Do you belong to a special interest group? Do you meet to discuss books, politics, cooking, movies, or a craft? There are so many now, and I never considered joining such a group when I was working and raising our daughter. Most people I knew at that time were too busy. I hope it's not like that for you.
Yesterday, one of the groups to which I belong met at my house. We started out as a small group that met for breakfast at a local diner every Sunday. I don't even remember how it changed into a group that meets once a month (when we can) to sew, knit, work on scrapbooks, or just chat. And there's a lot of that - chatting, I mean! Laughter, too.
Yesterday the plan was to meet and make a wonderful pincushion designed by Mardi (one of our group who if you don't know her is incredibly creative and talented!). Naturally, being who we are, none of us was ready to really work on it, but Mardi did manage to hold our attention long enough for us to know now how to make this wonderful pincushion. It involves making some small quilt blocks (3"), and I simply didn't get around to doing it. But this week it's on my list!
Karen and her daughter Julie were here, also. Karen's life is very complicated right now, and Julie is planning her weddings. Yes, that was a plural! She is getting married in early December in Scotland and then she and her husband will have another ceremony here with her family and friends in attendance. Talk about busy! We all felt lucky to have them with us yesterday.
Mary Ellen was here, too, and of us all, she was the one who was actually prepared to make her pincushion. She has been working on hand sewing tiny (less than one inch) hexagons in a Grandmother's Flower Garden pattern. She's at a point where she has sewn about 12 together, and the resulting placemat-sized piece is amazing! I wish I had taken a picture of it.
And the last member who was there is the other Noel (yes, there are two of us!). Noel had her laptop with her and was able to share the scrapbook she has made about her anniversary trip with her husband. It is just wonderful. Now I'm really eager to see it in book form so I can spend time looking at her photos. While at one of our meetings, Noel usually works on counted-cross stitch because it's too difficult to lug all her scrapbooking materials with her.
I spent my time knitting on a Christmas project.
I've mentioned all this because this group is such an important part of my life. A lot has been written about women and their friendship groups, but I never realized how much fun it is to meet with like-minded people with no must-do ultimate goal. When I was working, one went to many meetings and if one was lucky there might have been a friend at the meeting. But it was always a meeting with a goal - something we had to accomplish, a problem to solve, or information to share. You know. Now my meetings have no critical importance to anyone but me and my friends. We might have a plan to do something, but it's always something we want to do. For fun, for each other, for no special reason.
So I guess you could say that I am lucky enough to belong to a For-No-Special-Reason Interest Group!
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