Labor Day random thoughts

One of the first lines in the movie Picnic is 'Son, nobody works on Labor Day.'  But, in today's world, a lot of people work on Labor Day.  Fortunately, I'm not going to be one of them.  We'll have a lazy day, and I hope the most strenuous thing I do all day is walk the dog.  

I've been crocheting and quilting and haven't managed to move anything forward very far.  I'm politically pissed off but don't plan to let that be what my day is about.  It's hot and humid and really, all I want to do is lay on the couch, but we both know that's not what my day will be about either.  Maybe I'll focus today on making a flower block or spend the day quilting on the arc quilt, or maybe clear up this cluttered sewing room.  But, those sound very ambitious this early in the morning.  We'll have to see how the day progresses and whether a second coffee will help.  

The back yard is full of butterflies and hummingbirds.  I worked hard for that and am enjoying it every day.  I have two hummers fighting over the feeder.  Pitched battles like a WWII Air Force enlistment movie.  

Syd came for dinner the other night.  We had such a nice visit.  She and I have found our 'relationship stride' and are enjoying it.  It's not that the past doesn't come up, but when it does, we can all laugh about it.  She's telling us a story, a little at a time.  When she was in school sports, she'd have to be at practice sometimes at 5 or 6 in the morning.  Every morning, I'd make her two breakfast tacos and wrap them in foil and they'd stay warm until after practice.  She's been telling us how she'd eat one and trade one to someone to do her homework, or to sit in a certain way so the teacher couldn't see her sleeping in the back of the room.  It would be so easy to be upset about her having someone else do her homework and sleeping in class.  But, honestly, what does it matter now?  She's made her choices and she's leading her life and I can listen to the story objectively, like it was being told by a friend or colleague and laugh at the Tom Sawyer-ish nature of it.  That's what parenting Syd requires.  

Someone in the neighborhood is chalking slogans protesting the abortion ban on the sidewalks.  I am feeling her frustration.  This is all about a power grab and has nothing to do with the lives of babies.  If it did, they'd be trying to make things better for the babies we already have instead of trying to add more  unwanted babies to an already overtaxed system.  Don't let 'em fool you.  It's never about what they say it is.  It's always about grabbing as much power as possible so they can tell the rest of us to sit down and shut up.  

I've ordered supplies to re-work the drapes in the studio.  I can't quite get the effect I'm looking for there.  They're great, but they're not quite 'right', so I'm giving them one last try.  If I can't get happy, I'm going to look for another alternative.  

I need to make a Linus quilt.  Sometimes, all I need to do is something that makes me happy and will hopefully make someone else happy too.  Doing things for others makes me feel good.

I want to piece and quilt a quilt on a treadle machine.  It's been too long since I sat at a treadle and sewed.  I enjoy the rhythm of that.  

I remembered how to spell the word rhythm.  I was counting on auto-correct and didn't need it.  Now, if I can just stop misspelling teh.  It's the simple things that are the most frustrating.  

I talked not long ago about making an all green quilt.  This is where I learned my lesson about monochromatic (spell check did have to lend a hand on that one) quilts.  It was a much better idea than project.  It was going to be a baby quilt, but it's huge, so I ended up making the baby something else.  I don't even remember which baby it was, but they must have been special for me to go to the effort of feathered star blocks.  

And, speaking of babies, I want to end with a happy new baby picture.  No politics, just a happy couple welcoming not one but two new babies into their family.  They will be an inspiration to a new generation of gay parents.  Bless them, every one.  

My mind does not work in a straight line.  I sat down to write that I was taking Labor Day off from the blog and look where I ended up.

Be well.  Enjoy the holiday if you're getting to celebrate.  If we don't shop on days like this, stores won't feel the need to be open.  

Just sayin'

Lane