I’ve been dealing with a perfect convergence of deadlines over the past weeks, but one that loomed large was my $50 Groupon for Mixbook.
FINALLY I got the kids baby pictures together, scanned them, and put a small album together to send to Grandma for her birthday next week. And, of course, we’ll keep one ourselves.
Next on my agenda; FINALLY create our wedding album!
If you’re interested, here’s how the book’s supposed to look!
Atticus
Those of you who know me know how much I love my dog.
Atticus is the best dog I’ve ever known. He’s so smart, kind, gentle and easy. He’s very empathetic (he seems to sense when any of us are sad, or having a lot of pain) and – above all – he’s a member of the family.
Atticus is very ill. He started limping 2 weeks ago, and a visit to our vet left us with the best-guess diagnosis of arthritis and a prescription for a pain drug.
A week later his limp was worse, and when I ran my hands over his shoulders one morning, the right one felt much different than the left. We took him to the vet again, and this time, after a few xrays and a pretty thorough exam, she said she feels that the loss of muscle mass in his shoulder is an indication that he has something called a Nerve Sheath Tumor.
Here’s what she wrote (she’s so wonderful, she emails me every few days to check on him, totally understanding how difficult the telephone is for me)
The … tumor … is something called a nerve sheath tumor. It can be very difficult to diagnose without an MRI or CT scan of the shoulder and elbow. It is a soft tissue tumor so it does not usually show up on an x-ray. It is usually fairly deep in the tissue and unless it gets very large it is difficult to feel on a physical exam. As these tumors tend to wrap around nerves in the neck/shoulder/elbow they can cause a lot of pain.
So every day Atticus seems a bit more limpy, a bit more in pain. He’s taking several different pain meds (ironically, one of them is what I was prescribed for fibromyalgia) and his spirits are very good. We want his quality of life to be good, his pain to be low, and his happiness is the most important thing of all.
Right now he’s just so happy to see us – any of us – he loves us so much. He also loves getting his pills because we wrap them in cheese, so he feels like he’s won the lottery!
Gerry
A Couple of Irish Laddies
I joked recently that it’s dangerous to be loved by me, because that seems to equal a diagnosis of cancer. Okay, so it’s not funny, but it sure feels true some days.
Gerry’s had a rough couple of months. He’s doing very well in many ways, but the thing about Gerry is he has so much pride that he ALWAYS gets it together when seeing other folks. But his pain levels have been high, and many days he gets up to see the kids off to school, then goes back to bed and sleeps until they arrive home.
As the weather warms and the sun is out more, I can see him coming back to life. Warmer is easier for him (as long as it’s not too hot) and he’s dedicated this Summer to growing some decent grass in our yard. We’ve also decided we’ll try a vegetable garden, but that’s another story…
We went down to the Mayo Clinic yesterday for tests, and to see his doc there (who we LOVE!) and she confirmed what I’d been thinking. Officially, Gerry’s had a relapse.
Now, there are relapses, and there are RELAPSES. This is more a movement in the direction we don’t want than a full-out health fail, but it’s notable. I had a sense of this because of Gerry’s pain levels and exhaustion, but even though we’ve been at this five years, every day STILL seems like a new adventure.
Five years ago we were entering the diagnosis / care strategy phase, we were on the brink of being told that Gerry had one, maybe two years ahead of him, and his stem cell transplant wasn’t even considered yet.
So MUCH has happened since then, the most important being TIME. Five years have passed, five really wonderful years, and we’re pulling for five, ten, fifteen more. I’m greedy, I’ll take every day we can get.
So, I apologize for taking so long since my last post, and for not posting about knitting (which I really have to write about again one of these years…)
Some days it’s just really hard to try to put this into words for a blog, but it feels false and shallow to NOT address it.
Life’s been – busy – and also very rich and full. I continue to think that we’re the luckiest folks in the world.
History On Two Needles
In other, most EXCITING news, I now have a tech editor for History on Two Needles and she’s running through the patterns like a rock star!
