Making a difference!

Each time when I teach a class, I always try to find something uplifting and motivating to share with them along with ...whatever I am teaching. It is not really part of my job, but I guess it is the Motivational Speaker in me, I love when I hear something uplifting and motivating, so I like to just pass it on.
I hadn't found anything for my class today, and then I looked at my phone ( right for I went to work ) and saw my sweet daughter-in-law had sent me these articles, and they went along perfect with my class.
We were learning how to make Reusable Bags!
Try to take a look at the articles if you can, so fun to see so many people ...who are making such a great Difference in the world!
I hope to become one of them!
Good Night dear friends!

Recycling plus generosity equals mats for the homeless

September 28, 2013|By Jeff Bahr, jbahr@aberdeennews.com

• 

American News Photo by Jeff Bahr

• • 
    

A group of women at Our Savior Lutheran Church start with a product that many would regard as garbage — plastic grocery bags.

 To those bags, they add time and dedication, and wind up with a mat that a homeless person in a country far away can sleep upon.

 Five hundred to 700 bags go into each mat, which measures 6 feet by 3 feet. The women gather every Monday year round at the Aberdeen church. Producing the mats requires several different jobs, so the women form an assembly line. The result is similar to a rag rug, only made from a different material.

 Why do the women tackle the project every Monday afternoon?

 “We enjoy each other’s company. We’re doing something useful,” Rayma Scepaniak said.

 The work is fulfilling, and the women enjoy the fellowship, according to Gwen Petrich. It gives them something to do each Monday, Scepaniak said.

I found it here:


When I looked up the topic, there are quite a few ladies doing this sort of service!
Neat!

I found that article HERE:

Trying to spend every last minute with my kids!

We have been so busy that I really haven't stopped long enough to do my blogs. I will catch up more when I get home but for tonight...I would like to share a bit of what the Kai and Oakley and I have been doing!

Fun to see Kai playing with these Felt Monsters that I made years ago, this has gone through 3 grandkids and it is still going!

Kai and I made a new Horse/ Cowboy pillowcase for his Cowboy room! Now that he is sleeping in his own bed and his own room alnight, thought this would get a lot of use!

 Kai and I played restrauant for lunch today. See the cute towel on his arm as he served his Mom some delicious Chocolate dessert with heart strawberries ! He must have done pretty well because he even got a tip! :)

 He also made a bracelet for him and his Mom for Halloween. The orange beads are suppose to be the pumpkins in the pumpkin patch.

I crocheted some headbands for Miss Oakley...think we picked a bad time to try them on her, she was suppose to be getting a burp out! But they fit!

Every day Kai would help me do my exercises by counting with me and then he will do the exercises himself! He is too cute!!!!

 We laid Oakley down on the play mat and she actually stopped and looked at them as she hit them! I couldn't believe she was watching them already! Oh I am afraid how much she will grow before I get back to see her and Kai!

It has been one week and I am already missing these kids! Oh how much I love my grandkids. I feel truly blessed!

Another one joins the ranks!

Ever since my kids were little, I tried to start teaching them to create things with their hands. It might be drawing, coloring, crocheting, sewing, painting, building...you name it and we did it! How fun now to start teaching the next generation! As you can see with Miss Audrey here, we start them out quite young! :)

Each time they come to my home or I go to theirs, we try to develop their creative genes a little bit more and more.

 

They never seem to tire of Nana showing them how to do new and creative things together. I love sharing what I love to do... with them too!
Here is me showing Kai how to Stiple on Quilts at the Quilt Con in Austin, Texas this year!

Now that Angie has conquered Hand crocheting so well, and even knows how to use beads with her crocheting, I think she is about ready to start using the hook more! Then the sky will be the limit!

I had to laugh today when Amy and the girls came over and then we had some dear friends ( adopted family ) over for the day too, I hadn't seen 3 of the kids for a bit and went downstairs and their were Jenny and Angie crocheting and trying to explain to their friend just what Hand Crocheting was. She looked really interested, so I sat down for about a half hour with her and taught her. Jenny said when she saw her finish her first bracelet..." Well, Nana it looks like she is addicted to croceting like us! " Jenny said that crocheting makes her happy and she has a hard time stopping herself from crocheting! Does that sound like one of my grandchildren? 

