The Worst Christmas Gift Ever???

As I was listening to a radio show, the commentators were asking listeners to call in with their "worst Christmas gift ever" memories. Of course the usual "wrong size", "ugly fabric or color", "not-my-style", and "various items termed useless junk" gifts were frequently mentioned. The conversation immediately took me to our annual Christmas party and gift exchange at our grade school, reminding me of what I had thought was "the worst gift I had ever received".

Students were asked to spend fifty cents on a gift which would be anonymously given to a fellow student. Keep in mind that this was the early 60's and you could actually find a great gift for fifty cents. The gift needed to be generically neutral - something that would be appropriate for either a boy or a girl. My mom and I shopped for my gift and settled on a "Book of Lifesavers". Ten rolls of assorted flavors of Lifesavers tucked away in a festive holiday gift book. It even contained an entire roll of Cherry Lifesavers - my absolute favorite! I was so thrilled with our purchase that if I could have chosen my own gift, I would have. But, I knew that instead, one of my classmates would hit the jackpot when they opened my gift at our party. We played games and ate treats and then when the time came, our teacher handed each of us one of the wrapped gifts from under our class Christmas tree. When we were finally given permission to open our gifts, the wrapping paper began to fly as each of us literally tore into our gift. When I opened my package, I remember my heart sinking as I discovered 3 pieces of white chalk. That was my gift. That was what I received in exchange for 10 rolls of delicious Lifesavers in a beautiful holiday book. And now - the most difficult part - how could I possibly show genuine gratitude for such a gift, knowing it was the worst gift given to anyone in the class? Well, my mom always insisted that we be thankful for whatever we received no matter what. So, that's what I did. I pretended to be happy for my gift of three pieces of chalk - even though I wasn't. I pretended that I actually needed my gift of three pieces of chalk - even though I didn't. I pretended not to mind that my beautiful holiday book of Lifesavers was going to someone else - even though I did mind. It probably took about 2 1/2 minutes for the gifts to be opened and the festivities to end - but it was actually 2 1/2 minutes of my life that I will never forget. While I was "in the moment" of opening my gift, I didn't realize that someone was watching me. Actually two people were watching me. My teacher approached me after the party and thanked me for accepting my gift graciously - even though she knew that my gift was a bit disappointing to me. That made me feel better. Later I found out that my gift came from a girl in my class who had several brothers and sisters. They were a poor family and purchasing a fifty cent gift for each of their children to take to school was nearly an impossible task. Dividing up a box of chalk between their children who would then take 3 pieces each and give them as their gift to their classmates was a true sacrifice. That little girl was watching me as well as I opened her gift. Fortunately, my mom taught me well and I passed the "how to express your gratitude no matter what you receive" test. I can now only imagine what it would have done to her, had I not been gracious. I guess that deep down, I knew that the gift that I was given was just that - a gift. A potentially negative situation actually created a good memory that I'll never forget. I have come to realize that my gift of chalk really wasn't my worst gift ever...in fact I don't believe I ever have had a "worst gift". Why? Because the words "worst" and "gift" just don't go together in my book.

Now, what does this memory have to do with Project Linus? We have had over 44,000 blankets donated to our Project Linus Chapter over the past 10 years. 44,000+ children have been blessed by the kindness and generosity of strangers. 44,000+ blanketeers have painstakingly created beautiful gifts of love that have been donated to a child with no strings attached. Each time someone donates a blanket to Project Linus and that blanket is donated to a child - an unconditional gift exchange occurs. Occasionally blanketeers are able to show their blankets to family and friends before they are given away, resulting in oohs and aahs of admiration. That feels good. Occasionally a thank you note may come our way from a blanket recipient as well. That warms our hearts. But for the most part our "gift exchange" may actually appear to be one-sided. Yet, as we all know, a very special gift exchange actually does occurs. There are always some who say that the LACK of accolades resulting from a beautiful handmade gift anonymously donated to a Project Linus blanket recipient should be termed "the worst gift ever" in this "gift exchange"? I guess they just don't understand where we're coming from...because to each of us as blanketeers, we know that our gift is not only appreciated for its beauty but also for it's healing properties, its comfort, its warmth and the love that is passed on with every stitch. Also, there's something special that touches the heart of a parent when a gift is donated to their child, anonymously. In return, the feelings of goodness, warmth and love that we feel in our hearts when our gift of a blanket begins its journey from our hands to the hands of a child makes the gift exchange complete...creating the BEST gift ever. For this, we say "thank you"!

