This is a useful pot to put things in, as Pooh says. A dear friend gave it to me for Christmas. I tried filling it with cookies, and nuts. But it didn't seem just right. Finally I put pins in it, the ones that hold my quilt sandwiches in place until they are finished. That felt friendly. Last fall I had four quilts waiting to be quilted when my
Bernina was being fixed and the jar was empty. But usually it has at least a few dozen pointy objects in it.
Some of my sewing students complain when I tell them to pin a seam. They think they can get it right without the bother of holding edges in place. If the seam is quite short, like a shoulder for a doll dress, I acquiesce. But usually I insist. I have held a seam ripper in my annoyed grip enough times to know that pins are a good idea.
There
are choices in my marriage that I have pinned in place until they become stitched into my character. Sometimes it is words. Other times it is the absence of them. The other day John had agreed to drive Ben to an appointment. The time to leave came and went. I held my tongue, or rather my finger away from the keyboard. He came racing up the road a few minutes later and whisked Ben off. He knew he was tardy. No need for me to mention it.
This morning the Silkies had
escaped from their box in the corner. We keep them separate from the big hens since the pecking incident. They scuttled under the table and left a few piles of poop for me to clean up. I could have reprimanded the twins for not putting the netting up but I kept my lips pinned. They remember more times than they forget.
Years ago when I was still resentful of John's weekly barbershop practice I had to pin a civil farewell in place. I didn't want him to go, and
leave me with a passel of small children to herd into bed. But I said goodbye in a way that held back my reluctance.
"Have fun."
Now those feelings have become real. I do want him to enjoy singing with the guys. It may be simply that bedtime has become less of an ordeal as the kids grow up. But it is also because I held the words in place.
I have the pin pricks to prove it.
