2008 Donation to Knit One Save One

Little Gerri Jean and 31 baby caps

I previously posted about my participation in a donation of baby hats in 2006 which was a political statement presented to President Bush regarding the need for increased health care to infants and mothers. This year, I set a goal for myself to make of a total of 100 hats, which I finally finished today. I earlier sent 69 hats to Newborns in Need. So that left 31 hats which I wanted to donate to the project Knit One Save One, which is part of Save the Children, and sponsored by Warm Up America. You can find out about these organizations and donations at: www.warmupamerica.com and then click on "Save the Children". The original deadline for donations for this year was December 31, but it has been moved up to January 31, 2009.

This is the letter I wrote to President Elect Obama to go with the hats, which was suggested by Warm Up America.

Dear President Obama,

I welcome your new administration and the opportunity to save millions of newborn lives! In recognition of the 4 million babies who die each year in the first month of life in developing countries, I made 31 caps. I am sending this letter to you today to encourage you to help more babies survive by increasing support for maternal, newborn and child health programs.

My husband and I voted for your administration, and my husband campaigned tirelessly. We are very much looking forward to the changes you will bring.

Enclosed are 31 baby caps which I crocheted.

The rest of the grandchildren

Here are some photos of Lee and Mark's pets.

The dog is Sophie, a black lab/blue heeler cross, who is 3 years old. The cat is Ari, a bengal kitten, who is 7 months old and weighs 15 - 17 pounds.

Ari, who is fast and difficult to photograph.

Grandchildren

Here are some great school photos of my two beautiful grandsons.

This is Bailey, 13 years old.

This is Izik, 7 years old.

They are the most wonderful children in the world.

Postscript on the cake

All of Greg's comments on my post earlier today are true. He is a champion dishwasher at every meal.

The cake made it to the party without incident. It was all eaten or given away. The cake plate made it home unchipped, uncracked, unscathed.

Red Velvet Cake

This cake has a couple of stories—well, actually, “layers” of stories.

I first heard of red velvet cake when I was way little, less than 10 years old, and the recipe called for seven bottles of red food coloring. Of course, what kid would not want to make that? And, because of the seven bottles of red food coloring, my mom didn’t think it was a good idea. So the red velvet cake didn’t get baked.

A couple weeks ago, we were watching the Food Network (a long time favorite). Bobby Flay and The King of Cakes were having a red velvet cake bake-off. Greg had never heard of red velvet cake, so I told him my old story about wanting to make it since I was young.

I seldom go to the staff meeting at my job because I don’t work on Thursdays. Once a month, there is a birthday party and potluck at the staff meeting. My dear friend, Sandra, asked if I was coming to her “birthday party” (actually, staff meeting) this week, so I said of course I was. Sandra announced early that she was expecting a birthday cake at the potluck, so being the excellent friend that I am, I expansively volunteered to bring the birthday cake, and wrote “birthday cake-Elaine” in large, black letters all the way across the sign-up sheet with a Sharpie, as the pen wouldn’t work because I had touched the sign-up sheet so many times with greasy hands, all the while loudly and exuberantly proclaiming that no one else should bring a cake!

I effusively exclaimed to Greg that I was “making Sandra a red velvet cake for her birthday”; it’s Christmas, you know, and the cake is red. This prompted his recollection that I hadn’t made him a birthday cake in August, or last year, or the prior year, etc. My guilty conscience turned out to be a good thing, as I have no experience making red velvet cakes. Greg got his birthday cake four months late, but the “practice” cake was delicious nonetheless.

Now, for the last 50 years, I have been taking the lazy way out in making cakes, happily and thoughtlessly pouring cake batter into 9” x 13” pans instead of making layer cakes, with the philosophy “I’m not foolin’ with layer cakes”—it’s a cake, we’re just eating it anyway.

