a pieced and quilted life

the first encore.

of my life.

a week or two ago i came across something on she writes about encores. i read the e-mail quickly, and then got back to my lessons believing that the article was not one-hundred percent connected to or concerned with my life.

well, my mother called me later that day (or it could of been later that week - my days are a blur) and as she started to tell me about the changes her life is going through (good), i passed on what i had read earlier...that she was experiencing an encore in her life. i encouraged her to live it to the fullest, to dream wide big fat dreams and to do any and everything that would bring her peace and fulfillment. 

end of story. i thought.

i'm not sure if many of you know, but i'm attending a Christian-centered university. a part of my education is a couple of classes that center on a greater understanding of Christianity. the first was overview of the Bible, and this semester I am taking the Christian life. after this class, there will be no more that i have to take, however, i believe there will be more i want to take. (if i was a traditional student at my university i'd have to go to chapel daily (mon.-fri.), but since i am classified as an adult student (different program) my Christian fulfillment is met with two (very good) classes.)

anyway, in my current Christian studies class we're reading a book (which i love and recommend) called knowing God. and as i'm sitting here and reading it a thought occurs to me:

this is my first encore.

i don't think it was anything that i read particularly, but the overall change i've noticed in my life during these past three months re-dawned on me. i'm sure i've said it here before, in previous posts, but it needs repeating: i am not the same woman. not by far.

as i was reading and taking notes, i sort of looked back at myself and thought. this is not my life of 2009. nor 2007. nor 2005. nor 2003. i realized that i am on a new trail.

it is like my life is a journey through nature, and now i am encountering another terrain. as if before i was in the rainforest and now i'm going through the wide open plains or grasslands. nothing before, nothing after is neither bad nor good, but exists in its own respects, a life of its own.

i looked up encore in my handy dandy dictionary (not notebook) :)

encore - n. 1. a demand by an audience for an additional performance. 2. an additional performance in response to such a demand.

not bad, but i thought i'd change some words. here's my definition:

encore - n. 1. an encouragement by life for a new journey. 2. a new journey in response to changes in life.

my definition feels more applicable. it feels more understanding, as if through it we can understand and apply the concept of encores to our lives.

why encouragement instead of demand? new instead of additional? journey instead of performance? and changes in life in lieu of response to such a demand?

simple. life encourages us. life and the God of life, the God in our family, the God in nature, the God in the good things we do encourages us to move into new journeys. it happens when we respond to the changes in our lives, not the demands. demand is a negative word and the God in us...the life and God of our life is not negative. Life and the God of our life is shaping and creative, forceful and molding, but also loving and purposeful.

we most continually embrace life's encouragement to begin new journeys. we most respond to the changes in our lives, whatever they may be and set off as explorers, of ourselves, and journey through life's different, varied, and purposeful terrains.

remember: different, varied and purposeful.

i'm sitting here and i'm wondering out loud, and on screen -- what were the changes in my life? what encouraged me?

and it is simple, beautiful, and two-fold:

my granma and my children.

when granma died life ceased to continue as i knew it. it has been the most profound, in good and bad ways, experience my spirit has encountered to date. more profound than loosing my father at five. more profound than birthing my children. more profound than marrying my guardian angel. more profound than my childhood. more profound than anything.

more profound because it was painful and beautiful and inspiring and damning and pushing and uplifting all at once. there was never anything painful about bringing my children into the world. there was never anything beautiful about loosing my father tragically at five. there never anything damning about marrying edward. there was never nothing like that, all at once, in my childhood.

it was the moment and time when definition and purpose of life took up presence in my life.

which leads to my children.

they are the encouragement and the change. i realized i have to give them what granma gave me. what granma gave me personally and what granma gave me through my mother. what granma gave me in inspiration. what granma gave me in sacrifice. what granma gave me in love.

i look at my children and how loving, patient, nurturing and kind they were when i refused to get out of bed, even months after granma was gone and i am encouraged and inspired by their love. they deserve a granma-sized and abled mama who would do big and great things in their lives, by example. they deserve a mama who is strong enough to not only seek out but accomplish her dreams. they deserve a mama who lives up to her potential and does not hold back her gifts.

children do not do what you say, but what you do.

so...this encore is about what granma did for me. for my mother. for our family. her sacrifices. her love. her strength. her courage. her fire. her will to be her no matter who was looking, listening, or watching.

