A book and a machine

Hi CCCC, How are you keeping? I was doing something and I thought of you.

We've had an eventful start to the year. The events were weather related. We got snowed in for a few days and lost our water supply for a day (maybe two) and we lost power for a different couple of days. On two occasions I walked down to town to top up on groceries ("there's no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate equipment"). I have "appropriate equipment"! I actually had to open the neck on my jacket to maintain the right temperature. One time I got a lift there and then back. The Irish are good like that. Then there was the wind and we lost power for another 24 hours. Lack of power knocks out the oil fired boiler but we're ok, because we also have an open fire, with plenty of smokeless fuel and logs.  Dress up warm, eat sandwiches, read until the light fades, go to bed early. All rather primitive. Doesn't bother me in small doses.

Book: That's the project at the moment. Remember the photo I showed you. I'm reconstructing a photo album of my sister's early life. It's for me, my daughters and my nephew deserves to know more about his mother than he does.

Machine: This was what made me think of you. As a short diversion I decided to make myself a "muffler" to go round my neck. Reason? I wear a dayglow yellow jacket when I'm cycling. The jacket collar was getting grubby from rubbing my neck and the jacket is not suitable for washing. Solution: muffler made from a new tea towel. I sewed it up using a sewing machine which belonged to my aunt. The serial number was allocated in December 1921 (at the Singer factory in Kilbowie, Clydebank), so the machine is comfortably 100 years old and still quite useable. It's a little stiff, but I'm reluctant to mess with it other than a little sewing machine oil. May (my aunt) married in 1924, so I like to imagine that the sewing machine is either a wedding present, of a young woman preparing her "trousseau" in preparation for marriage. Both ideas are rather romantic.

Doing the sewing made me think: am I unusual? Using a sewing machine isn't a hobby for me, it's just something I know how to do. If I need to make or repair something, then one of the first things I think of is the practicality of doing it myself. I thought I needed this piece of cloth (which by the way is very comfortable and warm) so I made it!

Anyway, must go and get on with the photo album. Keep well.

Regards,