Huzzah, Kate, author of Beyond Knit & Purl, I am very lucky to have her on my team!! Thank you, Cooperative Press!
I spent 6 hours reworking one pattern today, putting her suggestions into effect and creating a better schematic & chart, and I think we really have a good chance of getting this thing finished and printed by the end of this year.
I talked about my morning ritual of Oatmeal while I was teaching in Santa Clara, and the response was so positive I thought I’d do a brief tutorial on how I create my weekly breakfasts.
1. I cook up a big ‘ol pot of oatmeal (6 cups) on Saturday or Sunday morning. Usually I like steel cut oats, but I enjoy a good rolled oat, too!
2. I eat a bowl (YUM!) and pour the rest into a loaf pan.
3. I let the oatmeal set up until it’s firm (sometimes in the fridge)
4. I slice it into big, thick pieces and wrap each in press n’seal (this works much better than plastic wrap, which can stick in the little nooks and tear)
5. I freeze it.
Each morning I take a piece out of the freezer, microwave it for 2 minutes, add sugar, nuts & craisins and microwave 30 seconds more. A bit of milk and voilà! Breakfast!
If I have oatmeal and a cup of tea, my whole DAY is good. The days I miss my oatmeal are never as good as they could be.
Oatmeal, I love you. I hope to go to the World Porridge Festival in Scotland some day…
A girl can dream.
Once again I’ve been quiet, thank you for your patience!
It’s for mostly great reasons – a lot of work! Suddenly I’m engaged in several designs, writing a few articles and arranging teaching trips for the coming year. October is going to be HUGE for me, I’m hoping I’ll have the stamina to carry it off! But I’m always at my best in the Fall – my favorite time of year.
I’m at Stitches West in Santa Clara, my first visit to Stitches as a teacher and I’m loving it! For some insane reason I’d almost forgotten how wonderful the marketplace is, and spent several delicious hours strolling the many aisles, falling in love with yarns and beads and patterns.
I remember when I was just starting my second design career in 2001, visiting Stitches in Pennsylvania in October and being rather overwhelmed (in a good way) with the variety. I still have many of the items I bought on that trip, and I can remember individual booths as if I stepped into them yesterday.
It’s been 10 years since I’ve even BEEN to a Stitches (if I’m not teaching, it seems like a superfluous expense to entice myself to buy yarn I SERIOUSLY cannot afford!) and because of that decade-long-break my walk through the market was almost as mind-blowing as my first in 2001. Later I’ll write about individual booths and great items, I was just getting my sea legs yesterday!
My View
It is SO beautiful here – absolutely wonderful! I arrived on Thursday and discovered the lovely San Jose airport.
I’m falling in love with small airports. Little Rock was wonderful, just the right size (and free wifi!) San Jose airport is another little jewel.
I rented a car because I was able to find a bargain ($25 for the weekend) which was cheaper than either a shuttle OR a cab, and I really love having my freedom. I feel so trapped sometimes when I’m at the mercy of $10 bowls of oatmeal and few gluten free options, a car gives me a sense that I can escape when I need to.
My room is lovely – the view is gorgeous – and I truly appreciate the hypo allergenic sheets, bed, etc., which – although boring – are fabulous in that they allow such a great night’s sleep! Boring is beautiful!
I’ve discovered a restaurant here – Hobee’s - which has a LOVELY gluten free menu. It’s not huge, but it’s definitely appreciated! I had breakfast there yesterday, and I may again this morning (gf pancakes!)
Immediately upon obtaining my teaching packet I ran into a good friend, Lorna Miser, and we had a lovely chat. I’m a bit of a recluse when I travel, unintentionally anti-social, because teaching zaps my energy SO severely. An impromptu and unexpected visit with a friend is a gift.
I’ve only been scheduled for one class a day, which is a bit of a treat for me and allows me time to get some work done, and perhaps even to work out this morning!
I’ve reached the point in my Fibromyalgia journey when I realize that saving up my energy is the best plan on teaching trips. Students have paid good money to get as much of my strong, clear attention as possible, they deserve it. When I deviate from my energy saving plan and socialize, I’m not able to give 100% of my limited energy, and that I’ve failed in some way.
