Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Treasures from the Orient






There was a package on the porch when we came home this evening and I assumed it was from Nanning, but NO! it was from Guilin and Nora's foster family. There was a sweet note, in English, thanking me for taking care of Xiao Ye and FIVE, count'em, FIVE hand knit sweaters, I'm all a flutter. I cannot craft, but I can appreciate hand made items and probably appreciate them more because I could never produce anything wearable or usable with my own two useless appendages. But will you look at these?!?!?!? they're gorgeous. I'm so pleased, these are expertly knitted garments, the stitches are uniform, the seams are incredibly neat and few, I'm just amazed by these sweaters.
When I developed the disposable cameras I sent ahead, I was disappointed on two counts: (a) all the pictures had been all shot in the morning at the Guilin train station and on the train to Nanning with the SWI staff member who escorted her, and (b) from the photos of Nora on the train, I could see that her family had sent her off in many layers including a beautiful lavender, hand knit sweater that the SWI minder had obviously relieved her of before she brought her to me at the Civils Affairs office in the Lottery Hotel in Nanning. I was sad that Nora lost that sweater, it was lovely and it also looked hand made and it would have been a tangible legacy from her foster mother.
Well, thanks to her foster mother's continuing generosity, Nora has another sweater almost just like the one they sent her off with last January and I am pleased for Nora. There were also two photos of Nora's foster sister, she looks to be about two-years-old now, such a sweetheart. I hope some day to hear that she has been placed with a permanent family, that would be welcome news.




2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Marji,

Today, Lulu's 4th birthday, found a package from Guilin at the door here as well.

Inside we have two hand knit sweaters , some pendants/ornaments, a musical birthday card, a note and several photos of Lulu's beloved foster sister (and mama and baba too) in the dress we sent her last fall. Needless to say, Lulu was over the moon with the pix. What an incredible gift to receive and how lucky we are to have contact with them. I know that little foster sister's paperwork may soon be submitted to the CCAA, but even if I could find her file, it looks like singles may no longer be able to adopt from China. I hope she will find a good family and that Lulu will be able to keep in contact with her.

Okay, Marji, do you think these foster moms all get together for knit-ins and group trips to the post office?

Darlene

Pixel Fairy Princess said...

That is awesome for Nora.

I am blown over at the generosity of these people. Both you and Darlene touched me with your discussion of the foster sisters. I know that LiLi had one in the home and I know that she was adopted two weeks before we got her in Nanning. I have posted on the Nanning Kids Yahoo group – but no luck finding her. LiLi has a picture of her with the foster sister and it is really neat. There is a little girl named Anna that has been with LiLi since she was in Guiping and they traveled to ML in Nanning together. They were on the same finding notice in Guiping and in Nanning. Their paper work was sent to CCAA and they end up together on the same waiting list with our agency. I find that total amazing! Our families hoped that we would travel together as we got to know each other, since as chance would have it our LOI went to China in the same packet. We didn’t. But those connections are so special to me and its funny how I feel “connected “ to other who have adopted out of Guangxi, compared to other that adopt from China. Is that stupid or what – and the thing is I’m a very level headed person ;-) well most the time!

Debbie