| Sewing in the time of COVID-19 – Week 27 We are excited about this email we just received for our beautiful eQuilter.com building in Boulder Colorado which is now 2 years old: “Congratulations! You have earned EPA’s ENERGY STAR for 6201 Spine Rd, located at 6201 Spine Rd, Boulder, CO 80301, for label year 2020. This property’s 1-100 ENERGY STAR Score is 96, meaning that it is more energy efficient than 96 percent of similar properties nationwide.” *** Many of us are grappling with the loss of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. No matter what your politics, if you are of a certain age, you are keenly aware of her early work to free women from the shackles of gender expectation in the 1970s. I remember very well that my mother spoke to me several times in high school about how I would have options for my career and my personal future, that she did not have. She urged me to expand into the freedoms that RGB won for us all. To lose the rights that she acquired for us, would be like taking us back 100 years. Her lifelong work for justice, even as she battled cancer in her later years, is an inspiration. If you don’t know about her early court cases, watch the movie! The closest I got to her was at an opera house once – when I went to my seat there was an excited buzz in the audience and then someone turned to me and said “RBG is in the front row”! And there she was, surrounded by admirers. We hope that those of you affected by the fires and smoke are having some rain and relief this weekend. One of my brothers is a mailman in Portland and he is still delivering mail wearing N95 masks. I have friends whose sons are working as firefighters in these seemingly endless fires. Our hearts go out to all those on the front lines…who have to show up every day no matter what. This weekend we had to replace several trees around the warehouse, and next week we are having 2 big trees removed at our house. The late freeze this last Spring, and the early freeze and snow last week, have done a lot of damage to the trees here. But it is a small thing compared to those who have lost their homes in fires and hurricanes this year. We hope you are all keeping safe during these challenging times. My mom had a family motto she would always tell me when things got tough – from her Swedish grandma Anna Sofia who emigrated from Smaland Sweden to Thurston Nebraska in the 1800s. It was passed down through the women in our family – when things get tough you just “Keep a’goin’…” which is a simple mantra but when you are in the trenches it is a mantra that…keeps me going. That matriarch died when my own grandma was a little girl, but my grandma and my mom both kept going through so many life challenges….as we all do. My quilting and sewing and other creative endeavors are what keep me going, along with your friendship, and your support of our charity program. The $1.7 million that we have raised together is something for all of us to celebrate. Together, we are making a real difference for those in need. Thank you. with Hope for the Future, Luana and Paul See my Flickr Photo Pages for travel images, comment on our blog, or follow us on Facebook. |
