Sunday, May 25, 2008

Post-grad ponderings

On Saturday I swept and mopped floors and did laundry with that vast relief that comes after a big event is over. Amy the efficient daughter scrubbed the downstairs bathroom and baked cookies and cinnamon rolls. I told her I'm in heaven, just so she knows, with all this work getting done and me not having to do it or to stay close and supervise. Emily said Amy coming home is like Scarlett coming back to save the plantation.

That evening Matt came by and we all piled in the van and went out for Chinese food, definitely a cup-runneth-over moment and I know they all need to leave home eventually but I just get a phenomenal joy out of having this river of beautiful young people pour out of the van, joking and jostling, and seeing the grandmas in the car beside us watching and smiling indulgently.



Matt's dreams of an air-conditioned job this summer were dashed, and hunger, the great motivator, has propelled him back to seedsacking. Not for Paul, who already has his crew, but for a guy named Jack Pym, over on Lake Creek Drive. He told Mr. Pym, in essence, that he's Orval's Wilton's Paul's Matt, and was hired largely on his pedigree.

So, since it's only a few miles away, Matt may be living at home again this summer. And if he does I will be feeding four seedsackers, those people who sometimes eat 8 hamburgers in one shift, since my nephew Zack will be living here and sacking for Paul. I am seriously going to look into having a delivery truck come from the grocery store every week or two.

But I am not complaining. All my chicks in the nest plus a nephew that I love and enjoy; Amy here to bake and cook; God supplying our daily bread; what's not to like?

Another subject: maybe I missed my calling in life. I followed a link today to this mom who makes and sells kids' clothes. Well. Maybe I'm just out of the loop but I was astonished at the prices for clothes that are really quite simple. You can see them here. $28-$48 for small top-and-capri sets. Wow.

Ok, I have sewed hundreds of garments over the years, many of them way more complicated than these. Maybe I should be sewing fun little outfits and selling them on the internet instead of anguishing over what to write each month.

Let's see...
Here we have a cute split skirt with a t-shirt with a coordinating heart on the front that you can't see (oops, maybe it was Emily who sewed this outfit. Oh well.) And then a charming apron, and we all know aprons are back "in" and adult aprons sell for $30 on the Ada's Adorable Aprons site.





And below is a split-skirt dress with frogs and such on it. Yes, I put Jenny in split skirts a lot, a nice compromise between femininity and jumping on trampolines.


I wonder if I could get $25 or $30 for something like this.

And below is something to give my big kids their Neanderthal-Mom snicker for the day. I clicked something wrong and as nearly as I can tell I can't remove this picture without deleting the whole post. Could I somehow make it relevant? Oh! The hat! I like to make Polarfleece hats. Maybe I could sell them for $10 or something, $15 with a tassel.

Quote of the Day:
"I don't like all these introductions and forwards because sometimes I accidentally read them."
--Emily, who likes to horrify her author mother

3 comments:

  1. Weeeeellllll...okay you may sew as long as you still write too. Let Amy and Emily run the plantation and you can support the grocery truck. How about it? =) I am so impressed. You can sew AND write. My mom made me learn to sew, but I hate it so much that I don't do it unless under EXTREME duress. My three daughters feel somewhat short changed that I didn't teach THEM. =( I tell them to go to their aunt, (who is a wonderful seamstress) consider HER ways and be wise. =)

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  2. I'm sure I'm only highlighting my wastefulness, but I would be willing to pay $20-$25 for an apron like that. Esp. if I knew the money was going to a good, local cause.

    I was at a fundraising tea/auction a couple weeks ago where they had an adorable apron, which was also quite laughable because it was so narrow that I think it might only have effectively protected one half of my torso from food splatters. Maybe if I bought two I could wear them like some sort of halter top!

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  3. Whatever you do, don't quit writing or you will have more then peasants revolting!

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