Merry, merry Christmas and Happy Blanketmaking!
Mary

Fa-La-La-La-La, La-La-La-La!

I cannot believe it! I’m so excited! It’s here – it’s FINALLY here! The Christmas season has begun! If I could pick one word to describe my elation, it would be “Hallelujah”! Now, you may wonder how I know that the opening of the Christmas season is upon us? What has made me privy to this valuable information? In fact a spark of jealousy may be ignited in you as you wonder “Why does Mary Balagna get first dibs on making this long-awaited and anticipated announcement?” Well – the reason is that I am very diligent about checking the music channel line-up on our cable television. There is a station (Channel 882) called “Sounds of the Season”. As of this weekend, the sounds of the current season were eerie Halloween tunes BUT – when I checked the line-up this morning I was thrilled to hear Karen and Richard Carpenter serenading me with “It’s Christmas Time” from their 1978 Christmas Portrait Album. And THAT'S when I came to the realization that – The Christmas Season is Here and it’s up to me to spread the word!

Now, there are those naysayers who insist that it’s not even Thanksgiving yet. Well, DUH! I KNOW that it’s not Thanksgiving yet. In fact, I’m grateful that it’s NOT Thanksgiving yet, because that would mean that the Christmas season is half over. In addition, I am so grateful for Thanksgiving - a holiday that gives me permission to offer thanks for the all of my blessings – blessings which include the Christmas season.

I often wonder how I can possibly get so excited about Christmas year after year after year. What is it that causes me to simply explode when I think about all of the upcoming celebrations, traditions, music, movies, TV shows, gatherings, etc.? I guess it’s just in my blood. I was raised with it and I raised my family with it. As a child, I loved watching “White Christmas” each Christmas eve with my Dad. I loved when my grandmother came over for Christmas Eve dinner. I loved when I sang with the grade school choir at Midnight Mass. Even today, I love reading the Christmas Story from the Book of Luke in the Bible. I love watching “A Charlie Brown Christmas”. I love decorating each of our 14+ Christmas trees – displayed throughout the house. I love hanging our Christmas stockings in the entry. I love my Nativity collection – each celebrating the birth of our Savior in its own special way. I love, love, LOVE the music (except for “Blue Christmas”). I love our church’s annual cookie exchange. I love holiday parties. I love Christmas sweaters and Christmas shoes. I love Linus’ soliloquy as he shares what Christmas is all about with Charlie Brown. I love the scent of Christmas Candles and Christmas Cookies and Cinnamon Rolls. I love Christmas movies and I truly believe that "It IS A Wonderful Life"! I love peace on earth and I love to offer goodwill toward all men, women and children. I really believe that most people share those same sentiments - although, I wish peace on earth and goodwill toward men would radiate from each person throughout the year, rather than simply during this season. But... we can always hope for that someday... I do know that you, our blanketeers, DO offer goodwill toward all men, women and children throughout the year. Your gifts of handmade blankets offer peace to those experiencing turmoil and crisis - and this, in turn, gives ME peace and hope. In a nutshell, this is why I love Christmas.

We still have some tickets available for our Appreciation Breakfast on December 3rd. This is a great way to become acquainted with Project Linus or introduce your friends to our organization. It’s also a wonderful way to usher in the holiday season. We hope you’ll join us as we celebrate the end to a tremendous 2009 and look forward to a banner 2010! Please e-mail mary@projectlinus.org for details on purchasing tickets.

Happy Blanketmaking!
Mary

FYI – I start listening to Christmas music on September 1.

On being grateful for the birthday rainbow!

