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...


Thursday, February 16, 2012

Life. Period.

Has it really been 16 days since my last post? Wow. There is a lot of LIFE happening right now, and darn but that gets in the way of feeling creative sometimes!  Life in a nutshell this past two weeks: getting over sinus infection, hosting Superbowl party, Stuffed Animal Drive, Rowan being bullied at school, school conferences, Valentines' Day, and wait for it...Brad is losing his job!  I have had a sickish, knotted, worried lump of ick in my gut for too many days now, and have been falling back on the old habit of food for comfort. Not good. But there are good things going on too...


Rowan and her friend, Grace, have become pen pals because we hardly ever get to see them anymore. Grace wrote Rowan a secret message on the back of a puzzle and mailed it - here's Rowan putting the puzzle together so that she can read the message.
In preparation for the Superbowl, Rowan created a welcome sign on our front door with window crayons (sorry, didn't get a picture of it completed, and I cleaned it off the door this morning!)
I made a yummy quinoa salad, and our favorite Petite Pain au Chocolate, complete with football frosting.
We finished earning our Brownie First Aid Badge on the 7th, and I've sewed it on to Rowan's vest. Go Brownies!
Our troop has also collected 275 stuffed animals to donate to SAFE (Stuffed Animals For Emergencies), which I have sorted, cleaned, snipped tags, mended, and bagged. Whew - can't wait to get them delivered and out of our piano room!
Tuesday brought several school parties (as well as the news about the job), and is kind of a blur. I made cutout cookies to give to each kiddo in Rowan's class (I'm the Room Mom) and made a few extras to give to friends and neighbors.) A couple moms teased me about being an "over achiever." Too true, sometimes! They did turn out super cute, and the kids loved having a giant cookie to take home after the party.


We decided to stay home Tuesday night and grill steaks, play games in front of a crackling fire, and then dip strawberries and pound cake into chocolate fondue. It was a very sweet evening, and full of love. :)
I didn't quite get Rowan's doll sweater done, but it's close. I'm not happy with the way the i-cords look or lay, and the nubbly yarn makes for chunky seams. At Knit Night tonight, I'll finish the seams and sew on some snaps. And be glad to have it done!
I have one knitted heart left to go, and then my Brownie's gifts will be ready for our Wednesday meeting. I'm making 15, so that nobody gets "stuck" with the last one. I'll give the extra to the mom helping out that day. 
My Simple Abundance journey took a hiatus this past week, but I am back on track with the reading, and have been actively coming up with things I am grateful for during this tumultuous time. Today, I am grateful for:


1. Friends who keep calling, emailing, and taking me out for lemon martinis (thanks, Liz!), and offering to babysit (thanks, Dawn and Jennifer!)
2. Extended family who keep sending words of support, encouragement, wisdom, and hope.
3. Immediate family, who are my rock of Gibraltar in troubled times (Brad) and my pride and joy (Rowan and Brynn).
4. Knit Night, because I get to surround myself with people who care and who need a night off as badly as I do!
5. Chocolate. Seriously, could it be any yummier or more cheering?



1 comment:

  1. Over achiever or not, it's the fulfillment that you get from your activities and pursuits that counts! And, if they help ease the stresses of the day/week/month/year, then who cares! :) Seeing all those heart cookies reminds me of how I used to make them nearly every year myself. Haven't done that for a while. Maybe I'll surprise the kids in my class and do them someday for no special reason, other than I adore them.
    I think whatever dolly wears that little sweater won't mind lumpy seams and will love it. It's amazing how yarn choices sure define a project. I've had several missteps in that arena myself lately. Live and learn, eh?
    Sending love and prayers your way for speedy resolution of the job loss/repositioning for Brad. Keep us posted.
    xoxoxox

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