For those of you wondering how the Project is continuing to progress, we're pleased to report that it's been a productive winter. My mom's knitting group, which meets every Wednesday, has taken on the goal of the project like gang-busters. They focus on their own individual projects, but always contribute an impressive share of hats to be donated. This winter, they decided to donate their time and efforts to helping another charity as well, and still managed to contribute to the Project. Hats off, so to speak, to them.
In a touching tribute, my mom's best friend Mary Kay determined to knit and donate twenty-seven hats to Project Call Home, one for each year of Jeff's life. I cannot express the impact such kindness has on my mother.
Some of our readers have asked if they can send in other items, such as warm clothing or socks. Also, several have asked if it would be okay to donate gently used items, from thrift stores or Goodwill. Please know that whatever you donate, we will place in grateful hands.
My mom has made several trips to the needle exchange this winter to drop off the donations, and each time I imagine has to be hard on her. She is holding up beautifully through it all, and while she has dark days and deep grief, she is finding her way through the darkness and feeling joy again. I, too, feel Jeff's loss, and am able to remember the warmth and joy of him, even in times of missing him dearly. It strikes me that I am grateful for this project because it carries such a strong connection to Jeff for our family, and while he is gone, this project, while small and quiet, lives on in his memory. And that is a powerful thing. Thank you for your participation in it. We appreciate your time, thoughtfulness, and care.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Prevention Point Philadelphia
For those of you wondering where our donations are landing, check out Prevention Point Philadelphia's link here http://www.preventionpointphilly.org/about/.
Also, I apologize for continuing to call Prevention Point "Protection" Point in the blog. I must have a mental block, but will be going back to correct it. You can be certain, despite my confusion, that the hats are making their way to their proper homes.
Also, I apologize for continuing to call Prevention Point "Protection" Point in the blog. I must have a mental block, but will be going back to correct it. You can be certain, despite my confusion, that the hats are making their way to their proper homes.
Spring to Action
Hello there, friends. It's been a long time since our last post, and it is with apologies that I write now. Many of you have continued to send along your hats and your generous donations of time and money, and for that, we here at Project Call Home are infinitely touched and grateful. For those of you who have been wondering where your contributions have landed, you'll be pleased to know that the hats and socks have been delivered on several occasions to Prevention Point, where they were distributed to many folks in need of some warmth and love. I cannot emphasize enough how much such a seemingly small gesture resonates for someone living on the streets during a long, cold winter.
Here at the Project, we've had our own version of a long, cold winter, and I am grateful that the Spring has come. I haven't wanted to use this blog as an airing out of my emotions for the loss of my brother, so I've stayed resolutely mum throughout the winter months, as he hasn't been far from my thoughts. In truth, making sense of my inability to make sense of Jeff's death has been baffling, heart-wrenching, and bleak. It's been a devastating truth to understand that his light in the world is gone forever.
It shouldn't be that alarming to understand this about losing a sibling, but when you are in a relationship with a loved one who suffers an addiction, all bets are off on what constitutes a "normal" relationship. In our case, the estrangement I had hoped was temporary never became resolved because Jeff passed away before we could make our peace. Someone very wise once wrote that forgiveness is about letting go of any hope that your past could have been different. In my case, I am learning to let go of the hope that my future with Jeff could have been different. Our time together was imperfect, messy, and full of holes in communication, time spent together, and understanding.
But through it all, the love I feel for him remains, and that is what sustains me through these dark days, weeks and months. It's what makes me want to reach out to him, even in a way where I can't reach him anymore, but maybe can help to reach someone just like him, someone who might need a little kindness and some compassion. And this is what you are helping to accomplish. Every hat helps.
Here at the Project, we've had our own version of a long, cold winter, and I am grateful that the Spring has come. I haven't wanted to use this blog as an airing out of my emotions for the loss of my brother, so I've stayed resolutely mum throughout the winter months, as he hasn't been far from my thoughts. In truth, making sense of my inability to make sense of Jeff's death has been baffling, heart-wrenching, and bleak. It's been a devastating truth to understand that his light in the world is gone forever.
It shouldn't be that alarming to understand this about losing a sibling, but when you are in a relationship with a loved one who suffers an addiction, all bets are off on what constitutes a "normal" relationship. In our case, the estrangement I had hoped was temporary never became resolved because Jeff passed away before we could make our peace. Someone very wise once wrote that forgiveness is about letting go of any hope that your past could have been different. In my case, I am learning to let go of the hope that my future with Jeff could have been different. Our time together was imperfect, messy, and full of holes in communication, time spent together, and understanding.
