There are days I let the blog go not only because I’m tired, overwhelmed, but because I have nothing significant to say. It’s a small life, after all. My world revolves around my kids, my husband, the dog, the house, sometimes the garden… and work, which I can’t really talk about here. So I don’t want to be boring.
Who really wants to hear the injokes about how the Little Man may just get a bale of socks next year for Christmas? Not a square bale, either, but one of the big round ones, and compressed, to boot. I swear the boy eats socks, and since he favors my good wools and will snag a pair out of my drawer without a second thought, I’m the one left holding the ba… er, single sock with a hole in the heel. And he’s picky about what he’ll wear outside. Dude. It’s below freezing out there. I don’t care if you don’t want to flash the emblem of my alma mater. If you won’t wear an actual, you know, Winter Coat with proper insulation, and you can’t find your own hoodie, you’re going to wear mine. Seriously?
It’s a small life in a lot of ways. I’m watching my weight, and trying to find ways to exercise, along with booting the kids into action on that front, because all three are troglodytes and would never see the Daystar if they were allowed to reach their inclination toward nocturnal ratiocination. The First Reader has been telecommuting, which was working nicely right up until the girls were on winter break and now he’s planning on working from T’office in the next town over because teen girls and squees and random bursts of giggles.
Plus, the holidays. Which are no longer as big a tradition as they were when the kids were small, but still there’s work parties, and secret santas, and days off, and trips to see the in-laws on both sides (and what a blessing to have the time and energy to do that!). So much going on, in such a small life.
I’m not saving the world. I’m not anything special at all. I don’t have big, important, earth-shattering stuff to write about. I’m going to be late for work (ok, not late precisely… but I do enjoy arriving in the lab when it’s all still and quiet and I have time to get in my groove before the action really starts) if I don’t wrap this up.
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14 responses to “It’s a small life”
the bale of socks a year sounds like me at his age, except i would have had to swipe my dad’s socks because of shoe size. Oh, and more than one pair of shoes a year, because they were growin, too.
Eventually his feet may get bigger than his mom’s, but let’s just say that Cedar has a good foundation, lol!
I have big feet. Not just ‘big for a girl’ but ‘hobbit’ is a fairly accurate guess at my Tolkein race. He may, eventually, be unable to wear my wool socks, but since they are ‘fits men 10-12’ that will be a year or two. And possibly his feet will stop growing? Maybe?
Perhaps a gift of knitting needles and yarn. A do-it-yourself sock kit so to speak!
Except for rare special occasions, my socks are generic black sweat socks for winter, and generic white sweat socks for summer.
Boring? Nope. Remember the terms of our deal. You write, I read. And what isn’t said often enough is thank you for sharing your life with us.
Hm! Well, he’s expressed interest in learning to sew, maybe I can parlay that into knitting, too.
I decided to learn to sew as part of my things to do in retirement.
My wife started with, “We don’t need a sewing machine, we can just use my mother’s!” And she has evolved to, “Hem these.”
If I had a small sewing machine when I was on active duty, I could have made quite the side income.
Compared to other hobbies, the sewing machine and the required extra stuff have been reasonably priced, and I have really enjoyed making things. And unlike hobby welding, the risk of fire is almost zero with sewing!
The Lad asked for a vintage sewing machine he could refurbish as a project, I initially said no (I have a very nice one, albeit in need of cleaning) but I am beginning to lean toward ‘heck, why not?’ on it.
No, the Junior Mad Scientist is the child who wants to learn welding. And I may let her take that class. At college. LOL!
If he learns to sew, and sticks with it, he might eventually end up with my new sewing machine and serger….
Your feet may be big (and I know you like to go barefoot) but they aren’t nearly hairy enough to be hobbit feet, LOL!
I’m not saving the world.
Just a little bit of it, and that’s enough.
I’m not anything special at all.
I suspect there are many who would disagree.
I don’t have big, important, earth-shattering stuff to write about.
You say that like it’s a bad thing.
As regards sewing: That’s one thing I regret never having learned. In junior high, you didn’t have to take Home Economics if you took Orchestra. My fondness for violin didn’t extend to me actually being any good at it, and the ability to operate a sewing machine would have served me to this day.
You have a point about the earth-shattering. I could do without that!
I can sew, both with a machine and by hand. I just don’t have time, any more. Most clothing is far cheaper to buy than make from scratch, and for that matter fabric is – well, let me put it this way. I told the Ginja Ninja she should consider thrifting and upcycling sweaters for her little monster creations, as it would be cheaper than buying yarn new. On the other hand, I have no regrets about knowing how to sew. If you have time, the basics are not terribly difficult to pick up. I was teaching my Dad, a few years back.
And there are probably lots of videos on-line that would help a beginner get started sewing. Also, often the store where you buy your sewing machine will have classes, usually free for people who buy one of their machines (and I don’t recommend buying a cheap sewing machine — it won’t last long). But yes, unless you have a good source of inexpensive but quality fabric, it’s still cheaper to buy clothes. The advantages of sewing your own are 1. quality of the sewing (most store-bought clothing, even if it’s fairly expensive, is poorly sewn), 2. fit — you can learn to fit your clothing for your own body, and 3. style and fabric can be chosen to suit your tastes, so you aren’t restricted to whatever is currently popular. Then, too, there’s the satisfaction of learning a craft that you enjoy. There are websites where you can get good-quality fabric for decent prices, especially if you watch for their sales. I recommend buying small swatches to start with, so you can examine the fabric in person and see if it’s what you want before you buy several yards. JoAnn Fabrics are available everywhere, and it is easier to buy fabric in person where you can feel it, but they don’t have much that’s good quality.
All lives are small lives, but small can be great!
23 skiidoo