As many of you know – October is my birthday month and on October 15th I celebrated the 13th anniversary of my 40th birthday. I always talk to my parents at 2:25pm – and thank them for welcoming me into the world during this most beautiful season of the year. I love when everyone calls, e-mails and sends me cards. I love to go out to lunch or to dinner in my own honor. I believe that the colors of autumn make it easy for everyone to remember my special day. When they see the leaves on the trees beginning to change – they know it’s Mary’s birthday month – and the fun begins! I look at the changing leaves as my own personal birthday rainbow, giving me a fresh start to each new year.

This year was a little different for me because the International Quilt Festival in Houston was held 2 weeks earlier than usual and the dates included my birthday. Project Linus was invited to host a booth during The Festival and Carol, Jane, Cheryl and I planned to be in Houston from October 12th – 18th. I have only celebrated one birthday (my 27th) without Terry since I turned 19 so I was a little sad that we would be apart. BUT – since I DO celebrate the entire month – we decided that our celebration would simply be postponed.

This year my “birthday week” was a little stressful, to say the least. Here is a brief (well, actually a detailed) rundown of the happenings. Our flight to Houston was scheduled to leave at 12:27pm from Bloomington on Monday. It was difficult to sleep on Sunday night because I was so excited about the week ahead. The Houston Quilt Festival is not only a huge and elaborate display of the most beautiful quilts that I have ever seen but it is also graced by aisles and aisles of vendors. There are so many patterns, books, tools and ideas available for sale that it’s difficult to choose where to go first and what to purchase. I could just feel my credit card jumping out of my wallet as I packed my suitcases, brief case and backpack. When we arrived at the airport, Cheryl graciously let me off at the door with the luggage while she parked the car. As I placed our suitcases near a row of chairs, I noticed that my backpack felt rather light. My purse is very small but I knew it wasn’t THAT small. When I unzipped the backpack, to my horror I discovered that my purse was not there. Panic swept over my entire body and I immediately proceeded to unbuckle and unzip each piece of luggage as I frantically searched for my purse. I then realized that while printing our boarding passes from my home computer that morning, I had taken my purse out of my backpack to make a credit card payment for the luggage we would be checking. When I zipped my backpack closed, I never put my purse back inside. As I was standing in the airport I realized that I had no ID, no credit cards, no money, no cell phone and it was 1 hour before our flight was to depart. I felt like my head was going to explode. Cheryl was still parking the car so I ran up to an innocent bystander and blurted out a request to please use her cell phone to call my husband. It was obvious to her that I was in major distress and she quickly handed me her phone. I prayed that Terry would answer the phone since the call was coming from a number he didn’t recognize – and he did. Without hesitation he said he was in the car and on his way to Bloomington (one hour away) with my purse. Cheryl and Jane soon joined me and although they were so kind and so patient – I just knew that in their minds they were probably making a mental note to NEVER travel with me again. To our good fortune, the Departure screen indicated that our flight would be 1 hour late. Phew! Terry, my husband and hero, made it in time and handed me my purse. I couldn’t have been more grateful and more relieved.

We arrived in Houston safely, had a nice dinner and went to bed. Since Carol is still on IV antibiotics for the bone infection in her shoulder, she and Kirk drove to Houston and met us on Tuesday. Kirk tirelessly unloaded the trailer which included our 200 pound Linus and all of our booth supplies for the week. After making sure all was well, he flew home a few hours later. We worked all afternoon setting up most of our booth and then decided to go to dinner. We found a wonderful Greek restaurant near our hotel in a beautiful area of Houston. Since the restaurant was across a busy thoroughfare, we decided to drive our rental car over and park in their well-lit parking garage which was patrolled by a security guard. Our dinner was scrumptious and it was so much fun dining with my good friends for a pre-birthday dinner celebration. That celebration ended on a sour note when we returned to our car to discover that the passenger window had been smashed, the car ransacked and my GPS, Carol's GPS and Carol’s purse had been stolen. We immediately called the police and Jane went back into the restaurant to notify the manager. Workers were sent out to help clean-up the glassy mess but we cautioned them not to get near the car until the police had a chance to check out the crime scene. As they were sweeping, they told us that this “happens all the time” and when questioned, the security guard said he “didn’t hear or see anything”. What an interesting observation, since he was standing in the same place he was when we arrived at the garage, in plain sight of our car.

