A Good Day to Dye

Yesterday I was a dyeing fool. The most popular item I think I've ever had is my Revelry Scarf. I started making them a few months shy of a year ago, and I've sold more than ten on Etsy, plus some at my holiday fairs this year. Last week I pulled out a pile of plain white jersey and decided to make some up then dye them.

I wasn't sure about the fiber content of the jersey (I tend to stock-pile fabric and don't always keep good records of these things), so I didn't know how they would come out, but I finally got around to dyeing yesterday. I also did some formerly white jackets that I plan to embroider and embellish, plus some new jersey scarves that are less tailored than the Revelry Scarf. All told, I dyed 18 pieces yesterday! My fingertips and nail beds are a dull burgundy today.

So I'll be updating the shop with these items, a few at a time. I've been tossing around ideas for a new funky textile jewelry line as well, so we'll see how that goes. Nothing else new under the sun!

One Year

Sage has been a year old for one week. His birthday was a really nice home celebration with just us (other than an unfortunate appearance by an uninvited guest later in the evening, but I don't want to dwell on unpleasantness). My mother got his cake for him--it was an homage to my brother, who's in Coronado. It was a Sponge Bob cake. She wanted it to say "Happy Birthday, Stinkyface!" but had to settle for "Happy Birthday Sage" (the stinkyface thing is because of this adorable book she bought him--the first one he ever got. It's all about a little boy who asks his mother all these questions about if she would love him if he was an alien, or a one-eyed monster, or a skunk named Stinkyface, etc etc etc).

Basically I just can't believe he's a year old. He's been pushing a wheeled mop bucket around the house lately--he loves picking things up and dropping them in his little cart as he toodles around. It's very cute. I thought that maybe by the time he was one, I would be thinking about having another, but I'm really not. I saw my super-pregnant cousin the other day and I didn't feel a twinge of longing. Not one. So maybe this is it for us. But then I think of all the fun I've had with my brother and how much I love him, and I wonder if I'm depriving him of something. I guess I still don't know. But in a way I can't imagine having another child.

I guess that's something I'll have to continue to toss around. I guess it's akin to the question "How do you know when someone is the person you want to marry?" And I think answer is purported by many to be "You just know."

Different People, Different Styles & Behavioral Responsibility

(my "little" bro who is now more than 6 inches taller than me)

This post by Seth Godin about "hunters and farmers" and how they differ is really interesting to me. It specifically made me think of my brother, who as a child in school was pretty easily distracted by birds outside the window, paint peeling on the windowsill beside him, noises in the hall, etc etc etc. The private school we went to wanted him tested for ADD and wouldn't take him for the next school year until testing had been done and (presumably) medication dispensed.

But my mother didn't want him labeled like that, so she opted to homeschool him instead. She did all kinds of great lesson plans with him that made his work really hands-on and vibrant. He did a great job. I believe it was in junior high that he went to public school, and he did well right up through graduating. Tried the community college thing, it wasn't really for him. Now he's in the Navy training to be a SEAL.

If my mother had allowed the school to force him into a "farmer" box, he probably wouldn't be doing what he's doing now. And he probably wouldn't be happy, going against his natural proclivities that way. But that "hunter" mentality is just what he needs to make it as a SEAL--lots and lots of observation, the ability to focus intensely for a the period of time that's required to make all the important things happen. . .

It's really made me think about how Sage might be as he grows up. We've already talked about homeschooling for him, but more and more that seems like a good idea, being able to tailor his lessons to his learning style. Also, because his teeth will probably not be quite normal until he's 8 or 9, I don't really want to subject him to any unnecessary teasing.

I really think that all this diagnosis and medication for ADD and ADHD, from what I've seen, is more harm than help. I've subbed in all grades, from kindergarten to high school, and I've had 5-year-olds come up to me and tell me "I'm gonna be out of control today because I didn't take my medication." It's almost like "Well, I have an attention problem, so I don't have to take responsibility for behaving properly and TRYING to pay attention." That really bothers me. What I think this world needs more of is people taking responsibility for what they do and making sure that the things they ARE doing are something to be proud of. Giving people a cop-out is bull.

That post also made me wonder--am I a hunter or a farmer? And I think that I am a little more hunter than farmer, but they are both there. Self-exploration: so fascinating! What about you? Are you a hunter or a farmer?