hear me when i say, that's my girl...and that's what i will do for my children. 

from my grandmother, to my mother, to me, to my daughter...out to the world.

so here i am today, smiling and knowing that it is true that granma's spirit lives on in me.

those things she sacrificed -- i will accomplish for her and me.

those things she taught -- i will teach in her name.

those things she embodied -- i will be for her, my children, and me.

granma never hid behind her talents, her strengths, her gifts. and that is what this first encore in my life is about.

sharing my talents, fortifying my strengths, and using my gifts.

we all have talents, strengths, and gifts...it is what makes us uniquely us...but it is up to us to share them, use them, and birth them out and into the world.

where ever you are in your life be like my granma, she would be proud and say to you like she said to me:

"you mark my words, i may be dead and gone but you gone do big thangs. granma knows what she talkin' bout. i may not live to see it, but you mark my words...granma knows what she talkin' bout."

i am marking your words granma.

love, ki

pictures for you mama, and some other random (knitting and best friend) stuff for everybody else.

 

they could barely open their eyes with the sun in their face... 

if i post a lot of pictures of my chil'ren here its because my mama demands them, regularly. she calls me up in the mid of morning and blurts out:

"send me some pictures of the kids"

it is so much easier for me to just direct her here...even though sometimes, most times, probably just to make me work a little bit harder she asks me to email them to her, and also text her some too.

if i don't have any new (and i mean within the last 48 hours new) from when her demands begin she says something like:

"geez...we don't have any new pictures...come on...i need to see some pictures of my babies...noo, some current ones"

i want to tell her that they haven't changed too much from the last set. that they are past that baby stage where they change every couple of weeks and each new month there is a list of facial features and such that has changed.

we know what they look like now. probably for almost forever. i still look about the same as i did about 26/25 years ago. well maybe i have more big people teeth, and my face is not as chubby, but still the thick eyebrows, the resemblance of my daddy...its all still there.

but still...here are almost new pictures for you mama:

 

the kids in downtown riverside

*little ones are taller than they appear in photos...especially the boy*

and i'm sorry to say that last night while brushing her teeth, yali dropped her sixth tooth. and no, i haven't taken a picture yet. so i guess she doesn't look the same...

other random stuff?

i finished some short knitting projects!

 

 

 

  

i finished my arm warmers...that are waaaay warm. and i finished my neck cowl...that is waaaaay too big...booo.

i blocked both projects to feel all knitting official...and now i'm anxious to start something new. some body please give me some suggestions...i need cheap, cute and fairly fast.

and also...i met my best friend's son for the first time...teo.

 

  

eddie roscoe, stephanie and baby teo

i can see he has so much of eddie's (my best friend, not my husband) personality...he's free, inquisitive and has the most friendly and giving spirit. within seconds of meeting me, he picked up leaves and were handing them to me. he looks like mama though...and he's a cutie.

eddie was my bestest of best friends at la verne...we have stories for days! almost all of my best memories involve in some way or another eddie roscoe. i really can go on and on with good things about him, but he'll probably read this...so i won't. hehe. let's just say he is my dearest friend. a farmer. a deeply thoughtful and spiritual guy. funny as heck...was great at keeping my gas tank full when i was broke and putting $2 in the car was fine with me, and he let me use his shoulder to cry real snot and tears on many of occasions back in the late '90's.

and...this is the kicker...he missed the taj mahal to kick it with me. yeap thats a darn good friend people. and, this is the other kicker...he gave all his clothes away to the locals there. all! i picked him up at the airport, and all he had was his backpack on his back and his harmonica in his hand. i dropped him off on his way there...so i knew he had more...when i headed for baggage...he informed me that he had given all this belongings to the locals he'd gotten to know.

he explained to me all he needed was the clothes on his back...and he'd surely acquire more soon enough. he also explained to me that clothes would be much harder for them to get than him...and finished by saying it was the least he could do after all they had given him.

i'm telling you people...he's a great guy.

