The Power of Student Leadership #AWSL2015

Coach Jamie, the chairmen of #AWSL2015 and results of their service project

Yesterday, Gregg and I traveled to Puyallup (in case you're not local, that's pronounced pyew-all-up) High School, through a driving rainstorm the likes of which we rarely see, even here in Western Washington. I had been invited, through a message sent to Katie's Comforters Guild's Facebook page, to address the 2015 Fall Leadership Conference of the Association of Washington Student Leaders. This wonderful group of high school students and advisors gathers annually to learn and grow, and then take what they have gained back to enrich their local school communities.

The group modeled their theme this year ("We Over ME") on some of the motivational concepts of the Seattle Seahawks (#WhyNotUs, #AllIn, #MakeThemNotice). They asked me to speak to them on Day Two (theme: "Why Not You?") of the three-day conference, before they began their annual service project: making blankets for Katie's Comforters Guild at Seattle Children's Hospital. Each school had gathered fleece for the project, and sent it along with the delegates to the conference. Coach Jamie, advisor to the conference's hosting team, wanted to help all of the students understand the power and purpose of what they were about to do.

As the name AWSL suggests, their programming includes a huge emphasis on developing leadership skills; what isn't apparent, until you enter the conference, is the joy, fun, energy and freedom-within-structure that is part of the organization. I felt it as soon as the students began to gather in the gymnasium; it was like a pep rally for human potential.

I had prepared a short speech and sent photographs of the Guild's work to Coach Jamie. I packed two of Katie's comforters to bring along with me. I prayed and listened and felt that everything was ready to go when I went to bed the night before the event.

Yet I awoke yesterday morning with an inner knowing that I needed to re-write the speech.

In the wake of recent school shootings, I felt moved to speak to the group about the power of simple presence, of helping others to know that they are not alone, of knowing that we are not helpless in the face of tragedy. I sat down at my laptop and the words poured out of me, just as they needed to do, by Grace.

When we arrived in Puyallup, we were warmly welcomed. The "Varsity Team" (conference chairs) Kelty, Nicholas and Kenton introduced me to the crowd: hundreds of energetic students. The lights were turned down and a spotlight shone in my eyes, so I could see only my notes. After sharing the message, there was a huge outpouring of love and gratitude from the students. They stood and clapped, lined up to hug me and say their personal "thanks," briefly told me their stories of connection to Seattle Children's Hospital or to someone with cancer, and then they departed in teams to make blankets.

Gregg and I were taken on a tour of the school by the conference organizers, meeting and taking photographs with some of the teams as they worked.

This is what love-made-visible looks like

After an hour had passed, we were called back into the gym so that the results could be reviewed and tallied. Imagine our surprise when the total came in at 396 blankets!

It was hard to hold back the tears as the students admired the immediate results of their teamwork: nearly 400 blankets of all shapes, sizes and colors of the rainbow. They asked me to sit for photos and continued to thank me, but I thank them, because they made this miracle occur. {If you are a user of Instagram, go to #AWSL2015 to see the student delegates' postings.}

To Jamie, Kelty, Kenton and Nicholas, 

to every student member and advisor of AWSL, 

to every school which sent delegates,  

Thank you! 

I am overwhelmed by your generosity of spirit, and inspired by each one of you! 

Our schools, state and country will be in good hands under your leadership.

The Power of Love (or Serendipity)

On Thursday, David and I traveled to Seattle to meet a photographer and a representative of Seattle Children's Hospital's Guild Association. I had been asked to to coordinate a comforter delivery with a story which will be published in the Guild News (a regular publication of the Guild Association. By the way, if you don't know about the Guild Association, please follow this link and look around. It is a fabulous organization of which I am thrilled to be a member). I will post a link to the photos and article when they are published.

David came with me on the spur of the moment. We brought a batch of gorgeous quilts from the Fearless Quilters of Rolling Bay Presbyterian, along with a batch of fleece blankets from our dear neighbor, Cami - 28 in all. As we pulled into the driveway, I said to David, "I should have called Carly, and told her we were coming!" Carly is our representative at the Foundation, where Katie's Endowment resides.