The officer who arrived at the scene asked us all the usual questions as he wrote out his report. When we asked him if he wanted to “check out the crime scene” he casually said “No – these are professionals.” Professional what? Professional thugs? Did they attend “thugery school”? Were they awarded a diploma which graduated them from being a petty thief to a professional thief? Did this certificate of achievement give them the privilege of no longer being pursued by the authorities when they commit a crime? Good grief!

My birthday-eve, Wednesday, was basically uneventful and I was sure that since it was my birthday week, we would not have any more distractions that would take away from the celebratory spirit of the week. I was wrong. On my actual birthday, Thursday, I received a call from the mission nurse in California who told me that Alex was scheduled for surgery at 10:30am that morning. She said he had been ill and they were going to do an appendectomy. He was in a small area with an even smaller hospital and when I asked her if she knew that he had Long QT and a defibrillator she seemed surprised. Needless to say, her reaction caused me to panic and I called Terry to relay the message. He spoke with the physician and found out that they really weren't sure if he indeed did have an inflamed appendix. After several tests and a CAT scan, they decided that they would wait to see if Alex got better rather than do surgery without a definitive diagnosis. Fortunately, he did steadily improve. What a relief! (On a positive note – Alex was able to wish me a Happy Birthday!)

The rest of the week went swimmingly! We met many wonderful people from near and far and were able to spread the Project Linus word to young and old. Although some just came to take a piece or two (or 5) of candy from our candy bowl, most were very interested in our organization and how they could get involved. In spite of the difficult start to the week the finish was perfect and we were so grateful to be given the opportunity to share our message of comfort through service to so many people.

We all know that life is never perfect, but we do manage to get through our trials one way or another. When you look outside and see the beautiful fall rainbow of colors, I hope that it will remind you that no matter what trials face us throughout the year, the good times will follow and we are never alone.

Happy Blanketmaking,
Mary

Holding on to the things we love!

I’m fascinated by the Food Network Show – "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives". If you haven’t seen it – Guy Fieri travels around the country visiting local restaurants and sampling their specialties. Now, I’m not talking about the 5 Star restaurants that we read about in Gourmet Magazine or the fashionable eating establishments across the United States frequented by celebrities. I’m talking about the Mom and Pop restaurants – those “greasy spoons” that are locally known for their mouthwatering entrees and side dishes. They are a place where, I believe, the phrase “comfort food” was coined. Guy observes as the cook (usually the owner) whips up his or her famous house specialty for him to sample. After he oohs and aahs over the delectable creation that has been prepared, he meanders through the restaurant interviewing “the regulars” as they sing the praises of the restaurant and its owner(s). The restaurant may be small, simply decorated and old-fashioned or outdated in décor yet the patrons seem to relish the fact that they always feel welcome and that they look forward to ordering their favorites from a menu that never changes.

I’m not sure why I love this show. Maybe it’s because it takes me back to some special eating establishments from my childhood. The “B&K Restaurant” on 7th Street was a favorite restaurant of our family. I always ordered the Meatloaf Dinner – and it was DELICIOUS. While we were waiting for the waitress to bring our meal, my dad would let us put a quarter in the tableside jukebox and we could pick three songs. I’m not sure if the B&K would qualify as a diner or a dive – but either way we loved it and when I think about it, it always brings back fond memories.

As for drive-ins, we loved to frequent the “Dog ‘N Suds”. On a hot summer evening my parents would load us up in the station wagon and head to the drive-in on West State Street. My mom, dad and three brothers ordered a root beer and I ordered an orange drink (I didn’t like root beer). We just loved the way the carhop delivered our order right to our car and hooked the heavy tray to the car window. Amazingly, it NEVER fell off and the window stayed intact! Somehow the sweltering heat of an August night just didn’t seem as stifling when we were sitting in the car at the Dog ‘n Suds drinking a root beer or an orange drink!

