Mission Amy K.R.

New and Very Last Mission #103: Farewell Party here in the Comment Section

Wed, 03 Oct 2012 11:44:00 -0500

When I announced I was going on sabbatical a few months ago, that’s absolutely exactly truly what I meant. But as you might have noticed, it seems to have morphed into something more permanent. It’s like a magic-taffy-sabbatical that just keeps stretchiiiiiiing no matter how long you pull it.

As weepy as I am to say good-bye to Mission Amy KR-- at least in this particular form-- here’s how I know it’s all good:

I’ve been wanting to reach out to all you wonderful people and have some closure-- say our proper good-byes, you know? I’d been mulling this over in my mind for a few weeks now. Well, when finally I sat down to write this, I went back to see what mission number we had left off on. It was Mission #102.

It was then that I realized that our very last mission together-- and this is entirely by chance-- would be #103 posted on 10/3.

We can’t ask for a more serendipitous, sychronized finale, can we?

As so here it is, Mission #103:

Remember when we were all just getting to know each other, and we introduced ourselves in the comment section... and then a few weeks later wished each other good luck in the same spot? Now let’s use the comment section to say our good-byes and have a rockin’ farewell.

* Perhaps you want to trade contact info, websites, facebook, twitter, pinterest etc...

* Perhaps you want to share a song or poem or quote about good-byes...

* Perhaps you just want to bid a general adieu...

Whatever it is, please do it now because this blog space will be closing down shortly and unfortunately there will be no door back in.

As for me, I’m still out there making things. Here’s where you can find me:

* whoisamy.com
* facebook (my dad has officially taken over my facebook page ((!)) and he’s awesome)
* twitter @missamykr

* And finally, you can sign up for my new, weekly, very short “textletter.” You can read about it here and/or watch this short video:

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for a magnificent two-year journey. You guys made Mission Amy KR what it is and will always be.

Now, off we go...

xo
amy

Mission Amy K.R.'s on sabbatical, so here are your all-time favorite missions

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 09:52:00 -0600

Amy and her blog are on sabbatical until Spring. Stay tuned for the next incarnation of Mission Amy KR...

You can find Amy popping in and out of these other portals in the meantime:

Amy's Facebook Page

Amy's Twitter Account

Amy's Website

And here are some of the all-time top missions from the past couple years. It's pretty remarkable what we can create when we all create it together, isn't it?

Enjoy!

Cartwheels with the Universe from Amy Krouse Rosenthal on Vimeo.

AND WHO CAN FORGET THESE TWO MISSIONS...

**The Mission Amy KR Quote Book**

**"Grip It" a 13-year-old girl's slam dunk thoughts on life**

See you all soon,
amy

Thursday Thingy: Announcing our beauty contest winner and runner-ups!

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:26:00 -0600

You all voted, and the results have been tabulated...

(CUE THEME MUSIC) Here she comes...

Representing the State of Serenity...the winner of our first annual (Truth and) Beauty Contest is...Jennifer!

And we had a 3-way tie for runner-up, so will the following three contestants please join Jennifer on stage:

Representing the States of Pondering, Balancing and Serendipity...Kathy Roberts, Beth Kaufmann and Amy Sue!

(You can see their wonderful entries in their entirety just below.)

All four women will receive the following:

* A special Mission Amy KR pocket-sized mirror that serves as reminder that their beauty is also within.

* A signed/personalized book.

* A 15-minute coffee date over skype.

Jennifer, Kathy, Beth, Amy Sue...I think it's time for a speech from each of you! :) Feel free to share your remarks with us all in the comment section now.

Thanks again to everyone who participated. As you can see from that original post, there were so many original and touching entries.

As we head off into the winter wonderland sunset, may your holidays and next couple of months be filled with merriment, love, peace, truth and beauty.

yours,

amy

WINNER: STATE OF SERENITY...JENNIFER

SUIT: what suits me best is my yellow dress. It's like wearing sunshine :)

SPECIAL TALENT: I'm pretty good at making things out of pipe cleaners, like people and animals.

SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL: is finding connections with people you never thought you'd have anything in common with. May I tell you a story? Right after college, I got a job working at a men's homeless shelter. One day, when I had only been there for a couple months, I was given the responsibility of accompanying three of the shelter guests to a homeless awareness event at a local high school where they were going to be speaking. It was a bit awkward at first because I hardly knew the three of them and they hardly knew me. Plus, I was a 20-something year old white girl from the Midwest and they were 45-60 year old black men who had spent the majority of their lives battling drug addictions and living on the streets. What could we possible have in common? As we sat in a room in uncomfortable silence waiting for the event to begin, one of the men said something about me being their "chaperone" to make sure they kept out of trouble. We all looked at each other and then burst out laughing. That ridiculous image of a timid little midwestern girl 'chaperoning' this group of independent men, all over twice my age completely broke the tension. Soon the four of us were chatting and swapping jokes like old friends. It taught me that we are all much more similar than we are different and that if you make an honest effort, you can connect with pretty much anyone. It's the most beautiful lesson I've ever learned.