...and isn't it ironic his name is eduardo...edward? him and his wife stephanie are great people, and geez i'm happy to call them my close friends.

okay...enough jiber-jabber....time for schooling today.

have a good one!

peace and luv,

ki

herbalicious

 

can u guess the herbs?

if you lived by me...i'd be rolling up a bunch of these herbs...wrapping them in moist paper towels, putting them in little baggies and sending you home with them..

we have an abundance of herbs now...they are beautiful and fragrant...green and bright..and incredible pungent.

last night i took them into my yoga class (iyengar) to share with my instructor and another student and geez...i perfumed the class. i also took them a few tomatoes and some squash recipes. 

i should also tell you that i hurt myself in class last night. we were getting into shoulder stand pose (for the first time) and i couldn't quite find my balance or get my hips and legs up...and managed to really strain my left tri-cep. not fun. thankfully its just sore now.

so back to the herbs. 

 

drying herb bouquet

there is really a lot you can do with herbs...besides cooking. i actually, we have been making little herb arrangements. they smell so good and look so pretty and simple. 

that wilted one up there is from last week...the little guy was a little under the weather (not sure if it was hay fever or a teeny tiny summer cold) and so me and ya-ya decided to make him a little bouquet of all his favorite herbs...because yes...he loves herbs. crazily so.

 

 

 the kids were so inspired they took pictures with their camera.

i've really enjoy growing the herbs this season. i think i'm going to create another herb/flower garden by the rose bushes. i have some pineapple sage growing there and it has really taken off. our hummingbird friend (as the kids call the resident hummingbird) loves to come and draw nectar from the sage's tubular flowers.

i've also noticed a lot more bee, butterfly and bird activity in our garden since we added the herb and flower garden. we have this large yellow and black butterfly that seems to be twittering around everyday. (there's also more grasshoppers, wasp, and june bugs...sigh)

it's been really rewarding to grow the flowers and herbs this year. i thought i only wanted to grow edible things (i know herbs are edible too) but found that there is a lot of pleasure in growing flowers two. if my budget allowed it my garden would literally explode with color and life every season.

i'm hoping within the next few seasons to add a few fruit trees, some fragrant flowers, bulbs and a rock garden for the kids. they love collecting rocks they dig up from the garden and find in other places so i think i'll introduce them to rock stacking and balancing. i have a friend lila who does it and man...the things she's created are beautiful. she's suppose to teach me and the kids...but she moved to l.a. so she's not as close as she used to be. :(

 

tomatoes & squashes...

and finally...are garden is doing fairly well in this heat. we've had some high heat hit us all of a sudden..and my plants took a beating. it went from overcast all day to over 105˚ in a matter of days. i've had to seriously prune back some of the leaves of my squash plants that didn't do to well. in fact some of them actually died, so i may replace them this weekend. i'm still waiting for my brussels sprouts to fully mature, along with my melons..and the corn has gotten a rough shake this year with a few corn worms.

other than that all is well in my gardening world...

oh and...i took a canning & preserving class tues. night...and ummm...i'm still not sure i'm ready for the big leap into canning. it was interesting though...the class was great if your a foodie...there was lots of samples of food going around...most of which i couldn't try. nothing was vegan or even vegetarian for that matter...well except for the chips and salsa (which was too hot for me). but, all in all it was great to be there and see a "live" cooking show..and pick up a few canning tricks.

while i was there i put on my writer's hat, had my writing notebook and came up with a good story start..as my instructor's call it. its amazing how different the world looks when you look at it through the eyes of a "fiction" writer. that...was awesome...being there as a "writer" and looking for stories. not my original intention...but good none the less.

alright...i'm babbling...

be peace, ki

and the winner is.....

 

 

yay! rashida and dee!! i can see you over there doing the running man rashida!

rashida was the 1st place winner, and dee was the 1st place runner up!

yay ladies...email me or fb me your addresses and i will be sending you the goodies this week...

i wimped out and delegated the winner choosing to the kids who were extremely happy to rescue me. i wanted to send everybody something! :(

i will have to have to have to do this again...although i don't have the guts to choose the winner...now i see why swaps are so wonderful...everybody gets something...i'm down for a swap if anybody's listening!

i hope everyone has a wonderful week!!

love and peace,

kikikikikikikiki

my 1st giveaway!!!!!

be happy giveaway prize #1: mini hillside bag, set of 3 hankerchiefs (i made) and a handy leather notepad 

"oh yeah...oh yeah...oh yeah" -mykey's happy dance song

i'm really excited...after a number of years of blog residence i'm finally "throwing" my first giveaway!

