Creative Homefires: Camelot's Treasures

Creative HomeFires is a series which highlights the value that creativity offers to family members of a deployed spouse/significant other.  We offer stories of the creative life and the beautiful benefits experienced during some of the most difficult seasons.

Let me introduce

Guin

of

Camelot's Treasures

Here's her story:

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 It’s important to keep busy while your husband is deployed, it helps time pass and keeps you grounded.  But it’s also important for you to remember that you are separate from your family, and that you can have a life all on your own.  For awhile, I found myself in a position where I was just “mom” and no longer “Guin.”  I missed “Guin.”  That was one of the major reasons I started my business, and am grateful that I decided to do that as I watch it slowly bloom.

My business definitely is an asset when dealing with the crazy lifestyle the military involves us in, with long distance moves and short notice deployments.  But it’s mostly a benefit to my sanity, knowing that this is a representation of myself apart from my family.  Having been a military wife for a combined 10 years, I am definitely self-sufficient and independent as most military spouses are; we learn early on how to get things done.  I feel though, a lot of times we forget that we need to be ourselves also, not just a provider and caretaker.

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So, sometimes I’m selfish, and go hide out in my office for a little bit, whether my husband is home or not.  I close the door, turn up my iPod, and just create.  Because creating is bliss.

 

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Thank you Guin! If you are interested in contributing to the blog, please contact us via the Contact tab at the top of the blog.

Well of Creations-Blog Coordinator 

Team Captain's Corner: Things to Do When You Experience a Lull in Your Business

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“To remain healthy and vital, artists must stay proactive in their own behalf”

-Julia Cameron, Finding Water

The beginning of things offer instant rewards – the rush of discovery, the thrill of a new adventure, and (if you are lucky) the backing and encouragement of friends and family.  What do you do when you find yourself in the middle of things?  On a quest that leads through the detours of the mundane?  Bogged down by the repetition of making the same object in large quantities or the reality that no new ideas are coming forth from your heart OR your hands?

Julia Cameron of “The Artist Way” fame has provided extraordinary guidance in my journey toward continuing in this work that we do as artists.  Imagine art as work!  Many people hide that little tidbit away don’t they?  And if newbies are not careful, we might ASSUME that if the art is now becoming mundane, we must be doing something wrong or possibly we do not have what it takes.  But I would submit that even things that we participate in that we LOVE –yes even artistic endeavors- will reach a plateau. 

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But… not forever.  I came across one suggestion from Julia Cameron’s book “Finding Water” called the LAY TRACK EXERCISE.  In a nutshell, I take a piece of paper and I write down small actions I can take on my behalf as an artist to keep making small movements forward.  I wrote my five based on my writing endeavors:

1. write consistently on my blogs (at least every other day)
2. find a community of like minded artists and ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE
3. Consider the premise behind my blog-does it have a clear vision?
4. READ!
5. Organize blog posts into categories (I have written on my blog for over a year and rarely have I listed a tag = YIKES!)

Some have to do with basic “housekeeping” but others are opportunities to delve into new areas where the potential for spark lurk. 

What are your 5?

Saturday Tutorial: Marinated Chicken Breast

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This tutorial is brought to you by HoldsIt

Marinated Chicken Breast

1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
Dash of freshly grated ginger root or ground ginger to taste
1 (8-oz) boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Sprigs of parsley or basil for garnish

To make the chicken breast:  In a medium bowl, stir together the teriyaki sauce and ginger.  Add the chicken, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.  In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Cook the chicken for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.

If you would like to submit a tutorial, contact us via the tab at the top of the blog.

Well of Creations-Blog Coordinator

Creative Homefires: Moose Threads (Part 2)

Creative HomeFires is a series which highlights the value that creativity offers to family members of a deployed spouse/significant other.  We offer stories of the creative life and the beautiful benefits experienced during some of the most difficult seasons. 

 shop link

 

  This is Part 2 of a Feature written by

Kristin Gumpert

  shop owner of

Moose Threads

    I attempted occupy myself by freelancing for some area publications, but found it financially draining. Gas prices, low pay and child care often left me paying to write, rather than the opposite. I was starved for an emotional and creative outlet with no idea how to fill the seemingly bottomless void - until I walked into Wild n Wooly.
 
