Saturday, July 17, 2010

Finally, Christmas in July

Today the dude and I picked peaches for salsa and also blackberries for cobbler. You know how messy those suckers are? I looked like I stabbed someone in the blackberry fields. (No one else looked this way...no one else over four.)

It would have been easy to do...I was working a row of blackberry bushes, and on the other side was a couple who were unaware of me.
The woman: "There's a big animal in these bushes with me."
Man: "Like a python?"*
Woman: "I hear sticks breaking."
Me: "Like a human?"
Woman: "Oh my God, I didn't know you were there! I'm sorry I called you a big animal."
Me: "It's been a long time since anyone called me a big animal."
Man cracks up.

The dude and I are still laughing.

Last night was stitching with the Strawberry Girls. I finished another alphabet. It was nice to meet some new people as well as seeing old friends. (Keep checking on Jenna--she finished something!)









In the morning my library stitching was curtailed because one of the old ladies had to show her photos from her trip to work with orphans in El Salvador. Of course the curtains had to be closed and the lights turned off. She was going on and on about the torture, rape, and murder of nuns in the 1980s (anyone who was in Catholic school in the early 80s will remember; it's all the nuns could talk about). Unfortunately, one of the member's grandsons had been killed this past week. It was a real cheery morning. But I did stitch a bit on my Miribilia Christmas Fairy.

NB: I once watched a documentary where they tested people to see how they performed in groups. For example, they told a group of people to wait in a room until someone came to get them. Then they started shooting smoke in the room to see if anyone would leave because, you know, the building seemed to be on fire. People didn't leave. And the length of time they stayed? Had it been a real fire, they would have died of smoke inhalation. People behave the way they see other people behave, it turns out.

I'm not calling you lemmings. It's just that I asked you to list three charts that typified your family (and even gave you the link to the charts) and everyone chose "beer." You read the word "OF" where it was not written. Almost as interesting as watching people sit in a burning building. (I don't usually perform a lot of close reading of blogs myself so it's a gentle chiding rather than a, speaking of nuns, knuckle rapping.) I'm still going to enter those who chose beer, but the rest of you will be held to a higher standard. ;)

Also, Barbara's giving away one of the La D Da charts I sent her.

*A python? Your girlfriend says "big animal" and you think python...in southeastern Pennsylvania? At a pick-your-own farm?

10 comments:

Unknown said...

Yeah, yeah. Some days we are not up to a close reading of the text. I blame the Vicodin myself.

Wendy said...

LOL... I was thinking that the python comment was a bit random, too. How funny.

What is it about old age that brings about the extended conversations about such morbid topics? I'm not averse to talking about serious topics when in a group, but at some point one needs to just lighten up. =)

mainely stitching said...

That just totally cracks me up. A big animal. LOL!

I'm going to go sit in a burning building now with some new friends. ;)

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri ~ Boog) said...

The blueberry story is so funny - you would have thought if she really thought you were a big animal, she would have moved.

Sorry about your afternoon of stitching....

I'll have to start reading more closely in the future. Still, other than the charts you showed, I'm not overly familiar with Heinzit - and, even though I didn't pick three, I'd still pick beer. Do they have a "dunce" chart?

Katherine said...

Well, what was HE doing when SHE was talking about a "big animal"?

doris said...

So when was a python last spotted in any part of Pennsylvania? Oh, how I've missed you!

Love the wonderful presents you've been doing for the dude. You're a lucky woman, and I'm certain he's an equally lucky man. As for your trip to Simon Pearce, I'm longing for a set of dishes I saw in Quechee ... the ones with the swirl in the middle. If only ...

Coral said...

Python, ha ha!

Your dude is cute looking! And he can write poetry - and masculine - a winner!

And I fancied 'family matters' for the record!

It was lovely to pop over here again, it has been too long! (I have been hibernating for a while, as you have noticed).

Jenna said...

A python? Really? I think someone has a vivid imagination. The "big animal" remark was too funny. LOL. And yes, the fact that I actually managed to finish something is shocking. Too bad it's so tiny. That's about the only kind of finish I can crank out. Heirloom Memories Sampler will be completed someday. I certainly don't accomplish anything of the size that you do!

Jenna said...

Oh, and I did notice that everyone answered the Hinzeit question wrong. I just quietly giggled to myself. I actually went out to their website to see what might typify my family, but couldn't come up with an answer worthy of posting.

Miriam said...

I would probably believe someone who said there was a snake around, even an unlikely one, because of (a) my tremendously irrational fear of snakes and (b) if someone around here refers to a snake they're probably mistakenly referring to the gigantic water moccasin near your feet.

Mmm, beer.