Monday Memories and Self-Portrait Tuesday—Bony Fingers

The other day I heard an old song on the radio, “Work your fingers to the bone, what do you get? Bony fingers. Bony fingers.” That song isn’t true. Over the years I have spent considerable time using my fingers and they are still plump—not as chunky as my toes, but definitely on the thickset side.

Finger Exercise One: Monday afternoon was a several-hour-mega-ironing session. Calvin mentioned a couple of days ago that he hadn’t seen a couple of his shirts for a month, I countered that surely it had only been a couple of weeks, but as I ironed my way to the bottom of the basket I found a shirt I haven’t worn since I went to see Rachel’s family, so that makes him the winner.

Finger Exercise Two: I had to sew a button on a vest and mend a tear in a shirt sleeve so they could be ironed. I pulled out my 25 year old sewing machine that was ancient even when it was new, yet seams fine for my sewing abilities. I learned to sew in 4-H on a curler bag, though my hair was too short for curlers and I had no need for a bag for curlers I could not wear. I had to rip out several seams on the little curler bag that held curlers for my hair that was too short for curlers. I got a red ribbon on the curler bag that I did not need. I hated that curler bag and sewing. But at least I got exercise for my fingers and learned to sew.

Little did I know that my primitive sewing skills and my little ancient sewing machine would be a golden hen. She has saved and made us more money than any other minor appliance in our home. Curtains, shirts, little-kid pants, a hundred rag dolls, hand-stitched wall hangings and pillows, a few quilt bindings, a couple of dresses, mending, and odds and ends projects have all added to her value. But . . . for all that ironing and sewing my fingers are still not bony.

Finger Exercise Three: Today I typed and typed and typed. My niece, Abby, wrote asking for activity ideas for an upcoming youth conference so I sent several. Today’s self-portrait challenge was to be taken giving a gift to a total stranger. My gift is the hope that some of those activity ideas will help some young man or young woman feel a part of a larger group, feel valued and make some new friends. But, still . . . for all that ironing and sewing and typing my fingers are still not bony.