At any rate, I learned some important things about layer cakes. They have to be cut off totally flat to stay together and not slide off the layer below. But, it is even better to cut the tops off a little concave, which I could have been practicing even when I didn’t need a layer cake. You will end up cutting off one-third of the cake, so it might be good to make two cakes, so there are extra layers to work with. You can either throw away the trimmed off cake, or you can recycle it as chopped up cake and eat it at every meal (which is the method we used as we never throw away food). Sometimes it takes half a century to learn simple baking tips. And, red velvet cakes are indeed worth the wait; the batter is shocking, atomic red. And, it is a good thing to make your husband a birthday cake every year, preferably a layer cake. And, this cake really has a short-cut and takes only two bottles of red food coloring. And I made up my own frosting recipe because I couldn’t find a recipe that was just right. And this will take every plate, pan, knife, fork, cookie sheet, and bowl you have before the cake is done (Greg washes the dishes at this house); plus three hours to cut the layers, trim the layers, and measure the layers; admire your cutting and trimming ability and after every layer, ask your husband if he doesn’t think you can really trim, cut, and measure cakes; make the frosting; stick the layers together; and carefully carry the cake plate which is extremely heavy and slippery, so that photographs can be taken.

The cake has not yet been presented to Sandra. Hopefully, there are no mishaps from my house to the car to the clinic via the freeway, which is another horrible story, and from my car to the staff meeting. Wish me luck! And, Happy Birthday, Sandra!

More Valley Weather

The sun is shining! This is highly unusual for this time of year. And it is 30 degrees, which is also unusual for this time of year. It doesn't usually get below freezing until January. Our garage is doubling as a refrigerator with the extra holiday food. I cleaned the inside of my car windows as they were making driving dangerous. I don't understand how the insides of car windows get dirty--where does that dirt come from? And greasy. I'm not doing any cooking in there.

How I spent my time this week

Here are some photos of my rush crochet project that kept me from writing my blog.

Greg has a friend who is raising her two month old grandson and two year old granddaughter, and unfortunately, her husband lost his job. Greg is very kind hearted and generous and wanted to help out for Christmas, so he asked me to make a blanket and hat for the babies.

And, yes, I get paid even when it is my husband who is the customer.

This is Gerri Jean wearing the hat and blanket for the two year old girl. I was showing off for myself and got carried away with the cropping and didn't save the original.

This is Jerry Gene wearing the hat and blanket for the two month old boy.

Gerri Jean and Jerry Gene

Hi everyone, My blog has kind of been on hold for a few days as I had to crochet a rush project that I will post tomorrow or the day after.

For years, I have needed a model for my hats, blankets, and baby clothes, and promised myself I would get a life-size doll, but never got around to it, thought I couldn't afford it, forgot to buy a doll when I was at Toys-R-Us, didn't need more stuff around the house, or whatever--it just didn't get done. Yesterday, I took the time and a gift card to Target and got a doll. I really thought I needed an androgynous doll, but this doll was dressed in a very cute pink sleeper, so I have a very cute girl doll. But, then I went through Walmart and found a cute premie outfit in blue, and thought if I bought that, then I would have a boy doll with just a change of clothes. I gave no thought to a possible name--this is just a model, you know? Greg thought the doll would need a name, and I said it would have to be a uni-sex name, like Ray or Jan, or something like that. He suggested Gerri, after my dear friend. That was great! He/she can be Jerry/Gerri. Then I came up his/her middle name today. So now the little mannequin has a name.

This is Jerry Gene

And this is Gerri Jean

They look like twins!

Never mind

I just deleted today's blog regarding the crime. It didn't happen.

Earlier today, I wrote about all the phone calls involved in trying to locate a missing Christmas gift that was UPS'd and the receiver didn't get it. Turns out, the snow had covered it up for five days after the UPS driver delivered it to the side of the house that doesn't have a door, instead of to a door. Crime case solved.

Lawn Ornaments

I know, I know—not everyone has a living Christmas ornament in their front yard. It’s not a Christmas tree, but I don’t think we could ask for a better red/green combo. I took this photo yesterday.

Valley Weather

Yayyy! The fog has lifted, and all is right with the world, or at least definitely better. The fudge has been cooked, the exercise circuit walked, the plants watered, the photographs taken, and the shopping done. None of this can happen when we are socked in with fog. I am a sunshine, summertime, 100 degree + kind of gal and don’t take kindly to night, winter, rain, sleet, snow, fog, or wind.

