The last few days have been stressful due to the constant reminders about the CAFO. Today I have chosen not to write about it. On to other things...
Remember the curb-shopped bench?
I finished it yesterday. It's more a hunter green now. I would have liked to save the natural wood look but it was in bad shape (drawn on with markers).
Later, if I get the time & motivation, I might do some folk art painting on it. It's pretty plain looking now.
I finished it yesterday. It's more a hunter green now. I would have liked to save the natural wood look but it was in bad shape (drawn on with markers).
Later, if I get the time & motivation, I might do some folk art painting on it. It's pretty plain looking now.My next project is the antique chair of my grandparents. My mom recalls seeing this in her house as a child so it must be eighty or more years old.
Mom re-covered it when I was a child & it was stored in the basement for the last 25 or more years. I took off the fabric and this is what I found under the back of the chair.
It is a beautiful pattern. I wish I could find something to match it for the bottom. That material had been removed. This is what I found there (it's upside down)...
That is a layer of batting and underneath is straw.
I could just imagine the person making the chair in the early 1900's. Layering the straw, just enough to make the seat comfortable, not too hard, not too soft.I bought a material to cover it, not really knowing where I will be using it. I've never re-upholstered anything so it might not look so great after I'm done :-)
I've been putting it off for a while now, but today is the day I at least try. It's sunny now here but there's a chance of showers. So I'm not sure if it's an indoor or outdoor day. The wind is blowing strong and it is supposed to be in the 70's. I still have strawberries, raspberries & blackberries to plant. And the apple trees still need to be grafted. Tomorrow should be in the 80's. I might stay outside all day and get things done.
Our Amish neighbor Lizzie will be going to the doctor tomorrow in LaCrosse. They will probably keep her in the hospital. She has placenta previa and has been on bed rest for a week now. It is a very dangerous condition. Besides the meetings on Tuesday, I've stuck close to home in case they need to get to the local hospital. I run into town once a day to pick up things they need since Eli can't be far away. The doctors are hoping she can go until May 5th so the baby is big enough to do a cesarean. This is going to be very hard on them all and is dangerous for Lizzie. I have been thinking about trying to raise money for them, maybe by auctioning off a basket they made (?), but an not sure how to do that on the blog. Please let me know if you have any experience with this. They have no insurance, and even though the hospital will write off part of the bill, they will be hard-pressed to be able to pay off a huge debt like this. This year has been bad financially for them. The economic slow down has hit them too. Basket sales were down and the side jobs aren't as prevalent as last year. If she is admitted tomorrow, Eli will stay with her at the hospital. I go visit her every day and she welcomes that. It is difficult to stay in bed when she has ten children in the house. They are very fortunate to have the two fifteen year old twin girls to help with the laundry & cook. Otherwise they would have to hire a live-in helper.
Anyway, any ideas on how I could raise some money for them would be appreciated. Lizzie also likes mail. They have no phones, so a letter to read is a great joy to her. I'll ask Eli if letters from people she doesn't know (to cheer her up) is something he thinks is proper.
Okay, I'm going to quit writing NOW, and go start on the chair.
10 comments:
That bench would look fabulous with a little artwork painted on. Good job. Not much help here on ideas for your Amish friend...just wish her and the baby well.
Can't wait to see the results on the chair. and great color choice on the bench!
Di
The Blue Ridge Gal
You are ever so sweet to try and find a way to help raise money. Perhaps if you set up a fund at the local Bank with the proceded going to the hospital, and put that in your local paper and your Blog. Your bench is so cute. Can't imagine why someone threw it away. Lucky find for you, for sure! good luck re-doing the chair...debbie
Hey Barb...good to see you are moving ahead with projects :)
The story of Lizzie is definitely one for "Lovemongering" on my blog, although--alas--I'm sort of revamping it and haven't posted a derned thing.
A thought: another artist friend of mine is helping HER artist friend whose husband has a brain tumor and, of course, just lost his job (ahh, this country! Grrr) by doing something called "Chip In"
http://www.chipin.com/
It's basically a site that lets you collect a straight forward donation amount.
You can also try to set up an online auction of their baskets and what have you. Feel free to email me, I am thinking of other ideas as well...that is really a pity that there are so many of these stories lately :(
I really would lika to have a bench like that! It´s absolutly in my taste.
Wish I could help Youy with the money raising for Your friends, but I have no idae how to arrange something like that on the internet.
I´ve always admired the Amish living their lives as they do. If a mail from a swedish man would be apropriate I would gladly write to her (and her husband of course). Let me know if that would be okay!
Christer.
i would be very interested in buying one of their baskets if you could send me some pics! i collect baskets and am always looking for new ones. also, i would love to write to her and send her a card if she is open to that. what great ideas. that bench looks fabulous. love the color. i wonder what the circular cut out was for? do you have any idea? i think if you add some art work to it you should emphasize the cutout. it would look really good! joyce ps...if you get pics of the basket/s send them to me at my blog:
octoberfarm.blogspot.com
I agree with Zan about 'Chip in', I use it to raise money for The Pagan Activist (my free online newspaper). It works really well, folks can donate as little or as much as they can afford and you may be able to paste to your blog, then everyone worldwide could help too. :)
A local bank account for the donations is great as you can send the money to it from 'Chip in' and, as Happy Days says, you could advertise that locally too.
Good luck with this and keep us posted! :
You could open a post office box for blog readers to send donations. "To Eli and Lizzie in care of The Big Red Barn" type mail. This way it will not congest your own personal mail. Spare change jars at some of the local stores may help as well. None of these will bring in "massive" amounts of cash but every penny helps. I know very little about the Amish, you are blessed to have them as neighbors and they are blessed by you. I hope things work out for them.
hey there! thank you so much for following my blog. that bench looks awesome...wish i were that patient and talented...about the amish folks, i am surprised their community doesn't have fundraisers for that very reason. the ones in penn. do which was very fun to attend. i think you had some great comments and ideas. the donate widget would be good toa dd to your blog and let people donate with paypal accounts...easy and quick for the donor. good luck and prayers to your friend lizzie.
Hi Barb,
I'd buy a basket from Lizzie. Can you post some pics?
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