soooo...i really wanted to find away to say thank you to all you faithful quejimenez followers (lurkers included) who read my words. i tell myself that i do this for me...but really...you all are my community (tear) and i just want to say thank you...simply put.

also...i have the best customer's on etsy...really i do. wonderful, kind hearted...and spirited women (and a few men buying for women). i wouldn't do what i do...if it wasn't for you special souls (that get me).

so again...this is how i'm saying thank you...

the mini hillside bag, aqua 

thank you to all of you who reached out to me during my time in mourning...through email, facebook, the blog...you name it. i cannot express how much it meant to me. 

so let's get on with it!

for the rest of this week...the comments section is your space to "throw your name into the hat" and enter to win a little something something from me.

share what makes you happy and i'll enter your name into the grand big pool...on friday night, i'll close up the comments section...and saturday i'll ship out the prizes to the two winners.

yeap...two.

all made by my hands!  

winner #1:

receives...the mini hillside bag, a set of 3 handkerchiefs (3 is my fav #) and a mini leather notepad...to write happy thoughts...

  neapolitan handkerchief color-way..and a mini aqua notepad

winner #2 (because i wanted to have a runner-up):

receives....the same set of 3 handkerchiefs and a mini leather notepad.

why handkerchiefs and notepads?

its the two things i always wish i had in my purse, that i never have...and i never buy...i'm sure i'm not the only one here...who has sneaky allergies...and always thinks "i'll remember that thought, number, website, etc."

i hope you'll enter. i really want to send someone or sometwo something nice.

have a wonderful day...and most of all:

be happy!!!!

love and peace, ki

***pass it on...tweet, facebook...blog...help spread the word!***

happy earth day

 

squash, tomatoes, beets, flowers, melons, herbs...cacti...i crammed in a lot.

 

the red and green of the beet plant is a study in compliments...if this was a small magical world, and i was a small magical girl, i'd want to live under the beet plant.

 

4 new seedlings got started today

nasturtium leaves...the edible flower. the variegation and patterning in nature is always a work of art

"mommy is today earth day?" that's the first thing yael said to me when she woke up. I'm happy she's excited about the earth. I hope you are too.

the weather has been keeping true to season, and has been full of spring rain, and coldness the past few days. as much as i want to slush out to the garden and take snapshots...it just isn't quite warm enough for me to brave the chill. i don't survive moments of cold too well.

since i wimped out, i decided to take pictures of my "inside garden" and share instead. the seeds we planted a month ago are really doing their thing. i know the time is nearing for me to place them outside, but they have become my little "babies" over the past few weeks, and i can't stand the idea of sending them out into the cold yet. i just hope i'm not waiting too long.

we started a few new plants today (pictured above), to celebrate earth day. we started zinnia's, orange marigold's, and a variety of tomatoes called "moneymaker." smile. i know, where do they get these names? makes me think of too many different rap songs. bad ones. not the good hip hop.

i'll say it again. i hope your excited about the earth. we are.

take care of yourself and the earth...today and everyday.

ki

a short ♥ story...

 

 a love story:

it could of been '87....perhaps '85...'89 i'd lay in between freshly pressed sheets, bathed...feed old-fashioned oatmeal...and given s.s.s tonic or scott's emulsion...before being wrapped and tucked underneath cool...warm blankets. 

"now...ki...take a nap..."

she'd say after placing the last blanket on top. tucking me in, in the most dutiful of ways. i'd try not to cough in her face.

"you not too cold are you now?"

"no granma...i'm fine.."

i'd lay there...letting my legs roam around and explore the expanse and sides of the bed. feeling the coolness against my skin...enveloping myself in the softness. granma loves to iron, even sheets. i'd think to myself.

lulling me...i hear the white noise of the washer spinning and the dryer tumbling another load...the water running from the sink...dishes clattering about.

lulling...

"hi teeen" her sweet-soprano voice cuts into my chorus of white noise...

she musta just called westeen...

"girrrl....what'cha doin' today...."

lull...

"ummm-hmmm"

lull...

i'm not sleepy...it's 10 am...and i know my next dose of the pink-bubble gum medicine should be soon enough...i wonder what they'll talk about today.

lull....

