Crafting A Handmade Holiday Gone Nuts

In the past few years I have hosted a creative afternoon once a week through the fall and winter months. This is a time that works very well for me and my family.
We get:
*company to visit with in our own home ( I am still a homebody at heart)
* dedicated time to work on handmade Christmas gifts (which are the bulk of our gift giving)
*friendships increased and enjoyed
*passing on the treasured knowledge of handwork, that my lovely Grandmy gave me
*and a motivator to tidy up the house. I am somewhat compulsive about cleaning before company comes over and will keep working until the moment someone arrives. Lest you think this implies am immaculate home, it can be any activity. As long as it is industry, I find it worthy. This may be wiping walls, sweeping floors, scrubbing toilets, or making goodies (which all could be arguably be for the company's benefit.) It could just as easily be cleaning out the spice cupboard, re-arranging the filing cabinet or taking a toothbrush to the bathroom baseboards for an hour (as I did this past Tuesday for our first event). These activities are much more geared to my overall happiness with my home and not for company at all. This is a huge part of why this hosting works for me though. I am motivated each week to keep working on strange little projects around my home and things keep getting cleaner at a deeper level. By the time the holidays roll around my home is more to my liking for the demands of a higher level of entertaining and the process was easy and enjoyable. The best of all worlds for us truly.
So even on years when I get very little participation it is still a success in my mind and on years where we have a weekly crowd, bonus!
Over the last two years my circle of close girlfriends has really dwindled. They are still present in my life, but so much more on the periphery and rarely seen unfortunately. Life is ever changing and as children benign to assert their personalities over playgroups this is inevitable I think but still, I am sad for the loss. Almost a year of bed rest and another of little babyhood (and not a very well one at that) and the connections have faded sadly without new ones having taken their place. This fall I have made a conscious effort to follow the example of one of those lovely ladies that is fading from my life, but that is always good at making and keeping a new circle of friends around her. Just put yourself out there and make the first effort, as our lives are too busy with little ones and fractured with activities to leave friendships to organically develop with the winds of chance. So I have been pushing just a touch out of my own comfort level over the fall to make connections with more people and families for my sake and for that of my homeschooling children. I have started to see the fruits of this effort begin to unfold.
When my wonderful Grandpy passed away a few weeks ago, however, I was hit by the fact that the efforts have not yet been enough. In a week of continuing activity after his passing, before his memorial service that left me a chance to connect with other loved ones about his life and our loss, I found myself very lonely for a good friend to share with. My wonderful family members that typically fill the bill were in atypically busy weeks and I was acutely conscious of not having anyone to really talk to. This awareness prompted me to make more efforts at solidifying new connections and one of those efforts is once again hosting a holiday craft time. This was a bit of a stretch since almost none of the people invited have even been to my home before and that always raises the bar a bit. Also, a year after moving in, we are no where near as settled and decorated as I would like to be for hosting a large gathering of strangers. However, putting myself out there being the goal, I grabbed my determination with both hands and crafted invitations, text-messages and an email to invite everyone I sort of knew and thought might be interested to join me. Following is the quirky little e-mail I sent out to everyone I could bring myself to include.



Hello,
I am once again starting up a mom's craft time Tuesday afternoons from now until Christmas. I am focused on getting some handmade gifts done for the holidays and would love some company. It will be a drop in time from 1-6PM every Tuesday starting next Tues Nov.9th. This is a time to bring a project, learn a new craft (knitting, sewing and crochet tutoring available), share creative inspiration or just visit while little ones play. Healthy kids snacks will be available, contributions are welcome but not at all required. For those of you who haven't been here, my home is simple, not to terrible untidy (LOL) and sort of baby proofed. The kids can play inside or out depending on weather. I have starting materials for those who wish to learn to knit or crochet and a basket of kitchen gift inspiration from which I will be focusing most of my energies.
I hope to see you!
Jenn

123 ANYWHERE ST
HOMETOWN USA

One of the ladies I included was a member of the Christian Family Educators homeschooling group that we have joined in an effort meet other families. This group is filled with over 100 families that have a typically variable levels of beliefs in regards to curriculum as well as faith. They are a bunch of nice families dedicated to their children's well-being. In large groups the right-wing fundamentalist mindset begins to prevail though and while I can stomach some of it for my children's benefit, as a fairly liberal Catholic I have moments of wanting to run for the hills as the myopic viewpoints begin to wash over the crowd. As expected when joining this group however, I am beginning to make friends with some ladies with opinions closer to my own. I include this information because I included one of these ladies in my e-mailings to see if she would like to join us and bring her little ones who play nicely with mine. Well she apparently misunderstood my intention for a personal invitation, and included the entire email in the November newsletter going out to all 100 families. As an open invitation to drop by anytime from now until Christmas with my home address included!
AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The multiple levels of headache this creates could fill pages in the blogasphere and I shall restrain myself from that but it does not limit the effects to my psyche! I know I wanted a motivation to clean up and a chance to make more friends but Lord, this is not what I was thinking about! This is my little event on sterioids! With the added stress of advertising my home information to a lot of strangers! So, Dear Lord grant me extra sanity for the next two months because I am really going to need it.

Little P Antics

Let's see, first it's crawling up the stairs and starting to walk. Then it's having taken a few steps this past week (just was too soon!) He likes to go in the bathroom to open up the cabinet door, shut the bathroom door and then freak because its all dark. He is always so happy when mama rescues him though. Full of hugs and giggles to reward my help. Too cute for words! Also, he is happy to be discovering many new things (like the taste of black crayons!)...


Such a short time ago he was looking like this. Sigh. How quickly the time does fly bye!

NaBloPoMo--National Blog Post Month

I have so much to say lately, just so little time to get it up. Maybe this will bet me motivated to make time for words. I will make the effort to post daily this month of thankfulness.
So first this is today's thought on thankfulness: Today I am thankful for company coming. (Keeps me motivated around the house. I tackled the bathroom floor with a toothbrush at 6am today! Of course guests might have preferred if I did the toilet or washed up the dishes in the kitchen instead, but this is about my gratitude after all!)
Yesterday it was:
Today I am thankful for the start of a new week, month and personal season. Now I will share a few thoughts in pictures and be off to educate and tidy up for the coming day...



My motley crew rendered happily costumed for not one cent! Thank you to good friends for loaning is a few key props. The family theme concept was very fun and will probably be repeated.

Oh that wig! Aren't they fabulous!

Parties were fun with lots of games to be played and candy to be collected. We had 9 events to attend this year. We only made it to 4, but had a great time with the costumes!

Trick-or-Treating took us to the usual haunts of Grandparents, Great-Grandparents and a wonderful Aunt and Uncles home. Little P (our cabin boy) slept though much of it.

Lovely Aunt A came to play with us and is SUCH a good sport! We love you kitty cat!

Some warn autumn productivity captured for winter enjoyment and gift giving charm.


My civic duty done, with gratitude that:
1. I love in a country where I get a voice.
2. I as a woman have equal voice, a right not that long ago awarded. Lest we forget the struggles of those before us.
3. That the adds and phone calls will end today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Current knitting to be finished up as Little P's Christmas stocking. Hopefully progress will be made this afternoon with company!