First Day Musings -- The Promise

1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD—
3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.

Isaiah 11:1-3

This is the first Sunday of Advent. As a Quaker there is no liturgy, to speak of, but I am enthralled with traditions that give fullness to the Word and Promise. Thus, I love Advent and all that comes with it. Our Advent meal, which will culminate with the lighting of the first purple candle symbolizing HOPE, will be a simple potato soup with toasted and buttered homemade bread. It is a simple meal, but one that we have created with our own hands, from raising the potatoes to making the bread. There is much to be grateful for.

Then, we will watch our fourth movie in the "Thirty Days of Christmas" movie-thon tradition we established when we first married. Each night we select one Christmas movie, starting with "Miracle on 34th Street" and ending, of course, with "It's a Wonderful Life." We have already enjoyed "A Christmas Carole" and I have resolved to read the story in its entirety this season.

Very little decorating has started. With the "natural" Christmas theme for the Airman this year, I don't want to start too early. Next weekend, however, we will begin with the porch and outdoors and move our way in. After my funk from last year, no Dundee cakes were made nor tree decorated, I have resolved to pull myself up by my bootstraps and get 'er done. And, that has made all the difference. I want the Airman's time home to be warm, loving, comforable, and, most of all, peaceful. Knowing he'll be gone next year and with all the stupidness going on in the world, I want to treasure every single moment.

What is one of your favorite Christmas traditions?

All In Your Hand

Can you guess what came in this yesterday?

Getting closer....

A genuine, five-piece Hollywood Loom!

Made in 1936, the instructions state:

"Weave in your hand!

Blouses, hats, purses, afghans can all be woven right in your hand!"

This is what was made... lavendar sachets!

They are going in the Etsy shop for Christmas presents.

Talk about delicious!

One of the things I loved most about the package was the lovely note inserted from the seller. There is nothing quite like a handwritten note, is there? Can you remember waiting for the  mail and hoping something would be there for you? I had penpals all over the country and looked forward to seeing the stamps and postmarks.

As a scholar, I regret we are going to more electronic communication. How will we ever know what folks were thinking and writing in 100 years? My friend Corrie writes me letters even though we live just a few miles apart. As a seven-year-old, she loves the process of writing, stamping, and mailing the letter. As a 55-year-old, I love getting 'em!

Do you write letters? 

Make Mine Pink

 On the loom are more tea towels. I can't get enough of this warping. There is one warp and five towels that one can weave from it. It is a winner for me  because I don't like to warp alone. I end up with loose threads and then have to add weights to pull the tension correctly. This is a grey Irish 10/2 linen. I have one towel done and four to go! I love love love hemstitching! It was always my favorite when I was crosstitching samplers and I jump at the chance to do it.

 One of the hazards of knitting for a child is that they grow so doggone fast! Corrie and Joshua ordered blue socks, but it took me a little longer than usual to finish them. When I took them over Wednesday for our tea party, neither fit. But, Joshua could wear Corrie's socks, so I just owe Miss Corrie a pair. She looked over the blue and said, "I am over my blue streak; I'd like pink now, please." This is the first sock, CO48, k2p2 for 1-1/2 inches, then stockinette as long as you like. I love turning the heels, so this has been a quick and fun knit. I even worked on it between lunch and dessert yesterday!

How about a blast from the past?? This hand-pieced quilt was started in, a-hem, 1991, when I was pregnant with Marc Andrew. When he died in utero, the quilt was put away and never finished. It is time to close that door and so I have decided to finish the lap quilt joining on the back. It will go fast as it is a baby quilt and only nine blocks, plus the binding. I am working on it when my hands are tied of knitting (rarely) or my back from weaving (more often). Since I grabbed a bale of hay wrong yesterday, I am more than a little back sore today, so moving between projects (no, it is not ADD, I promise! LOL) is a good thing.

What are you doing today??

Gratitude

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Things I am thankful for:

1. The Airman is stateside this year.

2. My home and family.

3.  No blackpowder shot turkey this year.

4. Not cooking for 12 people.

5. Sunshine on Thanksgiving!

6. The new Hardy stove has proven a winner!

7. There will be TWO kinds of potatoes at lunch tomorrow.

8. The ability to share with others.

9. The Thanksgiving Tea that Corrie, Joshua, and new baby Isaac have prepared for this morning.

10. All you wonderful folks who take the time to share your day with me!

Have a joyous and blessed Thanksgiving! And be grateful you aren't in an airport somewhere getting to know your new best friend up close and personal!

God Makes Me Laugh!

The final tally:

18 hats, 1 vest, 3 scarves, 7 hand-tied blankets, 2 prs. hand knit mittens,

3 hoodies, 2 prs. of socks, and 20 pairs of bought gloves

for a total of 54 pieces.

Wookie is trying to figure out which pile he wants to wallow one more time....

