Project Linus for Fairbanks

I have started a new blog for Fairbanks Project Linus group.  It is http://projectlinusfairbanks.wordpress.com The Link is also listed in my links on the right.  I have also created a group on Facebook.  Look for Project Linus Fairbanks and hopefully we can get a group of people together who are interested in getting project Linus up and running for Fairbanks children.  Check it out!

Project Linus

I recently read about Project Linus on www.anniesattic.com.  They provide a wonderful listing of Charities that use homemade items.  Annie’s Attic also provide patterns for some of these items as well.  I think it’s a wonderful thing that they do besides the “free pattern of the day”.  I am addicted to checking the free pattern EVERY SINGLE DAY!  I love to create things but I also love to help others, especially children, so I looked into Project Linus. 

Project Linus is based on the character “Linus” from Peanuts who always carried around a blanket.  The concept is to provide comfort to children who have been abused or suffered from some sort of trauma by giving them their own homemade blanket.   

I discovered that there is a chapter here but they are in Anchorage and there was no one to represent the Fairbanks area.  I have decided to work with the Alaska Chapter and represent Fairbanks.  I have contacted 3 places who will gladly accept blankets for the children they see. 

1. American Red Cross Tanana Valley Chapter
2. Interior Alaska Center for Non-Violent Living
3. Fairbanks Memorial Hospital Emergency Room

Now I just need some Blanketeers to help build up the blanket stash so we can keep them supplies.  Please contact me if you are interested in helping out!

Utilitarian creativeness

I like to make things that are useful and not just decorative.  I knitted this washcloth for my kitchen in the tuscany colors I’m going to decorate my Italian Kitchen with.  I got the cotton at walmart on a large cone spool for a knitting machine.   I don’t remember the color name but it was something browns.  I added a bit of icord loop at the top corner so I can hang it.  I think it will dry better that way.  I think it turned out really nice.  Jared thinks I should knit another one because they could also be used for potholders.  The potholder possibility has not yet been tested.  I’ll let him try that.  It may work well though because there are no gaps.   I used size 6 needles and the pattern is free from Lion brand yarns website. 

Washcloth/potholder with loop for hanging

House of God

I finally found a church where I feel I can really become part of a close family.  It’s call Journey Christian Church.  It’s not so huge that you never see the same person twice.  There are a few people that go there that I know already too.  It’s small and they don’t have a building yet but I’m looking forward to that time.  This is such a great group of people and I’m looking forward to getting to know them all better.  I took Riley today and next week he’ll probably go to the children’s church.  He didn’t want to go this time but we found out that a boy from Riley’s soccer team goes.

The Shack

It seems like forever ago that I noticed several people were reading this book called The Shack by Wm. Paul Young.  I listened as people raved about it but when I asked what it was about I got these vague answers and this “you’ll just have to read it”.   So I went out and bought it thinking this little book wouldn’t take me much time at all.  I just finished it tonight and I feel like I just finished this huge journey around the world and back…. on foot.  It took me a bit to get into it; I read the first two chapters about 3 times before I went on further determined to finish the book.  Just when I was thinking the book was losing me again I decided to go to the cafe at work and read during my lunch.  A woman walked by and said “that’s a great book!”.  I didn’t even have a chance to reply when she added “keep reading, you’ll get into it” and she left.  After a while longer a man sitting at a nearby table asked if I had gotten to the shack yet.  I said, “we are on the way there” and then it hit me.  The book had gotten me!!  I said WE!  The gentleman said, “after he gets to the shack it really gets going.  Keep reading”.  I kept reading and soon after that I didn’t have anymore trouble reading it.  Only, I didn’t zip right through it either.  I found that I had to take some time to digest what I read.  Sometimes it was a chapter, sometimes just a paragragh and every now and then it was just one little  phrase that seemed so huge I had to stop to really think about it!  This book really hit home with me in so many many ways.  It even did some things that I don’t even think the author intended. 

Now, I am not going to give anything away either.  There is a reason I was given so many vague answers to what it was about.  Please read this book!  Go to www.theshackbook.com and read about it.  You may be like me and think it’s not your kind of book but read it anyway.  It’s worth it.

