When my father, Odysseus, and his men sailed off to the Trojan War, they were confident their gods favored a quick victory. Instead, the siege of Troy lasted ten years. After Troy fell, the survivors made their way home to Sparta, Mycenae, Pylos, and elsewhere in the ancient Peloponnese. Neither my father nor any of his troops arrived home with the rest. We waited for years as the news grew worse. Odysseus was dead, we were told,or imprisoned, or, worst yet, he had married another woman and abandoned my mother Penelope, my brother Telemachus, and me.


If he is alive somewhere, his thoughts may wander to Penelope and Telemachus, but he won’t be thinking of me. I am the daughter he doesn’t know exists. Odysseus went off to the Trojan War when his son, Telemachus, was barely old enough to walk. His wife, Penelope, was a teenage bride, and is now a young wife, mother, and queen who has to try to rule Ithaca without him.


I was born seven months after he left. I am a hero’s daughter and a princess of his realm, but I have lived my entire life without a father. I’m nineteen now, and still waiting.


All over the world, and throughout history children grow up as I have. This website will focus on the children of those men and women who have gone off to fight America's wars, and provide information and resources for all who care about military families and want to help.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

The Gift of a Skill

This is such a great, original, and creative way to support military spouses! This Sunday in Laguna Beach, CA  the Sawdust Art Festival will host an arts education day for spouses of deployed servicemembers during their Winter Fantasy show. 
Ten military spouses will come from nearby Camp Pendleton to take a vocational jewelry class. Sawdust Board Member, Marla Burns, will be teaching skills in jewelry-making, which will enable the participants to produce jewelry as an income-producing activity, with very little outlay in tools or supplies. “The reception we have gotten from Camp Pendleton has been great. We are all excited about being able to give back. I visited the VA hospital and I learned that some of the spouses are looking for ways of additional income. This jewelry-making class will also give them something to take their minds off waiting for their deployed spouses to return,” said Burns.
The skills taught will include stamping, dapping, planishing and metal-smithing in both silver and copper. Students will create an original set of earrings and a pendant to take home.  

The spouses’ children are also invited to the Sawdust grounds on Sunday to take an “Animal Ornament Class” at the Children’s Art Spot, while their parents are in the jewelry class. The festival entrance fee, supplies, equipment, instruction, lunch at Deb’s Deli and popcorn, snacks, and candies are all included. The photo is of children enjoying fake snow in sunny Southern California
The festival is located at the Sawdust Art Festival, 935 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651. For additional information, please visit www.sawdustartfestival.org or call 949-494-3030.
Posted by About AART at 7:00 AM

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)