Hunting and Gathering

I’m still here, reading through the book of Isaiah. I’ll be back with the next block when I’m into the next book, Jeremiah.

When I taught school, I’d help some parents understand their children better by explaining the two types of students as I had come to perceive them: the “hunter/gatherers”, and the “farmers”.

The “hunter/gatherers” were always poised to leap into the next thing. They enjoyed challenging their environment and pushing its limits. Once they’d acquired the thing, it was time to move on to the next one, then the next, and so on.

The “farmers” were content to stay put and work their field, er, desk. They plugged along, row by row, and wouldn’t want to move forward until the task was completely completed to their satisfaction. They had to be pulled away to move on, even to recess, lunch, or afternoon dismissal.

Both types of learners were needed and appreciated in a vibrant classroom.

Are you a hunter or a farmer? I’m definitely a gatherer. My husband plants the seeds, but he leaves the picking of the fruits to me. I love to start my mornings by perusing the growing beds and the trees, filling my basket with my treasures.

As makers, I think we all have a tendency to gather. Lately I’ve been realizing, rather uncomfortably, how much fabric and how many tools I’ve acquired as I work through my stash. While it feels good to use it up, sometimes I get the urge to go out hunting for more.

Last week I treated myself to a day of foraging through the antique mall. I decided ahead of time that I would only gather photos and leave the actual space-using and dust-collecting treasures for another gatherer to acquire.

Things made with human hands. My mom made some yo-yos of 30’s fabrics. They’re waiting in a little baggie for me.

Did you collect horses too?Oh my, I forgot about these. I played house for hours with them:We made mud pies of a Saturday. I’d find those lost utensils buried in the dried up dirt on subsequent weekends.

I was keeping my eye out for a treadle machine, which I’ll explain another day. There were none, but these instead:Funny how I see Bonnie Hunter’s mystery quilt colors everywhere now, kind of like when you’re pregnant and you suddenly see all the other moms-to-be wherever you go.