It begins...

A friend recently forwarded an email to me titled "The Invisible Mother," a short essay comparing the tireless and often thankless job of a mother to the builders of Europe's great cathedrals. Both give their whole lives for a work they will never see finished, both make sacrifices and expect no credit, and both are fueled in their passion by the faith that the eyes of God see every detail. The writer of the essay was inspired by the thought that our endless efforts in motherhood, invisible as they may seem, are worth it and can make an enriching life.


For many of us, the way we choose to hold our invisibility at bay is by creating something tangible. For me, my days often end with knitting - my love of fiber and the need to do something relaxing end up producing something I can hold and look at. Nobody will know how many times I swept under the high chair that day, or how many toys I picked up, or how many times I tried to coax a "please" or "more" or "sorry" out of my 5 year old. But a darling, handmade infant hat? That you can see.


I start new projects every day, and my 10 year old does the same. In this process of creating (and yes, often not finishing our projects!) we connect with each other and a bigger picture of ourselves in the process. My plan for this blog is to share the projects that excite me and bring some accessible proof of my existence in this invisible world of mothering!


So, this blog is dedicated to the mothers out there whose days are filled with the minutia of tasks that build our children and our families. I often tell people that I haven't decided what I want to be when I grow up. But for now, I am the builder of a great cathedral. With every shoelace tied, lunch packed, and forehead kissed, I build.


And I can hardly wait to create something new...


Friday, March 11, 2011

Humbled by Japan

It feels very odd to be going about our day, business as usual, knowing that millions of people in Japan have been devastated today. Very sobering. I will be on the lookout for anything a simple crafter can do to help ease their burden! I am very glad that the damage to Hawaii was nowhere near what they expected, and that the U.S. coast has not been hit hard. Still, when a disaster like this occurs, it is very humbling and makes you want to call all your family members!


In the meantime, I have been knitting up a frenzy. I had hoped to finish 6 auction items by the time I leave for Iowa on Wednesday, but with only 4 days left I'm not sure about that! The flower top hat and bear booties are done...
...and the first duck booty is underway...
...but I still have the sheep booties and the 3 little mice to do. Better get crackin'!


I bought hanging file folders this morning at Target, and as much as I'm itching to organize the Girl Scout stuff in them, it will have to take a back burner. Brad has worked from home several days this week, and has caught me knitting during the day (I normally don't!) so I had to explain the auction frenzy to justify the housework that isn't getting done. Which reminds me I have laundry to fold. Dang!


Rowan's class (talk about timing!) is having a Hawaiian themed party today, so she scooted off to school in a grass skirt, lei, and hair flowers. Super cute! She's still on a high from last night's 1st Grade Musical: 3 of a Kind. Here's a couple pictures of her and the 3 caballero's, as well as the darling poster she made for me to take to "cheer on" the kids last night!


I will be glad to tell her when she gets home that Hawaii is doing just fine. She sat with me watching news coverage this morning and was pretty worried. It's hard for a 7 year old to fathom something that major. Heck, it's hard for me to fathom. 
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1 comment:

  1. KathyMarch 11, 2011 at 7:14 PM

    Yup, watching the news today was sobering indeed. It's just sort of beyond comprehension and I feel the need to escape and turn off the TV tonight. Maye a NetFlix movie instead.

    I'm about done with my own contribution for the auction and maybe will start another item, too!

    I LOVE seeing the pictures of the First Grade Musical. I will want to hear ALL about it. Any chance you took any movie footage? Love, love, love the 'cheering on' poster provided by Little Miss Caballero!

    I think your items for the auction will sell like hot cakes. You are super talented!

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