Do Something!

Bushism for Thursday, March 15, 2007
"Well, I think if you say you're going to do something and don't do it, that's trustworthiness." CNN online chat; August 30,2000

Now, there's some food for thought!

I have no clue what DUBYA was referring to in that comment but when I read it before posting it this morning, it gave me cause to think a lot, long and hard, about myself and brought me to the conclusion then that if that is the case, I am really an extremely trustworthy type person!

I'm always saying I'm going to do this, that or the other and all too frequently I quickly forget I planned to do those things too.

And, I have lots and lots of proof too of those good intentions sitting around my house.

My "good intentions" frequently come under the banner of things I think I will either knit or crochet or items I plan to sew. And, in preparation for any craft project along any of those lines, I have all kinds of yarns, stashed away in those big plastic toy box size containers just waiting for me to get the urge to pick up knitting needles and a pattern or a crochet hook and start working away. I think I have at least three of those big plastic bins pushed back in a corner in the basement at last count. (I also have a couple smaller containers of yarns shoved under my bed too, come to think of it.)

And fabric - do I have fabric? Oh my yes! I have three storage bins -at least - in the basement containing fabrics of many lengths, types, textures, another bin with nothing in it but vest panels ready to be cut out along with matching pieces and put together to make reversible vests. That bin is from about 8-9 years ago when I was on a kick making (and even selling) reversible vests.

Then, in my bedroom, I also have 3 more large bins filled to the brim of more fabric along with a stack almost 3 foot high of what else, but fabric that is earmarked to be made up into little things for the two younger grandchildren and an occasional larger piece of fleece fabric amongst the mix to be used to make sweatshirts for the older grandson.

Ah yes, Grammy J has grand visions of being the little old granny sitting contentedly at the old Singer just busy making pretty little things for the sweet grandkids to wear!

What Grammy J doesn't have is the energy some days to get busy and make these visions become a reality.

What Grammy J does have in abundance is the ability to procrastinate - profusely!!!

But, if DUBYA wants to call that trustworthiness, it's as good an excuse as any I'd ever be able to come up with to put a label on myself for my plans and my inactions too!

Whatever works - that's more or less my motto there in that respect!

Monday Musings

Time to get busy here!

I've done a couple things thus far today - read and cleared out my e-mail, checked into the Centre Daily Times newspaper online to see if there was anything spectacular going on in the "sort of" local news from across the mountain, got the dirty dishes cleared out, all Maya's princess dolls and assorted other toys picked up from the living room floor (and since the two little ones are at the babysitter's place this afternoon, the house will actually be semi-orderly and clean now till about 5:15 this afternoon).

Then I did my daily "blog tour" - going through the various blogs on my "links I like to read" list to see what some of my fellow blogger friends have to say about the price of tea in China today.

And, in doing that, I came across this blog after having read the bloghopping tour at East of Oregon's site today. Every Monday, she always does this "bloghopping" thing and posts little tidbits about the different, new and exciting blogs she's found that day. And the first one there really caught my eye - some lovely photographs of sights in Oregon, as well as seeing a really pretty hand-made shawl and a snapshot of a yarn shop too.

Now, anyone who knows me really, really well, knows that I have a severe affliction - it's called "I love yarn!" Ok, I am pretty much that way about fabrics, cookbooks too (although I don't cook near as much as my loaded down cookbook bookshelf would lead some to believe.) And I also love bookstores!

But yarn - oh my goodness, how I love that stuff. I enjoy knitting and crochet but am far from being an expert on either craft. My Aunt Mary - now there was a lady who could knit up a storm! She taught herself how to do it too about 59 years ago, before her first child was born and it was something that she became very, very adept at doing as long as she could still hold the knitting needles and yarn between her fingers. Some beautiful creations came forth from her hands over those 58 years she put in after first teaching herself how to knit and purl.

