10 October 2018 @ 7:16 am Wednesday

I haven't been able to sleep much this past week.  I just woke up and I was relieved that I was not anxious over the litigation, or seeing Randy, or thinking of Carolanne.  I was thinking about "legwarmers."

Years ago I came up with the idea to knit legwarmers for the homeless.  Not only for the homeless but also those that are in hospital and those elders that cannot afford to pay to heat their apartments.

I knew I needed help as only one person can only knit one pair at a time.  I needed an army of volunteers to knit them and a PR campaign to educate the homeless and others to wear them.  So, I approached Janice Abbott from Atira that has a craft section.  My idea did not fit into her retail model.

However, Janice was positive to what I wanted to do and would help as much as she could but she said that I would have to organize it.  Randy was in hospital then and I was spiraling to being a basket case.  At that time I couldn't organize a trip to New Westminster.

This idea coincides with my psychologist who suggested last week that I find something to do with my life to combat my wishful thinking to end it all.  There must be something I enjoy doing.  I assured him that I took no joy in anything. He suggested volunteering.  Not so easy at my age.

Both Randy and Carolanne were taken away from me by VCHA.  And Ro said that I would never be able to volunteer anywhere .  She would make sure that would happen.  Like what she did on 4 April 2014 when she phoned VGH Emergency saying not to allow me to see Randy.  Randy was dying and she knew it.  This direction came from a woman who visited her mother in a residential care facility every single day.

Prior to April 4 2014 I never was restricted from visiting Randy at VGH.  What happened at GPC had nothing to do with VGH.  Ro made the decision to send Randy to VGH as she knew he would die that weekend which would have happened if Don Morrison, a lawyer, did not visit Randy at 11:00 am.  At 12:00 pm I got a phone call saying that Randy was being transferred to VGH for observation.  She knew Randy was with a serious infection and imminent.  And now Randy was VGH's problem.  Randy died nine days later in intensive care.  13 April 2014 @ 8:00 pm

My psychologist will be happy that I now have a "maybe" goal.  A goal that was not forced on me.  A goal that would bring relief (i.e. joy) to those that are cold.

Why legwarmers/armwarmers are a good idea is because they are needed.  The wool yarn should be easy to get donated by Value Village considering that it sends to landfill 98% of garments they do not sell.  The yarn would not be in skeins, it would have to be recovered/recycled/unraveled from sweaters/garments already knitted by volunteers. It would be time consuming and if measured in dollars expensive.  But what is the $value of a life or $save the environment. It would not matter the weight or colour matching as the legwarmers would be worn under blue jeans/pj bottoms.  They would not be a fashion accessory but rather a necessity.  The best part of this idea is that the legwarmer can also be used as a armwarmer, a scarf, or a hat fastened by a safety pin.  They would seldom need washing, if ever.  The pattern is easy: knit one; plural one, see internet.  Pull the armwarmer down a bit, and you have a mitten.  Pull the legwarmer down a bit, and you have a toe-less sock.  Such a simple garment for the homeless, and others, so they are not cold.

Repurposing is environmentally sound.  .

Great idea but I won;t be able to do much until my bereavement is lessened.  Even with supports it will take time. Having one or two good days will not alleviate my pain.