Wild N Wooly was a Local Yarn Store (LYS) that my family soon lovingly referred to as my own personal "crack den."  Every nook and cranny was filled with the most amazing fibers, colors and notions. I felt like Charlie walking into Willy Wonka's chocolate factory for the first time. It was all I could do not to taste or touch everything in the store.  It was there, surrounded by all these amazing yarns that I recalled my near-forgotten love for crochet. Taught to me as a child during long summer vacations with my mother and grandmother, I used to revel in the scraps they let me practice with, combining textures and colors to my heart’s content.  

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As I grew into an adult, the hectic nature of school and career responsibilities pushed this creative outlet into the dark recesses of my brain.  But in Wild N Wooly, surrounded by a Technicolor fiber rainbow, it all came flooding back.  A very social person at heart, my lack of friends and family had left me withdrawn, and I felt timid and almost scared standing there with my son tucked safely into his stroller. I was afraid to touch anything - all the while wanting to touch everything. I was a frozen ball of nerves.
 
It wasn't until I heard the welcoming voice of Wild N Wooly owner Caroline that I felt myself start to relax.  It was the first time since moving to our new duty station that I felt truly welcomed. I was encouraged to explore my surroundings and even invited to join the weekly group that gathered there every Wednesday to knit/crochet and catch up. It was among this group that I discovered what true friendship really is.  No matter how horrible my week or day was, how difficult I was finding a particularly long patrol, I knew that come Wednesday night I would feel better. It was a group filled with women of all types - military, non military, old, young, career-oriented and stay-at-home mothers. People who knit, people who crocheted, people who knew how to do neither but wanted to learn. 
It was a place without rank, rate or repercussions, but most of all it was a place filled with respect for one another as individuals.

Knitting Group peeps

 I've always been an off-the cuff, color outside the lines, type of person. It translated into my writing as a journalist and eventually into my crocheting.  As I became more confident with my crochet abilities, I would often deviate from patterns in order to create something resembling the pictures in my head.  Sometimes my creations worked and sometimes they didn't, but I always knew that my friends at Wednesday Night Knitting would give me an honest opinion.  Soon they encouraged me to sell my creations - resulting in the eventual opening of my Etsy store and a renewed sense of value in myself as a creator. Instead of using words to convey my thoughts and ideas I was using yarn. 
 
That was more than three years ago.  Though we no longer meet at Wild N Wooly, our core group is still going strong and the long lonely nights of separation from my spouse are filled with laughter and creative chaos. 

more knitting group peeps

Moose Threads
Custom crocheted items for infants-adults
ETSY SHOP
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Thank you so much Kristin for sharing your story! If you would like to be featured on the blog, please contact us via the tab at the top of the blog. 

Well of Creations - Blog Coordinator 

HF Support: Helen's Hat Box

 Welcome to a new feature on Homefront called HomeFront Support.  We know that there are many of you out there who support the military community.  We would love for you to share your stories with us.

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My family always believed in charity and the biblical principle of "If you are blessed, bless others". In 2006, I wanted to do something for soldiers so I looked on the Department of Defense web site. I saw "Adopt a Chaplain" and thought it was a great idea. I am old enough to remember the Viet Nam war and to remember how badly the soldiers were treated when they came home then. I emailed "Adopt a Chaplain" and started sending goodies to a Chaplain from a guard unit in Arkansas.

Four or five months later, I saw a picture of a chaplain doing Easter services the year before and thought that for those chaplains who were used to wearing stoles in their civilian life, stoles would be a good thing to have. In researching liturgical stoles I found out that all of them that I could find were floor length and cost over $100. This is when I asked the coordinator of Adopt a Chaplain, Ben Ferguson, if the chaplains would like hip length stoles. The stoles started out rather crude with iron on decals of crosses. When one chaplain said he wanted something in a dull color because he didn't want to be a target in bright green, I started making the stoles in camo fabric. Two years ago my husband bought me an embroidery sewing machine and I started to be able to embroider crosses and unit patches. I have made stoles for every Christian denomination and for every branch of service.

When I started making hats I thought "Why not make small hats for the women in a military man's life?" My hats are small and I purposely don't charge much because I know that money is tight for many military families. These hats can come with a 3 in round frame that you can put a picture in or I can put a pin from the military branch or an embroidered patch from their branch or unit also on the hat most of the time. If it is a small unit I may not be able to. I am limited by the company I buy the patch downloads from but I have some of the big units like 1st Cav or 1st Infantry etc.

