Shayna Metzner :: Friends blog

http://frankviola.wordpress.com/2008/08/20/its-open-phones-wednesday/

Unfortunatley, no one on Shapevine partcipated in our interesting experiment this past weekend. Go here to read the results and about what's coming.

http://frankviola.wordpress.com/2008/08/18/reflections-on-our-little-experiment-a-new-blog-element-added/

If you found this blog from Shapevine (here), please say so when you post your comment.

Participate in our little experiment.

http://frankviola.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/comments-are-open-this-weekend-an-experiment/

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BlogOneAnother/~3/362632240/the-recl

Neighbor M's father died recently, so I bought a condolence card, and took it around for each of the neighbors to sign. I'm sneaky, you see: I want to bless M. I want to bless the neighborhood by rallying them to a neighbor's cause. But I also saw an opportunity to visit each neighbor, and if invited, enter their homes.

"Looks like except for W, you have everybody," R said.

"Yeah, I'll get W. But I also want to get S," I replied.

"S? Oh man. If you don't come out, I'll come look for you," he joked.

The neighbors don't know what to make of S, who lives with her grown children but is never seen. Some of them are scared of her. R tells me that once S came into the court with a handgun, which W removed from her.

So I headed over and rang her doorbell. Little dogs inside responded, trying to sound vicious. A voice: "Get away from there!"

"S? Is that you?" I asked.

No reply.

"S? It's your neighbor, Jon. May I come in?"

S came out instead. She hadn't heard the doorbell, she explained, and was yelling at the dogs. We sat and visited. I already knew some history: She was a pastor's wife, until he divorced her. She's experienced chronic back pain since an injury years ago. Her life is dark. "I think if I died, nobody would notice. The neighbors might notice my children wearing black -- except that they wear black anyway," she said with a sad grin. "Nobody comes to see me. I don't want to think that God has forgotten me."

"That's why I'm here," I said, apologizing for not coming sooner.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BlogOneAnother/~3/361634140/knitting

From my friends at Haven. I should have posted this earlier, but there are still 3 Saturdays left.

Folks,

Just wanting to let you know of a series of events from our knitting friend Mayra Barajas. Her father works for an organization called FREE AT LAST that works with men and women who are struggling with drug addiction to find hope and recovery. What they need are knitted hats/caps/beanies that will be given out by Free At Last volunteers to homeless persons primarily in East Palo Alto. They will be distributed prior to the winter season so that they will be ready for the cold.

Mayra's goal and vision is at least 50 hats - 50!! And she's going to host a "knitting hour" at a local yarn retailer if you don't want to knit alone - and need a community to knit with. She'll do this for the next 4 consecutive Saturdays - yes 4!!

If you're just learning or don't know how - Mayra is a pro and she'll teach you too. You can buy the stuff at the store and she'll have you knitting these in no time. Or whatever it is that you're wanting to knit. So no matter the skill level or lack there of - come on out and help Mayra and her gang reach the goal of 50 knitting hats!! Donations for yarn to be knitted into hats are also welcome.

Info below:

Bobbin's Nest

1171 Homestead Rd. #130

Santa Clara, CA 9505

408/246-1121

August 9, 16, 23, 30 [SAT] - 12pm to 2pm

Snack Likely; Discount From Store Owner Probably [TBD]

Mayra's contact info - barajasml [at] gmail.com.



Thanks all - look forward to reaching the goal of 50!!