Waiting To Happen …

It's been over a year since I first walked into this building. I had no idea what I would see.   I certainly didn't expect this ... but it was perfect.   It WILL BE perfect.   It's the space Renaissance Man and I selected for Hope Unlimited for Children's 20th Anniversary Celebration. Source   In a few short weeks, we'll be traveling to the beautiful Bay Area of California where the organization was birthed...   ... and filling this 8,000 square foot, multi-level Redwood Hall with an exhibit telling the story of Hope's 20 years of ministering to at-mortal-risk children in Brazil.   It's a metamorphosis we've been planning for a long time. So long, in fact, that it's just ... Keep Reading...

The Tragic Table: Coordinating Meals for Families in Crisis

Hello all, and welcome to My Place to Yours. This week's Tablescape Thursday post is not at all my usual kind of post, but it's where I am this week.   If you've been reading my last couple of posts, you know I've been in Brazil; we just returned yesterday. But the day before leaving for South America, a dear friend died of cancer. It was one of those "she did everything right" cases. Over the past few years she'd worked hard to move from slightly overweight to "fit and trim." She had regular checkups. But last January she was diagnosed with an invasive and aggressive cancer that managed to evade the best of tests for too long, and her efforts to find a cure weren't realized. She died at the very young age of 50 and left behind a ... Keep Reading...

The Big House

Friday when I awoke, I had no idea how much beauty the day would hold. I didn't know it would include light-filled views ...     Brightly-colored placemats ...   Stained glass ...   ... and intricate mosaics.   Quite honestly, when the day began, I expected my emotions would have nowhere to go but down.   You see, I woke up Friday morning in Brazil ... prepared to go to prison.   Renaissance Man and I were part of a small group representing Hope Unlimited for Children.  Our task was to visit a guardless prison ... a prison where detainees police themselves. I didn't know what to expect ... but I went.   I'm very glad I did. Why would I do such a thing?  ... Keep Reading...