The fact is, there are so many staffers within the organization of Seattle Children's Hospital who have touched our lives and blessed us that I would probably need to visit every week in order to see each of them - so I often don't tell anyone when I am coming, and just slip in and out delivering quilts. On this day, I was focused on the photo shoot, thinking we would meet in the reception area, hold the comforters and smile for the camera. Well, serendipity was at work behind the scenes...

We took the comforters to the Volunteer Office, and there was one of my favorite volunteers: Jane Humphries, a.k.a. "The Blanket Lady." Jane volunteers every week, delivering comforters to patients who have been admitted to the hospital. She was loading a cart, and brightened up when she saw the bounty we had brought for her to deliver. We learned that Jane was going to be part of the photo shoot, and that we were going to be allowed to go on the ward and actually GIVE a blanket to a patient. This just doesn't happen anymore, due to HIPAA regulations, so this was a rare treat.

Seattle Children's has a fantastic new facility called "Building Hope." Its design is gorgeous and family-friendly in the most progressive ways, filled with light, beautiful artwork, well-designed, attractive furnishings and comfortably-equipped rooms. It is a wonderful place - that is, if you have to be a patient in a hospital. I had a quick tour a while ago, but David had never seen it. That was our destination for the photo shoot - a nice surprise.

The photographer and manager of Guild Marketing arrived. As we were getting acquainted, Carly walked into the Volunteer Office - serendipity! She and David had never met, so I happily took care of that. She revealed that she was expecting a "special visitor" to tour the hospital with her, and was going to be in the same area as we were. Looking forward to running into them later, we said "goodbye" and prepared to deliver quilts and blankets.

Please visit #strongagainstcancer on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

We took some #strongagainstcancer photos before we entered the cancer unit. #STRONGAGAINSTCANCER is a new initiative being launched by Seattle Children's Hospital. A BIG announcement will be made during half-time of the NFL Thanksgiving Day football game. Please be sure to tune in!

Once we were admitted to the ward, we noticed a number of the staff who had taken care of Katie were on duty. Many hugs followed, with exclamations of surprise at seeing David, "all grown up." The nurses posed for photos with us around the cart, each one holding a blanket. What a beautiful, full-circle moment that was - to see our comforters in the hands of staff members who have brought such comfort to our family!

There was so much palpable love in the air that I kept saying, "This is the best day ever!" Then I thought about it and said, "Well, this is the best day on the cancer ward." And it got even better...

We were introduced to a lovely young patient who selected a pink fleece blanket with owls on it, and we posed together, with me handing it to her. As our eyes met, and I looked at her sweet mother standing behind her, something deep within me connected with them. I longed to join them in the room and just stay there; of course, that wasn't possible, and I would not have suggested such a thing, but I felt a kinship with them, without words. I have been in their place.

The serendipity continued when we ran into Carly and her "special guest:" it was Macklemore, at the hospital to visit patients. (You may have seen him on Instagram or Facebook in photos at the hospital with Russell Wilson, who visits every.single.week.) Carly invited us over to meet him and his friend, so WE MET MACKLEMORE on the cancer ward! I thanked him for visiting the hospital and told him how much it means to the patients and families. We spoke for a few minutes about the blankets; he has noticed them on his visits. He was so present as we spoke. (He has also been out on the streets at night, without fanfare, with Seattle's Union Gospel Mission - another reason for admiring him.) Oh, serendipity was at work - and David just happened to be along for the ride!

We also had a wonderful visit over lunch with one of our favorite doctors - one who has become a close friend, and who took care of all of us when Katie was in the ICU.

Lying in bed last night, I reflected on the day with overflowing gratitude. My one regret was that I wished I could have done more for that sweet patient and her mother, but I also know that I am living their worst nightmare, so I always - and I mean ALWAYS - stay away from people who are in active treatment, unless they seek me out. I wasn't at the hospital as a chaplain, I was there as a guild president, for a specific purpose, but oh, my heart was there in pastoral care!

What a day, filled with the power of love - of Katie's love for her comforter, our family's love and gratitude, the love of staff and benefactors, our guild member's loving acts of generosity, and the appreciative love of the hospital organization for its guild members. And what is serendipity, anyway - isn't it really LOVE in action?

