Patchwork

The World's Longest Pair of Jeans

I feel like today is the start of something big (long and big). It's all part of a master plan... my master plan to engage, challenge, and recognize this growing and committed group of readers. Hopefully you'll agree that the real genius... and fun... of today's creative idea is only just beginning. The real beauty of it will come as the days and months pass. I can say, "genius," without worrying that you'll think I'm boasting, because today's idea is actually a dual brainstorm between me and... Ms. Kolkmeier... Katie, that is. 

But first...

10 Events; 10 Days Winners

1 Champion

2 Days to Go!

Join us for the

VIRTUAL HIGHLOWAHA

Dinner Party

Friday, August 8, 2008

8:00 p.m.

Eat Chinese food (don't forget your fortune cookies),

watch the opening of the Olympic Games,

Be in the drawing for a COOL prize, and

be home for the unveiling of...

HIGHLOWAHA's

NEXT BIG EVENT

*Announcement will be posted at 9:00 CST*

*****************************************************************

Let me warn you... equipment is necessary for this past time. To participate you'll need one old, ready-to-be-retired pair of jeans, BUT... that still fit! Don't have a pair of jeans? You'll want to pick up a pair. No need for an expensive pair of designer jeans. A simple pair of Levi's, Gap, or even Walmart jeans will work. Why? With a little time, a lot of fun, and some effort on your part... the jeans will be covered in... PATCHES.

Was it spotting the World's Longest Pair of jeans in Lucky Jeans that prompted the idea? Or , was it unexpectedly passing by the Girl Scout store and going inside to admire the wall of patches? Hard to know. But, the eureka moment looked something like that old commercial for Reeses Cups - peanut butter bumps into chocolate and the PERFECT treat is born.

Instead... jeans meet patches and the perfect idea is born. Highlowaha readers (men and women alike) will have chances to earn patches for all kinds of fun highlowaha shenanigans. Display your earned patches on your specially chosen jeans and then wear the jeans at Taste of USA: Philadelphia and other fun events sure to be forthcoming. If girl scouts, boy scouts, the military, police officers, and fire fighters - to name a few - can all earn patches in recognition of their accomplishments, then why can't we?

Some important points to get us started...

• We are troop/squad #218. February 18 (2/18) is the date of the first highlowaha post, so #218 it is. I have an extra set of numbers to the first person who posts a description of his/her newly appointed Patchwork Jeans.
• Highlowaha readers can recommend activities for which patches can be earned. Simply propose your idea via email (highlowaha@me.mac) or "Comments." We'll formalize and then post to the general readership.
• In the true spirit of scouting, earning a patch should require sustained effort. So, for instance... you might earn a Reading Raynbow Book Club patch, but only if you participate in at least three of the four books discussed in a year (that's an example. No decision has been made about # of books).
• Chairs of special projects (Christmas project and Book Club) earn a patch just for chairing. The extra work involved in leading a project justifies the award of the patch. Sue, Maureen, Brian, Julie, and Melanie... your inaugural patches are on their way to you.
• Much like scouting, "officially" earned highlowaha patches will go on the front of your jeans and other personal favorites (but not highlowaha) sanctioned will go on the back of your jeans. Katie (the bean counter) and I will take responsibility for ordering patches and getting them to you. Patches cost approximately $1.00 each. We are working toward setting up a Pay Pal account, to make transactions easy-peasie. 
• Below is a picture of me wearing my jeans. Notice where the numbers are placed (we would like that to be uniform on each person's jeans). I decided I earned the ice cream patch for eating ice cream every day in the whole month of July and the letter patch came for organizing Peanut and the Shell (really it is so you can get the vision for Patchwork).

Some announcements and then you can dig through your closet for an official pair of "HLA Patchwork" jeans.

Announcements:

• Don't miss today's posts. Today marks the first post about our HLA Holiday Project. Be sure to click on the icon, which will take you directly to the blog spot. The group has three questions they are posing to we the readers. http://mrhelpinghand.blogspot.com/
• Project Make Your Mark: I feel some momentum building for this project. Thanks. If you are new to the site and don't know what I am talking about, check Tuesday's post. We are trying to solicit 100 stories of 100 inspiring teachers to surprise 100 unsuspecting teachers from around the country. Helping is easy. Jot your story on paper. Mail it to me (with $5.00) at Claudia Beeny, 4012 Harvestwood Court, Grapevine, Texas, 76051. See Tuesday's (8/5) post for even more detail.
• Philadelphia here we come. Saturday, September 6, 10:30-4:00. So far we have commitments from Heidi, Tera, and Amy. Whose the next to RSVP, "YES!!!"
• Did you notice the cool green shirt I was wearing in the picture up top? It goes to the next person who RSVPs, "yes" to meeting us in Philly.

Signing off until tomorrow...