Sunday, October 25, 2015

Handywoman


May the favour of our Lord God rest upon us; 
establish the work of our hands for us --
yes, establish the work of our hands.
Psalm 90: 17 (NIV)


This week I've been thinking about handiwork, and hand-work, and hands, and my own hands.

Thursday evening I got home about 8:30 p.m....and accidentally locked myself out of my house.  How on earth...? (I hear you ask) Well...I keep my house/garage keys in my glove box, separate from my car keys.  When I left the garage I grabbed what I thought were my keys...only to lock the garage door behind me...and find -- too late -- that the keys I had were ones to unlock my sister's cottage...

Since I put in a new screen on my back kitchen window last spring, my windows are now unassailable, and  I couldn't pry the garage door open, no matter how hard I slammed it with my hips.

I prayed...and then, humbled, went to my next-door neighbour who, blessedly, is a handyman...and who changed out of his bathrobe into work duds in order to help me...By  9:45 p.m. I was not only in my garage, but also blessed with new innards in my garage door knob (to replace the ones he'd mangled to get us inside)...and all is well.

That's the work of his hands, for which I am abundantly grateful.

And mine?

I can be 'handy' when I need/want to be...

This week I've been listening to the "Happier" podcasts by Gretchen Rubin and her sister, Elizabeth Craft.  

Motivated by their discussions of the "Power Hour" -- during which one tackles those one-time small jobs that can hang around forever unfinished --  I cleaned out a back-room junk drawer, and finally installed the IKEA towel rack I'd bought 2 years ago to put under my kitchen sink, rendering my modest kitchen renovations -- which spanned two summers -- complete:


"Enndden" towel rack

It's officially fall here now, with frosty mornings, and periods of rain and wind, so the Outdoor Studio was put to bed this week...along with the other lawn furniture.  The rain barrels were emptied; the shrubs and plants pruned back for winter, and mulched up with leaves.   On Wednesday, I have an appointment to put the winter (s-n-o-w) tires put on the car.

Christmas gift planning is underway, as there will again be hand-knits and items sewn...and there are commissions to finish.  

In the Sewdio, it's been all about minis this week.  Tomorrow I take a packet of five to the Siding 14 Gallery in Ponoka, Alberta...as well as some other pieces to see if they'll like them:

Becalmed

Autumn Lunch

December Dawn

Autumn at Cranna

Gone South II


I know some of you have been waiting for me to post about my experience in a recent InkTense (pencils) class.  Not to worry; I haven't forgotten.  It's just that I have socks to finish, and slippers, and a king-sized quilt to bind...

Once more with feeling...

May the favour of our Lord God rest upon us; 
establish the work of our hands for us --
yes, establish the work of our hands.
Psalm 90: 17 (NIV)



5 comments:

elle said...

Locked doors happen to the best of us. Yay for good neighbours. I do like Gretchen- she motivates! Great minis!!!

Jo Vandermey said...

I have never thought of this verse in the context of my sewing/knitting/making of things. I have used my hands since childhood making things to give to people. Somehow this didn't seem as important work because it often goes unacknowledged by people. Especially by the I don't have time people. But the gift of using my hands has warmed many, comforted some, given joy to others and sometimes I am sure ended in the trash. I am being reflective today but using my hands is a need that calls me and when it leaves my hands it is the thoughts and prays that go with it that is important not whether it should be expected to bring praise back to me.
Thank you for sharing the verse. Just what I needed today.

And about the keys... I have two neighbors with keys, my kids and my mom and still have managed to sit on the porch with a dead phone in hand waiting for someone to come home. lol
Jo

Linda A. Miller said...

Good neighbors are a blessing! Love your minis!

Lesley Turner said...

Hope your trip to the gallery goes well. Your minis are delightful snapshots of life. I too am a Gretchen Rubin fan.

Jo Ferguson said...

Getting "locked out" is a frustrating part of life. Fortunately you had a good neighbour (they're a good part of life). Your pieces all turned out beautifully. Wishing you luck at the gallery.