Dog Days of Summer

**********

I didn't go to the County Fair--I just didn't want to brave the traffic to go.  I have been working on projects inside the house instead.  I have started going through boxes of clipped recipes, sorting and filing them.  Once that is done I will go back through the files and throw away any duplicates. How many recipes for mac and cheese do you need, anyway?  I have really cut back on the number of recipes I clip from magazines or download from Pinterest, etc.  I can always look them up if I need them.

There are still some flowers blooming in my yard, although most things have died back for the year.

 

 My Rose of Sharon (Althea) are all blooming, 5 different varieties of them.  They were only planted this spring. I didn't expect to see them bloom until next year.

 Several of these rain lilies have popped up in the front yard.

 I have two of these sedums blooming in the front flower beds.

 I don't remember what these are, but I know my husband was proud of them because the white variety is rare. If you recognize them, let me know.

 The roses are struggling. I intend to put more in next spring and take better care of them in the future. The are blooming valiantly, despite my neglect.

I bought this Red Vein Fittonia this week--I couldn't resist it.  The leaves feel like paper. It thrives in low light, which makes it perfect for my kitchen.

*****

I worked on the quilt top I showed in the last post. When I looked closely at it, it was obviously someone's first (and probably last) attempt at quilting.  Nothing was square, the points didn't match, the machine tension was off, and the maker had left long thread tails at the end of each seam.. The whole thing was a big mess.  I had to admire her persistence in finishing it, borders and all.  But I bet she took one look at the finished project, and sat and cried.  It was then wadded up and thrown in a box with the leftover fabrics.

 

Either I'm a glutton for punishment, or I just like a challenge. Maybe both!  I took the borders off, separated all the blocks, and squared them all up to the same size. (Some were 13" x 15" when they should have been 12.5" square.)  From the extra fabric I cut circles and fused them to the centers of the blocks to cover the points that didn't match, and cut some of the bulk from the back of the blocks. Then I put them back together, re-cut the borders and reattached them. The quilt is a little smaller, but doesn't look half bad now.  It won't win any awards, but it will be quilted and donated to someone in need. I will post a photo when my sister has finished the quilting and I have bound it.

 

*****

My niece came down from Missouri and spent the night with me. She always lifts my spirits! We went garage saling again, although I didn't buy anything of importance.  We then played dominoes at my sister's house.  Lots of fun!

 

My sister and I also took a road trip to Springfield, Mo. to have her longarm quilting machine repaired.  We used the trip as an excuse to go to some fabric stores and a couple of used book stores.  I spent way too much on books--I am a big paperback mystery reader--but only bought about 10 yards of fabric, a real departure for me.  It was a fun trip.

 

The crew planted gallons of bulbs this week--daffodils on both sides of the front gate inside the yard, and grape hyacinths (muscari) and summer snowflake (Leucojum aestivum) on both sides outside the yard.  It should give a really good show next spring.  They only have a gallon of allium bulbs left to plant, as well as about a dozen small tree saplings to plant outside the back fence in the meadow. I hope they can get that done this next weekend. The yard and garden work seems never-ending, but the temperatures are going down and fall will soon be here.  I will almost welcome winter as a chance to relax.

**********

Milestones

**********

Today was my husband's birthday.  I could have spent it alone, missing him and feeling sorry for myself, but I asked my sister to spend the morning going to garage sales with me instead. It got me out of the house with someone I love to spend time with, and who understands why this day might be hard for me.  I enjoy garage sales, and actually picked up some nice items for mostly pocket change.

I love jigsaw puzzles, and found 3 nice ones for $1 each (500+ pieces each.)

 Two nice, sharp knives for 50c each, and three craft organizers for $1 each.

A quilt pattern and a purse pattern for 50c each, and a framed piece of Scherenschnitte for $2.

A half-finished cross-stitch stocking for $1 (Carol, this is for you.)  The background is stained, but miraculously, the stocking itself seems to be fine.

A brand new 3' x 5' Arkansas flag for $1, and a behind-the-door door-to-door salesman dissuader for $3.  Know how hard it is to find a wood one these days at a garage sale?

 
Plus a 70" x 86" quilt top, finished with border (although not well done,) plus leftover fabric and the pattern for $1.  And when I got home there was a new seam ripper and a new package of class 15 plastic bobbins in the bottom of the box!  I may try to fix some of the more glaring errors in the quilt top; the blocks seem to be good, but the joining of the blocks was a little slapdash in places--probably why it was never finished.

I also got this lovely pair of earrings for 50c. Oh, and a bottle of some cologne with only about an inch left in the bottle, but it smells good, and they gave it to me for free. All in all, a successful hunt. $16.50 total. My sister did well, too.

