There is really nothing so energizing as anticipation! It lifts the spirits and gets us up in the morning to experience such things as:
The Sunrise!
The Coffee!
The Plans! (to meet Liz for coffee or Leigh for a beer, or in summer, to go back to the newly discovered mulberry tree in Midtown with a small container for harvesting).
The growth on a garden plant, the science and mystery!
The drawing or painting (or whatever passionate project) had been worked on the day before, seeing with fresh eyes!
Drawing, “Molly”
To read the book in progress!
The family’s upcoming weekend visit, and having them say to me, “See you soon! Warm hugs!”
The bread rising, anticipating the baking, the tasting!
The e-mail that told of a “cold package” gift arriving from Florida. What could it be? Citrus? Seafood? A Key Lime Pie? Oh, the anticipation!
To see how much snow we got, and how the wind might have sculpted it!
Snowy Balcony
Spring, after a long winter!
Midtown Crossing at Turner Park, Farnam St. entrance.
Here’s to looking forward to things, for all of us!
Husbands and wives should never go shopping together. Different views come into play in the shopping aisles! For instance, one wants to look at all the chips available or one wants to stand and read the list of ingredients while the other is in a hurry, and already at the checkout line waiting. No, it’s better to go separately and be at your leisure.
Here is something I wrote on August 2, 2010 after a co-shopping trip to WalMart in Spirit Lake, IA. It’s where I learned a valuable lesson about Dan’s clothes hanger preferences.
It is our 2nd co-visit to a Wal-Mart. The first was in Omaha. Our bid for a lakehouse had been accepted with closing in 2 weeks. We were euphoric and had to do something, so we went out and shopped for staples and supplies.
Now, it is two days after closing and we have spent 2 nights in the house. We are again euphoric! It’s been a lot of work but also a lot of fun.
We are going to WalMart in Spirit Lake (the only retail store there for the basics) for lots of things, such as laundry and waste baskets, garbage can, bathroom things, garage key pad, and hangers.
Oh yes, hangers. I reached for a package of plastic, thick hangers. Dan says, “I hate that kind. You like them but I hate them.” Hate? That’s a pretty strong word. Not understanding why anyone would hate my favorite white, “perfect for hanging damp clothing” hangers, I got miffed and defended them for the above reasons. “They take up too much room”, he said.
So, I reached for clear plastic hangers with metal hooks. “I don’t like those either”, he says. “the hooks spin around as you’re taking the shirt off of it.” Who would have thought?
I learned that he just wants plain wired old fashioned hangers that take up little space. He wants the kind that I’ve been clearing out of the house by returning them to the dry cleaners or trying to donate (do you know some thrift stores will not take hangers, and then, you have to sneak them into their drop boxes? Or, if you’re scrupulously honest, search out a store that will accept them?) I don’t like them because they get all twisty and tangly while using.
So, I learned a LOT in that store aisle discussion that actually became a little tense. Now, wire hangers hang on his side of the closet; I have a grand mix of hangers as I transistion to all wood, which really is my favorite.
The tension was still there as we were checking out. I see a pkg of 3 female disposable razors. I take it out and exclaim, “Oh my gosh, We don’t need these! I bought about 50 that are in the lakehouse bathroom cupboard. Dan says, “Oooooh! Good thing we’re not buying those”, all sarcastically, as if the $3.00 would break our budget. Communication breakdown. When he had asked me earlier about razors, I thought he was getting men’s, of which we have zero.
It isn’t about the budget. It’s about buying too much, too fast, and cluttering up our brand new (to us) lakehouse spaces. It’s out of control, (out of my control).
People seem to really enjoy the memory of seeing my snowquilts in Turner Park at Midtown Crossing. I know that I enjoyed making them! Now, 6 years later, it would be much harder to work on a ground of unmarked snow, due to many more residents using the park, which is great!
Here is something I wrote on 2-27-2013:
Today, I’m thinking about my snowquilts in Turner Park, and the whole process of that.
If I had a blog, I could write about the various thoughts and challenges in a day to day posting. That would be as much FUN as the snowquilt making! Writing and making are 2 of my favorite activities.
If I had a blog, I would post things like:
How Mom sent me the New Zealand snowquilts link by e-mail, and how the security guard knew about those when he walked over to see what I was doing.
How I was inspired one January morning in 2013 to try it in Turner Park.