Embellishment Class Swatch
My classes are full, and my first class yesterday (embellishments) was absolutely wonderful! The students were above and beyond my expectations – each one smarter than the next – engaged and eager and so much fun! I could have taught that group for 6 hours and not cared!
As it was, I went over my time limit (so hard NOT to do with 24 students) and tried to make a connection with each woman. That’s hard – it’s natural to want to gravitate to a few students – but giving each one a bit of her “own” time pays off in comprehension. As always, I learn so much in my classes, and I’m very grateful to my students!
One student had just returned from a wedding trip to India, showing hints of a hennae mehndi tattoo on her hands. I was enchanted, and loved how the beautiful design was offset by the carpet in the classroom.
Off now to the fitness room, then breakfast and a private lesson before my class – life is good!
In-Hotel Room Hair High-lighting
It’s lovely in Orlando. Apparently it’s chilly here, but to me it feels just DANDY!
My first evening here I engaged in my usual, I’m BORED hair lightening event. It was fun, and the results aren’t bad!
So I was fully prepared and beautiful for my full day of classes on Friday for the Knit or Knot Guild.
I have seldom taught such a fun, hardworking, wonderfully challenging and enjoyable group as I have this weekend! So far my classes have been really great – I’m pushing folks kind of hard, but they’re all stepping up to the plate and doing really splendid work!
The water heading out the door...
Unfortunately I was a bit late to class today because my toilet sort of exploded (one flush, something within the tank went ‘pop’, and the water just POURED out into the room, onto the carpet and OUT into the hallway!)
I swear I was not flushing watermelons or rubber gloves, but it was a heck of a way to start the day!
I regrouped, changed rooms, & rushed to the classroom where everyone was patiently waiting for me, 10 minutes late. Dang.
It was a high concept class today – Entrelac/Entrelace class. There are some REALLY tough techniques in the lesson, but this group got them and asked for more!
I’ve taught a lot of tricks and tips tossed in with my classes so far this weekend, and the Knit or Knot Guild has really stood up to the challenge.
Tomorrow is the Universal Handbag Class, which is a great ending class because it’s fun, not as mentally challenging as some of the other stuff, and there’s a little final product (a small bag) at the end of the class.
One of the guild members set us up at her neighborhood club house, it’s a great teaching location and the built in kitchen made the pot luck lunch today such a nice, homey alternative to going out for a quick bite!
Last night I had dinner with a friend I hadn’t seen in 20 years, I’ll be staying with her on Monday night, more time to catch up! Tomorrow she’s taking me to one of the Disney parks (she works there in costuming) so I’ll get a bit of tourism fun. Mostly, though, I’m just trying to rest when I’m not teaching so that I am fit to teach again!
I guess you can tell from the very simple blog post how tired I am – but it’s an extremely happy tired! One lovely woman made gluten free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies for lunch and I took some home to my hotel room.
"Do The Hustle!"
As I walked through the lobby I noticed an unusual amount of flautists tweeting away in corners of the hotel, then I saw this sign:
Either the folks who play flute in Florida are an exceptionally happy lot, or they were just incredibly glad to see each other. At any rate, being surrounded by so many joyful flutes was enchantingly surreal!
This evening has been a delight of private, in my room online scrabble playing, tea drinking, cookie eating, and now some good bed time with a great book.
The best evening EVER!
I’d give a great deal, though, to have Gerry and the kids here! I missed Max’s band concert (rumor has it he ROCKED!) and I’ll be home just in time for his birthday on Tuesday. Slight guilt, but mortgage must be made!
Barbie's Scale set permanently at 110 lbs (image by CarrieBee)
A few years ago there was a Barbie doll who famously cried, “Math class is TOUGH!” as one of her pre-recorded soundbites.
Mattel heard the well-deserved cries of protest and yanked Teen Talk Barbie and chalked the whole thing up to a PR nightmare.
Girls don’t need encouragement to believe that mad math skills are beyond them.
