Junk Mail

I was busy cooking dinner a few nights ago, and David was going through the mail.  He said, "You're on the Orphan Foundation mailing list now." 

I grunted and shrugged.  This was not news to me.  Whatever. Too much mail.  Blah blah.  I turn back to the puttanesca.  I think nothing more about it.

Then the day before yesterday people start leaving comments and writing emails saying they've received a brochure from the OFA and "someone's" blog is mentioned in it.  HEY! I say. What the...?

I go to the pile of glossies for recycling.  The thank-you card from the Orphan Foundation is sitting on the top.  I read.  Dayum. 

It just so happened that David was home for lunch at the time, and I go screeching in to him and command (in the most civil way possible under the circumstances) "Read this closely.  Second paragraph."

"Cool!" he says.  "Frame it! Does this mean we have to start reading our junk mail now?!"

Gah!  Men.  It's amazing half of them live to see another day. 

(click photos to make them bigger.  You may not be able to read the full text of the message in my scan.  The full text can be read here.)

Thanks, dear readers.  If you hadn't mentioned it, I'd have never known.

The verbiage on the back of the card says: 

For updates on the plans and timing for OFA's 2008 Valentine's Day Care Package Program, including the Red Scarf Project, please visit www.orphan.org.  (emphasis mine)

To be perfectly honest, I was a little afraid they would never want to have anything to do with us bloggers ever AGAIN.  I have not mentioned this here yet -- I was a bit afraid to -- but you remember how the goal was 2,500 scarves?  The last number I mentioned here was that they had received six thousand scarves. 

However, that was just the half of it.  Literally. 

In the end, they received TWELVE THOUSAND scarves.  Twelve freakin' thousand.  I imagine the volunteers and staffers are still twitching on a floor somewhere, trying to figure out what the hell to do with the excess.  This year our goal will be to try not to overwhelm them so, okay?  Deal?  We don't want to scare people.  Seriously. 

I will admit, though, that when I was browsing their site yesterday and saw that they are sending out "final exam care packages," thoughts of handmade socks in the packages did go through my mind.  But I'm not a sock knitter, so...

---------------

Dum-de-dummmmmm, oh, P.S.  The Magic 28 Webring is going to be a reality.  The response was so positive it made me smile all day.  The lovely and talented Scout has made us a wonderful button, and I have begun to set up the blog and the ring.  I'm super-busy with work right now, so it will probably be the weekend or early next week before I get it all done.  I've got it listed in my sidebar, but it doesn't have the image at the top.  I need to figure out why....but here is a link to the blog I have started to set up if you want to go over there and take a peek.  I believe you can also sign up for the ring and put the code in your blog for me to approve later.  Or maybe, as Scout seems to think, I have it set up so I don't need to approve it.  I don't know; did I do that??! That would make me very happy.  I'm too lazy to police this thing.  Anyway, please be patient with me while I figure it out. 

 

Comments

[Carole]

Hooray for Orphan.org and hooray for YOU. Love the Magic 28 button and I'd be happy to sign up.

[Lucia]

Yay Norma! You're famous! Of course you've always been as far as we're concerned.

As for Magic 28, I'm in! I might even stifle my urge to knit them toe up.

[Renee]

I can't even imagine 12000 scarves. Holy crap. I wonder where they stored them all?

[marianne]

Look at YOU!!! Amazing and oh so cool, not to mention even more famous.
I'm in on the Magic 28.

[Vicki]

That is just the most amazing and wonderful thing, Norma.

[Katie B.]

I'm in on the Magic28, oh yeah, baby, but... I am blog-challenged. No clue how to add a button. Help for the n00b?

[Rossana]

Yay for red scarves! I've already started knitting one for the 2008 drive. =)

[Ruth]

I saw that! I showed it to my kids, asked them them if they remembered the red scarves we had floating around here a couple of months ago, then pointed to your name and said, "I've met her!" They told me they thought it was all cool, but may just have been humoring me.

It is pretty cool, though. I have some yarn for 2008 all ready to go.

[Roxie]

Twelve thousand? One, two, zero, zero, zero? Holey old boot soles! Ah the power of the blog and the care of the fiberous community! Somehow I don't think all of them got showcased.

The thing about scarves is that they fit such a range of sizes. Socks - not so easy to match sock with foot. Or mitten with hand or hat with head. How about wash cloths? Shopping bags?

[Kit]

Whoa-ha-hey!!! Congratulations, that's so awesome! Way to overwhelm people with generosity, eh? :D

[Sara]

So awesome Norma!!

[Carrie]

You're in the same league with Crooks and Hooks? Love it.
YAY NORMA! YAY US!

[margene]

YOU are simply amazing.

[Wanda]

That's awesome about the Red Scarf project. Did we overwhelm them, did they tell you that? If not, we helped more people.

[kelpkim]

YES!!!
we knitters can do anything!!!
that is just amazing--12,000 scarves?!
who'd'a'thunk it?!
and final exam packages too?! that would be awesome.
you rock so hard Norma!!!
:o)

[Andrea]

Twelve thousand?!?!?!? Wow!!!!!

[Beverly]

Thanks for sharing the OFA news! It is truly heartening to hear some GOOD news for a change and I am so glad, that thanks to you, I am responsible for 1/12000th of those scarves :-)

[Beth S.]

Twelve thousand scarves?

I can't even picture that. How big would a room have to be to hold twelve thousand scarves?

Amazing. You done good. ;-)

[Cookie]

Wicked cool!

Ya know, I was thinking the other day how I need to start collecting red yarn. Lemme know when the ring is up and where I need to go. I'm all hormonally challenged and confused again. /sigh

[Erika]

Oops... now I feel really bad for having chucked out the Orphan Foundation thingie unopened. (Does this mean I have to start reading my junk mail?!)

[Angie]

It just goes to show what we already know, Norma, you ROCK! I'm proud to be a part of the Red Scarf project.

[kmkat]

While it is extremely gratifying to be a knitter for charity, I believe there is a special place in heaven for The Enablers (that's you and Ryan and who know how many others) who get the word out and multiply their own knitting by a thousandfold. Blessings on all of you.

[Laura]

Wow. 12,000. I saw that on Ryan's blog in the comments a few days ago. So does thi mean that I can stop with one little ol' red scarf which is already knit? I don't need to knit more for the 2008 dealy?

Still deciding about 28 socks.

[Kathode Ray Tube]

Bully for you, Norma! Thanks for turning us onto this effort. It was a lot of fun and the card was heartwarming.

[Julie]

I did the same thing you did when the OFA thing came in my mail; I put it in the pile to sort through later. I just read it and OMG! Reading Vanessa's thank you brought tears to my eyes "...touched my heart and saved my life." WOW.

[Jan]

Thank you for showing the way to OFA!

[sandy]

YOU are famous! And there is no better cause to BE famous for.
Or something....made sense in my head.
LX

[Kim]

Way cool! Yay knitters!

[Shazza]

Amazing. And so inspiring! I wonder if we could do holiday "stockings" for the orphans....then you will REALLY be committed to sock-knitting!

You're my hero, Norma!