“I just feel like I’m not getting any better at my sewing! Other people are so good and I’m so bad"!” Is that you?

If you are one of those people who feel like you are not getting any better - your skills aren’t improving and you are just staying the same, let me show you my pumpkins.

“Oh, no!” you say,” Pumpkins? Really?”

Really.

When we picked these pumpkins back in late September, they were quite green and I wondered if they were going to ripen. The first few days they just sat there - the weather was kind of chilly and I had my doubts whether or not they would “become orange”.

I decided during the month of October to take a picture every day in order to document the ripening process (if it was going to happen!). I attempted to take the pictures from the same angle and with the same camera every day. One day I missed - Oct. 9 - but otherwise, I managed. Rain or shine.

Some days I took it in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon. I know best would be to have it the same time every day with a tripod. However, this wasn’t meant to be THAT perfect.

To me, it’s a great lesson.

At the beginning, they didn’t change much. They just kind of sat there. Then, the conditions changed to more favorable temperatures and I started to see progress.

Then, at last the weather turned chilly again, but they managed to ripen further.

How does this relate to you? Well, my friend, if you are trying at all, you are probably getting better. Check out those pumpkins. They all got riper. Well, except Stubborn Sally in the back left corner who has managed to stay green the whole time. No change there.

Let me share with you the whole month. You can go through them quite quickly. From day to day you see no change. Some of the pumpkins ripened faster than others…just like some people learn and grow faster and more easily than others. But what you can see if you happen to put your eyes on a particular pumpkin throughout the month, you will see change. You will see them ALL turning more orange.

This should encourage us all. While we are so busy comparing ourselves among ourselves (which is not wise), we are growing and changing. Hopefully we aren’t spoiling! I didn’t move the pumpkins around during the month, choosing instead to leave them in position so you can see them and watch their progress!

Check it out. You can go quickly from day to day. Put your eye on one pumpkin in one spot and “watch it”.

Now, let me show you only once a week. Now you can see it, can’t you?

Now, let me show you from Oct. 1 to Nov. 1! Surely you see the difference now!!!!!!!!!!

I’ve had these pumpkins hanging around my back porch since we picked them. I put some on my front porch. It’s supposed to start turning cold now - freezing at night, so I advertised them in our freecycle group Friday (yesterday) and gave away the rest - all the rest that I don’t have saved out for specific people - three are for church people and a few more for me to cook up.

I carried the remainder of the pumpkins that were still on the back patio back to the doorway area and placed them there. I almost didn’t take “Stubborn Sally” as I thought she was going to the compost bin - as it appeared that she was refusing to ripen!

But then, I looked down after I had moved all the others, and picked it up! The pumpkin, up close, was starting to ripen after all! Let me show you!

Yes, at last, even Stubborn Sally was coming around!

Even Stubborn Sally found a new home! Hopefully her new owners will give her a chance to ripen before they cut into her!

So…let these pumpkins - their gradual ripening story—be a visual reminder to you that, if you are TRYING at all, you are probably getting better, just as these pumpkins ripened.

From day to day, you don’t see any difference. But you can see the difference from week to week, month to month, and most certainly year to year!

No, go sew! Learn new things.

Be assured that you really ARE getting better - some of us more quickly and some of us more slowly! But progress is progress!

Have a great day wherever you are reading this!

Be sure to check out what my sis has for you in the store!