Simple Gifts

First, I have to tell you about a book my sister read over Thanksgiving and left with me. It called 29 Gifts and it's by a woman named Cami Walker. She wrote the book because she has MS and had a very difficult time with the diagnosis and symptoms (I'm sure she still does to an extent). At a particularly bad time, a friend told her she was focusing too much on herself and recommend she give 29 gifts for 29 days. The gifts do not have to be materialistic or big, but her friend did suggest she journal about her experience giving.

I really like this book and the challenge the author describes herself experiencing. She also set up a website you can check out by going here. I have started try to give gifts everyday mindfully, but I haven't found the mental space to journal yet, so I'm not officially starting the challenge. I thought I'd sprinkle some posts into this blog to share a few simple gifts with you that I have received lately. Oh, there are so many wonderful gifts to share! Here's my first :

My mom gave me this purple warm fleece when I started chemo because I was always cold. She just brought it home knowing I needed it:

Shortly after I received the jacket, my good friend, Beth, sent me a warm card with this silky patch enclosed. It's from a feminist group that supported a local Mountain Keepers event. (Beth, if you're reading this, leave a comment with more details. I can't find your card that I put in a special place with this info. The special place, I guess, is a little too special). I love the patch so much, my mom suggested I sew it onto the jacket I wear every day.

Great I idea! I used fabric stabilizer and the zig zag stitch on my machine for the first time and it turned out great. A little crooked on one side, but you can't tell:

It meant so much to me that Beth thought about me at an event I would have loved to attend and that she took the time to send me this simple gift. It makes me smile and feel strong.

I also love that it got me to my sewing machine--even if it was just for a few minutes. I need to warm up because I've cut my fabric for my little quilt and the sewing begins tomorrow!