Gifts from the ladies!

A lovely moment at Syracuse was when my dear friend, Pat, presented me with this beautiful box and a stitched pen.  How elegant!! The box reminds me of the beautiful treasures I saw in Cambodia years ago.  I love the gold embellishment.  Just as rich is the pen, stitched by Pat, in silver and light blue, sparkling and elegant.  Pat is not only a fantastic stitcher, she is also responsible for 10 new wrinkles, 5 on each side of my mouth, for laughing so hard and being quite naughty!

To think of the time and effort in choosing and stitching!  Thank you so very much, Pat. Thank you to my friends in Syracuse.  

Off to hear Nina in a school concert.  It's the end of the school year, and I feel I should get a commencement diploma as well, (graduating 8th grade)!

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July 10th, 2001, and why I will forever be grateful.

I sometimes wonder what it was like.  July 10th, 2001, in Cambodia, the day Nina was born.  It's happy, it's sad, it's a puzzle and a wonder.  Every year, on this day, I feel the true meaning of the word gratitude.  How grateful I am that Nina came to us.  We know very little about the first three months of her life, about that day.  She must have been a healthy baby.  Where did the moment take place? Was her mother alone?  Did she know then that she would not be able to care for Nina and give her everything she wanted for her?  What a brave, brave woman.  Every year on this day, I wish that somehow, in some mystical way, that brave woman know what has become of the little baby.  I want her to know that she has grown into a human being that would make her glow with pride!  How loving, caring, remarkable our Nina is, hers and ours.

Nina is 11 years old today.  We have been with her for 11 of her birthdays.  On that first one, the day she was born, she was held by a brave woman, someone who loved her so very much, and who sacrificed so much for her.  Thank you.  Thank you more than words can say.

The photograph we received of Nina when she was 3 months old

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Tabitha

When my husband, Reid, and I first arrived in Cambodia six years ago, it was late afternoon. We came to bring home our little nine month old daughter, Nina. We arrived late and were told we would not be able to meet her until the following morning, so we made our way to our hotel. As we walked into the lobby, my eyes were immediately drawn to a display of cards. The cards were embroidered scenes of Cambodia stitched in wild and wonderful colors with images that were simple, naïve, and so beautiful. There were also embroidered cards of flowers that seemed to give off beautiful fragrances, and cards of embroidered butterflies, so life-like that they looked as though they would fly right off the page. But the cards that haunted me the most were those depicting village life in Cambodia. I soon discovered that these cards were made under the tutelage of an organization called Tabitha, whose mission it is to teach land mine victims new skills. These bright and joyous scenes were embroidered by people whose lives and bodies had been torn apart by the “left-overs” of war. Tabitha’s goal is to help these people regain their earning power and their self-esteem. There is so much more to say about these people and about Tabitha, but I much prefer to let the images speak for themselves. When we returned home, I framed a series of these cards and hung them in Nina’s room. They are there to teach her about the land of her birth and about hope. You can visit Tabitha’s website to learn more about its mission and to see many more examples of the beautiful crafts that their trainees make. When you're on their site, follow the link for Tabitha Foundation of Canada.

I often look at my threaded needle and think – what a great tool this can be!

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Budding Flower

This is the gesture for bud in Cambodian ballet. Try it. No, that's not it. Bend your last three fingers back, and make sure your knuckles are pulled in. Ouch!

It takes years and years of training from a very early age to be able to master the art that is Cambodian ballet.

Our little Nina is from Cambodia. Bright and early every Saturday morning she stands tall with her hands ready to make the gestures for sprout, leaf, bud and flower. It is so lovely.

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