March 11 – “Old school approach”

Well, I had a chance to do something I have never done before the other day.  I sewed.  Yep, I meant sew with an “E.”  I did not plant seeds, I actually used a needle and thread.  Now, I have darned socks before.  Couldn’t see throwing away perfectly good pair of socks just because of a little hole in the toe.  And I even sewed together a few things like ripped pants and tears in a shirt.  Of course, I would never win any awards for my efforts, but it was passable for a struggling college student.  Of course I solved all that when I married Chris.  She is a master at sewing, well, anything.  She’s even working right now on a quilt that she has done all by hand – no machine involvement at all.  Gotta love that old school approach.  She saw some of the attempts I had made and responded in the only reasonable way possible.  She made me throw away the garments and start from scratch.  I managed to save a few old favorites from the purge, but she just couldn’t see hanging onto old holey socks unless they were in the rag bag out in the garage.  Sigh. 

Anyway, back to my meager efforts.  I repaired three holes … in the big area rug in my office.  It’s one of those braided-looking things that already appears old when you buy it new.  A few places had succumbed to the perpetual trafficking of my office chair, and the holes kept gaping open just in time to trap me as I attempted to glide by in the chair.  Or worse, they occasionally grabbed Chris’ feet when she walked by.  We were worried that they might do the same to Mom or to her walker.  Can’t have that, so I sewed the holes up. 

And I used a curved sewing needle.  Didn’t even know those things existed.  Chris assured me the curved needle would make it “so much easier.”  I wouldn’t even need a thimble.  I guess was doing something wrong, then.  My fingers were taking a beating.  She finally brought me a thimble, which I greatly appreciated, but I couldn’t even get it onto my finger.  Old man’s fat fingers were not made for thimbles.  Or is that the other way around?  Either way, I struggled through and finally got the holes closed up.  The hardest part of the ordeal for me was tying those tiny little knots in the end of the thread.  Chris did it with one finger.  I probably could have, too, but I have so little feeling left in the tips of my fingers, that it was virtually impossible for me.  Good thing we had plenty of thread.  And good thing the little knots are on the underside of the carpet.  We should be fine unless someone tries to flip the silly thing over.  What can I say?  I’m all about practicality, not aesthetics.  I still have to be careful with my chair-rolling because the rug kind of pooches up a little, but the holes are closed.

1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

Father, help me to appreciate the little blessings around me … and under me.  Amen.