OR – maybe it could be that “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” takes me back to a place where I could basically eat anything I wanted – and I never worried about the calories or the cholesterol or the fat content or the sodium content or the carbohydrates or the sugar content. If I liked it – I ate it. If I wanted more – I ate more. (That philosophy eventually did catch up with me in a negative way as the years passed…but I’ll postpone that for another blog entry.)

Even more, however, I think the show rekindles memories of such simple yet special times in my life. When I watch Guy visit the “Big Star Diner” and eat their “Big Star Meatloaf” or hear the patrons of Ruth’s Diner sing praises about “Grandma Claire’s Macaroni and Cheese” it just makes me happy (and hungry). It’s always fun to go back in time and reminisce. The ability to recall helps us realize that things that didn’t really seem to matter at the time, do indeed matter. I think this quote from a favorite TV show says it all: “Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose.” (…from the television show The Wonder Years)

As for our involvement with Project Linus, when we make a blanket for a child we offer that child a good memory to physically "hold on to" in spite of the negative circumstances which surround him or her at the time. We know that Illness or trauma in the life of a child can be devastating, but the hug of a blanket can somehow buffer the agony. Eventually, the hug of that blanket can actually rekindle a positive remembrance which somehow softens the details of a nightmarish experience. Thank you for your help in making these good memories!

Well, I'm ready for dinner...meatloaf, mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans sure sound good! But I think I'll go with the broiled cod - that sounds good too!

Happy Blanketmaking!
Mary

Old memories creating new memories

The weather was gorgeous - not too hot - not too cold. While the sun was shining outside, the blanketeers inside were hard at work. The blue, cloudless sky and the warm balmy breezes certainly didn't give any indication as to what had just happened to our country. On 9-11-2001, we all remember that the USA was attacked in a way which was somehow very confusing and very foreign to us. Nothing like this had ever happened before and we certainly didn't ever expect it. We were pierced to our cores and each of us was scrambling to somehow do something...to somehow be of service to those in the immediate area of the attack. Our Project Linus chapter was almost 2 years old and we had a core group of volunteers numbering less than 100. Of course, when tragedy strikes, Project Linus volunteers immediately start thinking "blankets". We decided to hold a special Make A Blanket Day and were offered the gymnasium at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to hold our event. In less than a week, the newspapers had been notified, the TV station held a "pre-event" interview and advertised our event for us and over 500 volunteers attended. Local businesses paid for postage to ship the blankets to NYC and the Pentagon, school children had "fleece drives", blanketeers came with their friends and family, some donated money, some donated materials, some donated their time and we worked together, side by side, to try to bring some sense of comfort to those tragically affected. How? By doing what we do best - giving them a gift of a handmade blanket. We were all focused and we made hundreds and hundreds of blankets. It was an amazing day. We had a purpose and our purpose was accomplished.

As the sun came out on Thursday, September 17th, 2009, I couldn't help but be reminded of that MABD event in 2001. We have continued to host this Community Day of Service each fall ever since and this was our 9th Fall Make a Blanket Day. This year, we also had a focus - we made weighted blankets for children with autism. I've discussed autism and the weighted blankets on our blog previously, so I won't get into the details. What I will share with you is what I observed.

