Sewing Day

I've had a busy day. Went to the Farmer's Market with Durwood, then loaded my sewing machine and a bag, a rather big bag, of fabric, etc., picked up Cookie, and we both went to Skully's for a sew-in. Cookie beaded and knitted, me and Skully sewed. Skully made a nice red and black shopping bag and I worked on a fancy lined bag with pockets and elastic and magnetic snaps and Velcro. It was Skully's pattern and I wanted to use it so I cut and cut and cut and cut and cut and cut, and got it about half sewed before packing up. Skully had ham and chicken for sandwiches and baby carrots. I brought fresh pineapple and mango. We feasted. It was a fun day. I need to stop doing too much, I need down time, and there's no way I'm going to get it this weekend. Maybe next weekend. Say it with me, Barbara--No, thank you, I'm busy. See? How hard was that? You can do it. Be strong.

August 12--Paul Gauguin, Tahitian Landscape. The seasons are so different here near the Equator. There is no winter, no dormant season when the flora rests, no time when you can't plant, no time when your land lies fallow. Mary and Joseph here, their land is rich, food springs from it nearly unbidden. They easily acquire the Western methods of growing but Western dress, Western modesty is a much harder sell. See how they're dressed? She looks like a proper matron, hat and all, but she is barefoot. He, however, wears his lava-lava with a bathrobe over it, covered but not properly. The missionaries spend all their time working to convert the natives not only to Christianity but encourage them to abandon their traditional ways of living. I wonder how many neuroses they generated?

That Gauguin, I'm very suspicious of him and his intentions. Always have been. Time to pack my dive gear for the Corn Roast tomorrow.
--Barbara