

The instructor came over to check on me. He liked the tree too. He gave me some guidance regarding the mountain. At first he wanted to demonstrate right on my painting! Oh no. This was my painting. So he humored his inexperienced, A-type personality of a student and demonstrated on a spare piece of paper. I marveled at his technique, tried to retain what he’d said and done, and went back to work.

Fast forward 20 minutes.

Those mountains were still a mess. This time, when the instructor came to have a look, I gladly handed over my brush and painting.

Paint on instruction...

He completed one section of the mountain, explaining as he went, and I tried to duplicate it elsewhere. It wasn’t great, but I learned something and had a better concept of what I could try.

The class took a break for lunch and the scenery went from a challenge to be mastered back to a source of serenity. I especially enjoyed visiting with Charles, a retired Navy man who never lost his taste for traveling (he’s been to Indochina, southeast Asia, the Caribbean, all over) but now he sometimes adds in his penchant for painting. He’s taken workshops all over the country, looking to paint “places I’ve never been.”

He reminded me why I was there. Here was a man full of adventure. I want my own adventures too.

After lunch we hauled our stuff down to the river and selected new scenes to paint, this time sheltered by the shade of the trees lining the banks. Having learned my lesson, I switched from a broad landscape to a smaller-scale water study.

Again, the drawing and under colors went on easily. This felt familiar and I didn’t take as much confidence from it this time around.

I painted in the rocks and a few reeds and decided I needed to darken the water. Big mistake. One bold stroke and it was way too dark. When I saw what I’d done, I didn’t know how to fix it. I was desperate for the instructor to come save me.

In due order, he did. He didn’t think it was a mistake at all, and carried the color through the central section. He gave me courage to be bold and add movement and color to the water, along with how to paint the reeds on the bank.

I was resisting the urge to say “Don’t you just want to finish it for me?” After all, he was doing such a good job.

But I didn’t say it and he left me, alone with my painting. I guess I’d have to finish it myself.

I sat down on a rock to get my brain back in the game. After a few quiet moments, I studied my painting from afar. I looked at the river and reminded myself what I originally liked about the scene I chose.

Isn't it lovely?

Despite my lack of developed skills, I still really wanted to try to capture what I saw.

I thought about what the instructor taught me. I focused on a corner of the painting and decided I could try to add a group of reeds there. I can do that much. So I did. And it was fun. I moved to the other side of the painting and added more reeds. I liked the top, but didn’t know what to do with the bottom. Some grass perhaps?

That was when I discovered (shock) that I don’t know how to paint grass.

I abandoned the blob – I mean grass – for the thing I knew. I pulled my leather journal and pen from my canvas bag, returned to the rock, and began writing about my day. Ahhh. What a relief! Maybe the instructor wouldn’t notice.

I got away with my truancy for a good 15 minutes before he came back, declared his pleasure at my improvement, said “It’s starting to look like a painting now,” and made me trade in my pen for a brush.

He turned my blob into grass and I decided the painting looked good just how it was. No further tinkering required from this girl!

He saw I was done – mentally at least – laughed, and dismissed me to my rock.

I sat for awhile, listening to the instructor talking quietly with Navy Charlie. The river was flowing soft that day, gently soothing away any agitation I’d felt. My little alcove under the shade of the trees shielded me from any thought of the outside world.

The painting called to me.

Perhaps a little more grass…

And Now, the America Jane Angle You’ve Been Waiting For:

Talk about a unique value project idea! For youth interested in art, workshops like these or ongoing classes offered at school or in the community, are a great way for youth to expand their knowledge. Painting, drawing, pottery, glass (oh, Boise has an amazing art glass center I’m so hoping I can afford one day!), sculpture, photography, fiber arts, or what have you. The arts are great! Even for those of us not necessarily gifted or looking to make a career out of it.

Creating art, even mediocre art, can be strangely fulfilling. I guess it’s that desire we all have to express ourselves.

