"To sew is to pray. Men don't understand this. They see the whole but they don't see the stitches. They don't see the speech of the creator in the work of the needle. We mend. We women turn things inside out and set things right. We salvage what we can of human garments and piece the rest into blankets. Sometimes our stitches stutter and slow. Only a woman's eyes can tell. Other times, the tension in the stitches might be too tight because of tears, but only we know what emotion went into the making. Only women can hear the prayer." ~ LOUISE ERDRICH, Four Souls
wonder | wander | women were educated by Benedictine German nuns in a Catholic all girls campus on a tiny provincial island where ora et labora was the pervasive dictum and practice.
 |
| new dawn panganod (cumulonimbus) clouds |
This largely shored up the prevalent charity approach, rather than the more expansive concept of philanthropy. Though both are directed toward humanitarianism and public spiritedness, one perpetuates more inclusivity, equality, and equity than the other.
A given on an island where sugarcane ruled long after its conquerors fled. Creating an ever growing gap between the haves and the have nots.
 |
| wwwomen homemade crochet projects |
Our school also had a sister vocational school where we served in outreach and grass roots programs as part of our curriculum and improvement. We had vocational classes to enhance our skills and crafts - designed to make us better home makers or provide us with a means to earn our living.
