Recovery - What does it look like?

As someone who has spent the last month working on the Noble Packages project, what did I do on the first day after it was all over?

Good question.

First of all, last night I slept very well. And as I write this in the evening - I’m actually quite tired still. I’m sure that that is to be expected.

I spent most of the morning cleaning up - from mopping the floors to picking up paper and trash and plastic and getting bags to the trash and then went to working in the kitchen for a couple of hours - cleaning it up - straightening and wiping down counters and such. I needed to have some time to just do some deep cleaning of the ‘stuff’ that had collected all over. Literally. All over the counters.

Then, I fixed dinner. After dinner I needed to get to a lady’s house and pick up some things I had bid on as an auction for the local group that is raising money for children in our town who are sick.

I also needed to take the rest of our quilts to a local lady, Dorota, (the local head of the Noble Packages) who will distribute them to some needy people that I don’t know (11 quilts). I want to start 2022 with a clean slate of adult quilts and this is the best way to do it. Dorota knows plenty of people, so I wanted to let her pass them out.

I could have passed them to the big family of 10 - but they said they didn’t need any more quilts or bedding. So instead of giving to people who said they didn’t need any, I chose to save them.

She said there are a lot of families that didn’t qualify for the Noble Packages but are still quite needy. I told her that she could give them to them. I still have over 20 children’s quilts which I am currently hanging on to as I know that the local school boarding school for deaf children needs some more though most of the ones I have are for younger children.

Also while I was at Dorota’s I had the unhappy task of going through that man’s gifts that I featured on Monday (his wife passed away on Sat. morning) - and took out the wife’s presents. She told me that they weren’t allowed legally to give the wife’s presents to him or anyone else. I had to make the final decisions. So, I spent some time today going through the presents that were located in her basement area. These were things we had wrapped and and I had to tell her what needed to go to him. Thankfully we had put all the food in the silver boxes so we didn’t have to open them.

Then, I came home and just rested a bit.

I put up some things for that local auction - things I had collected with the idea of posting them for the charity auction - nothing big - just small things.

Now, after months of having my living room completely filled - first charity quilts and then presents - it is blissfully empty. Now I have room to put out quilts and once again use my floor as a design board…it’s been cramping my style! :) It’s actually wonderful! The almost echoey sound in the living room is amazing.

I did collect some things together to give to some poor people here in our town who are trying to help those who don’t have enough money to have a proper Christmas eve dinner which is the main one people here celebrate. Don’t worry…I’m not doing this ‘very much’ - just a ‘one trip to the grocery store - under $15’ type of thing.

As a result of the Noble Packages, I was given several sweets/candy and other things that I really don’t want or need. I am going to pass those things along to those who have nothing.

I’ll go get some gingerbread type cookies as well - they are very traditional and keep well. I can buy them today and they will be fine when it’s time for Christmas. I feel like I’ve done enough charity for this year. Maybe that’s a selfish thing to say - but I really want to focus on family now - either our own kids, or just “us” (Mike and me) or take more time for talking to mom, etc.

This also includes some Christmas decorations that people could use on their table - as centerpieces. So, it is a real win/win - I received these as thank-you’s from the Noble Packages, appreciated them, but don’t really need it in my home. (I’ve been gradually reducing the amount of Christmas decorations I have as I have more Christmas stuff than will fit easily in my boxes.) This way I can pass it all along to truly needy people and they will help make their Christmas eve dinner special. I’ll share the photos with you.

We also received 5 small LIVE pine or spruce trees, which I really liked. These from the Noble Packages organization for the 5 original families that we donated to in the Otwock area.

I gave one to Ewa, but today I took off the decorations (will pass them along) and gave Mike the trees. He is going to plant them while they are still dormant and hopefully they will survive! They were definitely my favorite thing - along with the handmade cards.

Here giving gifts to someone who donates things is a big deal. Maybe it’s because I had never been a big giver of anything while in the states, but it feels so strange to be thanked so profusely and so much. They bowed to me when I went in to sign in as a donor. I mean by that - they used the words “I bow to you”. Ewa got them to write up one of the certificates with your name on it - as all the rest came to me. I can add “clients” to the end of this.

It was a bit strange, honestly. But I guess it is just their culture to be so profuse in their appreciation. Also, I’m pretty sure they’ve been told to be this way from their superiors.

I feel strange because I don’t feel like I deserve all that much thanks. It feels like it belongs to all of you who gave the money - not me - who just did the running around, buying, packing and wrapping. :) It’s actually a perfect job for a shop-a-holic - which I am not - except for things related to sewing/quilting. Then, I could shop and shop and shop. Otherwise, I’m not at all a shop-a-holic. If I used to be, I’m not anymore. My house is full.

Anyway…this is how I spent my first day - in recovery.

One thing - I was reflecting on it today. I want to make about 10 charity quilts and save them out for the ladies with the floral motifs in a shadow. I only had one this year going into the give away and it was taken quickly. While I liked what I gave each of the ladies, I would like to make up 10 or 20 of those simple big 9.5” cut squares with flowers to have on hand.

 

I also have decided to make up several with one big shadowed rectangle of color in the middle of grays or beige or another solid color. Like this: I have both blue and red - and both would be incredibly cool for those ages of kids that are hard to make for. I can make both variations. I could also skip the shadow altogether and just put a piece of color there - it would be easy and perfect for those upper teen guys.

This one looks more like two pieces of colored paper lying one one on top of the other.

This one definitely looks more 3D-ish. I like both

Here are two more closely related ideas that would be quite easy but are quite interesting, I think.

The other thing I had to do today was prepare one of the appliances I received which was incomplete - a flat griddle. I wrapped it back up and contacted the seller as I need to return it. I got it ready to hopefully get it on its way tomorrow.

And that was it. It felt like a full day - but rather low key - which is what I wanted it to be. The day you are reading this - I am planning on getting back into my sewing room. It’s simply been too long.

Have a great day wherever you are reading this! Thanks for coming along with me on my quilting/sewing journey!

Becky Petersen4 Comments