"girl...i've got my granbaby here today...un-un....ki...yeah... tucy's daughter.....teen i tell u this child stays sick.....un-huh...me and sylvester ordered her some vitamins from the shakely man...girl u know these kids don't eat like they 'spose too...i's think she's anemic...un-hun...her little eyes is so pale..i gave her some s.s.s tonic, you know...build her blood back up..."

about an hour before...after she was done bathing me and oiling me down on her lap she pulled my eyelids down...looking into my eyes...she held my hand palm side up and pushed. she studied my palms. i looked too...watching the red of my palm go white under the pressure of her thumb. slowly we watched as my palm turned white...and just lingered there. seconds later the red slowly came back. "ki...i thinks your blood is low honey...is your mama giving u vitamins." i shake my head no. i hope mama don't get mad at me for telling her that.

lull...

"girl...u know me and sylvester tries to keep these kids healthy...that's the way big mama used to do us...uh-huh..."

she laughs.

lull...

"hold on teeen...girl, this line is clicking..."

i layed there...studying the patterns in the wood paneling on the walls...i let my eyes wonder...till i found the spot. where is he...i searched frantically with my eyes...did i loose him...am i on the right panel? yes...there he is...mr. bunny...the bunny in the wood pattern on the wall.

i giggled. cough. cough...

"kiiii..." her soprano calls out... "you okay..." she comes, turning right off the living room, into the short narrow hallway...directly to rommel's room. she's got the phone up to her ear propped with her shoulder and her hands are filled with freshly pressed sheets, and towels.

she opens the linen closet, door wide opened she's putting the linens away. 

"kiii...you hear granma talking to you?'

coughing...i mutter "yes..granma...i'm okay."

she closes the door. five paces later she's at the side of the bed. 

she places her warm damp hands on my forehead, underneath my neck. i cough more.

"awww...lawrd...i think this girl's running a fever again." she says not quite as high...her face worried. "westin, girl let me call you back and get rommel to go get this girl some tylenol."

"rommel...rommel..."

i hear her calling my favorite uncle. i was sleeping in his bed...i searched out the window, taking my eyes of mr. bunny and searching through the sounds of outside for him. the windows were open and i watched...as the curtains politely blew and billowed...i stared at mrs. roseletta house. 

mrs. roseletta was the only white lady left in the neighborhood. once i made the mistake of asking granma if she and mrs. roseletta was the same age. boy did i get it.

granma, stopped speaking mid-sentence, turned and looked at me...put her hand on her hip and said, "what did u say little gal?" before i could repeat what i realized was a terrible mistake she sternly said to me..."do i look like i'm the same age as that woman?"

"no" i said meekly, but honestly.

"well, why in the world would you think i'm the same age as that woman...mrs. roseletta is about 90 years old."

"because you guys are like best friends....and....i ...i...th-thought...that you all had been fr-friends f-for a long....time."

"um-hmmm.." she said. "no. i am not the same age as no mrs. roseletta."

i felt sad. that was the only time i ever remember granma getting mad at me. it wasn't till after the next time i saw mrs. roseletta that i thought about what i had ask. that made me feel even worse. the tears welled up in my eyes.

i turned my eyes to my fingers...i was fingering the top throw granma had put on top of me. i loved to run my fingers along the bumpy red yarn...pulled and twisted into a blanket. i looked down at the blanket.

the choice of red and pink and white seemed quite odd...but i liked it even more that way. i felt so cozy...besides the itching and aching i was feeling in my chest. mykey's going to be jealous. i know she didn't make me a pallet on the floor...liked i'd hope...but this felt close enough. he'd be really mad if she'd made our favorite...a pallet on the floor. i'll keep it to myself i thought.

she came in..."ki....honey...i sent rommel to get you some tylenol...granma didn't know you was runnin a fever..."

"okay..." i coughed.

she felt me again...and sighed.

i couldn't help but be happy...sick and all. granma was tough but very loving in the way she fussed over us when we were sick. i'd wish we were out at those flea markets instead...like we usually did when she picked me up from school....but at least it wasn't a long saturday at the laundromat like we used to do before papa got her the washer and dryer. i cough and settled...looking up at her i closed my eyes...careful not to smile.

