Yes, when left to my own devices I will relish in a dinner of cereal or toast. So as the sun set last night and I realized I should put down the needlepoint* and have something to eat, I toasted up some 2-day-old walnut bread, slathered it with the remains of some sheep milk ricotta, and sprinkled the whole thing with salt and pepper. I used a “green garlic salt” my aunt brought up to the cabin this summer and which I boldly took home for my own use. Yes, I could have left it there for posterity, visiting it every summer until I have grandchildren of my own to show it to, but it’s so tasty, it seemed disrespectful not to put it to good use.
* As some of you know, I love the crafts. Love them! I quilt, I knit, I embroider, I learned how to crochet this summer. But I’ve never needlepointed. My grandmother did, though. Awhile ago my mother asked her to needlepoint a cover for a window seat. Gram didn’t want to start such a big project because, quite frankly, she was hoping to die before too long. I promised I’d finish it if she died before the final stitch. I said it almost jokingly because at the time–and based on her insanely long-lived parents–it seemed pretty clear to me she would finish the cover and have time to do several more. Things didn’t quite work out that way. So this summer I got my mom to dig out the very unfinished project. She found the canvas okay, but what must have been the massive amount of yarn to complete it had gone missing. No aunt nor cousin would cop to taking it or giving it away or throwing it out. So this weekend I headed myself downtown to a needlepoint store, spent a small fortune on yarn, and began stitching. Have you ever done needlepoint? My god, it takes forever. FOREVER! I spent about 6 hours yesterday stitching and covered maybe 3 square inches. Were that I was exaggerating for effect. I am not.
But like all crafting, it’s the process more than the product I love. I do love the products when they’re done, of course. But it is the still, mediative work of making stitch and stitch, slowly and methodically, that takes me a bit out of time. Then, after all that meditation, I have things to give people. Ever hear David Rakoff talk about giving people his homemade crafts as gifts? He’s says it like a runner doing a few laps and saying “Happy Birthday!” So true.
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