I’m trying to get back into a more regular posting schedule here, so I thought I’d take up doing Sunday Sevens again. It’s a good place to put those sort of random interesting bits and pieces of your life (and I am all about random). My pictures this week are actually going to be highlights from the last few months, as I’ve got a bit of a stockpile at the moment. As always, all credit goes to the ever-fabulous Natalie of Threads and Bobbins for getting Sunday Sevens started!
First, let’s go alllll the way back to Xmas, because I made a couple of pretty cool gifts that I never managed to blog about.
For my sister, I made some unpaper towels and a fabric basket to store them in.
I braved the big Thanksgiving sale at Joann’s to get these really fun flannels (this is a pretty serious level of dedication for me), then I matched them up with cute cottons from the stash.
I’m really liking the basket idea for these, and want to make one for my own unpaper towels one of these days. I get that people like rolling them up and storing them like paper towels, but it kind of makes them a pain to use. The basket is a better way to store them, I think, if you have the counter space for it.
I also made a charging station for all my partner’s gadgets.
Yeah, it’s a little droopy. Obviously I needed a stiffer interfacing. I sewed along the corner seams and that helped it sit up a bit better.
I made this to fit the shelf where he keeps all his bits and pieces that require charging (which is currently a tangle of cords).
I made buttonholes of various sizes along the back to put the plugs through.
He has yet to put this to use (he’s planning to organize his office, but it’s a bit of a big project, if you get my meaning), but I think it’s going to eventually be really handy. The execution on this could use a little work, but I really like the concept.
Now for some demos! Three so far this year, I suspect many more to come.
In mid-January, the Democratic Party called for demonstrations in support of the ACA (Obamacare), and I went to the one in Richland (next town over). At the last minute, my honey decided to come with, but warned me that he thought we might be the only ones there. Eastern Washington state is pretty conservative–Republicans outnumber Dems 2-to-1–and it was 15F and snowing that day.
200 people showed up!
Best I could do, being short and at the back. (And can I just mention how much I want that guy’s gorgeous red hair?!? I mean, yeah, politics, but I know how to multitask.)
For some reason, they had us gather on the outdoor stage, and it was covered in a sheet of ice–I’m kind of amazed nobody slid off the edge of the stage–but folks were undeterred and fired up!
Then, the following weekend, partner and I drove to Spokane for the Women’s March. Some folks had thrown a local event together at the last minute, but they planned to walk a labyrinth and meditate, and no way did I want to meditate–I wanted to yell! So we went to Spokane and it was an amazing experience. 2,000 people were expected, but as we drove through downtown, I thought it sure looked like a lot more than that. When we lined up with the huge crowd at the start, a woman we talked to told us that they had stopped letting people into the Convention Center for the pre-march rally when they reached 5,000 people in there. News reports afterward estimated 8,000 attended.
And I should have pictures for you, but my camera would not cooperate. Sigh.
But we marched and it was great–so much positive energy and determination to fight for what’s right. Great mix of all ages, races, genders; it meant a lot to me to see all those people come out for this event after the horror of the election. I was expecting some counter-demonstrators, but the only ones I saw were at the start–three or four young dudebros snickering on the sidelines. One of them yelled out something about “making it great again,” but was ignored. It felt like it was finally OUR time to be heard, not theirs.
Did get the camera working for this shot of the park with decorations appropriate to the occasion.
Finally, last weekend, our local Indivisible group organized a town hall at the Washington State University Tri-Cities campus. Our local Representative–I feel like that word should be in quotes–is Republican Dan Newhouse, and he is one of the 200 or so Reps that are refusing to hold the traditional town hall meetings in their districts. So we held one without him. Constituents asked him questions that were videotaped to be delivered to his office. Great idea, well-executed, and lots of smart, well-informed people there to keep the pressure on him to do the right thing.
I also took the opportunity while I was out there to take a walk along the river path and snap a few photos.
I love these, but the best thing about them is that they swivel around their poles when the wind blows!
Looking across the Columbia River.
Next event is a rally on Wednesday for International Women’s Day. We are keeping the pressure on and the energy up!
Have a great week, everybody, and take care of yourselves.
STH
