Frustrated over sewing led to thinking of the things Mama never taught me, which I have had to learn on my own. I know how to sew, but have no clue how to cut out fabric nor how to alter a pattern. I have no idea how to maintain a machine. When I married I didn't know how to operate a washing machine because ours was perpetually broken and required special handling. Mama washed, I dried and ironed and folded. I knew how to cook very well and had some idea how to plan a meal but no clue whatsoever about how to shop for groceries nor how to determine serving needs. I knew how to dress myself but had never been allowed to shop nor to choose my own clothing. I had no idea how to decorate because Mama insisted that I had no taste, so she always decorated my room. I didn't know a thing about how to balance a checkbook or indeed even how to write out a check when I left home...Oh it goes on and on, my LACK of proper education, lol.
Thinking about all of this, I wonder how much I really taught my own children. I do recall last year when Katie got married she waited to start looking for car insurance because she had no internet service...It never occurred to me that in the digital age she lived in it was unheard of to use the phone book to look up agencies and call for quotes. That was obviously a fail on my part in preparing her for adult life, sigh. I am sure that is only one of the many examples of how I failed to teach my children something useful. Had I to do it again, I would do differently. Pray I never have to do it again!
I slept very late this morning. It was 9:30a.m. before I so much as even made a pretense of getting out of bed. And just as I sat up and was struggling to waken, John came in to say we had company coming over in 45 minutes and I needed to get a move on. Gracious! I was so groggy I don't even remember showering and it took me at least 20 minutes to find my glasses, even though they were just where they always are in the morning.
I rustled up a quick breakfast, fed the animals, started a load of wash and a load of dishes and asked John to vacuum while I swept. We did a pretty good job between us of getting the work done. Since company was our Rabbi and I felt sure he really wanted to talk with John, I offered him coffee and then wandered off to clean our bedroom and bath. Then I started baking cookies to fill our cookie jars, hung out clothes to dry, and scratched about for dinner ideas (Cubed steak, real mashed potatoes, gravy, and green peas).
Throughout all the morning, I looked for my keys. I clearly remembered the last time I had them was after coming in from town yesterday morning. I distinctly remembered unlocking the door but from there my mind was a blank. I looked all over my purse, emptying it out, etc. Well just at first, I didn't let the loss of the keys bother me. I wanted the keys only to get my library card number so I could renew the books that were due today. As it happened, I didn't need the card and so I forgot all about the keys while I baked cookies and did laundry and read emails.
However, after dinner, I thought I really ought to look for those keys again and went back to my purse. Dumped it out and looked and no, they just weren't there. So I went back to the backdoor and began my search from there. I looked all over the back entry, in the breakfast area and the kitchen, the dining area, the living room, the bedroom. No keys. Looked in my purse again. No keys except Mama's car/house key that I keep there. By this point I was beginning to panic a bit. So I started all over again and when I still found no keys, I looked in all the UN-likely places. I dug through the trash I bagged up this morning, and after washing up, I looked in the bowl where I keep dishcloths, in the freezers, the refrigerator, the trash cupboard, ran my hands down the crevices of chairs in the living room, turned chairs upside down, looked in the dresser, my jewelry box, the bathroom. No keys.
I went back to the backdoor and shook out the shoes in the entry, looked through the plastics bin in the kitchen and behind the freezer, checked the dining room chairs, turned my bookcase next to my chair out and looked there, emptied the magazine rack, and then back into the bedroom where I checked the pockets of the pants I wore to town yesterday, looked in my lingerie drawer, and checked my purse one more time. I felt in all the pockets of the purse. NO KEYS!
It was at this point that I gave up on keys then went off to sew...and you see how well that went.
I asked John if he'd look for my keys which he readily agreed to do. I told him what I'd done already and said to him, "Please check my purse, I've only looked there four times..." John went out to the car to see if the keys were left there, then looked all over the kitchen, living room, etc. Finally he looked in my purse. And there were my keys! Now mind you I don't keep a messy purse. In fact, my purse has less than ten items in it...WHY couldn't I find those keys in my purse? I have no idea but I'm truly grateful John found them there.
The lost keys remind me that Friday morning after John went off to work, I did light housework and then wrapped two packages for the mail. I got one addressed and then looked for the other address but I couldn't find it anywhere. Not in my address book, my Home Keeping Notebook, my desk...I looked for that address for nearly an hour and finally decided I'd just wait and ask another member of the family for the address...Who informed me yesterday that she can't find her copy of the address at all either!
John worked on Friday and I had promised to go pick up his prescriptions. I'd planned a day for myself after that was done, but had a hard time keeping my promise to myself. I must have changed my mind about what I was going to do two dozen times. I hate when I can't keep my mind made up! I did some of what I'd planned. I did go to one of the Goodwill stores in the area and I'm so glad I did.
My very first 'find' was a cookbook I had years upon years ago. I've looked and looked for another copy of that book for the past ten years. I couldn't find a copy of it because I was totally wrong about the name of the book. Fortunately I recognized the cover right away when I found this book. It is Martha Dixon's Copper Kettle Cook Book. I got two more books, The Jane Austen Book Club and a book of Amish recipes. I found a regular old stove top percolator with all the parts. I've been looking for one of those coffeepots for the longest time now. No real treasure, but enough to suit me.
I went to a favorite Asian restaurant for my dinner. I chose Almond Chicken which was very good and so simple. I plan to make that right here at home sometime. It was nothing more than strips of chicken, carrots, celery, sliced water chestnuts and slivered almonds in a 'light brown sauce' which is soy sauce, broth and cornstarch to thicken.
My intention after dinner was to go to Perry but I meant to take a highway I don't normally take. In fact, I haven't been down that highway in quite a number of years...Which is no doubt why I didn't realize that the 'new' looking road was indeed new and had been re-routed. I ended up in Hawkinsville instead, which meant I had to drive almost as far again to get to Perry...I finally made my way to Perry, then home. I did stop here in my own town to visit the flea market. I found a beautiful set of pineapple bookends for $5 (and boy are they HEAVY), as well as a Blue and White transfer ware plate from Johnson Bros.
Saturday we had a business meeting following service. I didn't realize that and had made a meal for us to have as soon as we got home. The meeting went on until pretty late so we didn't return home Saturday until after 5pm. I told John we'd just eat that prepared meal on Sunday. Poor John had complained of a headache and ticklish throat Friday night. He was fine all through service Saturday but when we got home, he 'suddenly' had a stuffy nose and sneezes and coughs. We're pretty sure he's allergic to something that is blooming or some sort of mold that develops about this time of year because he had the same symptoms last year around this same time.
Sunday morning, I did light housework and then went into town for a Sunday paper and to pick up the sales items at our local store. I got some good buys on beef that had been marked down. Those few packages of meat filled our little freezer full right up to the top. One area where I'm not frustrated is with my current pay period's grocery budget. I've stayed right within my limits and still have a little cash leftover. Our freezer is full and we have plenty in our pantry.
John's allergies had worsened Sunday and he spent the day snoozing in his recliner, drinking lots of water and taking Tylenol and allergy tablets. After the housework and my trip to town, I didn't do a whole lot else except read and read and read.
Which brings us back to today. I have followed the instructions I read online and am happy to report that I can now sew a straight seam without birdnests. Wonderful! And then I broke my needle...Yep. More frustrations because that was my LAST needle, lol. I think that's enough sewing for today.
1 comment:
I've had that same battle with finding my keys. It is a most frustrating battle! I think the keys hide from us only to get us all worked up! LOL! Sorry you broke your last needle. Some days are like that with a machine. Best to leave it alone until it decides to cooperate!
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