In Honolulu the day before Memorial Day there is a lantern floating ceremony to honor those who disappeared at sea. Part Buddhist, part Japanese and part Hawaiian it is called Toro Nagashi and has been celebrated here since 1999. The event takes place all day. In the afternoon there is music and dance and when the sun sets, the lanterns are floated from shore and from canoes. I saw some of it for the first time last night (on tv). There were thousands of paper lanterns decorated with names and pictures. Pretty amazing. It has been interesting to see how traditions are the same yet different here in Hawaii.
In honor of Memorial Day I have been thinking about what I should do. One big adjustment I have had to make is that there is just one season. Holidays do not have quite the same meaning when your family is clear across the country and when you can spend Thanksgiving at the beach. I barely decorated for Christmas or Easter. At home, Memorial Day weekend is a big deal as it is the first busy tourist weekend at the Jersey Shore.
I like the idea of crafting for charity but normally the call to donate is made when time is very limited. The stress of knitting or sewing for someone that you do not even know becomes a stress that is tossed on the backburner. Why not use this time of year to make a few things that can be donated now before they are needed??? I have pledged to make projects for the following charities:
Citizen Sam is a citizen group dedicated to helping and supported those in the Armed Forces. They need helmet liners for soldiers fighting in sub-zero weather. They also want quilts for wounded soldiers (they are transported on unheated planes). and Christmas Stockings. For safety reasons there are strict guidelines to follow. Color choices are very limited. I plan on making a couple helmet liners and stockings. The quilts need to be red, white and blue and I do not have much of that in my fabric stash.
Seamen's Institute is an organization affiliated with the Episcopal Church that provides support and advocacy for Maritime Marines. It is mainly in NY and NJ. The minister at my church at home works with them. Many of the mariners are from overseas and due to restrictions after September 11th, can not leave their ships when docked. They need hats, scarves, vests and slippers for warmth. They have patterns to follow on the website. There are guidelines to follow also. Our minister gets homemade cookies to take whenever he visits so if you are in NY or NJ and like to bake you may wish to get in touch with them! I think that I may make some hats. Kelly has already made hats and scarves this past fall. I can work on them while at the beach. A good way to justify being there.
Mountain Baby Blankets was started this past February by Rachel Cox. She was inspired after watching a Diane Sawyer special on poverty in the Appalachians. They need quilts (crib, todler or twin) and swaddling blankets. Guidelines are on her blog. Since starting, 281 quilts have been collected. I am going to send the Nine square quilt-a-long that I am making with Crazy Mom quilts. I may also knit a swaddling blanket.
Well, I think I will have plenty to work on. But it is do-able (is that actually a word??).
~kim
