Carrie Link

THREADING THE NEEDLE

My friend, Kathleen, originator of "getting the pink," "take an A," and many other of "my" expressions, has a new one that I must have: Threading the needle.

"We went out to dinner with them on Wednesday, but they were threading the needle, too, so it was just a quick dinner," she said the other day.

"I dropped her off at tennis, then just had time to get to the store, threading the needle, before picking her back up."

She uses it to describe those times when she is trying to cram one extra thing, into an already ridiculously tight window of time. Threading the needle is not something she's bragging about, it's with a groan that she tells these tales. We are both craving more peace, tranquility, calmness to our days/lives, and threading the needle has a counter productive effect: Although yes, we get that one thing/errand/social engagement done, too much threading of the needle undoes us.

Our new expression? We don't sew.


* Photo from www.istockphoto.com