Today is just another ordinary late summer day for most of us. We are looking forward to schools resuming, classes starting up and getting new fall colors tatting threads. Some of us will be having a family reunion at tatting guild meetings like the Palmetto Tatters Guild meeting in Toccoa, GA in just days.

But in many parts of the world the word ordinary has different meanings. Earthquakes, mudslides, flooding and diseases tear us from our comfortable routines and open our eyes. Let me share a story of one tatter's recent experience with all of you.

This long time tatter participated in a Medical Mission trip to the Dominican Republic early in the year. The barrio in the DR is in dire need of housing, medical care and the persons living there are engulfed in poverty. She explained to me her personal thought about poverty, grief and difficult situations is that persons can have hope if they have something to hang onto.

She had been following the Ice Drop Facebook (Ice Drop pattern Purple Fudge by Diane C. http://www.bellaonline.com/subjects/11075.asp) site and wanted to take ice drops as gifts. But she knew she could not make 300 ice drops in time for the trip. But an incredible experience followed. She sent a message asking tatters for help. She explained to the Ice Drop group the purpose - to make 300 Ice Drops for the persons scheduled to receive medical care during the mission. Their response was overwhelming and so very heartwarming.

Literally within a few hours a crew of persons to help with the cause was formed and a tatting thread supplier was donating thread for the first 10 persons who offered to make Ice Drops. 16 persons made 300 Ice Drops for the Mission trip!

But there is more to the story.

She asked a multilingual tatter to translate a message from English to Spanish letting the patients know a group of tatting lacemakers from the US and 1 from Canada made the gifts for them. So they would know they are never alone - someone cares. A dear friend from T.... made 300 laminated messages in Spanish for the recipients and the ice drops were then individually packaged for each person.

By the time she left for the Dominican Republic, there were 300 Ice Drops...prayed over by her churches Comfort Shawl ministry. When they arrived at the barrio, the first thing the Medical team did every day was pray, the Ice Drops were again prayed over by the Medical Team.

The pharmacy crew of the team dispensed the ice drops. One drop at a time brought healing and smiles to many on that extraordinary "ordinary" day.

We can all do one thing to help. Find your one thing... and do it!

Here's the latest article from the Tatting site at BellaOnline.com.

Alphabet L - Z Anna Valeire Book 3 The Tatted Alphabet by Anna Valeire Book 3 pg. 15. Tatted initials are handy for many projects. And added flower or decorative picots are just fine, too.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art304516.asp

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I hope to hear from you sometime soon, either in the forum or in response to this email message. I thrive on your feedback! Have fun passing this message along to family and friends, because we all love free knowledge!

Georgia Seitz, Tatting Editor http://tatting.bellaonline.com One of hundreds of sites at BellaOnline.com