Monday, August 30, 2010

Stash, A Visit, and a Story

First off - thank-you for your well wishes! It's not broken and is looking better. I just couldn't believe a butter knife dropped from 3' could bruise your toe. My husband laughed when I told him I posted a pic of my foot. He also called me a whiner. How can you argue with the truth?

I went to Canton Saturday. Many years ago I had stopped at a store called Inn Stitches. That day the store wasn't in the best of conditions. I am not going to describe it but, pleasant wasn't one of the words I would use. Fast forward to a few weeks ago. I needed some Twilight floss and didn't want to go clear to Akron. So, gritting my teeth, I stopped by Inn Stitches. They were closed. BUT, the store looked different. I saw spinner racks and LOTS of patterns. Hmmm...

Time to try again. I walked in and WOW!!!!! Light bright store, patterns everywhere, a public stitching area, and Dallas. I'll start with Dallas, the shop greeter, half black lab and half rottie. You must pay attention to her and get doggy kisses!

Oh my, the stash! Insert picture of Pavlov's drooling dogs here. Needless to say, I came, I saw, I bought!




This bottom pic is a close-up of the pillow on the right. The fabric with Ghostie Manor is a hand dye purple/gray. The colors washed out with the light. My wonderful picture taking skills again. The gray/green fabric is for all the other patterns in the second pic. I plan to put all 4 gloves in one project. And the top right snowman pattern might get a makeover. I am thinking of redesigning it into a rectangle with the prayer around the snowman. That is the thought now - when I actually get to stitch it (how many weeks/months/years from now)who knows what I may do.

I got another visit in with Miss Alivia. She was very sleepy. I wanted to hold her, but didn't want to disturb. Mom is doing well and Dad decided to spend the night last night to get some "Daddy Time" as he called it. In this picture - she is getting ready to eat - hence the bright eyes and bushy tail. Oh, this outfit, is too dang cute! She had a pink ruffle on her butt and lamb 'slippers' on her feet.

While I was shopping, an old friend came into the store. Sue, from Blueberry Hill, stopped by while dropping her son off at college. She asked me how things were and for some unknown reason I launched into the situation at work. I told them how I wasn't getting any stitching in, grinding about work, and how I went off because DH folded my pants wrong.

Kim, the store owner, stopped me and told me I was doing it all wrong. First off, the grinding was because I wasn't stitching. I need to take an hour for myself and decompress after a bad day. She's right. (Again, how do you argue with the truth?) And then she told me the story of the "Pebbles in my Pocket."

Now, I know I am not getting it completely correct. But, the message hit me square in the face.

Once long ago, there was an Indian chief. Everytime some one slighted him, did wrong by him, or in some way angered him, he would place a pebble in his pocket. When the pebbles became to much for the pocket it would tear open and the Indian would go to war.

Kim explained to me, that I was placing pebbles in my pocket. Each aggravating thing at work or home, each frustration, or unkind word was a pebble. And when my husband folded those pants wrong, instead of just being thankful he did it, I erupted in anger because my pocket had torn. I wasn't directing my anger correctly and DH took the brunt of my day.

How many of us do this? How many hours have I wasted being angry? There have been countless times DH has had to take it on the chin because I had a bad day. I did apologize to him several times. I also told him the story and explanation. But, I can't help but to think, why? Why, am I carrying this when I know it is wrong?

I think I need to make sure every pocket I have already has a hole in it so the pebbles never accumulate. No. That's wrong. I need to never place pebbles in my pocket to begin with. That is going to take practice!

Oh, I did stitch this weekend. But, it is 4 am and I am NOT going to post another lousy picture. Next time - I promise!

Smiles - Denise

6 comments:

jayne@~an eye for threads~ said...

Well if you stitch all of your pockets closed at the top your hand will soon realize that you are no longer a storage container and it will automatically go to the needle and thread.
Be always in stitches.

jayne@~an eye for threads~ said...

ps. I love your stash.

natalysneedle said...

Denise, great post. I agree that haboring anger takes to much energy. I really try to let things go. I love your stash and glad to see that the shop was in better shape. Around here the shops keep closing, it is very upseting. I hope the economy turns around so small business owners don't close their doors.

Pumpkin said...

Look at the stash! I'm drooling from over here ;o)

Alivia is looking as cute as ever. LOL!

LOVE that story! I think all of us to it Denise so don't feel badly. I like Jayne's idea and have all your pockets sewn together ;o) Why we tend to hold onto things, I'm still trying to figure out...

Stitchy Mc Floss said...

Glad your toe is not broken. Great stash...I always feel like a hippie when I say that. :)
So glad to hear little Alivia and Mom are doing well. Blessings to them both. I'm loving the sewing the pockets thing...I know there are several I need to sew!

Blessings always.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful moral tale! And it is so true. Something to work on every single day of our lives. :) Sweet Alivia looks so great! She'll be home before long. I have done the same thing with the butter knife! It's unreal how bad that hurts! :O