• Almost half of our 120 volunteers were newcomers to Make a Blanket Day. What a PLEASURE it was to meet each new blanketeer! We hope you'll come back!
• Many of our preconceived notions about what autism is and how it manifests itself in those affected were dispelled by Ashley Whittington - a representative from "The Autism Place" who gave us some background information on the children we were preparing to serve. What a wonderful and enlightening presentation. It gave each of us the boost of energy we needed to spend the day making weighted blankets.
• Each year, Carol and Jane from National HQ always attend - bringing food, organizing the lunch buffet, cleaning up and attaching the charms everyone earned in the previous 6 months to our bracelets. This year Carol has been experiencing some set-backs following her shoulder surgery and was unable to attend. We missed her and so many of you asked me to send her your good wishes. Thank you!
• Being the simply amazing person she is...it's not at all surprising that Jane managed to organize a meal for 120 people - single handedly. With help from the church Relief Society and our attendees - we all had an absolutely delicious meal and we are so grateful for Jane. She's always behind the scenes - and we didn't even have a chance to give her a round of applause - so this is as good of a time as any. Applause! Applause! Applause!
• Thank you to Gayla Clawson and Elizabeth Gauthier for taking over the "charm table" and updating your jewelry. So many of you wear your beautiful Project Linus charm bracelets and necklaces to our events and it is so heartwarming to actually be able to equate your service with all of the charms you have earned! You are all amazing!
• What would we do without such a great work area! At no cost to us, we are able to use the entire church building for our event and although there are occasions where the quarters are tight, we have such a wonderful time together - we don't even notice! When the Young Men youth group dedicates their Wednesday evening to help us set up, it warms our hearts and souls to see them offering service to us! Thank you!
• When we decided to make the weighted blankets, Cheryl created the perfect pattern for us. It's simple - goes together quickly - and makes an adorable blanket! To see each of you attempting a new pattern and working so hard to make a beautiful blanket for a very special child is more than heartwarming. Thank you!
• Sheets, sheets and more sheets were donated to fill the weighted blankets. Our local hospitals (DMH and St. Mary's) were so generous - giving us hundreds of sheets for our event. We saw boxes that our volunteers displayed at their churches, their work places and their schools - filled with sheets for us to use. Many of our blanketeers brought sheets they collected or purchased and other members of the community stopped by with sheets they wanted to donate. Each blanket took 12-14 sheets. When you're talking about 150 blankets - that's a LOT of laundry! In addition, if you talk to any of the ladies today who worked on the stage sorting and preparing sheets under the direction of Caroline Embleton - I know they will tell you that they never worked so hard. Imagine how you feel after you wash your bed sheets and then fold them. They folded HUNDREDS of sheets. I hope their arms are "usable" today! I'm sure they developed some muscles after yesterday's event.
• Thank you to each of you who helped with set-up and clean-up. We couldn't do it without you. Thank you to your husbands for helping as well. Isn't it amazingly wonderful to have a spouse who is such a support! Whenever we have a Project Linus event, my wonderful husband faithfully dedicates every minute of time to help make sure everything runs smoothly. Even when the stress tends to get the best of me, his words of encouragement and love keep me keepin' on! Thank you dear!
• Thank you to the Golden K's and the LDS missionaries for their continued support of our events. Each year they not only help set up and take down, but they carry in our heavy supplies so that we don't have to! THANK YOU!!!
• I was so touched by stories shared by many of our attendees who have friends or family with autistic children. With the tremendous cost of purchasing a weighted blanket keeping many from reaping their benefits, we hope that our blankets will give them some comfort. Thank you to each of you who donated fabric to make a blanket - and to each of you who donated your precious time to come and help!
• Did you read the article in the Herald and Review newspaper? What would we do without the support of reporter Theresa Churchill? The pre-blanket day news posting brought several inquiries this year. The beautiful article written by Theresa in today's paper was such a pleasure to wake up to! There is even a beautiful picture of a new blanketeer, Elizabeth Michael. Here's the link if you'd like to take a look: http://herald-review.com/news/local/article_18fa937c-3e43-5a7c-8cbe-456b4c7dca9c.html Thank you so much Theresa!

To those who were unable to attend - we missed you and hope to see you in February at the Hickory Point Mall in Forsyth (details TBA).

Thank you again to each of you for supporting Cheryl and me. We will be continuing to make weighted blankets on occasion - as they are needed. We hope to make some at our February 2010 event as well.

Our next event is our Appreciation Breakfast on December 3rd. No work - just food and inspiration as we welcome in the holiday season and thank each of you for your service to our Project Linus chapter! :-)

Happy Blanketmaking!

Mary

Are you ready for some blanketmaking????

After a 6 week hiatus, I thought it was about time for me to update the blog. As Charlie Brown would say "Good Grief!". It certainly has been a busy summer - and I'm sure you're all asking the same question as I am - where did it go???