Light a Lamp for Someone

“If you light a lamp for someone, it will brighten your own path.” - The Buddha

It has been a long time since I've sat down with my sewing machine and made a quilt. Most of my guild work is made up of the duties of the president:  running errands, ordering supplies, receiving donations, attending to correspondence, communication, dropping off quilts for delivery, answering questions, coordinating activity. I have missed the creative part of simply making quilts for patients, but my skills have been needed elsewhere.

Katie's Comforters Guild receives beautiful gifts of new fabric, and I distribute it to those who make quilts. Some smaller pieces remain, however, and yesterday, I decided to try my hand at free-form sewing to make them into quilt tops. I knew that Lucile (our 90+ year-old guild member who sews nearly a quilt a day) would finish them, if I could turn some of the smaller pieces into larger ones.

Lucile gave me a lesson in how to do this a while ago, and I have been impressed by the fantastic creations which she and others like Bonnie P. and Polly have made with smaller pieces and "scraps" of fabric. While I'm nowhere near their level of expertise (or patience), I was able to make five quilt tops.

Fabric sewed into strips, then cut, turned and sewed back together

You could cut and turn these again to mix it up even more

Pale yellows on either side of deep blue

This has brought me a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction, and is so much fun that I'm finding it hard to stop - there are so many creative possibilities! If you have small pieces of fabric and don't know what to do with them, try sewing them into strips, and then cut the strips, turn them around, and sew them back together. It is easy enough for a beginner (like me), is a good way to use fabrics which don't appear at first to go together, and it is a great experience in simple design for beginning quilters.

Since I am awaiting "the call" to my next adventure (finished with class, putting feelers out for meaningful work, sharing my book, getting the house in order, letting go...), I am in a liminal space. This quote was encouraging, and is one reason why I brought the sewing machine out: 

"Those that be perfect (in union with God) carry always this mind, that when they perceive their labour to be fruitless in one place, to remove straight to another, where more good may be done." - Gregory the Great [6th C.], "Dialogues" "Sometimes we need to let go and move on or we do damage to ourselves and others. Where might this be the case at this time in your life?" - A Daily Spiritual Seed (subscribe HERE)

Since my dreams for the video came to a standstill, I have been seeking the place "where more good may be done." Sewing for patients of the hospital is a good place to do some good; it always brightens my spirits and takes me out of myself. This is a welcome movement for anyone whose life has been turned upside down. Even with the love of friends and family, there is a sense of isolation and "otherness" which tends to lead one's thoughts inward. Doing something for others helps to turn my heart outward.

A beautiful prayer, courtesy of the Center for Action and Contemplation:

"May each of us be so fortunate as to be overtaken by God in the midst of little things. May we each be so blessed as to be finished off by God, swooping down from above or welling up from beneath, to extinguish the illusion of separateness that perpetuates our fears. May we, in having our illusory, separate self slain by God, be born into a new and true awareness of who we really are: one with God forever. May we continue on in this true awareness, seeing in each and every little thing we see the fullness of God’s presence in our lives. May we also be someone in whose presence others are better able to recognize God’s presence in their lives, so that they, too, might know the freedom of the children of God." - James Finley

“The personal life deeply lived always expands into truths beyond itself.” - Anais Nin

Happy Nearly-Summer

Flowers on Fjord Street

Happy nearly-summer to you!

It has been so busy around here that, though I often think, "I want to write about that," I haven't been able to stop and jot down any reflections. These days, my writing is done for class. What has been keeping me hopping? Work, class, exercise, family, friends (rinse, repeat). We are enjoying the gorgeous summer sunshine, and spending as much time out of doors as possible (no gym memberships here; exercise is taken outside, rain or shine).

We celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary in Victoria, B.C., one of our favorite cities. After taking the M.V. Coho from Port Angeles to Victoria early Friday morning, we dropped off our bags at the hotel and set out on foot to explore. We walked every day, between six and 10 miles, all over the city and its lovely neighborhoods. There is so much to see, and the people are low-key and friendly. Walking helped to burn off some of the wonderful meals we enjoyed...

