How do I know when it's lunchtime?


When the sun shines in my eyes and I can't see to quilt. The sun comes through the skylight window about 20 feet above me. It takes about an hour for the sun to move to another place. So I cover the quilt with a scrap of batting and go have lunch.

Ladybug was here only for the morning. Mommie picked her up early to go for a doctor visit. The pollen count has been high. It appears Ladybug was effected by that. Just when I thought I could get onto the machine the sun told me to wait a while longer.

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So for a change I turned on the tv for awhile as I ate lunch. I don't know about you; but, I get very tired of the "powers that be" telling us that we must get people spending money in order to fix the economy. Spend, spend, spend, buy, buy, buy. So why don't the "powers that be" understand? We already have our houses packed full of stuff we bought. Years and years worth of stuff! Stuff that we were told we must have or that we should have. Stuff that we either hide away in a closet, move around from place to place, donate to charity, or give to friends and relatives who already have a house full of stuff of their own. All this only to find more space in our homes to stock away more stuff we are told we should buy.

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"The powers that be" want to use our money to give to the banks..... so they will start making loans again..... so people will sign away their future paychecks..... just so they can go out and buy more stuff to put into a house (or apartment) already packed full of stuff. Stuff that will supposedly make us happier, healthier, smarter, richer, faster, more connected, and the list goes on. It's only my own opinion but I think it's really time for a change (as Obama put it) but not a change to get us spending again in the old ways we have done for so long. Maybe it's time we start recycling what we already have instead of manufacturing more?

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I'm not sure I'm making my thoughts understandable. So let's use fabric as an example. Quilters understand fabric..... right? We shop for it often. We have a stash of it. We have tons of pattern books. We also have a ton of templates, rulers, mats, cutters, and various other stuff. We seek out all the latest gadgets and ideas to buy and store in our stuff. We tell ourselves that as good Americans we are doing our part to keep the economy going... right? We are spending.

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We create quilts as fast as we possibly can.... so we can use up our fabric stash..... so we can go out and buy more fabrics..... and do our part to keep the economy going. Most of us have a whole stack of quilts stored in our house. Our families have a whole stack of quilts we've made for them. When we make our next quilt and start to hand it to a relative (who already has a great many quilts we gave them) they look at us with glassy eyed panic.... wondering where are they going to stuff this one? Hmm..... it seems no one else needs a quilt. So we start making quilts for charity. We are joined by thousands of other quilters that make charity quilts. At some point.... if we all keep making quilts.... joined by all the new converts to quilting..... every house in America could have a whole stack of quilts. What do we do then?

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I could use all types of examples for the same scenario.... cars, furniture, clothing, etc. At some point we have an over abundance so we stop spending and buying. Isn't it time "the powers that be" realized the old way is not sustainable? We can no longer keep filling our existence with more stuff. There has to be a better way! Maybe fewer dollars going to manufacturing and more jobs being created in recycling outdated manufactured goods? Maybe fewer dollars going into the processing of foods and more jobs created in growing foods that could be shared around the world?

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You see my point? I'm tired of being told I should keep spending my hard earned money for what I do not need or want. I have enough stuff! The powers that be need to show me something different.

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Instead of trying to resurrect the jobs that have been lost; new jobs should be created to recycle America's over abundance. Absolutely everything manufactured will eventually wind up in a landfill someplace unless it gets recycled. So why is it that America doesn't do more in the recycle industry? Think of the jobs that could be created while at the same time saving our planet.

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There is a great need for recycling in this country. I think the current economy could be the starting point for many, many new ideas and new industries..... if only some of "the powers that be" would wake up. Stop thinking about resurrecting the lost jobs and start creating new ones to recycle our over abundance of stuff.

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In my opinion, people are simply tired of being told they must continue to be in debt to buy more stuff that must be stored as long as possible before being sent to a landfill. Maybe we could go back to the idea..... use it up, wear it out, make it do.... then make something else out of it.

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Ok, enough of my philosophy... a quilt is waiting for me.