*****

Monday I was having some trouble with my car, and barely made it to the local tire shop. I thought it just needed fluids.  It turns out my local squirrel youngsters have been teething on the wiring under the hood. It cost just under $100 to repair, and I then swapped the car for my pickup, which is normally parked right next to the car.  I wasn't having any problems with it, but I figured it was better to have it checked out anyway for my peace of mind. Luckily the little varmints had not done any damage to the truck. The guys at the tire shop and I are on a first-name basis now. And I am parking my car in the garage.

My riding lawn mower is also in the shop right now.  When the crew noticed it making strange noises, we jacked it up and I realized that we have used it all season without doing any maintenance on it.  I just hadn't thought about it.  Luckily a small-engine repair guy lives about 1/4 mile from me down a dirt road.  We made quite a weird parade getting it there--me in the pickup in front, with my flashers on; then one of the crew on the mower (with the deck raised, of course!) then another crew member in his pickup with his flashers on.  We probably were making 5 miles an hour, but we got there without impeding traffic too much.  It's been there for a week now, and the grass hasn't stopped growing, so I hope it's fixed soon.  I told the guy to do whatever it needed to get it back in good shape.  I hope I can get him to deliver it on a trailer, or the parade will have to perform again, as I have no trailer to bring it home.  I'd rather not do that just after it's been cleaned and serviced. A trailer is the next thing on my To Buy list.

My work crew is down to 3 now, and they are only working on Saturdays.  One is on the high school football team, and has after-school practice, and one works for his dad during the week at their tire shop (not the same one I used. Their shop is in another town.) The third is the brother of the first, so he works when his brother does.

This next week will bring a dentist appointment, a day road trip with my sister, and the County Fair.

**********

 

I'm back...

**********

It's been 7 long months since I have posted.  It has been difficult to move on, but I am finally feeling like I can spend time on my blog again.

I did manage to liquidate my husband's business, and to landscape the house as much as I am going to this year, with the help of my work crew.  When my husband died there were 5 employees; that increased to six for awhile, but through attrition is now down to 3. By winter it will be two--the minimum I will need to help me keep things going next spring.  Over the next few weeks I will try to post photos of the landscaping and of other things that have kept us busy.

But for now, just to get back into the swing of things, I'm posting photos of my sewing machine collection.  I joined a couple of groups online who love vintage machines the way I do, and I have picked up some interesting models.  They are all functional, although they may not get regular use. I am slowly learning about the maintenance and restoration of these old workhorses; I now feel that I am rescuing them from a horrible fate, like getting a pet at a shelter. 

So here are photos of the ones I have now:

Singer 115 Treadle, with worn "Tiffany" decals.

The serial number is G3695527, which was issued on June 10, 1914.

This is NOT necessarily when it was manufactured, just when the serial number was issued.

It works well, but I'm not an accomplished "treadler."

 Singer 221-1 Featherweight, #AH056884, Apr. 22, 1947.

Singer 15-91, #AH022248, Apr. 4, 1947.

Singer 15-98K handcrank, #EG177462 with Centennial badge,

Nov. 2, 1950.

 

 Singer 201-2, #AL061649, Sept. 3, 1952.

  

Singer 301, mocha color. 1952-56 period.

I can't get to the serial number right now--it's underneath the machine.

The machine fits in a special cradle in the cabinet. This is one of my favorite machines--it makes a very satisfying mechanical sound as it sews.

 Singer 221K Featherweight, #ES243315, Jan. 10, 1961.

Singer 503A "Rocketeer," NC478885, 1961. Space-age styling!

 Singer 223, a Japanese-made machine from the 60's. JA-8.

 Singer 239 Fashion Mate from the 60's, straight stitch only.

Singer 237 Fashion Mate, but this one has a zigzag stitch. 60's.

These 2 models are the only ones in the Fashion Mate series that still have all metal gears.

 This "Universal Deluxe Precision Sewing Machine" is a clone of a Singer 15, made in Japan after the Singer patent expired, from Singer plans. I love the color of this one. 1960's.

 Sears Kenmore 158.12111, probably circa 1968-70. All metal, free-arm.

 White 764, known as the "Fair Lady" because it was introduced at the 1964 New York World's Fair. I love the gold and bronze color, and the built-in handle.

