"I care not much for a man's religion whose dog and cat are not better for it" ~ Abraham Lincoln

Much is written about Lincoln's compassion towards animals. He saved his dog from drowning in an icy river. He found homes for motherless kittens. And according to some scholars, Lincoln issued the first Presidential Pardon to a Thanksgiving turkey -- now a White House tradition. I admire men who show tenderness towards animals.

Terry from Manhattan called last night to, among other things, inquire (cross examine?) about the sampler dimensions, fabric, floss specs, etc. Terry is a high-powered New York real estate lawyer who taught me cross stitch in 2001. I wouldn't be writing these words if it hadn't been for Terry's passion for cross stitch. I had long admired her stitchery, but it took her a while to get me to try it. Terry was right. The mathematical precision intrigued me and shortly after the inaugural stitch, I was hooked.

Anyone who reads Jane Austen will appreciate the role of stitching in women's lives, as requirements of everyday life. The modern woman is free of such requirements. Yet it seems that we've gone full circle. We're singing the same song, but in a different key. Now that we don't have to stitch, guess what we're doing in our spare minutes?

We're stitching.