April's Away!

A beautiful poem for APRIL by Fay Slimm

All too soon the countryside, now freshed green and sprouting more than spring, looks out for wider room, shakes its newborn blossoms then ushers April to the door. And April's away.

No longer teenage, Flora's grown maturer now, slightly deeper hued, flowers adorning every late spring bough, while April, already pale, turns white. Then April's away.

Heated by more ardent sun, hedgerows must have stronger feed. Palid from work early done April leaves, and makes way for May to ensure Flora has her needs. Now April's away.

The Beauty and Inspiration of Poetry

The beauty of poetry reminds us of all that life is full of joy and sorrow. It picks us up when we are struggling, and enables us to express our deepest joy when we feel it - it inspires us throughout. Start your day with a poem - see how inspiring this can be. I will be posting poetry I love throughout the month of April, so check in and read inspiring poems to celebrate the season and the month.

Celebrate life however you can - each moment of each day!

April Project

Make a blanket for Project Linus (http://www.projectlinus.com/) who donates their blankets through multiple local organizations to children in need right here in the San Jose area. They are also sending blankets to Japan to help children in need there. So get busy, have fun and learn new stitches all at the same time.

Squares Blanket

Here's a photo of the collaborate blanket coming together that the CHANNING DESIGN Knitalong group is making in April. We chose green as our color, and cream as our edging. Everyone is making squares in either knit or crochet, trying new stitch patterns, or sticking to the basic garter or single crochet stitches. They are all beautiful!

Step 1: Knit or crochet 8"x8"squares using fun stitch patterns in color combinations of your choice. Good yarn choices are LionBrand Vanna's Choice, or Caron Simply Soft.

Step 2: Crochet and edge around each square in a single color - white, cream, or any other color that compliments your color scheme.

Step 3: Sew the squares together in the same color as the edging

Step 4: With the same color, crochet an edge around the full blanket - 2or3 rows of edging.

Or make any blanket pattern of your choice for a child or teenager. Just have fun and donate it to Project Linus. You'll have fun, learn and feel terrific about contributing!

Contact Sharon at sjlinus@comcast.net to find out drop-off information.

Beauty all around: flowers and plants in my neighborhood The rains have now lifted and have left their lush touch on Spring. The flowers are blooming, and we can shed those winter layers. Breathe deeply the light, warm air, and think of fun new projects for the warm-weather months. Be thankful and see the beauty around us every day. Be inspired! Along with poetry watch for project ideas throughout the month.