MSSPENTYOUTH QUILT #003
linkage1951: We're at NetRoots Nation, and it's my pleasure to talk to one of the Community Quilt recipients. Can you introduce yourself to our viewers?
msspentyouth: Sure. My name is Kim Yeman (sp?). On Daily Kos, I'm also known as MsSpentYouth. I've been blogging on Daily Kos for oh, many, many a year. Four years ago, just a couple days before I went to a NetRoots Nation Convention in Austin, I believe, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and it's non-cancerous, and it's slow growing, but it's inoperable because of some consequent issues, because I like to be difficult, you know. I'm a true troublemaker.
The community rallied behind me and made this beautiful quilt -- it's just gorgeous -- where people posted messages of care, concern, and comfort on these squares. Ann and Sara Reed patched it all together and came up with this magical material and these vintage buttons (to) make this quilt for me. And I just absolutely love it... I love it.
linkage1951: Did you have a moment of pause when you electronically mentioned your challenge to the community?
msspentyouth: No, no. This is a family, and it's also oftentimes as personal as political. And this happened at a time when we were working on healthcare issues in the United States. I myself was doing canvassing and phone banking for the Affordable Care Act. Then this happened, and why would I be quiet about it? Because it feeds into the larger issue that, you know, literally tens of millions of people in the United States face every day, every month, every year. It just happened at a time that we were actually working on this as a nation.
linkage1951: Is there a particular...can you read one of the messages for us?
msspentyouth: "Much love to you, MsSpentYouth. My thoughts are with you and my heart goes out to you. Blessings, dear friend." And this is from One Pissed Off Liberal.
linkage1951: One Pissed Off Liberal.
msspentyouth: Yes, and... "I salute your courage, your strong spirit, and your great big heart. You are awesome, MsSpentYouth -- and love is all around you!" And that's from Rain. Love is all around me, and I'm reminded of that with this quilt.
linkage1951: I'd like to mention that these are also called "love catchers." And it catches the love of the community and brings it to each individual.
msspentyouth: Yeah, it does, and it's just a reminder, you know. Anybody who is going through any particular challenge of their moment. When you feel very uniquely alone, and you can hear something tangible, something visible that you can point to and say, "Look it here. I'm not alone. I am never alone." Even in the middle of the night, this is on my wall or on my sofa, and it just reminds me that, you know, can't ever give up, because each of the people on here is expecting me not to give up. And they've written thing about me that...that...can I make liars of them? I can't...no.
linkage1951: Are you volunteering today?
msspentyouth: Yes.
linkage1951: What are you doing here? We're at your workstation.
msspentyouth: We are.
linkage1951: Tell us a little about what you've done for the NetRoots today.
msspentyouth: Well, I'm a perennial volunteer for NetRoots Nation, and I oftentimes work at the registration desk and help people check in. They have problems with name badges and things like that, I help out. Or sometimes at the NetRoots Nation booth, passing out the swag bags that we all put together. I come in early every year to the conference and help with putting together of the swag bags and setting up the registration stuff. That's what I've been doing today is registration and pitching in with troubles with name badges and registrations and media check-ins -- that kind of thing.
linkage1951: Is there anybody you'd like to thank for your quilt?
msspentyouth: Oh, ya think? Ann and Sara Reed are miracles -- they're walking, talking, sewing, quilting, pooty-loving miracles. I don't know how they knew, like, which fabrics would touch me, or the fact that my grandmother, who helped raised me, collected every single button and garter belt fastener and everything that she ever had because she went through the Depression. When she passed on, I inherited her collection of buttons, and because I can look at those stars -- I made little brooches of them to give to family members to remember her. Then I look at those stars, and she's with me. She comes (and) sits with me. I don't know how Ann and Sara could possibly have known. These buttons...it's, you know, they brought my grandmother to me to care for me and say those things she used to say.
I worked as a marketing director and events coordinator at an independent international movie theatre in North Carolina. And these little squares that have popcorn in 'em and cinema things, and each of these squares of animals of ferocity and strength, and the flora, and...oh, there's a little square that has chocolates in it. How could they have known I love chocolates? Mystery! And everything of health, strength, beauty, glory -- all of these things in here, and a little message on the back from them...wow. Just wow!
linkage1951: Thank you very much for sharing your quilt with us.
msspentyouth: Thank you! Thank you for this quilt and telling the stories, and for...thank everybody in the Daily Kos community for keeping this tradition growing and building... So many people I've met who've received a quilt or who have participated in the quilting project and know all about it. Just um...there just really aren't words of bloggers, who love words, but sometimes there aren't. But there's love anyway.
linkage1951: Well, thank you very much.
msspentyouth: Thank you.
