Oh I don't keep Busy - Busy just finds me. If I could keep Busy then my days would be emptier. I would spend the empty, extra moments tending to Busy probably, perhaps have tea with Busy, or share some chocolate treats, or write Busy poetry, or sing Busy a song, or paint Busy a portrait to be remembered by. Busy instead rides in on a rusted old bicycle, with a horn that sounds like a goat being squeezed, and not in a good way. Last time Busy arrived, my sunflowers got mashed because the bike fell on top of the garden. I think Busy gets lonely sometimes, and that's why Busy is always coming around and wanting to interrupt whatever is going on that day. it's getting colder outside now, and I was thinking that I should really knit Busy a sweater because sooner or later, even when the road is thick with snow, Busy will come tearing down the lane, wanting my attention. I wouldn't want Busy to catch cold. Now that would not be good.

At the moment, I am working on several projects- the biggest of which is our annual winter coat drive for children called Koats for Kids at work. We have been doing this coat program for about 8 years now. We collect gently used and new coats to give to families in need of winter clothing for their children. Last year, we gave away 8, 000 coats. The year before, we gave away 6, 000 coats. This year, we will be giving the coats out on November 17th to the 21st. We already have a large number of coats donated ( as well as snow pants, hats and mitts, sweaters, boots and other winter apparel) and I expect we will get a lot more as the end of November approaches. This is my fifth year working on this – the fourth coordinating it.  Each year I am always blown away by the generosity and compassion of the community – our common goal is to make sure that no child goes cold this winter. There are very special groups of people who spend all year making hand knit hats, scarves and mittens to give away to the kids. I call them the Knitting Nannies. There are about 50 grandmothers , who work independently and with their small circles of friends and families and the knit all year. One grandmother made a hundred pairs of mittens and a hundred hats. All different sizes. Another grandmother and her daughter made a hundred mittens. They never ask to be recognized, most don’t even leave their name when they make the donation. I think they are angels for doing what they do. There is love in every stitch. During a Canadian winter – love, warm hats and mittens, boots, snow pants and a good winter coat go a long way.

Another big project I am working on is our Christmas program. The Twelve Days of Christmas program is aimed at providing 1200 children and youth Christmas dinner. This is our second year of doing this program. A lot of the children and youth that we serve, and their families do not have the ability to have a traditional holiday meal. A large turkey does not always fit into their food budget, and some children go without food at all. Our nutrition programs during the year makes dinners available to the kids every night and the Twelve Days of Christmas is a special part of it. In addition to the meal, the children will all get a small gift – a fun pre-holiday surprise. My job is to coordinate the donations, to ensure that we can continue it again next year and the years to come. I also get to be on hand one of the nights with my family to serve the kids dinner and sit down with everyone. It’s a really fun evening.

The holidays are a time of giving for a great number of people – and I am fortunate enough to be able to coordinate a Christmas gift program for the kids and their families. Traditionally we are able to help over 1000 families with gifts for the children and youth each year through the generosity of the community, and the Sears Tree of Wishes campaign. One of the most touching stories I heard last year was of a couple going to a Sears store and buying toys for every star on the Tree of Wishes tree – and donating all of the toys anonymously. Times are tough for people – and tougher for people who began the year with a lower income or are living below the poverty line. These gifts, like the dinner just are a small injection of the holiday spirit, the hope of the season and reaches deeper than just the physical toy itself.

I am also working on editing/ co-writing a book. I am excited about this project. I am happy to be able to help a friend by doing this. I am hoping to have the next draft finished by December - I am already a quarter of the way done.

I am also getting ready to spend the month of November writing a novel for NaNoWriMo and National Novel Writing Month. I am very excited about this too.



There are a lot of other things going on – smaller projects, plans for January and the spring but this is what I am working on right now. :-)

xo
la