The Bead Spot

Boxes on the mantel, bags of beads in my desk drawer, tote bags with projects in progress, a bolt of fabric behind the door. My beads and beading supplies are pretty scattered around the house these days. After I recently spent 20 minutes looking for my flush cutters, I said to myself, "It's time. It's time to go through all of this stuff and get it all organized once again." The last time I went through it all was right after my daughter was born. She'll be 4 next month, so yes, it's definitely time. I wish I was more naturally organized. You know, one of those people who put everything back where they got it. (A have to give a shout-out to my hubby on this. His alphabetizing and categorizing skills could leave any librarian envious).

Now that I'm a mom and my daughter is at an age when she wants to play outside often, I imagine my summers will be filled with more pools and outdoor activities than I've become accustomed to in adulthood. Growing up, I spent summers swimming at the lake and playing softball with my siblings in the front yard. As an adult, I've spent so much time in air conditioning that just the 10-second walk to my car when I head out the door to go to work prompts me to whine about the summer heat as if it could -- literally -- melt me. But, as I write this, I'm seated at a picnic table watching my daughter and her cousin run through the sprayground at a local park. I have ideas for bead projects, but beading isn't generally thought of as an outdoor activity. But I think that over the next few years, I may be learning how to make it into one.