I know the fudge recipe is called “never fail” but I have prior bad experiences making candy in humid weather so that project was on hold for clear weather. The exercise can’t progress if I think I might get wet. In the fog, I forget I even have a backyard, mostly because I can’t see it. I should have probably tried for some photographs of the fog, but I’m sure I will have another chance for that one. And as far as shopping goes, I don’t even like that on the best-of-weather days.

I’m talking valley fog that stops traffic, fog that makes you unable to find your house, fog that keeps you from getting to work on time or at all, fog that keeps you in the house so even the mail doesn’t get picked up. Well, today we got a break from it and hopefully it will be more than one day.

Look! This is six pounds of home made fudge.

Tomorrow, another photograph I took today that I have been waiting to get for weeks.

2008 Newborns in Need

I finally got my 2008 contribution finished for my donation to Newborns in Need. I got a late start this year, realizing in October that I had not crocheted one single blanket or hat for my donation. I like to use up my leftover colored yarn and use off-white as a contrasting color. The project involved going to Beverly’s and Walmart at least three times to pick up some off-white yarn.

I ended up with 20 blankets and 69 hats. They are in a big box and I am now awaiting a return e-mail from the coordinator for the best address to send them. On the website, there is only one chapter identified in California, and that is in Fountain Valley. I am hopeful there is a closer one.

The next project: Finish my box of hats to be donated to Warm Up America.

Are these two gorgeous--or what?

Thanks to a photo session which occurred on Thanksgiving at John and June's home, my sister-in-law forwarded this great picture.

This is my mom, Esther, and great niece, Isabelle. They must have been having a great time as they both look so happy.

Grandma's Home Made Fudge

It’s that time of year when I become nostalgic, break out my old cook books, and start reminiscing. I even have the same recipe box with recipes that I typed on index cards between my junior and senior years in high school. Now those are some real antiques!

I always liked to eat candy, especially chocolate, and especially home made. I started making fudge when I was really young, as soon as I could reach the top of the stove--probably about seven years old. It was the fudge with the sugar, milk, butter and chocolate all boiled together, and it needed a candy thermometer. Mine always turned out sugary, but I ate it anyway and the rest of the family didn’t complain.

But when I was perhaps six or seven years old, my grandma made us the most incredible fudge I had ever eaten. It was nothing like the old way of making fudge—in fact, it was so different, it didn’t even seem like fudge. It was such a treat for us!

I started making my grandma’s fudge when I was 10, but mine was never the same as grandma’s. This blogging thing is great for combing over details and processing memories, even ones that are 50 years old. I have read this recipe hundreds of times, and made it every year for at least 25 years, and just could not put my finger on the reason mine was different than grandma’s. On typing the recipe for the blog and talking this over with Greg, I noted the recipe calls for a bar of “sweet chocolate”. I have always used a Hershey milk chocolate bar. I think this is the ingredient that was making my candy so different from grandma’s.

This recipe is really old--the evaporated milk and chocolate don’t even come in the same size packages anymore.

Never Fail Fudge

4 ½ cups sugar
1 can milk (14 ½ ounces)
1/3 cup butter

Boil 5 ½ minutes. Remove from heat. Add:

12 ounces chocolate chips
10 ounce bar sweet chocolate
1 cup marshmallow crème

Beat to mix. Add 2 cups nuts. Pour into buttered pans. Makes 5 pounds.

My grandma was Mamie Alice Esser—isn’t that a cute name? She was born June 9, 1891 and passed away on December 19, 1976.

Newborns in Need

As the 2006 hat donation project for Warm Up America and Save the Children wound down, I wondered how I could continue to spend my spare time volunteering to do something I already loved.

Carol Green founded an organization called Newborns in Need, in North Carolina in 1992 when she saw a need to provide tiny clothes for premature infants and prematurely deceased infants. The hospital staff wanted these tiny babies to look as normal as possible when they were presented to their parents. The organization developed sewing patterns which are used by volunteers to make clothing to fit two pound babies, and of course, babies weighing more than two pounds.

