Knitted Goodies for Homeless in Need

 Thank you Laura J for this awesome donation.  So many wonderfully knitted items.  If you scroll back a few posts, you'll see part I of her donation.  I mentioned that as part I, and to stay tuned.  Since I've been pretty immobile with my broken foot, hubby put Laura's donation in the garage the day she hand delivered to my house.  He brought in one container, and mentioned afterwards there was more.  Thus, the first post was part I.  Here now is part II, but there is more (so keep checking back).  I'm piece mealing things as I can kemp around to get them done.  Above you see a multi-colored knit afghan.  Colors suitable for anyone, male or female.  This is a very nice soft afghan and it will be truly appreciated by whomever wraps up in it.

 Here we have 4 awesome scarves. Please click to enlarge to see the wonderful detail in the green scarf!  What a pretty pattern.  And

here we have 2 nice warm and very soft shawls to help keep someone warm in when they wrap up in them.  Laura, I really like pattern of mostly garter stitches you used for both these shawls and the afghan above, but how did you get the rows?  What appears to be horizontal divides?

**The counts on our progress bars are current. All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated. The Power of One is awesome, and when we work together The Power of One becomes The Power of Many.

Blogging in Alphabetical Order, D=Dog and Homeless

 This man has no name, none that was listed in the article anyway.  And that was on purpose according to Austin Brown who wrote the article a year ago.  This man lived in woods for 16 years in Tennessee, near Natchez Trace.  He was apparently caring for 31 dogs.  All with internal and external parasites and 3 with leg injuries.

 The article doesn't say how he came to have so many dogs, or how he fed them, since he has been homeless for so very long.  But, apparently he knew he was ill, and knew he would be unable to continue to care for the dogs, and so accepting help from Animal Rescue Corp (the source of the pictures)

The article was posted on goodfullness.net by Austin Brown.  The man's name was withheld for safety reasons the article says.  The homeless man indicated he wouldn't leave until all the dogs were cared for.  So Animal Rescue rounded up the dogs and got them into kennels and off to vets to be taken care of.  He was also set up for care for himself, but the article is very vague and doesn't indicate when or how he was cared for.  

Just thought I would share this with you today as, D=Dog, and many homeless people have a dog with them when they live out in the elements.  Some say for protection, others say for company.  Sadly, that can be a detriment to them getting the help they need, because it complicates where they can go...how much money is available etc for them or medical care, housing, food and more.

I do hope this man received the care he needed and that his multiple dogs were also cared for.

**The counts on our progress bars are current. All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated. The Power of One is awesome, and when we work together The Power of One becomes The Power of Many.

New Pair of Helping Hands from Connecticut

Thank you Barry Family from Connecticut for this nice warm scarf.  It's a basket stitch and so is very cushy and warm.  It's color is a brownish-red which works well for either a man or a woman.........as does the nice large size!  I'm pretty excited to add Connecticut to our map of donors, thank you Barry Family.

Hope to see you here again on Bridge and Beyond, and please keep up the good work.  We here in Ohio are happy to have you join us.

**The counts on our progress bars are current. All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated. The Power of One is awesome, and when we work together The Power of One becomes The Power of Many.

Knitted Cotton Washcloths and More

Thank you Laura J for hand delivering this wonderful donation for Bridge and Beyond.  Laura has been very busy knitting cotton washcloths, as you can see.  Lots of different colors, and several different styles/patterns.  These cloths have so many different purposes and are always well received by those living in the elements, and those at the shelters.

Laura has included a nice variety of personal care items, and a rain poncho!  Tis the season for that for sure.  April showers bring May flowers.

Many thanks Laura for your thoughtful donation and for taking the time to hand delivery.  Much appreciated.  Please keep up the good work.

Stay tuned folks, as this is part I

**The counts on our progress bars are current. All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated. The Power of One is awesome, and when we work together The Power of One becomes The Power of Many.

A Cocoon of Yarn, Blogging in Alphabetical Order

 Purchased this ball winder some time back.  And did lots of winding.  You wind hanks or skeins of yarn into yarn cakes.  Cakes are slightly different than yarn balls.  Cakes generally aren't wound tightly, and usually have an inside pull.  Yarn balls can be pretty tight (cause you typically wind by hand), and unroll outside in.

 A cocoon of yarn also seems quite appropriate.  If you click to enlarge you'll see a bit of an indent in the center of these cakes...Something could nestle right down in there......be protected, just like insects are when in a Cocoon

It so happens much of yarn cakes you see above are being used in the afghan Learning Logs I'm currently working on.

Here's a poem, my darling SIL Jan, and her friend Kathy wrote for Bridge and Beyond a few years back.  It's such a sweet poem, thought it worth a share again.

A cocoon of yarn

Awaits the magic of

Hand and Hook

What will I be?

Scarf,

hat,

afghan,

love

*copyrighted

**The counts on our progress bars are current.  All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated. The Power of One is awesome, and when we work together The Power of One becomes The Power of Many.

Barnacle Bill and Blogging in Alphabetical Order.

Today is letter B. In the last round of blogging in alphabetical order, B=Begging and Homelessness.  Prior to that when blogging for the letter B for the official A-Z challenge, it was Bridge and Beyond, Behind the Scenes

Doing a google search for a B word connected in some capacity to homelessness I came up with this list:

• Basement
• Bearable
• Befriend
• Begging
• Bench
• Blanket
• Booze
• Bridge
• Broke
• Broken

Not sure I see reflances to the word basement.   Bearable.  How is it bearable for so many people not to know where they're going to sleep, or where the next meal is coming from?  A huge question to me, one I don't have an answer to.  Do you?


Befriend, that's a tough one.  I've not befriended a homeless person.  I try to be kind and hope we all do.  Not just with our donations here on Bridge and Beyond, but with our smiles or words when we come across a homeless person in our day to day.

Begging....well that was my previous B post.

Bench, makes me think of people sleeping in a park on a bench, or a bench in a town square.  Certainly something to explore in more detail.

Blanket, that goes along with Afghan I think for us here on Bridge and Beyond.

Booze.  We've talked about that.  Believe in part on the begging post.  Some folks indicate they won't give money because they don't want the homeless to buy booze with it.  I can't say I share that opinion.  If I were sleeping out in the elements, and drinking booze made me feel better..........even though temporarily ....it's hard to say I might not choose that if I had the opportunity.

Bridge..........well that word certainly seems appropriate to us here on Bridge and Beyond.

Broke........financial so perhaps, but also physically and mentally could come into play and something worth a follow up post.

Broken........lots to say here.  But, will explore it in it's own post.  The short version is....The System is Broken, in my opinion.

AND what of the picture?  Me playing mini golf on a week with my lady friends about 6 weeks ago.  We were playing at Pirates Cove...perhaps the gentleman I'm sharing the shade with was Barnacle Bill?  How's that for a stretch to get a B?


**The counts on our progress bars are current. Percentages are current. All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated. The Power of One is awesome, and when we work together The Power of One becomes The Power of Many.