Jenyfer Matthews

It’s been gray and cold and drizzly almost the entire time I’ve been in Ohio, but I think that spring has *finally* arrived for real because I’ve been struck with an undeniable urge to clean and organize.

I’m hardly a neat freak, but once the level of clutter gets to a certain point I have to clear it up or I can’t think. My bedroom was awash in piles of clothes – items that the children have (already) outgrown, donations for me and the children that didn’t work out for one reason or another, and winter clothes. Today I sorted through everything and made piles for the consignment store and for donation.

The winter clothes will be donated locally and the rest will be donated to a local church that is collecting things to be taken to the tornado victims in the South. I was incredibly fortunate to have a huge outpouring of support for myself and my children when we arrived in Ohio with what little we brought with us when we evacuated Egypt so I’m really happy to be paying it forward by contributing clothes and toiletries to others in need now.

I am also still working on getting all of my books proofed and formatted for paperback. HERE TO STAY is now available in print on Amazon and I’m hoping to have ONE CRAZY SUMMER proofed by the end of the month. I’d like to say it will be formatted but let’s just keep that as a goal instead of a promise!

Back in November I replied to a post on A Home Grown Journal: Mama Pea (fulfilling a commitment she’d made to another blogger) offered to send a handmade item to the first three people to comment on the post. The catch? They in turn had to “pay it forward” by making the same offer on their own blogs.

Here are the rules: I will send a handmade gift to the first three people who leave a comment on this post requesting to participate. I can’t tell you what your gift will be, but since I’m primarily a quilter maybe you can take a wild guess as to which form the gift will take! The normal rules state that the gift has to be received within 365 days, however, I am pretty sure that whoever decides to play with me will get their gift in the summertime since that is when I will have access to reliable mail service!

So who wants to play? The only thing you have to do in return is promise to make the same offer on your own blog after you receive your gift from me. Don’t be shy – the gift does not have to be elaborate, just homemade. Do you paint? Are you a photographer? Do you crochet or make paper? You could send someone a selection of greeting cards using your own photographs, for example (insert innocent whistling here) You could crochet a pot holder or one of those magical dish rags I’ve heard about. Paint a tiny picture – or a big one. Wood working, jewelry, pottery, collage, glass blowing, sand art – only your imagination, generosity, and particular skill is the limit.

Just to be clear: none of your gifts will come to me – I give a gift to you, then you give gift to three other people. Ready? Go!