These hats are frilly and fun yet they honor your man. I see these hats being worn at a graduation or any kind of ceremony on base. If you want your man to find you in a crowd, this would also be a great way to do it.

For a very near sighted RN, this is my way of serving my country. (I tried to join up but because of my vision they wouldn't take me. I made the recruiter cry)

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Helen is offering a 25% discount in her shop.  Use the code:  
SEA25

THANK YOU Helen Marshall for supporting the Homefront Community.  If you or someone you know supports the Homefront Community, please contact us via the Contact tab at the top of the blog.

Well of Creations - Blog Leader



Well of Creations - Blog Coordinator

Creative HomeFires: Moose Threads (Part 1)

Creative HomeFires is a series which highlights the value that creativity offers to family members of a deployed spouse/significant other.  We offer stories of the creative life and the beautiful benefits experienced during some of the most difficult seasons. 

 shop link

 

  This 2 PART Feature is written by

Kristin Gumpert

shop owner of

Moose Threads

To say my introduction to submarine life was simple is like saying a 400 pound gorilla is "just a tiny little thing."  I couldn't have made it any harder if I tried.  Having met my husband in the middle of a shore duty, far from any naval base, I was utterly and completely spoiled our first year of marriage.

-We had no children.
-He was home every night.
-Calling him at work was not only easy but normal.
-We had plenty of family and friends with which to spend our time.
-And most importantly - my job as a sports reporter for a local newspaper fed my     independent nature and creative needs.

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 Life was bliss.

But like most things in life - and duty stations - it wasn't meant to last.  Around our first anniversary my husband received orders for a five-year sea tour on a boat stationed in the Pacific Northwest - a climate very different from our warm and sunny Central Valley California- based life.  It was also during this time I discovered I was unexpectedly pregnant with our son.  Within moments my outlet for creativity and independence was put on hold - indefinitely.

NOTE: While not for everyone, the choice for me to furlough my career was based upon the cost-effectiveness of late-night childcare amid an unpredictable journalistic schedule and MIA husband. Toss in the fact my pregnancy was deemed "complicated" and well....there you go.

Three weeks after our son's birth, my husband left on an 80-plus day patrol.   I was living off base, had no friends locally and caring for a newborn. It was a recipe for insanity....as well as rebirth.

Despite having a newborn to take care of, I still found myself with a lot of time on my hands.  The long days and nights of isolation were maddening and coupled with the lack of spouse contact a submarine patrol provides I was slowly slipping into a depression...

Kristen will share the rest of her story on Friday May 6, 2011

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If you are interested in sharing your story, use the Contact Tab at the top of the blog.

Well of Creations - Blog Coordinator

Military Life...From a Spouse's Perspective: Leslie Jeannet

The Military Brat Team and the Homefront Team are combining efforts to share our experiences with the military lifestyle so that others can fully understand the sense of community, sacrifices, benefits, and expectations we all share as members of a truly unique group of people. Each month we will feature a story shared by a Military Brat Team member, and a story shared by a Homefront Team member.

  This Feature is written by Leslie Jeannet, shop owner of Heart Adrift

Military Life….

From a spouse's perspective

    Growing up in south Louisiana, I was constantly surrounded by family and friends – you see, southern living has a certain magnetism to it that keeps its natives near and never seems to let them drift far.  When my heart became drawn to a “Navy Boy,” as my friends called him, red flags started flying. No one could understand why on earth I’d ever want to be involved with someone outside the city limits, let-alone someone who was in the military!

       Fast forward over 4 years later and here I am: far from the family and friends I love dearly, but happier than I could have ever imagined because I married the man who captured my heart.  Being a Navy Wife is one of the hardest yet most rewarding aspects of my life. In these short years I’ve learned what it is to trust someone more than I trust myself, gained a love and respect for my country that I’ve only ever heard my grandfather speak of, and realized that communication truly is the key to a successful marriage. Though only partially through his very first deployment, I can tell you one thing: strength finds you when you least expect it.

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Thanks so much Leslie for sharing your story with us! If you would like to submit a story for this series please contact us ("Contact" tab at the top of the blog) for consideration.

Robin Norgren, Blog Coordinator