Wraps from MeMe

One of my sister's and I gave Mom a new sewing machine for Christmas. She used to sew (along with my grandmother) quite a bit when we were children. Each year she'd make us matching Easter dresses.

Mom told us just to buy a cheap machine from Walmart, but I wouldn't have it. So, I found what looked like a decent one on Amazon. So far, so good.

The above wraps are 3 of the 13 that she sent and anywhere from 7" - 12" square. Piedmont in Atlanta really likes these little wraps, so I'm thankful that Mom sent a few.

Feeding the Homeless

I can now put a check by something that I've wanted to do for years. Yesterday, Jason and I helped at St. Francis Table, a soup kitchen that has been feeding approx 500 every single Saturday for the last 27(?) years. Although it was our first time, it will not be our last. For those of you that have never done it, please add it on your list of "things to do."

As part of Jason's company's "Cares" program, his facility collected coats and socks. They also made and donated 500 sandwhiches. We arrived shortly after 7 am and left after noon when the last guest was served.

It was an amazingly heartwrenching experience. The vast majority were those that your mind's eye imagines as homeless, those that have been homeless for years. Then there were those that appeared to be newly homeless, possibly caught up in the struggles of these tough economic times. And, there were families......families with young children.

The children got to me.....their smiles even though I'm sure that are embarrassed, so well behaved as they sat and ate their meals.

One young woman also tugged at my heartstrings. Many brought in plastic containers and we filled them full of soup to go. Others brought in bottles that we filled full of tea or water. This particular woman looked new to homelessness. I did not see her say a word to anyone. She sat quietly and "secretly" stuffed her bag full of bread as if she was doing something that she shouldn't. Right before she left, she asked for a stack of napkins and quietly stuffed all of them in her bag. I'm pretty certain that those napkins won't be used to wipe her hands.

One white woman and black man sat down together and they broke out with the most beautiful song. They harmonized so well together....really!! Then, they devoured their sandwhiches and soup.

We learned that caps and socks are needed all year long! Diapers are often asked for, but rarely donated. That made me think....what about femine products for the ladies. One lady said she needed underwear. There was none to give her.

As I sat with my hot coffee, grits, eggs, bacon, and fresh biscuits this morning couldn't help but think of those that are so less fortunate than I. God Bless!

Sharing the craft

MeMe (my mom) gave Hannah a Hello Kitty sewing machine for Christmas. She really wanted a pink one, but I refused to get her a cheap toy one. This one is by Janome and works pretty good. It's a bit stiff, but for a child it's a good first one.

This weekend we worked on potholders. We finished one, but it's a bit too small. I'll edit this post when I tweak the pattern and get the size that I like. They'll be Valentine's gifts for MeMe.

Memory Boxes

My sister informed me that I needed to update my blog. Since I have no crafting of my own to show, here are the 22 memory boxes that Jason's co-workers in Chicago made. They are LOVELY!