I remember, like it was yesterday, the first handknit item I received from her. It came to me as a Christmas present - I'm not sure now how old I was (perhaps 7 or 8) but it was a grey vest and it wore like iron! It seemed to grow right along with me and that wasn't a bad thing either because I really liked it and it went very nicely with so many outfits too.

For my high school graduation, she made me a gorgeous cardigan sweater - a bright, sort of Kelly green, medium brown and white striped sweater with a collar but no buttons - and it was an eye-catching sweater, to be sure. It was a part of my wardrobe for many years until it finally started to show too many signs of wear and tear - a few tiny rips or holes here and there and I finally had to get rid of it but I know I had it and wore it for very close to twenty years.

Each of my children, over the years, also was the beneficiary of many of Aunt Mary's projects too - from beautiful little baby and children's sweaters, to baby blankets and such. The last knitted items my girls and I received from her came to us as a surprise about two years ago when she sent us a packet containing four of the most gorgeous furry scarves ever! Three were adult size and the fourth, obviously for Miss Maya, was a pint sized pale pink furry little scarf which Maya looked lovely having it wrapped around her neck on cold wintry days and it will last her several more years too as it will be a long time before she outgrows it.
Although (unfortunately) you can't see the scarf on Maya in the upper photo, she had it on - all tucked nicely around her neck and inside her coat - as she was ready to leave to go to Christmas Eve Church services back in 2005. I thought I had a photo saved here someplace that actually SHOWED the scarf very plainly, but apparently I don't - or I don't have it on the computer yet at any rate if I have it here someplace.

Yes, organization is a wonderful trait and it's a darned shame I am sorely lacking in that one!

And, since I have knitting on the mind right now, I think as soon as I publish this post, I'm going to retreat to the sofa and knit some more of the scarf I am working on right now too.

But, one last thing for today - before I get to the needles and yarn. Yep, you guessed it. Your Bushim for the day.

"The great thing about America is everybody should vote." - Austin, Texas; December 8, 2000.

And, although I think he could have worded that a little better, the intent behind that comment, I do understand and agree with him wholeheartedly too. Only problem is, way too many people who could and should vote don't but it they did, think of the difference it WOULD make to our society?

Knit 1, Purl 2?

If you are a knitter, you will understand my title. If not, don't worry about it, as it means nothing exceptional other than that I'm going to expound a tad about knitting.

What inspired this you ask? One of my pretty regular readers noted today in response to my mentioning knitting in my earlier post of today that I am working on a sweater. Key word there being "working," as I am not exactly a speedy knitter, nor am I that devoted to the hobby or projects I start, that I keep on working at 'em to get them completed!

But I do, when I am in the mood, usually enjoy trying to knit.

My reader wrote that she feels she can't really knit as all she has ever made, using that method, would be some long scarves, but she adds that she makes a really mean afghan.

I've made some afghans too in my day - crochet type, that is. Oh, almost forgot - I have knitted two afghans - both baby type though so they weren't huge projects which, if I were knitting a full sized afghan, the project would most likely ended up in my corner pile of things started and never completed! One I made in the late winter-early spring of 1980 and went to my friend, Kate, for her third (and last) baby! Do you feel honored Susan that you were one of two recipients of one of my knitted afghans? The other - which was a kind of lacy patterned baby afghan was given to the daughter of one of my Avon customers back in the early 80's.

But what triggered this posting here really was Skittles mention of making long scarves. And I was just wondering if she had tried to make the nifty boa type scarves using the really pretty "eyelash" yarns?

My Aunt Mary - the one who recently passed away - got me hooked two years ago this winter with making those scarves, using that type of yarn and I just love making them! They are soooo easy - well, once you get accustomed to the feel of the yarn and working with the really big needles and such. But if I start one of those type scarves, provided no one comes along to interrupt my train of thought, I can generally push one through to completion in a matter of only a couple of hours worth of work! My kind of project there for sure; fast and easy and pleasing to the eye when finished too!

And if anyone is interested in making scarves like I described above, just let me know and I will gladly give you the specs to make your own!