Spring Hats

The Post-Gazette doesn't seem to put their monthly society pages magazine Seen online. But April features "Men in Hats." The premise is kind of silly really, they put expensive women's hats on some of Pittsburgh's alpha males, including the mayor. Liking hats as I do my reaction to the photographs was to wonder how come men don't wear hats like these. Perhaps the price range of $298 to the $728 number on the mayor's head is one reason I don't see many women in these sorts of hats either. The Sunday fashion article on Easter Hats points out that most of one designer's hats are in the $200-range; no wonder--still.

I've been making hats. Somehow the visions in my head are harder to translate into reality. I need to buy a bunch of chicken feathers to decorate them more. Pompoms are a nice touch, although I've only gotten around to adding them to a few of the hats. PingTing says he wants a turban. I tried. He also suggested photographing the collection and made the good suggestion of hats for tots. How big is a kid's head? Really, I don't know and don't have a kid handy; so the information would be appreciated. I make my adult hats approximately 24 inches in diameter. I cut the blanks 25 inches to allow for an inch overlap. Kevin at microcosmonaut is actually going to send in $5 for a hat and I'm so pleased. I can't wait to see some photos of people wearing Party Hats for Potash.

PingTing's April 4th post is a series of photographs of an altar he made to remember his Aunt Mary Jane. Blogs serve many purposes, they can be about many things. Something I love very much whatever the topic is how often the human stories come through in blogs. Thoughts of consolation are with you PingTing and all of your family.

His April 3rd post is a series of photographs of a rainbow taken near his house. I haven't seen a rainbow yet this year, but sings of spring are all around. There are daffodils all around. When we first moved here there was an area that was a tangle of bramble and very difficult to clean up because old fencing and a heavy wire for a grape trellis were involved. So I was so amazed to see the area full of daffodils in the spring. Over the years I've dug those bulbs and spread them around, so there are daffodils all over. It was warm and then it rained hail. Such is spring.

Sometimes I get overwhelmed by all the tragedy around. Tonight's PBS FRONTLINE was The Meth Epidemic. I feel so for people caught in a web of addiction. My heart ached when the film pointed out the effects on children living with addicted parents. I never wanted children of my own, all too much responsibility for me. But I love children and to know how many suffer sometimes makes me almost catatonic.

Here's a piece posted today at Human Rights Watch News, D.R. Congo: Election Poses Dangers for Street Children. Mukhtar Ainashe has been regularly posting at FOOD CRISIS IN SOMALIA. I can barely bring myself to open his blog, but this recent post, Ten Million Face Threat of Starvation in Somalia made me go there. It's not right to always look away. There was this item at the Uganda Conflict Action site today, At least 66,000 Youth Abducted in Northern Uganda. Oh and then of course I read blogs about politics in the good old USA. Sometimes it Make me wanna holler.

Spring and all things seem possible. I look at the work to be done around here and can remember how much optimism I used to feel about how much I'd get done. Now I know I'll get some things done;-) It's not original to me, nevertheless the idea that what we can do in the face of evil is to "Create Something Good" is much like the promise of spring. We can create something good.

Paper hats, yes the world need more paper party hats. We need more parties. We must try to make others happy. A big reason I love children is because it seems easy to make them happy. Oh, I know you parents out there will beg to differ. But children can be delighted and what's more exhilarating feeling is there to be there when they are. Somebody figured out that the world needs $728 Easter Bonnets. I can't argue because the mayor sure looks good in it. Still a paper party hat will bring you some joy just as well. It doesn't have to be a party hat I make. As I'm discovering more veryday there are many ways to make a paper hat. I hope you'll try your hand at it too. But should you be wanting a Party Hat for Potash, contact me, I've got lots.