Well, I’ve already broken one of the rules for blogging–regular entries!!! I never did promise that, but I did think I’d be back before a month was up!!!
We are "undecorating" the house today. BLEH! It’s never as much fun as decorating! I told the girls we should have decorations for every season, then it wouldn’t be so bad! Well, my sweet husband might disagree–finding a place for MORE Rubbermaid tubs wouldn’t exactly be a picnic!
I need to unearth the bar again (not quite an archaeological dig this time, but it’s getting close…) before we start giving music lessons Monday. I think it would be easier to keep the bar clean if my computer desk were more organized. But to organize that, I have to clear out the filing cabinet in the sewing room, and to do that, I have to find the sewing room (major archaeological dig). And I can’t really work heavily on that in good conscience until my part of painting the new master bathroom is done so I don’t hold up progress in there for my husband!
In the meantime, the bar will be an ongoing struggle!
Winter months are supposed to be slower, more time at home because of the weather, time for "piecin’ quilts" as a neighbor of long ago used to tell me! Somehow, we’re not as cabin-bound as in the "olden days", life doesn’t seem to slow down much, and I’m not piecin’ any quilts. Sounds good about now!
I think the modern woman has gotten ripped off. I like many love my appliances and modern conveniences, don’t get me wrong. But it seems to me that the creative part of our homemaking has been taken out of our hands–it’s just easier/cheaper to buy such and such vs. making it. Then in its place we get the laundry, the sweeping, the dishes, the bath to clean (and more of them!), the this and the that…..all of it a bit easier now-a-days, but we lost something. We lost the part of our work that doesn’t come undone in a few hours!
I have a spinning wheel that I haven’t used much since my children were born. Right now it has a piece missing because of those dear children! I need to get it going again, though. Not because I think there are any merits to spinning my own yarn over buying it, or even that it’s cheaper, but it’s more relaxing. I haven’t spun for probably close to 18 years, but I remember that about it. The rhythm, the sound of the whirring wheel….you don’t have to concentrate on anything or you can think great thoughts if you want while spinning. (That is, once you’ve learned it and practiced it a bit!) And your hands get nice and soft just from the natural lanolin in the wool!
Different forms of needlework can be viewed as tedious or therapy. When my husband was in the ICU after his serious accident, I was knitting a triangular shawl that is super easy–no counting and straight knitting. I could sit and visit with others while waiting to see him, and yet my hands were productive. There is something comforting, something soothing about working with your hands, especially during a crisis. I went on to make my four oldest daughters shawls over the next year! Cheap therapy, I say! And believe me, I’m not "Super Knitter"! One daughter’s shawl has a nice small hole in the center where I slipped a stitch and didn’t find it until I was done! Keeps me humble!
Quilting used to be a way to make something useful, to be a good steward by using the good parts of worn out clothes (and making a "memory quilt" in the process!), to keep hands busy in a potentially stir-crazy time (cabin fever, anyone?) and in better weather an excuse for fellowship with others. We traded all that for a Wal-Mart comforter in a bag at $29.99. I think we got ripped off.
When I finish something, even if it’s a bit lopsided or has a hole in the center of it 
, it is such a sense of accomplishment. A satisfaction that just picking up a scarf at Wally-World doesn’t bring.
I just wonder if all the stressed out women found one outlet for themselves, whether they ever mastered it or not, if it wouldn’t help us all be in a better frame of mind. I take my knitting everywhere. I don’t knit extremely fast, and usually have about 6 projects going at a time (to the chagrin of my very organized mother-in-law–love ya, Mother!), but that’s okay. I’m not needing to clothe my family for the winter. It’s just my therapy. And we get something out of it, too! See what I mean? What do you get out of paying somebody $100 an hour to listen to you?!
If you really need to talk, come on over and I’ll only charge you $25! 
Or maybe I’ll just pour you a cup of tea in a nice teacup and set you up with some needles, yarn, and teach you this easy triangular shawl pattern! If you remember that the goal isn’t a polished product to sell, but just a sweet labor of love (and therapy for you!) for someone you love–or maybe even something special just for you– it makes it all the more fun!
I might just have to get a quilt top going…..
Trisch
Trisch, I just stumbled onto your blog and I must tell you — Please post more often! I loved reading a glimpse of your life. Thank you for sharing.
Corey
Thank you, Corey! I love reading others' blogs, too, when I can! It just helps us realize, we're all normal after all! : )
God bless!
Trisch
I came over from the T-Tapp forums and I just wanted to comment that you are right on target with this post. Making something with our hands is an essential part of our nature as women and as human beings. Sure, we could pay to have it made by someone half a world away in front of a machine and they might do a better job. But I personally feel that every object in my home that is hand made by a friend or family member is blessed with love and I would rather be surrounded by that then any number of $29.99 bag blankets.
I think you're right. I hadn't thought of it that way–that our creative part of homemaking is being outsourced and we're left with the stuff that doesn't last. Thanks for encouraging me to keep trying to sew, when I know I can get it way cheaper at the thrift store or what have you. There is a feeling of accomplishment in it. And it's priceless.
PS. My girls are trying to figure out knitting. Maybe you can show them a few ideas when we get to visit.
Love you,
Lenore
I agree *strongly* with the idea that we suffer becase we no longer have anything we do that lasts! That's one thing I love about canning–I can look at it for awhile!
Last winter I crocheted a blanket of granny squares, and enjoyed it so much! I took it with me to my husband's family Christmas, and it definitely decreased my stress level immensely. So this winter I started another one, just because it's so easy to pick up and take along, even though I have no idea what I'm going to do with it.
I keep saying that one day when I am old and have nothing else to do, I am going to quilt–do you think that day will ever come? (rolling eyes) Me neither! I do bits and pieces of experimenting with quilt blocks and collecting ideas…one of these days I'm going to just up and start one!
Thanks for a good post!
Homefire