I started this day feeling a little sad. Also old. I had ordered a counted cross stitch kit from Amazon. It was 14 count material. My younger self had been able to manage 18 count without a problem, so I convinced myself (although I should have known better!) that my eyes were equal to the task of working on the larger 14 count. I was wrong.

A special lighted magnifying glass hung around my neck helped, but it was tedious and  stressful rather than pleasurable. Hardly the creative outlet I had once loved and hoped to find again.

I rarely fall into the trap of focussing on my age. Okay, so I no longer ski or skate. The winter cold bothers me more than it once did, and I wear hats, even though I used to think that I looked terrible in hats and rarely wore one. And now I’ve accepted the fact that counted cross stitch should no longer be my needlecraft of choice.

But I’ve decided to focus on the fact that there is much more to life than a counted cross project. I was looking for a creative project when I ordered the kit, forgetting that I had such a project in my own kitchen. When I reached for bread to toast this morning, it occurred to me that I bake all our bread. That counts as creative! I write a blog. That has to count. Who needs cross stitch!

And another thing. It’s impossible to dwell on anything sad or lacking when life remains full of touches of whimsey. The Big Guy set up our new water feature on the deck today. That frog is a definite smile!