My grandmother used to tell me all the time idle hands are the devils handy work. I never understood what she ment when I was younger. But when I was 16 my parents moved out to take care of a group home of troubled teenage girl. ( I know it doesn't make sense) When people would say to my mother don't you woory about Rachel? She proudly resopnded Rachels head, heart and hands and never idle and the are always where they belong. The first thing my mother would do with her girls was teach them a craft for their hands. She would say a place for thier money and thier mind when they needed a break from the stressers and addictions. All of them still do some sort of craft to this day even the boys she took in later.

Frances, that's good! I'll have to try to remember that. And Leafy, I use the measurement of the commercial to houseclean lol!

I'm not sure if it is a matter of being patient or impatient, or needing something to do with our hands, or what the real reason is, but some of us just need to be doing something. When my boys were little I never wanted them to use the word bored, as our priest told us his mother told him: "intelligent people are never bored" meaning they can find something to do. I would tell them to read a book, play a game, find something in their imagination and do it! and I think that's a good thing, instead of just sitting and "killing time." WE take boks wherever we go! Someone once said to me, "make every moment count for it will never come again" With my fibromyalgia sometimes I just want to sit and put my legs up and do nothing. Well, that lasts about 5 minutes and I have a magazine, or sudoku, or my brainage, or I get up and move to the quilt room! Maybe our brains are more active!! But I do hear that same phrase: "oh you are so patient, I could never do that" Maybe if they try....?!
Joan

The vet we used to use (we no longer have any pets) has a sign out front. He always has a good saying on each side. A day or so after this thread started, I drove by. One side said "Patience carries a lot of wait". I thought it was appropriate and kept saying, "I gotta remember to post it", so here it is.
Frances in Austin

My partner watches a lot of TV in the evenings, and if I didn't have hand work to do, I'd never see her! I don't piece by hand, but do quite a bit of hand applique. TV is also helpful for timing things: e.g., "It takes one episode of CSI Miami to applique a rabbit."

Waiting rooms, airplane flights (or non-flights), long phone conversations... nice to have something to keep my hands busy and the time productive. Though I LOVE my sewing machines, it's surprising how much you can get done by hand in odd moments. My problem is making (taking) the time to get hand projects prepared and ready to take along.

Observation: I find the general public usually seems mystified at the sight of a woman with a needle and thread. Must be a sign of the times.

I can't beging to count the number of stitches I have taken since Dec 2004 sitting with my parents at home, hospital, nursing home, etc. Thank goodness for something useful to keep my thoughts off our problems. I think I have a project with me at all times because I don't have the patience to just sit and wait.

I was sitting in a Dr's office yesterday (actually 2 of them). I had needle in hand and trying to applique these daiseys. Once again practicing self blood donating. (one of these days the shakey hands will stop) Anyway there was this girl who was shaking the whole floor with her leg bobbong up and down so rapidly. She looked at me and said that would drive me nuts when do you find the time to do that? : :shock: I told her I do this instead of getting bored out of my mind in Dr. offices. That I might not be good at applique yet but I haven't given up yet. So as long as I haven't run out of blood yet I was going to keep trying. This way I wasn't wasting my time staring at the clock and thinking of everything else I had to do.

I also do not like to waste time, I always have a bag of counted crosstitch in a bag to take with me to appts. I also take them on our bass boat. There is always at least two projects going if I get bored with one , My dh laughs, because it always hangs on the kitchen chair, ready to go. Debbie

BethMI wrote:
Yep! That's me impatient and not wanting my time to be wasted.

I started to work in a library me someone that hated to read now I read all the time I would like to find things I can do when watching tv because dh is always say sit in here with me and I do not get to be in my sewing much I need to learn to say no I need to do this I have been taking a class and I said to him I have to sew sunday a get ready class on Monday and that works because he knows that I have been doing bthis for 4 weeks now. Any way I wish that my hand stiching look better may be I just need more practice Happy

I hate to waste time because I feel it is so precious. I either want to be reading (or listening) or doing some sort of handwork on my projects. I prefer not to drive because we all know that it requires ALL of a person's attention.
But I am also impatient and really want to complete projects. When I don't get an expected result, I have to determine if I need to unpick or if the result is the best I can get THIS TIME.

Ann, God bless you and every health care worker who shows patience to the patients. My doctor is so impatient, I think he aims for a 4 min visit. I write things down and often loose my intent for the visit because of being so rushed. I almost kiss anyone these days that takes the time to care.

BTW thanks for my 15 min of fame today. That project was so much fun and rewarding.
-Patti

This is an interesting topic. I've always carried "something" along when I knew there would be a wait. If I keep my hands busy, it also takes my mind off the reason I'm really where I am, like when at the hosp, dr office, etc. I've even taken up playing with Suduko puzzles! I think this gives some of us stress relief! If we are doing something that we love, then the wait is not so unbearable. About the "patience", I'm not much of a patient person! It drives me crazy to have "down time"!

I have heard the patient comment and I have used it too. UhOH,I sew everything by machine and when I try hand sewing I have no patience of this improving on my stitching even though I try from time to time,this makes me feel others have what I don't patience because there work is beautiful,my hand stitching is aweful. I believe it is meant in a good way,having patience to do things others can't. I do lack patience in hand work so I admire others uniqueness in this skill.
We all have patience and we lack some patience too. I look at this as one having great admiration to those having patience when one says you must have patience. Like I say in this moddern day the Amish must have great patience,I have admiration for thier quilt work. Patience is a good thing to have.
Kathy