2/7/10
1/18/10
Haiti - I've been there and love the people of that Nation.
It is so easy to donate.
A good way to help Haiti is to come up with a plan. No matter how much money you make, you make more than the Haitians. They were needy and in the worst poverty before the earthquake on the 12th of January, 2010.
We have been to the mission Ebenezer Outreach in St Louis du Nord - and to some of their other missions. We have friends who have an orphanage in Port de Paix.
We have been there. Port au Prince is actually the capital city where people who have (had) jobs, homes, electricity, some tv coverage, grocery stores, banks, etc. Just a few miles North and South of the capital city, poverty rules. If you drive the coast around the West to the North coast you find a few port cities like Port de Paix which are also a little more able to survive with supplies coming in and transportation out, some resorts in the area and a few more "conveniences." Although the roads ruin vehicles, fuel comes in sporadically and food consists of very expensive beans and rice.
But the villages off the main ports and roads might as well be in the bush of Africa 100 years ago, without the wildlife, of course, as they all died long ago.
How can you help? Well, I never thought I'd agree with Clinton, but since he and Bush are partnered up, I agree - send cash. Here is a ministry
http://ebenezeroutreach.org
you can support. There is a quick link to pay on their web page. We know these people personally, have gone into Haiti with them and stand behind their integrity. Larry and Linda are there right now, they went in 2 days before the earthquake, and were supposed to return via Port au Prince yesterday. They are overwhelmed with the needs of the refugees from the quake. Money sent to their account will be wired to their mission.
Our friends in Port de Paix have orphanages, their link to donate is http://lfmintl.com
Give up one meal of eating out and send it to the Haitians, quit cokes for a month and send the money to Haiti. Do something.
Missionaries, humanitarians, governments, caring people have poured their lives into Haiti, now they are on the brink of destruction, God HELP Haiti!
Pray and give, putting feet on your prayers.
A good way to help Haiti is to come up with a plan. No matter how much money you make, you make more than the Haitians. They were needy and in the worst poverty before the earthquake on the 12th of January, 2010.
We have been to the mission Ebenezer Outreach in St Louis du Nord - and to some of their other missions. We have friends who have an orphanage in Port de Paix.
We have been there. Port au Prince is actually the capital city where people who have (had) jobs, homes, electricity, some tv coverage, grocery stores, banks, etc. Just a few miles North and South of the capital city, poverty rules. If you drive the coast around the West to the North coast you find a few port cities like Port de Paix which are also a little more able to survive with supplies coming in and transportation out, some resorts in the area and a few more "conveniences." Although the roads ruin vehicles, fuel comes in sporadically and food consists of very expensive beans and rice.
But the villages off the main ports and roads might as well be in the bush of Africa 100 years ago, without the wildlife, of course, as they all died long ago.
How can you help? Well, I never thought I'd agree with Clinton, but since he and Bush are partnered up, I agree - send cash. Here is a ministry
http://ebenezeroutreach.org
you can support. There is a quick link to pay on their web page. We know these people personally, have gone into Haiti with them and stand behind their integrity. Larry and Linda are there right now, they went in 2 days before the earthquake, and were supposed to return via Port au Prince yesterday. They are overwhelmed with the needs of the refugees from the quake. Money sent to their account will be wired to their mission.
Our friends in Port de Paix have orphanages, their link to donate is http://lfmintl.com
Give up one meal of eating out and send it to the Haitians, quit cokes for a month and send the money to Haiti. Do something.
Missionaries, humanitarians, governments, caring people have poured their lives into Haiti, now they are on the brink of destruction, God HELP Haiti!
Pray and give, putting feet on your prayers.
12/28/09
People who know me well!!
Christmas was so different this year, even from our own little established tradition. Ken and Jenn didn't make it home, but they are every other year, with her family - distance does that. Their gifts came in the mail a day before Christmas Eve.
Instead of decorating the house and having Jim and Andrea (and the 5 kiddos) at our house Christmas Eve, we had to pull out for our winter venture on Christmas Eve morning, so, we filled our little SUV back with packages and headed to their home a few days early. We had a great time, teasing the kids, making them wait awhile for packages, and thoroughly enjoyed each of them with their gifts. Some were on their list and some were random surprises.
Since the tradition was a little unusual, I found myself struggling, I had pulled out 3 decorations to fancy up our craft show a few weeks before Christmas, and hadn't put them away. One was my Christmas tree shape stand that holds plates full of candies and/or cookies. I decided I would do cookies, but we wouldn't or couldn't eat them all, so boxes of cookies were delivered to our favorite Auto Repair shop (he does our tires, brakes, engine work on our used vehicles, and general advice on all of our equipment, he's a super guy and we hoped to bless him.) The hubby delivered the cookies and came home with a Rose for me. I so needed that - was starting to feel a little deprived or something.