Sushi lunch at Sen Zushi

A room-service gift from the hotel to celebrate our anniversary

 Cafe Brio - one of our favorite restaurants - the freshest local food and wine, with excellent preparation. After dinner, we stopped at the Irish Times pub for a nightcap and live music.

Up early on Saturday for breakfast and the start of the Swiftsure Race. This included a walk along the gorgeous shoreline, up to Beacon Hill Park.

A stop for refreshment at our favorite coffee shop, watching the world go by

Rooftop dining with peek-a-boo view of the harbor (after appetizers at an oyster bar)

22 years - so much gratitude and love for this man!

View  of the Empress Hotel as the M.V. Coho departs Victoria Harbor

We window-shopped, admired cottages and their gardens, enjoyed street performers, savored a historic bookstore, took in treats, local color and music at a farmer's market, browsed along fisherman's wharf, visited a bicycle shop, dropped into a shrimp festival, looked at real estate, walked around the harbor to see floating homes, walked and walked and walked. Just three days and two nights felt like a real vacation.

David is back at home with us, working at his summer job. It's wonderful to be able to see him in the mornings, eat dinner with him, and just be together as a family.

My days have been filled with class, homework, workshops and meetings. I'm learning a great deal, meeting interesting people, finding out what has been going on in the world of commerce since I left it 13 years ago, and enjoying the process. I've also been spending time with my parents - we love having them nearby.

Maribeth and her daughter, Taylor, were here for two days and a night, and we had a blast walking the beach, visiting favorite haunts and catching up.

Lunch at the New Rose Cafe at Bainbridge Gardens

Friends, peace, sunshine and beach glass - a perfect day

Tomorrow, our cousin Rebecca is coming over, and we are going to put together fabric kits. She will take them to her friends at the Stillaguamish Grange, where those good people will make blankets for Katie's Comforters Guild. We are thankful for their support!

Gratitude to My Alma Mater

Photo by Larry Steagall of the Kitsap Sun

I received a wonderful gift in the mail yesterday; 

you can read about it here.

I've Missed You!

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind, with no time to write anything of substance. I am finally getting through some of my list of things to be done, and now have the luxury of updating here - what a treat! I hope all is well in your world - I will be visiting your blogs as soon as possible.

Since my last posting, we had the fun of hosting a dinner party for some of Gregg's colleagues who were/are visiting from Spain and Italy. It was a pleasure to meet them and break bread together. He enjoys the international aspect of his work very much: the travel, learning about and adapting to the different cultures, the food, art and architecture - and (of course), the business. Since it's not worked out for me to go with him on one of his work trips as yet, it was lovely to welcome his colleagues to visit us here.

We used a few of our airline miles to visit our nephew Phil and his girlfriend Rachel in the Bay Area. My grandmother was brought up in San Francisco, and I haven't been back there since I went with her in 1989. I forgot how much I absolutely LOVE that city. I could easily re-locate to Northern California - the light, the combination of the beach and the sunshine, the architecture...it feels very familiar and comfortable to me. I have happy memories of visiting relatives the city when I was a young girl. We made more happy memories with Phil & Rachel, walking all over downtown, the waterfront,

and then staying with them in Walnut Creek and taking a day trip to Napa Valley. We'd never been to the wine country, and thoroughly enjoyed the two tastings we experienced.

We were fortunate to get to see our friends Caron & Tom (Caron used to live in Poulsbo) while we were in the city. They met us for drinks the first night at Boudin's Sourdough Bakery/Restaurant.

Gregg, Caron & Tom

At V. Sattui Winery in Napa Valley

St. Francis of Assisi statue at the entrance to Robert Mondavi Winery in Napa

Rachel, Phil & me at the beach before heading to the airport

After returning home from that weekend, I began to prepare for a conference call with a potential client in the Northeast who is interested in our DVDs and having me come to speak; I am excited and happy to be working on that. I also promised Caron that I would make some beach wreaths for her fabulous online store, Caron's Beach House, so I've been deep into hot glue, seashells and beach glass.

