A Midsummer Thanksgiving

I'm thankful for the gift of peaceful nature in my backyard...

Every now and again, the atrocious behaviour of some members of my extended family drive me absolutely batty. Ill considered emails fly back and forth, perhaps inadvertently phrased to inflict permanent wounds. And the fact that the communications are largely about money makes it even more distasteful. I want to shake each and every one of them into some form of comprehension that their disputes are pitifully small and minor compared to what other human beings are dealing with in other parts of the world.

With so many things going on around the globe that are almost too dreadful to ponder, what are you thankful for in your life?

Since this is a sewing blog, I do want to stay somewhat on topic. So first of all, I am thankful that I learned how to sew as a young person, so as to have had the opportunity to regain an interest in it decades later.

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Not only that, to have an interest in anything in today's internet-enabled world is potentially mind-boggling in terms of what you can learn. So I am thankful (again) for all of the wonderful information that bloggers have freely given for me to soak up. It can be incredibly time-wasting :-) but life is mostly for doing what makes you happy, and this hobby has made me happy.

And speaking of hobby, I'm thankful to have a hobby that engages and stimulates me on several levels. (And as one gets older, that becomes very important.) For example, there is the physical dexterity required to measure and cut fabric and work with needles and pins — something I must be really bad at, actually, considering how often I stab myself with them — and small things like magnetic snaps and fasteners. There are the mental challenges — which include the use of math and spacial thinking — involved with realizing new designs and creating patterns. (Quite frankly, I haven't sewn a stitch in many weeks now because my time has been consumed by trying to work out the logistics of three different projects.)

But perhaps the best part for me personally is that I have been given the opportunity to write about all of this.

And a few people are actually reading what I'm writing... and in some cases, maybe even enjoying it! Wow.

Which leads to the other side of what I am thankful for... I am immensely thankful for the people who have stopped by to read, for those who have left behind comments, for the folks who have purchased my patterns, and even for those who have just clicked on an ad. All of it has helped to create a rewarding environment for a hobby that has become quite fulfilling in a relatively short time. So to repeat, if you are reading this: THANK YOU SO MUCH!

What are some other things that I'm thankful for during this time of global turmoil?

• I'm thankful that most days, when I go to bed at night, nothing significant has changed in my life. (You only need to have one day in which that isn't the case for you to be grateful about your "boring" status quo.)

• I'm thankful that my family is currently healthy. (And I say "currently" because I know that won't always be the case.)

• I'm thankful that I have food, electricity and water when I want it. (Try a few hours without just the latter and you'll understand how pampered you really are.)

• I'm thankful that I can sit outside and not fear getting killed. (It's hard to wrap my head around how that is not the case in many places on this planet.)

• And finally, I'm thankful for having the understanding that no matter how bad things get for me, there is always the potential for things to be worse... and that they genuinely are worse for many others.

It actually means that in every moment, I have a responsibility and an obligation to be thankful for what I have.

How about you?