Search Results for: shekinah

For the past few nights I’ve been waking up at 3am and thinking about my trip to India.  My mind starts spinning with what I need to do to make it happen and what I’ll do once I’m there.

I’m thinking about the $6000 I need to raise for the trip  and all the different ways there are for me to do it.  I’ve decided to do a crowd sourcing with Indiegogo (Luckily I have Jon’s help, he’s a pro when it comes to this kind of thing) and even before doing that I’ve had people making donations (thanks again to Jon for blogging about it) to my paypal account and sending checks.

It feels weird for me to write this, I’m not used to asking for money, but I’m committed to making this trip a reality.  So if you’d like to donate you can wait for my Indiegogo.  Of if you’d like to donate sooner, you can  do so through my  paypal account at [email protected] or by sending a check to Maria/India Trip PO Box 205 Cambridge NY 12816.( Thank you)

Jon made the first “donation” when a friend paid him to take some photos of her daughter.  And my friend Kim (who used to sew my potholders.  “Imagine” I said to her, “the potholders doing good in India”) handed me a card with cash in it.

That same day I saw Heather from the bead shop at the gas station in town.  She suggested donating $2 from every pair of socks (you know those socks that Jon and I wear)  she sells between now and the Bedlam Farm Open House in October.  Yes! I said and gave her a hug. (I’ll let you know more about that later).

Then Susan messaged me about possibly getting a matching grant. (working on that too!)

All this happened in just a few days.

But I’m also thinking of other ways to raise money.  I keep picturing a quilt made from some dreams  Jon had a week or so ago.  The one with the dancing goddesses and Shekinah in a chariot ( I see a chicken chariot) and trees with fish in them.    Someone mentioned the idea of my auctioning off my Rapunzel Chair, (which I’m open to doing)  but shipping would be a problem.   It would be easy to auction off a quilt.  And I can see this one very clearly. A joyous quilt where women of all ages are dancing in control of their own destiny.

Then Ruth left a comment on my blog, asking if she could support my trip by buying four of my potholders for $35 each.  Yes! I wrote back.  Such a  fun and creative idea.

And I’ve also been thinking about those kids in the “daycare” making those shopping bags.  And I thought of my tote bags.  I just bought my first new Tote from a company called EcoBags.  (I sold the 30 totes a friend originally gave me which got me started on the whole tote bag thing).  It’s a socially responsible company (fair wage, labor and trade) with their factories in India.  I could donate some totes and permanent markers to those kids.  They could do their drawings and sell their bags.  (I’d be sure to post pictures on my blog).

And what about that bracelet I made for Jon for his birthday, from the fabric Kenna sent me.  It was so simple to make, could I teach them to do something like that too?

Then,   Sarah offered some fabric scraps, perfect for potholders, if I’m bringing fabric with me.  (I have no idea if I am or not, so many questions yet to be answered).

My feet are twitching like a cat’s tail and my mind is buzzing with ideas and “things to do”.   When I get nervous, and I do, I think about those girls and women in Kolkata and what they’ve been through.  Perspective helps keep me balanced.

So may people who have been to India write and tell me going there will change my life.  I think it already has.