At the kids house adults opened their presents. My gifts to our son and d-i-l were a hit, they posed for pictures in their scarves. One woven for our son, knit for our d-i-l.
Then my hubbies gift. I had seen it, and our (almost 3 yr old) granddaughter almost carried it out of it's hiding place a week early when we visited, she couldn't wait for Papaw to see it. A picture of him, holding her, he's about to kiss her on the cheek, she's squinting from the fuzzy beard that's approaching. She's wearing a dress I made here when she first arrived from Guatemala nearly 2 years ago - and holding a doll that has a matching dress The pattern was for an 18 month old, so I made it for her first spring. She just grew into it. The picture is such a treasure it's already hanging in our RV.
I opened my gifts, and was amazed at the thoughtfulness of my d-i-l and son. They went to a yarn shop and picked out a variety of specialty yarns that were over the top amazing. One of them:
This was a little intimidating. Feza Alp Oriental "Bravo" 07 Scarf Kit
Because it is a huge ball of yarn, with several fringe strands attached. The instructions were hand written with a sticky note attached from the store clerks. I tried both scarf patterns and absolutely loved the original pattern. There's probably 20 different yarns in this, two or three yarns wound together, about 16 yards of each color pattern, then the change to 2 or 3 more yarns held together, throughout the piece. Here's a few views of the finished piece wrapped with my denim jacket.
Finished Scarf and close up of some of the fiber.
This is just one of the projects that will come out of the gifts of yarn I received.
The other gift that was so right on with me was a beautiful glass globe hand made from Colorado that had a wildflower bouquet. The center flower was a miniature Daisy. My favorite flower in the world. That's the flowers I had in my wedding, with much strong opinion and dislike floating around ... you don't use daisies for a wedding??? I did!!
There were so many meaningful things happening in our lives and our family's life this year, that the gifts were more like icing on a cake ... we are so blessed and God has been so bountifully good to us in our 42 years for marriage, that just knowing his Grace and Love would have been enough, yet he allowed us to purchase meaningful gifts, receive them too, and spend quality time with family whether it was literally together or over the phone.
I'll close with a sweet memory!
Three Sisters Christmas 1950's
Instead of decorating the house and having Jim and Andrea (and the 5 kiddos) at our house Christmas Eve, we had to pull out for our winter venture on Christmas Eve morning, so, we filled our little SUV back with packages and headed to their home a few days early. We had a great time, teasing the kids, making them wait awhile for packages, and thoroughly enjoyed each of them with their gifts. Some were on their list and some were random surprises.
Since the tradition was a little unusual, I found myself struggling, I had pulled out 3 decorations to fancy up our craft show a few weeks before Christmas, and hadn't put them away. One was my Christmas tree shape stand that holds plates full of candies and/or cookies. I decided I would do cookies, but we wouldn't or couldn't eat them all, so boxes of cookies were delivered to our favorite Auto Repair shop (he does our tires, brakes, engine work on our used vehicles, and general advice on all of our equipment, he's a super guy and we hoped to bless him.) The hubby delivered the cookies and came home with a Rose for me. I so needed that - was starting to feel a little deprived or something.
At the kids house adults opened their presents. My gifts to our son and d-i-l were a hit, they posed for pictures in their scarves. One woven for our son, knit for our d-i-l.
Then my hubbies gift. I had seen it, and our (almost 3 yr old) granddaughter almost carried it out of it's hiding place a week early when we visited, she couldn't wait for Papaw to see it. A picture of him, holding her, he's about to kiss her on the cheek, she's squinting from the fuzzy beard that's approaching. She's wearing a dress I made here when she first arrived from Guatemala nearly 2 years ago - and holding a doll that has a matching dress The pattern was for an 18 month old, so I made it for her first spring. She just grew into it. The picture is such a treasure it's already hanging in our RV.
I opened my gifts, and was amazed at the thoughtfulness of my d-i-l and son. They went to a yarn shop and picked out a variety of specialty yarns that were over the top amazing. One of them:
This was a little intimidating. Feza Alp Oriental "Bravo" 07 Scarf Kit
Because it is a huge ball of yarn, with several fringe strands attached. The instructions were hand written with a sticky note attached from the store clerks. I tried both scarf patterns and absolutely loved the original pattern. There's probably 20 different yarns in this, two or three yarns wound together, about 16 yards of each color pattern, then the change to 2 or 3 more yarns held together, throughout the piece. Here's a few views of the finished piece wrapped with my denim jacket.
Finished Scarf and close up of some of the fiber.
This is just one of the projects that will come out of the gifts of yarn I received.