So here is our cute friend with her new necklace that she crocheted all by herself. I just gave her a flower pin to put on it and... a flowered headband to have. Always glad to have someone who appreciates my creations! She and her family are heading back home in a couple of days. She said to me " Aunt Lynn, I wished we lived closer so you and I could crochet all the time! " She is just too cute! So of course I sent her home with a bag of yarn and she started crocheting before her Dad even started the car! Yes, I think another one has joined the ranks ...of those who like to crochet!

When is enough , enough?

Since I was a little girl, I loved watching my Grandmother Johnny sewing and crocheting. I asked her all the time when I could start sewing and crocheting myself. We started with hand sewing first and then she taught me a little bit of sewing on her Singer Treadle Machine. 

Then I think by the age of 8 -10 or so, she started to teach me how to crochet. First by thread but that was so hard for me, that finally after a lot of whining and begging...she let me start crocheting with yarn. Since then, I have been truly addicted...by that's a good thing right?
When I was babysitting Audrey the other day, she got interested in my yarn bag...let's just say, she is too young to crochet but...not too young to already have fun with yarn. Look at her face...she looks so innocent doesn't she? That is probably why I let her play with it sooooo long!

What a mess it was for me to untangle her FUN MESS! 

Maybe I am too addicted, the other day Amy and Jenny saw this fun picture on Pinterest and Jenny said..."we need to show this to Nana". Course I don't have a chicken but... of course if I did, I would have to make a styling hat for it! 

Then the other day when I was driving home, I saw this wheel cover... nice to know that there are other Crocheters out there in my neighborhood. some how it makes me feel a bit safer! :)

I think I must be addicted to crocheting because...I laughed out loud when I read this quote! Why because I know it's true!

Good Night dear friends!

2 Day Sleep Over with Miss Jenny!

I am sorry it has been so long since I have written. There have been a few things on my heart that are really heavy right now, and I myself was struggling to find something positive to think, much less write about. Then after the weekend, I feel renewed strength and hope. I know that everything happens for a reason and I am trying hard to look at the glass ...half full!
Another thing that kept me busy and that was a good thing, was Miss Jenny came to do a 2 Day sleep over at Nana's. That is a big deal for her, she is used to doing Sleep Over's with her sister but gets a bit homesick when she is just by herself. But she did a great job and we had tons of fun, so much that I didn't write much...as you probably noticed!
The first night we went to a Harvest Carnival at the church.
Jenny: We are going to the carnivore!
 Lauren: Jenny its a carnival
Jenny: I know!
She and Audrey went with us, while Angie was at a B-day party and Mom and Dad got to go out on a DATE. Audrey liked all the kids that were running around at the Carnival and Jenny and Poppa went to every booth to play....bowling, bean bag toss, cupcake walk, face painting ( I was painting the cute little faces, with another friend ), donut contest, balloon making with the clown, bobbing for apples. Yes, she was worn out when we got home but, I think the sugar was still in her because she was talking 90 miles an hour to everyone when she got back about the carnival.
We also picked the pumpkin out of our little pumpkin patch in the back yard (we only had 3 )!
Saturday afternoon we went to Yakama Fruit Market and checked out all the fall decorations and pumpkins...I believe Jenny is as excited about Fall as her Aunt Lauren is!
We found tiny pumpkins and one of the biggest one's she has ever seen. We also crocheted together, she is learning how to crochet with her fingers, she did a great job. I love passing on those traditions of talents like sewing and crocheting with the next generation! My Grandma Johnny would be proud of us! The only problem is she loves scissors, so many projects got cut short ...literally... with Miss Scissor Happy. She said more one liners than I can even remember. She is funny, mischievous, a bundle of energy, unpredictable and sweet, we loved spending time with our Jenny girl!

"Look Poppa, I am crocheting!"

"Fall is in the air...can't you just feel it?"