On reflection, I suppose it’s the only way to make progress—one step at a time. I’m inclined to take on projects that are worked in tiny increments. Projects like sewing and knitting and felting and helping people change their lives. Not to mention the volunteer work, being on committees and boards. A friend used to call it “church time.” When a committee meets monthly or quarterly, it can take years to get anything completed.

Oddly enough, I tried to drive into town today, a 35‑mile trip one way. It took an hour to go about one mile, so when I got past the bottleneck, I headed back home. The delay was caused by major flooding. Twenty-seven inches of rain—I think that’s what they said—gives another perspective on measuring in inches.

Instead of attending the class I’d been heading toward, I spent the rest of the day at home: read a few pages, slept a few minutes, figured out why my serger wasn’t making proper stitches, basted a zipper into a skirt, and revised a PowerPoint presentation. Not a single thing completed, but lots of little steps here and there.

And now at the end of the day, the inches have turned into miles, my satisfaction level is much higher than anticipated, and I can happily go to bed, knowing that tomorrow I’ll have “miles to go before I sleep.” Oh and the very best “inch” for today: five inches of blog post—my very first one.