Simple pleasures

A simple gesture.
A simple card - some kind words - all these are so easy to do and yet mean so so much.


Look what came in the post -

It is from my wonderful contact - Christina - in Japan. So I emailed her a thank you for her wonderful card asking her to translate the Joyo Kanji ideographs. 
And she sent this back.............





Glad to hear you got the card. Now I have to try and remember which card I sent you! From memory, I  think it was a verse that said "Have Hope and Joy, Don't give up in the difficulties. Keep on Praying".

I think I shared with you how your group's dedication and generosity of sending us blankets and animals really inspired the ladies here in Shichigahama to start knitting blankets in the Yarn Alive class that Teddy Sawka started in the refugee centers (temporary homes). They were blessed by your blankets and so wanted to bless other areas that were devastated by giving them blankets that they made.  Well now, they adore the toys you sent so have been starting to make those too. It seems that Yarn Alive has really taken off and has received a lot of press on radio, tv and print. It's been amazing to see these ladies who have lost everything, come together and enjoy life once again in such a simple yet practical way. Many of these ladies lost their entire collection of yarn and tools - hundreds of dollars worth! Yet on the other hand, some ladies are learning for the first time to knit/crochet - a new hobby that is giving them joy! 

So basically want I want to say is, thank you for being part of the transformation here in Shichigahama. These ladies are now hoping to start selling their knitted goods in order to raise money to put back into Yarn Alive to keep supplying yarn and tools. The blankets and toys that you are sending us are continuing to be distributed in other areas that were also hard hit. Practical warmth, joy and inspiration is what you and your ladies have given us here – I  can't thank you enough. 

I felt all teary when I read this, that us just making blankets coz we can, coz we like to knit and crochet, coz we have the odd ball of wool and this has helped women who have lost so much. Kinda humbling..

Thanks to you - we in some small part have helped them to help themselves and in turn help others.

wow.