Did you miss me?

Hello all! Sorry I haven't been paying too much attention here lately, but you know, it's summer! Okay that's not really an excuse because I still spend a great deal of time on the internet. But I have been keeping busy with my multitudes of unfinished projects, some of which have a deadline that is fast approaching. For any of you who happen to be outside the "circle of trust" I am referring to my sister's wedding.

I got married back in the nineteen hundreds. (Just barely. November of 99!) My wedding was a huge but simple affair. I was married in a century old church and had a candle light service. Both the husband and I come from large, Nordic farming families, so we had fulfilled our guest quota with immediate family! Because we had a lot of guests (who all lived within a 40 mile radius) we didn't have dinner, just drinks and dancing and cake. (By the way, if you'd like to hear a story of how my first cake hit the wall, you should check out my sister-in-law's blog, link to the right! Thanks again for the second cake, Heady!)

I did do a lot of projects for my wedding, like printing my own invitations (before it was trendy, or easy!) and making my own veil. Because I somehow got the label of being "crafty", my sister has asked me to grant her the favor or making her wedding favors. And I don't mind in the least, but if she does feel a little guilty I could really use a shoulder massage! The favors are going to be champagne glasses with the couple's initials and the date etched on them. The whole thing began with my mother's penchant for drinking from actual glasses instead of those silly little plastic things. (Probably a good idea, since I always lose the bottom of mine and then I just have to chug it. Not pretty.) We located them on sale for a really good price! Almost cheaper than the plastic ones! So now I have to etch 136 glasses! Okay, I volunteered to etch 136 glasses. I did make a couple templates, so I can do 6 at a time, and the etching goo only has to stay on for about five minutes. Hopefully, it'll be pretty fast and easy. Here is a prototype:

You probably can't see the pattern very well, but there are some little mountains, the couple's intials and the date. (Which is 08-08-08, so we might as well play it up!) I think they'll be great. Especially when mine is filled with champagne.

Another wedding I have on my calendar is that of my niece, who is getting married in September. I recently attended her shower, and I gave her a "towel cake", similar to those diaper cakes you see at baby showers, but this one is made with kitchen towels and wash cloths. Here's a pic:

I added some kitchen utensils. It was kind of fun to go to a bridal shower for a young bride. Most of my friends now are either on their second marriage or have been single long enough to have set up household.

Anyway, thought I'd let you in on what I've been up to. I'm also working on a new baby bootie pattern, just to throw out a little preview. Details to follow! Happy wedding season...I mean, summer!

The art of doing...nothing!

"Nothing" has gotten a bad rap. For instance, when there is an unnerving silence upstairs where the kids are playing you call up to them, "What's going on up there?" , "Nothing," they answer, which you know means anything but! Or for you guys, when your wife keeps slamming dishes around in the kitchen, you ask, "What's wrong?" and she answers "Nothing!" (Which, unless you are a complete idiot means that something is in fact wrong, and you should probably find a flower/jewelry shop soon!)

The concept of "nothing" is difficult to fathom, especially for one of my training, which has been taught to view ideas such as "zero" and "infinity" as actual things, not just abstract concepts. I can't help but be reminded of a movie, The Neverending Story, (which, by the way, everyone should see!) in which they said it all:
"I was looking for (something, I can't remember exactly) and instead found...nothing."
"You mean there was a hole?"
"A hole would be something, but this was nothing!"

For whatever reason, that line spoke to me, and I have carried such a "definition" to this day. When I ask people what they are doing, sometimes they say "nothing". And I have to disagree.

Many people say that watching TV is doing "nothing". That hanging around the house is doing "nothing", or that eating lunch is doing "nothing". My point is, people are never doing "nothing".

And yet there is something to be said for sitting and not doing anything else. (Notice, I don't refer to this as nothing because I believe that if you are alive, you are doing something!) In fact, there was a quote,(I can't remember the author, but if anyone knows, please comment because I would like to credit him or her!) that said, "In my opinion, the definition of a well ordered mind is someone who can stop and just enjoy a few minutes in his own company." To me this means someone who can sit, really just sit, and not do anything else. Seriously, try it! Set a timer for five minutes and just sit there, thinking, for that time. It really is powerful. I once heard of a church minister who, instead of giving a sermon one Sunday, asked the parishioners to observe "five minutes of silence". At first, people were looking around, and babies were fussing, but after a few minutes, the people really started to hear their own voice, and several of them started to cry. Apparently they hadn't heard it for awhile.

Which brings me to the definition of "introverted" and "extroverted". If you were to ask any of my childhood friends, they would all tell you that I am an "extrovert". What they meant was, that I enjoyed being the center of attention, and also enjoyed the theater arts. That I put myself out there for others to see. But that isn't what "extrovert" means at all! I discovered that I was an "introvert" when I was in college, taking a communications class. An introvert is someone who needs to be alone to "re-charge" their energy, and multitudes of people actually deplete energy from these people. An extrovert is someone who needs to be with people to "re-charge" and they can't stand to be alone for very long. During my childhood, I would spend every Saturday morning playing, by myself, with my toys. At big family gatherings, my mother would notice my absence and find me behind the couch, building with blocks all by myself. The point is, I needed this time alone. That my alone time keeps me sane. And yet, I have friends for whom the term "alone" is something that scares them. They need people.

I don't want to say that my way is the best way, but I need my alone time, and yet I seek out the company of others. I only hope that others who need people will occasionally seek out their own company, if just for a little while. There is something to find, when all the chaos and lists and daily chores have had their time, and all that is left is your conscience and desires. I encourage you to seek it. For just when you think you are doing "nothing" do you discover yourself. And sometimes, you don't even recognize her.