-------------------------------end story----------------------------------------------------

 

granma's favorite crocheted blanket and the quilt i made her...

what i'm loving the most right now...

the day my granma passed...before leaving i was in her room...sitting on her bed. in tears. i missed her so much already...i could feel her there...and i didn't want to leave. her scent...she was all around. i lingered so long...hours after everyone had went home...i was still there. i didn't want to leave my papa...the scent of her...her home.

her bed was freshly made. sheets clean and stretched taunt across the bed...layers and layers of blankets, and comforters neatly tucked, and folded. her pillow perched up top...wrinkleless.

the bleach stained and faded sheets and blankets just layed there full of purpose unfulfilled. they were waiting. waiting for her to fill them. to envelop them further into her sweet smell of clean. 

a comma with no words following...waiting.

red...pink...ivory...bumpy...textured...waiting most eagerly a top was what i know to be her favorite blanket. crochet in decades passed. acrylic yarn wrapped and pulled through...over and over and over again. orange red to ballet pink to ivory...one ripple to the next...one wrapped stitch gave way to another...again and again and again...

my grandfather had just got done washing and drying her daily quilt...the one she'd taken with her to every dialysis appt. the one she draped over her legs...to keep her warm. she and i were a like...we'd always say....we were both always cold. no matter the season.

i'd made that quilt for her about 4/5 years ago...it was a birthday present. her eyes lit up when she saw it. i remember her grabbing it with both hands and saying "ki....girl...you out did yourself...." she couldn't believe i made it. i made her promise me she'd use it...and not "save it." i wanted her to use it...wash it...i wanted it to become a part of her. it was like my arms to wrap around her...keep her warm and company when i wasn't there. cause i did long to be with her.

she hugged me so tight...i remember...and kissed me on the cheek. and she'd sit there...look at it...shake her head and say "umph...umph...umph...girl...you out did yourself."

now...5 years later it was coming back home with me. washed and washed...bleached...and worn...she'd used it. she'd tell me she used it every day...took it back and forth to diaylisis...but never with her to the hospital. "um-um...she'd say i will not take it to that old hospital."

she'd tell me that it was often the topic of the day...the quilt....some of the other older ladies didn't believe that a young girl of "25" was quilting. of course granma never let me grow older than 25, we'd talk about it...but she'd always be so surprise...and say "ki...granma been telling everyone you 25...i didn't realize...you were....--...girl you looks so young..." she'd finish by saying i was still her "baby ki..."

so that night...papa gave me my quilt back...and the crocheted blanket that she'd adored and i remember from my childhood. me and her were alike like that. we liked homey...old-fashioned...hand-made things.

he said..."ki...she'd want you to take it..."

it's been my comfort for the past 5 weeks...i sleep with it...cuddle with it...and lay it under my face daily...it still smells sweet and clean like her...though the scent is getting lighter...

i can't begin to explain how i miss her so...

but there is something about handmade things...cherished things that bridge that gap in your heart...like needle and thread something handmade stitches love into you. 

i feel her love...just like i did when i was sick every night i put it around me.

luv...kiiii

quilts for haiti....

hello beautiful people...

i'm sure all of you are aware of the devastation going on in haiti...as i'm sitting here thinking and feeling i wish i could do something...my mind shifts to quilts...and warmth...

i'd love to get a group of people together and make quilts and softies to send to haiti...i'll do the footwork...but i can't make too many by myself...

if anyone is interested...let's talk...if you know someone who may be interested...pass the word.

there is nothing like wrapping yourself up with the love of a quilt...

as the country heals so many people will be left without anything....we can help.

i'm not naive, i know that right now money is needed...and the needs are so acute that the thought of a quilt seems feeble...but to hear that so many people are out on the streets, with nothing...i think about warmth...and love...in time they will need warmth, love and hope.

give it some thought.....

peace and love, ki

p.s. if you know of a group already organizing...please let me know so that i can join them and help spread the word...

sisterhood for women: a crafty group to help women in need...be apart

hello there wonderful people...

i'm so excited to share this i've got goosebumps all over me!

for many, many years myself and my sis nina have been wanting to help women internationally...women who are suffering in other parts of the world. 

women like you and i who have dreams, children, households and aspirations but who don't live in a place that enables them to dream...that protects them...that provides the many things that we all take for granted. women who've been abused and hurt in ways we could never begin to imagine.

we've had so many ideas and aspirations of ways of helping...finally...i feel like we...i...u...we all collectively can help.

the idea:

makidada

we are starting a sisterhood, a collection of like minded women who want to band together, start a movement and help women in less fortunate regions of the world. 

there are so many organizations, groups, foundations out there that have wonderful ways to help a woman in need and we...as a collective can band together and help.

the idea is to congregate all of us together, and collectively we can donate. one of the biggest issues i've found is having enough money to start or commit to helping on a regular or continuing basis. so the idea is that if we collectively donate small amounts of money, together we can make a difference.