Well - here's a brief rundown. Following our Project Linus National Institute in June I had surgery on my feet. I was blessed with my Grandma's feet - the feet that horrified me as a child - and now have become a visual "gift" I am passing along to my own grandchildren. After nursing the aches and pains that have plagued me for about 13 years - it finally got to the point that I was unable to finish my daily run - or take a long walk - without quite a bit of pain. So - after being encouraged by a friend - I scheduled the surgery and fixed my left foot and part of my right one. Hallelujah! I'm so happy that I did it! It's been 9 weeks and although it's not perfect yet - it's MUCH better than it was 9 weeks ago and it should be in great shape by October 26th when I finish up my "lower extremity maintenance work" and repair my right foot! My wonderful daughters and grandchildren took care of me for the first week - pulling me around on my office chair from here to there, cooking for me and keeping me company. When they left, my sweet hubby took over and friends kept me company as I recovered in my chair. All in all, I have been treated like a queen. It just doesn't get any better than that! :-)

At the end of July, we had a wonderful family reunion in Wisconsin followed by a VERY brief trip to Utah to meet Jonathan's fiancee Erin. What a wonderful girl - and they make the perfect couple. We're so happy for them. (A July 10, 2010 wedding is being planned.) Then, we packed Jonathan up and helped him move to Carbondale where he began his first year of Medical School. I just returned from a trip to Ohio to visit Cari and family and here it is - the end of August already.

Which leads me to the title of today's entry: "Are you ready for some blanketmaking?" September 17th is Make a Blanket Day and it is right around the corner. We only have 70 people pre-registered (about 50 less than usual). We also have had no response to our plea for set-up and take-down help. If you are able to help us set up tables and chairs on Wednesday evening or take down on Thursday at 3:00pm - please e-mail Cheryl cherahugs@comcast.net Our Fall Make A Blanket Day is held in the gymnasium of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Decatur. We absolutely LOVE make a blanket day and are so excited to make our Weighted Blankets for children with autism this year. If you have not yet pre-registered, please do so right away by e-mailing mary@projectlinus.org We would hate to set up for 70 work stations, have food for 70 people and find that we actually have 120 people attending. Of course, you are always welcome to bring a friend. It will be a wonderful day of service for some very special children and their families. You can set-up your work area between 8:30 and 9:00 and our program from "The Autism Place" will begin at 9:00am in the chapel. A copy of the most recent newsletter is available on our google groups list with all of the details. Click here if you haven't read it yet: http://groups.google.com/group/project-linus-central-il

What to bring:
1. We are in need of twin sized sheets (any color - no jersey knit or flannel) that we will be using to "weight" the blankets. They can be used or new but must be clean. If you have larger sheets (double, queen or king) we will "serge them" to size. If you have fitted sheets, please cut off the elastic. We are also in need of 1 1/2 yard pieces of coordinating fabrics (one solid color - one kids print). The velcro will be supplied. Please make sure that your print is not "too busy" - as that can be irritating to an autistic child.
2. Please bring a dish to pass. Carol and Jane always orchestrate a beautiful luncheon for us. A few weeks ago Carol had shoulder surgery and although she still plans to be in attendance - she is unable to use her left arm and will need our help cleaning up following lunch. If we all clean up our little corner - that will be a huge help.
3. We will have charms (puzzle piece charms - the symbol for Autism awareness) for everyone in attendance. Although Carol will not be able to attach your charms - we will still have our charm forms for you to complete and charms for you to take home.
4. If you would like to attend our Appreciation Breakfast on December 3rd, we will be selling tickets. They are $10 each and space is limited.
5. Although our focus for MABD will be our weighted blankets, we will still be accepting and labeling blankets. As winter approaches our need always increases.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend as we celebrate a wonderful summer.

We'll see you at Make a Blanket Day!

Happy Blanketmaking!
Mary and Cheryl

Let's Bring Out The Sun!

"I feel life is a journey and we all have to learn to ride the storm. For some of us it can seem more like a tidal wave, but with every storm the sun eventually comes back out." -Alyson Bradley

This is a quote from Alyson Bradley - a woman diagnosed with Asperger's Disorder. If you are not familiar with Asperger's it is a milder variant of Autistic Disorder (which is a brain development disorder). Autism is not a new term - but the questions, research and discoveries associated with autism have recently been brought to the forefront.

