Cashmere Cupcakes

In the window at Muse, Yarn and Arts in St. Helena

I love these sweet treats!   They are created from old sweaters and knitted garments that the artist found in flea markets and thrift stores.   This gave me pause.   I wonder if anyone has found my holey cashmere sweaters in a pile somewhere and turned them into something beautiful like this?

The bible passage from Isaiah last week reminded us that God opens “new paths” for us.  It said:  “Do not remember the former things or consider the things of old.   I am about to do a new thing…” (Isaiah 43:18-19a)

It is hard to give up old ways.  I was so upset to discover the holes in my:

LL Bean, bright fuschia,  cashmere sweater set that I bought on sale at the end of the season for a REALLY low price 10 years ago and have felt so good about wearing on many, many occasions.

 

But if I thought my sweaters could be part of something that looked like these cupcakes?  If I thought that my old, loved, well worn and appreciated sweaters could help someone make a living by creating cupcakes?  This not only gives me great comfort – it inspires me.

What else can I throw out that will make space for new things to happen?

Going “Off Track”

I've been Off Track for a bit!

I have made a very important discovery since my last blog post of February.

Balance is impossible when my children go “Off Track”. 

We live in an area where the public elementary schools are on a “Year Round” schedule.  This means that our schedule is organized around an elaborate Track System.  Instead of having “Vacations”  from school we are either “On Track” or “Off Track”.   There are 4 Tracks – A,B,C,D.  My 2 youngest children are on “D-Track”.    “D-Track” begins  July 2oth, Tracks off  Oct. 5th – Nov. 2nd and again Feb. 4th – Mar. 5th.  Then one final time to end the school year on May 28th.  For a great visual picture of this click “HERE”.   Looking back at my Blogging it is now easy to recognize 

 when the children go “Off-Track” so does the blog! 

Blogging is a new discipline for me.  I have written regularly for a monthly newsletter and a quarterly newspaper column.  I write sermons each week.  When I started the blog I decided to try and write a minimum of 2 times per week.  I wasn’t sure if I could succeed.   I only knew that I had a longing to record my Faith and Knitting connections in some fashion.   In order to write I need a certain amount of silence and space.  When children are present, there is much noise and no space. 

Since this schedule seems unlikely to change until they are in middle school (3 more years) I think it is best that I take 2 intentional Blog-Breaks during the year in October and February. 

Thank you for your many kind notes and inquiries.  It was a surprise to know that I would be missed.  It is a comfort to recieve such loving care.  I apologize for giving any of you, gentle readers, cause for worry or concern.  All is well – it’s just that I went “Off Track”.

If you follow this blog regularly you know that I have 3 children – not just 2.  My eldest son is a Sophmore in High School.  His track is called “Traditional”.   As you let that sink in and your compassion for me grows even greater  - I will just close by asking for your continued prayers of support as I live these days of motherhood, marriage, ministry and of course, knitting.

balance

This is my working definition of balance:

“Peace. it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work.  It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”

 

Here is my dream:

nice, orderly, ready to use, beautiful to see

This is how so many of my efforts in this area end up:

Everyday I seek to balance my obligations, my desires and my hopes.  Everyday I fall short.  EVERY. DAY.

Radical Knitting

“Knitters should practice our knitting with more dedication than we practice anything else.  For Knitters, practicing our faith should be the number-one priority in our lives.”  (Kevin Watson, A Blueprint for Discipleship, pg 62)

He didn’t really say that.  He was talking about Christian Faith.   I have found a way to weave my passion for knitting with my commitment to the Christian faith.  If I am not knitting, meeting with knitters or reading about knitting in some way, every day, I feel “less”.  So does that mean I give knitting too much of a priority?

The Good List

Today I am going to try to keep track of the times I attempt to “Do Good”.  Then, I’ll post my results tonight.  Just checking to see what it’s like to be attentive to this part of John Wesley’s General Rules. 

…and of course, knitting counts!

Come back tonight!

Noon:

Okay ….couldn’t wait until tonight.  Already I have issues.

Does Laundry count?  Laundry OTHER than my own.  Laundry that is washed, dried, folded and put away so that it can be used for things like going to school, playing sports and marching in parades? (band uniform).  If it does:  3 loads done.

Does letting my neighbor come in, unannounced, to tour my house so they can see the paint colors?  (see above to imagine how many piles of laundry is piled to do the greatest amount of good)

Just checking in before I go teach the art lesson with another mom at the elementary school.  (hmmm, that probably counts too?)

