Today is twenty...

by Christina


A few odds and ends here before today's tip. It's hard to believe that tomorrow is the "final" day on our journey with peace. I've been pondering ways to keep things moving forward as we've made so much progress these past few weeks. So please watch for more peaceful activities as we continue our peace revolution.

And just in case you haven't heard, tomorrow, December 21 will be our World-wide Knit-in for Peace Day. Knit (or crochet, quilt, etc) anytime during the day in the name of peace. Don't forget to place a pin on the map to mark your location for the World-wide Knit-in for Peace Day.  There are over 1000 pins on the map thus far. Remember...if we have knitters around the globe knitting for peace then we've created "world peace." Also, there will be another give-away opportunity with yarn provided by Knitcircus. So make sure you stop by the blog tomorrow.

Peace tip #20.

I've written a little story for you. So put on the kettle and pull up a chair.

Once upon a time there was a family, a rather prominent family in the community, well-respected which was also well-deserved. The father was quite powerful as he owned most of the businesses and ran the local government (if you can call it that). The mother was one of those trendsetting moms and long before it was common for women to work outside of the house she worked as the only lawyer in their tiny village. Oddly though she didn't have much work as the people of the village were content so crime was non-existent.   

They had 3 beautiful daughters, fair maidens if you will. The oldest, Eunice, the middle child, Justine and the youngest, Irene. The girls were the best of friends, each one of them special in their own way but together they exuded a presence that could not be denied. The villagers adored the three young girls and treated them with respect.

The girls would wander off into the forest each morning, rain or shine. Eunice loved to keep the forest tidy and could be found picking up kindling, sweeping leaves or even creating little resting places for the animals made of fallen pine needles. On the other hand, Justine made sure that no harm came to any of the animals or the trees for that matter. She was the protector and the forest creatures appreciated her presence as they felt safe whenever she was near. Finally, the youngest, Irene. She would dance around the forest singing sweet songs. Think of blissful images of Snow White. When not dancing she would rest by the water's edge...every where she went things were calm.

As the girls got older they decided to go their separate ways as most girls do. Each one wanted to see the world, to be independent. Knowing that their love for one another would be a constant, one that they could return to time and time again, they packed up their belongings (which were minimal but covered the necessities) and each one went in a separate direction, Eunice to the west, Justine to the East and Irene to the South. 

Once the fair maidens left the village, the people were sad and distraught. In just a matter of days things began to fall apart. The streets became cluttered with garbage, unkind words spoken to one another, and the taking of each other's property began. At first it was a quiet, subtle discontent but as the days progressed it moved slowly into a dull roar and finally there were riots in the tiny village streets. The father of the 3 young maidens began to exert his power and the mother had more work than she could imagine.

What happened to this village and why?

And here is where I'll leave you to write (or think) the next chapter in the story. 

Here's my doodle from yesterday... Ponderosa Pines from the Payette National Forest near McCall, ID

Here's my doodle from yesterday... Ponderosa Pines from the Payette National Forest near McCall, ID

 

 


Hola 19...

by Christina


Water...

The most essential nutrient to human life. Two simple little hydrogen molecules and one oxygen. The energy needed to create these bonds is beyond human capability to replicate. We can build mass weapons of destruction, send people to outer space, and build computers with communication systems that allow us to send electronic messages to people around the world instantaneously yet the ability to create life-sustaining water is unattainable. 

Having lived most of my life in the mountains near streams, rivers and a few lakes, I've not had the opportunity to spend much time around the ocean. In May, I was fortunate to spend two weeks on the Atlantic Ocean allowing for many walks on the beach. And as I walked for miles through the sand chasing the waves or rather being chased by waves I began to ponder "water." 

The lull of the waves coming in and retreating quickly becomes a rhythmic constant that comforts. In and out, in and out. A guarantee that the ocean promises that it will return over and over again. 

As each wave approaches the shore one begins to wonder how long has this water been working it's way here. As the wave slips back into the ocean underneath the incoming wave, it retreats with grace into the vast depths of the sea. Will each water droplet that reaches that line where the sand and water meet, every return to that same place again or is it a one time event? 

The waves lapping against the shore soothes the soul and has been described by many as peaceful. We become convinced that this big massive body of water is gentle and nurturing. Yet the power that can be generated by the tiniest and simplest drops of water when they work collectively can accomplish great things, both negative and positive. The same can be said for people...when we work together we can be unstoppable, in negative and positive ways.

