Little things to do

Have you tried drumming? A good friend of mine owns a djembe and has taught me sometimes to drum. I, too, own a little funny drum that includes barely any sound but nice little drum it is anyway, and there is nothing more relaxing than to return home after a long and weary day and
drum away. Basically this kind of things are not about what one does but that one does something; something simple that requires concentration. Once again it's about letting go for a moment of whatever occupies our minds all the time and just give ourselves the right to rest a little. Sometimes it might take us somewhere unexpected.

If I was bad at something at school, it was handicrafts, the girls' side. I wanted so much to take the other one, but it was only boys there and sure I could not, aged 13, choose that one. So I stayed with other girls, even throughout the whole of middle school when it was no more mandatory. The teacher was kind enough to treat me with a considerable amount of patience when the needle immediately broke any time I sat in front of the sewing machine, or when my poor little try-outs of knitting did not quite turn out what they were suppoused to. I had lots of ideas and normally got into work at first with great intensivity. My practical reason just has never been as strong as the other one... I cannot say I exactly enjoyed these classes, but I stayed and maybe that shaped my impatient nature a little less so.

My other grandmother was the knitting and sewing master of the family, actually the only one of my whole family either side. I never felt I had got nothing of this enthusiasm - until her place was empty and I felt the need to follow even a little the heritage given me in the form of dozens of pairs of woollen socks and other concrete symbols of grandmaternal care. My knitting is still horrible and sewing also needs quite alot of practice if anything more complex is to be made, but I have got new enthusiasm for it. And already for a couple of years, as the evenings start getting darker and weather colder I have heard the call of clews. If it doesn't work at the first try - well I've always got my little drum to get over the frustration.