So whether you’re a Young Woman looking for a unique Divine Nature or Knowledge value project idea, a Scout planning on earning one of the many arts-oriented awards (merit badges are offered in Art, Graphic Art, Photography, Pottery, Textile, and Wood Carving), a Venturer working on the Arts and Hobbies Bronze Award, or an adult just looking to be brave, go ahead! Gather your courage, and dive into the arts.

As for me, I’ll be diving in again this summer for workshop at the Grand Canyon. Oh yeah.

Carpe diem, my friends.

After my children’s father passed away a few months ago, a friend (who had lost her baby just weeks before) gave us this book. What a blessing it’s turned out to be, as this book has become part of the routine of my children’s grieving and healing.

In order not to compete with content for which I’ve been paid to write, you can read my full review of this book on the wonderful website Summit Series for Families.

I will share one thing I did not include in my other review. When I first introduced this book to my children it was individually, one-on-one, so they were able to read and discuss the book privately with me. I didn’t plan it this way, but this is what happened. I found it interesting that when I was done reading to each of my children for the first time, they each went back to look at the same page: the pots page.

It’s a very simple illustration at first glance. A line of pots, ranging in size order from tiny to huge, each marked with labels identifying different levels of grief. The smallest pot says “Not Fair.” Middle pots say “Big Disappointment” and “Profound Loss”, among other things. The largest declares, “More Than I Can Bear.”

My children like to point out which pot they needed that day. Too often they pick the largest, although the last week or two they point to middle-sized pots. But this ritual of picking the pot seems to help them.

Above the pots is a shelf with several books, each with a different word on the spine representing the different kinds of loss a person may be grieving: “Child Died,” “Suicide,” “Divorce,” “House Fire,” and “Flunked Geometry” are among the many options. My children like to point to the books which apply to them.

It’s a book which is helpful, comforting, and, in many ways, lovely. I encourage you to read more about it if you or someone you know is going through a loss.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank those who have been patient and supportive as our family has gone through this difficult time, including those who only know me via this blog. Your long awaited reviews and updates are forthcoming. Thank you for your understanding.

I’ve been pondering the future of the America Jane website and blog for a few months now. Prior to General Conference, our Bishop advised us to prayerfully make a list of things we needed to receive revelation about. What to do with this blog was one of many things on my list.

My original intention for the America Jane website was much different from what the website actually is today. The site I launched back in March was intended to be the framework upon which I’d build. The site was going to be, so far as I can tell, unique from anything else already available on the web.

It was this uniqueness which made me feel it would be worth all the time and effort that would be required. After all, there are already many great resources on the web for LDS programs (such as the vast Sugardoodle) and scouting (such as the fabulous Boy Scout Trail). I had no desire to duplicate what was already out there.

I launched the website February 20, 2010. On March 27th I discovered my husband was having yet another affair and my marriage, I decided, was over. In the intervening six months, much has changed in my life. I’m a single mother of three wonderful boys. My commitment to raising them up unto the Lord has not wavered. If anything, it has increased. Of necessity, I have learned to be extremely careful with my time.

Priority one. Time for God. Spiritual health. I read my scriptures first thing in the morning to remind myself that He is first in my life.

Priority two. Provide for the temporal needs of my children. I have felt the sustaining hand of the Lord in this as I take on the role intended for the priesthood leader of the home. In lieu of a husband, I have felt so blessed to discover I am not alone, because the Lord is truly my partner.

Priority three. Be a mother to my children. I have been blessed with a job that allows me to drop my children off at school in the morning and pick them up when they get out in the afternoon. I have had several experiences that confirm to me that this “luxury” is in fact a necessity and is just as important to the Lord as it is to me. Those children need a mother in the home now as much as they ever have. My afternoons and evenings are dedicated to them. Rare is the day when I have even so much as 30 minutes, between when school lets out and when they’re asleep in their beds,  when at least one of my children doesn’t require something from me. I’m happy to give it to them. I’m truly grateful for the opportunity.

Priority four. Mental, emotional and physical personal health. I’ve learned by hard experience the importance of taking care of myself and not running myself into the ground. My Bishop once said, “You’re not good at not running faster than you have strength.” I could only laugh because he’s so right. But I am learning. I am determined to learn. I loved President Uchtdorf’s talk about slowing down. It truly is a divine principle we find so foreign in our harried, modern lives. Too often, we are not living out our days with the peace and calm the Lord would have us feel.

