Birthdays and Pockets

May is always a whirlwind here in the Ballpark. We have many birthdays and Mother's Day. It's one big party after another.

Dad turned 92.  Our girl turned 35. Our baby boy turned 29.  His sweet bride turned 30.

The hubs and I wondered who the graying middle-agers are in this picture.  Didn't we used to be 29 and 30?  When the youngin's were toddlers, we never considered what we'd look like at 50-something. And I never would have been caught in a picture wearing my PJ pants.

Whatever.  It's surprising what doesn't matter once you hit 50. It's called freedom.

The best news I've discovered since I last blogged is that my blood work is finally normal.  After three months of an overhauled diet and whole food supplements and the regular attention of an excellent, caring nutritionist, all RA symptoms have been beaten into submission.  I thank God for this.

Yes, I did the hard work of actually giving up bread and pasta and desserts, but only with God's help. Me alone?  I have the will power of a flea. If there is a doughnut in sight, forget about it. My husband and daughter were instrumental as well.  They were willing to eat fish and try vegetables we've never heard of.  I pray with all my heart I can stick with these changes. If not, I suspect my symptoms will return.

I also discovered a new craft.  I had to do something to keep myself from munching. So, I made a few card pockets.  What the heck is a card pocket, you ask?  Here's a picture.

They're pockets a little bigger than a credit card. They can hold anything you want them to, but they are card-sized, so they are good for keeping card-size things together, be they credit cards, or business cards, or coupons.

I use mine to carry 5 cards: my driver's license, my ATM card, my main credit card, and two credit cards for my parents.  When I'm running into any store, I leave my 10 lb. purse in the car and just grab my card pocket.  It fits in a pants pocket, so my hands and shoulders are free!  This has become very helpful since my shoulder joints began acting up.

I have to say, I've become addicted to these little gems. I've ended up carrying three, for different things, and dumped my over stuffed, too-many-divisions, can't-find-anything wallet.  I have one for cash, one for extra credit cards, and my main pocket holding the 5 essentials mentioned above.

They close with Velcro. 

So far, I've mainly used scraps of fabric I wanted to use up, along with a Ziploc bag full of buttons. These babies fit the bill.  I love using up supplies and cleaning out!  It takes about an hour to make one, so I can knock out a few in an afternoon.

I've been giving them to teachers and friends, who have their own ideas on how to use them. One gal exclaimed, "I can carry a couple tea bags in this!"  Another friend, said, "Oh, this will hold my lipsticks."  My mom puts her gift cards and checks from my sister in hers.  The hubs thought my mother-in-law might like one for her rosary.  All-purpose little pockets they be.

I'm considering opening an ETSY shop, because now I have 20+ pockets I don't need.  I'm taking several to a family reunion in July, but I'll be making more because I have a bin of fabric I want to use for something constructive.

What do you think?  If you had a card pocket, what would you do with it?  This inquiring mind wants to know.