Y’all, there are days that I worry about the “monster” I have created. I had spent six months building a readership for this blog. I made many blogging friends and enjoyed visiting them every day. They came faithfully to read the stories that I wrote. I was having a lot of fun with it.

Then, I started a project that consumes me and my time. I don’t get to read other people’s blogs anymore, and so they don’t come around to visit much. I’d love to get to visit, but I have made a commitment. Now, although many other people read my blog every day it’s not for the stories but for updates on the project. I work so hard at this that my poor arthritic hands hurt all the time. I’m so far behind in answering e-mails that I’ll never catch up. I neglect family, friends, and my business. Some days the discouragement is overwhelming.

Every bit of it is worth it, because the good days are so heartwarming. At the risk of boring you to pieces, here are some things about the project that I want to share:

1. On August 21st, Connie K and her husband, Andy, dropped by my house on their way home to Gladewater, Texas. My husband and I had a delightful time jawing with them over supper, and then we sent them on their way with enough crocheted squares for Connie to make four afghans. On August 27th, she sent me this picture of the first afghan she had completed.

Connie proudly told me that she can crochet the black rims around 8 squares in an hour (I can only manage 6) despite the fact that she had a stroke three years ago, and thought she would never be able to crochet again. Yes, I was jumping up and down in my chair when I saw this picture. I did a Great Big Happy Dance! Connie, thank you. You are amazing.

2. If you haven’t been here before, you might be wondering why an afghan makes me so excited. It’s that project! On June 14th, I first posted about Share A Square. I wanted to put together 140 afghans for children at Camp Sanguinity Cancer Camp next June. I hoped to get people to send me six inch squares (crocheted or knitted), so that each afghan could have 48 squares from different people. When a child gets an afghan next June, he/she will know that at least 48 people care. The outpouring of love has been nothing less than astounding. My mailman may strangle me before this year is through. In the short time since this started, I have received more than 2400 squares from around the world.

3. Do you want to help? I can tell you several ways to help us reach the goal. If you can crochet or knit, it’s easy. Make a six inch square, put a name tag on it with your name and location and mail it to me at
Shelly Tucker
P.O. Box 2241
Denton, TX 76202
Here are instructions for crochet( or here, or there). Here are instructions for knitting. Or, make up your own pattern. I don’t care, as long as it is 6 inches. We put the black rim around it here and put it together.

4. Unless YOU want to put one together!?? I’ll find a way to ship the squares to you, or your organization. I farmed out twelve of them. I have to farm out more, because I’m not able to do them by myself. Just e-mail me at shelly(dot)tucker(at)gmail(dot)com and we will figure out something.

5. You say that you aren’t a hooker? You can still help. Post a button like this on your sidebar to tell people about the project (if you are a blogger).

You can either save this picture, upload it and link it to the Share A Square page or copy this code, paste it, and remove the three asterisks (*).

<*a href='http://thiseclecticlife.com/shareasquare/' title='sas_logo_new.jpg'><*img src='http://thiseclecticlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/sas_logo_new.jpg' alt='sas_logo_new.jpg' /><*/a>

6. If you aren’t a blogger, tell someone who is crafty about the project and ask them to send squares. Surely even you guys know some folks who crochet or knit. Maybe even you can, I don’t know. Several men have contributed squares. You can be a “manly man” and crochet. If the football star Rosie Greer can knit, you can!

7. I’m in desperate need of black Red Heart brand yarn. You could mail me some if you would like. If you would rather, you can send a small donation made out to me (with “Share A Square” written on the check’s lower left hand corner). I’ll use money for yarn and for postage to mail these afghans to the folks willing to put them together. But, keep this in mind:
The Share A Square Project to benefit Camp Sanguinity Cancer Camp is a nonprofit organization that has not applied for tax-exempt status under Code Section 501(c)(3). You should consult with your tax advisor regarding the deductibility of contributions to this organization.

8. Tracey, in Carrollton, has finished an afghan and will bring it to me tonight, if all works as planned. She’s a busy lady, and I appreciate that she has taken time out of her world to make an afghan. She’s going to school, has two delightful young daughters and has a household to run, but she is willing to put together another! Thank you, Tracey. I can’t wait to see it.

9. Linda sent me a picture of one of the two that she and her friend Kathy are piecing together. Good job, ladies, and thank you very much!

10. The women at the Denton Senior Center are working on one of the afghans every Tuesday. That’s Arlene carefully piecing together the squares that have been rimmed in black by Mary K, Jean Y, Oma, Nan, and others. I appreciate you ladies and your support (I also enjoy getting to visit with you!)

11. I crochet with a group in Roanoke, Texas on Wednesdays who have also been very generous. My thanks go to Alice B., who took squares yesterday to put together an afghan, and to Rosemary S., who is working on the one below.

12. Marie D. took the squares for an afghan two weeks ago, and yesterday she brought the finished afghan. I tell you what! I squealed in the library! Nobody blamed me for it. Look at the elaborate rim she put on that afghan.

13. I’m working on the 10th afghan that I have made, and will be posting pictures over the weekend on the update page. In all, we have put together 13 afghans. Actually, we put together 14. The first afghan is already in the hands of a child who needed it. I had posted about it here on the blog. Matty, at Running on Empty, was one of the first contributors to the program. She generously donated the black yarn to put together the first afghan. Then, I discovered that her grandson would soon be having a bone marrow transplant (visit her and send her your support and good wishes). I posted about it, and asked if we should send the afghan to her grandson. The overwhelming response was “Yes.” So, I sent it on it’s way with love. Then, I had to remove the post, because four people requested afghans. It broke my heart to say “no,” but I had no choice. I can’t let my heart rule my head. My first responsibility is to make sure that 140 afghans are ready for Camp Sanguinity.

Leave me a comment if you would like (whether you are playing Thursday Thirteen or not) and you will be magically linked. Then you can visit some other Thursday Thirteen participants. I hope your day is good. Come back and sit with me on the porch another day.

Technorati Tags: Share A Square, afghans, Camp Sanguinity, Cancer