Refugee Update

Late last August, I became part of a four-congregation group of volunteers who worked to resettle a refugee family of eleven; these people had lived in a camp in Tanzania for years after being forced to leave their home in the Congo.

The two children who have been in elementary school astonish us with their grasp of the English language. One of the two who attend high school had a great deal of English before coming here and he, too, has flourished. The other high school student is less motivated and the team is struggling to understand her. The three preschoolers will be in kindergarten in September, so there is every reason to believe that they, too, will do well.

The parents are working full-time at a meat packing plant. The work is hard but they are paid well, have health benefits, and even have their own retirement accounts. The other two young adult women are working as hotel maids. So much has been accomplished in these ten months, and yet there is still so much more that they need to learn, to master, to accomplish.

The resettlement team leaders have a weekly conference call and the rest of us receive weekly news bulletins. The most recent bulletin contained a brief report that I found endearing and reminded me that our adult refugees are still somewhat childlike because of the narrowness of their life experience.

"I had fun teaching F and J [the hotel workers] how to mail a letter. (There is a box . . . across from park area.)  They giggled as the letter disappeared.”

With or Without?

With or Without? In Philadelphia, that question ordinarily has to do with one's preference for or against onions on one's cheesesteak. Just sharing that info, in case you come to our city sometime.

I've been making these fun 9" finished blocks, not quite Churn Dashes, not quite Shooflies, but something quite marvelous, IMNSHO. 

I put them up on the wall, and all I could see was Snowballs. 

Then I thought, what if there were tiny squares in the centers of those big white spaces. Would I see the blocks more or would I still see Snowballs. So I cut some little squares and stuck 'em up there. I think I like it better. What about you? With or Without? Squares, not onions.

Charming Apron

Every time I post a picture of one of these aprons, someone will ask what pattern I used. I've made aprons from this pattern for years, ever since Nicole at Sisters Choice introduced her readers to it (and I bet even Nicole doesn't remember how long ago that was!). I usually make the waist ties longer than the patter calls for, and the cat food apron I made for Sherry was the first time I just used a plain piece of fabric insert rather than make those cute little pinwheels. Charming Trio by Anka's Treasures.