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It is time for a confession. I am a crafter.

There, it is out in the open. I have been searching for a support group, perhaps called something like, Crafters Anonymous.

I am sure that you have, at one time or another, been in the presence of a crafter. They are easy to spot. Simply mention the words "craft" or "hobby" and their eyes will light up with interest. Should you visit the home of a crafter in the early afternoon here are some telltale signs that you have entered a crafters den:

1. When a crafter comes to their door, they usually have an item of their craft in their hand. This could be a small wooden shape, a piece of cloth, glass or any number of items. Sometimes they will have small bits of wood shavings, paper bits or thread clinging to their shirt or hair.
2. There are magazines or pages from magazines, drawings or patterns stacked in out of the way corners, usually on the kitchen table or coffee table.
3. Before they ask you to be seated they will hurriedly gather their craft materials off the sofa to make a place for you.
4. Should you need to use the facilities, never be surprised at what you might see tucked into the corners. If you see a door to a room closed, you can be sure it is their craft room. This is the room that contains the bulk of their crafting materials, however, it is never large enough, as these materials somehow manage to find their way from the 'craft room' to all parts of the house. (My craft room looks like it belongs to a mad scientist - complete pandemonium.)
5. Never under any circumstances move anything in a crafters "craft-room". They know exactly where everything is located. If you move something, it will take them hours to figure out where that item has gone.
6. Not all crafters' work inside the house. Some have their craft room in either the garage or basement. Hint number five applies here as well.

As you walk through my house you will find glass patterns in the front hall; mannequin heads for head pieces in various stages of progress in the computer room/craft room; a cup with beads and jewelry findings salvaged from a broken necklace on the dining room table; fishing lure containers (these are great for holding beads) scattered throughout the attic (my son was attempting re-arrange the attic); boxes with bits and pieces of ribbon and pretty paper and leather in a large basket in the 'other' craft room - next to the attic door.

On my computer you will find loads of links to craft suppliers in my 'favorites' file and notebooks with ideas scattered throughout the house. (Because you never know when an idea will pop in to my head.) Should you be brave enough to look under my back steps you will find containers full of wax pieces for candles. A table in my basement holds various glass containers with the remains of candles that are to be melted down to make 'new' candles. I simply cannot bring myself to throw away perfectly good containers or wax when I know that I can recycle them.

The side porch contains what, at first glance, appears to be dried up twigs and branches, things that need to taken outside to the trash pile. Once I happened upon my son, who was looking for something, holding these twigs and branches in his hand with the unmistakable look of "trash it" on his face. The first words out of my mouth were: "Put the branches down. Back away and no one will get hurt." They are a 'rainy-day' project of making dream catchers. The only problem is that I seem to have more projects than rainy days!

Now, I do not wish to give you the wrong impression. Not all crafters are as disorganized as I am. Some are very organized. They have shelves of plastic containers that hold all their materials neatly labeled and easily located at a moments notice. One would never know they even 'do' crafts. My hat is off to them. I think it is wonderful and I envy them. I have attempted to emulate this neatness with disastrous results. Somehow the paper supplies get mixed up with the cloth pieces and the needles ended up who knows where. I simply cannot find a thing!

People always tell me to write myself a note and paste it in an obvious place. Well, I have tried that too. I just end up putting the note in a very safe place where even I cannot find it. The only truly safe place would be to stick it on my forehead. The problem with that is that the 'sticky' does not stick very well to skin. Even if it did, I would not see the note until I looked in a mirror, by which time I would have either found what I was looking for or done what the note was reminding me to do.

So, the next time you find yourself in a crafters home know that you have happened upon a person that can find you that 'just right color' of ribbon at a moments notice, just do not ask them if they have an ink pen handy.

Lucinda Schersing, Rev. D.D. is a Usui and Karuna Reiki Master. She believes wholeheartedly in the Basic Precepts and in the many levels to the meaning of "We Are All Related". You may visit her website at: Turtle Zen