November 16, 2010 // Local

Earthworks Whole-House Christmas sale set for Nov. 19-20

Todays Catholic

By Ida Chipman

DONALDSON — It’s that time again! The Earthworks Whole-House Christmas Sale.

Every holiday-decorated room in the Earthworks House, 9815 Union Rd., Donaldson, across the lake from Ancilla College and Convent, will be filled with items for sale, most all of them $5 or less.

The sale will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 19-20.

The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ Sisters and their friends offer rummage sale goodies (recycled, polished, ready for giving), hand-crafted items, many made by local artists and Earthworks homemade breads, oils, and jellies and jams.

“Last year,” Sister Sue, a Sister of the Society of the Sacred Heart, said, “we sold out. This year we will have 600 jars.” Some of the flavors available are blueberry, white peach, grape, raspberry and ruby red wine. The oils are extra virgin olive oil steeped in herbs.

The delicacies may be purchased singly, in jam and oil boxes or in gift baskets.

The sale is the major money-raiser for the Earthworks’ mission-programs that are offered all year long to teach adults and children how to care for, love and respect our fragile earth.

New to the sale are “wrappies.”

The children who attended Earthworks summer program this year made, among other things, “wrappies.”

A wrappie is a reusable fabric sandwich holder, designed to replace plastic sandwich bags that don’t biodegrade in the landfill.

The wrappies are made of re-used fabric on the outside and water-resistant fabric on the inside. Thus, when filled with a sandwich, they hold in the drips from ketchup, pickles and other condiments you might put in a sandwich.

To use the wrappie, place the sandwich in the middle, fold in the sides and tie the edges together.

When it is time to eat, open the wrappie and it makes a placemat for the sandwich and other lunch items.

The children in the Earthworks’ eight-week summer programs learned that plastic is a big environmental problem. Sister Sue has known that all along. She said that it is empowering for a child to know that he/she is making a contribution to solving an environmental problem. It doesn’t matter if the step is small.

“A lot of small steps taken together eventually make a giant step,” she said.

Sister Teresa Schleper, a Poor Handmaid of Jesus Christ, is making the wrappies to sell at the sale.

From Trenton, Ill., Sister Teresa said that for most of her religious life she has been cooking and baking in Indiana communities.

A wiz at the sewing machine, the sister follows the theme that “Handmaids’ hands are busy for the Lord.”

She said that she thinks she was supposed to retire in 2002, but “I’m not ready yet.”

Complimentary tea and cookies will be served in the Earthworks’ kitchen.

There will be Christmas music as well.

Sister Sue invites everyone to come and simplify their Christmas giving and help to support Earthworks’ many worthwhile projects at the same time.