When I started tossing around the idea of making masks, I didn't have any idea how many I thought we could make. At first, I had the number 50 in my head. After spending about five minutes with my sewing machine that number dropped to zero. Once we did the tutorial and completed our first mask, that number started to creep back up to about 10.
This afternoon I found myself with some downtime when the world's crankiest 3 year old opted in to naptime and E went down a drawing rabbit hole, so I sidled up to the sewing table (read: dining room table) and decided to see how far I got. I had a goal in mind of completing a whole mask from start to finish, but just under the surface of that goal was a more realistic vision of jamming the sewing machine almost immediately and giving up shortly thereafter.
Well, guess what? Not only did the machine not jam, but the seductive whirr of the machine even coaxed E away from her drawing and we worked away together through e's epic 2+ hour siesta.
Behold, the work of 2 sub-amateur seamstresses thus far:
4 handmade (with a sewing machine) custom face masks. Custom, you ask? Oh yes. This is the real deal.
Mask #1: Designed for a person with a very large face and very small ears.
Mask #2: Designed for a person with a very small face and very large ears.
Mask #3: Designed for me, as it is dotted with my blood from a finger prick that apparently I didn't feel because my fingers are now numb to finger pricks.
Mask #4: One size fits all.
My goal for this first week was 3 masks. Nailed it!
Now with all of the joys and challenges of parenthood, the math on how many more I can get done this week is tricky. Maybe none. Maybe a bunch more. Same goes for next week. But in the last 54 days I've been working on a brand new skill. Do you want to know what it is?
I'm trying to find enjoyment in things as I do them, rather than getting the enjoyment from plowing through them and checking them off of my to do list. So if 4 is the number of masks I make this week, great! That's 4 masks I now have to use for my family or donate to any large-faced, small-eared or small-faced, large-eared person who needs one. And I'm happy with that.
Now here's my challenge for you:
What task can you work on tomorrow that you can take the time to enjoy doing, rather than just get through?
I want to hear about it!
Tomorrow is my very favorite holiday - again!! What is that? Why, it's the FDoS!! First Day of SCHOOL!! My fave day of all year happens three times a year for me now and I love it. I am going to thoroughly enjoy teaching two online lectures and meeting two new groups of students via the interwebs. Fingers crossed it all goes smoothly. Zero sarcasm, 100% can't-sleep-excitement.
ReplyDeleteThat’s awesome! Those kids are lucky to have someone so excited to teach them. Enjoy!!!
ReplyDeleteAllan says he will continue with his baseboard installation. Loves it. JA
ReplyDeleteOnward! I bet it will look spectacular!
DeleteI have been working on a daily routine that is not structured, not ridged to any plan just doing things I wanted to do pre-(all of this going on).
ReplyDeleteMy days consists of 45mins on my ellipitical, at really whenever I feel like it. Morning, mid-morning, afternoonish. The kids have been doing some school online but the last two days they have been hanging out in the trailer and getting along. Why bother them if they have finally learned to enjoy each others company. I have also really enjoyed diving into my musical inspiration. I practice a few times a week and help come up with music to share during our evening prayer on Saturday evenings at 7pm live on our churches facebook page. Sharing my passion is helping lift peoples spirit and well mine as well.
This to me has certainly not been wasted!
Thank you for sharing all your doings at this time. It's another thing I like to add to my day. Any positivity will work for me.
Siblings getting along is undoubtedly one of the very best of life's miracles!
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