An Unashamedly Personal Post

A hero is a woman who does what she can

Romain Rolland (correction of gender bias - Mrs Button)

Tonight has nothing to do with buttons or sewing. I want to honour a hero. There are no words grand enough or grateful enough for this rare and precious soul. This is the best I can do:

When we were in a very black place and could not think what to do, how to make things right for Mr Button and our family, you gave us HOPE.

You offered a part of yourself to us. It was a noble, generous, compassionate, kind gift which you gave with simple, unconditional LOVE.

Because of your great, good, gift, we DREAM, again. We are dreaming of rolling in the grass, playing at the beach, long busy days in the garden, throwing a football around the yard, going out together at night, having energy to enjoy the 3 beautiful little Buttons we are blessed with. We DREAM about days and weeks and months without doctors or hospitals.

With full and joyful hearts, we say THANK YOU! You are an everyday hero who has done an extraordinary thing. I see the colour in My Darling's cheeks and the excitement in his voice and I can't help beaming. I am in awe at what you have done and I cannot help but share it with this little corner of the world.

I am taking care of Mr Button as he recovers from his kidney transplant. I will pop back when I can. Your support and prayers are gratefully appreciated.

Missed It By THAT Much.

I suspect the title of this post will reflect my age and the fact that Maxwell Smart was one of my Dad's favourite TV shows. It's also perfect for the snippet of family life I am going to share with you.

Having set the context, let me tell you about my crafting 'miss'. It has become something of a family tradition to have receive a new 'Birthday Suit' to wear on the big day. Of recent years, this is often a request for a new Cute as Buttons design or some sort of Bespoke item. This year, Paddy's plans started out well:

• A red shirt with a desert and a bilby burrowing in a hole.

It moved to this:

• It's night time in the desert, the moon is shining in the sky, there is an owl flying over the hill and the bilby is sitting on the hill nibbling the grass that has grown there because it has just rained.

I was having some concerns about pulling that one off. However, at some point in the negotiations the plans scaled back dramatically to:

• anything you like with wheels and army fabric.

I am not sure if there was some intervention by Mr Button or Nanny or, if my wise little boy just took pity on me and decided I may have bitten off more than I could chew but, I must admit I was relieved not to be coming up with the desert scenario. I decided that a motorbike would do the trick and proceeded to work on it. I eventually produced the Vespa like design in the photo and ignored Mr Button's sniggering everytime I mentioned the Motorbike applique. I really wanted to use some more of the chenille pieces Miriam had given me so I cut the handles and wheels out of a mottled grey chenille which I thought worked well with the army fabric. Sewed, pressed and wrapped, I awaited his reaction.

The morning of the birthday arrived, one of his first selections was the present with the shirt inside. As the paper revealed the gift, a quizzical look appeared on his little face as he smiled and said, "Hmmmm."

Mr Button, sniggering again, asked if he knew what it was. Nanny, always the peacemaker, jumped in and said, "Of course he does Dad. It's a bike, isn't it Paddy?"

Relief all over his face, Paddy ended the conversation by saying, "Yes. It's great, Mum. Just not like any bike I've ever seen in real life."

So, the Vespa hasn't made the Cute as Buttons line up but I am proud to say my boy knows how to react politely when given a present he's not too sure about. He did wear it on the weekend and you can see it in his photo on the previous post. I had a couple of emails about the new design so thought I should explain. Seven weeks after the event I can now talk about the 'miss'. Mr Button, be warned, if I hear anymore sniggering I may not be so evolved.

Our Market Day

The anxious shopkeeper

Saturday saw an early start for my 6yr old Button. He decided to join me at The Handmade Expo in Ipswich. He was great company and quite helpful and he had sold out of his homemade fudge by 9:30am which made him as pleased as punch. Luckily, Nanny was there to chaperon him around the market and help keep him entertained. He loved the World Record Attempt at Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes and also the rides and face painting. He found a little stall where he could select and make his own badge which kept him entertained for a goodly while and he's already planning which ones to make next month. It was a great date!

The new hair pretties

We had a lovely shady spot

We tried making shopping easier for the Button Buyers and arranged the stock in areas...Girls, Boys and They Don't Know Yet, which seemed to go quite well. We also resurrected the Jolly Green Giant which Sharon's handy, husband made for us last year to display our Christmas Lovelies. We had some coloured Christmas shirts, as requested, but they went quickly so get your orders in early. If you are an Ipswich local, let us know what you want and we will send it to Liesa in Handmade Heaven. She'd love you to visit the shop and make a head start on your Christmas shopping.

The Green Giant returns

We came home with a cute birdhouse from The Original Eumundi Birdhouse Co. and we are still in discussion as to it's permanent home. For now, it seems to be occupied.

Super Pops Entry

Number of days since purchase of this rug - 11.

Average age of artists collaborating on this project - 2yrs 2 mths.

Expletives uttered by Mr Button - 73.

Look on Mrs Button's face - apoplectic.

Dear SuperPops,

Please accept this as the Button family entry in your recent giveaway competition. I believe it to be the artists' impression of the chaos from which you produce your crafty goodness. At this stage they are not available for comment.

The artwork is on a fairly large scale and only a small portion is shown in this photograph but we believe it accurately conveys the intent of the artists.

You should be aware that this was not our first choice for submission. The older brother of said artists had committed to this project but he is a bit miffed as their choice of medium was the new rug in his bedroom. He has, understandably, withdrawn from the project until further notice.

Kind regards,

Mrs Button.

Thought for Thursday

We don't have to move mighty mountains,

We don't have to swim stormy seas,

We don't have to change the world overnight,

We don't have to do famous things.

Wherever we are, whoever we meet, in everything we do and say,

If we get in the groove and let the spirit move,

We can make a little difference every day!

Michael Mangan

This song is a bit of a fave around our house. Today when I was having a bit of a moment about some domestic mess, my 6yr old button reminded me that I just had to make a little difference everyday and all would be well. What a wise owl and a dear little boy.

So, that is the difference I'm claiming today - I took my son's advice and found my groove! What was the little difference you made today?