I was somewhat aware of the organization, but was unsure of the organization’s name and didn’t quite know how to contact them. Then several years ago, there was an article published in the Fergus Falls Journal showcasing a wonderful woman (I apologize, I don’t remember her name; she is deserving of so much recognition) who sewed these tiny clothes. And in the article, was the name of the organization, Newborns In Need. There was also an article published in the Sacramento Bee about a teacher at the Preston Youth Correctional Facility, Anita Hatfield, who was teaching her students to sew, knit, and crochet for Newborns in Need. Many of the boys at the correctional facility were themselves a father to an infant in need of the services of Newborns in Need.

I went to their website, www.newbornsinneed.org, to learn more about the organization and what I could do to help. I learned they welcome all donations for infants, even used clothing. They give written credit for community service work assignments, if you have pending community service commitments. They encourage donors to first donate to local hospitals or local charities, and then donate to their organization. They encourage the formation of local chapters to collect donations.

What a great way to use up the leftover yarn from my projects! I have really enjoyed making blankets and hats and thinking about the lives of the little people who will be using them, as well as the family members caring for them.

If you are looking for a place to donate your time, talent, or resources which would benefit families of needy infants, please take time to visit the website.

The Pistachio Sisters' Baking Extravaganza!

This is an e-mail interview with my sister-in-law, June, which went on over a period of days from November 18 through November 24. She has given me permission to use names, dates, places, and other incriminating, but scrumptious information.

June: ReNee and JoLeen and I (3 of the 4 Pistachio Sisters) are going to start our Christmas baking blitz this coming Saturday. ReNee and JoLeen each had 1 or two orders and I had 8 from our building here. When I actually delivered the cookies, several people saw me hauling platter after platter of goodies in that day and asked about it. They said to let them know if we decided to do that again this year. We didn't actually keep track of how much we spent baking and buying ingredients...but we DID laugh about the number of POUNDS of butter we went through. There were 8-10 pounds of butter in my fridge at the beginning of each baking session, and we usually emptied it out by the end of the day. We'll do two all day baking blitzes. The first one is cookies, bars, etc. that freeze well; then the last day closer to Christmas, all the fancy dipped and decadent cookies. Usually none of us can even walk or stand up anymore by the time we put in a 10-12 hour baking day. Guess we're getting old. :-)

Elaine: We had a ton of questions, and I wanted to call, but Greg said you would be baking or resting.

He wants to know who washes all the dishes after the project----he's the dish washing guy here, so of course, that is what he is mainly interested in.

June: Funny!!! The dishwashing thing goes like this. Whoever has the first dirty dishes, runs a sink full of hot soapy water and tosses their things in. If you need something right away, you wash it yourself. If you have a couple of minutes in between making dough and baking, you do up what's in the sink. No dish wiper...they just drip dry but the towel is always there if you need it. We actually go through about 3-4 dish towels because they can't dry out fast enough. Another rule, if you use peanut butter in a measuring cup, you clean that yourself...or listen to a lot of complaining. They are the worst...along with shortening. After that, it's usually time to change water again.

Elaine: I want to know all the stuff that goes on the plates.

June: We got a ton of stuff made on Saturday. I'll try to remember what they were. I know there were 14 different things, so I may miss one or two. Most of the items below were a double batch.

Dream Bars; 7-layer bars; Butterscotch/cashew bars; Cut out sugar cookies; Macaroon cookies drizzled with dark chocolate; Maple/Walnut cookies; Craisen/White Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies; Spritz; Chocolate Spritz; Chocolate waffle cookies; Caramel rice krispie balls; Chocolate Balls (cornflakes/cocoanut/peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate); Chocolate no bake cookies

Elaine: Wow!! What a lot of work! You girls are so organized!

