Part of it is preparing to deliver a 2-day workshop on Fierce Conversations, which is a very meaningful and personal honor I'll share with you sometime if I haven't already. It's kind of intense.
And part of it is that tons of people, all over the world, in every country and at every socioeconomic level, have been experiencing stress and contraction in their lives. I read the news and I read blogs and I know and talk with real people, so the pain and stress are very real to me as they are to most of us. And magnified at the current moment.
And we've spent a lot of time with local friends since returning from our June trip to Vegas. We're lucky to have such great friends.
And, frankly, this whole blogging thing has grown into something I cherish. It's been about a year since people other than my husband actually started reading this blog (and I wouldn't even have called him a regular reader, if you know what I mean), and I have gotten to know so many of you at various levels and enjoy these unique friendships. You may remember a blog giveaway I hosted a few months back? The winner is a young lady who lives in Israel named Selvi. A friend of hers visited Austin and stopped by my house this past Sunday to bring me a lovely thank-you gift from Selvi, all the way from Israel. It's a handmade ceramic pomegranate, and symbolizes fertility and creativity.
Selvi's friend stayed for an hour over summer cake, fresh sweet cherries, and nice conversation. I thought about how that giveaway created two long-distance friendships, and how generous it was of Selvi and her friend to commit to bringing a precious and fragile gift from so far away!
And earlier this week, Dana at MADE posted about Craft Hope.
And two days ago, Angela at RiAnge Creations posted the coolest pay-it-forward meme I have seen so far. I'm so so so in love with this idea that I'm going to post it now, get absorbed in the Fierce workshop for a couple of days, and hopefully come back to find 5 names and start generating ideas for 5 pay it forward gifts.
I just want to say that, if you have stumbled across this post, and you're feeling the squeeze of life, and you need a pick-me-up, and you need to have someone show you some care and you're number 6, go stalk the blogs of the first 5 who respond until they post their pay-it-forward and get on their list. Seriously. That, to me, is exactly what this meme is about. It's about caring for those who need it, and passing that on once our soul has been refreshed in some small way.
I love it I love it I love it!
I am entering into the following agreement with the first 5 people who comment on this post and then commit to doing the same on their blog. Just read below and if you feel up to the task copy the following into your blog and leave me a comment.
I am willing to post overseas (I am in the U.S.), but remember you must commit on your blog to do the same for others.
- I make no guarantees that you will like what I send you. But you may be pleasantly surprised. It will definitely be sewing/craft related.
- What I send will be made just for you, with love, by my own hands. You'd be surprised how much of our personalities does come through online.
- I will complete all 5 gifts this year - 2009.
- I will not give you any clue what it’s going to be. It will be something made in the real world, that you can touch and feel, and not something cyber.
- I reserve the right to do something strange. It may be weird or beautiful. Or it may be monstrous and annoying. If you find it truly horrendous, just let me know. Perhaps you'll send it forward to someone who will absolutely love it.
- In return, all you need to do is post this text on your blog and make 5 things for the first 5 to respond to your blog post.
- Send your mailing address - after I contact you to confirm.
Everyone is welcome. I guarantee that you will receive something from me providing you do the same for 5 other people in your blog post. Are you game? Let's do this and I can't wait to send you what I hope you'll consider a nice surprise!!!!!!!!!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
I saw this meme a while ago on Facebook, but I didn't have the ability to do it then! I'm in now!!! I think this lends so much happiness to the bloggy world...
ReplyDeleteDone!
ReplyDeletehttp://tragicallyordinary.blogspot.com/2009/07/giving-back-for-change.html
Oh this so fits my world right now! I am in some ways reaping before sowing so this might work well for me!
ReplyDeleteOh yes! Count Me! Count Me!
ReplyDeleteI have been just SO BUMMED OUT lately, and could use the lift of making something spiffy for a new friend. Even though we are all cutting back, paring down and putting away for the next few years, there is always plenty to share and enough to go around.
Thank You!
angelapea
I hope to get in at #5! I've loved this idea when I first saw it but always seem to get in late.
