Thus begins my summer of 2013
knitting. This is the 1st
full week of summer vacation for school kids… I wonder what they will be doing
to fill their days. I can’t say ‘hot,
steamy day’s yet as we’re still having cooler than normal temps and continuing
rain causing flooding statewide. Lower
City Park is under water as is Dubuque St. by the Mayflower Apts. It will be another summer of tenseness,
waiting, and cleanup like the Flood of ‘08 and ’93.
I have quietly celebrated 1 year of
St. Mary’s Prayer Shawl Ministry! It passed quietly in May without any ‘hoopla’! That’s ok, as I am a quiet, simple person who
does not like to be the center of attention.
Behind the scenes is my comfort zone! I have received so much love,
thanks, appreciation and new friendships
through this ministry that it has brought to light my love of God in wanting to
help others. What better way for me, an
obsessive knitter, to occupy my retirement time??!! It has been a ‘God-send’ to keep my hands
busy creating! Deep down, I am an
artist, though not an obsessive perfectionist, who loves to make and give gifts
of my handwork to others. This, to me,
is far more satisfying than my music teaching career of 33 years, although it
sustained me through my earning years so I can enjoy this ministry now. I like the concrete ‘thing’ I create now, a
prayer shawl, baby blanket, baby sweater, socks, etc, to show for my creative
time…not a musical event with sound that happens once and is gone (unless it
has been video/taped). Only memories
remain from that fleeting moment in time and space. And with time, some memories begin to fade in
my mind.
Thus, I am considering reviving my
Simple Gifts blog and putting in more actual personal writings instead of just
pics of prayer shawls. Now I have
something more to say. I don’t know how
many people will actually read it, but I need to be unafraid to express my
feelings in the written word. I have
something to say. Nothing political,
critical, or complaining. Only
POSITIVES!!! That’s really who I try to
be. I followed Dr. Robert Schuller of the
Crystal Cathedral years ago and he made a great impression on me! The Power of Positive Thinking!!
I’m working on 2 cotton knits right
now: a natural prayer shawl called
‘Mystery of the Trinity’ which I really love!
I plan to give it to a St.Mary’s church member who came to my start-up
meeting but cannot knit due to recurring cancer and failing eyesight. She is allergic to acrylic yarn so knitting
our shawls was going to be a problem. I
want to give her this ‘trinity’ shawl because she has been so nice to me when I
see/visit her at Mass.
The 2nd cotton is blue for
a baby blanket for St.Mary’s Baptism classes. Sister Agnes wanted to be able to
give the families a little gift so what better thing than a carseat-size
blankie!!
She has been passing on the accolades
of both the prayer shawls and baptism blankies to me in an excited manner so I
KNOW she appreciates our efforts!! Some
prayer shawl ladies have ‘never taken their shawl off’, ‘had their nails painted
to match their shawl’, ‘been buried with their shawl’… those are so me of the
precious thoughts and memories that I have forever in my heart of my love of
knitting for others!! How rewarding God
has been to me to instill in me this desire to make and give to others to
comfort them.
I also have some new friends who have
the same love of knitting! My oldest
(new) knitting friend, Cindy, has so many of the same character traits as me…
maybe that’s why we love to get together to knit and catch up on each other’s
lives each week. Wed was our ‘knit
today?’ day!! Now, this summer it may be
Fridays since a friend of ours is baking for Saturday Knitter’s Breakfasts this
summer at our favorite knit shop, Home Ec Workshop!! We have been friends for 5+ years… she found
me on Ravelry!
I still remember when we met for the 1st
time… I couldn’t find her office and was driving around downtown IC, which
showed I didn’t know downtown that well!!
We went to the coffee shop on the corner of Linn/Market and got
acquainted. I value her friendship so
much!!!
Ok, that could do for this 1st
entry. Will write again soon…
God Bless.
^)^ linda
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