Just for Fun

I have been staring at that statement ever since I read it in one of my online quilting groups a few weeks ago. It was posted as part of an “Eliminate 2010 things in 2010” challenge from another group.

I have been on a quest to reduce my possessions for twenty years. That makes me sound like I own one of everything in the world, or am a total hoarder (well, I might be) but really all it means is that I am triply conscious of what I buy and why I buy it, and what I have and how long I’ve had it and if I’ll ever use it again.

I think this mindset really started when I gave up kayaking about fifteen years ago. I loved my kayaks more than any possession I’ve ever had. But, I had stopped kayaking. The kids were getting older and were into things like being driven to events and all my friends had already been out kayaking with me at least once, and I’d kayaked all the places I had wanted to go. So, they sat for a couple of years while I slowly changed my priorities and how I spent my time, and then, because I loved my boats, I sold them to people who would use and love them instead of letting them deteriorate and take up space in my life.


Ever since that day it’s been easier and easier to look at “things” and say “don’t need it, let’s put it in the hands of someone who does”.


I do that now with my quilts, fabrics, books, magazines, clothes, and anything else of even the slightest value and everything I remove makes me feel like I’ve just lost about 5 pounds. I feel lighter, freer, more altruistic, happier and less stressed by my surroundings.

I am a fabricaholic.

There. I said it.

I can’t throw away a single piece of fabric and I’ve been known to dive into the quilt room waste basket of others to retrieve perfectly good fabric!

I now have about 3 of these big bins of scraps. The trimmings of every Crazy Shortcut Quilt I’ve ever made including all the ones from the book, plus all the scraps from every other quilt I’ve ever made too.

I did a big clean up and reorganization this spring because I’ll be moving in the fall. Winter and I don’t like each other anymore and I’m headed for warmer climes in a few months.

That means, for me, “clean it up, use it up, or give it up” – including the scrap bin. So, I am trimming off the useable fabrics from my “trimmings” bin (and we won’t get into what I think is useable – hehehehehe). I want to make a few of those long draft stoppers and I’ll use the tiny bits of batting to stuff them with. Maybe I’ll make a stuffed animal or two for Audrey. 🙂

My friend Denise, who lives in Hawaii, sent this video link. It’s just wonderful and the singer has a superb voice. I love the dual language version! Do you have a favorite Christmas song on YouTube? Would you post a link to it in the comments? I love listening to different languages and new interpretations and I hope you do too 🙂

Here’s one of my absolute favorites, Jose Feliciano, singing Feliz Navidad, but look at the comments on YouTube – you have to go to YouTube and see what people are posting!

I am having such a surprisingly good time listening to books. I never thought that I would enjoy this and that’s why I’ve taken so long to try this just because I was sure that I wouldn’t like it. Ahhhh, I admit that I was wrong 🙂

My local library card lets me download a surprising number of excellent books and I’ve been listening to them while sewing and quilting. I either let them play on the computer speakers or I download them from the computer to a little tiny MP3 player that I had actually bought for another purpose.

After figuring out how to connect to the Library, then downloading the right software to be able to listen to books, and decoding the compu-speak that talked about security but really meant that Microsoft (as usual) wouldn’t let their update pass through my browser (Firefox) {Bleh!!!} I finally started listening to a book that I was desperate to “hear” after reading two others by the same author. I didn’t even want to wait the few days it would take to buy the book online.

After listening for a while, I realized that I couldn’t just sit there and listen (in front of the computer) so I dragged the exercise bike closer to the computer and actually worked out for a while!

Then I needed to leave for a while but didn’t want to give up my book! So I searched out my little MP3 player and connected it to the computer, dreading another “this software doesn’t work” battle but WHOOOHOOOO! Guess what! The computer said “…it looks like you want to transfer your audio files to your player…” and I shot out of my chair in surprise and happiness!

I have been walking around town, sewing, quilting and shoveling snow, all while listening to book after book! HEAVEN!