VD

Yes, yes, I know. I hate schmaltz. You all may remember previous posts where I put up pictures of open heart surgery, joke about venereal disease (hence the "VD" title of this very post), and I generally wear black.

So, while I'm not wearing black (blue, green, and white today, actually), I still try to remember that Valentine's Day can be so very very lonely. And a horrible excuse for buying things. My gift today will be a beautiful evening with soup and games, perhaps with a few heart-shaped biscuits. Because that's how I roll.

And so, since today is overly hyped as a day of buying and receiving, I'd like to remind you that it's the small things that show you love the ones you are with--the making of small things, the small attentions, the very best way life together in community works. Don't go buy tons of flowers, or jewelry, or chocolate (though I'm thrilled to get chocolate any other day) because that's what you are told to do. Make things, be thoughtful. For your co-workers, your family, your friends.

Today, by the way, is St. Valentine's Day. Saint Valentine, I will remind you, is the patron saint of bee keepers.

So on a day like today, I think of all those I love and who love me; if I could, I'd give my favorite bee keeper a hug.

Domesticity

Winter is a time for staying in, building a fire, and reading a good book.

Because I tend to (read: always) run on the cold side, I enjoy curling up in a small ball under the covers with a cup of coffee. And now, recently, I've begun not wanting to travel out as much, but to stay in and make things.

In the past, this has manifested itself as cooking, cleaning, perhaps an odd knitting project or two. But now, it includes mental preparations for making a home. Refinishing furniture, sewing little girls dresses (a good friend in Germany just had her second baby, and she'll need a dress!), mending things.

Mending things?

The other day, I saw a tear in TJ's work overalls. And so I asked if I would be allowed to fix them.

Now, they aren't good as new, but hopefully I would not shame my mother with the job I did (I tend to be careless about small details, while my mother gets all of the small things perfectly). I know, I used white thread when I was instructed to use blue. But you didn't put blue thread in my sewing kit, Mom!

Here's the patch I sewed on:




Does the material in the background look familiar?

Those of you who have been a roommate or a close friend over the past 15 years will recognize the pattern--they are from my favorite pair of pajama pants I've had since High School. In the last year or two, they have gotten quite thin through the seat. A week ago, they tore.

(And what satisfaction I get out of wearing something through!)

Now my pajamas have new life, and hopefully TJ will be stuck thinking of me every time he gets ready for work.