RUNNER-UP: STATE OF PONDERING...KATHY ROBERTS

SUIT: coat of many colors - i.e. the many roles I play in my life right now.

SPECIAL TALENT: as a chameleon - I am told that I slip right into a person's skin ( voice, inflection, body movements) without knowing it when I am telling a story about them or a conversation that we have had. People will stop me mid-sentence and say, "you totally become him/her.

SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL: my developmentally challenged daughter's take on life and people. She has so much trust and hope in us. Whenever someone does something mean to her or someone else , she says "you know mom, they just haven't learned yet how to do it differently. They will. " Ah, the lessons she could share with the world!

RUNNER-UP: STATE OF BALANCING...BETH KAUFMANN. It is the start of the new month so I am reconciling everyone's accounts

SUIT: Hearts, it is red (my favorite color), represents games (favorite hobby), and it means love (who doesn't love love)

SPECIAL TALENT: I can enter numbers really quickly using my keyboard which came in handy when my son had to enter lots of numbers for his bio lab (yeah, I helped him, couldn't resist saving him the time). Also, I have been told I make a mean PBJ.

SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL: When my boys come home on a Saturday night and want to end the evening with all of us on the couch watching one of our shows together. Nothing is more beautiful to me then all of us coming back together after our nights out.

RUNNER-UP STATE OF SERENDIPITY...AMY SUE

SUIT: I tend to be a trickster so I guess I'm gonna be a Joker and avoid the other suits.

SPECIAL TALENT: I never have to measure anything but it always fits. My brain apparently can see things (like a sofa) and know without measuring it or the space it is going into that it will fit. This talent annoys my scientist husband who feels that it defies known reality..and it makes him crazy that I am always right!

SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL: My son's scar is beautiful..it is at the base of his spine and represents how lucky he is and we are that we have such wonderful doctors, surgeons and other healthcare professionals to get us through such a scary time. That scar represents his courage and strength and what I hope is a future of health and joy.

Mission #103 Time for an intermission: Amy (and this blog) take a brief sabbatical

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 09:49:00 -0600

This month marks two years of exploring, creating and mission-ing together. Can you believe it? 103 missions! That's 791 in dog mission years! :)

I so totally completely and truly love doing this blog and the community we've built here together; I have no intention of bailing or disappearing.

But it recently occurred to me-- in one of those rare flashes of visceral clarity-- that it's the right moment for me to take a brief sabbatical, to take some time to think, wander, gather, scribble, and refuel. That I kind of owe it to you all...like, we'll all be the better for it.

The folks at WBEZ, being the amazing collaborators that they are, totally understand and support this momentary pause. I hope you all do too.

I anticipate coming back in full force this spring, with a new sparkly angle for us.

So in the meantime, I'd love it if you chimed in with thoughts of where we've been, what you've enjoyed, and where you might like to see us go next...in the comment section please, as always.

Also, if you want us to drop you a line when we come out of hibernation in the spring, just email us here: missamykr@yahoo.com.

And in the meantime, we can stay connected on Facebook and Twitter. Here's where I reside there:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/missamykr
Twitter: @missamykr

And now, it is my joy and honor to share with you this "Best of Mission Amy KR" presentation we put together.

I have to say, it's pretty cool to see these highlights in one tidy space...Take a look...

click here: The Best of Mission Amy KR

ever yours,

amy

p.s. We'll be announcing our Beauty Contest Winner and Runner-Up on the last Thursday Thingy later this week.

Thursday Thingy: Attention Sufficiency Hyperlink Discovering

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:14:00 -0600

What do you get when you combine a short but focused attention span, a love of learning and discovery, and the vast educational landscape that is the internet?

Something I call: Attention Sufficiency Hyperlink Discovering

This is not an "affliction" one "suffers" from, but rather something wondrous one delights in. It's a way of maneuvering through our modern (online) world and making sense of things. Of learning, exploring, growing.

It's like wandering around the biggest library on the planet, letting one book or resource lead you to the next, following the trail of your own curiosity.

It's like being a "knowledge surfer" and catching the biggest wave ever.

I say this because of a few recent experiences, where one super-interesting article serendipitously led/linked me to the next. Like, heady, life-altering stuff.

I'm not going to get into the particulars because that's not the point. But rather, I'm going to let you embrace your own ASHD by giving you three links and let you roll from there. Who knows what you'll uncover and discover...

