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Thursday, July 4, 2019

My Fourth of July

It has become apparent to me these last three years that more of us are alone on holidays than with family. Since the Old Cornmudgeon, our brother Walt slipped into the sunset, my family is out of people who organize a family party simply by declaration.

We have broken off into units of young people who may have a party, or old people who quit waiting for invitations. I had a startling, but not unexpected invitation recently. I went to lunch with dear Ruth a week ago, and as we parted, she tentatively asked, "Now that you don't have Laura, would you like to come to my house?" 

Having no more pride in the matter, I accepted.



Yesterday I drug my sister with me to the city second hand store, Abby Ann's. This house on one of the streets in my old neighborhood, is red, white and flag ready for the holiday. I hope there is a back yard full of grandparents, grandchildren and parents there today.

All my days are far slower than formerly. I can still walk a city block, if there is a bench at the end. And, I can walk back, and that's the end of my march.

Today I finished winding bobbins for the new warp and began winding it on. I believe I am putting on another fifteen yards. This time I've purchased a yardage counter. We'll see how accurate is my residual math.



In every two inch bout I am moving one blue or silver thread to the left and a green or brown to the right. The fabric will be very directional, and can also be used in a left/right side fashion. We'll see what happens.

After three bouts I stopped to make supper, which was ready at six-thirty. After kitchen clean up, my back was totally done in, and here I am, winding up (or down?) my day.

Oh yes, the cat left an almighty hairball on the blanket at the foot of the bed, where I pray he leaves hairballs, and so he has, these past three weeks. So, that went through the wash and is back on my bed. His grooming date, and my vacation cannot come soon enough.


35 comments:

  1. The old 'hood looks very inviting. May the backyards indeed be full of 4th of July revelers.

    I often think that my not having had children has aided in holidays being more solitary than not. -like I'd feel more obliged to make an effort for the sake of little ones. Anyway, Happy 4th to you, Joanne!

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    1. Your grandson's blog looks pretty sharp.

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  2. It must be so much quieter now without a teenager in the house Joanne.

    Hope you had a great 4th of July!

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  3. I hope you had a fun time at Ruth’s home.

    For many years the July 4th party used to be at my house with about 30 to 40 people. It became too much for me and five years ago I gave one last extraganza with about 50 people. The next year we sat alone at home and nobody called to invite us anywhere. When I asked some friends a few weeks later what they did, they told us about going out with family and other friends. We were replaced very quickly.

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    1. Thanks for sharing, Arleen. It took me by complete, total, utter surprise. How naive.

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  4. When I see photo like this. I still feel a little hope for our country.
    Coffee is on

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  5. I enjoy being along on holidays. I thought I'd be lonely and disappointed, but I'm not. I just wish the damn fireworks would stop. Franklin and Penelope are terrified.

    Love,
    Janie

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  6. I love that you had time with Ruth. And hope it was wonderful. And really, really look forward to seeing the product of your latest weave.

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  7. I'm glad you went with Ruth and I hope you had a great time too. I'm at that stage where I don't usually get invited to join someone because I've always been the one inviting others. Now I'm just stepping back as I'm at the point where I don't want to overtire myself any more. When things are no longer enjoyable it's better to step back and let someone else step in. In my case, maybe the young ones of which there are very few will step in. It's okay for now. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Looking forward to seeing what you will be making on the loom.

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  8. I hope you had a good time with Ruth today. I've had friends in and a nice lunch of Chinese food. People are shooting bottle rockets off here and making my cat nervous. Not a favorite holiday.

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  9. That's a nice looking house, good looking yard. I'll be glad when the fourth is over, too much noise.

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  10. Our cat doesn't throw many furballs, but I am expecting one any day since she has been shedding like crazy.

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  11. I was waiting to hear what you did at the second-hand shop! You can tell my interests, I guess :)

    That cloth will be beautiful.

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  12. I hope you had a very happy time with Ruth today...I could have gone to the cottage but decided not to since I have to drive there on the 10th. And tomorrow I am getting my hearing aids, my first. Yes, getting older is quite interesting. It's 10:30 just now, and rather noisy from time to time. Be well, Joanne.

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  13. I am in love with your new color choices. Can't wait to see them come together. I've never seen Ruby cough up a fur ball, but my husband said she did yesterday! She got put out at least twice today for bad behavior. Can you train a cat?? LOL

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  14. Gawd, there's nothing worse than hairballs! Except maybe stepping on a hairball.

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  15. That's going to be a good-looking bunch of fabric.

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  16. The older I get the more I like spending any holiday without too much fuss. We just had chef salads for dinner, took a dip in the pool, watched the various neighbors set off their firework displays. It was pleasant. I don't miss those days of trying to catch a firework display and leaving them with a mass of people. I have never had a cat so I can't imagine what a hair ball might look like. It is good you have a vacation in the near future to look forward too!

    betty

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  17. I love the colours in your new warp. What will you be making? Sorry to hear about the hairballs, I haven't seen a single one since I first bought a dry food specifically designed for improved digestion and hairball control. I put Angel on it in 2014 and Lola has been on it since I got her almost 2 years ago.

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  18. Hari OM
    So glad that Ruth reached over - a 4th july in that location would have been quite to your liking I suspect - thought I do get that it would have felt a little strange after so many years of 'family'. The new cloth is reminding me of the coat of Joseph... Huggies, YAM xx

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  19. Glad you had an invitation on the 4th July, here in the UK it's just another day, so one less holiday to have to celebrate. Hairballs are disgusting. :D

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  20. I thought about you this morning (every time I see your wonderful towels), all the changes you're going through and your amazing way of dealing with them.

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  21. I have heard of people who keep all their cat's fur to weave into articles of clothing. No thanks.

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  22. Returned last night from shirttail relations- our son's in-laws - who heroically put on a Fourth BQ every year. They're a couple of years younger but still, the husband made the comment to me that maybe it was time for his daughters to take on the job.

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  23. We never seem to get invited to spend holidays with other people, and if we want a get together we have to host it ourselves. Sometimes it bothers me. As we have no family in the area we usually spend holidays alone unless a couple of my girlfriends find time to stop by. I guess it's part of being a childless couple. That being said, we're trying to talk my husband's sister into moving here. She and her daughter are planning to come visit later this month. We would dearly love to have family to celebrate holidays with in the future.

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  24. Your story about Walt was so bittersweet. Made me realize once again how everyone (as Yoko Ono once said) has a story.
    Everyone.
    And we know so few.
    Your new cloth is going to be lovely. I like those colors.
    Do you ever feel like Penelope, weaving and weaving and weaving? Those suiters must have driven her crazy.
    When is your vacation? If you've told us, I've forgotten.

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  25. I love the colours so much. I have stopped entertaining too, the last few times knocked me out. I am trying to come up with alternatives as I was the one who had the gatherings.

    XO
    WWW

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  26. ooo, interesting warp. can't wait to see what it becomes. now that Laura is gone perhaps your social calendar will improve. vacation?

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  27. Sounds as though you have lived there all your life Joanne.

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  28. I would like to say I spent a nice quiet day at home. Fireworks all day spoiled the quiet part.

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  29. Glad you had a good 4th Joanne. We had a fairly quiet one. Kids came over for hamburgers and we watched Independence Day on TV. The new colors for your weaving look great.

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  30. I tend to prefer being alone on holidays. Some of those holidays are difficult ones for me, so I'd rather just get through them.

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  31. When we first moved back to Hawaii, we were the ones who were constantly throwing the family parties. We were finally tired of being the constant organizers and stopped. Well, nobody else picked up the ball so we go to a friend's house who is so kind to always host their family parties.

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