5:45 p.m. :

While I was at the elementary school I noticed a sign “Collecting for Haiti”.  Asked the office helper “Who are you giving the $ through?”  “We don’t know” she answered.  Quickly printed out UMCOR info and gave to principal while saying “I will help you in anyway I can.  Check back with you on Monday.”

Listened to a wonderful teacher share her story.

Came home and checked status of uniforms needed for the weekend.  Put in 2 more loads so that people will have what they need.

Not quite 6:00 p.m.  still time to Do all the Good I can….

8:30 p.m. Watching Hope For Haiti Now:  gave a little bit more to Haiti through UMCOR (took forever – kept getting bumped off!  Maybe this is a good sign that others are doing the same?) - REALLY “Doing Good” because I thought, “Maybe if I call in George Clooney will answer” but then got hold of my Good self and reminded “me” that 100% of my money would go to Haiti and that I could talk to George anytime.

11:00 p.m.  List finished.

The meter is running…

The first of John Wesley’s General Rules:  Do No Harm. 

What do I think of that?

I have friends who are parents of 2 kids, now young adults.  Many years ago as they were deep in the middle of a parenting challenge (when I was visiting) they made a choice, the child stormed out and my friend said:  “The meter is running…”

“What does that mean?”  I asked

“I’ve messed them up and  I know it and they will just have to pay a therapist to work it out later”.  The mom answered.

It was a challenge for them to be good parents, to make right choices for a healthy and loving family.  They knew that sometimes they fell short of the mark and their way of acknowlegding that was to say “The meter is running.”  I’m not sure we can ever, really, truly “Do no harm”.  But striving to do our best is surely enough.  Right?

We too can sing.

Conversation in the car yesterday:

Daughter:  Mom, do you know how old Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would be?

Me:  No, how old.

Daughter:  Like 92 or something.  And did you know that they called him something else besides that long name he has?

Me:  No, what did they call him?

Daughter:  Weeeelllll.  I don’t remember.  It starts with an “N” and it is the same as African American. 

Me:  (deeeeep slow cleansing breathe, eyes forward as I drive)  Hmmm.  Could it be the word Negro?

Daughter:  THAT’S IT!  We don’t use it anymore because it is a hysterical word. 

Me:  Historical?

Daughter:  What?

Me:  Do you mean that Negro is a Historical word?

Daughter:  Right.  That’s it.  Can we stop for a treat?  I’m hungry.

Watching Over One Another in Love

Here is a glimpse of what we did tonight.

The Circle of Knitting

Found this on Google Image! Knitting Circles go way back.

Knitters know the value of groups.  There are knitting groups all over the world.  Some years ago Debbie Stoller seemed to breathe new life into this by publishing her book “Stitch and Bitch”.  Groups took on the name and networks of Stitch and Bitch groups were born.  Our local groups have been enhanced by the entrance of “Ravelry” which is an online social network for stitchers.  There are also informal gatherings at many LYS (local yarn shops) on different evenings.  Knitters gather around tables and pull up chairs.  We knit and share about our lives.   We knit for charity and send warm woolies all over the world.

In our way, this is how knitters “Watch Over Eachother in Love”.   I am also part of a pastoral accountability group and we meet once a month.  When my children were very young I was part of a “new mommies” group.  Lately I’ve been thinking that I need to find a “moms of teens” group!  These groups have offered  love, support, ideas, prayers, and challenge to me.

Do you belong to a group?  What is it and why do you love it?

Structure Saves Lives

Yesterday I wrote:  “I have found structure most beneficial when I want to achieve something very specific.”   The United Methodist Church is organized so that we can respond swiftly and effectively in the case of natural disasters.  We know that the first 48 hours are critical and so is long term follow up.  We provide both. 

In cases such as these this is how the people called Methodists respond:

First we pray:

A Prayer for the People of Haiti
by Taylor Burton-Edwards
	The seas roar, the earth shakes, buildings crumble, roofs topple and walls turn to dust. Have mercy on the people of Haiti, O God. Nations watch, alarms sound, traffic halts, utilities stop, and news is hard to verify. Give us compassion to weep with those who weep, O God. People die, families mourn, mountains split, infrastructure and superstructure alike are gone. Make us swift to help and persistent to rebuild, not just things and structures, but lives, O God: Through Christ, the solid Rock. Amen.

Then we give:

My Methodist friends know that UMCOR gets 100% of each dollar to those in direct need. We UMC folks pay for the “overhead” of having a NGO relief agency. IF all of you wonderful non-Methodists want every penny of your donation to Haiti relief to get to an ACTUAL HUMAN BEING in need either as food, or supplies, or long term assistance then  join us and go to the following link and donate HERE