Today my Great Aunt Martha died. It is hard for me even though I know that she ws in a lot of pain these past few years, and even though I know she had 89 years of a very loving and giving life. I feel like she gave me so much. I got online today to read some of her poems that I had on my website. This one seemed to express so much how I feel about my Aunt Martha. I regret all the letters that sat unanswered for months, all the birthdays I didn't write her, although this will be one of the first years there won't be a card from Aunt Martha on my birthday. She wrote it about God. I'm am so glad she will finally be seeing God face to face again. Thank you Grandma Weaver for all you have done for me! Tell God I said hi!
PRAYER THOUGHTS
My mouth has not the words, Oh God,
My brain has not the store
Of all the phrases that I need
To praise you more and more.
My efforts seem so feeble, Lord.
And I have a wandering mind.
I'm often filled with doubts and fears,
I forget you are so kind.
My "thank-yous" are so very weak,
There's a tendancy to forget
To tell You what you mean to me
And how my needs You've met.
But I know you always listen
With an understanding ear.
So I come again to talk to you
In this time I hold so dear.
A few years back I wrote a page about my Aunt Martha. It includes an autobiography and some of her poems.
Ahh, where to begin? I�ve been slacking off so much in writing I don�t know quite what to write about...
Work has been incredibly busy. We just had a "site visit" for our Faith in Prevention partnership, but the funder who was supposed to come visit us got snowed out of Chicago. I really wish she could have been there, because it was one of our best meetings yet. Each of the partners gave a short presentation about what they had been doing. We also had a discussion about HIV testing, and one about report forms. Believe it or not, even the report forms discussion was a good one! The partners just have so much spirit, and have their heart really into their work. It is amazing the amount of stuff they have been able to accomplish so far. In our first six months we have already well exceeded what we hoped we could do in an entire year.
Our food and advocacy partnership is also amazing, although we meet less frequently. I stayed late last week trying to finish up copying a survey we sent out to our clients (over 1400 copies!) about their experiences with food stamps. I was also able to have a great conversation with the executive director of the Association of Nutrition Service Agencies, and with a VISTA at the Sergeant Shriver National Center for Poverty Law. Both of them are doing some work on the advocacy issues we have been working on, so it was cool to hear about others work.
Did I tell you all that our house is being interviewed as part of a Chicago Public Radio program? Jason DeRose, the religion reporter for CPR is doing a story for the Chicago Matters series, which is about money this year. He is interviewing the Hey House and us. His story is going to be paired up with a story about young stockbrokers who work in the �pit� all day, trying to make as much money as they can. Should be a rather fascinating comparison! He went grocery shopping with us (a half-day affair), came over for dinner one night, followed Amanda to her placement at Howard Area Community Center, and interviewed a couple of us in the studio. I think it is supposed to air some time in April or May, but I�ll let you know when I find out.
Mom and Mary Lu came for a visit in mid-March. That was really fun. Great to have a couple of tourists to show around the city I have come to love so much. It was also great to see them since they are SO FAR AWAY, that is a pretty rare occurrence. They wanted to teach me to ski, but Chicago weather refused to cooperate, and the two feet of snow we got melted a couple of days before they got here and then just temptingly dusted a few times. Oh well, we got to trudge around in the rain instead � did I mention that I love Chicago :)
Talked to a perspective LVCer on the phone today. Brought back a lot of memories of going through the application and all the worries and hopes I had. I tried to talk her out of it � just kidding! She is considering the placement here at AFC. It will be different than the placement I currently have, so I couldn�t help much on what the work itself is like, but I could tell her about the wonderful people I work with, and what I like about the organization as a whole. We also talked a lot about other aspects of LVC.
We just started a craft group at church. We are going to meet about once a month. At our first meeting there were only three of us, so we�ll see if attendance picks up. We are thinking that we might do a joint service-craft like a blanket. Just what I need, more crafts! I�m working on a quilt with lighthouses for my dad, a sweater for me, my gala dress, and really want to hold a "make your own lingerie" party for my birthday. We�ll see if I can actually get that last one organized or not. Get your mind out of the gutter, I wasn�t thinking of making anything kinky, I just thought it would be fun to make my own underwear ;)
P.S. Almost forgot... I'm doing the Ride for AIDS again this year, the website is: www.rideforaids.org. You can read all about it and also download a sponsorship form - yes that is a hint :) If you do sponsor me, be sure to write checks to TPAN, they can't use ones that say "ride for aids". So far I have one sponsor that gave me $5 - thanks Donnise! and another who promised to send a sponsorship - thanks Grandma and Grandpa!
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