Serious post ahead!

Being up waaay earlier than I wanted to be (yay time change!) I am indulging in a cup of coffee with a splash of Bailey's. Never mind that it's barely 9:00 a.m. I kind of enjoy the slightly naughty feeling I get from it, really: Ooooh! Look at me! I'm sooooo bad, drinking alcohol before breakfast! And nobody can stop me coz I'm a grown-up. Nyah nyah!

I had maybe half-an-ounce of Bailey's left, truthfully. I'm going to have to work at little harder at this bad-ass thing. But not this morning. Today, I want to add a little "nice" to my list, in preparation for when Santa comes calling next month. (Next month! How did that happen? I was just at my junior high Christmas dance the week before last!)

Anyway. My Baby Sister is part of a group of folks in our hometown, Cranbrook, trying to do something to get an emergency homeless shelter off the ground. And to get right to the point - I'm wondering if any of you can help, or can pass this along to anyone you know who might be able to. I recognize that there are issues in every community that need addressing, and that we can't always do as much as we'd like. Heck, Vancouver has the poorest postal code in Canada! The problem's a bit different in a small town, though: First of all, it's cold in the mountains in the wintertime. And the problem is a lot less visible than it usually is in a larger centre; thus, it's often overlooked by many people. Also, there are often far fewer resources available in small towns.

They have the space - a very important first step! But they need help to do the necessary renovations - nothing fancy-shmancy, but beds, blankets and bathrooms, that kind of thing.

When I went to hear the Harlot speak in Vancouver, I was blown away. I loved (loved!) what she said about knitters being "super-responders" when it came to people needing help. Coz something inherent in the craft helps us feel not overwhelmed by the scope of something. A lot of people feel helpless - "What good will my $10/$5/$2 do? What's the point?" But knitters get that my $5, together with my neighbour's, and my cousin's, and their neighbours' and cousins'....well, just like stitches in a sock, it starts to add up!

So. Enough rambling. If you or anybody you know are interested and/or able to help, please pop over to my sister's blog and leave her a message. (Also, you should read her post about Mom's gallstones!) Now - back to my coffee! (And my latest copy of the Oprah magazine, a guilty pleasure, which has already given me one valuable insight: Go and google "Very Excited Pug.")