All of this is to say that when my children are finally in bed, I’m not far behind them. When I’m tired, I sleep. An obvious course of action I neglected for years and years. I consider it an investment in myself and a gift to my children.

I am not a happy mom when I’m tired.

On my “off” weekends, when the children are with their dad, I tend to regroup. I don’t clean. I don’t run errands. I give my mind and body rest. I pamper myself on occasion with little things. I spend time with friends and family. I prepare mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually for the 12 days to come, days when my moments of rest are short and few.

All of this is to say, the America Jane website and blog rarely make it to the “doing” part of my “to do” list. My original vision for the website, while valuable, would be extremely time consuming to pull off. There’s no way I have time for it without sacrificing one of my top four priorities. That’s the reality. I’ve known this for some time.

Yet, I didn’t want to let it go either.

I’ve invested hundreds of hours in the building and launching of the website and in the (albeit sporadic) maintaining of the blog. It felt like a lot to give up on.

I also like having a place for things I think are of value. The family home evening I shared on pornography has, in a very short time, become one of my most visited posts. That alone is worth keeping the blog alive.

I’m fond of the little tips and helps for parents too and would like to do more. So many sites focus on what leaders can do to help youth with their programs. As a parent who remembers what it feels like to be baffled by the scouting program, I think there needs to be more out there for us.

So, what to do?

I realized this morning that what I needed to let go of was the original idea for the website. I needed to reconsider a new future for America Jane just as I’ve had to do for myself.

I’m going to loosen up the parameters of the blog so I can post, from time to time, those things I think have timeless value. It may or may not have anything to do with scouting, the LDS youth programs or family home evening. If I feel in the mood and have the time for quick, light posts that’s fine. I think in general, though, my posts will be about things that are worth the time it takes to put a post together. I’m giving myself permission to let sporadic posting be the permanent nature of this blog. I’m letting go of the hope that it will ever be as frequent as I’d once hoped. I can live with that. The blog is staying for sure.

As for the website, there are a couple of things I need to check into before I make my final decision. I don’t renew the domain and site builder until spring. I’ll make my decision then.

Promotion, while key to a successful blog, is time consuming. Very, very time consuming. I have not had time for it for months and don’t plan on going back to it any time soon. That’s just the way that’s going to be.

For those of you who follow, read, comment and email, I thank you so much for your support.

Lastly, a tidbit about the name behind this blog, for clarification.

America Jane is the name of one of my ancestors who lived in the American South in the 1800′s. I discovered her when I first got into family history work over a decade ago. I fell in love with her name. America Jane. What a great name!

So, since I try to keep personal information off this blog since it’s more public than my family blog, this blog is named after her.

You can read my guest post, as part of the Family Proclamation Celebration, here at Chocolate on My Cranium.

And by here, I mean HERE.

Just kidding.

I gotta say, I’ve felt a little guilty for not participating more in the celebration. But just a little. As a single mom most of my “free time” (ha ha) goes to my kids and the rest goes to recuperation. I’m sure they understand.

I’ve enjoyed following along via my reader, though. There are daily guest posts on two blogs (Chocolate on My Cranium and We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ) and it’s been interesting to see what the various participants have to say.

My favorite so far is That’s What Father’s Do, by Braden Bell. I love, love, loved hearing a male perspective on the family. Very refreshing. He made me think about the Stripling Warrior story in a whole new way too.

The world needs more fathers like that.

Check it out if you haven’t already. Check out mine too, if you’re so inclined.

I don’t talk about Stripling Warriors. I talk about cottage cheese.

Prepare to be inspired.

There once was a horse.*

This horse loved strawberries.

These strawberry bushes look awfully good to our horse. What our horse doesn’t know is that these strawberry bushes are full of thorns. Holes lurk beneath many of the branches.

Beyond the dangerous bushes lies a beautiful garden.