The charity knitting goal this year was 55 pieces. I have 36 knitted items and, as I had permission to add the 20 bought gloves, I am over the goal! Yah! Now, let me tell you how funny God is.

My selected group was the Santa Train. I love love love the story of the train and wanted to really participate. But, would you believe I discovered this morning that I had overlooked the delivery date by one week? And, would you believe that today I met a woman who feeds and serves the homeless in the next county below the mountain? She told me of the families, yes FAMILIES, who are living along the Yadkin River in boxes or tents. It broke my heart.

Then, a little voice in me said, "So, you see why you missed the date? Give them to her."

And, I did.

I am so giddy with happiness that these things are going to someone who needs them. And, my friend Vicky, who was crocheting for the train with me, is sending afghans, laprobes, and scarves with me. And, a box of sweatshirts that were too small for her sister-in-love and have just been waiting to go to the homeless shelter somewhere is now snug in my car as well.

The dear lady and I were talking today and she said, "God just had you there waiting for me." I think it was the other way around. Either way, it is just as it should be.  

Do You Remember?

Where were you on November 22, 1963? I was sitting in my class at Ardmore Street Elementary School working on my penmanship (which is still terrible) when an announcement came over the intercom that the school was closing immediately and that all children were to go straight home.

I was terrified.

Earlier that year we had been issued dog tags to wear that had our name, address, phone number, religion, blood type, and parent's names. We were instructed to wear it always. It was never to come off. Mother and Daddy had explained that I was responsible for my brother and new sister if I were sent home from school. I had detailed instructions for what to do until they got home. They tried, as many folks did, to explain the stupidness of our world and that there were countries that wanted to kill us for being Americans. We were near one of the places they would drop an atomic bomb on. I could survive, we could survive, they stressed, but I was to stay home until they got there. Food was in the basement. Mrs. Tucker was next door.

So, you can imagine how I felt that morning as I, along with all my classmates, was instructed to go straight home. I kept looking at the sky, nearly running, taking every shortcut, the three short blocks to our colonial two-story grey asbestos-sided house. No sirens. No planes. Maybe I had beat them; Mother would still be home as she didn't leave for her job at the hospital until 1:45. Daddy would surely come in from town. We'd all be there. Safe.

When I opened the door, Mother was standing and ironing. Napkins, tablecloths, underwear, sheets, clothes, clean, some from the closets, surrounded her. This wasn't a good sign. She only ironed like this when she was really upset. She was crying softly. The TV was on and Walter Cronkite, my hero as I wanted to be a journalist, was reporting the events of the day. He took his glasses off, took a deep breath, and quietly said, "President Kennedy died..." Mother burst into sobs. I did, too, because I didn't know what else to do. After all, I was only eight and didn't understand this crazy grown-up world.

Much has happened since that sunny November day so long ago. In some ways our world is kinder, gentler, yet, in others, we are harder, more divisive, more angry. It is trite to say innocence died that day. However, just as September 11, 2001, something shifted in our world. I only wish it were for the better.

First Day Musings --- Look Around

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Brenda has a wonderful post today about Christmas choices. Her posts are always well worth the visit as they nudge us to consider our lives in a more meaningful manner. And, sometimes, she is just, well, to darn close for comfort, at least for me! Today she focuses on how to make the holidays more meaningful and purposeful. And as she often does, she has nudged me right into considering how over-the-top these holidays have become.

One of the things that has always troubled me is how many folks are generous to overseas charities, but don't support those in their own communities. I live in a very rural part of NC; we have more than 12% unemployment and, at one time, we had more than 3000 of our 9000 residents out of work when our two factories closed to go off shore. The impact is still devasting -- homes were lost, families moved off farms that had been original land grants, business closed, and life changed forever. We have to rely on each other in times of trial and need.

Look around you. Really look. Who needs a loving hand in your neighborhood? Our volunteer fire department selects families whom we know are out of work or in need and leaves a bag of groceries (Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, plus a few goodies for the children), unseen, in the person's car. Our churches donate to school children by sending home "back packs" of food for the weekend if they know a family is in tough times. A local community college has a clothing closet for graduates so that they are interview ready in an appropriate outfit. Another community college off-site campus has a food closet for students. Sandy created lap quilts for her local nursing home for this year's challenge. The fine gals at Mennonite Girls Can Cook support a number of charities; one of my favorites is their livestock program. Who can't love a charity that gives goats and chickens!?

Won't you take a few minutes this week as you consider your blessings and think of how you might bless someone? It doesn't take much; just time and willingness to give of yourself. While writing a check is a fine thing, giving of yourself blesses you and the reciever even more. No matter how little or much you have, you can share -- giving a smile, sharing a kind word, opening a door, helping a mother load her groceries, saying "Good Morning", or thanking a veteran for their service. May you be richly blessed as you bless others!