Be Still and Know Day

Today I took Joy the Sock Monkey to run some errands. First we stopped into the Biltmore Traders, this coffee shop near the house. It used to be Bob Ingles garage. Joy got to play with a magic 8 ball while I chatted with the owner about World Religions, then we got to explore the roaster and even had a geography lesson on coffees of the world.
Afterwards we dropped in at hospice to see Miss Jane and turn in my February paperwork. Miss Jane wants Joy to come back and visit with the patients, so you guys will get an update on that later this month. Apparently visiting sock monkeys are welcome at hospice. Good to know. Miss Jane had some great words of wisdom, too. She related that every so often she needs a break (from being a gorgeous southern belle) and puts on her pj's ALL DAY. She says this is what she calls a "Be Still and Know" Day- when you "Commune with the Lord, yourself, and aol poker." Miss Jane, pictured here with Joy, highly recommends this for what ails you.

Ambassador of Lovely!

A few weeks ago I featured a youtube vid called the Beckoning of Lovely, a special project done by this fabulously creative blogger. Not only is she taking all kinds of art submissions for inclusion in a creative project, but she offers everyone an opportunity to spread the word in unique ways. i took her up on it, emailing my info, and I got the coolest little package in the mail yesterday! There was a paper stating that I had been "crowned an official Ambassadr of Lovely" signed by Miss Amy herself, a bag of jellybeans (!), a ductape wallet full of little cards to pass out to people interested in the project, and a dogtag necklace to wear that says "Ambassador of Lovely" in gold. How utterly, completely charming.

Those of you who keep asking how the hospice thing is going I will just update here. Today I drove over for first visit with I. The place she stays is located way up on the side of a mountain, beautiful this time of year. I went by and got my tb test done, then drove up. Everyone staying there seems very nice. I was directed to her room and there she was, bent over on her bed struggling for breath. She's only 59 but she looks eighty, a tiny shriveled little woman. I wasnt scared or shy once I saw her. She had piles of stuff all over her bed, I guess she spends a lot of time there. She said that she was feeling "sick" and apologized, but I told her it was ok, and that sometimes people just didnt feel good and that I would call Thursday to see if that might be a better day for her, since she did not want company. I showed her a bag of crochet and knitting stuff that she could look through when she felt like it, and she seemed glad about that so I left it on her bed for her. Then I left. I still feel like an Ambassador of Lovely.

Delighted and Nervous

Miss Jane just called, I have my first hospice assignment! She has a lady who has a wish to learn crochet or knitting, and I got picked to go teach her. WOW. The responsibility is huge. I can't say much more due to confidentiality, but I'm really excited to offer anything I can to this lady, especially the joy of working with yarn. I know it sounds silly but I guess every person doing some small act, right?