dual personalities

And here we are on Tuesday evening again. It really feels more like a Wednesday. I’ve been in a funk since yesterday when I realized I had to tear out all of the lettering I’d done on my most new cross-stitch project because I’d foolishly started in the wrong spot. Blergh. But! I did pick up my wine club wines this afternoon, so there’s a nice red blend in my future.

I moved my sewing table/work from home desk back to the craft room from the sunroom this weekend. I’ll miss spying on observing my neighbors. But the feng shui is really back to normal. With the set up back in its usual place, I whipped these up, per request, for Daughter #2 and sweet Katiebelle.

Also, in breaking news I forgot to mention last week, I got my sampler back from the frame shop. And boy does it look good. I am so pleased.

I drove down to Osage Beach this weekend to hit up the outlets. It feels like stealing to shop at JCrew these days and I didn’t really see anything that great. It was a pretty drive, though.

So things continue on.

“When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest. The only thing that could spoil a day was people and if you could keep them from making engagements, each day had no limits. People were always the limiters of happiness except for the very few that were as good as spring itself.”

–Ernest Hemingway, “A Moveable Feast

I just love to page through old books and see what I’ve underlined before. Usually it’s stuff that seemed really deep when you were in college and in your early 20s but now seems not deep at all. Anyway, I actually liked this quote from Hemingway–even if it is about Spring and we are entering Fall.

*I wish. (Bart Simpson, “Bart of Darkness”)

It’s almost the end of September, the nights are chilly and we’ve had our first frost warning. My week was chock full of small, wearying failures: I discovered that the hot water heater had died when I went to take a pre-work shower at 6 am; I had computer problems in every class and didn’t handle it well; I spilled coffee on myself first thing in morning and had to wear the stain throughout the day, and I endured the usual round of irritating zoom meetings. In other words, it was the kind of week that left me looking a lot like Peter the Great’s sister, Sophia, after they stuck her in a convent.

Nevertheless, the good far outweighed the bad. After my second tech-failed class in a row, a student tried to make me feel better by asking me what had given me joy that day. It took me a while to come up with an answer, and when I did it was pretty lame — the quiet drive to work — but I got her point and appreciated the reminder that we need to concentrate on the things that really matter.

Looking back on the week now, I realize that I have much to be grateful for. The DH and I managed to remove the heavy, old desk from Tim’s room and get it out to the curb without mishap. Someone came and took it within minutes — now that’s a win! I also moved several boxes of stuff to the storage unit and dragged my parents’ desk into place all by myself (no pictures yet, but I’m getting there). We’ve got a new hot water heater, which is infinitely quieter than the old one, and we will be getting a new furnace next week sometime. We’ll have hot water and heat! I need to remember that work is just work; it need not define my mood. As Lucy Maude Montgomery wrote in Ann of Green Gables,

“It’s been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.”

The quest to find joy in quotidian activities has been an ongoing theme in this blog, and I for one appreciate the daily reminders that things aren’t as bad as they may seem!

*George Carlin

We listened to this song the other night at the recommendation of my mother and sister — classic! But we’d rather not make the baby stay up late. In fact, we decided that the past couple of weeks of worse sleep were officially the four month sleep regression. In true Katiebelle form, she’s so brilliant she regressed early! (That’s a joke.) But we seem to be on the upswing, so fingers crossed that sticks.

I had two days in a row with no Zoom calls, which means I got to do a bit more playtime with the cutie pie. Lots of kicking of legs in the air, twisting of hips, and gazing out of windows. What could be better?

Happy almost-weekend! Let’s all kick our legs in the air and look out a window.

I had several conversations today where the conclusion was that every time we think things have reached their dumbest, something even dumber happens. It seems everyone is anxious and kind of cranky. I sit in my office just counting down the minutes until I can flee the building and be free to not think about anything except sewing and not the internet.

But, as I’ve mentioned before, the challenge is not to get caught in that trap. Overall, our lives are great and we are lucky to be where we are.

For instance, on Friday, for my birthday, my Mother, brother, and sweet niece and nephew ventured to the Zoo. This was my idea because I really only see the twins when they come over and I thought it would be fun to hit up one of my favorite places. Plus, with the Zoo being reservation only, there really aren’t that many people there and there’s always a bomb parking spot.

We rode the train and saw the bears and the sea lions and the penguins. It was a great afternoon! And then we went home opened presents (that the twins were very excited to open and then disappointed when they turned out to be age-appropriate gifts for me). We had a simple dinner and yummy dessert. It was great. And just what I wanted.

I know that things will only get crazier in the coming weeks and I am just trying to focus on the good things that I can control–new sewing projects, helping my mother organize the basement, Club Taco to-go margaritas, the changing weather and cooler temps, work pants with an elastic waist, wine. You get the picture.

There are good things happening–they just might be small joys. This too shall pass.

“All of you should wrap yourselves in the garment of humility toward each other, because God sets his face against the arrogant but favors the humble. Humble yourselves then under God’s mighty hand, and he will lift you up in due time. Cast all your cares on him, for you are his charge.”

–1 Peter 5:5-7

The DH and I are having a quiet weekend, which is to say that we aren’t doing anything much except sitting work. We did put the new desk in its place, but we have postponed the additional furniture moving (Tim’s old desk out and my parents’ desk to its new spot) because the old joints don’t feel up to it. When you get to be our age, it’s best to be cautious. You know how people say their body is a temple? It’s true but…

Moving on from our aches and pains, today is son #2’s birthday! I think the last time I baked him a birthday cake he turned 21!

This year, as he turns 28, we will have to celebrate via phone. Here’s hoping that the next year goes more smoothly than the last one! As for being 28, I recently came across an interview with Mark Knopfler in which he noted, “

 “I was 28 when Sultans [of Swing] broke, when that first album burst open all round the world. We were still living in Deptford, and with the record deals back then when you first signed, they wouldn’t give you any money for 18 months. I think they’re still like that today, actually.

“So it was No 1 all over the world, but I didn’t get any money from it for ages, and we were still living there for a good while. But I managed to move up the road after a few years. All those deals get renegotiated, in return for which you give them more albums, that’s how it works. And it slowly edges up to where you get a reasonable royalty.”

Mr. Knopfler says he’s grateful for the years of hard work because he learned a lot, especially about people. He went on to say, “I know plenty of musicians who have never unloaded a lorry and I think, I’m sorry for them, because if you’ve never really done anything like that then you don’t really know what it’s about. What people are thinking, all the rest of it.”*

Now we all know that Mark Knopfler is a brilliant musician and very perceptive guy. Clearly he worked hard and never felt that he was too good for the job at hand, but did everything to the best of his ability and learned from it.  This attitude reminds me of the birthday boy, so in his honor, here’s “Sultans of Swing”!

Happy Birthday, dear Christopher!!!

*You can read the whole article at musicradar.