Helen J Rivera Arts

Dear Elf the movie, please help me get through this day and this season. Thank you for existing and being there for me when I need you.

bought it. I don't usually buy things like this, but I did. She's America's sweetheart.

Kany Garcia

Ocean life is YOUR LIFE! This is really bad! Neurotoxins go up the food chain!

Holy Cr@p!!! EVERY SINGLE SONG!!!! ABSOLUTELY FREAKING INCREDIBLE!!! Just wow!!! All written by them! Sung, performed, just wow!!! Who are they??

Dang… nonstop hits coming from this group!! Steady number ones!! Wow!!

Hello Nashville! Hello Ryman theater! Hello to this “WOW”! Steady new hits coming at you! is it (a new one). Just wow! I didn’t catch the name of this opening group, but tonight the world will know who they are if they don’t already know! Sorry, not allowed to film! theater

When you can’t find the exact color of yarn you want. I know how to brush and blend fibers to make yarn, but I can’t find my tools. Making this short crochet piece is too complicated without the right tools. :(

Enjoy the wrinkles from these two cuties ...

Deer naps. 🌸

Found these two little Hawaiian Gold dust day geckos. Aren’t they adorable? 😍😍😍

Aloha from O’ahu! One of the fish I saw this morning. THIS is was I relate too. I grew up on the beach. This is what ignites my passion for life and for art. When I moved to CO, I could not get anyone to care about the conditions of the ocean or the local waters and make them understand that the fate of the ocean leads to the fate of the rivers in the mountains. It’s all connected. They wanted me to paint the city, so I did. I couldn’t feel the passion it, because I see the cities as a destruction of nature and humanity. When you destroy nature, you destroy humanity in a it’s healthy forms. Humans ARE nature! We need to get back to caring for this earth and taking care of eachother.

A Chicago teen kept breaking into the X-Sport Fitness Center and using its equipment. Management warned him they were going to turn him. But he kept finding ways to get into the place. Police were finally called in to deal with it.
Officer Mario Valenti learned that the 15-year-old previously had a membership to the facility, but his mother could no longer afford to pay for it. And all he wanted to do was play basketball there. But instead of charging the youngster with breaking and entering, the officer handed over $150 of his own money to buy the boy a membership that would last about 4 months.
When the owner of the fitness center contacted his corporate office about what was happening, officials there were so touched by the officer’s kindness, that they extended the youngster’s membership for two years.
Says Officer Valenti: “At the end of the day, it’s not about gratitude. Most of us took this job to help people, not to hurt them. The job can be negative. For the most part, the job is dealing with good people having a very bad day, so you’re not seeing the best side of people…. I’d rather have him playing ball than being on the street and possibly getting into trouble.”
Photo courtesy: Mike Isaacs / Pioneer Press

Her name was Hadis Najafi. She was just 23 years old. According to her family, Hadis was shot and killed by government security forces in Iran while protesting the death of Mahsa Jhina Amini. Najafi’s family, who released video of her funeral, say she was shot six times, including in the face and neck. Hadis was one of thousands of BRAVE Iranians protesting the brutal dictatorship of Iran that uses religion to violate the rights of women and all of its citizens. She was killed in Karaj, the capitol of a province where I grew up before coming to the U.S.

Women in Iran are not only protesting their right to choose to wear a headscarf (hijab) but they are also BRAVELY fighting the fierce patriarchy that exists in Iran:

-For 43 years, human rights groups say so-called “morality police” members in Iran have beaten & killed women who don’t cover their hair, or in some instances, their eyes, properly. In fact, women in Iran are ordered to wear loose clothing and watch their suggestive stares as it pertains to men.
-For 43 years, laws in Iran only allow men in Iran to have the right to a divorce. Men can also gain full custody of their children. Men can also take on a second wife while married and marry girls as young as 9 (once they reach puberty).
-For 43 years, once Iranians reach puberty, they can be tried as adults. This is particularly terrifying for girls breaking hijab laws.
-For 43 years, women have been lashed, stoned, and even killed for not following all of Iran’s Islamic laws.

Easton's Mom told him he could adopt a new pet. He had the choice between a puppy dog or a cat. He chose to adopt Tiny, a 10 year old cat who had just lost his home. On the ride home Tiny got out of his cage and cuddled in with his new owner and has been stuck to him ever since. ❤️ Great job Easton, Tiny is one lucky cat!

Credit: Exploits Valley SPCA Adoptables

“You cannot save anyone. You can be present with them, offer your groundedness, your sanity, your peace. You can even share your path with them, offer your perspective. But you cannot take away their pain. You cannot walk their path for them. You cannot give answers that are right for them, or even answers they can digest right now. They will have to find their own answers…"
Jeff Foster

Edmund Osterloff - Miss Curiosity, 1908.

My Great Grandma Scott - Effie Theodora St. Pierre Scott was a lace maker amongst other things. Incredibly talented. I’m sharing two of her preserved works. My Mom passed down the story told to her, “I know the Belgium lace makers sat in a darkened room and worked by the light of the sun shining on their handiwork through small windows!”. Incredible history, knowledge and practice handed down. We are so blessed.

I finished a pumpkin for me! I have a penchant for trying tutorials that are EXTREMELY challenging . I restarted this 10 times, no joke. That being said, my crochet skills have grown quite a bit. This is the bohemian pumpkin and I LOVED the pattern I’ve never made anything this quite advanced. The tutor was extremely difficult because she didn’t show where to put the stitches, and other things. It was tough, but I pursued and I’m very happy. Though, I think I will do some simpler pumpkins for awhile.

Jazmin, Hapoy with her “frameable” pumpkin that I made her, requested a 3D pumpkin. So, here’s my first 3D crochet pumpkin. I found a tutorial for a “scrappy” crafty pumpkin, but designed the stem and other modifications. This took me 3 days 😕 . I will NEVER do this tutorial again. IF I do make a similar pumpkin, I will NOT change colors every two rows. I’m not sure if I will triple the yarn, it’s like making a crochet basket. EXTREMELY thick making it very tough to crochet, sew together and work with. Because of those two things, this pumpkin took FOREVER. I pushed through thinking if I stopped, I wouldn’t finish it. I did, only for LOVE! Lol. I even signed the pumpkin by felting a red heart and the letter “M” for Mom. This will be an heirloom piece for sure and I hope the love is felt through generations to come and that my children and great great grandchildren will know me a little by holding and treasuring this pumpkin.…,.

She wants a ghost next! 🤦‍♀️

I think I’m going to take a break and go to the gym for a few days, lol.