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Musings on anything. |
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My blog was filled up. I'm too lazy to clean it out. So I started a new one. |
| For some reason, I crocheted a lot of colorful squares and set aside. They are edged in black and ready to attach together. I lived away from my hometown for over 20 years, but left some things in storage at my parents. I have been back in town for 17 years. I have been going through the things in their home, since I'm living there now, and trying to sort them. I discovered these squares which could make a queen size spread, so I washed them. I didn't have any black yarn. I have tons of other colors, since I have crocheted other afghans and always had leftover yarn. I finally got some, and started connecting squares last night. There are uneven numbers of each color. For instance, there is only one brown one, twelve red, 4 yellow, etc. If I connect 42 or them, I'll have 4 leftover and can make pillow covers of them. It is so satisfying to sit and crochet. I have given afghans to almost everyone in the family, and who can use multiples? I don't pay close attention enough to make baby clothes. These days not many people want crocheted clothes, accessories, or stuffed animals. So I stick to afghans. I couldn't sell them. If I paid myself by the hour, the price would be outrageous, and that was before the price of yarn soared. Assembly line products are cheaper and preferred by most people. I'm going to finish it because it makes me happy. It will never be an heirloom, mostly because younger generations don't treasure the belongings of older family members. Maybe we baby boomers were the last to feel nostalgia for Great Uncle Hubert's tools or Great Grandma's jelly bowl, or Great Aunt Maggie's tatting. Relics belong in museums and don't work in a high tech household. |
| A group sat around a big table last night, talking about Rembrandt. The youngest person there, about late 30's, asked if you started dating right now, would you do it like you did before you were married? the universal response was no. We proved his point, that with age and experience your attitude and approach to things change. The reasons varied all around. Some just said, I wouldn't get involved with someone again. I might date, but not with a long-term relationship in mind. Others said they couldn't risk the heartache again. One person agreed with me that there would never be another joint bank account. Two older ladies said they had had long happy marriages that could never be duplicated, so they wouldn't date. Most of us felt like we had found our voices; we could speak up for ourselves and not be pushed into something. We won't tolerate the crap that we did in our twenties. We have a clearer idea of what we want and what we can't stand. But I also think that we aren't just more demanding and less tolerant; we are wiser, more giving, more nurturing. Even on a job, we won't do whatever it takes to get ahead, but can be more patient with co-workers. If we didn't learn anything along life's path, what good did the mistakes and the pain do us? We don't look the same as we did at age 20 or 30, but we like to think we're better. The small things can slide. We know what counts to us and others. We could never do it- dating, working. friendship, parenting, setting up house- the way we did when we were young. By the time we have some of the answers and some wisdom, we're falling apart. That's the irony of it. That old saying, "Youth is wasted on the young" maybe still applies. |
| Someone asked me today, "What is your favorite season?" I said, "Fall", just to be polite. What I wanted to say was "Any season that I'm still alive and can take care of myself is a very good season." It's true all year. There is much to be said about spring with all its new growth, sounds, and fragrances. But summer is sweet, yet torrid, bountiful, and memorable. Fall is colorful, brings the harvest and like middle-age, that last great burst of beauty and productiveness. Winter may be more inhibiting, unless you ski or snowboard, but it is a time for contemplation on life's and the earth's delicate beauty. Any time I get up in the morning and can get out of bed, I am thankful to be alive. I am thankful for whatever season is upon us and any holidays ahead of us. I am glad to have work to do, things to read, and conversations to hold. Life is precious in all its seasons. |
| We volunteers had almost finished sorting and hanging donated clothes this morning, when the phone rang. A local deejay was on the way with a collection she had been advertising for two weeks. She arrived with a full van, full of coats for men, women, and children. Some were like new; some still had the tags on. We gladly stayed and sorted what we could. Tomorrow's crew will have a mass waiting for them. While we were still basking in our good fortune, several standard donations were made. We don't have customers for evening clothes or business dress clothes, so those are quickly rerouted to Good Will where customers will request such items. Our customer is more likely to be homeless or on parole, with some regular exceptions. Work boots, underwear, and jeans are our most requested items, but we take most casual clothes. We blow through coat supplies very quickly. It felt good to receive so much. We stock off season things in the attic, so we have a good start on the warm weather clothes, too. I like doing it because it's a hand-on activity. We're not slapping money on a project or talking about the less fortunate. We're meeting them face to face and helping them to make their own choices. |
| Yesterday, I went to the county landfill for the first time. It was a beautiful ride out in the country. The landfill itself was as clean and orderly as could be expected, with recycling sections. There were signs for appliances with and without Freon. I felt very accomplished just finding the place without getting lost and maneuvering my way in and out of the complex. It was unlike other waste depots I've seen in other counties. I had a whole month's worth of trash in my car, including stuff from my garage which would not normally be included. It cost less than one week worth of pickup at my house. It's definitely the cheaper way for me to go, even after adding in gas and wear and tear on the car. I am glad I dropped the place that kept raising the prices. Maybe it was because the day was so beautiful, if cold. Maybe it was I had figured how to save some money. It might have just been something new. It didn't feel like just one more chore. I enjoyed it. It takes so little to make me happy and feel amused. As long as it lasts, I will keep hauling the trash to the west end of the county (I live on the east) and save a few bucks. |
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I marvel at the things I'll be able to tell my grandkids about someday. Life is accelerating - or maybe it just feels that way!
I completely sympathize with your desire to declutter. I have more stuff than you can shake a stick at that didn't actually belong to just my wife or myself throughout the house.