Talking about things isn’t actually getting them done

An ex-boyfriend once accused me of tiring of things quickly. ‘You get sick of cutting your fingernails,’ he said. ‘And there are only ten of them.’ (He was right in a way, I did get tired of him quickly.)

I thanked him very much. It was one of the nicest things anyone had ever said to me. It’s not every day that someone congratulates you on being spontaneous and living life to the fullest.

It’s fun taking a comment from someone and applying a different meaning to the one intended. In fact, because you’re not that person, you don’t actually know what their intention was. So all you can do is apply your own meaning — you may as well make it in your favour. If someone slams the door when they leave the room, assume the wind caught it, rather than wonder what it was that you said wrong.

Anyway, it’s not that I’m sick of sewing nursery mobiles and children’s clothing. It’s that I have a new commitment that I want to spend time on as well, or instead.

I want to write a book.

Rephrase. I will write a book. (I think you’re supposed to phrase big calls like that in the present tense so you can’t weasel your way out of them.) And I can’t write a book when I’m sitting at the sewing machine filling orders. Although I can certainly think about it. That’s what I’ve been doing for the last five years.

As a result, The Bear & The Whale is gearing down. For 24 hours only*, I have slashed the prices of the children’s clothing (that I have made up and ready to send) by 50%.

That’s right, all of the stock I have hanging up is half price. Please take a look and see if there’s anything you’d like.

If there is something you want, please be kind and understand that the same item may be purchased by someone else at exactly the same moment and I will not be able to fulfil your order. I will let you know immediately if that’s the case. Be quick, most of the items are one-offs.

* Sale ends midnight Friday 6 November AEDST.