If you have read it and you know about the part about the bird.  I had this strange moment after reading that.  I looked up from the book, still taking in the story and the little hidden meanings in it, and looked around my room to see birds and butterflies everywhere.  I have always had this facination with flying and the beatiful creatures that do it.  I have often had dreams of standing on the edge of a cliff and wanting to jump off and just fly but I was afraid to.  I actually remember walking up to a cliff when I was little and standing there wondering if I could fly when my sister and my dad ran up and grabbed me away from the edge scolding me profusely.  The ground at the edge was very crumbly and I distintly remember thinking the ground would probably break away with the weight of all of us and I wouldn’t be able to fly because they were holding on to me LOL  Anyway, that part of the book kind of caught me a bit.  I can’t really explain it completely but it held special meaning for me in several places.  So when you read  it, or re-read it, think on it.  You might just be missing something.

diet riot

okay, I fell off the wagon and gained some weight back.  I feel like crying.  I haven’t been logging to my weight watchers online log.  I haven’t exercised for a couple of weeks and yeah, it shows.  I have gained about 4 lbs back!  I’m so angry at myself!!!!!!!!!!!  But anyway, I’m going to get back to doing what I should have been doing and logging to WW and exercising again.  I can do it….

Cinderella story

“One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries.” —A.A. Milne

I’m cleaning up my garage and having great fun.  I’m finding such wonderful stuff that I meant to do something wonderful with someday.  See, it’s a two car garage but we only have the one to park in there.  My husband’s old truck doesn’t really need shelter.  It really looks better when it’s covered in snow.  Anyway, a while back we decided to put area rugs down half of the garage and we added tall book shelves along that wall (yes, the way my family reads we had them all full and then some).  I had exercise equipment in there too.  Well in looking for an area for a craft table I decided to move things around a bit in that part of the garage.  We moved the bookshelves to the opposite side wall and bought sturdy plastic storage shelves for holding tubs down the wall on my side.  I also have a  folding table (4′) with a peg board I painted a lovely shade of purple over it.  I use pegs to hold my sewing supplies and thread.  Anyway, now I have to sort through all the S . T . U . F. F.  in the garage into the tubs.  When I’m finished it will be a great area to work in.  Until then it’s drudgery…..well, until I find something I had forgotten about (like my other favorite knitting needle that I’d misplaced or that bag of super wonderful yarn I’d bought and had forgotten about) and have a small celebratory moment!  That actually has been happening quite often.  My kids just groan and say “what did you find now?”  They don’t understand, the brats!

Mother’s Day

Mother’s day is kind of hard for me now that my mom isn’t here so I have been kind of glum for a while.  I tried to keep that out of my mind for today though.  I woke up this morning with my husband and my youngest son bring me breakfast in bed.  My youngest brought me coffee doctored up just the way I like it and he hung out and visited with me for a while. He is such a sweet kid.   My oldest must have stayed up too late because he slept most of the day.  That’s alright though.  I’ve been happy to just hang out in my room today.  I’m learning to knit socks and I’m really enjoying myself.  Between the knitting and facebook and been quite content here.

(part of) my first sock!

So here are my socks.  I love the color of the yarn I’m using.  I have another ball too that is varigated shades of green.  I couldn’t make up my mind so I bought it to make my next socks.  Look me up if you use Ravelry.com.  My username is Bugbutt and the pattern and all the details is on there. 

I’m taking a beginning sock knitting class at Inua wool shoppe so there is someone helping me when I goof up.  I don’t think I wouldn’t have gotten very far without her help!  Inua’s wool shoppe is like a candy store for me.  I just stood there and drooled!  I’ll be back in there next Saturday for my 2nd class and I hope I don’t get into trouble with the husband for spending too much money.  I was lucky to make it out of there without heaping bags of yarn this last time.  Okay, back to knitting…..

Quote of the day

“My mother is a poem I’ll never be able to write, though everything I write is a poem to my mother.”
—Sharon Doubiago

Change

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.
―Mahatma Gandhi

I have been thinking about upgrading….. upgrading myself.  I want to be better than I am right now.  I want to be a better wife, mother, and friend.  After my grandmother died and then my mom I kind of fell out of reality.  I lost touch with people and crawled into myself.  I quit being so many things.  I haven’t talked as deeply with my kids or listened as carefully to what they had to say.  I haven’t spent quality time with my husband or when we were together I wasn’t really there.  I was within myself.  I haven’t been a good friend either.  I have lost touch with some great people that I miss.  I have also lost touch with my family and I miss them too.  I used to do so much more too.  I volunteerred, wrote letters to military and helped where possible.   I have lost myself….. and I miss me. 

I just realized that I have to be the one to change.  I can’t fix the world but I can plant some seeds.  I can be an example to others.  I can get out there and do what I wish everyone was doing.  Maybe someone will take notice and join me.