2723 Tying up the threads

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

In Scott Turow‘s Burden of Proof, Sandy's daughters
describe his love life as “a tom-tom network of females
wailing over his shortcomings late into the night.”

Reminds me of a lot of guys I've dated.
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On Monday I drove to NJ to visit Daughter. Her wrapped Christmas present to me was a scarf she had crocheted, and scented soap. You have no idea how happy the scarf made me - not so much the scarf itself, but that she is learning to crochet!

It IS a big deal.

I have very few skills, but one is needlework. Knitting, crocheting, embroidery, netting, lacemaking, tatting, sewing. I don't do it often anymore, and I don't have the best sense of color and texture, but I'm good at the craft. I can't cook, am a miserable housekeeper, and I don't entertain. I didn't have much beyond needlework in the traditional feminine skills to pass on to a daughter. And back when, she flatly rejected it. I tried to teach her, and she would have none of it. Total rejection of even the concept. It felt like a rejection of me.

Nowadays, Daughter likes to cook, and she makes it look easy. She keeps a clean house, and doesn't tolerate dirt (a bit of clutter, but I don't think I could get along with anyone who couldn't tolerate some clutter - it's life being lived!) And she entertains easily and often. She grew all that herself, it was nothing I could teach her or pass on to her, and I'm proud of her.

Now my daughter is learning crochet, and what she gave me for Christmas is connection.

Ok, weird. But it's there. It's a big deal to me.

She may decide it's not for her and quit, but that's ok. She's a different person. But she picked up a crochet hook and tried it, and I am very happy.

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I drove home yesterday, and then went to a movie with my meetup group last night. (And I wore Daughter's scarf over my head. It's very warm, and the color is perfect for my hair and face.)

There were supposed to be four of us at the movie, but the fourth didn't show up, so it was just me and two guys whom I already know from Mensa. This is the group that has 20 members. I'm hoping that after New Year's it'll pick up a bit.

Last night's movie was "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee" (Becs, you ought to see it if you can find it), and next week I've scheduled "The Road".

My singles' group now has 14 members. Our first outing is a dinner on January 12. I hope the attendees have some thoughts about what to do next, because I have no flippin' idea.

Tonight is a dinner at a Turkish restaurant in Albany. Tomorrow night is a party in Connecticut, with a buffet, band, and bachelor auction. (I hope to buy me one.)

Friday I start getting serious about cleaning up around here.
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