How the temperature was 7 degrees and it took 5-6 hours to do the 9 patch blocks (the easiest I could think to do) in the 2-3 inches of snow.
How I used my feet to push, stomp and shove the snow where I needed it to go AND my hands to pick up big balls of snow to put into people’s footprints (because I wanted white in that space).
How I didn’t realize how cold I was until I came inside and the skin on the back of my legs was bright red and very cold. Flannel time!
How the activity was the most fun I’ve had in ages.
How I meditated while doing it, liking that it was a solo activity.
How it felt like I was in one of those garden mazes—reflective, tranquil.
How I would have gone on longer, but I was SERIOUSLY worried that my leg muscles would be too sore the next day (they weren’t; I’m actually in pretty good shape, I guess!).
How Marty and Sue were visiting that day, but away at the Med Center all day, and I felt the freedom to blissfully go out in the snow. Sue especially was so happy to see the snowquilt when she got back that evening.
How Dan was so surprised by it because he was out of town.
How Mom enjoyed it, staying here after chemo treatments for a few days, and we got to see how it changed as it melted.
Fading 9 patch
How Karen and others didn’t know when I posted the pic on facebook that it was in Omaha, and in Midtown Crossing, and that I was the one who did it, HA!
If I had a blog, I would post, with pictures:
How in Feb., when our next snowstorm was forecast, people were asking “Are you making a snowquilt?” and “If you do, let me know because I want to photograph it.” I didn’t want to disappoint, so when the snow came, I bundled up and got to work, making the “Snowball” block.
Beginning the “Snowball” pattern, Feb. 2013.Close-up of “Snowball” design, basically a square with contrasting corners, partially melted.
How this snowstorm dumped 8 “, which was much more difficult to clear.
How I worked for a couple of hours and had to take a break, exhausted and cold.
How then, when I’m studying it from our 8th floor view, I see a dog and its walker going right through my squares! Then another one and I was so annoyed!
How it occurred to me that the people RIGHT IN THE PARK do not see the quilt. I can’t even see what it is when I’m in the park working. But, I still thought to myself, they do have 90-95% of the park to walk in. And THEN, it occurred to me that this is all part of the process, of the fun gift I have from our Creator, to go out there in good health and vision, and make something. Then to see how it changes as people enjoy the snow and the park in their own way. A child even made a snow angel on top of one of my blocks!
How this activity is physical, spiritual, and intellectual because I have to measure the blocks with my feet (one giant step equals 3 ft.) and decide the pattern with my brain and when one idea doesn’t work out, switch to another.
If I had a blog, I would write and post pictures of:
How 3 days later, I wake up at 5 AM and go out in the dark crispness, to add a few more “stitches” to the making of this snowquilt. It’s just the security guard and me. When I ask him how he’s doing, he says, “Tired.”, and I know it’s nearing the end of his all night shift. The ground is frozen now, and so is the snow that I have to remove. So, I attack it aggressively and can not get down to the grass completely.
How later in the day, the sun is out, and I figure it’s my opportunity to finish the morning’s start. The park maintenance guy (who smiled and joked with me in January, while I was working, that “It’s going to melt!”) said “You need a shovel”. We didn’t keep our snow shovels when we moved to the condo, so I replied, “Yes, do you have one?” He did, and he loaned it to me for an hour, which really helped.
How I wonder which floors of the condo development can actually see it. Can the 2nd, or 3rd floor residents see it, or only the higher floors?
How it entertains and captivates me, to see this design in the park, under various light conditions, day and night.
How 5 days after beginning “Snowball” I’m wondering if I should continue to add to it. Is it worth my time?
How a part of me wants to see it extended at least all the way across the park, north to south, and a fantasy of mine is to have it fill the whole park, like a blanket.
How I contemplated the possibility of doing this in an open field in the country where no one was likely to walk through it, but then, no one would be able to see it either.
Shirley
A couple of my other snowquilts:
“Friendship Star”, 2-11-2014, beginnings, during snowfall.A few more blocks added, Feb. 2014.“Bowtie” with a 4 patch border, January, 2016. As I was working on this, a young man came over and offered to help. “You want to help me make a quilt?” I asked. “Oh no”, he said, “I thought you had lost something, and I was going to help you look for it.” Nice guy.
On Writing, On Life 