Bad Santa's Festival of the Last Minute

How's this for a fantastic idea: My friend Melina is buying holiday gifts from indie stores and regional artists, giving the business card with the gift. Love the gift- buy more, support the local entrepreneur and economy.

Dylan and I took this idea to Portland last weekend. We needed a little family love, so we went to see his Granpa Jim and Grandma Mary. (I'm grateful that they still consider me a daughter, even though Brian and I were divorced earlier this year.) Weekend treasures included Mary's gourmet cooking, Jim's always inspiring conversation and the wacky goodness of the Portland artist's market. As part of our visit we went to the Festival of the Last Minute.





















My favorite artist was Matt Hellner. I bought one of his Layered Shadow Boxes for my brother's girlfriend, Jess.

But it was the outrageous Bad Santas and a crazy merchant dressed as a bear that made our family gawk and laugh.


Of course, I encouraged Bear Man to chase Dylan.

A Lil' Piece of Americana Isn't Scary

Things I dreaded when "D" started elementary school 5 years ago:


1. The PTA
2. PTA Moms (AND DADS)
3. Becoming a PTA mom

Today the words came out of my mouth, “Oooh my two favorite PTA moms,” as I hugged the most sustainable greenest thumb chickadee I know in Tacoma and the associate publisher of the hippest art mag in the city.

I guess Halloween is an appropriate time to officially overcome my fear of PTA moms, though I’ve yet to become one. It was my costume tonight. And I was in good company. Jess, the cowgirl, confessed the key to being a cool PTA mom is throwing the “F-bomb” around occasionally. I laughed, realizing she’s either normal or we’re both abnormal. Either way she’s my kind of PTA mom.

I had a great time posing for our Americana picture with Cowgirl Jess and Politico Nathe at Dylan’s Halloween Sock Hop at Sherman Elementary. My pose throwing a PTA gang sign is to show that I still embrace diversity as a part of Americana, even if I’m following my other sheeple (and friends) to PTA dances. They’re good people to be a sheeple with- and I Fucking love the kids.

It wasn’t scary at all.

Why are we failing financial literacy?

Financial literacy has come up several times recently among my friends, at work, in grad school, on the news and even at home last night.

Luke is setting up a budget for our family and it even includes the opportunity for Dylan (my 9 year-old son) to earn $25 a week. Along with that we are charging Dylan for rent $5, utilities $5 and food $5. Does this sound drastic? It's actually an innovative approach to teach him about budgeting and self motivation.

And that's one of the reasons we are failing financial literacy. My fellow grad students were shocked and awed when I said the "preachy" credit union approach to teaching financial education is not working. The fact, backed by quantitative data is that bank and credit union educators lecturing students is ineffective.

With both parents and teachers ignoring financial education, presuming the other is teaching it, I don't mean to criticize the only people actively addressing the problem.

I do want to help credit union educators do a better job of teaching financial education.

Education is not just about teaching. It occurs when the result is learning.

Dr. Lewis Mandell is the leading researcher of financial literacy in the United States. While he is currently assessing the outcomes of his 2008 research, the 2006 research was mind blowing. I've attached a link to an online PPT. check out slide 4.

To give credit unions the praise they deserve, the PBS show Biz Kid$ funded by America's Credit Unions does create the needed self efficacy to produce results. It features kids teaching each other with real life examples of kids who own their own businesses.

Kudos to the National Credit Union Foundation who spearheaded the funding of this show. They realized you can't bore kids into learning-so lets inspire them.

Hey Mom I Skipped a Grade!

Dylan's back in school and it’s a brave new year. They decided to put him and a handful of other 4th graders in an experimental 5th grade classroom. The teacher is very engaging. They choose Dylan not because he achieved the highest test marks, but instead because he shows the greatest aptitude. We are hoping the more mature student will increase Dylan’s self-efficacy (motivation).

Open house was last night. The students put mystery notes on their desks with clues about which desk belonged to each of them.

Dylan’s note was the only one that told the parents, “I love you.”

Guess some of that 5th grade maturity is rubbing off on him already.

Honestly it was the “my favorite toy is Bokugan,” that was clue that tipped us off to Dylan’s Desk. It was an unexpectedly sweet night. Dylan’s dad Brian is backpacking in British Colombia with my brother, Jon, but Brian’s girlfriend Emily came to the open house.

Emily and I were blessed with Dylan’s love for us…and Bokugan

The Tall Ships Are Coming!

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Originally uploaded by Tacoma Urbanist

On the heels of my post about the Frost Park Chalk Off, this sidewalk chalking urged on a shout-out for the International Tall Ships Festival here in Tacoma this week.

Oh yes, Tacoma is a cultural mecca. We love our community.

Special thanks to Michelle Merritt in advance for gifting Dylan and I tickets to watch the fireworks from one of the historic ships on the water. You are an amazing woman, friend and we are grateful.

