Spring is in the air

The sign in the dress shop across the street says it.

But the flowers in the tree pits announce that it is spring as well.

On a different note, I found an old friend on the street today being sold by one of the men who sells books from folding tables  along Broadway.

I had bought this book in 1974 or 5. There was a needlepoint conference taking place in Boston at one of the downtown hotels. I was at that point pretty serious about needlepoint. I think my parents may have given me permission to leave school early to go. I think it may have been around the time of my birthday so they gave me some money to buy stuff.  I bought this book. It was expensive, $25.00. 

The book had an excellent history of needlepoint and even better large and well drafted instructions of how to do hundreds of different stitches.

After I would finish my homework I would work on mastering stitches.  I approached the book like I do any other big body of knowledge. I dove in working my way randomly finding stitches that appealed and that I thought I could manage without making myself too frustrated. 

I do remember this particular page spread. I remember admiring the star stitch and failing at it often until it finally made sense for both my head and my hands. This book taught me that the complex is always made up of small and simple parts that are repeated in a pattern. I learned that even the hardest problem is solvable-----eventually. I also learned that by plugging away at something, eventually I could become quite skilled.

I haven't done needlepoint probably since I was in college. If I ever become demented you can tell my kids to give me a canvas, a needle, and some yarn to keep me out of trouble or to stop me from asking them the same question over and over again.

It was nice to see my old teacher on Broadway. No, I had no desire to buy the book. Taking the photos and writing about it here was exactly what I needed.