La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
The other night, after watching something on Netflix, San Geraldo rose from the sofa and said, “Gotta pull those church gongs up.” Usually, I can figure out what he’s talking about. An old friend wrote a poem to me for my 4oth birthday. It was a series of “Who” questions like, “Who has a smile like a diamond tiara?” It ended with the answer. “Who? Can’t you guess? If you can’t, you’re a lox. It’s sweet blushing Mitchell, the pride of the Blocks.” But I digress. One of the questions was “Who translates Jerry when others despair to?” So, I despair when I can’t translate Jerry, and this one had me stumped.
“Gotta pull those church gongs up?” I asked. And then I got him! He had to lift the weights on our grandfather clock. Even he didn’t understand why he said what he said.
San Geraldo has many talents. Not long after we met, he happened upon several Christmas ornament embroidery kits and he thought they would be fun to do. He had never embroidered before. So he read the instructions, looked things up (in books back in 1982), and did such a phenomenal job that even my mother, truly expert in all kinds of needlework, couldn’t find a flaw.
Below, after the photo of the church gongs pulled up, are the ornaments he created, except for Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. That’s needlepoint that I did around the same time. Not really my cup of tea. I finally realize that, although I’m artistic and anal retentive, I do not like having to follow rules when I create. I should have realized this long ago. As a child, although I never stopped coloring and drawing, I hated coloring books.
Don’t tell me what to create or where to create it! Paint by number? I’ll decide what the numbers should be!
La otra noche, después de ver algo en Netflix, San Geraldo se levantó del sofá y dijo: “Tengo que subir esos gongs de la iglesia”. Normalmente, entiendo de qué habla. Un viejo amigo me escribió un poema para mi 40 cumpleaños. Era una serie de preguntas de “¿Quién?”, como “¿Quién tiene una sonrisa como una tiara de diamantes?” Terminaba con la respuesta: “¿Quién? ¿No lo adivinas? Si no, eres un salmón ahumado. Es el dulce y sonrojado Mitchell, el orgullo de los Block”. Pero me estoy desviando. Una de las preguntas era: “¿Quién traduce a Jerry cuando otros se desesperan?” Así que me desespero cuando no puedo traducir a Jerry, y esta me dejó perpleja.
“¿Tienes que subir esos gongs de la iglesia?”pregunte. ¡Y entonces lo conseguí! Él tuvo que subir las pesas de nuestro reloj de pie. Ni siquiera él entendía por qué dijo lo que dijo.
San Geraldo tiene muchos talentos. Poco después de conocernos, encontró varios kits de bordado para adornos navideños y pensó que sería divertido hacerlos. Nunca había bordado antes. Así que leyó las instrucciones, buscó información (en libros allá por 1982) e hizo un trabajo tan fenomenal que ni siquiera mi madre, experta en todo tipo de bordados, pudo encontrarle un fallo.
Abajo, después de la foto de los gongs de la iglesia levantados, están los adornos que creó, a excepción de Rodolfo, el reno de nariz roja. Ese bordado lo hice por la misma época. Finalmente me di cuenta de que, aunque soy artística y obsesiva, no me gusta tener que seguir reglas al crear. Me aburrí. Debería haberme dado cuenta de esto hace mucho tiempo. De niño, aunque nunca dejé de colorear y dibujar, odiaba los libros para colorear.
¡No me digas qué dibujar ni dónde! ¿Pintar por números? ¡Yo decidiré cuáles son!
• Este lleva 44 años en el suelo. (Pon la canción en cola.)
• El caballo balancín tiene mis iniciales y el año, 82.
You two never cease to surprise me with your many talents, now including embroidery, needlepoint, and the pulling up of church gongs. I wouldn’t have known how to translate the latter!
Love,
Janie
janiejunebug:
Why, thank you. SO many talents. I know how to pull up the church gongs, too!
I’m with you about the instructions:
“Oh, all the sevens are green? Not today, sir, I’m feeling sevens are fuchsia!”
Bob:
You can be grateful Carlos began life speaking a different language that was not of his own creation.
I am gobsmacked by those beautiful needlepoint ornaments! GOBSMACKED!
