One More Chance

Well, friends, I’ve gone and done it again. Judi had meetings all day Thursday. When she got home and saw the quilt still on the frame, the one we loaded on Wednesday night, well … how do you spell conniption?

“What have you done with yourself all day?” she demanded.

“Umm … stuff.” I glanced to see her reaction. “Important stuff,” I added.

“Like what?” she wanted to know.

I held up my left thumb, and with my right index finger started down the list. “I drafted the article that is due next week.” As I pointed to my left index finger, I said, “I replaced the weatherstripping on the front door. While I was at it, I washed the glass in the storm door.”

“That’s a good start,” she said. “What else?”

By this time I’m to my left ring finger. “I mopped the hardwood floor … and it was disgusting.”

“I’m sure,” was her reply.

“I’m so proud of myself,” I said. “Stella told me that disgusting is the word of the week and I found a way to use that word in a sentence. Disgusting, the word of the week.”

“I know that word,” she said, “and I have a few applications of it myself.”

I can only imagine what that meant.

“What else? I’ve been gone for hours and that’s it?”

“Oh, when I was talking about the front door and stuff, I forgot to say that I swept the front porch. And the front walk. With the broom AND the leaf blower.” By this time my shoulders were pulled back, my head held high.

“That’s it? That’s all you’ve got done?”

“Well … I picked up Stella and Miles from school.”

“And …”

Oh, boy. I had listed the big stuff. I even had gone through all the digits on my left hand and had to start over. And she wants more? Think, Keith, think. She’s gonna send you to your room if you’re not careful.

Then I had a thought. A bit sheepish, I said, “I put my dirty socks in the laundry hamper.”

“Okay,” she said. “I’ll give you one more chance.”

Grace, I’m telling you. One more chance — that’s grace. Unless the next time she puts the emphasis on the word ONE.

Hi, my name is Keith and I’m a quilter. I have 30 days to quilt 64 quilts … or else.