The last of our shows for the season has ended, and all the picnic baskets are stowed in their winter homes. My studio is tidy and sparkling clean (as much as a basement room can be, at least), and I am feeling GOOOOOD.
All summer long there have been projects and piles of stuff all over the place awaiting cleaning, repairing, altering, painting, pricing, packing--completely hiding whole rooms in the house from view. But now we have our space back, including our garage, thanks to the hundreds of items we have sold out from under our roof. Thank you, Jesus! These items have been converted into funds to help the struggling moms and children living in the poverty of Haiti, thanks to our heroic friends who run Haiti Foundation Against Poverty. These stunning individuals train women in legitimate professions to provide for their families, administer health care, educate & feed orphaned children, and work with local agencies in the delicate issues of crime and political corruption. Their daily struggles are so much more than mine, living purposely among the poor and desperately needy. May we all strive to be this gracious and self-sacrificial.
Perhaps someday I will go to visit these dear ones in person, but until then I will cherish the newly-empty spaces in my home that represent not only a place where we can resume living and playing, but also lives changed across the globe. And now that my creative space is freed up of clutter, I can look forward to much whimsical upcycling during the "dark months."
