A Wee-Hour Welcome

Dear Darlene,

I am really enjoying your blog and it is helping me to be encouraged in my role as a wife and also in getting home routines down so that our house stays nice and clean and is a haven’t for our family. I am definitely NOT naturally talented to be good at cleaning or organizing. I’m a work in progress and God is teaching me a lot :)

Just a little intro: My husband works at night, he is a bartender, and comes home at 4-5am. We have 3 children, I am 33 and we live in Florida, We are in a spiritually mismatched marriage but God is definitely working in, and I see changes all the time happening in his heart and mine. So what I have tried to do is to have the kitchen and living room clean when he comes home so that he walks into a clean house, but he is coming in when we are all sleeping.

I was reading your post "Good Wife's Guide" and the tips you give. Are there things in particular that I could have tips on for this, should I wake up when he gets home, greet him somehow, any ideas that you may have would be great.

Blessings,

Work in Progress



Dear Work in Progress,

Thank you for the letter. I was able to quickly take a peek at it, but haven’t found the time to reply until now. I wanted to take some time to write a thoughtful response, but since life got busy I'm replying today.

Last year, I thought it would be an awesome idea for me to work a 4pm-midnight shift about 2 days a week. I thought it would be a great way to meet some other women and get out of the house for a bit while my husband was home with the kids. It didn't last long as I was missing out on family fun, and writing time.

Anyway, I'm telling you this, because I can relate to your husband in a small way. I know what it felt like to walk into a dark house when everyone was sleeping.

Some of the wonderful things that my husband did for me are that he'd pop into work from time to time with a special iced cappuccino from the drive through. Some days he'd put fresh sheets on the bed, and I'd notice the minute I crawled in. Other times, I'd find a note on the counter from either him or one of the kids saying, "You are the best wife/mom in the world!!" And that really made my day.

Some days they would surprise me at work with a lunch. And he would be so cute by putting a little baggy of chips in there or some cookies. It made me smile. He’d also call to say goodnight.

Since my husband gets up at about 4 am each day, I have never to rarely woken up with him. He loves to have about an hour of quiet time in the Bible, and I join him a little later when the rest of the world is rising. Ha! But every morning, he would walk over to my side of the bed, tuck me in snuggly and kiss me. He still does this every single day, and has done it for years.

What meant the most to me, and still does is that when I go to bed later than my husband, he always wakes up for a minute and turns to me. He will rub my back or ask me a question. I guess he has trained himself to do that. If you don't wake up easily, maybe you can ask your husband to kiss you when he comes home. This way you will sense his presence and train yourself to move over to his side of the bed and snuggle.

We all want that feeling of peace and belonging that comes with having a close family.

Another thing I would suggest are thanking your husband for his work. I always try to thank Michael when he works late. It used to really get under my skin and became an area of contention in our relationship. It festered for years. My complaining didn't change his behaviour, but it changed our relationship into something ugly. So whether a husband has to do overtime, or has to work midnight shifts, they crave our respect.

"Thank you," are two little words that go a long way in showing appreciation. I say it, and I also encourage my children to also say it often. When they thank me for dinner, I'll say, "You're welcome. And don't forget to thank Dad too!"

It sounds like you have a beautiful attitude toward your husband which will only draw him closer to you. Actions are important, but when they are coupled with a positive attitude they are dynamic.


But the wisdom that comes from heaven
is first of all pure; then peace-loving,
considerate, submissive, full of mercy
and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a
harvest of righteousness.
~ James 3:17-18, NIV



You are loved by an almighty God,

Darlene

For comments or questions, contact me at:
darlene[at]darleneschacht.net

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CIS Fair Use legal experts answer questions about YouTube

Two weeks ago we offered the YouTube community the opportunity to ask leading fair use experts from Stanford’s Center for Internet and Society (CIS) questions about fair use. Using Google Moderator, more than 300 of you submitted 100+ questions and voted almost 3,000 times on the questions you wanted answered.

