Mother's Day Crafts

In an effort to cut down on our consumerism this year, I decided to make most of the Mother's Day gifts. I usually make gifts for each holiday, so this wasn't that different, but I made the cards too.

It was really very simple. I took several pictures of Mr. J from the side. He wasn't into standing still for me so I took more tries than I had imagined. Then I printed out the best picture, cut out his profile, colored in the profile with a big black marker, and scanned in the silhouette. I also scanned in a handprint of Mr. J's that I made with a

large ink pad on white paper.

I played around with the images in Photoshop until I got a nice looking design. I printed them out at Kinkos and framed several versions for the Grandmothers and Great Grandmothers. I also made one for the wall near my desk!

I also always think about the original reason for Mother's Day: peace activism. Women's groups have often been the loudest

voices calling for peace in the name of mother's and children everywhere. I think we will think hard about how to incorporate a greater message of peace into our Mother's Day celebrations in the future. This year, I put the following text inside the cards I made:

Original Mothers' Day Proclamation

Arise, then, women of this day! Arise all women who have hearts, whether your baptism be of water or of tears! Say firmly: "We will not have questions decided by irrelevant agencies. Our husbands shall not come to us reeking of carnage for caresses and applause. Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy, and patience. We women of one country will be too tender to those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."

From the bosom of a devastated Earth a voice goes up with our own. It says "Disarm! Disarm!" The sword of murder is not the balance of justice. Blood does not wipe out dishonor, nor violence indicate possession.

As men have forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summons of war, let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel. Let them meet first as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead. Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means whereby the great human family can live in peace, each bearing after his time the sacred impress not of Caesar, but of God.

In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask that a general congress of women without limit of nationality be appointed and held at some place deemed most convenient and at the earliest period consistent with its objects, to promote the alliance of the different nationalities, the amicable settlement of international questions, the great and general interests of peace.

Julia Ward Howe

Writer of the Battle Hymn of the Republic

Boston 1870

Happy Mother’s Day 2010

In Peace and Love,

Jenny, Chuck, and Mr. J