Currently:

Carrie is reading The Help to me. Pure delight and grand luxury.

She is sewing a skirt for herself and is doing wonderfully. (She is not pictured here - that is me and my sisters at the wedding nearly a year ago. Can't believe it has been that long. Wish I could get into that great violet dress again. I will. The pearls and the snakeskin shoes still fit.)

I am writing the syllabus for the Costuming class in the Fall. New adventure.

I am working on the stock for the October Apron Show. I will NOT get behind and sew 8 hours a day for all of October. I WILL NOT DO THAT EVER AGAIN. **Public declaration designed to motivate me to keep up the current pace of 5 to 6 a week. ** Sewing 8 hours a day(night) is reserved for costuming, and costuming alone. Unless I can figure a way to do it differently this year.

Have tentatively heard that it will be The King and I for Spring. Total new costume construction, but for the cool authentic pants I am ever-so-glad I did not cut when I used them for a Pirate Girl Skirt last Spring. It is a seed at least. A lovely red iridescent seed. And new costumes means at least one awesome BIG DRESS. I do love a centerpiece.

Headed for the BIG Scottish Highland Games in North Carolina in a couple weeks. Real vacation. Much needed after this hard year.

And so this is the update. Will post a picture of the new never-making-my-own-bias-tape-again apron tomorrow. It's done but I need to go to work. Because, despite this list, I actually also have an away job. (which I love)


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Heroes and the Insulating Value of Wool

Today was the second day of the Kansas City Highland Games. It rained. This is a gross understatement.

We spent the first couple of hours under the halfway-up tent periodically pushing on the roof with a PVC pole (that would eventually hold up the banner) to keep the puddles of water from collapsing the tent on our heads. For awhile there it was a race around and beneath the roof supports of the tent to keep up with the forming puddles in all four corners. In between pushes and deluges I sent texts to those who thought they might come out until I decided my hands were too wet to use the phone. It actually was a lot of fun. There was no whining.

For the next several hours we figured out ways to stay fairly dry and warm. This is where wool comes in to the story. It is utterly amazing to me how warm wool is even when very wet. And, if you shake it out, it dries really fast. I had my cashmere wrap from California and Harold had his wool Glengarry. I was nice and warm and his head was warm. Our feet were thoroughly wet. Still fun.

Eventually I dried my hair in the bathroom under the G-Force hand dryers and was grateful that it was cut very summer short. The sun came out. It was then Louisiana-style humid.

The rest of the day was spent watching "the boys" be heroes. They helped dismantle and fold up broken tents for other Clans. They pushed a very stuck truck out of the mud. They entertained me with stories and did the food runs with me. They made delightful companions. It is an interesting group - the three wives (who are sisters) and my husband are the history buffs. The husbands (the boys) and I are the decorative accessories to the Clan tent. We wear kilts and generally try to be helpful. Today I was just decorative, though, (other than coffee and meat runs) while the boys were helpful and heroic in every direction they turned. I was proud to be associated with them. Really really proud.

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Tuesday, Not As Planned

So today I had a set of appointments. And I only went to the first. I got (what felt like) hopelessly lost trying to get to the new haircut joint, and when I finally recognized a road and got headed toward home, that is where I went. I had left my phone on the kitchen table, so no contacting them to say I was not coming. Just did not show up. SO unlike me. First-born, ultra responsible, can't-
say-no, you know the type. I stopped at the sewing temptations store to get a roll of tape for the zipper on this dress I am finishing, then decided that I did not want to do the third appointment of the day, either. So I arrived home, called the hair place, called appointment number three and canceled. I made myself lunch, decided I wanted cocoa, made it in a skillet (?) and am now headed to the sewing room. I am writing this just for me - to remind myself that a day of self-care is pretty important.... I feel delighted to make this dress and then finish a banner and two flags from the Douglas kilt I deconstructed on Sunday.

A good rainy day. Congratulations, Jennifer, for taking advantage of it for yourself.

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I am looking forward to hearing from Corina. I am delighted that she will have the apron from the Tie One On theme.

And to get a pattern from me - no shipping cost - you can email me (see my profile for the email) or comment and we will make arrangements. I named my aprons One of Mine because it makes me happy to think of all those aprons that I made out there being worn. Some of them have appropriate names like Hazel and Ethel and Betty. But they all have the same last name - :)



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Alright. For reals. Going to make a genuine effort to do this regularly.

I am reminded of my old Xanga, which I loved, and determined this morning to begin again getting things down so I can remember the way I felt and thought at the point of different (sometimes crucial) events.

And knowing that there is a link coming soon, I have to choose whether to write inner stuff or be a public persona.

Having been with my beloved sister this morning, I am reminded that I can't be anything but myself. Nothing TRULY that is. I told her that I was bolstered constantly by the knowledge that there is someone who really gets me and can do two contradictory things simultaneously which help solidify my real self. These things are:

1) tell me to stop giving so much of myself - investing so deeply and engaging so completely because it hurts like hell most of the time and
2) know and understand that I cannot do that.

It is a comfort. I love her deeply.

Now, a brief but glorious list of current events.
1) We are again a two-job couple. God is good. It was a long haul and yet it has been worth the wait for the wondrously ideal position.
2) All else is today overshadowed by this good thing. I will list many other good things as I discipline myself to write regularly. I am consciously not making a rule about how often.

And I will say here to the blog writers I currently read regularly, A Dress a Day and A Knitting Nurse and HollyGab, thank you for being so interesting and friendly and prolific and inspiring.

Another apron shot. Just because. Check out the cute little bound flap on that pocket. I loved that fabric. I am glad Abi has one made from it, because it was supposed to be a cute little skirt once-upon-a-fabric-buying-binge. Somebody out there in the world owns that and I hope they are wearing it.