Happy Valentine's Day to all our readers. Maybe I get a little too excited for today but life gets pretty hectic and having a day that reminds us to stop and think about the ones we love is important. So I hope everyone has a love filled day. I emphasize love, not just romance, because it seems like so many people are depressed today since they don't have a significant other. To me Valentine's Day is taking the time to appreciate those you love; that includes friends and family. Besides why limit yourself to one Valentine when you can have a whole bunch? :)
I am lucky enough to have a great man to share dinner with tonight, but I have a few other Valentines as well. My siblings are now and forever will be my special little loves (yes I know they are growing up but they will always be my baby sisters and brother). My mom was my first Valentine and therefore holds the title for life. I know I can count on her being the first person to wish me a Happy Valentine's Day every year. And last but not least my Aunt Maria is my special Valentine. After a very tough past few years I think she, more than anyone deserves a day to remind her of all the love and support that surrounds her. So to my Valentine's (and my other family and friends) I love you with all my heart not just today but everyday.
What will you be doing to celebrate Valentine's Day?
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
A Cherished Cross-stitch
I would first like to start by apologizing for not posting recently. A lot has been going on in my personal life, good and bad, some of which I will update you on in future posts. One of the more difficult parts of the past few weeks has been the loss of three incredible women. Each taught me something about life: to live every day as its your last, to find pleasures in the small things, and to believe in yourself and your dreams no matter how bad the situation may seem.
Dealing with these loses has not been easy, but as always I have found comfort in crafts. Working with my hands and that simple piece of string gives me the chance to be alone with my thoughts and feelings. While looking for a new project to fulfill this need I was asked to take on a very meaningful craft.
One of the women I lost, Donna, was incredibly supportive of my crafts. When I doubted anyone would want something I made, she helped give me the courage and confidence to pursue my passion. This is what Donna did best, she saw the good in each person and nurtured it. Donna's last few years were troubled with health problems but she put her own challenges aside to better the life of others. In the days after she passed I was struck by how a woman, who could often times not even leave her bed, was able to reach out and touch so many lives in such a unforgettable way. It was clear the Donna's faith in God was the driving force behind her strength, compassion, and understanding. She shared this faith with her family in a special way, especially with her nieces and nephews.
For all these reasons and more, when her family asked me to complete a project Donna had started I couldn't say no. Donna had begun a Footprints in the Sand cross-stitch. For those of you who don't know Footprints in the Sand is a beautiful prayer showing how God is always by our side, especially during tough times. Donna believed in the words of the prayer and was working on the cross-stitch for her nephew.
While I have worked on many crafts in my life I have never attempted a cross-stitch. Despite my lack of experience the meaning behind this project has me ready to give cross-stitch my best shot. I guess Donna is still pushing me to tap into my creative potential. Donna started the tree tops and I have started to complete her unfinished work. Wish me luck as I stitch this cherished craft.
Dealing with these loses has not been easy, but as always I have found comfort in crafts. Working with my hands and that simple piece of string gives me the chance to be alone with my thoughts and feelings. While looking for a new project to fulfill this need I was asked to take on a very meaningful craft.
One of the women I lost, Donna, was incredibly supportive of my crafts. When I doubted anyone would want something I made, she helped give me the courage and confidence to pursue my passion. This is what Donna did best, she saw the good in each person and nurtured it. Donna's last few years were troubled with health problems but she put her own challenges aside to better the life of others. In the days after she passed I was struck by how a woman, who could often times not even leave her bed, was able to reach out and touch so many lives in such a unforgettable way. It was clear the Donna's faith in God was the driving force behind her strength, compassion, and understanding. She shared this faith with her family in a special way, especially with her nieces and nephews.
For all these reasons and more, when her family asked me to complete a project Donna had started I couldn't say no. Donna had begun a Footprints in the Sand cross-stitch. For those of you who don't know Footprints in the Sand is a beautiful prayer showing how God is always by our side, especially during tough times. Donna believed in the words of the prayer and was working on the cross-stitch for her nephew.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Picking up the pieces
I am often asked how I began to crochet? I'll admit it is not the typical young New York woman's hobby. I had been fascinated with crochet since I was young. My Nannie was a seamstress and she also enjoyed crochet. When I was little I would love to listen to her tell stories of when she was young while watching her create beautiful handmade items. My favorite was watching her create delicate detailed embellishment designs with the fine thread.
