Monthly Archives: January 2014

Christmas lights, colors, and festivities put many people in a happy mood .   But now those decorations and festivities are gone for another year and depression is setting in.  I’d like to take the time here to discuss this topic.

Depression is often caused from looking inward and most of us aren’t thrilled with what we see.  When I look inside, I see someone with lots of flaws -overweight, inattentive to detail, poor housekeeper, etc. –  who continually makes mistakes and if I kept looking inside the depression cycle would start.   But I am choosing to make those mistakes stepping stones in my learning.

Instead I am choosing to lift my head and look out. And when I do, I see so many local needs and while most are not of my calling,  a few are.    I have skills in the sewing world that can lighten another’s load.  We do a decent garden in the summer to share.   And I can always share a smile, lend an ear, and be friendly.   Some people only need a cheery word while others need more.   In the past I have made items for hospitals, street people,  military vets to name some.   This year, in addition,  I’ll be looking for chances to be of help in a more personal way.

I recently learned of some mothers I know who are in a lot of pain because of their children’s actions.   Been there, done that, so maybe I can help share their pain and ease their burdens.   No one should have to feel alone going through hard times.   Yet because we don’t share, we do suffer alone.

Even in our churches we have a lot of lonely people.   Maybe once a month I could invite half a dozen people over for lunch after church.   Do you think they would care if my house was not spotless, or the meal was a simple plant based one?   Would it matter to them that I don’t do “House Beautiful” or maybe that I have more earthly goods than they do?   In  the past, I have not invited people because of these reasons.  I have been to conscious of what people might think of me.   This year I am choosing to think of their needs.   I am choosing to think they would rather have a friendly visit than critique my housekeeping skills or simple meal.  If that’s not the case, they can turn me down.   I expect nothing in return, but if they accept,  both of us will be blessed.

What about the lonely older people, especially those in nursing homes.  I remember when Dad was in the nursing home, his roommate had no company.  I took Dad a simple fleece blanket and almost as an afterthought decided to bring his roommate one as well.   Simple, but he liked being cared about.   I wonder – would have to ask first – but would nursing homes like a simple decorations for the tables or trays for the holidays – something that could be disposable – that says, someone cares.  And if I brought a few inexpensive fleece blankets in happy colors, would they have patients without someone to love them who would be thrilled to be thought of    And I wonder if they have someone there that just needs to be read to.   Another personal touch which people enjoy.     Life is fast and if you don’t keep up, sometimes you are forgotten.

I remember the Christmas I was in the hospital over the holidays.   When I returned to my room Christmas day, there on my bed was  a bright red hat and mittens.   OK they were the dollar type – nothing fancy.   But the donor will never know how they cheered me and though I didn’t need them and have much nicer items, it mattered that someone cared to include me.   I wore them until they wore out.   They reminded me someone cared.   It may seem silly because I have a large family who cares and gave me nice Christmas gifts.  There were two other gifts that stand out that year and both were because someone said “I care” with  their time.

I’d like to continue another time and would like your thoughts as well

Remember those triangles I cut off the flying geese yesterday?   Since they were sewn before cutting, the bias has not been stretched and they are secure.    Here’s what can happen to them in the future.

First I squared them up.  Size doesn’t matter for this.  Whatever size you cut off, press open and lay a ruler on it, with the diagonal line on the diagonal line of the square.  Trim around it to make a perfect square.  So let’s say yours measures 3.14″, just cut them to be 3″    Whatever the size, down the road, there will be a use.

Then I played with arrangements.   For my next projects, the pinwheels will be useful, so mine are becoming pinwheels.

When quilting, very little needs to be thrown away.   If it was just strips, they could also be used in another project.

After all the Christmas decorations have been packed, January has seemed a bit colorless, so a trip to the dollar store was needed.   Just the bit of red Valentine decorations give the table a bit of sparkle and I’m ready for March as well.    There is even a big tulip for the next month.  But I think it will need company, so mid March I’ll go see what other spring “pretties” they have.   It really doesn’t take much to brighten a room.

The sun was shining and the weather in the 40s so time to get some outside chores taken care of.   How do you like my farm wagon?   DH doesn’t want a truck, so this is my “truck”.  This is the second garbage load (no home pickup)  which was not as full as the first.    Then there was the recycling trip.   The car DID get a workout today.  It’s great to have that task done for a few months.

The rabbits all got their worming and trimmings.   They are good to go for another month except for one who needs a full cut.

After a lovely afternoon walk in the park today with our youngest daughter and her husband, we came back home to reality this evening.

Do you have piles like this of mail that must be addressed?

Or a magazine pile like this including seed catalogs that you want to look at?

In January, I thought I would just make a list of what I wanted to accomplish this month.   It didn’t work for me.  I wasted time because it seemed like there was still plenty of month left.   Here I am now on the last week and know that I could have done more if I had scheduled it.

For me what works best is taking  a calendar page like this and detail which days I plan to do which items, which is what I’ve done in years past.     No, I don’t get it all done everyday, because I always think that I can do more than I can.  However, I do get the important things done as well as a lot more that I want to do and I do not stress if something doesn’t get done, I just add it to another month.   So tomorrow, I will sit down and make out a menu for the following month as well as fill out this February page of projects I’d like to get done.  Both the menu and the items to do can be altered, but at least I have a guide that keeps me on track.