(makidada is swahili for 'little sister')

how:

there are a number of different organizations out there designed to help women and fund programs to help women feed their families, become literate, start business, or even get out of abusive relationships; we will collectively donate to them.

Here are the organizations:

women for women international

women for women is an organization that directly helps women in the conflict and post-conflict environments through a holistic approach. the women enroll in a year long program that first address their emotional and immediate needs, and then works to educate them on rights, leadership education, vocational and technical training. the program also creates a support system between the sponsor and sponsee through a letter exchange.

how we can help:

the cost of sponsoring a woman is $27 a month (with a one-time set up fee of $30) once we get a group of women together we can collectively  aggregate our money to sponsor. We can do that a number of different ways, depending on how many women are interesting in sponsoring.

if we have 12 women:

for every 12 women we'll create a group "big sister" who will organize the group in choosing which region they want to help, collecting all the money...and making the one time payment of $29.50 (which pays for a full 1-year sponsorship of a woman). The group would then be contacted with their sponsee's name and information from their groups "big sister" to write letters and exchange with the sponsored woman. This would be a 1 time fee for an entire year.

if we have 6 women:

for every 6 women we can create another group with the same principles as the 12 woman group however, the payment would be made bi-annually (two payments in the year). The first payment would be $32 each (to cover the one time set up fee of $30), and the second payment would be $27. The payments would be 6 months apart, and the sponsorship would be for a year also.

if we have 6 women or fewer (who can donate small amounts monthly):

for every 6 women we could pay monthly in small amounts of $4.50 a month...with the initial $30 being split and paid in the first month. so the first month would be $9.50, and each additional month would be $4.50 for a period of 12 months.

the idea of this system is to allow those who would like to help, but who have limited monthly incomes a way to aggregate their money. with this we would all carry the weight of supporting our sponsored woman financially and through by letters.

heifer international

heifer international is a wonderful organization that allows donators to give a "gift" to poverty stricken people around the world that will enable to them to create a better life for themselves. through the program, the receivers are given things that vary from livestock animals to help them feed their families to trees to help stabilize the soil on their land. the donation is a one time donation for a particular gift and the amounts range from $20 to $5,000. the concept of the heifer international program is to empower families and those in need to help themselves, and then allow them to help others.

how we can help:

a collection of us can get together and share a gift of our choosing for a family in need. depending on the amount of people, and the gift chosen the gift amount can be as small as $1 or as large as you'd like.

kiva 

kiva is another wonderful organization and one that is close to my heart. kiva works by mirco-loaning small amounts of money to women and men to finance small business. in these poverty stricken areas, a small business loan can make a huge difference in the life of a woman and her family. with her own business, she can become independent and take care of herself and her family.

once the money is loaned the borrower will pay back the money to the loaner and the loaner has the option to re-loan the money to another borrower, donate the money to kiva for organizational expenses, or withdraw the money through paypal.

this is a wonderful opportunity for us crafters and independent designers with our own small business to give a little back and help other women start their own businesses.

the wonderful thing is that you get to choose who you want to lend to, kiva does a wonderful job of setting up profiles of the borrowers to let you know thier family/life situation, what type of business they are trying to establish, and what their current skills are and their future plans.

how we can help:

a collection of us can get together, choose a person/business that we want to lend to and collectively sponsor her business. through this program there is no need for one person to collect the money for the group, each person can create their own account, sign in and donate what they can. the loaning amounts start out at $25 (a one time loan...or more if u wish).

what else can we do?

as creative women, we can create for a cause:

• as sponsors in women for women, we can send our sponsee wonderfully handcrafted items to brighten her day, and her families day...maybe a softee for a new baby, a hand crocheted hat, whatever it is that you make....receiving something handmade just for you is always a wonderfully uplifting experience.
• we can create items for our etsy shop where a portion of the sales goes towards helping a woman in need
• we can hold a blog auction where we auction off items we hand make with all proceeds going to help another woman in need
• we can create an etsy street team that regularly donates a portion of sales, or run specials to donate
• i can organize a gallery show at my home gallery where all proceeds (or a portion there of) would go towards a group donation...a fundraiser
• i'm creating a blog for us to share our crafting, experiences, donations with the internet community and hopefully inspire others to not only create but donate to. all participating members will be able to submit articles to the blog on their makidada crafting projects.
• we can blog about it
• we can tweet about it
• we can share it on facebook
• we can share it on flickr

as a collective we can start a movement...we can raise consciousness...we can change the lives of women and children around the world...and in doing so make this world a better place.

