6 years, 5 months ago Bobbe White
“Here she goes again” are the words in a bubble (i.e. caption) that my husband, Jeff, is playing on a continuous loop in his head lately. Most evenings and weekends, I sit in a chair surrounded by wine corks. It’s not what you think…I am not obliterated, wasted or three sheets to the wind. What does “three sheets to the wind” mean anyway?
What started as a thank you gift has morphed into a garage full of wooden trays, each lined with corks. Open the car hatch and its cargo consists of finished trays. In a week, all cargo will be transported to the Quincy Service League Holiday Gift Show & Sale.
What this post is not: it is not a cheap shot to advertise my wares. However, do come out to the show and support a local organization doing good work to raise funds and find local venders with a boatload of merchandise.
What this post is: It is to explain why I take a deep dive into my free time to do this. Jeff thinks it’s a diversion. Sometimes it has been. For instance, when I should’ve been cleaning out my parents home, I ventured into a multi-level-marketing deal. It lasted briefly and eventually I got to work doing the right thing, the house.
What I figured out is this: careful patterning of corks gives me respite, therapy, progress and completion. Hours pass while gluing down corks. I’ve listened to 387 podcasts this fall. My efforts are like a Rubik’s cube: the right cork in the right spot. I do not cut the little devils to fit. I think in my next life, I might be a good dentist who specializes in tooth implants, because I get the pattern into the tray perfectly. I’m relentless on fit.
“Therapy,” you say? Indeed. Corking is a mindless activity, which allows me to think, ponder and listen.
Most importantly: Whether your hobby is baking, sewing, scrapbooking or gardening, it affords us something we can do to COMPLETION. Few other activities have this quality. I have one week to wrap up this gig, transport it to my booth. Deadline! Deadline! Deadline! A focus on time management is a good lesson as well. Especially for me.
I go to the bank daily, yet, completion is a relative term. There will always be carryover projects. I go to the gym, but I’m never finished. Laundry is rarely finished. You wear socks that will go into the wash tonight. And so it continues.
TICK. TICK. TICK. The deadline looms closer. I question why I’m doing this. It’s been a lot of work. There’s more to come this week. But it’ll all get finished and hopefully, in time for us to park another car in the garage for winter.
For now, if you need to know the girth and length of Duckhorn, Asti Spumante or Robert Mondavi, give me a call. I can nail it. Now go pick a project to start. And finish. It’s good for what ails you. bw
