Thankfulness

Hello my friends,

I had a couple of questions from my last post so I thought I would answer them here.

Taci asked about the scarf pattern. It is the Drop Stitch Scarf and it's free on Ravelry. The yarn is from Hobby Lobby and is their store brand "I love this Yarn."

Kris asked how Alex got interested in Japan. When he was 13 he met some Jr. high students who were here for 3 weeks one summer on an exchange program. Alex was beginning university that fall and by the time the students left after 3 weeks, he knew what he wanted to do. He bought his textbooks and was speaking Japanese before classes started less than a month later. He got his BA when he was 17 and his Masters Degree at 19 when he moved to Japan full time. He's been teaching English in private schools in Japan every summer since he was 14. He also speaks Chinese. I think he was gifted with an ear for languages and music. He taught himself to play the guitar by ear also and can finger pick each individual note. He's very stubborn and won't stop until it's perfect, whether it's languages or music!
Thanks for your interest.

Gracie asked what our plans are for Thanksgiving. Well, our other two kids are coming home with all three grandchildren! This Grandma is very happy. I have the turkey thawing in the refrigerator and will begin baking tomorrow. I found a wonderful Apple Cinnamon bread that I tried out on Hubby last week that I think will convert to gluten free fairly easily. Otherwise I'll be making a couple of different variations of sweet potatoes and green beans for the actual dinner. Mashed potatoes with no dairy in them. Two celiac disease and one dairy free grandchild does make things interesting. But...I know we'll have a great time. Brad, Mandy & Piper will be here Thursday late morning and Jamie, Kyleigh & Caleb will be here on Wednesday.

I have ALL of my Christmas shopping done and just two scarves to finish for Alex and his girlfriend and I'll be done with making presents too. I'm going to wrap things this afternoon so there won't be any peeking this weekend! :-) It's always a relief to be done and usually I finish the first part of October but for some reason I'm way behind this year. I like to be done early and then enjoy the season with no stress.

Yesterday at church, the teacher who received the mittens from me brought me this.

It is a big thank you card from all of the students. She took a picture of her class with the mittens on and then had individual photos and a hand written thank you from each child. They colored the page the color of their mittens! She read them the story of the Grandma who made her grandchild mittens and then told them about me making them each a pair of mittens and let them choose their colors. She said the kids were SO excited. Not one of them had a pair of gloves or mittens. She kept telling me that I really needed to understand. These kids have NOTHING and they are taking such good care of the mittens because they don't have much. I tell you what. I was crying like a little baby after reading those cards and seeing those sweet little faces.

I asked Lindsey if all of the children now had mittens and she told me the other two first grade classes were also in need, but she didn't want to ask me to make more. Well, you know this grandma can't stand to have babies with cold hands. Gracie...my scarf is once again on hold, (I am over halfway done now). I have to get more mittens made for those kids. It's cold here. 15 degrees last night. I have yarn leftover from the others and I will get busy today, making more mittens! I'll keep you updated on the progress. Lindsey wants me to personally bring the next batch to the school so the kids can meet me. None of them have ever seen anyone knit and she want's me to show them how it's done.

I've also sent in my application to be a CASA volunteer. For anyone who doesn't know what that is, it's a voice for the children in the foster care system. You are there to represent only the child. Not the parents, foster parents, adoptive parents, courts, etc. Just to give the child a voice in court. I'm excited about it, if accepted I'll undergo training in January. Please pray that if this is something that I'm meant to do that I will be accepted into the program.

Here is Harumi's scarf all done. Alex's is the same pattern and about 1/3 finished and then I need to make his girlfriends scarf. I want to get the box into the mail early next week so he will get it in time for his birthday, December 7. Pearl Harbor Day. Ironic isn't it? My boy who loves Japan was born on Pearl Harbor Day. :-)

Well, I'm off to get some things done here at home. I've already went and undecorated the church from fall. Winter décor will be put up on Friday by those much more talented than I. I can tear things down with the best of them, but please don't ask me to decorate. :-) I've also been to Hobby Lobby, the post office, Walmart, (twice-Hubby called and asked me to get something for his office which moved this past weekend after I had already been to Walmart.) Two loads of laundry done and now I need to wrap presents and get busy knitting.

Have a blessed day everyone and remember why we celebrate on Thursday. To give thanks to God for giving us this great nation, our families, our friends and all of the other blessings in our lives.

Blessings,

Betsty