This year at our Project Linus National Conference, we were privileged to hear from Illinois State University Psychology Department Faculty Member Karla Doepke and Marty - an autistic young woman. Karla and Marty gave us an overview of autism and touched on the difficulties that those with this disorder experience in the "real world". Most of us found that we knew very little about autism. We also didn't know that as Project Linus volunteers, we could be of service to the children and families in our area who are dealing with autism. Karla and Marty focused their remarks on the use of a weighted blanket as a calming and comforting influence on an autistic child. Although there is no single option that is effective for every autistic child, weighted blankets are being used with very positive results. It has been shown to be very effective in giving some individuals with autism a much needed hug of comfort and in many cases a much needed restful night's sleep. Even as an adult, Marty showed us her weighted blanket that she treasures and uses regularly.

Now - when the words "blanket" and "child" and "comfort" and "hug" are connected with a child in need, our Project Linus hearts are touched and our desire to serve kicks into high gear. We just can't help ourselves. That's what we're here for...to comfort...to help...to hug...to serve. Weighted blankets are VERY expensive and most are not covered by insurance. When families are dealing with a special needs child, the costs of care, therapy and treatment can be financially devastating. So - here's our plan:

On Thursday, September 17th, 2009 Project Linus Central IL will have our Fall Make a Blanket Day at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This will not be our "traditional" Make a Blanket Day. We will begin with a program by Karla and individuals affiliated with "The Autism Place". Following their remarks we will be instructed as to how to make "weighted blankets". Then, we will go to our work stations and make weighted blankets for autistic children in Central IL. We do have some fabric specifications which I will detail in our next newsletter.

What can you do?
1. Pre-register for Fall Make a Blanket Day by e-mailing mary@projectlinus.org
2. Arrive around 8:30am to set up your work area in the gym, as usual.
3. Be in place by 9:00am to listen to our guest speakers
4. Listen to the demo on how to make a Project Linus weighted blanket
5. Help out as needed (sewing, cutting, stuffing, labeling)
6. Bring bed sheets (new or used). These will be folded and stuffed into the pockets sewn into each blanket.
7. Join us as we serve, side by side!
8. We will still have lunch, door prizes, special drawings and LOTS OF BLANKETMAKING FUN! You won't want to miss it! :-)

NOTE: With regard to the sheets, used sheets must be freshly laundered, free of any smells (musty, febreeze or similar, dryer sheets, smoke) and must be stain-free. They can be any color. Ask your friends, family, anyone you can think of to help us. Each weighted blanket needs 12 sheets (twin, double or queen sized) - if you have king size we ask that they be cut in half and hemmed. If the sheets are fitted sheets, we will need to cut off the elastic and hem the edges. We can make these alterations at MABD. If you don't have any used sheets - we found sheets at Wal-Mart for $4.00 each last February. Maybe you have a friend that doesn't sew but would like to help Project Linus - here is a perfect opportunity. Also garage sales can be a great place to find inexpensive sheets.

If we do not have enough sheets we can give the parents a blanket without sheets and ask them to purchase their own - but we would rather give them a completed blanket if possible. At this point we would like to fill an order of 300 blankets. I know it's a LARGE order, but I also know that we can do it! We don't have to make them all at our Make a Blanket Day - but we can make a great start.

Usually, by the end of the summer, Cheryl and I are very low on blankets and need to have a Fall MABD in order to replenish our supply. For some reason, this year that is not the case. Our blanket supply is very abundant and we know that it is because we have another special mission for our fall MABD.

We hope that you will plan to attend. We hope that you will ask friends and family to donate clean laundered sheets (without holes or stains or smells) for you to bring with you.
We need volunteers who would be willing to be "sheet storage and drop-off locations" for us. With all of the blankets that Cheryl and I have, we just don't have room for any more. If you may be able to help us in that area, please let us know.

Cheryl and I are VERY excited about this project. We hope you will be too. Let's see if we can "bring out the sun" in the lives of some very special children and families.

Thanks so much for your help and your support!
Happy blanketmaking!
Mary and Cheryl