I didn't really have the intention of making Just 3 Things a series when I started back in September of 2025. However, it really seems to work as a good way of wrapping up a week and combining different things I'm thinking about. At any rate, here we are with volume or episode number fifty one. That is sort of a good feeling for me - the fact that I have stuck to this concept and that I have had three things to write about for fifty one weeks.
- What I've Been Reading -
On one of the Kindle Daily Deals or some such special recently was a book by one of my favorite authors of late. I began reading The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews this week. It has been a very good read.
A young lobbyist is left in a bind when the firm she works for is caught in a political scandal. She reluctantly accepts her father's offer to help refurbish an old family property that he just inherited. She soon learns that the property is in sad disrepair and rolls up her sleeves to try to salvage it. She also learns that living in a small town finds everybody sort of knowing all about her and everything that is going on in her life - even the run-ins with the FBI, who are investigating the political scandal of her former boss.
I'm enjoying this one just as I have others by this author.
- What I've Been Working On -
After creating a Mistake Bag and an oversized Boxy Bag last week, I've closely followed the same tutorial to create another bag this week. Well, I did modify it a wee bit by stitching a thinner fabric at the zipper and attaching that to upcycled denim. I just think stitching the zipper to the denim would make that sort of bag have a lot of bulk there at the zipper and would not work out well. This one measures 10 x 5 x 6" and the one last week measured 10 x 9 x 6" and is more of a square than rectangular like this one.
I used a piece of denim that has a seam because I had seen that done in some other bags that folks had made. I centered the stacked monogram for the grandson between the seam and the end of the bag. I used a bandana as the contrast fabric and for the lining. The width of the bag is much narrower than the first denim boxy bag I made for another grandson and this one holds its shape much better. I used a bandana with an Aztec design because I had used a fabric with a tiny windowpane check as the contrast for the pencil pouch for this grandson. I think they coordinate together quite well.
- What I've Been Watching -
We tend to watch a lot of shoot-em-up programs on the television. You know, police shows like Chicago PD or Boston Blue or Sheriff Country or even good old Adam 12. I think the reason we like those programs is because most of the time the good guy wins. I always tend to wonder how many of the episodes is based on an actual event. Sometimes I marvel at the creativity and sometimes I wonder if there really is such anger and violence out there. I guess yesterday I learned that folks really are full of anger and tend to want to take that out on whoever they can.
The Mister serves as the manager of the local community cemetery. He sells burial lots to folks who need to bury a loved one, meets with the grave digger or funeral home folks to schedule burials, meets with the monument companies to show them where to place a headstone, and other public relations type tasks such as those. Yesterday, he left home to meet someone about their cemetery lots. While he was out there he picked up some trash, flowers that had blown off a lot, and just generally check on how things were looking. While he was there, he noticed a hand full of cars were parked in the cemetery but there was nobody in sight who might have been visiting a grave.
The Mister parked under a shade tree and was reviewing his burial records and a guy pulled in behind him and began gesturing and yelling. So, the Mister rolled his window down and asked the fellow what was going on only to be met with anger and vulgarity. He told the fellow that the cemetery is not a parking lot and was informed that the housing development next door had sent information that paving was scheduled for the next few days in the neighborhood and overflow parking should be in the cemetery. The Mister kindly explained that public parking in the cemetery was for folks visiting a grave site, funerals, or folks doing work there. To which the fellow grew even more agitated and threatening and called the Mister a backwoods, redneck... and threw in several choice other descriptors. Someone nearby overheard and called local law enforcement. A county deputy and a local town police officer soon arrived on the scene.
The officers listened to both parties - the Mister and the agitated fellow. The Mister said that he was so upset that he could feel his whole body shaking. Of course, the officer told him to take a breath and calm down. Then, one of the officers suggested that the Mister should call the Home Owners' Association for the neighboring housing development and let them know that the cemetery is not where their residents should park. That suggestion was not well received and the Mister let the officers know that it is not his duty to inform them not to use property that does not belong to them. The officers agreed to contact the Home Owners and straighten things out and escorted the agitated fellow out of the cemetery. When he got home, the Mister was still kind of upset about the whole affair.
Who would have ever thought that serving in the capacity of cemetery manager - a role that is one of service, empathy, and good will - might become one where there could be danger of any kind? I'm sure the agitated fellow was frustrated with the paving situation and could have been having a bad day. He probably was just taking his unhappiness with all of that out on the Mister. I know that we all have bad moments but the whole incident helped me to realize that some of those television programs probably are based upon real life incidents. I would far rather watch something like that on television than think of my husband involved in such a situation, though!
This has been a much more laid back week for us and I like those kind. For the most part the days have been ordinary with just a few ups and downs thrown in for good measure. I really do like ordinary days and a calm, smooth week. I hope we can rock along with ordinary days and very little ups and downs - just roll along at a leisurely pace for a while!
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