Sew

The Long Suffering Husband has a rallying cry. He strides into the room, purposefully, stands in a super-hero pose with hands on hips and says, “So?!”
This could mean anything from, “It’s time to walk the dog,” or “Have you written the shopping list?”, to “I love you, let’s watch a film together.” The trick is to infer the meaning from this one small word. This happens to couples who have been together for a long time. They don’t need to say very much. They finish each other’s sentences. They just know. Obviously, sometimes they get it wrong and that’s when petty squabbles break out.

I need a rallying cry. I have talked about how routines are important before but variety is also vital. Left to my own devices, I could spend the whole of the day (after blogging, yoga, walking and flute practice) just reading a book, or doing something creative like knitting. Obviously, I am still working but not working and so there are other things I should be doing. There are also the every day things, like cleaning out the fridge or putting the washing on the line, which could easily get ignored in favour of another chapter or row of knit one purl one.

Those creative tasks, like knitting are very soothing. I have always found them very useful for making me stop and slow down and now that I’ve discovered reading and walking they seem to be more important than ever. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to walk and knit. There was a nice article in the Guardian this week, which explains it better than I could.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/feb/23/the-calming-effects-of-sewing-can-help-people-express-and-calm-themselves?CMP=share_btn_link
When I was looking through my knitting cupboard to decide on my next project I found a cross stitch kit. I had probably bought it, thinking I would make it as a gift for someone’s wedding but I don’t know who and so it must have been sitting there for some time.
Sewing isn’t usually my thing but I am particularly drawn to the work of the Profanity Embroidery Group and so I thought a cross stitch would be a good place to start. It also seemed to me to be a symbol of hope, as my nephew is due to get married in October.

It’s not good but it is nearly finished.

The LSH walked into the room, hands on hips and said, “So?”
He wanted a shopping list but I pretended he was giving me permission to carry on, even though I had reports to write.
“Yes, thank you. I will continue to sew.”