"What a week!" The week that spanned the end of July and beginning of August is a week I won't soon forget. It was a week that included blood, sweat, and tears. Blood On Thursday I went to donate blood at a local fire company. Blood banks are hurting for donors since COVID started. Naturally, donating blood doesn't seem like a desirable thing to do during a pandemic, but sick people still need blood, COVID or no COVID. I hadn't donated blood in years since my iron count is often too … [Read more...] about Blood, Sweat, and Tears
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Macrame Party: A Classic Craft
Macrame plant hangers— like lacy doilies— linger in their webbed glory year after year in our home. Growing up, I never gave macrame hangers much thought. They were just part of the fixtures, like lamps or windowsills. Certainly I never considered making a plant hanger. That is, until my friend Becky announced she was having a macrame plant hanger party. "It's easy," she promised. "I can get all the supplies, you come to my house, and you can make one in an evening." So last evening, … [Read more...] about Macrame Party: A Classic Craft
Letter from the Yellow Zone
In March I wrote a blogpost in which I mused about what it would be like to live through some sort of natural disaster. Three years— excuse me, three months later, my curiosity has been sated. Lancaster County is now in the Yellow Zone. Pennsylvania is re-opening in stages: red was the total shutdown, yellow is partial, and in green you're to good to go (but not without your face mask, of course.) Most counties in Pennsylvania are green, but Lancaster and several other high-population areas … [Read more...] about Letter from the Yellow Zone
Beefing Up! An Ascension Day Project
Today I learned that 1/4 of a steer equals a lot of meat! A few weeks ago, we heard a neighboring farmer was selling his grass-fed steers to anyone who wanted one. (Like everywhere else, our local farmers are hurting from the supply chain disruptions.) All you had to do was arrange for transporting and butchering. So some of my family decided to go together and purchase a whole steer and then divide the meat. My sister made the arrangements with a butcher shop and the steer was scheduled … [Read more...] about Beefing Up! An Ascension Day Project
My First Talking-Head Video
In lieu of in-person fellowship, the people in my church have been making videos of themselves to share with each other. I never made a video of myself before (except maybe short clips for family) but I thought it would be a nice challenge and give myself something to do during another weekend at home. So Saturday morning I set up my camera, gathered a few props, and started filming! You can watch the video below, please excuse the part where I say "Hi, church family" unless, of course you … [Read more...] about My First Talking-Head Video