Friday, February 15, 2008

Potpourri Friday


Another week gone. Another weekend ahead. Yeah!! I have had some good quality time this week with "Bernina" in my sewing room. I am busy making baby quilts - and enjoying every minute of it. The hardest part of quilting to me is picking out the fabric. It makes me break out in a cold sweat when I get to the fabric store and try to pick the right colors, prints, and values that in the end will be a treasured heirloom. Yikes! But I have learned some techniques that have helped in this endeavor. For instance, after you have picked out your fabrics, lay them on the counter, stand back, and squint at them. Squinting at the colors makes the darkness stand out more and you can tell if you need more lights, mediums, or darks. It really works! So I am happy with the two quilts I have started this week - I have finished all the blocks for one of them and am ready to piece them together. The second one is laid out, all ready for my rotary cutter. What fun! And I learned this week also that we have a new quilt shop in town that gives lessons on how to use a long arm quilting machine and then they will rent you the use of the quilter for $20 an hour. I have no idea how long it would take to machine quilt a quilt, so I don't know if this is a bargain or not. But I think it is worth looking into. Which I will do. Next week. I have to learn these things one thing at a time!

The poor maternity sweater that I was knitting for my daughter has been shelved forever temporarily because my goodness, it was just taking too long! I told my daughter it might be ready in time for her 4th pregnancy! I needed to get started on some projects like baby hats and scarves and mittens. Stuff that can be finished quickly and given as gifts for the grandbabies. Honestly, I have knit blankets faster than that sweater was going! I think I bit off a little more than I should have.

I don't know about you but I sure have been blessed and challenged this week reading BooMama's and Rock's in My Dryers posts of their experiences in Uganda. In fact I can't read a single one of their posts without my throat getting all thick feeling and my eyes getting all watery. Several months ago I suggested to my daughter Tara, who has always had a heart of compassion, that perhaps we should someday go to Africa and see what we could do to help the women and children there. She would love to do that. It would be hard for me, as I'm pretty sure I would have to fly to get there. But I would do it. I would. And then this week I was watching the Today show while getting ready for work. Ann Curry was there interviewing a woman in the Congo who had been brutally attacked, watched her parents be murdered, and then was violated horribly by many, many soldiers. She was injured terribly. She became pregnant but because her body had been so ravaged she delivered a stillborn baby girl. She said she wished her baby had lived. And then when Ann Curry asked her what she wanted to do with the rest of her life she simply said, "I want to serve God". I cried. I felt so humbled by her. What a remarkable woman. I stood in my room and asked God, "What can I do to help? As soon as I got to work that morning I was reading some blogs and came across this post from Dawn of Call Me Grandma Dawn. I knew God was answering my question. I am sending some money. It won't be much, how I wish it could be more. But it's something. Then to top it all off, last night, we were watching tv and out of the blue my daughter Jessica said "I want to go to Africa. I want to help the people there". I nearly fell out of my chair. So later in the evening I told my husband about it, certain he would talk sense into me. You know what he said? He said, "I think that would be a great idea". What in the world? Is God speaking? I don't know. But I'm willing to still my heart and find out. Some ideas have been going through my mind. I want to pray about them more before I tell anyone about them. The idea of us going to Africa is impossibly large - I can't even begin to imagine how it would come together. And maybe it's not the going that is what is important - maybe it is something else. But if you have some extra prayer time, and you think of me, I would appreciate you remembering this whole thing. Because I'm sensing a God thing here.

I'm looking forward to a nice long Saturday at home. I love those kind of Saturdays! Sunday is a big celebration day in our church with the service devoted to the Argentina team sharing their experience on the Work and Witness trip they went on. I'm looking forward to hearing it all at one time. I've heard lots of bits and pieces, and of course Jess and Chuck's experiences, but this should be really good.

And it's a three day weekend! We get Monday off next week. It's President's Day you know. That about sends me over the moon for sure!

Happy Weekend!

11 comments:

Unknown said...

Wow Robin! Sounds like you have some nudging from the Holy Spirit to contend with. I am glad to hear your heart is so open. God can do incredible things with an open heart, as you well know.

Don't machine quilt your grandbabies' quilts. Don't. I know, it would be faster, but somehow knowing grandma put every stitch in that blanket with her very own hands is just too special. Nothing fancy. Just hold that thing on your lap and put each stitch in with love. You have time.

Karen said...

Hi Robin, I read your comment about the Russian Join. Here's the link where I found it. Hope it helps!
http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/knitting-tips

Karen said...

Quilts, babies, knitting and most of all listening for God's call and direction. Your life is so full. I will keep you in my prayers. Good for you for knowing to put the sweater aside for now. I amazed at your energy and all that you are accomplishing!

Myrna said...

Goodness! I will remember you in prayer. It certainly sounds like God is working.

My son went to Africa a few months ago. He had such a wonderful experience working with some teachers there. A little scary for a mother in the US, though. All that "letting go if God calls" thing, you know1

I got the knitting bug from Becky, The Butler's Wife. I'm about to decide I'm not going to be as successful at it as some of you folks! :-) I know better than to try the quilting idea! Good luck with the quilting!

Dawn said...

There definitely seems to be a pattern going on here, doesn't there? I have always wanted to go to Africa since I had two sets of cousins whose parents were missionaries there when we were kids. Then one of them stayed there with the husband she met in boading school. Then my son went, brought home a wife, our church went, but I didn't. Someday I MUST get there! Kev really has a heart for Africa. Maybe we should do a joint work and witness trip with your church??!!

Our pastor's son and his Peruvian wife are in Argentina and were intimately involved in the planning and everything with the Argentine Explosion. They're going to Paraguay in April. Jimmy and Zeida Lynch.

Susan said...

Nice post.
Susan

Barb said...

I completely understand breaking out in a cold sweat at the fabric store. Me too, Robin. To me, it's the hardest part of the whole process.

Shannon and Sophie's posts from Uganda this week have brought me to tears so many times, I've lost count. Amazing. And those children? Absolutely beautiful.

A Bernina? Lucky you. I have the $150 Singer. LOL

Sharon said...

Robin,
I will keep you in my prayers. It is amazing how the Lord will keep re-affirming things to us.

I know what you mean about knitting a sweater! I started to knit my daughter a cabled sweater for Christmas and finally realized it wasn't even going to be close to finished, so I put a picture of the pattern in a box and wrapped it up. I'm still working on it! I've got the front and back done, now working on the sleeves. I just told her today I MIGHT have it finished before cold weather is gone. ;-)

That is so exciting that you have two grandbabies on the way!!!

Corrie said...

Hey Robin!
It's been so long since I've had the chance to blog...congratulations on the grandbabies on the way!!! It is so exciting that they will be born close together. They will be close cousins, for sure!
Look forward to hearing more about it!
Corrie

gail@more than a song said...

Those Uganda posts were amazing! And wow, something big could be in the making for y'all maybe!

I was going to ask if you could quilt with your Bernina, I'm still wanting to learn how but I see Becky has said not to do it on the machine. I think the hand thing scares me too though. I'll have to jump in and try it someday soon.

Mana Laura said...

Hi Robin,
You don't know me, I found your blog thru the typical clicking on links in people's blogs! But I'm a missionary in Mozambique, Africa, at a children's center with Iris Ministries. Just want to encourage you, if God has put Africa on your heart, you won't be sorry WHEN you go! And He will work out all the details!