Despite my fascination, I had never asked Nannie to teach me. The magic she created with her hands felt like a skill I could never accomplish. As I got older Nannie spent less and less time with her needles and thread, and even less time crocheting. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer disease and was slowly losing parts of herself. Her crafting was just one of the many pieces slipping away. As Nannie's disease progressed it was hard for the whole family. The farther away from us she drifted into her mind the more I wished I could find a way, any way, to keep her close. Sure we had incredible memories of late night talks, watching musicals and times filled with the joy of her singing and dancing, but it wasn't enough. I needed something that I could do to make me feel close to her something that I could take with me forever.
After years of struggling, the doctors told us Nannie was at her last days. Spring had just begun and it seemed wrong that a time of new beginnings would have to be a time of goodbyes for us. It was during those last few months that I decided I felt closest to Nannie in crafts. It was while she worked with her hands that her mind was free and she shared the most. I went home one night after the nursing home and picked up one of her crochet hooks she had left at our house. I found a skein of yarn intended for one of our projects and began the quest to crochet. I had watched Nannie's hands in awe for years and now I was determined to make my hands look like hers. It was by no means an easy task. I pulled apart that first scarf time and again and no matter what I did I could not get my stitches even. I just kept trying and trying and as the days went on and Nannie came closer to the end I came closer to picking up the pieces.
Nannie eventually was taken away from her suffering and our family all found their ways to deal with the loss and to begin healing. I found peace in working toward making my hands like Nannie's, the things she had made with her two hands had wrapped us all in love. Whether it was her blankets that kept us warm, the details she added to our communion dresses, or the Halloween costumes that made us feel like we really were Glenda from the Wizard of Oz, Scarlet O'Hara from Gone with the Wind, or Raggedy Ann...we spend our lives wrapped in Nannie's love.
Though it would take me months after I had started, I eventually learned to regulate my stitch tension, how to make the ends even, and finally how to finish a crochet product I started. When I finished my scarf and wrapped it around my neck I felt as if I was receiving a hug from Nannie. There really is something special about an item made by hand. And so began my love of crochet and I cant help but to smile every time I think about how something I made carries on a piece of Nannie and wraps someone in love.
Despite my fascination, I had never asked Nannie to teach me. The magic she created with her hands felt like a skill I could never accomplish. As I got older Nannie spent less and less time with her needles and thread, and even less time crocheting. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer disease and was slowly losing parts of herself. Her crafting was just one of the many pieces slipping away. As Nannie's disease progressed it was hard for the whole family. The farther away from us she drifted into her mind the more I wished I could find a way, any way, to keep her close. Sure we had incredible memories of late night talks, watching musicals and times filled with the joy of her singing and dancing, but it wasn't enough. I needed something that I could do to make me feel close to her something that I could take with me forever.
After years of struggling, the doctors told us Nannie was at her last days. Spring had just begun and it seemed wrong that a time of new beginnings would have to be a time of goodbyes for us. It was during those last few months that I decided I felt closest to Nannie in crafts. It was while she worked with her hands that her mind was free and she shared the most. I went home one night after the nursing home and picked up one of her crochet hooks she had left at our house. I found a skein of yarn intended for one of our projects and began the quest to crochet. I had watched Nannie's hands in awe for years and now I was determined to make my hands look like hers. It was by no means an easy task. I pulled apart that first scarf time and again and no matter what I did I could not get my stitches even. I just kept trying and trying and as the days went on and Nannie came closer to the end I came closer to picking up the pieces.
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| Nannie's smile- one of the many trips to the park with her grandchildren. |
Though it would take me months after I had started, I eventually learned to regulate my stitch tension, how to make the ends even, and finally how to finish a crochet product I started. When I finished my scarf and wrapped it around my neck I felt as if I was receiving a hug from Nannie. There really is something special about an item made by hand. And so began my love of crochet and I cant help but to smile every time I think about how something I made carries on a piece of Nannie and wraps someone in love.
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