a stitch in time

I think one of the things I love most about crafting (and any sort of creative project, really) is having something to do at all times. Love having a little something tucked away in my purse for stitching when I happen to get stuck standing in line somewhere. Love my little sketchbook - perfect for afternoons sitting at the park while my son burns all that excess energy. Love painting while catching up on all the shows Tivo has been saving for us. As opposed to some of the other things I enjoy - like baking, cooking, gardening, woodworking - crafting is something you can do anywhere at anytime. In the days before restrictive carry-on luggage, I'd have an entire bag dedicated to projects. All kinds of crafts to fit all kinds of inflight moods. Great activities for passing the time. Post 9/11, I even took up needlepoint because it was the only thing I could think of that didn't require scissors - which couldn't be taken on a plane. I had a pair of plastic safety scissors confiscated in London - but that was just weeks after 9/11. I wonder if they allow those now? Anyway, the blanket stitches on my baby booties is the perfect craft for passing time. This afternoon I flew through many stitches while sitting on the beach and then again as my son had his own creative hour with several tubs of playdoh. Which leads me to another topic …growing up I remember spending excessive amounts of time being sure to keep my playdoh colors separate. In fact, I couldn't understand some of these sets that inevitably ended up mixing colors together. (the head that grew playdoh hair or the mold that made mini playdoh hot dogs and hamburgers) I would often wonder what color you'd end up with should all the tubs wind up smooshed into one big ball - but I never had the desire to test it. My son, on the other hand - though he has his mamma's eye for detail he is only three, afterall - takes no time trying to separate the colors. And at the end of the day, I don't have the patience for sorting playdoh - I am thirty three afterall and have other things I'd rather be doing. But I am happy to discover the answer to my adolescent question. You end up with, much to my surprise, a brownish purplish sort of color. I would have imagined that you'd find yourself with black or an ugly brown. Nope. It's actually, in my opinion, a really nice color. And good thing too because we've got plenty of it.