Austin Kleon, a writer who draws

Unstuck, a book by Noah Scalin

The Power of Words video

Until Monday,

amy

p.s. For those of you wondering: yes, the money we raised from our "Cherry Tee for Charity" mission has been sent to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Thank you again to everyone who drew such rockin' cherries, purchased the t-shirts, and/or just cheered us on from the sidelines. Here again is the original post and here are the Cherry Tee's.

Mission #102: Our Beauty Contest finalists, plus a visit from the Snow Angel

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:42:00 -0600

A few weeks back we held our first annual Beauty Contest...more like a "Truth and Beauty" Contest really. (For those of you new to the blog, you can take a look at the grand pagentry -- okay, the chill mellowness -- of it all right here.)

Today it is with great pleasure that we announce our 10 finalists, and invite you to join the judges' panel by voting for your top two favorites.

--> Take a look and choose your two winners HERE NOW. <--

We'll crown the winner and runner-up next week!

And to kick off the holiday season here at Mission Amy KR, we now share with you this short video...

peace, joy and snow angels,

amy

Thursday Thingy: The best thing in the universe of all time EVER...or at least pretty close

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 23:20:00 -0600

What?! A three-year-old who recites Billy Collins poems by heart? And not just recites, but EMOTES?! And not just recites and emotes, but charms?!

Yes! This is what I'm trying to tell you! Just watch...

And now that you're smitten and obssessed like me, here is a short ABC news piece about him and his mom.

If you know of anything in the universe better than this, I wanna hear about it this second...

amy

Mission #101: Let's fill the empty space with song

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:13:00 -0600

Perhaps you've heard this anecdote before?

A man is feeling awful and goes to the doctor. The doctor then asks the man some questions, and listens closely to what he has to say. After a thorough examination, the doctor prescribes the following:

Less CNN. More Mozart.

Wonderful, yes? (Credit: I read that in "The Sun" magazine years ago.)

And so in that vein, as an antitode to the economic crisis and flailing/ailing real estate market, I now offer up...toll-free Beethoven.

Here is what I mean:

Wouldn't it be great to have these tiny but mighty flyers appear in vacant-space windows across the country?

Here's the Fur Elise flyer...ready for you to just click and print and hang up in your neighborhood.

Who knows, this just may help get things -- and us all -- humming along again.

yours,

amy

(p.s. - The Fur Elise phone line is now open!)

Mission #100: Celebrating this moment in time

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:31:00 -0600

What better way to commemorate our 100th mission together than by celebrating you and your lives?

Remember a few weeks back when I invited you to call and leave a message describing your moment in time?

For those of you coming to this new, I've included the text of the original post below, which I began this way:

It's early morning. The kids are just off to school. The feel of their skin is fresh on my hand. I'm a few sips into my first cup of coffee. The house is quiet, still. I have not yet brushed my hair. I'm surrounded by a sea of Post-it notes, a different thought/idea scribbled on each. I hope I can weave them all together in just the right way.

This is my inner/outer snapshot of life-at-this-exact-moment. What's yours?

And remember my promise to then assemble your messages in video form?

Well, here is that video.

I think you'll discover some reoccurring themes - and feel, as I did, a connection to these faceless soft voices.

I hope you enjoy it,

amy

ORIGINAL POST

This is my inner/outer snapshot of life-at-this-exact-moment. What's yours?

Call and leave me a (short-ish) message about your inner/outer snapshot...what's in front of you, what's on your mind, what's on your plate (breakfast plate or figurative "life plate")...whatever spills out is what you were meant to say. You can state your name - or be totally anonymous.

I will then make a video for us incorporating all the messages as the audio track. It'll be nice to hear everyone's voices.

I see this as a way to preserve a brief moment in time, yes. And as a way to get a wee glimpse into one another's lives, yes. But most of all, as something that this quote from my friends at Coudal Partners touches upon:

"I'm not writing it down to remember it later; I'm writing it down to remember it now."

Thursday Thingy: Notorious B.I.G. Baby

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:53:00 -0600

Dear Everyone,

I wanted to let you know that I've just pulled the The Beckoning of Lovely film from YouTube.

It seems that if I truly want this to be the best thing ever, then I'm not done. I can't quite believe it myself because I've never worked harder on anything in my life.

So, for any of you who are frustrated/disappointed that you can't access the film, please know that this was not an easy decision to make, but I believe it was the right one. I owe it to everyone involved in this project and to the diaphanous entity that is The Beckoning of Lovely itself to stay with this just a bit longer - and to bring it to you in its most perfect, shiny form.

This is not the way I thought it would all shake down post 11/11/11, but so be it. Such is the life of a person who makes stuff.

In the meantime, in the spirit of I-don't-know-whether-to-laugh-or-to-cry, I thought I'd share this fantastic little video.

peace sign, red heart, yellow umbrella,
amy

p.s. I will be re-launching when the moment is right, hopefully in a month or two.