Caron also has a blog, Everything Coastal, which is great fun and full of good ideas. We were so sad when Caron closed her Poulsbo store, but the good news is that with her online presence, EVERYONE has access to her fabulous finds. If you are looking for inspiration for your home or a gift, check out her site!

I've also been busy "stalking" David on facebook. He is having a wonderful semester in Italy and is making the most of his opportunities. Being able to text and "facetime" with him helps tremendously to keep us aware of how he is and what's going on, much more than back in the days when I spent a term abroad. It's such fun to see all of the facebook photos and to be able to use instant messaging - that is a blessing, in this case. He has been able to travel to Venice, England, Ireland, and will go to Scotland and Spain before coming back home for the holidays. We miss him, but are thrilled for him to have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

My beloved husband is a huge help to me in pretty much everything, but he does not enjoy household repairs or maintenance. Gregg would rather sweep the driveway, rake leaves, wash dishes or even run the vacuum than wield a hammer. He also works full-time and has a long commute, so his free time is limited. With the start of our rainy season upon us, I decided to take matters into my own hands and put sticky, sandpaper tape down on our porch, to prevent people from slipping and falling when they approach the front door. The problem is that I waited about two weeks too long to do it, and we had rain before I got the tape in place. Wet wood = no-stick sticky-tape. So I swept the porch and scrubbed it with a wire brush, and then used tacks and a staple gun (thank you, Joanne!) and got the job done. It was fun (although Latte was much more of a hindrance than a help as I worked), looks good, and it is a relief to know that the porch no longer resembles a skating rink.

One day this past summer when Gregg and I were taking a walk, we found 5 pretty wooden chairs for sale on the side of the road for $30.00. We continued our walk for about 20 feet, and I stopped and said, We have to go back and buy those chairs. They were a great deal, and David might need them for his apartment at school. So we went back, bought them and promised to pick them up later (wondering all the while if we could get five of them into the back of a Honda Accord; we could, and did).

Once we got home, I started to get attached to those chairs. Plans for their future began to develop in my mind, and those plans did not necessarily include David. I decided that we could give him some other chairs for his place, and went to buy some spray paint. Remember the beach glass table which I spray painted turquoise? Well, here are the newest members of its family:

Aren't they pretty? Of course, I forgot to take "before" photos.

The chairs were a very nice, natural honey-color, and I know that I've just ruined them as far as "Antiques Roadshow" is concerned, but I wanted a different look - and this is it. As we're planning to have about 18 people here for Thanksgiving dinner, we'll be needing all the chairs we can get, and these puppies now have some time to dry. I am thrilled with the way they turned out - for $30, plus a few cans of primer and paint!

Starting in January,  my friend (and spiritual director), Bev and I are planning to teach a class. It will be based upon the "Journey of the Heart" journal of Kathryn Antyr Costa (of Collage Diva & True North Arts blogs - see my sidebar). Kathryn's work is creative, inspirational and insightful. She walks the talk - she practices her ideas in her life, and the results are inviting and beautiful. Bev and I are looking forward to sharing this with you; if you live in the area, we would love to have you join us. I'll be posting more as the details are set, but it will begin in mid-January, and will be held at Bev's office on Bainbridge Island. Leave a message here or on facebook if you are interested.

Katie's Comforters Guild has been keeping me busy with receiving donations of fabric and sending fabric out to those who are willing to sew. I am grateful to each person who volunteers any time or talent for our guild - we need each one of you in order to keep bringing comfort to children who are in the hospital! If you have any interest in sewing or making fleece blankets, please let me know here, or over on the guild's blog or our facebook page - we have lots of fabric to share!

Are you still with me? If so, thank you - as I said, I've missed you! It's good to be back.

Thank You!

Thank you all for your kind words, thoughts and prayers of support for me after my last posting. I really did not intend any judgment, condemnation or harm to that well-meaning lady. I just needed to vent, and vent I did.

Your understanding and compassion helped me. The passing of a few days helped me. Venting to my husband and a few other trusted friends/family members helped. And a few choice words from people of great wisdom and spiritual practice helped. Here are a few of them.

