determination

It is truly a Fall day here today! Windy, rainy, but warmer than usual - for which I am thankful. The fields are being covered in a golden and red carpet of leaves now, though.

I am later posting than intended, but sometimes it is difficult to put thoughts in order. I have been going to my sister's on Wednesday evenings for housegroup meetings and coming home late on Thursdays, and that has been a welcome change and blessing for me. On my way home last Thursday I went to my doctor and told him I have bronchitis. After his questions, during which I assured him that yes, it is bronchitis, :) he listened to my breathing and agreed with me. Because I have been 'patiently' (his word) waiting for it to go away and it hasn't, he gave me a prescription for an antibiotic because it has obviously turned into a bacterial thing. Apparently it is affecting many people around here in the same way. I started the meds on Friday afternoon, and what a difference in how I feel in just three days. I hadn't realized how pulled down I had been by this. It is so good to have more energy again.

Business news is that I have finally listed some fabric on my website, long overdue, and there is much more to add. (Funny, isn't it, how one's brain works better when feeling better?) The shopping cart is not giving accurate shipping rates, though, so anyone wanting to order anything has possibly been put off by the cost of shipping. I have added a statement that the quote is an estimate and to contact me if wanting to know exact postage. This has been such a concern to me, but I will find a way to make it work. Someone told me today that "determination is the battle", and if one is determined enough then things will get done.

An exciting thing for me is that a friend is selling her treadle sewing machine to me! I have wanted one for years. Mum used to have one, but Dad thinks they sold it because it isn't there anymore. I think they did, but I will have my own by the end of this year. Why am I 'collecting' sewing machines?, you may ask. Well, why not? :) I am interested in the good oldies that have been proven to be hard working and efficient. Perhaps they will add to my decor more than being used, but that's okay too. :) They will be enjoyed either way.

Stay safe!
Thanks for reading ... and Blessings on your day! :)

my Featherweight treasure

Well, I'm excited! Yesterday my dad gave me my mother's old Singer Sewing Machine. It seems I have just acquired my first Featherweight!

I remember this little machine from when I was a wee little girl and my mother was teaching me to sew on it, very carefully. Somehow it seemed larger then, and I think that I was trying to make clothes for my baby doll, but I don't recall having much success at that young age. Mum sewed clothes for herself, my younger sister and me on that little Singer - dresses and skirts and blouses, mostly, and she did a fine job of it.

Since Mum saved everything, in its sturdy carrying case I found the machine's original Singer Warranty dated "Sep 11 1957", stating that the Machine style is 221-1-270 and the number is AG878454. Also of interest, the "conditional sales contract" for her purchase is there, $124.50 - and describes her installment payments. All her receipts are there, too, but there are only three because, true to form, Mum paid her debt early. There is a letter to thank her for her patronage and informing her that she was entitled to a refund which they were enclosing in a cheque.

I haven't used this machine yet (since many years ago), but I tested it and it runs so quietly! In fact, it seems to contentedly hum in comparison to my larger and heavier portable Kenmore which I bought for myself in 1976, and on which I made clothes for my daughters and myself.

As I said, I am excited about this so I wanted to share. Perhaps someone out there would like to share about their experiences with their own special treasures? I would be very interested.

Thanks for reading .. and Blessings on your day! :)

Thanksgiving

Here in Canada it is Thanksgiving Monday already! How did you spend your Thanksgiving weekend? We had our family dinner on Sunday at Dad's. Only eight of us were there instead of our usual eleven to fourteen. It was a smaller and quieter group, but as always there was lots of conversation and an abundance of good food.

The days are quickly getting cooler now and night falls earlier with the days being shorter. I love the colour of Autumn leaves but do not wish to see those trees getting bare as it means the cold weather is not far off.

Remember in my last post I was pondering my spiritual situation? Well, I felt led to attend the housegroup meeting at my sister and brother-in-law's on Wednesday evening. It was good to be there and I felt welcome among brothers and sisters in Christ. Because of the distance to their place, I stayed overnight and came home on Thursday. Now it remains to be seen how often I can manage to do that due to other things in my life. It does 'feel right', though, so we shall see.

I have been busy sorting through my fabric stash. My! I have a lot of fabric! It is hard to part with this beautiful selection I have, but my stash is growing and I really must move some out. (How else can I make room for more to touch and admire?) ;) Sometime this week I will be making some available for purchase on my website. Someone will enjoy it, I am sure.

I have been carefully rinsing (cleaning) Wild Turkey feathers too, for sale on my site. They are lovely feathers for crafting or fly tying. The turkeys I am collecting from are alive and well - they all were spared this Thanksgiving - and these are just what they drop as they stroll around the farm. Comical birds they are!

All for this time. Count your blessings as we do have much for which to be thankful.
Thanks for reading, and Blessings on your day! :)

relationships, changes & chat

Here it is the first weekend of October already, and a beautiful one! Tomorrow it will be the 25th birthday of one of our daughters - (Happy Birthday, my darling!) - and I won't get to hug her because she is living and working in AB. That is the way of things here in the Maritimes now, but I do not discourage anyone to go, temporarily, where the work and money are. When they get established and debt free, they can move back home. Maybe by that time things will have improved here. One can hope and pray so, anyway. The main thing is that if they leave family here at home (spouse, children), they keep the lines of communication open so that nothing breaks up that family unit because of economic choices having to be made. Our married daughter and her husband are doing that and it is not an easy thing, but they are making their way through the plan they have in mind.

We now have a solar panel on our house. My husband and his dad installed it yesterday. The goal is to have it as an assist to heating our home, and especially the downstairs (basement) where we have finished rooms and my business is set up. It gets chilly down here, so I am looking forward to seeing what difference is made. Are you doing anything to cut down on fuel consumption or to use clean fuel? Solar power is so underused.

Have you had a chance to check out my website yet? I am still hoping for things to soon get settled out regarding it, and when that happens there will be lots of work for me to do on the site. I have some of the turkey feathers listed, and eventually I will be thinning out my fabric stash and listing lots more fabric on the website (while biting my lip!) That is not as simple as it sounds because ..'Hello, my name is "sew amusing" and I am a fabriholic!' :)

I learned several days ago during an appointment with my naturopathic doctor, that I have bronchitis. It was good to know the reason why I could not get rid of the tiring deep cough I had for about three weeks. I am taking some capsules she suggested and the gradual healing is happening with less coughing and it no longer burns when I do cough.

Been wondering a lot lately about where I am in my relationship with God. There is so much to learn, so much He has planned for the ones who love Him, and I wonder if I am way off track in my walk with Him - if I have moved too far one way or the other. I miss the fellowship I had with others and the Bible studies I held here at my house. But ... I will see what comes ... and trust Him for direction.

Do you have any thoughts on any of what I shared here today?
** I just added Google Talk chatback to my page so that if you really want to, you can talk to me online if I am available. Just click on there and maybe we can chat for a few minutes. :) **

Thanks for reading, and Blessings on your day! :)