But through it all, the love I feel for him remains, and that is what sustains me through these dark days, weeks and months. It's what makes me want to reach out to him, even in a way where I can't reach him anymore, but maybe can help to reach someone just like him, someone who might need a little kindness and some compassion. And this is what you are helping to accomplish. Every hat helps.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Thanksgiving
I've been avoiding this post for a few days because I thought it would be a hard one. This past Thursday, the 25th, which happened to be Thanksgiving, would have been Jeff's 28th birthday, and I don't think anyone of us knew how we were going to feel that day. I was hosting some family and friends for dinner, and was able to stay pretty busy throughout the day. I heard from my siblings and my mom and we were all holding together fairly well, I'd say. It was strangely coincidental that Jeff's 28th birthday fell on Thanksgiving day, as he happened to be born on Thanksgiving, as well. Jim and I can recall with great clarity that Thanksgiving meal, dry turkey and all, when Casey and Katie were so little and Phil was racing around trying to find a place where we could eat the holiday meal. I remember our dad's crazy happy smile that day, and how excited I was to have another little brother.
I woke up this year on Thanksgiving day on the heels of a dream in which I dreamed that my 2 year old had passed away. I spent the whole dream chasing after her, imagining her to be just around the corner from me, and I was unable to get my hands on her, and to hug her close to me. In the dream, she was the youngest of my five kids. In real life, I only have 3 children; my mom has 5. It took me a few minutes upon waking to understand how deeply heartbreaking it must be for her each day she wakes up to realize that her child is gone. And it made me want to get my hands on my children and keep them close.
After Jeff passed away, a good friend gave me a great piece of advice in saying, "Sometimes people are meant to deliver the message, and sometimes, they are the message." I often think of this bit of wisdom, and understand that the loss of Jeff is a strong exercise is practicing Thanksgiving on a daily scale--to pay attention to our blessings each day and recognize that having each other is what life is all about.
Jeff's niece, my magical and slightly sassy 5 year old daughter, came up with a great way to honor Jeff for his birthday. She said, "Why don't we get a balloon and write happy birthday Uncle Jeff and then send it up to heaven?" I put her in charge of going with her grandmother to the store while I was making Thanksgiving dinner, and she came home with a colorful birthday balloon. Later that night, after our guests went home, she and I stood outside our front steps and sent a message with that balloon up to Jeff, telling him that we miss him and love him. As her little fingers let it go, I watched the balloon rise up into the night and wished him peace and love.
Sending peace and love to you, too. And great thanks that you are part of this project.
I woke up this year on Thanksgiving day on the heels of a dream in which I dreamed that my 2 year old had passed away. I spent the whole dream chasing after her, imagining her to be just around the corner from me, and I was unable to get my hands on her, and to hug her close to me. In the dream, she was the youngest of my five kids. In real life, I only have 3 children; my mom has 5. It took me a few minutes upon waking to understand how deeply heartbreaking it must be for her each day she wakes up to realize that her child is gone. And it made me want to get my hands on my children and keep them close.
After Jeff passed away, a good friend gave me a great piece of advice in saying, "Sometimes people are meant to deliver the message, and sometimes, they are the message." I often think of this bit of wisdom, and understand that the loss of Jeff is a strong exercise is practicing Thanksgiving on a daily scale--to pay attention to our blessings each day and recognize that having each other is what life is all about.
Jeff's niece, my magical and slightly sassy 5 year old daughter, came up with a great way to honor Jeff for his birthday. She said, "Why don't we get a balloon and write happy birthday Uncle Jeff and then send it up to heaven?" I put her in charge of going with her grandmother to the store while I was making Thanksgiving dinner, and she came home with a colorful birthday balloon. Later that night, after our guests went home, she and I stood outside our front steps and sent a message with that balloon up to Jeff, telling him that we miss him and love him. As her little fingers let it go, I watched the balloon rise up into the night and wished him peace and love.
