I tried

I tried to kill it, but it just keeps on blooming now into October. I didn't water it at all. I weeded around it only twice. I staked it with something too flexible and not nearly tall enough so it fell over. But it kept growing anyway. Since it's hanging there, precariously parallel to the ground, there are shoots growing off of it in a direction that should be sideways, but instead they're straining toward the sun.

Plants that are nearly impossible to kill are right up my alley. I've heard talk that dahlias are hard. But I've had more trouble with black-eyed susans and purple cone flower. Or maybe that was because the dog was peeing on them.

Another hole in the head

what this means:

fond memories from childhood for both of us
two brothers coming together and the 6 children between them
new memories
many hours repairing an old trailer and boat
recycling instead of throwing away
new isn't always necessary
adventure
the wonder of wind and water, sails and a rudder
driving without a license
sailing lessons
tipping it over for the fun of it
3 kids standing on a centerboard to right it
more trips to the water
a whole new language (boom, sheet, come about, tack)
making more room in the pole barn
watercraft #4
subsequent hole in the head

At the dinner table

Kevin began the discussion at dinner last night talking about John's positive, can-do attitude. There was quite a bit of pre-discussion, but I'll let you in where it starts getting interesting.

"So you mean if we moved to Alaska and you had no friends and didn't know anyone and had to go to a new school and sit in a new desk, that'd be just fine with you?" Kevin asked him.

"Sure! It'd all work out. I can make new friends." replied John.

Kevin (to me): "Why don't I have that kind of mindset? Why don't I just know that somehow everything's gonna be just fine? That it'll all work out in the end. I really think everyone is born with that attitude and then they somehow lose it along the way."

me: "Well, not EVERYone is born with it (several examples come to mind)."

Kevin: "Okay, not everyone. But then why does he have it and some people don't? Why can't I have it?"

me: "You can."

Kevin: "I'm really trying. I mean I pray EVERY day, 'God, please take away my worry and anxiety. God, PLEASE take away my worry and anxiety.' "

me: "He can't take it away when you're holding on to it so tightly. You have to let it go in order for it to be gone. You have to set it all down and just walk away. Maybe you should pray, 'God, please help me to LET GO of all my worries and anxiety.' "

DING. (the sound of lightbulbs going off)

And it was just then that I remembered that the advice we most freely give is that which we most need to follow ourselves.

I'm getting there

I finally made myself a lightbox yesterday for photographing jewelry inside with an inexpensive camera. It only took me three months of saying I was going to do it to actually get it done. Once I saw a picture of a very low tech light box and realized it'd take me all of 10 minutes and materials I already had in the house, it was a done deal.

There is still much tweaking to do in my opinion to make the photos look better, but I'm getting there I think. At least I'm getting more detail in the shots and you can sort of see what they look like. The two above are listed on Etsy right now and I'll be listing more this afternoon.

I'm thinking of a different background color on the next go around. I'm just not a big fan of stark white. Enjoy.

A beautiful thing--men who knit

There he sits, Cricket, our market manager who graciously served as our first knitting student during a demonstartion we had a yesterday's market. I have to say that he and the next student, also a man, were our quickest learners and began knitting as if they'd been doing it for years. I showed them both how to cast on, knit and even purl, I bet you anything at least one of them shows up next Saturday ready to cast off something they've knitted this week.

I was supposedly in charge of the demonstration, but I gotta hand it to my knitting compadres Mary and Pam who pretty much ran the show. And Mary, with her gorgeous sweater and bag knitted by her mom that we all drooled over and each took turns petting. If only I'd remembered my camera I could show you. Mom brain strikes again!

Comments

I just have to reflect on a comment on the last post. YES! I have lost brain cells since having children. That's exactly what I was thinking when I was searching for the name of the magazine and I almost used it as my excuse, but the shop owner (of a children's boutique) doesn't yet have children and I figured she'd probably look at me a little sideways if I claimed brain damage due to motherhood. Some moms may be insulted by this, but my mom friends agree with me a thousand percent. It's the being put on the spot factor that gets me every time. Stage fright, brain fart, choke, major malfunction.....blah...blah...blah. But given the choice, I'd choose the kids a million times over.

Peddling

That's basically what my morning boiled down to while Allie was in school. I have my Etsy shop, I vend at the market every Saturday and I have my things in some local shops, but it's been my goal this Fall to increase my exposure by going to more shops to see if they're interested. So I took around a bag of hats and booties to see what I could stir up. Just 3 shops. One rather big, Whole Foods, and I NEVER would have thought of going there were it not for one their marketing people telling me to. The other two were small and I think I may have gotten somewhere with one because the manager was there and I could speak directly with her. The other two I had to leave my name and card and will follow up later.

It's a bit of leg work and the knitting alone is alot of work for a reduced price so I ask myself often if it's worth it and more importantly WHEN am I going to find the time to do it all? What I keep coming back to is that I'll make it work. It always seems to somehow. And it's not all about money, it's about something bigger that I just can't put my finger on right now, but I know it's out there and one day I'll know why all this is necessary.

I find the whole thing a humbling and exposing sort of venture. I've spoken about this before and I am getting used to the whole "putting yourself out there for the world to critique" sort of thing, but it really does get embarassing when you mention (while people are ooohing over your booties) that they were pictured in a local magazine this summer and can't remember the name of the magazine!! It was on the tip of my tongue. I remembered it as soon as by butt hit the seat of my car but could not for the life of me cough it up when it mattered most. Skirt! remember?

I spent a good half hour beating myself up about that one and then switched to repeating, "I will not beat myself up over something so trivial. I will not beat myself up over something so trivial...." you get the picture.

So that's basically how the morning went. Wish me luck.