may 25 2010 Kathy D's button11

may 25 2010 Kathy D's button11
Originally uploaded by cosmosmoonjewelry

I had a visit from a new friend from out of town today (who I met this year during the Spring Open studios ) She surprised me with a gift of a couple of bags of vintage Czech glass buttons from her old bead and button store in the Seattle area.
I thought it fitting that today's ring be a button ring-
"for Kathy D"- leather, Czech glass button and a brass rivet
:-) thanks friend!

health care debate

ok- so here I go throwing my hat into the ring..

I believe strongly that we should have a public option for healthcare in the US-
and if that is considered "liberal" or...gasp.."socialist", so be it. I am proud to be someone who cares about living things- be it plants, animals, or even..humans

I would be dead today if Italy didn't have socialized health care- My appendix ruptured while I was living there (actually, right after I returned from a long trip to the US) I was operated on, and stayed in the hospital for 6 days- all without paying a penny.

OK, so, the room wasn't private, and no TV, plus you had to go down the hall for the bathroom..and things weren't super modern.. (after all it WAS the hospital that Leonardo daVinci used to do his anatomical dissections in)

But the point is that I HAD health care in Italy- no questions....

and I Still wonder if my appendix had ruptured one week earlier, while I was visiting the US...and had no insurance (because at that time I was living in Florence)
what would have happened to me? I most likely would have tried to "tough it out" and avoid the ER, because I would have been worried about being saddled with a lifetime of medical bills-

While I was in the hospital a young american girl was admitted to my room.

She had been backpacking in Europe and ended up also with appendicitis while in France..she was operated on there, and decided to join her friends in Italy after they discharged her from the French hospital..

Well, needless to say, not a good idea...she ended up in incredible pain, and came to the Florence hospital straight from the train station...

I became her interpreter- and when her father showed up from the US, he was so grateful to the doctors for helping her...

The only thing I had a hard time translating for the father was when he asked where to pay the hospital bill.. He couldn't believe that his daughter was taken care of by a team of doctors and admitted to the hospital without charge. It was profound for him..

During this time of debate over health coverage in the US, I wonder what he (the father) is thinking about socialized medicine... I'll bet that he isn't out in the packs of demonstrators waving pics of Obama as Hitler.. No-I'll bet that he goes and hugs his daughter

The Sweater Nanas

I wanted to share with you today about a heartwarming tradition that was carried out in my son's class this morning. It is a perfect illustration of grace and generosity, carried out by dedicated crafters and benefiting everyone in the tree room community.

Thirteen years ago one of the students in the (K-1) tree room shared that she had a nana (grandma) who loved to knit. This Nana spent all year knitting, even during the sweltering Tucson summers. She knit, knit, knit....

What was she working on? This incredible woman was knitting for all the kids in her grandchild's classroom! In December, before holiday break, the "sweater nana" came to the class and presented each boy and girl in the classroom with a handmade sweater, gloves or hat, to keep and cherish for their very own. The children were delighted!

For the two years that the girl was in the tree room, the sweater nana knit each child a special piece, and each year they had a "Sweater Nana" day just before the holidays. Then, as all kids do, the little girl graduated to her next classroom.

So, December rolled around once more.. and, just before the holidays, the sweater nana showed up at school, to the tree room like before with knitted offerings for each girl and boy in the class!

The sweater nana had chosen the room, and a tradition lived on!

The sweater Nana continued her knitting grace and generosity for many years. Then, eight years ago she passed away. The tree room had lost this generous soul and everyone was very sad. Until, one of the Nieces of the sweater nana said, wait! I am carrying on the tradition. And with that, her generosity lives on.

Today there are seven "Sweater Nanas" ( four were able to come to the school this morning) and they spend all year long knitting, thinking about the generosity and grace of the original nana. They think of the children as they knit, clack clack-ing their way through each sweater with love and dedication.

After the "Sweater Nana" story was told this morning, a unique sweater and hat set was laid out for the kids to choose. And one by one, each child rose and selected their love letter.

Happy Holidays.