Well, unless I have one hidden somewhere I've forgotten, that's the vintage collection. So far.  They're like potato chips.  I find most of them at thrift stores, yard sales, auctions, or flea markets. Some were given to me, some called my name as I passed by. I clean them up and bring them back to life.

 ~~~

I do have some modern machines, although more and more I find myself using the vintage ones.

 A Husqvarna Viking Rose, the only machine I have with embroidery capabilities--but only a 4" x 4" field. Sews nicely, too.

 My newest is a Baby Lock Quest Plus.  I cannot recommend this one; although it sews well, it has certain--peculiarities, shall we say--that make me regret my purchase. I bought it new about 3 years ago. They no longer make it. Hmmph.

 

and of course a serger--a Baby Lock Imagine with Jet Air threading. The only way to go.

**********

That's enough for now. I'll try to post a little more regularly from now on.

 

A New Day

As many of you know, my husband has been very ill for some time now.  January 5th was our 35th wedding anniversary, and the next evening he died.  He had everything planned out so I would be okay; he had seen two of his three sons and his oldest grandson recently, and had made sure the addition to the house was completed.  He had only been unable to do the things he loved for about 3 weeks.  Cancer had ravaged his body, but he was not in pain.

My family and friends have been wonderful, staying to watch over him so I could sleep, or just visiting with him so I could run errands.  For two weeks after he died I only spent one night alone, and that at my request.  Now they have returned to their lives, and I am getting on with mine.

I am not at all sure that he realized how close the end was for him--I think he fully expected to rally as he had done before.  He had spoken quite recently of plans to build a greenhouse on our property this spring.  But it will not be done.  It is painful for me to realize that much he has done over the past two years has come to nothing, that the business he was trying to build will not continue.  But I am not a gardener, and know nothing of running a business, so I have decided to liquidate his nursery business through charitable donations.  I will keep enough stock to landscape the house and property. I will continue to employ the high school kids that worked for him; goodness knows I will need the help keeping the place mowed, the landscape plantings going in, and sorting through the mountain of 'stuff' he left behind.

He was cremated and his ashes interred at the National Cemetery nearby.  He had Masonic honors at his funeral and military honors at his interment.  A bagpiper played in tribute to his beloved Scottish heritage.  I think he would have been pleased.  It would be easy for me to remake him into a saintly figure in my mind, but he was human like the rest of us, and I prefer to remember him as he was.  He was a good man who loved me and his family and friends to the best of his ability.

So what is ahead for me?  I will take all the time I need to grieve.  I will keep myself busy at all the myriad tasks that must be done--the sorting and filing of papers, the endless phone calls and notifications, the cancelling of orders and subscriptions.  Tax season will soon be here, and I have to complete the paperwork of closing his business.  I will transfer assets into my name. I will rearrange my home and my life to suit my own tastes.

I will make an effort to get out and socialize, although I find myself in tears at the oddest moments.  I will try to keep in touch with friends.  But I will also get used to living alone, to sleeping alone, to eating out alone. Maybe I will travel a little; maybe not so much.  But all things considered, I will be okay. Life will go on, on Little Elm.

**********

Complete!

***********

It's been over a month since the last post.  My hubby has been in and out of the hospital, and is now on hospice care at home.  His declining health has kept me from being able to post here or to keep up with other things.  Meanwhile the work has gone on, and now the addition is finally complete, and completely paid for.  Oh, there are a few details that are lagging, but very minor things, such as a missing piece of porch railing due to a couple of missing attachment brackets; some wallpaper that needs to be glued down after the flooding last summer, and some caulking.

So here are the finished photos:

The front view:

 The north end.

The back, showing the upper deck, and the lattice.

 

The back walkway and staircase, covering the A/C unit and natural gas generator:

 

These are showing our rather unusual Christmas lights in the evening.  We have colored bulbs in the can lights on the porch. Landscaping will wait for the spring and for the time to work on it.

 

**********

I am still trying to get things organized, but I'm making steady progress.  Here is my sewing room as it looks today:

 

and the craft room:

My desk area:

The downstairs bathroom now has the mirror in place. The left door covers the tankless water heater; the right one has the furnace for the addition.

We finally got the mirrors hung in the upstairs bathroom as well.  I'm really pleased with them.

**********

I may not post as often for the next few months due to my hubby's illness, but news of that and of other events will be posted here, so stay tuned! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you!

**********

Almost finished!

**********

I can't believe it's been so long since I posted anything! Unfortunately we've had some medical problems pop up since October.  My hubby had a hospital stay due to his cancer, and is now undergoing chemotherapy to keep him functional and more comfortable.  In addition I discovered I need to have another surgery on my eye, which will take place in a couple of days.

We have almost finished the interior of the addition.  This week we finally got the countertops installed, and the plumber finished the bathrooms.  

 

The framers have poured the footings for the upper deck, and that will be built this coming week. The natural gas powered generator has been hooked up, and the HVAC is working perfectly.

 

The pantry is complete and I love it! Especially the door...

 

I have started moving furniture into the craft room and sewing room, although I still need to find a couple of workspaces for the craft room.  I am having a 4' x 8' cutting and pressing table custom made for the sewing room, and it will be delivered in a week or so.

 

It will probably take all winter to get everything where I want it, but  we're getting there!

**********