The strawberry bushes in the beautiful garden are good for our horse and safe to eat.

Ask: How do we get our horse past the strawberry bushes that will hurt him and into the beautiful garden?

(My children suggested a bridle, which I drew on the horse. I suggested a fence might be helpful too.)

Read Alma 38:12: “Use boldness, but not overbearance; and also see that ye bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love…”

The strawberries can represent many different passions human beings have. The strawberries with thorns and hidden holes represent unbridled passions. The strawberries in the beautiful garden represent passions bridled by correct principles.

So if the passion we’re talking about is money, unbridled passions would be greed, covetousness and miserliness.

The bridled passion for money would be a righteous desire to provide for one’s family, avoiding debt, saving money, keeping our wants modest and giving to those in need.

If the passion is food, unbridled desires would be gluttony and fad diets. (But not chocolate addiction! Oh no.)

The bridled passion for food would be following the principles of the Word of Wisdom.

If the passion we’re talking about is praise, unbridled passions would be an unhealthy desire for fame or popularity, caving in to peer pressure, gossip, lying and fear of rejection.

An healthy outlook on the normal human desire for acceptance involves looking to the proper source for that acceptance.

As President Ezra Taft Benson put it: “If we love God, do His will and fear His judgment’s more than men’s, we will have self esteem.”

If the passions we’re talking about is sexual desire, a normal and God-designed passion within us all, then unbridled passions include pornography (there it is!), sexual relations outside of marriage and other sexual sins.

The bridled passion of sexual desire is a healthy, loving sexual relationship within marriage. (I conducted a separate FHE on healthy sexuality the following week.)

So, back to our strawberry bushes. Our horse likes strawberries. And that’s okay. Our horse is supposed to like strawberries. He was created to like strawberries.

But what happens if our horse goes to the strawberry bushes outside of the beautiful garden? What if he doesn’t learn to bridle his passion? What if he jumps the fence?

He’s going to get hurt.

What do those thorns and holes represent?

• Spiritual damage from sexual encounters outside of marriage
• Low self-esteem from sexual encounters outside of marriage
• Pornography addiction
• Lack of ability to control sexual urges which may begin as teenage promiscuity and repeat itself later in life in the form of marital affairs
• Teenage pregnancy
• Sexually transmitted diseases

What does the fence represent?

God’s commandments (found in the scriptures), guidance by Church leaders (such as that found in For the Strength of Youth – just as pertinent to adults I believe), and guidance by righteous parents.

What does the bridle represent?

Self control.

Here I interjected this little thought:

There’s something important to understand about Satan. First, he is our enemy. He hates us and wants nothing more than to destroy us any way he can. Do not expect him to avoid using every weapon he has against you just to be nice. He’s not nice, he shows no mercy and he will use every weapon he can.

Second, he will use something good and distort it to suit his evil purposes.

Therefore, one weapon that is an absolute plague on the earth today is pornography.

I explained this next part pretty much the way the LDS counselor explained it.*

Our minds and our bodies are designed to react to sexual stimulation, physical or visual. It’s the way God created us and that’s just the way it is. So this is what happens when a young boy (or an adult, for that matter) first views pornography.* *

The boy views a sexually arousing image.

The boy’s body has an instant physical reaction to it, as he is designed to do. In other words, he likes it. His body will NOT be disgusted by it. His body will like it. (The counselor actually explained the anatomical and neurological process, but I didn’t retain all that information, so you’ll just have to take my word for it.)

The boy will most likely know he’s not supposed to like things like pornography. Intellectually, he may not like what he’s seeing at all. In short, he’ll know that what he’s viewing is bad.

The boy will put those things together in the following way:

1. I liked that
2. That was bad
3. I liked bad.
4. I am bad.

That is a universal reaction that leads to shame, secrecy and damage to self esteem. All of which is one leg of the vicious addiction cycle. (He talked at length about the addiction cycle too, but I won’t get into that either.)

So, Satan knows your body is going to react to something like pornography, because he knows you’re supposed to like strawberries. But what does he do to get sweet boys like you to look at pornography? He knows you’re not going to go looking for it.