As we near the shoreline on this journey with peace we have the opportunity to make more choices. Cause after all, this is your journey and your choice. Will this be a one time visit to the shoreline? Or will you be persistent and return again and again? Will you be a water molecule that joins together with others to work collectively for something grand, in a positive way? Or will you allow yourself to be carried away back out into the ocean and overcome by the power of everything else going on around you? C-H-O-I-C-E.

Peace tip #19

We've talked about snow and trees as symbols of peace. Now we are adding water to the mix. Pull out a piece of paper, put on your favorite music and start to doodle. No artistic ability required just put pen to paper. Doodle peace...whatever it is to you. It might be a scene, words, or a collection of colors. It might be trees, water, snow, yarn, people...the sky is the limit. You might choose to doodle a quote or two that have been in the posts or one that hasn't. No inner critic allowed.

PS. I'll be ordering 200 bags. They will probably arrive sometime in January. This gives me time to figure out how to set-up a "store." Just to be clear, yesterday was not a pre-order; you'll still need to order one when they arrive. I just needed to get some idea of how many I should order.


Eighteen smiles...

by Christina


Did you know the average 4 year old smiles 400 times a day?

The average adult smiles 15-20 times a day.

There's even some science behind the benefits to smiling, genuine smiling, not a fake smile. You can read more about the benefits of smiling here.

Last year I told my students (university seniors) that just because I don't smile very much doesn't mean I don't care about them or their success. It's true I don't smile a lot but I find there are lots of times I'm smiling "on the inside." But maybe, just maybe if I smiled more I wouldn't have to tell people I care... they'd know that I care because of the way I am around them. Hmmm....that's something to think about.

Peace tip #19...

How many times a day do you smile? It's Day 18, smile at least 18 times today. Because as St. Teresa says, "peace begins with a smile."

What makes you smile? Is it certain people? Wearing your favorite sweater that makes you feel special? Watching your children or perhaps a pet play? 

QUESTION

I'm considering having project bags made for Project Peace. The bag would be approximately 10 inches by 12 inches, a drawstring cord and screenprinted with the Project Peace artwork and the saying "peace...this we choose each day..." Bags would be $12 plus shipping. I need to decide if I should order 100 or 200 (or any at all). If you would be interested in a bag, please leave a comment below and if you perhaps want more than one, please tell me that as well. I've never done anything like this before so it's uncharted territory. I love the idea of having a Project Peace bag as a reminder of this peace-along however I don't want to end up with 100 extra bags :)

Have a peaceful day filled with lots of smiles...


Salut seventeen...

by Christina


I've quite a few ideas for you today so I'm going to just jump right into the tips. 

Peace tip #18.

Several suggestions for you today as we continue to identify simple ways to cultivate peace in our day.

1. There is a wonderful (free) app called BrainyQuote. Each morning at 8 a.m. I receive a quote of the day. It's amazing how the quote helps remind me of the "big picture" whether it's about peace, change, gratitude, the importance of education, etc. So even after our daily peace-along shifts to a non-daily approach, you'll have a nice little quote to guide you through the day.

2. Create a gratitude "jar." Each day write a little note for something you are grateful for in your life. Place it in the jar. If you choose to do this each day after 1 year, you'll have a collection of 365 things to remind me of the good in your life. I've seen this done with nice glass jars and fancy lids but really you can do this with a bowl, envelope or whatever moves you. It's nice to have the notes be small rather than a notebook so you don't get overwhelmed with having to write lots.

Perhaps you want to start a gratitude jar as a present for someone else...write some notes about what that person means to you (or get several people to contribute). Then whenever they need some inspiration they can go to the gratitude jar. 

3. Many of you are making the peace cowl as a gift for someone in need, a loved one, friend or a complete stranger. Lisa has once again provided us with another version of the Project Peace cover page. This time in the form of a greeting card. You can print and then fold the page in half. You'll just need to find an envelope. Now when you gift the cowl, you can write a peaceful note to the recipient.

May you have a productive day in whatever form or shape that takes for you. Perhaps it's preparing for the upcoming holidays, spending times with friends and/or family, or maybe just a quiet, relaxing day. May you find time for peaceful knitting and perhaps a walk if the weather is not too dangerously hot or cold. 

Peace...

Christina