June: We used to just hate making the cut out sugar cookies because they take so long, but we've learned you can make a double batch of them. ReNee and I roll out dough, and cut them out. JoLeen decorates them with sugars, etc. and puts them in the oven, takes them off the trays and washes or wipes off the sheets for the next cookies. We can whip through a double batch of those cutouts in about 1 1/2 hour. We only have 5 good baking sheets that we swear by, and then we have about 4-5 more cookie sheets that we don't bake on...just use for dipping things, etc. I plan to buy one more of these cookie sheets yet this year and seriously consider tossing away other cookie sheets. I've had air bake ones, dark colored ones and everything in-between, but these commercial grade ones are the best. They never burn or get the cookies too brown on the bottom. ReNee loved my two so much that she went out and bought 3 of them for herself. With 5, we could still use at least one more when we really get moving. The biggest back log of sheet space is when I'm pressing out the Spritz. I bought a Pampered Chef Spritz cookie press about 3 years ago and I just love that one. I can whip through a double batch of spritz in a little over an hour, too.

Elaine: I understand you also designed a “signature” cookie.

June: Yes, we came up with a 'signature' spritz cookie a few years ago by mistake. I was making some light pink cookies, then I had a tube of light green, then my last tube was yellow. When I got done, there was maybe a cup or two of each of the colors left, and I just put all of the dough into the spritz maker at once and made them. They were multicolored pastels and both sisters thought they were much prettier than the solid colored ones. So now...each year, I tint some dough green and some pink, then put sections of the white and two colors into the press and start making cookies. They are very pretty and something you don't see all the time.

I brought in the first tray today here at work. The corporate side of the building has ordered 5 small trays (one each week until Christmas). The Fargo Branch side of the building has ordered 7 small trays to start on December 9th. Our Fargo Branch employees also just ordered 12 small trays to be delivered on December 12th. They will give them to all of the county recorder offices that they do business with.

John thinks we are totally nuts and doesn't know how I'm going to have time to do that this year with the house planning I need to do. I guess I'm going to find out just how well I can multi-task this year. :-)

Greg: I'm on my way now to help you girls with some "quality control".
I figure if I drive straight through I'll be there...oh never mind!

Guess I'll go whack a couple cookies off the roll of Toll House dough I bought, poor me.

The dish washing sounds like it's not too bad actually, except for the peanut butter, I can understand that!

Tell your sisters I think you all are some super bakers and you should be really proud of yourselves for all your sales. And tell John if you didn't multi-task so well, he'd be eating store bought Toll House cookies like me!

June: Well...I do feel a bit sorry for you if that's the best cookie in the house. :-) Here's one that you could make, which are pictured at the top of the page. We make them for our trays. Even though they are not homemade, they are very 'crafty' and really look cute on the trays. It's Nutter-Butter Peanut Butter cookies decorated up: white almond bark for beards and hats, hats have a sprinkle of red sugar on top section and then a white chip, red hot for the nose, with two mini chocolate chips for eyes. The absolute worst part of making these cookies is putting down a bit of almond bark for 'glue' for the eyes and nose. I just bought 4 bags of these cookies. Last year, I made 3 bags of them and we ran out fairly early. This year, I'm limiting each tray to only 2 of these cookies, because after I get 4 bags done, I will NOT want to make any more of these things.

Elaine: These little guys are just adorable!

Greg and Newman Davidson

Aren’t they adorable? They are both miracles!

Little Newman was born about September 1, 2006. His mom was hit by a car when he was only a few days old, and he was rescued and taken to our vet’s office. I met him when he had just opened his eyes. The girls who worked at the vet’s office were bottle feeding him and they were so proud of him! When I told Greg about him, he called the vet’s office and asked if we could get our names on the list to be adoptive parents. Now that we know Newman better, we laugh about thinking there might have been a “waiting list” or a “lottery” for a home for him. I’m sure his care-givers were ecstatic that someone wanted to adopt him. As soon as he was one month old, the vet’s office called and told Greg he could come and get Newman. When he came to live with us, he was the size of two cotton balls—one for the head and one for the body. Once, Greg was unable to find him, and called me at work to let me know he was afraid he had thrown Newman in the washer with a load of clothes—but, no, Newman had just burrowed into a stack of whatever and had fallen asleep. I tell him everyday that he is a miracle for not getting stepped on, sat on, laid on, rolled over, or thrown in the washer. He is definitely Greg’s cat. He listens to everything Greg says, and everything Greg says is important. He does whatever Greg asks him to do, even fetches a rat. Doesn’t really sound much like a cat, huh? We tell him that he is more like a dog. We just love him!

