Tuesday, September 26, 2006

ALMOST A MONTH...


...since my last post.

Working 8-10 hour days and some Saturdays has me beat. And every Saturday night I have a date with my two grandbabies, which is great fun but as exhausting as a three-ring circus.

On the side (ha-ha), I've semi-committed to writing an article on my favorite craft supply spot, the EB Depot on San Pablo near Ashby in Berkeley.







http://www.east-bay-depot.org/

Time, time, time is my biggest need right now. I am on vacation this week and just want to sit around my house; procion-dying, knitting and sewing while watching movies or listening to books on tape. Tomorrow I join my son in taking the granddaughter to her early morning gymnastics class. I spent half a day looking for my digital camera and FINALLY found it in my backpack from two weekends ago.

It's nearly midnight. More soon....

Sunday night:
And so I did. For five days, I stayed in my little house, sewing, knitting, listening to books on tape. My son who is house-sitting next door came by each day. I think he was worried about my going off the rails because I had no outside-the-house ambitions. He is such a social animal, always likes people and sound around him. But as he grows older, less and less. Where he lives now doesn't even have a tv so he can try to focus on his microbiology and physiology classes.

In five days, I made 3 pairs of soft pajamas for myself, knitted two hats for my grandson (which are too small), dyed four items a soft bottle-green, finished crocheting an orange blanket with rainbow edging, and made the grandson 3 pairs of pairs of jim-jams for the baby as well. I also experimented with felting 2 thrift-store sweaters into purses, sewed up a carry-bag for my knitting and made a knit/felted toy mouse.

Today we took Los Babes on the Alameda-San Francisco ferry. With little time, we rode over and back and my granddaughter had a blast watching the waves, boats and seagulls. Baby Evan ate pureed bananas and closed his amber-brown eyes to nap for a while wrapped up in my down vest. It was a good day and the visit too short.

And tomorrow it's back to the grind. There were so many things I wanted to do but did not. But it's okay. I was selfish and did what I needed/wanted. My next break will be the last week of the year when we are "asked" to take the week between Christmas and New Year off. I will and gladly. Feel like a human being again and not a wage machine.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

WHAT KEEPS ME GOING


A new week begins, a six-day week because we'll be working next Saturday. Last weekend was good, I took the kids to the Berkeley Botanical Garden and the day was lovely. They both have colds so the sunlight and clean air was good for all of us.

My special treat was going to SCRAP in San Francisco on Saturday morning and looking through the piles of STUFF they have. Wonderful stuff. For a crafter, SCRAP is heaven . Fabrics, yarns, odds/ends, paper, glass, wood. And all dirt cheap. Check it out: http://www.scrap-sf.org/

My ideal life would be to run such a place or spend each day making things with my hands. Sewing, knitting, crocheting, painting. I know I can run down to Target and get a made-in-China baby hat for $3, but I'd rather knit one from yarn I bought for 25 cents.

If I can stand it, in four more years, I'll be able to retire with a pension of $1,000/month. That would be heaven for me. That would pay most of my mortgage. Four more years of opening letters and answering angry phone calls and putting up with insane management. Also four more years of steady wages and excellent benefits. Hmmm.

In the meantime....


My grandson at six months, wearing his dainty three-year old sister's T Rex tee-shirt. Both kids are nearly the same size.

After working five days a week with adults, I'm glad to spend time with children. It balances out the madness of the modern world.