Artists Everywhere Move to Tacoma

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Originally uploaded by Tacoma Urbanist

The Tacoma Urbanist has posted an interesting photo on Flickr. Is it true that our own Tacoma Art Place is the prize of the next Frost Park Chalk Off?

The city of Tacoma has so many cool things happening, organic. It is organic. Seriously, right now this moment, you can walk to the park in the center of the downtown and see the most vivid, beautiful and unusual chalk art on the sidewalks and fountain walls.

Oh, and then walk up the hill to Tacoma Art Place and with your membership that costs about $4 a month make stained glass art or have someone teach you how to use the dark room.

Artists everywhere move to Tacoma!!

What does a BBQ rocket launch look like?

Eat and play 2
Originally uploaded by jamiejchase

Ok, I admit it when the United Way pulled funding for Boy Scouts I looked down my nose at the organization and bought into the idea that maybe they discriminate against different religions or our gay friends.

What I didn’t know is that they don’t, at least not across the board as a constant. Apparently, the Boy Scouts are run like a credit union or our political parties at the local level. Each troop is individually owned by the community and has a vote at the regional council.

In fact, the councils set the stage for the national platform. So for all of you Boy Scouts, moms and liberals that love community and scouting re-engage. It is your organization.

Our experience has been wonderful. The handbook has guided important discussions that I never would’ve imagined. And the religion badge, if your child chooses to pursue it,crosses all cultures and sects-not just Christianity, seriously.


The event this week was so much fun. We did a rocket launch and BBQ in the North End of Tacoma. The kids had a blast, pun intended. Ha!

School Daze

The last days of school are so great for kids. Dreams of ice cream, swimming and no homework forever.

Yesterday there was a BBQ and field day with games at Mr. D's school. It brought back so many memories from Bolivar Elementary. I could almost feel the kick ball field between the playground and Burfield's Strawberry Farm under my feet. JB if you are reading this, I think we should plan a family field day back home.


I am so grateful that life keeps getting better and better. The last days of school are great when you are a kid, but like Christmas morning, it is even better as a parent seeing Dylan and his best friends enjoying the same innocent freedom that come with the last days of school!

Pushing Boundaries in the Volcano

I'm crazy about Seal. His words are set me on fire, hot. "In a world full of people why do only some of us fly? Isn't that crazy." Think about that. Me, you, we can do whatever we want in life to fly. And by fly I just mean to be yourself, free to be you-vibrantly.

There is an artist who exemplifies this. I wrote an article about her. Want a shot of empowerment? Read on:


Pushing Boundaries by Jamie Chase in the Weekly Volcano.

To intrigue you into reading the story...

Gratitude Call

Yesterday I received a beautiful message from a dear friend, Charles. He was making his "gratitude calls". How amazing is that, seriously!

I thought about how warm his call left me feeling. The call wasn't just about thanks for the fun projects we are working on together. He actually thanked me for being me. Can you imagine? Profound. It left me thinking about the people I am grateful for just because they are: Jon, Robbi, my mom, Brian. The list is long and if you are reading this, I'm grateful. Guess I need to make a few calls.

Beyond the love that surrounds us, I'm grateful for the simple things.

Dylan and I are on a mini-vacation at his grandparent's in Portland. Yesterday, we spent a beautiful morning at the farmer's market. Do you see how grateful Dylan is for the banana bread his papa purchased for him (see picture)? I took my camera and shot a few pics of colorful, fresh veggies. Wow, how lucky we are to have such simple beauty in our lives. I'm grateful for that and so much more. Life is good.

Harry Hogwart Tacoma

Magical beasts, crystal amulets and the kids made wands too. Wish someone could've put a spell on me. Kids parties are dizzying and Dylan's 9th birthday was a Harry Potter bash. There were fifteen or more kids running round the backyard of the historic fire station we call home (North I ST behind Dave's Meat and Produce). At the end of the day the count of wounded soldiers was not high. One little girl will have glitter in her hair for at least a week, another had a muddy pant seat and my condo neighbors were kind about the a new mythical hiding spots in our hedge.

The childish good time turned into one of urban legend when my friend Josh delivered a gag gift to the birthday boy. What does a preteen want more than a Pokemon or the latest Transformer? Well, it is NOT a My Little Pony. Dylan's reaction was hilarious and he was a trooper-even in front of his little dudes.

A gift for Tacoma that is pure gold

My stomach gets geeky mom butterflies of pride for our community when I watch the Tacoma Art Place YouTube video. If you haven’t seen the video, the story is this beautiful man, Mark Bratlie, owner of Turtle's Shell Stained Glass in Chehalis, WA was selling a kiln for $450. When we saw it on Craig’s List, we wrote to him about Tacoma Art Place (non-profit art center in Tacoma inspired from art co-ops in West Africa creates affordable access to art equipment for everyone) and asked if he’d donate his kiln to the project. He did. In the video, Mark said of the kiln, “It’s a gift for Tacoma,” as he stood in front of one of his own majestic pieces of stained glass work with rays of sunlight beaming off of him as big as his smile.

