An apron from a WSD mom

Edith Maassen, the mother of one of the Women's Service Day planning crew members, made this apron and contributed it to the silent auction, the proceeds of which benefit Hospice of Holland, in honor of friends and colleagues lost in this past year. The apron provides full coverage, has a handy pocket, and is fully washable, of course. Best of all, it's made from a pattern taken from the aprons my grandmother always wore, so there's plenty of cooking karma included at no extra charge.

To see the full list of raffle and silent auction items, see our earlier post.

Leaves of concrete! from Diane Aamoth

Sounds unlikely, yes? But it's true! Diane makes leaves of concrete. They're lovely in a garden, or cupping a little water for a birdsplash. We'll have four, two in each of two sizes, at the silent auction, proceeds from which benefit Hospice of Holland, in honor of friends and colleagues lost in this past year.

To see the entire list of raffle and auction items, see our earlier blog post.

All-wool afghan from a collaboration

This afghan is the collaborative result of knitting by Cheryl Murdoch and Barbara Loveland, and assembly by Barbara. It's a sampler afghan, with a different knitted pattern on each square. It's all wool, so it's guaranteed warm and cozy for the upcoming winter. And it's donated to our raffle or silent auction, proceeds from which benefit Hospice of Holland in honor of friends and colleagues lost this past year.

To see the full list of raffle and auction items, see our previous blog post.

MotherTongues MINGA T-Shirt

The Women's Service Day planning crew learned that coincidentally, local firm MotherTongues was introducing a new T-shirt this week that says MINGA. If that doesn't resonate, read this definition of the South American Quechua word: "In a MINGA, community members gather to accomplish a task that benefits the community-as-a-whole. A MINGA is called to build schools, health or community centers, to repair roads and water systems, or to replenish forests. Similar to a barn raising amongst a cultural group such as the Amish, a MINGA gathering is hopeful, festive, and committed work by individuals, families, and neighbors. Strangers become friends. Today, we join in the spirit of MINGA when we are engaging in a community of volunteer service. It is giving from one's heart and receiving so much more. As expected, MINGA exists as a concept in many other cultures, where it is called by different names. MINGA anticipates that every person and every community, at some point, will need the help of others. Experience the life-giving spirit of MINGA and carry someone else."

That explication was so strikingly on point to us, we bought shirts for the planning crew to wear on the day of the event. MotherTongues founder Michelle Hamman donated a T-shirt for our auction. And if you're not the lucky winner, you can purchase one for yourself (or learn more about MotherTongues) at her website. The shirts are 100 percent organic cotton and printed with waterbased inks. A dollar for the sale of each T-shirt is donated to the Center for Women in Transition, helping women and children deal with significant life challenges. And MotherTongues is a member of Green America and 1% for the Planet.

To see the complete list of items included in the raffle and silent auction, see our previous blog post. All proceeds are for the Hospice of Holland, in honor of friends and colleagues lost over the past year.

All-Occasion Cards from the WSD Planners

The Women's Service Day planning crew contributes these all-occasion card sets for the silent auction, proceeds from which benefit Hospice of Holland in honor of friends and colleagues lost this past year. Each set includes one each of the five cards shown. The cards were made by the crew based on designs by Jackie Bolhuis, Zeeland-based Stampin' Up distributor.

The planning crew also offers two sets of notecards made by daughters and granddaughters.
To see all of the items available for the raffle and silent auction, check out our earlier blog post.

Pillows from Cathy Brooks

Very popular items in previous auctions, these pillows are handmade by Cathy Brooks. They'll be available in multiple sizes and colors; check out what's available on Thursday morning!

For the complete list of items available at the raffle and auction, see our previous blog post. All proceeds from both will benefit Hospice of Holland, in honor of friends and colleagues lost over the past year.

Rock Rifle Run Pottery for Silent Auction

These two contributions to our silent auction, a small quiche dish and a cream and sugar set, come from Kay Hubbard. They were made by Rock Rifle Run Pottery, in Shade, Ohio; the potter is Susie Abramovitz, and Jean Valentine, Kay's sister, does glazing, packing, and slab construction.