Debra:
Check out the details in this old link: https://movingwithmitchell.com/2022/12/20/making-a-point-haciendo-un-punto/
Those are so nice!!!!!! I like the deer! And for not decorating with a tree and such, your very creative on how you decorate.
All those moves…the grandfather clock can’t be an easy thing to move.
Mistress Maddie:
Thanks. I’m honored to have your seal of approval. The clock has been moved 19 times I think, 20 if you count delivery. We bought it at Payne’s Furniture in Boston and the pro who set it up the first time taught SG how to prepare it for moving by removing and wrapping the weights and pendulum and wrapping them separately like treasures. Then the clock face gets covered. Then the movers wrap up the case in blankets.
Wow so much talent. And always remember to color outside the lines, paint that face purple,
David:
I prefer to make my own lines. I’m know you do, too.
I hear you on not following rules. Even ones I make up myself. Church gongs. Hm. Clock weights. Yes, exactly the same. Boud.
Boud:
It all makes sense. And I love how you color outside the lines.
Impressive! What can’t you two do!?
Jim:
Neither of us can do the splits.
Such elaborate embroidery! You shipped that grandfather clock to Spain? I imagine packing that to arrive safely was a nightmare.
ellen abbott:
The clock has been shipped at least 19 times in our 44 years. SG was taught how to prep it for moving by the man from Payne’s Furniture, Boston, who set it up the first time. An artiste! SG wraps the parts individually (and lovingly) before the movers arrive. Thanks to SG’s care (and training) t’s been the least of our moving worries.
“Church gongs” — ha! I guess the clock plays Westminster chimes?
I agree with you about needlepoint. I did one needlepoint kit about 30 years ago and though it made a nice pillow, that’s enough for me. I don’t plan to tackle another.
Steve:
We have it set to play Westminster. But it can also play Whittington and Saint Michael. When I was in high school I learned how to hook a rug. I found that very relaxing. And I’ve never done it again…
You’re soooo talented, you two! I agree about that clock – I am amazed it has survived all those house moves across the USA, and then to Spain, where you’re now on your third abode… Jx
Jon:
The clock has survived at least 19 moves. SG was taught how to wrap up the individual components before the case is wrapped and taken away. We’ve never had a mishap.
What two talented gents you are! And I think that Jerry’s “pull those church gongs up” is terrific.
My grandfather and then my mother had clocks that had to be wound every week. I think my brother has one of them now. I can close my eyes and hear those clocks ticking away.
As to following rules- I once made a popsicle stick letter holder for my grandfather at Bible School and I changed the pattern to one I found more pleasing. I pointed this out to my grandfather, thinking he’d like the fact that I had done a little deviation to suit my taste better but no. “That’s the problem with the world today,” he said. “No one wants to follow the rules.”
Jesus Christ. He was a good man but not especially genial.
Oh- Ms. Moon.
Ms. Moon:
My parents had two clocks that needed winding once a week. Chuck learned how to do it and overwound them both a few times. Grandpa sounds like so many grandpas! Mine probably would have reacted the same way.
I mean, we’re talking about a letter holder made of glue and popsicle sticks, decorated with dry rice which had been dyed with food coloring. I sometimes wonder how much this incident affects me to this very day.
Ms. Moon:
If we started listing these seemingly insignificant moments in our lives that shaped us and still affect us, we’d be listing them until NEXT Christmas!
“Church gongs” actually makes perfect sense. Westminster Chimes? We had a grandfather clock when I was a child and I loved hearing it every quarter hour.
I used to do a lot of needlework once upon a time and I’m super impressed with SG’s work!! Your reindeer looks great too!
Kelly:
Yes, it is set to Westminster chimes, but could be set to Wittington and St. Michael. The same! My reindeer was fun and straightforward. SG’s work was art! Check out these close-ups of front and back. https://movingwithmitchell.com/2022/12/20/making-a-point-haciendo-un-punto/
Thanks for the link. I’m truly impressed, especially that he taught himself. They look professional. The use of the slide thingy was great for showing front and back.
Those ornaments are superb. Must have been so complicated to make.
Frances
Frances:
SG whipped them off but he did have to teach himself a number of stitches and techniques. Mine was basic fun.