Knitting/crocheting is so comforting in so many ways.  Once you learn and you can do it more or less without a lot of angst (that takes awhile, at least for me), and it becomes a soothing, repetitious exercise that leads to the creation of something tangible.   You finish and look at this creation and think, I MADE THAT.  Satisfaction.  Finally one day, you realize you have knitted and crocheted enough scarfs and blankets to warm and cover all your relatives, friends and strangers and you have no idea how to use your ‘talents’ again.  That pretty much describes me!  I […]

Here I am, about 5 months out from the formation of Blankets of Love South Bay. I had NO idea where I would be at this point, if I would be crocheting on my own, or if others would help me. A very fortunate thing happened in August when the Beach Reporter included me in their “Kindness” section of their paper. That article was read by many and embraced by several. I am truly humbled by the response I have received. I have been contacted by so many people that want to help that I am truly honored. I believe […]

I am now about 5 months out from the founding of Blankets of Love South Bay.  It was a slow start but that’s to be expected.  Nothing of ‘lasting’ value begins like a rocket ship (think Pokemon Go)…… My first few knitting sessions at the Jocelyn Center on Tuesdays at 3:30 were somewhat sparse.  In fact, one of them saw only ME by myself, crocheting my heart out, alone.  Sigh.  I felt so forlorn.  But then a miracle.  The Beach Reporter contacted me and did a story about Blankets of Love South Bay on August 18th.  It was a nudge […]

It has been awhile since I have written.  So much has gone on and time has been in short supply.  Two important occasions have occurred since I last blogged. First, on Thursday, October 20th I was pleased to donate Blankets of Love South Bay’s first blankets to Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital!  Twenty blankets were carefully and lovingly rolled, bowed and tagged for donation to the hospital.  My dear and wonderful friends, Betty Freitag, Anne Leu, and Pam McKniff helped me with the preparation of the blankets the week before.  On October 20th I went to MLKCH and met […]

Today, November 10th, was a really great day.  Blankets of Love South Bay had both a ‘give’ and a ‘take’.  First of all, I drove down to the mid-Wilshire area early in the morning to get a tour of Baby2Baby and donate 15 amazing blankets to them as well as Fritizi Jackson’s really cute handmade animals.  Baby2Baby can be looked up on line but just being there I could feel the vibe of people who care and an urgency to get things done.  The ‘store front’ is located on Wilshire Blvd. just east of Beverly Hills.  They are supportive of […]

Hi to all my wonderful supporters, Today, November 15th, close to the Thanksgiving holiday, we had 7 people at the knitting/crochet session at Jocelyn Center today.  I seriously thought I might be the only one there but 6 more came.  I am so honored by the support.  And all of us enjoy the time together and the conversation.  I had several tell me, ‘thank you for doing this – it’s fun!”, and it is.  We are all ‘strangers’ that have come together for a good cause and as a result, we have formed a nice friendship.  I welcome all to […]

To say that 2016 was a tough year is an understatement.  But there are so many paradoxes as well.  I return to December of 2015 and where I was and what was going on.  My beautiful son Justin was an addict, but alive.  But he spent the entire Christmas holiday in jail in Vista, California.  His ‘rap sheet’ was a mile long and to be honest, I am not sure what he was jailed for this time.  It is nearly impossible to keep track of all these arrests, infractions, problems, crises, and traumas for twelve years.  Eventually you file away […]

Because of Justin……..   I have gained a new purpose, new friends, new hope, and a renewed sense of life.  Justin’s death was the spark for all I am now thankful for.  He is the inspiration and the reason for Blankets of Love South Bay which has opened up new paths for me and an exciting future.   Through Blankets of Love South Bay I have been blessed with so many new friends that I never would have known otherwise.  We all share a common passion for knitting or crocheting but all these wonderful women truly want to make a […]

As I celebrate two years of existence of Blankets of Love South Bay, I am humbled and amazed at where ‘we’ are today.  Conceived in April of 2016 and formalized in July of the same year,  I had no idea it would be this successful and so many milestones and goals would be reached in two short years. The very humble beginnings meant that for the first few gatherings, it was either me by myself, or me with one or maybe two people, knitting and crocheting and I thought, “this is never going to work”.  It will take 100 years […]