Be A 'Yes' Lady!

Oh my gosh, last week was so great!!

So I've been on the prowl for fun things to do this summer in
Boston that will help get me out of my comfort zone and,
lucky me, found this interesting little event called the
Forest Hills Lantern Festival.  

It's an annual event they have at the Forest Hill Cemetery,

(yup, you read that right... party with the perished..)

inspired by a Japanese Bon Festival.

And it was so much fun!!

There are Japanese performers going on for the first part of the festival, 

then the second part is where the fun really begins!!

Anyone who wants to participate can make their own lantern in memory of someone who's passed away to float on the cemetery lake.

They literally had hundreds of frames brought in so that people could 

decorate as many lanterns as they wanted.  

After you get your rice paper you can take 

it to the Japanese inscription artists who will draw one of 

four different characters on your lantern.  The sign says

 Choose One:

Love

Eternal Life

Hope 

Peace

It made me sad to think of what it would be like if we could only choose one in real life.  Though they are all interconnected I would hate to be void of any single one of them, let alone 3.

Because of my religious beliefs in Eternal Life and the fact that I was

making this lantern in memory of my Mother, I thought it best suited what I hope for the most. :)

So while I am NOT an artist AT ALL 

(which is why I craft instead of draw hahaha) 

I took a friend with me who was able to render this beautiful drawing 

of a house with a gorgeous sunset in it and a lovely garden set among rolling hills.  It was the first thing I could think of that my mother loved so much, the sunsets at our home in KY.  

I called my friend Ms Cleo because of the uncanny resemblance the picture has to my actual house in Kentucky.

And then I freestyled on the back with a lovely stick-figure family and the forging of my mothers beautiful signature, something I always tried to do in high school ;)

Though I know she's not here physically, I always try and keep her close to me spiritually and follow in her amazing footsteps of being a true Christian, a kind and loving person.

I love you, Mom!!

So despite the fact that the event was initially a little intimidating 

because it was held in a cemetery

(lil creepy, maybe?!)

I was for sure glad that I decided to say 'yes' to trying something new,

'cause if you don't get out of your comfort box,

you'll keep on being boxed in. :)