Thursday, November 29, 2012

I was quite productive this morning, but didn’t get as much done as I had hoped. It took me most of the morning to decorate my tree. No, not the Christmas tree but the tree on my recent Tuesday project at the bee. We had our choice of a Santa, a Grinch or a tree. The tree looked simple enough – a tree shape, a few decorations, some quilting, a binding and you’re done. It took me forever to sew the lights, garland, and bells to the tree – all done by hand. I’ve got a plan in mind for the quilting – I’m sticking to my promise to free-motion quilt on these smaller pieces.

I took my iPad to my Red Cross shift. Ever the optimist, I thought if it wasn’t busy I could read my book rather than the out-dated magazines that are my usual fare. It wasn’t busy – no returns and only a few pickups – but I had company! It isn’t the company I mind so much as the dithering that goes on. I should be kinder – someday I will be old and dithering (but hopefully I’ll have retired from my volunteer duties).

Margaret is playing a constant game of “which bed will I be in today”. Yesterday she was in Maternity and, because her window looked out on the parking lot, she told me she would watch for me today and I could give her a wave. True to her word, when I arrived for my shift I saw her at the window. By the time my shift was over she had been moved out of Maternity and back into a general ward. She doesn’t seem to mind the change, and with each move it gives her new patients to keep her eye on!

Margaret was born in Finland and she often tells me that almost every farm there has a sauna. She had been reading a history book about Port Arthur (now Thunder Bay) where her family ended up when they left Finland. There was mention in the book of a boy who said they had a sauna built on their farm before they had a house. Margaret says it really bugs her to have the word mis-pronounced (and that sow-na is like the pig sow not the planting sow). I’m either going to have to get used to the correct pronunciation or never mention to her that we have a sauna in our basement!

I did a bit of Guild work after my shift. I need to print out some membership cards, but I see by running the first page through that I’m going to need more ink.

The mitts are done, but I think I’ll make one more pair before shipping them off to Elizabeth. Although I like the idea of the long cuff, a pair with a shorter cuff will knit up faster so I think that is how I’ll do the next pair.