As expected, the questions varied dramatically, reflecting the diversity of content created and shared by YouTube users. Some of you wanted to know about dubbing over a cartoon, while others asked about adding commentary to video game play and someone else was hoping to create software tutorials using computer screencasts.

This week Anthony Falzone, Executive Director of the Fair Use project, and Julie Ahrens, Associate Director of the Fair Use project, answered a selection of the top voted questions (in the video’s description you can select which specific questions you want to see answered):



Thanks to all of you who submitted and voted on questions and please visit the YouTube Copyright Center if you have more questions.

(Full disclosure: Google provided start-up funding for the Fair Use Project, but has no involvement in the cases or positions that the project chooses to take.)

Will Houghteling is on the YouTube News and Politics team and recently watched “Seth Meyers at the White House Correspondents Dinner.”

National Teacher Day: celebrating teaching today and everyday on YouTube

In honor of National Teacher Day in the U.S. we've asked The Teaching Channel, one of our YouTube EDU partners, to help celebrate the educators in our lives.

While National Teacher Day in the U.S. is an important reminder of the invaluable contributions made by teachers, we celebrate great teaching everyday at Teaching Channel because there is so much to learn from inspiring teachers. Who hasn’t had that one teacher whom you will always remember?

What makes teachers inspiring is how they became experts -- the hours and years they've dedicated to improving their craft to benefit their students. Our mission is to capture their technique on video so that all teachers, new or seasoned, have a place to find inspiration. Just watch how math teacher Alex Kajitani uses rap to explain integers, or listen to music teacher Genein Letford trumpet Duke Ellington to explain similes.

Inspired teaching, like any great art, should be seen, so we’re pleased to share these great lessons with the world. You can subscribe to our channel and view these great lessons at www.youtube.com/teachingchannel. Teaching Channel lifts the curtain on inspiring classrooms not only on YouTube, but this summer at www.teachingchannel.org and on television this coming fall (stay tuned!).

Guest to The Official YouTube Blog Candice Meyers, Teaching Channel Head of Product Development, recently watched, “Tough to Teach: Adding Integers”.

Music Tuesday: A quick trip to Mexico, the Beastie Boys and more

Cinco de Mayo is rapidly approaching, so we figured now was a good time to turn our gaze southwards. We wanted to get an idea of what’s happening with music in Mexico -- once you elbow past the wandering mariachi bands. (But if you’re really dying to hear a new release, the Beastie Boys will oblige.) Then we head even further south to find out what happens when South American hipsters are set loose with cameras. And lastly, take a minute to enjoy our video pick of the week. Repeatedly, if need be.

Get Schooled By The Mexican Institute of Sound
Camilo Lara, aka The Mexican Institute of Sound, is one busy dude. He’s buddies with the Beastie Boys (check out Ad Rock’s remix of his song “Alocatel”), he’s become an underground sensation on both sides of the border (rocking Coachella in 2009) -- and he works at a major label by day. And, oh yeah, he’s helped make cumbia cool again. Is there anything the indefatigable Lara can’t do? This week, he shows us the Mexico he loves -- not the land of men sleeping under sombreros, but the teaming streets and thriving music scene of Mexico City. Check out his utterly fresh playlist: we guarantee you’ll be shouting “cumbia!” within five minutes, or your money back.



Freak Folk, Latin American Style
In keeping with this week’s Latin theme, we have to give big ups to Yatoka, the Chilean hipsters who seem to be redefining how Latin music reaches the world. This ain’t your parents’ Chile: freak folksters, hip-hop groups, and everybody in between gets in front of the camera for a series of easy, intimate outdoor performances. (Yes, LaBlogotheque fans may experience some deja vu.) There’s no easier way to find your next favorite singer-songwriter: we think Pascuala Ilabaca might just be ours.