As Mark and our friend Patrick Hogan loaded the kiln into a van to bring it back to Tacoma, my eight-year-old son Dylan said, “Mom, It’s pure gold.”

Put your sunglasses on, that pure gold is glittering in the hilltop this week! That kiln along with a second donated kiln and a darkroom are all now operational. Tacoma Art Place even held its first fused glass class this past Sunday. My brother, Jon Graef, took the class and said he enjoyed leaving with his own glass art.

So here’s the deal, what’s the cost to use all of this equipment? It’s the equivalent of $4 a month for an individual, only $48 a year and Tacoma’s best kept secret. To learn glass fusing with an instructor my brother only paid $20. It is a crazy inspiring good deal. Check it out: Tacoma Art Place

Spread the word. It’s a gift and it’s pure gold.

First day at Disney: All wet!

The plane ride on United from SeaTac to Orlando was Loooong. We saw the best and worst that United had to offer. In the end, as in the final 5 minutes, Dylan fell asleep while we were landing in Orland0. (With the right perspective, that's just funny.)

This morning we were up and running, actually swimming. Who needs the Magic Kingdom when there is a pool! We are in the world where dreams come true and my sons dream is to swim, and swim and swim. So we did, and everyone was happy. Papa Jim and I even snorkled with sharks and stingrays. It was inspiring.




Dylan just loves his grandparents as you can see in this picture with Grandma Mary. She's like a second mom to him. I lived with Mary and Jim, while I was finishing my college degree.



And Papa Jim knows how to plan for everyone to have a good time. Here he is going down the water slide at our hotel. Papa is the life of the water party.












Dylan has always loved it when Papa throws him up in the air to make big water splashes.







After a long day of swimming, the men sat at the bar together drinking innocent frozen dream sickles. Ahhh.

Saving Ohio

This blog is written as a tool for you to use to help Ohio. Please copy, paste and repost on your blog and into emails to your friends and family to help save a historic village and jobs in Ohio.

***************
My name is Jamie and I love Ohio, my grandma and a little historic village named Zoar. Grandma Jeanne raised me to build community by volunteering. We even made apple butter and spun wool together in the village garden. Right now she and everyone else back home is trapped, flooded in their homes.

Please help me to raise $250,000 to save Zoar's historic buildings. It is a beautiful place that looks like a Norman Rockwell painting. Unfortunately the walls are cracking and the flooded buildings are caving.

http://www. timesreporter. com/opinion/x1670185857

Beyond the first greenhouse in Ohio, amazing architecture and the history of co-ops (like REI and credit unions) in Zoar, these buildings have significant impact on Ohio tourism. Ohio needs every job and the HOPE of future jobs. Tourism funds jobs that can’t be outsourced to another country, continent or planet.

When I visited villages in Africa, I saw first hand jobs created, when tourism brings outside dollars in and how it empowers communities. If you have even one friend living in Ohio, please send $1 to help this town.

Even though I’m a single mom, I am sending $100 to the Zoar Society. Please join me. For every $100 that is sent, I’ll work hard to find $100 to match it.

Here's how you can you help now:

1.) For matching funds, email me your pledge: jamiejchase@mac.com

2.) Mail your check to:

Zoar Village
198 Main Street
P.O. Box 404
Zoar, OH 44697

3.) Please also send an email to Ohio Senator Ron Amstutz at
SD22@mailr.sen.state.oh.us

Ask him to join you in saving Zoar and to sponsor legislation that creates jobs by funding tourism promotions and historic preservation. Funding this is a strategic investment being made by and producing returns by states from West Virginia to Nevada and even in Mali, West Africa. Ohio, get jiggy with it! These buildings of the past, also represent your future.

Thank you already for helping me to repay the lessons that my grandmother taught me, not only do we build our communities, but together we keep them strong.

With Hometown Love,

Jamie Chase (Graef)
www.jamiechase.blogspot.com

Family Tradition

Ok, I am missing Grandma Jeanne's chzy bread and jello salad with fruit, but we enjoyed another beautiful Easter Egg hunt on the beach (Ruston Way Waterfront on Tacoma, WA).

After the great hunt and sugar treats-Dylan, his friends and I rolled down the hill until we were so dizzy we couldn't stand. What a beautiful day!

This is my best friend Robbi Firestone

I can't say enough good things about this beautiful friendship. Robbi Firestone has changed my life by introducing me to Genesis.

She is also a prolific painter.

And from right here in Tacoma, she was chosen to be the featured artist for the 2008 PONCHO red carpet gala auction April 12 at The Westin Hotel in Seattle. As the Volcano recently covered, "More often than not the Seattle-based PONCHO — Patrons of Northwest Civic, Cultural and Charitable Organizations — selects a Seattle artist for this honor."

But most importantly she is a great friend to both Dylan and me. Dylan likes to dance and laugh with her.

Hair Raising Weekend

Dylan and I had a great time in Portland this weekend with his grandparents. We even learned a thing or two about static electricity!