Tuesday's Lesson #3

     In most crafts, the first lesson learned is “measure twice, cut once.” Well this applies to sewing too. And not just to cutting. Today I learned to”measure twice, draw once.” Otherwise you'll have lines that seemed to be parallel when they were drawn but somehow end up crossing as soon as you start to sew along them.

     Also, on a related note, as a bonus lesson: Always, always measure and mark your line in three or more places if you want them to be even slightly straight and even.

     So today's lesson is to measure, take a step back, then measure again. Otherwise you'll waste precious time ripping out crooked seams and washing out the lines it took you hours to make. Measure, measure, then measure again.

Tuesday's Lesson #2

     The lesson I learned today is one I have learned many times before.  And yet, I think it might have finally sunk in today (unlikely, but I'll believe it for another day or so.)

     Today I made no progress.  On anything.  I sat and took out all the stitches I put on my blanket yesterday...

     They took me two hours to put in.  They have taken me eleven hours and counting to take out.  This is what I have done all day. Literally, all day.

    My seam ripper and I have become very good friends. (The blunt end makes a wonderful stylus for anyone out there who has a touchscreen phone, in case you ever wondered.) I think I might actually have to name him after this, that's how close we have become (but then I'll be very sad when I lose him (which I will) hmmm, dilemma....)

     My lesson for today: it's fun to leap into crafts on the whim of inspiration, but breathe and think before jumping, it is worth it. And take your time jumping, you're doing something you love, why rush it?

Tuesday's Lesson

     This evening I found myself in the position of a tutor.

     The husbandman is taking French 102 without ever taking or even hearing French before.

     My youngest brother doesn't get his grammar workbook.

     I cockily volunteered to help both of them. I have taken French in both high school and college, and I do believe that I have a decent grip on the grammar of my own language.

     Was I stupid. The youngest brother opened up the workbook to the lesson on noun cases. I didn't even know English had noun cases. So I spent dinner and the rest of the evening trying to teach him about nominative and objective nouns while learning it myself.

     Then I finally got my head around that, and went down stairs to go read (yeah right). The husbandman was working on homework without a textbook or a French/English dictionary. So I pulled up the websites I knew, and desperately racked my mind trying to remember how to conjugate avoir and etre.

     Teaching is hard. I'm so grateful for the wonderful teachers who were always patient, always calm, and especially always kind. It's not easy learning things in such as way to be able to explain them to others. Putting into words a thought that you know without thought (if that makes any sense) is even harder to do than to describe.

     My lesson of the day ~ thank your teachers. Its almost impossible to truly teach someone without caring for them.