Grouper “Alien Observer”
And now for the weird. Nobody defines the weird more delicately than Portland’s Liz Harris, aka Grouper, whose dark and deceptively simple music seems to grab at big things under the surface. We could talk about drones and guitars and psychedelic vocal overlays, but you really should just experience it for yourself. Her “Alien Observer” video is an odd and impressionistic work, and whenever you think it’s going in a conventional direction, something derails it -- to our great relief. Haunting stuff.



Sarah Bardeen, Music Community Manager, recently watched “Pascuala Ilabaca - Lamenta la Canela.avi.”

You're Invited to a Party

Since writing the book, "Reshaping it All: Motivation for Physical and Spiritual Fitness" with Candace Cameron Bure (Full House), so many readers have asked if we would be putting together an online support group for those wanting to lose weight and improve their health. Well... it’s finally here--an online support group for Reshaping it All!!

Let’s face it, reshaping our lives can be tough at times, especially difficult when we’re trying to do it alone, but our drive is definitely strengthened when we have the support of friends.

"Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." ~ Ecclesiastes 4:12, NIV

If you are interested in joining the party--it's a good time, because we've only just begun. Get all of the details and join in the fun at "65 Days to Reshaping it All."

You are loved by an almighty God,

Darlene

For comments or questions, contact me at:
darlene[at]darleneschacht.net

Find Time-Warp Wife on facebook: Click here

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new online class- watercolor bliss and giveaway!

My next online class starts June 6th and registration goes live today!

In my last online class- Sketchbook Delight I touched on using watercolors when sketching. I received so much feedback about working with watercolors that I decided to dedicate a class to methods, techniques, projects and inspiration with watercolors. (With my own unique, simple, messy spin of course!)

This online class will introduce you to everything you need to know about working with watercolors. From exploring a variety of simple supplies and tools (even how to create your own pigments) to learning all about traditional techniques and ways to break the rules, from mixing and layering color to dripping and splattering to creating compositions and discovering how to use watercolors in a variety of different projects to ultimately finding your own style.

If you enjoyed Sketchbook Delight and are looking to push it further with watercolors OR if you are new to using watercolors- this is the class for you!

TO REGISTER

AND

FOR WORKSHOP FACTS

CLICK HERE

In addition to launching registration today, I am also giving away three FREE spots in the class!

To ENTER-

Leave me a comment

Tell me your favorite subject to paint

I will draw three names and announce the winner on WEDNESDAY- 5/4

Introducing the stars of the future - on YouTube today

Over the last six weeks we conducted a large-scale talent search for future stars and up-and-comers across YouTube, looking for the YouTubers who have what it takes to be tomorrow’s stars.

We’d like to introduce you to the first classes of YouTube NextUp and the YouTube Creator Institute: 45 creators who’ve demonstrated passion, talent and huge potential in video making across a range of genres.

The group comes from across the nation, from big cities and small towns in Iowa, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, California and more. While many have film and editing backgrounds, they’re from all walks of life - a former lawyer, international chef, a spoken word artist and more. The group was selected through a combination of YouTubers, our institutional partners, and the hundreds of thousands who voted and helped these stars take off!

YouTube NextUp is a development program for up-and-coming YouTube Partners with a growing fan base and great content, who are ready to become the next stars. The 25 YouTubers selected from across the country will be given $35,000 to advance their YouTube careers and global promotion across the platform. They’ll also travel to New York City to attend the first YouTube Creator Camp for personalized training and mentoring to build their brands and improve their content.



YouTube Creator Institute is a program for aspiring content creators to hone their digital media skills, while receiving the tools and promotion needed to be the next major players in the industry. The 10 selected participants for each of the two programs will receive a new media education at top institutions, the USC School of Cinematic Arts and Columbia College Chicago. They’ll work with renowned faculty, industry leaders, stars and many others while they begin building their brands and audiences.





Keep watching for news from the YouTube Next team this summer as we unveil new surprises for you around programs and the creators’ content all over the world.

Tom Sly, Head of Strategic Partner Development & Programs, YouTube Next, recently watched “Remembering Sion Milosky.”