Fr. Richard Rohr wrote:  “ 'Thy kingdom come,' as we say in the Our Father, clearly means that the Kingdom is something that enters into this world or, as Jesus puts it elsewhere, the Reign of God 'is close at hand' (Mark 1:15, Matthew 4:17). Don’t project it onto a later world. The Kingdom of God breaks into this world whenever people act as God would act.

When that can happen in terms of structures or groups, then you have a taste of the Kingdom descending to earth. To be realistic and honest, this seldom happens with more than 'two or three' rightly gathered (Matthew 18:20). It is the critical mass, or 'leaven' and 'salt' who can and will change the world. This is Jesus' basic and first image of church, yet it is found only in Matthew’s Gospel. It is sad to say, but institutions as institutions can seldom operate at a Kingdom level, except on paper and by occasional courageous decisions. They can also educate, protect, and promote enlightened individuals, as many churches and organizations often do." - Adapted from Jesus' Plan for a New World: The Sermon on the Mount, p. 110

Georgia O'Keefe wrote: "I got half-a-dozen paintings from that shattered plate."

Pema Chodron wrote: "It’s not impermanence per se, or even knowing we’re going to die, that is the cause of our suffering, the Buddha taught. Rather, it’s our resistance to the fundamental uncertainty of our situation. Our discomfort arises from all of our efforts to put ground under our feet, to realize our dream of constant okayness. When we resist change, it’s called suffering. But when we can completely let go and not struggle against it, when we can embrace the groundlessness of our situation and relax into its dynamic quality, that’s called enlightenment, or awakening to our true nature, to our fundamental goodness. Another word for that is freedom—freedom from struggling against the fundamental ambiguity of being human."

There are several lessons to learn from what happened at Bible study. One lesson is to recall with great humility and honesty that I might have taken just that sort of stance ten or 20 years ago, due to my world-view; horrible thought, but true! Another lesson is to be grateful that no one, up until now, has spoken to me in that way. Another lesson is that perhaps - just perhaps - I don't get out in "uncontrolled social situations" quite enough.

Whatever the take-away from this, thanks to you for your kindness and supportive words. May all of us (including me) learn more compassion for others! 

And a reminder: tomorrow at 3:00 P.M., I'll be presenting at Eagle Harbor Book Co. on Bainbridge Island about progress in childhood cancer research, Katie's Comforters Guild and my book, "Because of Katie." I hope you will join us!

Please Join Us at Eagle Harbor Book Co.!

 

On Sunday, September 23rd at 3:00 P.M., 

I will be signing and reading excerpts from my book, "Because of Katie," and showing a brief video about the Ben Towne Foundation's work

at Eagle Harbor Books 

at 157 Winslow Way East on Bainbridge Island. 

There will be quilts from Katie's Comforters Guild on display, and information about progress in childhood cancer research, all in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. 

Please come and join us!

REMINDER: Pampered Chef Fundraiser for Katie's Comforters Guild

Pampered Chef Fundraiser for Katie's Comforters Guild: the Pampered Chef Fundraiser for Katie’s Comforters Guild at Seattle Children's Hospital is going on now until the 20th of June. Please visit http://www.pamperedchef.biz/michellefarris?showId=3691984 and shop for something wonderful, while benefiting our guild at the same time! Thank you!

Online Fundraiser for Katie's Comforters Guild

Recently, I received a lovely note from a kind-hearted woman who wants to support our guild. Her name is Michelle, and she is a Pampered Chef consultant. Michelle offered to hold an online fundraiser for our guild, so that everyone can shop from the comfort of their own home, buy items they like and support our guild in doing so - that's a win-win-win situation! Here is the information:

Fundraiser for Katie’s Comforters Guildat Seattle Children’s Hospital

http://www.pamperedchef.biz/michellefarris?showId=3691984

(the specific page for this fundraiser on Michelle's site is under "my calendar" - or click here.)

