Incomplete Projects and Card Games

As we begin our journey of doing things around the house — what else do you call painting and ordering furniture and rearranging and installing floors and maybe cutting down bars — I walk around from room to room making decisions about things. Yes, things. Some candles with scents I don’t like but it’s better than no scent along with seashells. Empty wine bottles that serve as reminders of trips and pieces of art that don’t have any sentimental meaning.

And some oil cloth bibs in varying stages of completion — read: not finished. I re-found sewing when the girls were little. I created appliqués for onesies, assembled little pouches for a daisy-themed birthday (lined burlap with fabric that button-closed like an envelope) and made twirly elastic-waist skirts in fun prints and colors. I don’t love sewing but I enjoy the projects and the results. It’s satisfying to know you designed and finished the most known of DIY.

My mom sewed and taught me how on the most ancient of machines. She made prom dresses out of taffeta and velvet. I made wrap skirts and never mastered sleeves in dresses or shirts.

Sewing is easy but takes time. The set up, the spooling the bobbin and the first stitch seem to be such a waste but then you hit the pedal and go. I’ve had to pull out seams and recut fabric because sewing includes making mistakes. Carving out those moments — hours — was easier when the girls were babies because they went to bed early and I had the entirety of an evening or an afternoon to sew.

Now, I also have evenings but I seem to spend those reading or writing. Both well-needed for my soul and both creative. I’m not considering taking up sewing — the girls don’t want the bright colored twirly skirts and I don’t need a wrap skirt (or do I?). But that making something you see - that’s what I want to do.

I can’t paint even though one Christmas the girls bought me watercolor markers. I don’t do the calligraphy-like handwriting even though I own a book with the templates and writing paper. I see the talents of others and think, hey, I could try that. Then I remember my talent is storytelling.

My stories come from the everyday. Nothing deserving of neon lights or sparklers. Simple the things that happen to probably everyone land in my brain’s filing cabinet labeled ‘snippets to include in my writing.’

I also pop the snippets in my notes app on my phone. Quotes, references to lines in podcasts and pictures of articles with words I want to quote.

Nothing complete. A bunch of incompletes. Could my book be that — lines that connect for me. Phrases that I know weave together a story worth sharing.

My sister Amy recently taught us a twist to Uno. We know about the stacking of Draw Twos and drawing a card until you come upon the color or number you need to play. This added a level of fun to a game we already enjoy — we have quite a few versions of Uno and really show no mercy in this house when playing.

The twist? When a seven card is played, the game goes silent. No talking. If someone does speak, even an ‘uh’ counts among us, the person draws cards equal to the number of words they spoke. The quietness is broken when another seven card is played.

So what do you do when you need to say ‘Uno.’ You hold up your pointer finger indicating the number one.

We played with my mom at her house and then played here at home when we were all together for dinner. My mom loves a card game and in truth, so do I. We all do. It’s like exercise. You may not want to start but you feel so much better when you finish.

Who knew the seven card had so much power and would create so much interest. To silence a group and then bring the voices back.

Maybe I need to carry a seven card around with me. Put it down and stop the distractions and procrastination to complete a project — yes, the coat closet keeps calling me and I keep walking by. Pick it up and watch some TikToks. Put it down and clean some windows. Pick it up and watch another episode of the news season of DCC.

And I guess it is OK to have a stack of incomplete projects because I can have something to do.

Still not going to paint or take up calligraphy — but how about picking up my DSLR again?