My own math journey wasn’t smooth. I was in advanced math in Jr. High, but upon transferring to a new school which didn’t believe in ‘advanced’ classes I was given a choice to return to a lower class with my 8th grade peers, or move into the 9th grade (elective) class.
I chose the latter, and the teacher (who wasn’t thrilled with a new girl in class, bringing the total female population in advanced algebra to TWO) dogged every equation I wrote on the board.
“Yes, Annette got the right answer,
but she got it the WRONG way…”
It was my last math class – I ended the year with a “D” after a solid A/B average for the previous 2 years in my old school, and I shied away from math stuff for years.
Then I began designing, and I re-discovered the joy of numbers. It’s almost poetic when I can get the gauge and stitch repeats to work well together, creating a simplified, universal pattern that can be easily altered. Here’s an example of a recent trip through math hell.
But for the past year – probably more (I’ve been trying HARD to ignore this) my brain is not dealing with sums as well as it has. At first I thought it was my imagination, then I thought it was pure laziness
Now I’m forced to admit that when I’m return to a pattern in one of my math worksheets I have no memory of my previous encounters with the same formulas.
The good news is that it’s forced me to label all of my columns (which note body measurements and changes in the pattern) INCREDIBLY clearly so I can jog my memory when I return to the pattern. Clarity is good.
The bad news is that patterns take longer to write. Recently I wrote up a pattern for a simple shrug. I’ll admit that the lace pattern was a bit of a bear (I reworked it 3 times to simplify it without losing the beauty) but still, writing the pattern took me approximately 20 hours when a similar pattern might have taken me 4-5 hours a few years ago.
This is so frustrating. I know it has a lot to do with the fibromyalgia, and I wonder if – in a warmer, sunnier month my brain might be clicking away in a more efficient manner. But right now it is what it is.
So, while I’m NOT giving up designing hand knit and crochet patterns, I’m branching out a bit to add a bit more joy in my life – and hopefully diversify my income.
Bytham Cabbage Rose Hat
I’m making Millinery. Hats. Caps. Dome-pieces. Do-rags. Lids.
These pieces won’t be available as knitting patterns, that’s part of the joy for me. I just need to be able to MAKE stuff without worrying about how to tell others how to make the same thing.
Wisbech Cloche
I sometimes find myself stymied by the difficulty in explaining a complex technique, and I avoid some beautiful details in my work for just this reason.
So the hats will be an escape for me, a bit of joy in a few cold, dark months when math doesn’t come as easily as it might. I’ll make hay – and patterns – when the sun shines.
Edmondthorpe Cloche
If you know anyone who is looking for a beautiful, unusual, interesting hat for a special occasion, direct them over to my website or etsy store.
I’m happy to do commission work, and with the wealth of yarns out there I can match or complement just about any fabric or trim.
It would be lovely to see more brides wearing fine millinery, and the lacework brims on my hats create a ‘shadow veil’ which is flattering to any face!
I’m certain it’s been apparent to folks who read my blog or twitter/facebook feeds with any regularity that I’ve been struggling through a dry patch in my design work.
The root of the problem, I think, is something yet undefined to do with the fibromyalgia. I just don’t seem to be able to have the concentration OR the drive I used to have, so ideas aren’t as fluid as they used to be, and once I do snag one it’s harder to put it into practice.
Part of my also wonders if my odd confused and subdued state might be some hormonal thing. I have no ovaries, and my hormone prescription (which worked well for so many years!) has been changed over and over in the past year for no reason other than the insurance decides from month to month that one medicine is “in” and another is “out”.
Swatchapalooza
This morning I cleaned up my basement office, tossing out literally dozens of nascent swatches which came to nothing – this is not uncommon. I think through ideas by swatching them, often I’ll rip out the swatch and reuse the yarn.
However, if I feel it would be useful to hang onto the swatch, I’ll do so and toss it into my “swatches in process” box to return to later. Sometimes these returns glean a new understanding, sometimes they’re just a trip down memory lane.