Please take a moment to check out the Pampered Chef online catalog link above, and support a great cause! The inspiration for Katie's Comforters Guild is Katie Gerstenberger, who was a patient at Seattle Children's Hospital. Her blanket from home, made for her by her mother, was a HUGE comfort to her during her treatment for cancer. Our goal is to bring that same comfort to all of the kids in the hospital. Volunteers make quilts and blankets for children at Seattle Children's, and funds raised through this sale will support that mission, and purchase supplies for the handmade quilts. For more information, please visit:

http://katiescomfortersguild.blogspot.com/

We'll raise funds three ways:

1. Donation of up to 15% of the fundraiser's total sales

2. $3 contribution for each Show booked from my fundraiser

3. Our Independent Consultant Michelle Farris will also donate her full commission of15% of total

fundraiser sales, so 25-30% of your purchase price will go to support Katie's Comforters Guild.

The more we fundraise, the higher percentage the Guild earns!

Please visit the link above and place an order through our fundraiser. Order high-quality products for your kitchen and for entertaining, while supporting our Guild. The fundraiser runs through June 20, so please make sure to place your order before that date. If you purchase more than $60.00, you will receive a free vegetable peeler- choose between serrated, julienne, traditional or avocado.

Please feel free to forward this information, and ask a friend or two to join us! Join in the fun - from the comfort of your own home!

Special thanks to Michelle Farris for this wonderful idea - please visit her page (see the link above) and contact her with any questions you may have!

Guild Luncheon = Friday Fun

On Friday, I had the pleasure of attending the annual Seattle Children's Hospital Guild Association Luncheon at the Westin Hotel. It's the meeting at which all guilds gather and celebrate the accomplishments of the past year, learn about new challenges and receive updates from hospital personnel. There are elections of officers and awards for outstanding service, a music video showing highlights of what we do and how we do it, interviews with patient/family members and time to shop at booths staffed by guilds (which sell items to support the hospital).

I brought my mom with me, and upon our arrival, we met one of our guild members, Bonnie P, and sat together. We were also seated with members of the Adaline Coffman guild, and I had the opportunity to chat in depth with a delightful young lady who is a member of that guild.

The guild association was founded around the same time as the hospital itself, by Anna Clise (who also founded the hospital). It is unique in the nation, and we are told it is the envy of other hospitals.  The power of goodwill that the guild association inspires and harnesses is truly transformative, to those serving and to those it serves.

Some fun facts about the Guild Association in 2011:
7,000 members
500 guilds
11 new guilds
$10.8 million project revenue
$141,000 membership revenue
$501,900 net thrift store revenue (from wonderful stores like Bainbridge Island's Bargain Boutique)
170,535 volunteer hours
$2.5 million guild-affiliated revenue (Foundation programs from guild members and their friends)

Please take a few minutes to watch this video, get inspired, feel the love and passion of our members, and consider JOINING us!

Springtime Miscellany

Ah, Spring - how I love thee! - almost as much as I love summertime. The colors, the breezy days, the puffy white clouds in the deep blue sky, the new growth & infinite shades of green...Springtime, your riches are a gift after the deep grays of winter in the Pacific Northwest.

Last week, I was felled by a one-day flu bug. I spent the entire day in bed, and slept for most of the 24 hours it held. The following day, I was up, but moving more slowly than usual. Then it was time do some work for the guild (deliver quilts to Tracie for the hospital; Lucile & Noble delivered quilts and picked up donated fabric; I gave an informal presentation to 3 ladies in the neighborhood) and attempt to work out some kinks in the publishing business. I signed books at Liberty Bay Books, picked up knitted blankets from their group for the hospital, and took care of some business at the post office.

On Friday, I went for a walk with Reba and Robin, two women who I would not know if our children hadn't died - but who I am glad to know in any case. We had a cup of coffee afterward and got caught up on more news. One item that came up was the fact that Robin does some volunteer work for Field's End, a local writer's community. I've looked at their offerings before, but felt much too shy to attend. Well, Robin mentioned their next workshop, and suggested that Reba and I might want to sign up. The result is that we are all going to be there, and I am alternating between nervousness and excitement. What a blessing, to have such a community right nearby!

After that, I drove north to Hansville, to the home of Heidi's mom & dad, Lila & Gary. We have relatives in the town of Hansville, and it is a place of great natural beauty. Lila & Gary's house sits atop a very high bluff, overlooking a stupendous panorama of Puget Sound, the Cascade Mountains and Whidbey Island. It is a great place to meet friends for lunch and a lesson in how to make real Norwegian lefse. (Don't know what lefse is? Follow the link and you will find out.)

