A Few Therapeutic Stitches with Lots of Memories
The Spring Kite Adventure
At the time when I found out I was going to have surgery, I did prepare a few items that I could tackle as time went on in recovery. I had saved a few finishing stitches on this wall hanging for just this time. This particular panel had caught my eye as I could so easily link this print to actual events in times gone by.
When Carrie and Kevin’s dad Orlin worked at 3M in Hutchinson they often offered promotionals that were linked to products in their tape lines. Orlin brought home several black vinyl kites in the shape of bats. The vinyl was very much like the 3M electrical tape. What kid does not like to break out the kites when the spring breezes turn to warming winds.
When school schedules would allow, Kevin’s cousin Eric would stay with us and the boys made sure there were fun adventures and thus one of the kites came out of the wrappings. Orlin and I had a four harness rug loom at the time and the warp string used in the rug making process made for ideal kite string. A spool of rug warp slipped perfectly on a round dowel and the boys were ready.
The kite found the perfect gusts of wind and they played with the kite off and on during the weekend and the cool spring air plus some cookies in between made for a lot of fun. I occasionally would look out the window to the north to check on them and at one point I did notice they were venturing out into Bob Dascher’s plow field on various flights. The worst would be very muddy boots to clean up. This afternoon the yelling and screaming brought me up short and I realized they were far out into the plow field. I found boots and went to find out what was going on not knowing what I would find. The winds were perfect and the spool of warp on the dowel was turning like a well oiled wheel. Both little six year old boys were in tears and it took me a while to realize they both were man handling the dowel by tugging with all their might and as they tugged they were walking farther into the plow field. Where was the kite? Far, far off to the north was a little black speck in the sky. The bat kite had taken flight like no one would have ever suspected and the loom string was proving to be strong enough not to snap but not strong enough to reel in the kite. The roll of loom string had 500 yards on it and in the end if I remember correctly we had to cut it and cut the lose of the 3M vinyl black bat.
As I said earlier this wall hanging just brought back the adventures of Kevin and Eric on that spring day. All three of us were quite muddy by the time we were back on dry gravel land. Their tear stained cheeks had soon chapped in the brisk air but they had fought the good fight. Oh for memories and let’s hear it for 3M products.