Check out this scarf!

This is another picture of me wearing the same scarf I had on yesterday. Lee made this for me when she was about 12, so it is more than 25 years old. I'm not sure if it was her first knitting project or not. It is so precious! She tied the cutest little knots, which I took pictures of, but they don't show up that well. This red yarn color is no longer even made. She said she made scarves for her cousins, a pink scarf for Jenny and a blue scarf for Mike--do you two still have those? The tree is in our front yard and is still green. The top picture was taken last year after the yard trees had turned color, and it looks like it was perhaps Thanksgiving, as Greg's truck has a wreath on the grill.

Amador County Wine Country

Yesterday, we finally managed to get on our trip to the Amador County wine country, approximately 30 miles from Galt. The main road through is about 10 miles long, and I previously counted signs for 57 wineries--just on the main road. Our goal was to get to three wineries for taste sampling. Our first stop was Vino Noceto, a very small winery, specializing in Sangiovese, a light, fruity red. We sampled 7 or 8 of their wines, and bought a bottle of Reserva. They also grow walnuts and olives, and we bought a bag of glazed walnuts, and a bottle of olive oil, which is real grassy and has a little peppery accent. Then we sampled the bottle of Frivolo, which is not yet bottled for this year, and is sold out for last year. It is a sparking white. If you are able to find a bottle, buy it. It is a definite treat as a party wine. Very yummy! Then we took photos of each other in front of the pomegranate tree, and the tasting room hostess offered us a pomegranate.
As I am pretty much a light-weight wine drinker, I told Greg I didn't think I was up for more wine tasting--after only one winery! But we had to make another stop at Villa Toscano to get some lunch and pick up a bottle of orange muscat.
We arrived home safely and have all of our Thanksgiving wine. It was a very enjoyable day trip and the weather was perfect.

The Backyard

The new pastime of blogging has made some changes in my life. I don't like to fool with machines. A paper clip is complicated to me--so I just prefer to avoid things like that which are confusing. But yesterday, I picked up the digital camera to try my hand at some photography. Greg is the photographer dude in the family, as I am afraid to mess with anything with buttons or batteries. I even cropped the pictures myself.


This is a close up of an ivy geranium and cardinal flowers.

This is an aerial view from the back of the begonias and impatiens right outside our back door.

This is a view of the backyard taken from the back door--yesterday! The flowers are impatiens and begonias.

Chrysanthemums and petunias in the backyard--yesterday.

Yes, we are having astounding weather for this time of year.

How to Crochet a Hat for a Newborn

This hat takes 19 minutes to make, and uses one ounce of worsted weight yarn, which costs 33 to 38 cents. The hat will be 11” to 12” in circumference.

You will need worsted weight yarn, and a size I and J crochet hook. I usually use Red Heart Super Saver yarn, because it is so available, inexpensive, durable, and comes in a wide variety of colors.

If you crochet tightly, which is typical for beginners, you will need a size J and K hook.

If you crochet loosely, you will need a size H and I hook.

With the smaller hook, chain 4, join with a slip stitch in first chain to make a circle.

Chain 1; 10 single crochet in circle, join with a slip stitch in first single crochet: 10 single crochet.

Chain 3; double crochet in same stitch, 2 double crochet in each single crochet, join with a slip stitch at the top of the first double crochet: 20 double crochet.

Chain 3; double crochet in same stitch, 1 double crochet in next double crochet, *2 double crochet in next double crochet, 1 double crochet in next double crochet*, repeat from * to *, join with a slip stitch to the top of the first double crochet: 30 double crochet.

Chain 3; double crochet in each double crochet, join with a slip stitch to the top of the first double crochet. Repeat this row until you have 9 rows of double crochet.

