Crafting

It was hard work. I had to lift heavy pine branches over my head to finish the lean-to, and while I held still to staple the sides of the tee pees, the mosquitoes nearly ate my face off. In fact, one bit me on the left side of my lower lip, and I have been doing dead-on Silvester Stallone impressions all afternoon. Adriaaaaaaan! I wanted to tell them no, because I am old and tired and over-caffeinated. But this was the first weekend after the first week of a new school year, the end of the first week of our new days spent more apart than together. So I said yes instead. Yes, I will play with you. Yes, I like what you do. Yes, I love you.

I participated in my first creative exchange recently. Nancy of Round Rabbit ceramic jewelry fame sent me a really sweet, blue, handmade heart dish, and I sent her a clutch that I made for her.

I half-finished a purse. Mostly we talked, and ate, and drank, and pet the cat, while the wonderful smell of Jake’s Polish soul food cooking in the kitchen drove us to further distraction.

Not done yet. We’re going to IKEA this weekend for the finishing touches. Boy, am I glad those curtains are finally up, sewing them almost killed me…

I spent our snowy winter solstice indoors, watching the snow fall out of the corner of my eye as I crafted last-minute gifts. All under the watchful eye of one feverish director, that is.

If you live with a guitar player, you must be prepared for one unfortunate truth: you, your children, and your children’s children will be tripping over guitar cases as long as your guitar player draws breath and you share a roof with him or her. After the fourth time in a week that one of my poor, innocent children tripped and fell over a guitar case left in the middle of our living room floor, I threw up my hands. Then I cried, Uncle! Then I ate some Doritos. Then I Googled “hang guitar”, which brought me to this tutorial, the perusal of which ultimately resulted in me hatching an evil plan to rid my home of random guitar case leavings. ...

I made a sweet little tote bag for a friend’s fifth birthday.