Thursday, November 06, 2008

Things I have learned in 68 years.....

Not everything, of course, I won't live long enough to list it all! It's been a wet and wild day here again. Thunderstorms last evening and lots of rain and wind today...from the south, which is unusual. Ebby has spent more time on my lap since I came home on Tuesday than she has in the past 2 years. That is unusual also. It might just be she has finally realized I'm her person...LOLI've had some "down" time lately, the laying or sitting and waiting kind of "down" time. I got to thinking about life, in general. I'll share some of that with you, everyone needs a good laugh now and then.
I've learned: If I have a thing, an 'it', I can manage to 'lose' it. Often more than once.
And:If I set 'it' down somewhere, makes no difference where, I for sure won't remember where "where" is.
I've also learned that: I will eventually find the 'it", and probably just lose it again shortly. Makes no difference if it's the checkbook, my keys or a spool of thread. I never used to have that problem...hmmmm?
I've learned that: truth is the shortest route through almost everything, and if you are lucky or smart enough to know what your particular 'truth' is, you're ahead of the game.
I've learned that: everything has a place where it ends. The word "ends", which can be either a positive or a negative thing, means so many different things. Over the years I have a difficult time with 'endings' of all sorts. A special piece of fabric that you just don't want to see the last of it used. I've learned that 'that' particular feeling can change and you are actually glad to see the last of something used and gone! Who knew?
And I've learned there are so many ways to look at things. Kind of like the blind men and the elephant story. To one of them, feeling of the trunk, the elephant is like a snake while the one feeling of its legs, thinks an elephant is like a tree.
And that, along with looking, the words we use....good, better, best or ugly, bad, awful are subject to the view of the person speaking them. The word doesn't make the 'thing' what they call it. All of those words used to describe belong to the viewer.
Since I can't do bending over, until the stitches heal, I decided to dig into my UFOs and make a list. I did that a year or so ago, and posted it on Stashbusters, of which I am a member. I'll admit to having 60 UFOs in my care at that time. I wiped out 18 by July, and then lost interest. I've been re-visiting the remaining ones plus the new arrivals. I sat today and copied and cleaned up my list.
And I learned something about me....I'm not too happy about the number of things I have started. Some of them I am still enthused about, and then there are the ones I'd like to "lose", but of course, they NEVER disappear! The total count, and I seriously doubt this is ALL of them...is 51. On hangers, 21 flimies to be quilted. Only a couple have a backing hanging with them. I have 3 wall hangings, 1 table runner and a couple of pillow fronts. BUT....that still leaves 20+ UFOs that are in the block stage. None have enough blocks to sew together, so I must make additional blocks. I'm not including the 10 UFOs I've finished in the New Years Eve Challenge. That calls for a big "OH MY"! I think I'm determined to finish 'ALL' of them, or maybe just the 'ALL' that still make sense to me. Because I've learned: I can always change my mind *VBS* Re-purposing is a great word!!

11 comments:

Donna said...

nothing wrong with admitting the quilt in progress served its purpose, and its time for its "end" even if not a complete quilted quilt..

Gari in AL said...

I haven't been quilting long enough to have so many UFOs but I have decided that if I don't like something I started I will only let it hang around about 2 years before throwing/giving it away. I went through my "stuff", packaged and labeled everything and put an "end" date on. I will be 66 this month so don't have all the time in the world to worry about things I don't like too much.

Granny Lyn said...

Wow!!! I haven't STARTED 51 quilts, so I am in SWE of your UFO list, if that is the count of the ones not done, I would love to know how many you HAVE done!!! You have my admiration!!

Shelina (formerly known as Shasta) said...

I hope you are continuing to do well recovering from your surgery. You have finished a lot of quilts, as you showed in your last post. You've made great progress, and repurposing things is a great way to get to the end.

Carol said...

Finn, what a truly insightful post...you hit the nail on the head...love the word repurposing! Glad you're on the road to recovery.

Susan Tidwell said...

Such profound thoughts! Beginnings and endings, you have given me something to think about. I hope you continue to get better and can get back to starting more projects! Have a great weekend.

Twisted Quilts said...

A great post and things so familiar to many. I like what you had to say about ways of looking at things. More young people should learn that lesson.si

Cher said...

ah Finn, nothing like gathering together started projects and reviewing them. 51 ufos thus far...a large number to some, a small number to others perhaps-your number to work with. I would factor in joy, how much joy is within each ufo-does the amount of joy working on and finishing that ufo warrant the effort? Life is too short not to be living without as much joy in your life as you can stand *vbs* glad that the surgery continues to heal.

Diane said...

I love this thoughtful post. I have "lost" a set of hand pieced flying geese blocks. For years, they sat in a box on a shelf. Now that I want to use them, they're gone! It happens to us all.

Ann J said...

Your defination of 're-purposing' made me go look at some log cabin blocks that I felt would never get used - now thanks to your post I have 'found' a new quilt !..Luv AJ

meggie said...

A wonderful post, Finn!
Hugsxx