Satan becomes the hunter.

What might a hunter do when he’s hunting deer? (Yes, I know, I’m mixing my animal metaphors, but bear with me.)

Let’s imagine the hunter lays traps.

The hunter lays traps where he knows his prey is going to walk, like on a deer path through the woods or next to a food source.

Then, the hunter is going to hide that trap.

What’s going to happen when our deer walks along the path, sees nothing but leaves, and steps in a trap?

SNAP!

The deer didn’t do anything wrong by walking along that path. But he’s caught nonetheless.

What does an animal do when it’s caught in a trap? Can the animal get out unharmed? The animal will have to chew its own leg off to get out of that trap.

Because here’s the next part. Satan knows that if you look at pornography, you will have a physical reaction of pleasure.

He also knows you’ll feel guilty about it. Ashamed.

He wants you to feel ashamed. He wants you to feel embarrassed. He wants you to hide and be in the dark.* * *

Satan works in secrecy.

He doesn’t want you to tell a soul about what you saw or how you felt or what you might be tempted to do next. He wants you to drown in your feelings of worthlessness. He wants you, bit by bit, to cycle into pornography addiction.

He wants you to chew your own leg off.

The other way an animal can get out of the trap is if a human being opens the trap for him and sets him free. How do we get out of the pornography trap?

We tell someone who can help. And we don’t wait.* * * *

Back to the strawberry fields and the fences and the bridles. Trust the wisdom of the people who built the fence to keep you away from harm. They know where the thorns and holes are most likely to be hidden. Exercise your free agency and bridle your passions. Be committed to that. Be committed to following the commandments no matter what. Do this, and the fruits of the beautiful garden will be yours. They will be sweet to the taste and cause you no harm.

What blessings come from bridling our passions?

“Bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love.”

Love of self. Love of others. Love of God. Holy, virtuous principles lead to these things.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

________________________________________________________________________________________

* This is an actual FHE lesson I taught when my sons were aged six through ten. It was inspired by a joint Relief Society/Priesthood lesson taught by an LDS counselor specializing in sex addictions. He’s considered an expert in his field. He didn’t teach us grown ups with a horse and strawberries, that was my idea for my children.

* * The average age children are first exposed to pornography is age 11. That means some children view it much sooner. More often than not, the first time a person sees pornography (whether child or adult) is on accident. Malicious web designers purposely design their sites to be accidentally discovered, because they know how ensnaring that first experience can be. This sex addiction counselor spent a significant portion of his lesson explaining how easily people are trapped (adults with pornography addictions almost always began by accidentally stumbling across pornography online) and how important it is to A) educate kids about this danger, healthy sexuality, etc. and B) put multiple filters on your computer.

Filters are not foolproof. That’s why you have more than one. Determined kids might be able to figure out a way around them, that’s why you educate your kids, keep the lines of communication open and stay very aware of what they’re doing online. But you put filters on your computer for the same reason you lock your front door: to keep malicious intruders from barging into your home and doing damage. The lives of sweet, innocent, trustworthy children have been blown to bits because they accidentally saw pornography. This guy sees it all the time. The statistics back him up. Don’t make the mistake of thinking your children are immune. The potential damage is not worth the risk. Filter your computers.

* * * I’ll never forget my ten-year-old listening to this with rapt attention and with wide eyes saying, “He does?” He later told me that when he and his dad had gone camping several months prior, he was looking through the newspapers his dad had brought for starting campfires. In it was an ad of a scantily clad woman, dressed (or barely dressed) in some sort of animal skin. This (not surprisingly) caught the attention of my innocent, preadolescent boy. He hid the paper, went back to it several times during the trip, and finally threw it in the fire to get rid of it. He never discussed it out of fear and shame, and it had been corrupting his perception of himself. He wondered if he was a bad boy.

This FHE lesson gave him the permission to talk to me about this. He was visibly relieved to know that it’s natural to like the way a beautiful woman looks and that doesn’t make him bad. We talked about respect for ourselves, respect for women, healthy sexuality, and blessings that come from following the commandments. This talk freed my child from Satan’s trap.