Sending peace and love to you, too. And great thanks that you are part of this project.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Quiet Sunday
Today is a beautiful fall day in Virginia Beach and as the weather is turning colder, it seems like getting our hats into the right hands is getting closer. My mom and Kate are planning to distribute the hats with Prevention Point sometime between next weekend and Thanksgiving. This Thanksgiving will be particularly tough on my mom, as it would have been Jeff's 28th birthday. I know that having wool in hands, keeping her busy, is helping my mom to feel as if she's doing something directly Jeff, and is allowing her to work her way through this tough time. I keep mentioning how grateful we are for your support, and I don't think I can overemphasize just how touched we are with all of your comments and good effort. Thanks for being a part of this project.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
A 20 Hat Kind of Week
After loading up on yarn supplies last week with my mom, I hunkered in and cranked out three hats in a week's time. I was feeling pretty accomplished and productive until I spoke with my mom at the end of the week and she proclaimed, "We have 17 hats." I was floored and asked who had contributed, and she was quiet on her end of the phone. Then she said, "Um. I haven't been sleeping too much..."
In addition to our 20 hats, we've received some beautiful hats from my sister-in-law's mom who lives in Vermont, and we've heard from several folks who have shared the idea with their knitting groups. If you have finished hats, scarves, or yarn to donate, you can send them to the PO box listed on the right side of the blog. We can't thank you enough for your support.
In addition to our 20 hats, we've received some beautiful hats from my sister-in-law's mom who lives in Vermont, and we've heard from several folks who have shared the idea with their knitting groups. If you have finished hats, scarves, or yarn to donate, you can send them to the PO box listed on the right side of the blog. We can't thank you enough for your support.
Knitting Pattern
Here is a pattern for a simple hat:
Size 13 needles double pointed needles or 16" circular needles; size 13 straight needles
Bulky yarn 4 oz or three strands of worsted weight yarn held together
The smaller size is the first set of numbers and the larger size is the number in the (. ).
Cast on 48 for a women's hat or (54) stitches for a larger/men's hat.
This can be knit in the round or on straight needles. If you knit on straight needles you will knit one row and then purl one row, or you can knit every row. This is a pretty forgiving and very easy pattern. Have fun, you can mix colors add fun yarns or just use one color.
If you are knitting in the round, be careful not to twist your stitches when you join the stitches together.
Knit for 6 1/2 (7 1/2) inches.
Decrease as follows:
Round 1: Knit 6 (7) , knit 2 together 6 times; (42 (48) stitches remain)
Round 2: Knit 5 (6), knit 2 together 6 times; (36 (42) stitches remain)
Round 3: Knit 4 (5), knit 2together 6 times; (30 (36) stitches remain)
Round 4: Knit 3 (4), knit 2 together 6 times; (24 (30) stitches remain)
Round 5: Knit 2 (3), knit 2 together 6 times; (18 (24) stitches remain)
Round 6: Knit 1 (2), knit 2 together 6 times; (12 (18) stitches remain
Round 7: Knit 2 together (knit 1, knit 2 together) 6 times; (6 (12) stitches remain)
Round 8: only for larger size knit 2 together 6 times (6 stitches remain)
6 stitches remain--cut a long tail from yard and pull thru the stitches left on needle and gather up--secure firmly. Voilà!! A hat!!!
Size 13 needles double pointed needles or 16" circular needles; size 13 straight needles
Bulky yarn 4 oz or three strands of worsted weight yarn held together
The smaller size is the first set of numbers and the larger size is the number in the (. ).
Cast on 48 for a women's hat or (54) stitches for a larger/men's hat.
This can be knit in the round or on straight needles. If you knit on straight needles you will knit one row and then purl one row, or you can knit every row. This is a pretty forgiving and very easy pattern. Have fun, you can mix colors add fun yarns or just use one color.
If you are knitting in the round, be careful not to twist your stitches when you join the stitches together.
Knit for 6 1/2 (7 1/2) inches.
Decrease as follows:
Round 1: Knit 6 (7) , knit 2 together 6 times; (42 (48) stitches remain)
Round 2: Knit 5 (6), knit 2 together 6 times; (36 (42) stitches remain)
Round 3: Knit 4 (5), knit 2together 6 times; (30 (36) stitches remain)
Round 4: Knit 3 (4), knit 2 together 6 times; (24 (30) stitches remain)
Round 5: Knit 2 (3), knit 2 together 6 times; (18 (24) stitches remain)
Round 6: Knit 1 (2), knit 2 together 6 times; (12 (18) stitches remain
Round 7: Knit 2 together (knit 1, knit 2 together) 6 times; (6 (12) stitches remain)
Round 8: only for larger size knit 2 together 6 times (6 stitches remain)
6 stitches remain--cut a long tail from yard and pull thru the stitches left on needle and gather up--secure firmly. Voilà!! A hat!!!
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