The other gift that was so right on with me was a beautiful glass globe hand made from Colorado that had a wildflower bouquet. The center flower was a miniature Daisy. My favorite flower in the world. That's the flowers I had in my wedding, with much strong opinion and dislike floating around ... you don't use daisies for a wedding??? I did!!
There were so many meaningful things happening in our lives and our family's life this year, that the gifts were more like icing on a cake ... we are so blessed and God has been so bountifully good to us in our 42 years for marriage, that just knowing his Grace and Love would have been enough, yet he allowed us to purchase meaningful gifts, receive them too, and spend quality time with family whether it was literally together or over the phone.
I'll close with a sweet memory!
Three Sisters Christmas 1950's
12/20/09
A special Grandparenting Moment, and a few of my knit felt purses ... 2009 grand finale!
The anticipation! Just before pierced ears.
Listening to earring care instructions at the jewelry shop!When this little lady, Aven Catherine Mundell, came into our lives, we really weren't sure what we were getting into. We had 4 grandsons at the time, and pretty much knew about boys. When her 4 brothers welcomed her into their family she was less than 1 year old, adopted from Guatemala. In just a few weeks she turns 3. We have watched her toddle through every stage of babyhood swinging her runway shoulders, dancing across rooms on her toes in tutus and admiring every piece of jewelry any person wears on any occasion. She grabs the doll hair brush to groom Papaw's beard. Aven has to have a pretty in her hair and is always dressed in frill, lace or at least pink. Only having two sons of our own, and 4 grandsons the transition has captivated us. Our daughter-in-law brought a new element to our family. Having another lady around sparked new creativity and softened the guy inspired decor of our home. Now Aven dances through our hearts causes everyone to pause. She's tender, but strong, sweet but decisive, and loving in a tender quiet way. Standing on the couch next to her Papaw talking him into Dora cartoons and sharing cashews or chips makes her day.
This year's birthdays for all grandkids was a planned adventure rather than gifts. She's still young enough we didn't think she would have a preference, but when we asked her what she wanted to do with Papaw and Mamaw for her birthday, she said she wanted to go to Applebees. (That's where the 7 year olds wanted to go after a day at bouncer town) She loves that word, Applebees. Then we were informed that she's been wanting her ears pierced, and that it would be a great adventure for the 3 of us. I'll admit I was very nervous - what if it hurts her - she'll hate us forever. I wasn't too sure about it, but she and Papaw were so excited. Of course all my fears were erased when she sat right down on the padded stool and listened to everything the piercing lady told us, let her mark purple dots where the earrings would go, picked out beautiful pink flowers off the card of choices, and folded her hands to wait. WOW!!
I'm the only one that cried. She was so cute, so brave, and very excited. A treasured memory for 2009. But I'm pretty emotional when it comes to milestones with my g-kids. (think I'm normal)
ABOUT MY KNITTING
I'm currently making myself a sweater. I've never done that. We'll be in the truck a lot over the next few weeks, so I'm geared up for some straight knitting.
On a less glamorous note, my current count of purses this year was over 30. Many sold some were gifts, one entered into a contest, and lots of photos for future patterns. These two I finished for a Christmas order for a friend.
The order stated one in natural colors and one in black both medium size, my design. The picture doesn't do the green, brown tan one much justice. It has a long oval base, and woven strap and closure, with a great green striped stone.
12/15/09
Last minute gift ideas for knitters.
So cute, use some scrap yarn to make two identical wrist warmers. they can be any length from knuckles to wrist or even longer. You don't necessarily need a thumb-hole, and adding finger-holes make them fingerless gloves, not wrist-warmers.
Using a circular needle and two separate balls of yarn you can work each row, switch to the other piece, work the same row on the second piece then turn. You'll be sewing a seam up the sides when finished.
So, cast on enough stitches (according to the yarn's stitch per inch and needles size) enough stitches to fit an average wrist. Make sure you have an even number of stitches.
Example yarn that is 4 stitches/inch on a size 10 needle, you need 32 stitches for an 8 " arm warmer. Cast on 32. For a 6 " arm warmer, cast on 24 stitches, etc. If you get 6 stitches/inch, for an 8 inch arm warmer, cast on 48 stitches. If it is a very stretchy yarn, make back off by one inch so they will stretch onto the arm.
Ribbing (cuff by the knuckles) (right side) Knit 2 purl 2 to the end, turn, wrong side, purl 2 knit 2 and repeat rows until the piece is 3 inches long.
Begin knitting the right side, and purling the wrong side until the piece is about 8 inches from the beginning. Repeat the Ribbing Section, and cast off when they are long enough to warm the wrist.
Change it up! make your cast on divisible by 6 and knit 3, purl 3 using sock yarn. Calculate your stitches the same way using the guide on the yarn.
You be the designer. ENJOY!!
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