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I am a mother, a grandmother, and a teacher. But whatever happens in my life, I keep sewing. I have worked as a political communicator and now as a teacher in my formal life. I have also written extensively on sewing. I have been a frequent contributor and contributing editor of Threads magazine and the Australian magazine Dressmaking with Stitches. My book Sew.. the garment-making book of knowledge was published in May 2018 and is available for pre-order from Amazon
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Sunday, September 2, 2018

Flypaper thoughts, crabapple but not crabby edition


  • Due to global warming or the return of the bees to my yard I have an alarming number of crabapples 
  • On the tree next to the driveway. 
  • The boughs have been bending right over
  • I have actually had to learn how to back into the driveway to avoid them
  • Backing up being something, like parallel parking, I have worked hard to keep out of my skill set
  • At least up until this crop related emergency
  • I have spent two whole days of good sewing time standing in the kitchen cutting up little apples
  • Will trade jelly for fabric
  • However the repetition of cutting off blossom ends and stem ends
  • Has freed up my mind to contemplate life
  • And the next 47 things I want to sew
  • Theory number one
  • I think people should put in a little work on having somethings they don't do well
  • All this well roundedness stuff and having it all is very diluting
  • What is wrong with writing off a few areas of competence to makes some space?
  • A woman I knew had a life of great duty and perfectionism
  • Can't think now of anything she did that she didn't do well
  • It was a lot of hard work that life
  • Now it is over
  • I was thinking over the apples today of the things I didn't ever see her do
  • Did she ride a bike ever?
  • Eat chocolate bars in the car real fast before she got home?
  • Did she ever pull the shower curtain over the bath before the company arrived
  • Because she didn't have time to clean the bathtub?
  • Or didn't want to?
  • Did she ever walk around her yard in her barefoot?
  • I certainly hope she did
  • But I am not totally sure about that
  • I am thinking this week we should all give some time to the things that we have decided we do badly
  • Even work at it
  • I have taken this approach to golf this year
  • Going to save me a fortune on golf lessons
  • Lets me out of Ladies Day
  • I have picked a really high score and decided that's how I golf
  • That's as high as I reach
  • And as good as I want to get
  • This is also the year I have noticed all the baby squirrels climbing up the trees along the fairways
  • And even saw a weasel
  • Man are those little things cute when they pop their heads up and look you
  • Not at all like coyotes who look right into your eyes and through you to the other side
  • No young weasels are just darling
  • Only word I can think of
  • Find it hard to believe what my grandfather told me
  • That there is no animal meaner than a weasel in a woodpile
  • That man knew nature
  • He once saw a black bear flatten a car with it's paw
  • OK it was in the thirties and maybe the cars were flimsier then
  • Or bears were tougher
  • Before global warming and crabapples taking over the world
  • I choose to believe that golf course weasels or nicer than woodpile weasels
  • The point is that people who are keeping their eye on the ball might miss seeing one and having to consider this point
  • You only really have to do the stuff you like well
  • Hopefully the other stuff can be covered by the other folks who have that as their best thing
  • And you can pick up the slack on the things they are not good at
  • I think I have just figured out a pretty good plan for world order
  • And made jelly too
  • Bit of a two for one deal
  • But this whole system is only going to work if we all start dropping the ball every now and them
  • And become experts at not being experts at everything
  • What if we started to say we actually, come to think of it, didn't want it all?
  • Because having it all would eat into time to think about weasels
  • And cut into someone else's chance to feel they were doing their part
  • You think about this and let me know
  • Right now I am going to go outside and walk around the yard in the dark
  • In my bare feet

14 comments:

Pat Gottshalk said...

Last night I did not see a weasel but the lightening bugs were dancing.

annie said...

We have a pair of squirrels who sharpen their teeth on our front porch. Wildlife officer said we should shoot them with a .22. Trouble is they move too fast. Very discouraging.

Karen said...

You’ve brilliantly articulated my feelings on housework — never going to have a perfect house, never going to try! 😀 Karen

Kansas Sky said...

Yay for the bare feet in the grass! And the high golf score!
And, I gotta say, that crab apple sunshine jelly will be awfully good with a morning biscuit and a cup of hot coffee when it snows on a January morning. Wise thoughts, yours.

Marcia Swanston said...

You don't mention the start of classes tomorrow...perhaps I'll focus on sewing and take a last walk on the beach this afternoon...inspired by your flypaper post

Erika Otter said...

Killer last line. The ground feels so good in summer!

garnet128 said...

I started feeling like this in my 40's, but the older I get the more I realize I really don't want it all or to do it all. I drop the ball all the time with the what I am suppose to do stuff and move on to the what I want to do stuff. Now in my 60's, less is better since it leaves more time for what I enjoy. Life really it too short.

Anonymous said...

My first thought about the barefoot after dark walk is that you must not have the big slugs we do.....that puts a crimp in taking the dog out for that last bit of business at night! Maybe the weasels eat the slugs?

ceci

Patricia said...

Love this post, and your streams of consciousness. I decided a lifetime ago that I would not or could not understand sport, let alone play any of it. This frees up a lot of time for sewing, singing, art, craft, shopping, gardening, and time with friends. HB goes to the football with his friends. Win win.

Nursebennett said...

Yes! My “I just want...” list gets shorter by the day. At this point it’s simply peace. That’s all I want. Peace...,and quiet. And fabric and a machine!

Kathleen from ASG said...

OK Barb - you're on! Jelly for fabric. What are you considering in that realm these days?

Barbara said...

Well what I have is enough crabapple jelly to sink a battleship ...

Anonymous said...

Want to trade some crabapple jelly for Peach & Bourbon Jam or Peach & Red Pepper Relish, Barb? Our 11 year old peach tree broke under the load of fruit. I'm up to my ears in peaches. And other than peaches my list is getting shorter by choice and necessity.

Donna E

KnitwitTeri said...

Wondering I'd it's better to have squirrel Bird in your woodwork or 22 pellets??