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How Are You Doing?

Today sunshine gave me a boost of positivity; and I want to share it with you! Please tell me how you are doing during this difficult Corona virus-time for our nation and our psyche. Of course, those of us who crochet or craft have that to keep us sane. What are some other good ideas you've heard about or done yourself? I'd love to hear from you.

Except for 3 regularly scheduled activities, ladies' lunches and time with my grandchildren, online friends, life hasn't changed much for me. Hmm, uh; well maybe it has changed quite a bit. I am pretty much a homebody and usually content to stay home and crochet, create and read! I am rarely bored because I have a lifelong list of T0-Do crochet projects that will last me an eternity!

During this seemingly very odd crisis, I have decided that crochet and television can wait until evening; and I am determined to do some projects that I have been putting off, some for years. When Chloe was two, I found this book, Grandmother Remembers. It is my first procrastination-project and is almost finished.

Grandmother Remembers
The book offers a format with questions to answer that are helpful for retrieving memories.  "It is a keepsake book for grandmothers to record important memories, family traditions, favorite recipes, and special stories to pass along to their grandchildren." I'm making this for Chloe who will be eleven in November.

One of my favorite parts is "Treasures I Have Saved for You. I chose to give her pins from activities I Have done throughout my life: a key that says "volunteer," two girl scout pins, my college nursing insignia pin, my Red Cross volunteer pin, a crochet pin, a peace dove and lastly, a charm with her mother's baby picture. I sewed a patch of fabric printed with the words: "Keep a green tree in your heart; and perhaps a singing bird will come" and attached them.

"Keep a green tree in your heart; and perhaps a singing bird will come"
There is a section about Grandfather and some blank pages for individual choices. Chloe constantly amazes me with her creativity and deep thoughts. I have been keeping a list of her "quotable quotes." and her mother gave me some to use too! Here are  a couple of examples:
"Gigi, you are very old, but you have a young soul."
"I want to be a doctor when I grow up because you get to work in the computer and wear gloves."

For those of you so inclined to write a book like this for a grandchild, it is available in the Thirtieth Anniversary edition. There are plenty of others to choose from as well.

I've learned from this first attempt that the hardest part in ending procrastination is the getting started! Once started, it feels good, is fun leads me to a sense of satisfaction during a time when we, as a nation, have lost control of numerous parts of our lives.

Now I have moved on to preparing squares from shirts of Alan's that I saved when he died (2016).

Alan loved old cars!
My ironing board serves as my cutting board in the kitchen. I iron and cut a few squares each day while waiting on the microwave, baking or doing dishes. Little by little it is getting done. I'll be sewing in my office studio when I have all the squares cut.

Cutting the squares
Multi-purpose studio
A side business to come out of this sewing Marathon is that daughter, Nicole, has wanted to make a quilt also, out of her kids' shirts. She is finding the time to cut squares and I will loan my sewing machine to her and mentor her, if need be. Chloe wants to help too!

I started by saying that this is a sunny day. I ordered pansies on the phone and paid, picked them up in a drive-by fashion without seeing anyone! Planted now, I think even they are smiling in the sun!

Pansies

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