Lapghan for Fisher House

Here is a picture of some blocks I made after they were put together in a lapghan for Fisher House.  Makes me feel good to help anyone, but especially wounded soldiers.

FeelGood on TV

Here is a TV interview about the FeelGood Campaign. It only mentions knitting, but I think that crochet is the way to go!

A New Project

Have you ever heard of “Lands’ End”? Of course you have! To be honest, the closest I ever get is drooling over the catalogs.

Have you ever heard of “Warming Families”? http://www.freewebs.com/warmingfamilies/

How about “One Heart Foundation”? http://oneheart.org/

Well these organizations are working together in Lands’ End “FeelGood Campaign” extending from September 1, 2009 through December 2009.

Excerpt from http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=ind_focus.story&STORY=/www/story/09-01-2009/0005086370&EDATE=
“This fall, Lands' End will kick off the FeelGood Campaign, a terrific way to shop - and feel good about giving to homeless individuals and families across the country. Beginning September 1st, for every Lands' End FeelGood sweater purchased, the company will donate signature FeelGood yarn to One Heart Foundation's Warming Families, a nationwide knitting charity. Lands' End expects to donate thousands of pounds of yarn to the charity where volunteers plan to knit up to 25,000 hats and other items to warm the homeless and displaced.”

After learning about this, I signed up to help. And since they didn’t have anyone in Arizona to help co-ordinate things here-I signed up for that, too!

So I am busily crocheting hats and T is continuing to work on his loom hats. Right now we have 2 of the large blue IKEA bags FULL of his hats!!!

Working with “Warming Families” as a Chapter-Area Volunteer (CAV) means I also get to find other volunteers to knit or crochet hats for this particular campaign and to help with the regular hats/blankets/lapghans/etc.

If you or anyone you know, would like to help with the “FeelGood Campaign” you can go to the websites below or contact me.


Warming Families http://www.freewebs.com/warmingfamilies/
One Heat Foundation http://oneheart.org/

Just a little inspiration

I am often discouraged, which is kind of a way of life when you have had depression your whole life. Sometimes things can feel so overwhelming that there just is no light and no end to the dark tunnel.

Then you find someone like Nick Vujicic, and you are once again humbled. After watching Nick you will be able to find blessings to count, no matter your situation right now.

A Hairy Story

For years Dear Daughter has wanted to grow out her hair until it was down to her waist. We have battled about keeping it combed and neat so many times, I have no way to begin counting them. She found ‘her look’ and was pretty good about keeping it nicely done. She never would let me play with her hair or “do” her hair.


Am I the only mother who likes to play with her daughter’s hair? When I was riding in the car with my oldest daughter and her children, I was gently touching her hair and running it through my fingers. Little granddaughter decided that I shouldn’t be doing that and said “Mom, her’s playing with your hair.” My daughter explained that it was okay, since I was her mommy. It was so funny.


This is one of her "looks".












Then, when younger daughter finally understood why she needed to keep it neat and clean, she decided that she wanted to cut it!

We measured it about a month before it was cut and it was 21” from the crown of her head.

She decided that she wanted to cut it for Locks of Love. Good choice.

They cut off almost 12” and this is how long it still is.

Happy Birthday S

I have the best daughter-in-law in the world and

today is her birthday.

Just a few things I love about her:

1. She loves my son and is the best wife I think he could have chosen.
   


2. She is a wonderful mother to my grandsons.
   


3. She enjoys the mischief and mayhem that comes with two little boys and still loves them with all her heart.
   


4. She is the only one I trust completely with my hair.
   


5. She can do things with a blog that I can’t begin to duplicate (and I am trained on computers)!
   


6. I have never heard her raise her voice, for anything.
   


7. She is beautiful and very feminine.
   


8. She loves to cook and make bread and do all the things that go into creating a happy, loving home.
   


9. She supports my son in everything (even when I probably wouldn’t have).
   


10. She has a loving smile that makes you feel like she is smiling just for you.
    


11. She loves Christ and you can tell by her actions that she does everything she can to live as Christ would want her to.
    


12. She is accepting of everything. (Sometime I’ll have to get her to tell me what she really feels!)
    


13. She is the most well-rounded, gospel loving, happiest woman I know.

Happy Birthday S!

We love you greatly and miss you a lot!

Too bad she doesn’t have the best mother-in-law,

or she would be getting a handmade card instead of this blog.

Showing Kindness

There are some wonderful blessings that come from being a part of a family! And even more if you are part of a large family, which I am.

A few days ago, I had a brother and a brother-in-law come to my house to fix things for me. One is an electrician and the other is an all around handy man. My brother, the handyman, works so fast that it’s hard to keep up with him. If he didn’t have other people around, he would get the work done in half the time! One thing that just amazed me – one of my security screen doors didn’t latch unless you used the deadbolt part of the lock; the knob just didn’t catch. We have almost no tools to speak of, so I thought he was not going to be able to do anything about it. WRONG! He whips out his Christmas present, a Leatherman tool, and opens the file blade and just starts filing away at the area that needed it. It only took about 5 minutes and he had the door actually catching like it should!

In our family we have members with all kinds of skills; from legal and financial, to building, to hair & makeup, to carpeting, to music and theater, to organizational, to computer and so much more. Each person in the family has more than just one skill. It’s a collection of all the things they have learned through their lives.

There is no better way to learn to love someone than to help them, and no better security than to know you can call on them whenever you need their help. If you are lucky, you may have this kind of family or live in this type of community or belong to a church that helps each other this way. I think that if more people were willing to give just a little service to others in their daily lives, lots of problems would disappear. I know there would be more happiness in the world.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal… Charity suffereth long, and is kind, charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up (Bible, 1 Corinthians 13:1, 4)

But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. (Book of Mormon, Moroni 7:47-48)

And I am filled with charity, which is everlasting love; wherefore, all children are alike unto me; wherefore, I love…with a perfect love; and … all alike and partakers of salvation. (Book of Mormon, Moroni 8:17)

Our area has lots of “snowbirds” during the winter months and many of them just have a hard time at the store. They can’t reach something or they can’t lift something. When I see this, I usually offer to help them; I am basically able-bodied and have the ability to do these little things better than many of them, so why not help. When I see the tears in their eyes or the stunned look on their face, I realize that I have done more than put laundry detergent into a cart, or reached the bottle on the top shelf. I realize that one simple Random Act of Kindness has made 2 people feel more valued.

Links to Random Act of Kindness Websites
http://www.actsofkindness.org/
http://www.noogenesis.com/malama/kindness/index.html
http://www.payitforwardmovement.org/

“I expect to pass through life but once. If, therefore, there be any kindness I can show, Or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, Let me do it now, as I shall not pass this way again.” The Dalai Lama