Which he found in a newspaper.

Soft-core porn is all around us and social acceptance of it doesn’t dilute its poison at all.

* * * * For those already deep into pornography addiction, Satan may tell them they’re too far gone for help. Which is another way to keep them in the dark. Or as they go through their addiction cycle – which includes periods of abstinence before falling back into the trap again – Satan may encourage them to feel that they can control it on their own or to think the problem “really isn’t that bad because…” Again, Satan works in secrecy. Pornography addiction requires more counseling and education than a trapped deer can provide for itself.

In the last seven months, I’ve learned there’s a difference between running a personal blog and running a blog and website like my America Jane project.

When all I had was a personal blog, all I read were personal blogs by people I personally knew. I didn’t know about the famous blogs out there (and probably still don’t, Pioneer Woman notwithstanding).

So as I’ve gone about doing my various America Jane things, I’ve stumbled upon a bit of treasure out there in the blogging world. Some of it applies to the theme of this blog. Some of it doesn’t.

For example, Geninne’s Art Blog is a delight. I thought I’d tire of the birds, but I haven’t at all. In fact, she’s recently moved and has been busy setting up her studio (with an enviable view) and I miss seeing her birds. There’s something so cheerful about her blog and her artwork. It’s been a lovely addition to my Google reader.

Then there’s Škorčica. I don’t remember how I found this blog, but I love it. I love seeing bits of another culture. I love that English is not the primary language of that blog (and greatly appreciate the translations). See, it makes me feel all cultured. I don’t get a lot of culture in these parts. It’s nice to feel part of the International community, even if my part in the relationship is “lurker”.

Once Upon A Tea Time… Design Stories is like a picture book for me. I don’t even read the text. I just drool over things like this cozy spot.

I must say, following these blogs makes me want a decent digital camera all the more. If I ever get around to plunking down $600 for a camera, the look of this blog will completely change. I didn’t realize how bad my camera was until I tried taking pictures for this blog. That’s why my posts are typically limited to one picture. Ah well.

Anyway, thanks to the Family Proclamation Celebration (which is off to a fabulous start, by the way) I’ve discovered even more blogs. I checked out the other guest bloggers and found some treasures:

Scribbit’s blog hails from the northerly corners of the world (read: Alaska) and holds golden nuggets such as this delicious-looking poppy seed chicken casserole. There are a few other things I’ve found on her blog that I plan on highlighting separately.

Hungry Panda gets about a billion points for her Bob and Fred snowmen. I’m a big Calvin and Hobbes fan. These snowmen rock the house.

The Modern Hive has this cute Baked in a Jar idea. Supposedly you can let these sit on a shelf for up to six months, but who could wait that long?

And, if you haven’t already, check out Cocoa’s FHE database. I love the spider web idea.

What treasure have you accidentally found in the blogosphere?

I’ve been asked to be one of several guest bloggers for the Family Proclamation Celebration, hosted by Jocelyn of We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ and Cocoa of Chocolate on My Cranium (gotta love that blog title!).

During the month of September, bloggers from all over will be writing about some aspect of the Family Proclamation.

Mine’s already written and I gotta tell ya, I don’t mention Scouts or Personal Progress once. Not ONCE!

Nope, I decided to leave my little pet hobby at the door.

Instead I talked about such life-changing things as cottage cheese and ketchup.

Seriously.

I’m not quite sure if that’s what they had in mind.

But anyway, if you’re interested in The Family Proclamation and giveaways and joining one big ol’ party, then September is the month for you. Join in the fun and enter to win prizes by commenting on posts, putting a cute Family Proclamation Celebration button on your blog to spread the word, announcing it on Facebook, joining in on link-up parties and more.

To make it official, I suggest you eat some party-type munchies while you do this. The more chocolate-y the better.

The party awaits. See you there!