As regular readers here will know, Poulsbo is known as "Little Norway" because this area was settled by Norwegian immigrants - and many of their descendants are still here. Gregg is descended from some of these hardy, stoic, loving people, and so is Heidi, so when our friend Suzanne purchased "A Lesson in Lefse with Lila" at a charity auction, it promised to be not only authentic but great fun. FUN is part of the deal when you do something with Heidi and her family!

Emily, Heidi, Heather, Della, Suzanne & Lila

We ate a delicious lunch, chatting and taking in the view, and then we gathered around Lila to watch and learn...and eat. We ate Lefse Friday afternoon until we had no room for anything else - not even for dinner. Thanks, Suzanne, for allowing us to tag along on your auction purchase!

Saturday was "date day." Gregg and I decided to take a long walk somewhere, but where? His choice was to take the ferry to Seattle and walk around the city. That's exactly what we did - for about 6.5 miles! It was like being tourists in our own back yard - the kind of thing we love to do on trips out of town, but applied to our own nearby city.

We walked up from the waterfront to Capitol Hill, where my parents both grew up. We stopped for a chai latte and sat in the WELCOME sunshine together. This was the first day that the temperature has broken 60 degrees since last autumn. Aaaaahhhh!

Then we hit the road again. We walked up to a busy street called Broadway, which is now a very colorful neighborhood hub, and we saw lots of local color there. We then took a side street through a residential area, known for its beautiful, traditional architecture. We ogled the houses and the view to the west, enjoying crocuses and other signs of spring in the neighborhood. We turned at historic St. Mark's Cathedral, crossed to the other side of the neighborhood, and found ourselves walking past Lowell Elementary, which my parents both attended, and the old Anhalt-designed apartment buildings, known in Seattle for their architectural flair (my dad and his family lived in one of these when he was a boy). Gregg surprised me by noting the many Dutch Colonial-style that houses we saw, identifying them by their roofs. I wouldn't have guessed that he knew about this - he is full of surprises!

We walked down Denny & Olive Way to the R.E.I. flagship store, where we browsed for a while. Then we walked to Tutta Bella (authentic Neapolitan pizzeria) right on time for happy hour, and enjoyed a small pizza & beer (for Gregg) and wine (for me). After happy hour, we walked to the new Nordstrom Rack (recently re-located) and shopped a bit (their new shopping bags say "score" on them, for good reason). After that, we took a saunter through the Pike Place Market as it was closing down for the day, down Western Avenue and back to the ferry terminal. We rode over to Bainbridge Island as the sun was setting behind the Olympic Mountains, and walked from the dock to our car.

To round out the day, we stopped at our favorite pub, the Harbour House, for a little snack. While Gregg was parking the car, I ran into our nephew, Joey, and his girlfriend, Shannon. They just happened to be down from the Mt. Baker area, staying on a friend's new sailboat for the night after a shake-down cruise. We invited them to join us for a nightcap and we had a blast getting caught up with them.

I love being a tourist in my own back yard! Do you ever do this in your home town?

Too Busy to Write?

Yes, I've been too busy to write - seriously. I've been writing on Katie's Comforters Guild's blog, writing "thank you" letters, writing emails and Christmas cards - so I've been writing, but not here.

Please do check out the latest news at Katie's Comforters Guild. It will make you smile.

One reason I've been too busy to write is the fact that we went to California for the week of Thanksgiving, David's birthday and my mother's birthday. 

I gave these napkins to my mother for the obvious reason.

There was a lot of this...

...and this.

Gregg and I at one of our favorite restaurants - Las Casuelas Terrazas, with live music and outdoor seating. I LOVE this place, and their margaritas.

Dad & Mom at Las Casuelas.

There was a lot of this...

...and this

and this.
Visiting with our friend, Norm, on Thanksgiving. We were so glad that he could join us this year!

And now, for even more reasons to smile, look at what I received today:

the proof of my book - all 267 pages of it!

If I'm not updating here, it's because I am editing this baby.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend.