Quilting Bee of Women #4

This beautiful quilt by Judy Vine

Good morning!! I’m so thrilled you are back again this week!! I have racked a lovely piece today, full of water and ripples and smooth round stones that feel cool and lovely in the hand. Christina, bless her has brought a wonderful treat – a bunny shaped carrot cake!! Oooooh my favorite. Someone else has brought a box of See’s truffles – oy ..my diet has just stomped out of the cabin. There is coffee and tea and cream for those who dare. Please pull up a chair, it’s wonderful to see you here!!!

I love the metaphor of dropping a stone a pond and the ripples grow and grow. I was wondering, what stones of help do you throw into the pond and how do they effect others around you? With the state of the economy right now, I think most all of us are struggling and looking for ways to save. I was thinking about what we can do for each other. Who could I help in some small or even a big way? I think sometimes we feel like we are bragging when we share what we do for others. But just for today, don’t be embarrassed – let it fly!! I would like to hear what you do that you think helps others. Why …you ask, am I asking you to tell me this? I’m hoping by us sharing these big or little things, we can all discover ways to help each other. Maybe in ways we never thought of!! Just maybe there is someone here that will see a ripple and reach out to touch it & receive the help they need. It could be as small as a verbal hug. So throw that stone and let’s see who the ripples touch.

Ok, here is the stone I threw. I thought it was a small stone when I threw it. A gal I knew from my last preschool has spent the last several years successfully flipping houses & restoring furniture. Clearly the market has fallen out from underneath her. She came to me through a mutual friend in search of daycare a few days a week. Honestly, I could not afford to offer care for free, which was what would have really helped her at the time. After some thought it occurred to me that although she couldn’t pay me currency, she might be able to offer up something she already had that I really needed, like older furniture, left over building materials – honestly I didn’t know – but I threw the stone and she reached out and touched the ripple.

Something that started as a way to help her, has blessed me in ways I had never imagine or considered. I was hoping to perhaps get a couple of decent pieces of furniture. She has been with me a year now and not only become a close friend but what she has given me in return is priceless. We have bartered a few thousand dollars worth of daycare in return I received among other things a beautiful old farm table restored and now lovingly adored by me. It has been over ten years since I had a “real” piece of nice, wooden furniture. You know, the kind you actually need to wax!! It wasn’t cheap, but it’s mine! She has also brought me several dressers & some wonderful wooden chairs. But, by far the most wonderful gift she gives me… she does my shopping for me! Every week she gets my list and she goes and does my grocery shopping. Without a car this is huge!! She charges me a reasonable hourly rate & I save a huge amount of time & energy. Not only does this help me in huge ways, it makes me feel a bit spoiled!!! Loove that! What started out as an effort to help her, turned into a huge blessing for me too. Yup, still feel like I’m bragging, but there it is.

So…. here is my question to you….. what do you or have you offered to someone who is in need. Small or big – tell us about the stone you threw and who reached out and touched the ripple.




Ok.. while you pick which stone to share, large or small…, I am gonna go steal a piece of that amazing carrot cake and maybe a truffle or two – yikes!! My diet is dying a slow death. Hurry before I eat the whole cake!! Thanks for joining me again today!! Blessings, Sarah