Today I decided to toss out the swatches that are of no use to me or anyone, and it felt good. But each swatch that was tossed also felt like a little design that wasn’t being realized. I have to trust myself, my notes, and my ability to revisit a good idea later when it really resonates with a current design problem.
I also packed up a good amount of yarn I can’t design with (either the yarn’s been discontinued, the company has closed or the colorway is no longer produced) for the charity knitting program at my local temple. That, too, felt very good.
I’m hoping this cleaning will be a metaphorical as well as a physical boon, helping my mind to move toward new spaces (and allowing me to return to unfinished challenges with a clearer path!)
Of course, History on Two Needles is top on my priority list. I only have one more sweater to knit up for that, and there are several sweaters I’d like to REKNIT to double check my pattern configurations (odd, period shaping can be a scary thing!)
I may have found someone to help me wade through my pattern worksheets and double check them for clarity, a job which has already proved daunting to some great knitting minds, and has reduced me to tears at times.
I ask myself, “Why are my patterns so odd? Why so complex?” And this morning listening to On Being on MPR I think I had a bit of a revelation. Krista Tippet’s guest, John Paul Lederach (who works in what he calls “conflict transformation”), was discussing what Oliver Wendell Holmes called “the simplicity on the other side of complexity”
I would not give a fig for the simplicity this side of complexity, but I would give my life for the simplicity on the other side of complexity.
– Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
In design and in pattern writing, my goal is simplicity.
Complex-ness, complexity, is a necessary phase I must pass through to achieve a universal simplicity. In my better patterns (Twisted Float Shrug, Universal Mitered Bag) I’ve been able – through a GREAT DEAL of swatching and math – to create a rather simple pattern which can be easily altered to work well with a variety of yarn weights and for a variety of sizes.
But it’s a winding path from the well-groomed “front yard” of simple, rough pattern through the complex “wilderness” of confusing, math-ridden pattern and out into a “natural meadow” of final, deceptively simple pattern. It can be a long slog.
The reworking of a pattern, and then the reknitting of it several times, is necessary to get to that sunny, bright and peaceful meadow (this is why I like to first knit my own samples, the enlightenment that comes from the knitting is hard won and possible in no other way.)
I made a decision to not attend VK Live or TNNA this January. I’m teaching in Orlando at the end of the month, and I’ve limited myself to 1 trip per month because I know what more travel takes out of me. I know that my physical stamina wouldn’t allow me to do all that traveling.
But it’s hard to read the excited tweets & blog posts about how great VK is, the wonderful classes, the cameraderie, and not feel a bit left out. It was my own choice, I think it was a good one, but it would be nice to connect with my knitting design friends.
Along the same lines, I’ve decided to only submit to a very few magazines until I get History on Two Needles, finished. I can’t continue to allow myself to put other work in front of what is a strong passion simply because I’ve reached a rather rough part in the HoTN process.
So as deadlines zoom by this month for magazines that I admire, I find myself sitting on my hands instead of sending in sketches and swatches. Once again, it’s my choice, but it makes me feel a bit superfluous. Not a helpful feeling, and I’m the only one who can break through those feelings.
Into The Woods - by Bicycle!
So I supposed what I have isn’t Designer’s Block as much as it’s a realization that I need to stop walking, look up and see where the sun is, get out my compass and thoughtfully find a better path to that darned meadow.
To that end, today I’m spending the entire afternoon knitting things I love, with no thought to where it might end up (book, magazine) and only trying to find some of the joy I’ve been missing as I doggedly march through a dark wood.
I think I’ll knit a fine hat, my soul could use a little millinery.
Mary can handle herself.
I am absolutely LOVING Downton Abbey. It’s not the plot line so much (which is interesting, sometimes predictable and sometimes just silly.)
No, it’s the CLOTHES. Susannah Buxton & Rosalind Ebbutt have done a remarkable job recreating the Edwardian / WWII era in styles that resonate with a modern audience.
Ethel Knits!
It’s exceptional knitting TV. I’m always looking for something to ‘knit along to’ that I can watch over and over again – always hearing or seeing something I missed before.