i truly...with all my gut...all my idealism believe that we...harnessing the power of the internet...harnessing our collective creative and crafty talents can impact the world.

we can do this.

i hope with every bit of marrow in my bones that this moves you all...and you all would like to participate. 

we don't need to give lots of money...every dollar...every thing helps.

please respond here...or email me if you are interested at:

 4mikidada:::at:::gmail:::dot:::com

once we have at least 6, hopefully 12 of us together we can get started...

*also, this is my hope, dream, idea of me being able to help more women than i can afford right now...if you'd like to help on your own..please feel free to take a look at each organization and donate on your own if you feel more comfortable. i do believe however that doing this as a group could create a powerful movement...

a collection of twigs is much stronger than one twig

with all that said...please consider.

have a wonderful day and upcoming weekend...

peace, ki

christmas memories...

every year of my childhood we had a fresh tree...the smell of the pine brings back memories of me and my brother mykey making cookies...drinking egg nog...and abusing tinsel and turning our fresh tree silver.

it reminds me of waking up at 4 or 5 am on christmas morning to the sound of:

"ki-ki..kiki...wake up...its christmas...let's go open our gifts"

no matter how late we tried to stay up...i always fell asleep and mykey always woke me up at the crack of dawn.

and no matter what...mama always came through, made it special...and was in the doorway watching us open gifts in a flury...we said our thank you's, gave her kisses...and then off to sleep she went...while me and mykey played and shared gifts, etc.

by afternoon we were off to grandma's to get dinner, swap stories and share our gifts with our cousins...and talk all night to papa, my grandfather as he played the temptations "silent night" all night. he had it tapped back to back on one cassette and just played that one song...all night, every year.

so now...mykey has his family, mama has me to wrap all her gifts and do her shopping (she hates crowds), and i too have my own family (equipped with my own mykey...little mykey we call him)...and we've started our own traditions.

• fresh tree, chosen and cut down at the tree farm
• baking cookies
• gingerbread house
• yearly hallmark ornaments
• stockings with candy and notes inside
• abuelita's homemade tamales (made christmas eve)
• mommie and papie wrapping gifts the night before from 2am til 4 am

its wonderful to start your own holiday traditions and blend them with those from your childhood...

so today we started our christmas traditions by taking a trip to the tree farm to pick out a tree...

before we left...i caught the little guy playing in the leaves

(there are like 5 more wonderful shots...it was so hard to choose..)

the kids telling secrets...

a search for a tree...which one did we choose?

e practicing a knot...before we load up the tree (remember this post? yeah he's gotten better with knots...i think)

getting ready to tie the tree down...

tying the tree...

its seems to also be the traditional around our house that the tree gets chosen, cut, bought and brought home one day...and decorated the next day. we never seem to have enough time in the day to do it all in one day...

so...

come back tomorrow (hopefully) and see our tree, and house decorations...we'll be baking cookies, making ornaments...and maybe just maybe working on our fromscratch gingerbread house. who knows if it'll all get done in one day...i've found with little ones...things often have to be spread over a period of time.

what's your favorite christmas memory? tradition? song?

mines?

memory?

from childhood... is one christmas my mother tricked us: she had us pick out all the toys we wanted to donate to "needy" kids like two nights before christmas...if not christmas eve...we woke up christmas day to find tons of presents...as we started opening them we realized it was everything we'd picked out.

another one is my mother telling me that seeing us happy was her present...as a parent now..i understand this.

from adulthood...every year we make the kids happy!

tradition?

baking cookies, and making gingerbread house with the kids...

song?

this christmas by donny hathaway (it ain't christmas to me till i hear this song) and now silent night by the temptations (reminds me of my papa)

i hope everyone is finding the holiday spirit within them...and is focusing on the love and traditions not on the haves and have nots...we always have so much more than what we think!

have peace!

love....ki