Day 165 of 365
I can’t believe I have been doing this project for 165 days. I often wish to write more than I have time to, but I am thankful I make at least some time to write each day. Plus, at least once a week, I can write a little more. I find that I am having lots more writing ideas than I used to. I still do not have time to write them, but the ideas are everywhere. I guess all of the writers I know who say to write every single day, no matter what, knew what they were talking about. My next step is to figure out more time to write. For now, I am proud to be writing these words tonight. 165 days is no small feat for me.
Today was a good day. I did a book event for Farmer-ish at my favorite store in the world, Tiller & Rye in Brewer, Maine. It was slow but good overall, and the only bad thing about the whole day was that I found so many more things I wish to buy in that store because I love them so much. Handmade bowls, beautiful spices, locally made soaps–and mittens.
Oh, they have this giant bin of handmade in Maine mittens! Giant! And I think they are upcycled materials. I couldn’t get too close, or else I would have purchased too many mittens, You have no idea how much I love mittens for people I love, especially children. But all of my nieces and nephews live in Texas. They don’t really need mittens and I already bought mittens for the couple of children I know in Maine. But the mittens are magnificent. I wish to buy like ten pair of mittens and then give them as gifts to all of my friends. But I assume they do not necessarily need mittens. I am to an age where I do not have many young children in my life, so I don’t know of anyone who might really need some mittens. I assume not everyone loves mittens like I do. I asked my son, the teenager, if he would like mittens, and I can’t remember what he said exactly, but it was something clever that was equivalent to a verbal eye roll. So no mittens for him. Anyway, I’ll have to keep thinking about who I know who may be able to use some mittens.
As I think about it, I feel like, if you live in the north, you could surely use some mittens, right? Maybe people do love mittens as much as I do. I mean, remember Bernie’s mittens?
Today, in addition looking longingly at a giant bin of mittens out front where I was stationed at the store, when I went back to the office to talk to the manager, I discovered they have more bins in the back of beautiful handmade mittens. Oh, the colors and the fabrics and the uniqueness of each one because they are handmade. They were so beautiful there in the store, and it made me happy thinking about people coming in, buying mittens, leaving with warm hands. The winters can be so hard on my hands. Mittens help keep your bones warm.
Wait. I have a plan! I am writing this down to make myself do this. I am going to talk to Ron about spending some holiday money on buying a bunch of these handmade mittens. Then, I am going to call an organization in town that helps the homeless (I can’t remember the name, so I am going to have to look it up), and if they will take mittens for families in need, I’m going to donate those beautiful mittens. That would be an act of joy that would be helpful to someone, so it would be good for my soul and for others–at least their hands–but maybe also their bones–and maybe also their souls.
Farmer-ish 