Friday, February 11, 2011

It's Like Herding Cats

When working with roses, or working in the garden in general, it is important to have a good pair of sturdy gloves that fit well and feel comfortable.  My favorites are goatskin or deerskin, but I will wear any kind that fit my freakishly long fingers.  I like to have a pair or two in reserve, in case I destroy a pair and need a replacement right away.  If I don't have extras on hand, with my weird fingers, there's no guarantee that I can go to the store and find a pair that fits ... even gloves within a brand or style can vary enough to not fit.

Because of my habit of buying gloves when I find ones that fit, I have this situation:

There are 64 gloves in this pile.


This heap of gloves is the result of gathering every glove I could find yesterday from various locations around the property ... the house garage, the detached garage, the basement workroom, the greenhouse, and my car and truck.  It seemed necessary to do this because was in a hurry and I needed a pair of gloves on Tuesday morning, and I couldn't find an intact pair that matched.  I fumed and fussed and I put together a relatively-serviceable pair of mismatched gloves that morning, and vowed right then to put an end to the madness, by gathering up every glove on the property and matching them up.



I kept thinking that this was a lot like playing one of those 'matching' card games.  Pick two that match, and put them aside.



When I finished assembling all the matching gloves, there were 24 pairs in this crate ... each held together with a clothespin.  Just because I had a match didn't mean that I had a serviceable pair of gloves, however.  Sometimes, one glove in the pair was good and the other one was worn out ... like these.





There are cases where I actually remember what happened to the mate for a specific glove.  This one was part of my very favorite pair of gloves.  I carelessly left them outside, they ended up on the ground in the grass, and its mate met an untimely end underneath the lawnmower.  I kept this glove so I would remember what type to buy when I replaced them.



After all of this, there are still WAY too many single, unmatched gloves.  The top row contains the right-hand gloves, and the lefts are on the bottom.



I have no idea where the mates for these are. Were they worn out or damaged and thrown away at some time? Are they sitting somewhere in a pile in a place that I haven't looked.  Wherever they are, I still feel as if I should hold onto these singles, in case the mate ever shows up.  At least I'll put them somewhere that's accessible and labeled so we don't end up with the situation we had on Tuesday.

The weather here is supposed to be mild this weekend, and I know that I will need a good pair of gloves for the work I have planned outside.  Now, I can find them easily.

20 comments:

  1. Wow, that's a lot of gloves! I'm jealous! Since you have both missing right and left gloves you can always make up mismatched pairs. Or perhaps use them with the pairs which have a damaged partner.
    I too have long fingers that won't fit into many gloves. One size fits all? Ridiculous! I particularly want a pair of gauntlet gloves and have only found them online. However, it's too much of a risk to get a pair without trying them on first.
    BTW, I wanted to let you know I love your blog, I check it every morning when I'm drinking my cup of tea. :)

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  2. Jane, dear, this is a pile of gloves that has been many years in the making ... it's just now that I have the incentive to do something to stop the madness. For gauntlets, I have the Bionic ones and I love them beyond belief! Mine are Ladies' Large, and they fit perfectly. (I would have sent this to you via email, but your email isn't visible. Do you mean to have it that way?)

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  3. This just made me laugh out loud, seriously!

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  4. This pile looks suspiciously like the pile of socks I keep in a laundry basket knowing that someday, somewhere, somehow, I will find all the mates and match them up.....

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  5. I have the same problem, but my hands are wide and stubby fingers...my glove/gloves are scattered too...great story and pictures!

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  6. Every time.. EVERY time.. I try to get that organized with socks, gloves, etc.... the disorganized gene in me comes shining through again and one misplaced sock/glove leads once again to another.. and another.. and another...

    Good luck with that :-)

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  7. Oh, gosh. Me too!
    Garden gloves and horsey gloves. I love your simple idea of using clothespins.
    Hmmm. Now where is my basket of clothespins....
    xo, misha

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  8. That is some pile of gloves! If it were me...some of those single rights and lefts would look pretty good together!

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  9. Oh, my! I haven't owned a pair of gloves in 5 years. I miss them largely because I miss having a bit of ground to grow in!

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  10. Good gloves are a must when tango-ing with roses! I have a pair of dickies leather that I bought at Big Lots one year. I looked but they don't have them yet this year. I knew I shoulda bought another pair!

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  11. I just found your blog and I'm so thrilled to become a follower.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE to garden, but I don't have lots of spare time and try to do it in an area with heavy clay soil and lots of deer.  Needless to say I've challenges.  Just started looking around your blog, but wanted to say while I have a few minutes that I am in awe of your rose garden.  Isn't it the best feeling in the world to do it yourself then be able to mingle among the beauty in the early morning (or any time of day really, but early morning is when I can steal a few guilt-free minutes alone.)  I'll be back and I'm sure I'll comment a bunch. 

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  12. Believe it or not, my favorite gloves cost $1.59 and come from Harbor Freight. They're knit coated with yellow rubber, called 'Western Safety'. I like gloves with the fingers dipped in rubber because I hate to get dirt around my fingernails, and my hands are always in wet dirt. I have short fingers, and the ladies medium fits great. Since the rubber is pretty thick, they even handle thorns quite well, make gripping easier, prevent blisters, and go in the washing machine. When the rubber starts peeling off, they go in the trash. I buy them 3 or 4 at a time. I recently bought goatskin/rawhide gauntlets which I will take for their first test run tomorrow when I do my pruning.

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  13. Uh oh, I thought I had given my email. I'll try again.
    Thanks for the hint on the Bionic gloves, I'll have to order a pair if they come recommended by someone with a similar problem to mine.

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  14. Good thing bras don't come in a left and a right or lots or you could end up in a world of hurt.

    DI

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  15. I have the exact same problem with missing gloves. And when I put one away the other will appear out of no where and then I can't find the one I've put away! It's a vicious circle. I also have lots that are so stretched out that you could put both of my hands in one glove...but I still love them and use them. Last year I was digging a new hole for a plant and found one of my beloved gloves buried down deep in the soil...how did that happen!?! You have written a funny and true post! It's so frustrating.

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  16. This post and the photos gave me a bit of a giggle since the same thing is going on at our house. Tis a strange universe indeed, that causes one glove of a pair to disappear.

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  17. This is a timely post because I have had ONE glove - my most favorite, comfy black leather gloves, GLOVE, for over 2 years. Two weeks ago, the other one showed up! After TWO years! I was thrilled and wore them non stop for two days...until both went missing and I haven't seen them since. So sad...sniffff

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  18. Hi Connie, Could you recommend a good pair of fitted gloves? Usually I opt out of gloves even when dealing with my roses but 2 of mine (climbers) need some attention and I look as though I have been in a cat fight myself! I really want a pair though that is snug and fitted like I'm not wearing any but tough enough to withstand those thorns! Enjoy your blog by the way..just started following it.

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  19. I generally garden au naturale, hand wise that is. Though I imagin since you garden with roses they are a must have, even if the left does not match the right.

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