The richness of the details is very much appreciated by this half-attentive knitter.
Amazing hats, every one!
It’s obvious that the undergarments are quite good & correct for the period, the hair is – for the most part – exceptional, and the hats are filling my dreams.
I love millinery, and this is my hands-down favorite period.
The Simplest Hats are the Hardest
The floral and feature trim is perfect, often times more simple than expected. It’s the hardest thing in the world to get the simplicity of trim matching the hats, but this millinery is astoundingly good at it.
Lady Edith's silhouette is quite daring.
One of my favorite aspects of the DA costumes are how they foreshadow the changes in fashion. Lady Sybill’s split skirt outfit was very daring (and the color was a little glaring) but it wouldn’t have been worn in public.
More interesting to me are the clothes that Lady Edith wears. She’ll be the real clothing rebel, notice how her jodhpurs and long coat carry an echo of the post WWI fashions of a working segment of the ‘superfluous woman’
A woman comfortable in her own skin
And, as always, Maggie Smith is pure treasure. Her asides, small comments and the physicality of her character (watch how she gravitates toward and away from other characters) is flawless. It’s a joy to see her used and dressed so magnificently in her role!
I love the interplay (& love) between these two.
Some new ideas have to do with patterns, but I’m afraid most of them have to do with afternoon tea and gluten free biscuits.
I’m sorry I’ve been so quiet. When weeks pass and I don’t post on my blog, I sometimes think, “Why do I even HAVE a blog…”
Then someone writes me, tells me how much they gained from reading back posts, and I realize that I won’t always be in this slow, slow period in my life.
I’ll speed up and post more regularly when I’m mentally and physically more in tune with everything.
Right now I’m just feeling a bit blah (perhaps Rick Santorum was speaking about me?) and at the same time a bit harried and confused. An odd and unsettling mix.
I’ve been feeling exceptionally depressed some recent days, and I can’t help but feel it’s strongly tied to the fibro. A rheumatologist I saw in Nov said that I was doing much better than many of her other patients, and I’ve been getting good light and taking my Vit D3 (although on her suggestion I cut back – maybe I need to increase it again?)
It’s a silly kind of depressive feeling where I know I need help with some things, but I’m feeling just foolish and worthless enough to NOT ask for help.
Yes, I know how dopey that sounds, and unhelpful, please don’t scold me in the comments – you won’t tell me anything I don’t already know.
I think I also took a backspin on our weekend up to Camp Menogyn. It was lovely, but physically it was so far beyond what I was capable of (the long walk across the lake in the dark upon our arrival winded me and cramped up my muscles in an odd way)
I can do a long walk slowly, but dragging a sled of luggage and having no idea exactly how FAR we were walking was disorienting and unsettling.
Once at the lodge the folks were nice, but I had the feeling I’d wandered into someone else’s family reunion – and I wasn’t exactly part of the family.
A few other folks felt the same way (more knitters than I’d expected) so we made a small band of crafters in a very loud environment – what I wouldn’t have given for a smaller, quiet room with some decent light!
The cook was absolutely wonderful at creating something gluten free for me at each meal, so kind of her!
But I felt as if I were – useless? Not able to keep up? An outsider? Most of those feeling sprang from within me, I know. A lot of it was probably ‘first timer syndrome’, too!
So while I muse about a good blog post to put up in the next few days, here’s a short video about one of my favorite places in the Twin Cities – the Midtown Greenway Bike Trail.
As the temps will be hitting the high 40′s today (this is Minnesota, right?) I’m going out for a long ride today to try to clear my mind, relax my body and lose the cobwebs that have been clouding every part of my existence.
Minneapolis’ Midtown Greenway by Streetfilms
Biking is SO much easier for me than walking. I’d rather bike 10 miles than walk a block, the pain when I bike is negligible, but when I walk I feel sore all over. And this, of course, makes me feel guilty in some niggling way.
It’s late. Incredibly late. It’s the day before the day before Christmas, 4 days into Hanukkah, and maybe you’ve forgotten a few dear friends because they’re just so much a part of the scenery.
