Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Chapter One Sample Possibilities



Sample Possibilities for Mothballs In My Attic
To get you started on this mindful journey

Chapter 1- Home is Where the Heart Is…
The Magazine, _____________was always found in our home.
Activity Planning:
Make a Bulletin Board similar to the drawing on Page 2 of Mothballs.
Decide what decoration should go on the front door, paste real leaves on the board, write everyone’s address on the bulletin board, where they grew up. This could start a session on different neighborhoods and different styles of houses, who mowed the lawn, what was is their back yards, did they have a garage, what kind of car did they have.
Filling in the blank above: bring in magazines to spark interest, read what is new in the world of government or fashion or what is on TV. What TV shows did they watch and where was the TV located. Make a list of magazines that all can recall. Try to find some old magazines from the list and see how they have changed from today. Do they remember TV Dinners and TV Tray tables. What was their favorite thing for dinner, did they help make dinners, who cooked in their home. Where did they shop for their food, the price of bread or was their milk delivered.
Purpose: The purpose of Mothballs is to start a "web" of questions designed for answers or designed for thought. The brain holds so much information and it’s there but sometimes we need some prompting. Starting with just one sentence you can "web" around and spend time by exploring what the mind recalls. If you are able to go with the flow you never know what will be "pulled down from the attic". Visuals and conversation and bringing the outdoors in (the leaves) and the memories out is key. Mothballs In My Attic is one of those keys to unlocking memories and stimulating conversation. That is why we say, one word is worth a thousand pictures!
Thank you for adding Mothballs In My Attic (MIMA) to your Activities. Everyday holds a MIMA Moment for you to discover

An Ice Tea August



The Tea House Times August Reflections of
Mothballs In My Attic
By Cindy O’Neill
The dog days of summer are in full swing. It’s hot but there are ways to cool off. Start by brewing a pot of tea, adding ice cubes and a squeeze of lemon. Watch the droplets form on the glass and indulge in the best summer drink there is ~ Iced Tea. Add some lemons or mint leaves, be creative, that mango would be great too! While enjoying your beverage, enjoy a time past and reflect back….
The fire hydrant gets released and children are in the street giggling and dancing around. The ice cream man is ringing his bell and we run towards the truck while begging Mom for some coins for a cool treat. The ice cream man in his white uniform hops off his driver’s seat and opens the steel latches on the side of the truck. The doors open and close with such authority and the ice cream man reaches in through the cascading cold vapors and retrieves the frozen dessert. He made change with his "steel belt" and within minutes we knew that the day was complete and we were all happy.
Remember your ice cream man and the sound of his bells, the coins sweaty in your palm waiting for the truck to turn down your street.
Let the mothballs refresh your memory, enter your attic and open your trunk.
See what comes forward with a step back to a day in August...
Reflecting back in August …
remembering heat waves, keeping cool and Iced Tea. *Make a pitcher of iced tea*
Fill in the blanks with just one word and see how the memories flood back. Take your time, sip your tea, this is not to be rushed but rather enjoyed. Remember all the feelings and visual sensations and experience the places your mind travels.
The big pitcher we used for ice cold tea looked like ______ ___________________.
The place we bought our lemons and mint leaves was _______________________.
We got our ice cubes out of the trays by __________________________________.
In the hottest month of the year, we would keep cool by ______________________.
Sharing a MIMA Moment
Sharing a big pitcher of ice cold lemon tea refreshes all...
What other ways you can feel refreshed?
Column based on Mothballs In My Attic, a new fun nostalgia book that contains over 220 questions within 12 chapters, poems and illustrations.
To order a book visit http://www.mothballsinmyattic.com/