Un-Crafting Day: Why I’m Thankful

Ceramic-Fall-Vase

A Sasquatch sighting, on my husband’s socks, derailed my crafting plans. I was tearing through the house, looking for crafting supplies, but I found something better: Nate, holding up a pair of socks he bought. They had a motif of Sasquatch running around with pitchers of beer. And that’s when I thought, to heck with the craft. I’ll dig for something I’ve already done, declare the day un-crafting day, and recycle that craft as a vessel for depositing “thanks” on slips of paper.

To that end, I found a ceramic vase that I had sponge-painted in fall colors several years ago. So I jotted down “Nate’s Sasquatch socks” as the first piece of thanks to be deposited.

Other things for which I’m grateful:

–Lint rollers. I bought some amazing sweater/jersey dresses from Amazon that are so comfortable and warm, but they leave fuzz all over my underclothes—and if I’m not careful, my stockinged legs can create such friction that fuzz drops out from underneath the dress in a most disturbing fashion. Turning the garment inside out, and giving it a good rolling, does the trick. Sometimes.

–Dehumidifiers. I expect my hair to go into “awkward family photo mode” when I go outside in the November rain and fog, but I’ll be damned if it’s a frightful fit inside my own house. It’s like every classic horror film ever made. (Voice on the phone: Ma’am, the source of humidity. We’ve tracked it—it’s coming from INSIDE the house!) But now, our handy dandy dehumidifier just whirs away in the background, and it’s incredibly satisfying to dump a full bucket of water from the back each time when it finishes a cycle. At this rate, I might not need a straightening iron, but I am grateful to have one of those as well.

–Grippy socks. Not only have I avoided slips and spills down the stairs, but I’ve also been able to clean up mysterious fuzz from sweater/jersey dresses that have dropped all over and multiplied. The fuzz clings to the socks, and everything comes out in the laundry. And then the dryer takes one sacrificial sock to balance out the universe.

–The freezer. On seafood night, we used to put the shells in the composting bin outside, which would attract flies, crows, and disgusted looks from neighbors. (It’s better to leave a rusted-out boat, trailer, or truck parked on the curb in front of a random house than to throw ripe-smelling sea-creature carcasses into the composting bin.) Then, a neighbor told us you could wrap the shells up tight and store them in the freezer until garbage day. Who knew?

–The Nextdoor app. I’m not exactly grateful for the entire app—just the notices from people who think it’s a dating app, which it is not. At 2:15 p.m. on a random afternoon, I see urgent notices like the following: “I’m looking for a woman who enjoys sunsets, fishing, and loud burps. Come meet me at Ray’s Bar. I’ll be wearing a crash helmet and drinking bourbon straight from the bottle.” And it gives me great joy: I’ve found my partner, and he’s not wearing a crash helmet in some bar. He’s wearing Sasquatch socks—in my house.

Your Turn: What are the random things for which you’re grateful?

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Published by ckennedy

Author of the DIY blog: Fixin' Leaks and Leeks. Paper/Rock Writing Consultation, Sole Proprietor.

26 thoughts on “Un-Crafting Day: Why I’m Thankful”

  7. You can put those seafood shells in a pot of water (or an instant pot full of water), simmer for a couple of hours, and voila, broth to make seafood bisque or chowder, and any fishy smells are gone, so you’re good for the garbage, too. And otherwise, I’m grateful for a good life with a wonderful partner. 🙂

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  9. Well my LIKE button won’t work for all these comments, but just know I tried. I’m grateful for friends in my former Florida life. When a neighboring business had a lot of seafood shell offage in their dumpster next to ours, I was able to, for a small bribe, get a friend to toss the owner of said business and dumpster, into said dumpster for skipping the pickup that week. He climbed out barfing, ,which made my week! Such a fond memory. That guy had also been spying on me for my Dad who was away on business. He ratted me out for my post work hijinks back then, so he deserved the dumpster for sure.

    I’m also grateful for family: including my mom, and my 1 year old great-great niece who is in my life daily again and keeps us all entertained with her hijinks. And for setting a new record sleeping time of 14 hours last night, causing my 83 year old mom to ask if we should wake her up haha. Here’s to baby Adelynn! And my dog Cooper who is always cracking us up chasing deer in the yard. He never catches any, so no venison for us.

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