The Mermaid's Tail

My granddaughter has been asking for a mermaid's tail for about two years now.  I figured she'd forget about, outgrow it, or move on -- but she perseveres.  So this year after the sticker shock of seeing that mermaid tails are going for around $40-50 at the cheapest, I figured the old sewing machine from Christmas 1960 could spit out something decent.

Isn't it funny that in the story of The Little Mermaid, Ariel wants feet and my granddaughter who has two nice feet wants a tail?  Kind of screwed up, isn't it?  It's a little like the Gift of the Magi, the famous O'Henry story where the man sells his watch to get money to buy his wife hair combs, while his wife sold her hair to buy a watch fob for her husband.  This is a story that used to be told a lot at Christmas.  But it's still relevant.

So I went to the fabric store and found something really nice, a blue-green color.  Since it was see-through I used some interfacing already in my sewing supplies.  But I kind of messed up the "pattern" and had to get some more fabric for the body part of it.  Which turned out for the best because it has stretch, although the old sewing machine didn't know how to handle the material and had fits and starts.

Still, it turned out pretty well and there was enough fabric left for a top too.  Now her mom and dad can watch her immobilized on the couch wearing her new tail and actually being happy about it.  That should last for a little while at least.

All of this talk of Christmas reminds me of how my own wishes and wants have changed.  These days I'm just overjoyed for a healthy family, for a change to get together and share some humor, for good warm food on the table, for the opportunity to worship our God.  Sure, I like "things" and have things in far more plenty than I need, but the desire to accumulate more and more material goods has diminished a lot.  And it could diminish more!!

(If you see any typos, know that I see them too, but once typed the only working computer in order to post something new does not let me go back and make corrections.  It's very humbling!)

And that last sentence is AWKWARD!

Remember those who are alone for Christmas, and pray for those who are sick or in pain.  Let us prepare ourselves as we approach the lighting of the third Advent candle this coming Sunday.