It's been a week, friends. Strava tells me I've ridden for 6 hours, gone 90 miles, and set 4 personal records in the last seven days. Woohooo!!! I can tell you that the commitment to a streak is a great weapon against inertia. Today, for example, I left home at 8 in the morning and returned at 5. Then Coty and I went out to vote and then home again to make dinner. In the past, inertia would have kicked in after dinner and I would have begged off exercising for the day. Tonight, I changed into cycling shorts, tied a bandana around my head, donned my helmet, and headed off for the Caldwell Biz Park hills It was a short ride, slightly less than 6 miles, but it met my streak required distance and I enjoyed it. I'm kind of pumped about this streak-thing. We'll see how long I can keep it going!
I'm also pumped about Make Welcome being included in the article, "Made in America" in this month's issue of the online magazine, Seamwork. Betsy Blodgett interviewed me a couple of months ago for the article and I was so pleased to see how she framed our conversation. It was exciting for Make Welcome and Journey Home to be included with Raleigh Denim, The Makers Coalition, and others in Blodgett's piece about the return of sewing manufacturing to America and they ways in which companies and organizations are working to bring sewing back. After reading the article, I felt so encouraged and inspired to press on in our work!
I get to do interesting things most every day. In my part-time work now with Upcycle Life at Project 658 now, there is so much variety! Today included organizing the assortment of plexiglass pattern templates and figuring out fabric and hardware requirements for items that Upcycle Life sews; corresponding with the Director of the Recycling Business Assistance Center for the state of North Carolina; talking with an intern about new product photography; and spreading out discarded billboards to inspect the vinyl colors and cut into usable sizes. All of that was interspersed with a lot of conversation and laughter with the Nepali and Montagnard women who sew for Upcycle Life. They are the ones who know the sewing end of this business and I am working hard to learn from them.
Today also included corresponding with No One Left Behind on behalf of one of our Afghan students who is trying desperately to figure out a way to help her sister and brother-in-law, who worked for the US military and whose life is now in danger, get a Special Immigrant Visa to come to the US. She and I also talked about the napkins she is embroidering and trying to sell. The stories make me want to weep; the courage, persistence,creativity, and beauty in the face of it all make me thankful for the opportunity to teach, befriend, and learn from such incredible women!
I'm also pumped about Make Welcome being included in the article, "Made in America" in this month's issue of the online magazine, Seamwork. Betsy Blodgett interviewed me a couple of months ago for the article and I was so pleased to see how she framed our conversation. It was exciting for Make Welcome and Journey Home to be included with Raleigh Denim, The Makers Coalition, and others in Blodgett's piece about the return of sewing manufacturing to America and they ways in which companies and organizations are working to bring sewing back. After reading the article, I felt so encouraged and inspired to press on in our work!
I get to do interesting things most every day. In my part-time work now with Upcycle Life at Project 658 now, there is so much variety! Today included organizing the assortment of plexiglass pattern templates and figuring out fabric and hardware requirements for items that Upcycle Life sews; corresponding with the Director of the Recycling Business Assistance Center for the state of North Carolina; talking with an intern about new product photography; and spreading out discarded billboards to inspect the vinyl colors and cut into usable sizes. All of that was interspersed with a lot of conversation and laughter with the Nepali and Montagnard women who sew for Upcycle Life. They are the ones who know the sewing end of this business and I am working hard to learn from them.
Today also included corresponding with No One Left Behind on behalf of one of our Afghan students who is trying desperately to figure out a way to help her sister and brother-in-law, who worked for the US military and whose life is now in danger, get a Special Immigrant Visa to come to the US. She and I also talked about the napkins she is embroidering and trying to sell. The stories make me want to weep; the courage, persistence,creativity, and beauty in the face of it all make me thankful for the opportunity to teach, befriend, and learn from such incredible women!
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