Simple Woman's Daybook

Monday, October 13, 2008

Outside My Window. . . is a blanket of white: all the lawns are covered with the six or seven inches of water-laden snow that fell over the weekend. Scattered on top of the snow are newly-fallen leaves, and encased under the snow are leaves that fell before the storm. Now, I wonder if I will be able to get them off of the yard before spring.

I am thinking... about the attitudes of Americans toward the economy. It bothers me that those interviewed for the evening news are bemoaning the buy-out and complaining that the government should buy-out their credit card debt, too. I would be willing to bet that a majority of those individuals do not have a budget and make a lot of impulsive purchases. They probably buy brand-named merchandise for the status it gives them.

I happened to catch a Dr. Phil show last week on this topic. I was appalled at the story of one couple who had filed for bankruptcy twice and had plunged back into the same behavior again and had over $50,000 in bills. They were worried about "appearing poor" so they bought items they had not even opened or used. The wife made purchases and hid them from her husband; when he found them, he went on a shopping spree, too. They showered their only son with toys and gadgets that he didn't play with or want. Dr. Phil told the couple that by amassing such a debt and expecting others to bail them out they were stealing from everyone. I don't think the couple got it. Sadly, I don't think most people get it.

Wall Street and corporate America are not the only ones responsible for this collapse. The reality is that everyone is going to have to tighten their belts. It is going to take a long, long time to pull back from the brink. I hope that Americans have the patience, the maturity, and the self-discipline to do it.

I am thankful... I didn't make my weekend road trip. I didn't want to fight the weather.

In the kitchen... the tomatoes are beginning to ripen. I have enjoyed at least one every day since my friend brought them to me.

I am wearing... some comfy sweats.

I am creating... a twined rug that my sister requested for Christmas.

I am going... to my crochet class tonight. I feel good about what I accomplished at last week's class: chaining, single and double crochet. I am still slow, but I have made a dishcloth.

I am reading...The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I finished it yesterday. Even though some of it was upsetting and difficult to hear, I was eager to discover what happened next. I learned a lot about Afghanistan and its history. It motivated me to do more knitting for the children of this war-torn country.

I am hoping... to finish the twined rug this week and to start a sweater for my great-niece's American Girl doll.

I am hearing... the banner outside my door flap in the wind. Hopefully, a warm wind will come through this week and melt the snow.

One of my favorite things... is driving in the country on a warm summer night with the windows down to enjoy the smells and sound of the fields: sweet alfalfa and clover, rustling corn leaves, running irrigation ditches, moist dirt. I am a country girl at heart.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: crochet class on Monday evening, conference call on Tuesday, knitting class on Thursday.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

If Columbus had turned back, no one could have blamed him, but no one would have remembered him.
Sometimes we have to be bold and just try something new, dangerous, and maybe even impossible, in order to succeed.


There are no reliable portraits of Columbus from his lifetime. This one was painted by Sebastiano del Piombo shortly after Columbus's death in 1506. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Reproduced from Alistair Cooke, Alistair Cooke's America (New York: Alfred A Knopf, 1973), p. 27.
http://www.mnstate.edu/sea/library.html



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