Or maybe you got a surprise gift from someone you hadn’t expected would remember you.
Or perhaps you just couldn’t find exactly the right thing for someone and you’re finding a gift idea elusive.
Well, how about giving a gift that helps others, too?
I’m keeping my list short. These are organizations which I, myself, support and admire.
But don’t let this short grouping limit your generosity! There are myriad organizations that support people, animals, the planet and arts which count on the holiday season to shore up their budget for the coming year.
I’ve been a Kiva lender for years, and I’ve not been disappointed.
Not a charity, Kiva is a micro-loan organization that allows folks from all over the world to come together and lend small amounts of money to entrepreneurs in under serviced parts of the world so they can create a better future for themselves, their families & their communities!
How many times have you wanted to gift your daughter in law with a goat? Or grace your neighbor’s holiday with a lovely cow? Now you can REALLY give six geese a layin’, and help the world at the same time!
Through Heifer.org you can fully or partially fund an agricultural project (hive of bees, flock of geese, knitter’s basket of fiber-related animals) in a friend’s name, thereby successfully hatching two eggs (giving a great gift & helping the world) with one simple gesture. From the Heifer.org website:
Each animal represents an opportunity for self-reliance for a family living in poverty. These gifts of hope will be the perfect way to celebrate the season of giving.
KWB, or TSF (Tricoteuses Sans Frontières) is the brain child of the Yarn Harlot and is a funding vehicle for Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières)
To donate to DWB/MSF click on one of the links below, then feel free to email Stephanie Pearl McPhee with your donation total. She’ll track it and tally up all the knitterly love that we’ve spread around the world, knitters (& crocheters) helping doctors help people!
Habitat is very upfront about their mission and affiliation:
We are a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian ministry founded on the conviction that every man, woman and child should have a decent, safe and affordable place to live. We build with people in need regardless of race or religion. We welcome volunteers and supporters from all backgrounds.
and therefore may not be the perfect charitable vehicle for everyone. But they do great work, and their message – a home for everyone – resonates with me.
Widely known and respected, a gift in the name of friends who have recently purchased a home, paid off a mortgage or have set up a new household can be very moving.
Another organization which is very upfront about their Christian affiliation, I was initially skeptical about the Salvation Army.
Then our family was in need, and without blinking an eye the SA came through graciously, kindly and in a very non-prosteltizing manner.
They even offered to cover Hebrew School tuition if we couldn’t afford it. We declined, but I found that offer very revealing.
I was so impressed and grateful with their aid that our Jewish family has donated to the Salvation Army every year since then. When there’s need, the SA is among the first there. Quietly, kindly and efficiently helping folks in the ways that matter most, no questions asked.
Put a few bucks in one of the kettles, give online in the name of a friend, or start your own online kettle!
For 40 years Second Harvest has been helping food banks keep their shelves filled by (in part) reclaiming good, useful foodstuffs that may have been wasted. They do good and necessary work, and along with the national organization there are many local Second Harvest food banks around the country.
It’s terrible and terrifying to realize that hunger rages within the USA, that there are families which cannot afford healthy food, and that in such a rich land there can be such a disparity between the well-fed and the hungry.
As you welcome friends to your table this holiday season, perhaps you’ll consider asking them to make a donation to Second Harvest (or any local food bank) in the form of a financial donation. Yes, canned food is great, but money helps put gas in the trucks and pays the rent on the warehouses.
And finally, here’s a warm holiday greeting from our household to yours!
Happy Holidays from The Landy-Modesitts & Atticus The Wonder Dog
(Any similarity to the Obama’s 2011 holiday card is purely coincidental – really!)
Ironic in light of my last post, huh?
Note: If a charitable organization is new to you, you might want to read this article on how to double check a charity.
There are several organizations that monitor charities, I don’t feel well versed enough to recommend any one entity, though.
Help me raise funds to maintain the Midtown Greenway! Every dollar is welcome, every drop fills the bucket or paves a pothole!
