Miracle of Miracles...

A while back while he was still living home and oh so much younger, one of the things I remember best, my son Matt loved this song. He would sing along and dance to it. Wonder if he ever thinks of it as I do? I always think of the things he liked best. He has had nothing to do with us to speak of now in 12 years. It is nearly his birthday. He has a son now. Wonder if he thinks too... Well; here's to you Matt! Happy 29th birthday on June 25th!

Love & Hugs to you and that baby and Tomi!
Mom

"Sweetheart" & Iris

Yet another kitten ended up here. A neighbor's son kept finding the kitten thrown out so to speak in his neighborhood. Some folks call this dumping and whatever. No matter how many times he returned it to the owner he kept finding this baby outside in his neighborhood. The kitten is lovely, seems healthy enough, and about six to seven weeks old. This is a pic of Iris with "Sweetheart". I bet you don't know who named her! :)

Enjoy!
Melody

Me & My Genie - Mel's Grocery Tote

Perfect example of what we do together... Tee hee. I have a donated bolt of upholstery type fabric (I Think!). I cut a length of it and we together, Genie and I, conjured up a double seamed (at least) totally reversible , well strapped (straps sewn to the base between the layers) grocery tote! :) Enjoy!

Melody

Sewing Machine of the Week - Review!

This week I am in love with the little Singer Genie model 354 again. So much so, that I am pushing it at my friends and picked up two more for back up just like her! LOL We are doing great things together! She is a mighty little lightweight sewing machine with self-encasing cover so to speak. She has built in stretch stitches. :) Next post will give you an example of what we are doing together!

Melody

Once Upon A Time - Simple Pleasures

Once upon a time Mel got a big haul. Those who have been on the lists a long long time will recall those stories. To summarize, a retired Viking Tech was getting rid of his stuff stored in his garage from his sewing Tech years. This included a huge number of machines and parts. The whole lot was purchased as "one" unit with machines as is. Today Ol' Mel, years later, went diving for a Sensor Sew Machine because the machines she got out did not do the stitches, built in, that Pei wanted/needed for her repair job. Well said Sensor Sew was missing a couple of things so I went digging for parts to get her up to speed. I needed a spool cap and would you believe like everything else they are not readily exchangable between brands.....sigh. So; I spotted a case I thought contained a Kenmore and went to great lengths to haul it out of the closet (don't worry, will pay tomorrow already sore) and alas it was a New Home. But; knowing alot of them were compatible I hauled her to the living room. This New Home MemoryCraft 5500 had no controller and had long been overlooked and forgotten. Well I took the spool cap and did my best and utmost (hubbie too) with the Sensor Sew but it had an issue we could not resolve in a couple of hours... So I took the controller from it and just as I suspected it was the same one that poor long put away New Home needed. Well that bugger fired right up and sews the most MOST gorgeous tiny little stitches I am in love! :) Alas; I have no manual for this baby and would love to have one. The Sensor Sew is in the corner now...of the naughty machines in need of more than I can give right now....back hallway, and the New Home is graduated and sitting on the coffee table basking in the glow of attention for the first time in at least ten years! After ten years sitting for lack of a controller, or more, she fired right up and did everything I tried perfectly. So if anyone has a manual for this baby, will be contacting Justina my dear friend in WV and checking with Janome site; please let me know! I am tickled as a kid in a candy store finding a treasure of a machine hiding in plain site in my own closet! Makes the fact that one I spent $$ on is not working. This baby was paid for long ago. I figure in that haul the machines cost me $5. I long ago sold more than enough from the haul that it was paid for. I still have stuff left. This baby, while is discolored in spots, seems to have everything except bobbins and needles and manual. So I wait to hea! Ladies and gents... I am tickled!

Mel (who is easy to thrill)

Note: Got a manual, PDF, from Janome in a matter of hours!

Keep the Door Open...

The door to learning that is. That has always been my philosophy with children. Given the opportunity, IE: The Door Always Open, they will do the rest. Give them the avenues to pursue and a rainbow to get there and they will blossom! Iris loves art....she is terribly creative. We endeavor to provide her with the materials to facilitate that creativity and imagination and she does the rest. She discovers things I had forgotten and perhaps never knew experimenting with techniques and colors with no labels or names...yet. As a Mom of five and grandmother of four I have always endeavored to hold the door to learning open through preschool years and those years I homeschooled and those years I did not. Give them the opportunity...go with the flow....keep the rainbow of learning running to where they want to go and they will do the rest. I remember being told along the way to "quit teaching my kids at home" by professional teachers who could not teach them in school. I had one son, labeled gifted by the system, who literally colored his way through second grade and ended up very stressed because the teacher did nothing with him. And; when she did it was age inappropriate. Anyhow; that is a story for another day...thanks Mrs. Jabbs NOT! You see; I don't think I "teach". I don't think of it that way. Children are born as blank empty plates pretty much. They are a gift and it is our job to fill their plates with all the good things we can. I endeavor to do that.

Now back to the peace and quiet of the home place... A certain little girl is in the living room watching Bolt with her favorite CD of the week (Alvin & the Chipmunks) playing on the stereo in the same room.... Newspapers spread on the coffeetable, six bottles of paint and myriad brushes, and a stack of paper ....while she dances and creates. That is what it is all about. If we could only keep it that way.

Mel

Found Right On My Face....

Remember the joke... I mean the folks who are looking and looking for their glasses and find them right on their face? Well; this is kind of based on that. You see I was in the Living Room tediously refilling small bottles of her highness' choice from the bigger bottles of paint. In the process there were multiple choices and lids involved. Well I sat there looking for a lid and Iris, four-years-old "still" as she says, was looking too. Finally I found the lid...already on the bottle. When I stated I had it and it was already on the bottle I realized she was already starting at me patiently kind of without words as to what to say... She had seen it first.... But; no cracks no remarks. I think that is one of the unique arrangements between grandchildren and their grandparents.... We are ideally patient with them always and they learn that patience and return it to us. They don't mind a little senility if we don't mind the little kid things that happen. They have not yet learned to "judge" and be critical. Oh it would be so nice if the whole world would just stay that way!

Mel