During our trip to Kartchner Caverns we watched a 15-minute video about how and why the cave became a State park. The founders talked about their reasons for wanting to protect it. They talked about their sense of responsibility to protect their beautiful Xanadu from the unfortunate fate of other caves, like this one:

It was an inspiring film. My 10-year-old was particularly touched by it. It was an unexpected opportunity to reinforce the values of individual responsibility toward ourselves, others and our world.

I’ve recently come to appreciate the fact that film is a powerful way to reach children. In an upcoming post, I’ll share which recently-released movie became the basis for a Family Home Evening lesson.

Meanwhile, because this is what I do, here’s  a scouting requirement that capitalizes on the power of movies (and would make a great FHE as well):

Citizenship in the Community Merit Badge requirement 5: “With the approval of your counselor and a parent, watch a movie that shows how the actions of one individual or group of individuals can have a positive effect on a community. Discuss with your counselor what you learned from the movie about what it means to be a valuable and concerned member of the community. Some suggestions:
Follow Me, Boys (G)
It’s a Wonderful Life (G)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (G)
Remember the Titans (PG)
October Sky (PG)
Mr. Holland’s Opus (PG)
Hoosiers (PG)
Pay It Forward (PG13)
Braveheart (R)
The Patriot (R)”

As an LDS mom, I’m thankful BSA made things easy on me by including the ratings right there in the text.

Anyone know of any other movies that would be good for this requirement?

Kubla Kahn in the Throne Room at Kartchner Caverns

As part of our summer adventures this year, we took a trip to Kartchner Caverns south of Tucson in Arizona. Discovered by Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts in 1974 and kept a secret until 1988 to protect the cave from pilferers and vandals, Kartchner Caverns is now a State Park and a true delight.

Not only does it boast awe-inspiring formations in a series of impressive caves, this is a living cave. That means water still seeps through crevices, drips from stalactites and sometimes floods the muddy floor of the Rotunda Room.

This cave is still a work in progress (though we’d have to live a very long time to notice the changes) and it’s delicate environment requires a high level of protection.

Touch a nearby formation and you’ve stunted it’s growth forever. The process of growing layer upon microscopic layer of calcium deposits doesn’t work when the oil from human hands enters the equation.

Even lint from our clothing can be a problem. Airborne lint clings to the cave wall and offers a place for algae growth. Very rapid algae growth.

So my boys and I went down the corridor through three vault-style doors (to protect the interior of the moist cave from the dry Arizona air), walked through misters so lint wouldn’t fly off our clothes, and diligently kept our hands to ourselves and the railings in spite of the don’t-I-look-like-so-much-fun-to-touch formations we passed.

Fortunately for us, there’s a replica in the Discovery Center where we can feel to our heart’s delight:

Where does Xanadu come in?

The founders of these caverns needed a code word so they could discuss their find in public without betraying their secret. A friend, majoring in English, referred them to Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem “Kubla Khan” (or “A Vision in a Dream: A Fragment”).

The poem begins:

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree

Thus their secret cave became Xanadu. After many months exploring Xanadu, Tenen and Tufts came over a ridge within the cave and discovered a vast inner room with a massive column in the center.

The young men began to giggle.

If this was Xanadu, then this was surely the King’s throne room and there in the center was Kubla Khan himself.

The highlight of this tour was the final light and music show in the Throne Room. Our tour guide called it rock music (har har) but really it was the inspiring Adiemus. Magnificent.

Or, as my 8-year-old son declared, “That was the most awesomest tour ever!”

Well put.

If you’ll be in the area this summer (or any time, really) I highly suggest a visit. If you’d like to see what’s closer to home, check out this directory of caves across the United States.

Don’t forget, visiting a State or National Park isn’t just a fun family adventure. It’s scout-friendly too. I was going to list some requirements to keep in mind as you make your summer plans, but that list got to be a tad long. So that’ll be in it’s own post, up next.

Rest in peace, dear modem.

Is it just me or is it ironic that just a few days after blogging about the perils of the digital age my modem died and I went a week without the Internet?

On the one hand it was a terrible inconvenience. On the other, it was nice not to be bothered by it. I did miss my America Jane blog, though, so I’m definitely returning to the virtual world.

And a week’s worth of missed emails. Oy vey.