Inverted Tire Planter

Ashley and I have been working on an inverted tire planter project. First we picked our tire, then washed it with warm soapy water. After it dried, we traced half circles around the edge with a sharpie and the lid off a jar candle. 

Next Ashley began to cut around the trace lines with a box cutter. 

Once the rim, which becomes the stand of the planter is separated, The kids inverted the tire. Then I spray painted the tire with a Rustoleum Leak Seal Flexible Rubber Coating. It then sits and cures for 24 hours. 

We then pick an exterior paint at Home Depot. We used Behr and a high quality brush. We decided we wanted polka dots & a wavy strip. Once it was dry, we flipped it and painted the bottom. 

Next, we screwed the planter and stand together. 

Then we placed many drainage holes in the 16 inch saucer I bought at Menards. 

Then we flipped the tire and stand over and screwed the saucer to the bottom of the planter. 

Added more drainage holes 

Then we found the perfect place for the planter and put in our washed river rock. 

Then we filled it with good potting soil and now it's ready for flowers. First, we are making two more ;) 

Love Sara & Ashley ;) 

Perspective

The whole of one man's reality is only that man's reality. A simple but powerful realization. An evolution of thought is needed in every corner of every corner of this Nation. Imagine if everyone came to the realization that we all live in our own version of reality and everyone else's is different, even if you live in the same house, work at the same place, have the exact same conversation or experience, what a revelation that would be. One person's Hell is another's Heaven One person's truth is another's lie. One person's propaganda is another's gospel. All of which could be reversed.

The great Men who found this Nation, after seeing some of the world's greatest horrors known to humankind, could see the importance of tolerance. The sentence "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. This was a brilliant statement, said by men who were on both sides of the Political Isle, who could take themselves out of the equation and see the importance of setting up a system that allowed all individuals the Freedom to live life how ever the choose to see fit. This powerful Declaration of Rights is the cornerstone of very area of our lives. The only truth that matters.

How would it be to let go of each other's differences of opinions, faith, religion, political views, wealth status or class status? What if we celebrated our similarities and took the time to learn about each other's differences and respected each other enough to be individuals? What if we realized that only I have the ability and right to control is myself? What if we stopped concentrating on what tears us apart and instead tried to find a similarly in what we also believed is important? Why does anyone of us think we have the right to say that the way we study Religion is the only right way? Why do we believe that everything we believe is the only truth that matters? Why do we believe that we have the right to try to force other's to believe what we believe and if that belief does not match that they are somehow misguided, mistaken and ignorant? Why do we as a People believe that we have the right to bash other's over the head with sarcasm, hatred and evil sentiment if their opinion is the opposite of ours?

I believe it is dangerous for a Liberal to mock someone who chooses to practice religion in what some may call a strange or fanatical way, just as I think is dangerous for a Conservative to mock someone who chooses to study spirituality rather than through an organized religion. I believe Conservatives should respect that most women want the ability to choose what they can and can not do to their bodies, reproductively. Just as I believe a Liberal should respect that a Conservative does not want Government the to force them to pay for projects and policies that they do not believe in. I find it amusing that a Liberal wants Government to be involved in everything from Insurance to Taxes to Environmental Protection to Health Care but does not want the Government to be involved in areas such as ratings on video games or breast feeding in public. I find it amusing that a Conservative does not want Big Brother involved in their daily lives but wants the Government involved in their freedom to practice Religion, banning stem cell research, outlawing Gay marriage, being able to stock pile guns and ammunition, and doesn't mind if the Government is wiring tapping individuals.

It is fatally dangerous to the entirety of this Nation and for all it's Peoples to be intolerant of each other's differences. It is wrong for a Liberal to consider themselves as intellectually evolved because they may or may not allow the trappings of a church to tell them what to believe and how to live. It is also wrong for a Conservative to believe that they are superior beings because they have money, feel that they are of a higher class of humans and or that they are entitled because they may have been luckier than the next guy.