Change to the larger hook. Chain 1, single crochet in the same stitch, single crochet in each double crochet, join to first single crochet with a slip stitch. Cut yarn. Run in the end of the yarn. If you like to make pom-pons, you can add that to the top of the hat. Turn up one, two, or three rows to make a cuff which will frame your darling baby’s face.

The hat can be used to:

Give as a gift
Accessorize the cat
Sell
Place on your own baby’s head
Donate to charity
Decorate for Christmas

The Hat Project!

The hat project was a perfect volunteering opportunity for me. I had piles of miscellaneous yarn, I didn’t have to leave my home, I could crochet while I watched TV, it was my meditation time—the way I started the day and the way I ended it. I could crochet hats while Greg drove me everywhere, the hats adorned the dashboard of the pick-up and I got the opportunity to talk about the hatless babies. I made grocery bags full of hats. I shared the message of healthcare for infants with everyone who saw the hats. I set rows of hats on my computer at the methadone clinic and my patients wanted to hear all the news about the babies who were hatless. Some of the patients wanted a hat to take home so they could share the message with their family, some wanted to commemorate the donation by hanging the hat on their Christmas tree, one lady wanted a hat for a doll for her granddaughter who was homeless. Over 300 people who were themselves disadvantaged heard about babies with no hats and spread the word to their own families about infants who needed increased healthcare.

I gave away hats as Christmas tree ornaments, as thank-you gifts, as calling-cards, as gifts to family friends and friends of friends, and I sold some hats. And I ended up with 45 hats to donate to Warm Up America. Most of all, I became addicted to making hats and an advocate for babies to have their heads covered so they don’t lose 90% of their body heat.

If you would like to learn to crochet, a great website with detailed illustrations is http://learntocrochet.lionbrand.com, and it’s free.

More than one-quarter million hats!

At Thanksgiving dinner two years ago, my dear sister-in-law enlisted the family to knit or crochet hats for babies for the organizations, Warm Up America and Save the Children. The hats were a political statement to help increase our country’s leader’s awareness regarding the need for more and better healthcare for infants worldwide.

The leading cause of infant mortality is a lack of antibiotics, lack of a sterile scissors to cut the umbilical cord, and loss of heat through the head due to not having a hat. Now, how simple is the fix for these problems?

I followed the project on the Warm Up America website, and over 280,000 hats were made and donated. Most of the hats went to Africa for babies who were born prematurely. The instructions for making the hats indicated that the little heads they would be covering were the size of large walnuts to the size of lemons!

You can check out the website at www.warmupamerica.com and click on “Save the Children” to learn about this year’s project, where there are instructions for hat-making, and how and where to send the hats.

Volunteering

Working in a methadone clinic, I am privileged to have access to a wide cross-section of society—all ages, cultures, philosophies, political leanings, levels of awareness, etc., all of them narcotic addicts trying to make some type of change, large or small, in their lives. It has been very humbling to find that most days, I learn more from them than I teach.

Today, one of my little old lady patients brought up her idea (passed on from another little old lady—really, 80 years old) that a lot of America’s problems can be improved by everyone volunteering for four hours per month. Now, doesn’t that seem simple? It certainly won’t make our country, our world, or ourselves worse to volunteer our time to our favorite organization. A donation of four hours per month of our time may make a huge improvement in another person’s life. There are so many worthy organizations that can use our time and talents: our own local churches, Boys and Girls Clubs, the Salvation Army, Red Cross, Meals on Wheels, Habitat for Humanity, the local food bank or housing shelter.

I have 363 patients who can or do use services from all these organizations. And they are all grateful that anyone has taken the time to think of them, even in a small way. Some of them are homeless, sleep outdoors, and literally, run their lives from a shopping cart.

E-mail Addresses

I was so excited to get my blog address sent to everyone, it occurred to me that I don't have current e-mail addresses for everyone. Please let me know your current or best e-mail address if I don't already have it.

New Blogger!

Hi everyone, This is my first day as a blogger, thanks to help provided by my friend Rachel, who I have known since we were 15. I will be posting daily events, family news, progress on my knitting and crocheting projects, and random thoughts as they occur.