when life hands you a giant bucket of lemons...

**this auction is now closed. thank you, dear bloggy-friends!**

i brought the pot and the dirt and the lemon seeds from my house.
jeremy didn't know what i meant "wait a while."
he didn't know the lemon blossoms wouldn't come by thursday.
i explained.
if you want something to grow and be so beautiful you could have a nice day just from looking at it,
you have to wait.
meanwhile you keep watering it
and it has to have sunshine
and also
you talk to it.
so jeremy goes, "hey, lemon bloom." and then he says, "go for it!" and he sits right down in front of the pot of dirt and watches.
i'm coming through with jilly on my hip
and her hands are full of sticky - i don't know what
and i see...
just an outline against the sooty window
this little kid sitting beside an empty pot of dirt
and i guess he's concentrating... or praying.

-excerpt from chapter eleven of "make lemonade" by virginia euwer wolff


for years miss stephanie has shared her sweet family with blogland. she's planted seeds in me of domestic goodness. she's got lipstick on when her husband comes home from work. dinner made with a swirl of her apron. afternoons spent making art with her children that would adorn their hallways. music on - ready to push back the furniture and dance a bit. in the last few weeks as i've anxiously awaited for updates on her recovery my heart is blooming with seeds she's planted of bravery. of spirit and love and hope and peace.

* * * * *
gabrielle over at designmom has declared today nienie day. auctions have been setup all over the blogosphere in hopes that we bloggers can some how come together for this family who needs us.

let's make sweet nie some lemonade.

up for auction are a pair of mama/daughter handmade aprons. in perfect nie fashion. i will wrap them up pretty and send them off to the winning bidder.




**this auction is now closed. thank you, dear bloggy-friends!**
how to bid? leave a comment in the comment section below with your bid amount {in full dollar increments} and email address. i will end the auction on sunday august thirty-first at ten pm {pst}. i will then contact the winning bidder and they will submit payment to the "stephanie nielson fund" paypal account and send the receipt to me and i will send the aprons your way.
thank you for joining me here today. i am grateful for the chance to do some small something for my dear friend.
you can read updates on stephanie and christian at her sister's blog. feel free to donate on your own and be sure to keep the nielsen's in your hearts and prayers. this will be a long journey for all of them.
happy bidding!
love, lindsay