To be tolerant of each other's inequalities, would be equal to a higher plain of existence, peace and connectedness. This is our only salvation as a planet. This is our purpose, our call and our duty. To give a hand up rather than a hand out, to realize that most poor folk have suffered from a series of devastating events and want to better themselves, to realize that we all have a responsibility to care for and support ourselves unless it is entirely impossible, would be a humongous step toward saving each other a lot of heartache. We all need to come up with solutions to our Countries problems rather than pointing fingers. If we all just realized that everything is just a matter of our own perspective and that each of ours is different and unique and that it is just what they are suppose to be, the world would be a much more peaceful place. We could then concentrate on what is really important and that is living each day like it is your last and that we each need to make it count. What do you want your legacy to be? An angry judgemental person who was always intolerant of everyones individuality or a peaceful being who understood the importance of being happy, compassionate and accepting?

Extraordinary Moments in Life

In my life time, I have experienced many extraordinary moments. These are the moments in which time seems to stand still. You pull yourself out side of the situation, as if to watch the moment as it happens as an observer rather than a participant. You know that soaking up every sound, every visual, every smell and every action is vital in order to burn it into your memory. Many of us have much the same experiences, all unique to ourselves, but labeled the same in the scheme of things. The day of your wedding, the birth of each of your precious children, crossing the threshold of your new home for the first time, graduating from college and many others. My hope is for everyone to not only experience these joys but many others.

It is easy to define these moments as special from all else. You know that you have been in the right place at the right time, that this specific situation will never come again. In my own life, a short list of these moments would include: sitting at Grandpa Morgan's Kitchen Table completing crossword puzzles with him when I was five, walking to school on my first day of Kindergarten by myself, cutting down our own Christmas tree in 1977 with my Dad, Mom and Amber, seeing The Grand Tetons for the first time, camping in Jackson Hole, visiting Custer National Park, Hiking at Mt. St. Helen's, the first time I saw Erick, my Wedding Day, the birth of Corey, Chris and Ashley, Graduating from College, spending one last day with Grandpa Morgan before he died, visiting Grandma Rasmussen, Grandpa Pietan and Grandpa Rasmussen shortly before their deaths, The births of Shaley, Lucas and Tavian. Watching Erick get his first treatment of his first Clinical Trial at Mayo Clinic.

In this last year, I have been lucky enough or intelligent enough to finally figure out that I need days off from work. In turn, I have had many extraordinary moments. Standing on the Lake Michigan Pier in Wisconsin during a Volleyball Camp for Ashley, with Christopher and Ashley. Attending Ashley's Anacrusis at St. Olaf College, sitting in our driveway last summer on a warm evening listening to music with the kids and their friends, who all broke out into synchronized song, realizing that my children are aging and these nights are few and far between. Taking a photo of Erick taking a photo of the Minneopa Waterfall, in Mankato. Realizing that at any time we could be told his cancer is back and we may not be able to do even this simple hobby together any longer. Traveling to Winona with Chris and Erick taking pictures of beavers on a Wildlife preserve. Snuggling Corey, if I can catch him. The day Andrew turned 18 and we did not have to worry about his family playing games with us any longer.

On Memorial Day, Erick had a spontaneous idea to go to Lakewood Cemetery to take pictures. We spent the better part of five hours wandering the Chapels, Mausoleums and grounds when we decided to go by the main Chapel on last time and heard a beautiful brass quintet playing inside. As we entered the chapel we were flooded with the sound of The National Anthem. After standing at attention, we found an empty pew. The Chapel was constructed in the early 1900's. It is made of 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch tile, Mosaic Style. The walls are adorned with Angels, covered in real, shiny gold. The pews are seated under a large dome, where all the sound reverberates back down to your entire body. As we sat together listening with our eyes closed, we felt as though we were the only people in the room. I knew instinctively I had to soak up every Angel, every tile, every stain glassed window, every vibration, every sound, every beat of mine and Erick's heart to preserve this perfect extraordinary moment in time we were lucky enough to be a part of. I was absolutely elated to be sharing this moment with my Husband!