KAREY SHANE

The Power of Girls Pledge

I just took the Girl Scouts Power of Girls Pledge and thought you and your teachers might want to know about it! This is a picture of the website, and it's one of my favorite websites for girls so far! Way to go Girl Scouts! Keep up the good work girls. :)

Take the Power of Girl's Pledge !

P.S. Come back here to let me know you took the pledge and leave a comment below! We'll be cool together. (Well, OK, you'll be cooler than me, but that's alright.)

The Girl Effect

I love, love, love this video. It's amazing!

More info is available from GirlEffect.com but I've included it for you here so the downloads are just one click away. The first one is two pages. The second one is one you'd want to read during a slow breakfast, perhaps. I printed them both out to put in a binder so I can make notes.

Download TheGirlEffect_FactSheet

Download Girl_Effect_Your_Move

Half the Sky 2

Reading Half the Sky is has brought the spirit of Christmas into my heart. I can't explain it. I'm having a wonderful time here in San Clemente with family; yet even though my feet are grounded in this cherished family time together--shared meals, making origami birds, playing board games and fishing off the pier--my spirit feels as though I've stepped on an invisible conveyor belt that's whisking me to a world of equally powerful purpose: to lift up the hands that hang down and strengthen the feeble knees.

I arrived here two nights ago after slowly reading, outlining, and making notes of Half the Sky during my flight from Denver. I think I got to page 26 or so. After we all went to Morton's for an incredibly sumptuous meal, I went to bed exhausted. But the most amazing thing happened. I got chills just now thinking about it:

Karey and the Terrible, Horrible . . .

Did you ever read Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day? Just insert the name Karey for Alexander. Missed flights are no fun. Especially when the rest of the family is at Disneyland without you! I have a picture of me next to a billboard that I took in the Denver airport a few minutes ago. Once I get to where I'm going, I'll find a connecting cord and put it up here. It tells it all.

This has been the worst day ever. I mean, why did I ask my husband where they were, only to be hesitantly told, "Disneyland?" But that still, quiet part of me that is finally resurfacing after crying in the bathroom stall for at least 15 minutes (and crying Outloud whenever someone flushed, then crying with quiet, shoulder shaking sobs in between time) is remembering that life has great meaning that goes far beyond what seem like disasters. Disasters? Well, not really, but it is dag nabbed hard when you, or I . . .

The First Butterfly

I'm here because of a small, simple things. Hope. Gratitude remembered. A smile. Laughter even when life is hard.

I'm here because of what happened the day I took my homemade butterfly to a cute 16 year-old new mother in my neighborhood who had just given birth. It was a day when it would have been easier to stay inside my little cocoon. But I had held her baby a few days earlier, and we started a new friendship.

I accomplished the "great feat" of getting outside myself by telling myself, "Just do it now. It might make her smile. Just get out the door." What happened next was amazing to me.

I'm here because of a small, simple things. Hope. Gratitude remembered. A smile. Laughter even when life is hard.

I'm here because of what happened the day I took my homemade butterfly to a cute 16 year-old new mother in my neighborhood who had just given birth. It was a day when it would have been easier to stay inside my little cocoon. But I had held her baby a few days earlier, and we started a new friendship.

I accomplished the "great feat" of getting outside myself by telling myself, "Just do it now. It might make her smile. Just get out the door." What happened next was amazing to me.

Butterfly Sundays

October 28, 2008:

Sunday seems like a great day to get out and do something kind for someone. One day I hope children everywhere will realize how much good they can do by just sitting down with someone to draw a butterfly for them and talk while they're doing it.

We had our first "Butterfly Sunday" today at church. I just want to give a shout out to my girls. Excuse me a moment folks...Hi girls! Thanks for participating today. You'll have to let me know who you gave your butterfly to, or if you decided to keep it and write your "tombstone promise" on the back.