My Amazing Sister, Gert

Every time we go to Tucson, my sister, Gert, has either finished or started a new craft. Or she has an idea for something new: "Look at this - Guess what we're doing today - I saw it in a magazine and I got all the stuff to do it. Isn't it cute?! Let's make it!". Her kids are about as excited about helping with said crafts as mine are with me so we have started calling her crafting adventures "Mad Mom Crafts" because every one of them ends up with a mad mom! Or was Mom mad when she began?! Who knows. No matter what - or who helps - I am forever amazed at what my sister can do: she knits, she crochets, she makes bulletin boards from fabric that perfectly matches Elyse's bedroom, she makes pillows, she put the most perfect zipper in something...(honestly, after her whirlwind craft show, I just nodded and said, "Yes it's beautiful! Amazing!"). I say that because I have no idea how to begin to put in a zipper! I just zip them and thank heavens for someone with talent enough to install one. I truly am amazed. She stamps, she sews, she does calligraphy (that is one of the earliest talents I remember Gert developing - that and whistling between blades of grass - and she can whistle by sticking her fingers in her mouth); she creates. And, her daughter is going to have the most beautiful dorm room at UofA because of Gert's talent and creativity.

SO, with that being said, something that also amazes me about Gert is her patience. Well, her patience with Elyse. On our drive to Tucson, Elyse mentioned that she'd like to learn to knit. I said, "Well, you'd better talk to your Aunt Gert about that because she knows how to do that and I don't. I know it's hard to imagine that your mom can't do some things...well, knitting is one of the few talents your mother does not possess. By the way, you'd better plan to finish your project with her because I will be no help." All of that is exactly true: Gert tried to teach me to knit and it went along well - I even learned to pearl or something like that...I was knitting along and Gert was knitting along and we were chatting along and before I knew it, I had no idea how to do it anymore. So I quit. Maybe someday I will desire to learn again. Maybe Elyse can teach me.

So Gert and Elyse sat down and began with crocheting. They weren't at it long when I heard Gert say, "Are you left handed?!" Elyse says, "Yes." Gert takes off her glasses and takes a deep breath....looks at my sister-in-law who also crochets...they exchange a knowing look and a chuckle and Gert goes about adjusting to help Elyse. It was a comical exchange. Crocheting didn't last long and they were on to knitting. Elyse and hook makes me nervous...I don't even want to be near Elyse with two knitting needles! ANYWAY, they took off and I got the biggest kick out of Elyse's concentration -- just like her Aunt Gert (and Grandpa Ted) with her tongue doing as much work as her fingers. They got to the casting off (these are terms I just heard thrown about) and eventually moved on to something else and then they were asking each other who was supposed to be counting....see....this is why I don't knit. Or crochet. Or sew. Or put in zippers....or....why learn when I have my amazing sister, Gert, to do it for me?! And I'll do the baking for her.