ReplyDeletePopular post indeed :-). What a great idea! Hope you'll be providing some sneak peaks for us to see ...
ReplyDeleteYou are so giddy! It is wonderful--puts me in a good mood!
ReplyDeletegreat idea, bet you are all going to have a whole lot of sharing the creative blog love time
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun post. Thanks for paying it forward! That pomegranate is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteand on a side-note...I love the updated blog look. The larger font is really easy to read. I may need to do that too.
(um, my verification word is "modat"....so uh, yea "mo dat" please!)
Here's mine - from comment #1...
ReplyDeletehttp://mynewthing.wordpress.com/2009/07/16/im-back-to-pay-it-forward/
I really like that meme, one day I'll have myself together enough to do it.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to look for that book, who couldn't use more meaningful conversations in their lives? Heck, it may even help keep me from rambling so much on my blog HAHA!
I'm in awe of Selvi and her friend- and glad for you that she won it instead of me!
Like Leigh, here's mine!
ReplyDeleteKeeping the Faith
Here's my five: Leigh, Steph, Umatji, Angelapea, and Chocolate on My Cranium. If you've already posted your pay it forward, thanks. If not, just let me know when you get a chance. Please email me at phthooey [at] gmail [dot] com with your mailing address. Yay!
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting me be only vaguely coherent! Miss you and will be back in Blogland soon!
j'aurais tellement aimé recevoir quelque chose de toi, mais je pense que c'est trop tard !!
ReplyDeleteOK, I have got to check your blog daily from now on! weekly is just too long... love the new style/banner/font!
ReplyDelete@Leigh, Steph, Umatji, Angelapea, and Chocolate on my Cranium - Looking forward to this! Umatji and Angelapea, please leave a comment with your email address so we can get in touch outside the blogs.
ReplyDelete@jessica - I hope this meme catches on big-time! How simple it is to add a little smile to someone's days this way.
@Cindy - Glad my goofiness lifts you up a little. That's a great side benefit:)
@Mary Nanna - I love this creative challenge!
@Dana - Thanks for appreciating the new look. :) The pendulum swings between "it's too cluttered" on one end and "it has no personality" on the other. I'm sure by fall I will be ready to add some color back into it.
@Sarah - Fierce Conversations is pretty amazing. People who have never heard of it before assume it's about being more aggressive, but that's really not it at all. If you do check it out (it's also available in audio format) please let me know what you think, OK?
@Zaza - Please do visit one of the blogs of the five ladies who have joined the meme and play along! It's all for goodness. We all need some extra love these days!
Google Translate says: S'il vous plaît faire visiter l'un des blogs de cinq femmes qui ont rejoint le meme et de jouer avec nous! C'est tout pour le bien. Nous avons tous besoin d'un peu d'amour ces temps-ci!
@glam.spoon - Do you use an RSS reader to get updates as soon as your fave blogs get new posts? It doesn't mean you can't wait till the weekend to comment, but you can kind of scan what's new right when it's posted. Google Reader works well for me.
Wow this was a very inspiring post, that is the most awesome thing that someone from all the way aorund the world came to your house on behalf of someone else to bring you a thank you gift. That is so thoughtful.
ReplyDelete"and I wouldn't even have called him a regular reader, if you know what I mean"
ReplyDeleteHee!!! And how did you get the "Hi, I'm so glad you stopped by..." to appear under "Leave your comment???" Thanks!!
@bookwormbethie - Agreed, totally thoughtful. Blows my mind in the best way how thoughtful it was!
ReplyDelete@Kyle - In Blogger Dashboard, for your blog, click Settings --> Comments --> Comment Form Message field - customize your message here. :)
I love this idea! unfortunately I was late in this entry but found it somewhere else and now I've joined in! FUN! Also, I love your blog. I am glad I stumbled upon it!
ReplyDelete@lanakae - I am so glad you have hopped on the meme! I followed it around last night out of curiosity and saw that it had already made it through 7 levels of paying forward, at least through one string of bloggers. It is soooo cool. I've been having a lot of fun with it so far -- hope you are, too. :)
ReplyDelete