"the car"

Things that trigger memories part 2.

In the previous post I talked about my mother’s sewing machine. This post is about my Daddy’s car.

Daddy grew up poor and worked hard all of his life. As an adult his car represented volumes to him. He took great pride in owning and taking care of a car. He put a lot into the upkeep and maintenance on his car. He never missed an oil change, tire rotation or let the gas tank get below half a tank.

He would drive all the way across town to the same service station for his gas and to have the car serviced. His cars lasted years beyond what most cars last. Anyone knowing my Dad and finding out he was going to get a newer car would let him know that they wanted first dibs on the old one because it would have been taken such good care of.

Many men like my Dad who put such store by a car would never have done what my Daddy did for two teenage girls.

My sister and I learned how to drive in my Daddy’s car. No automatic transmissions back then. We had to learn to use a clutch. Can you imagine how hard it must have been to have his car treated the way a new just learning teenagerer treated it?

We were allowed to take his car to school and on errands. In order for us to drive to school, meant that he was without a car for work. We would take him to work, drive to and from school and go pick him up from work.

One time I took that car for a spin, downtown on the drag one night without permission and rear-ended another car. I thought I was doomed. I thought I had done the unforgivable, I had damaged “the car”.

I had to call my Daddy and tell him where I was and what had happened. He didn’t yell, he just came and got me and my friends and took us home. He had the car fixed and I was still allowed to drive it.

He never brought it up again. Listen up parents of teenagers, I would have rather he had beat me with a whip, I knew how much he loved that car and I had damaged it and he did more by not saying anything than if he had ranted and raved at me. I never wanted to cause him hurt over that car again. (and didn’t until I was grown, and married with a baby but that is another story)

Again, knowing how much his car meant to him, two teenaged girls were made to feel that they were of equal and/or greater value to their father than even his beloved car.

He could be a cantankerous old fart, but there was never a doubt in the mind of two little girls and later as teenagers where we stood with our Daddy.

Even in his declining years on earth and with dementia, not always knowing who we were, there were the times when he was mentally alert and would tell us how much he appreciated and loved his girls.

Even to this day, and both of us Grandmothers, we miss him and where ever he may be, we are still Daddy's girls.

Things that trigger memories part 1.

I took an old sewing machine into be oiled, cleaned and checked out. As I was getting ready to leave the shop, special memories came flooding back. To most people it is just a heavy piece of metal. To me it is a classic Singer 401. In its day and still today it is one of the best sewing machines Singer made.

When I was growing up, my parents worked hard for everything they had. They tried to buy the best that they could afford of whatever they bought and they took good care of them to see that they lasted.

My mother had a Singer 401. She loved and took great pride in that sewing machine and took special care of it. She sewed lots of pretty dresses for two little girls.

The thing that makes it really special is that for all of the love and care she gave that sewing machine, she allowed two little girls to sit for hours and sew doll clothes and blankets on it. I have wonderful memories of making all kinds of things on that machine.

I was in a thrift store a few years ago and came across an immaculate Singer 401 in a wooden cabinet. I scarfed it up. I couldn’t wait to call my Mother and tell her about my wonderful find. She still has hers that she used for years and that I sewed on as a child.

Then I moved and my sewing things were put on hold for awhile until recently when I was able to set up a sewing room. I am so excited to get that sewing machine up and running again and to be able to sew wonderful things again. I can’t wait to get it back from the shop and renew those wonderful memories of sewing.

Even though that sewing machine was my Mothers pride and joy. Two little girls were made to feel that they were equally important and were given cherished memories that even to this day come flooding back whenever they see and sew on a Singer 401.

thankful for helping hands

As one gets older and less able to do the things that used to come easy, you learn to appreciate the helping hands of others.

Last weekend we were on the receiving end of many pairs of helping hands.

We have many trees around our home and earlier had two fall in a storm, one on the house one day and another through a section of fence the following day. The one that fell on the house did minor damage but blocked the driveway. Within a short period of time with the helping hands of friends and family the tree on the driveway was cut and removed.
The other tree was cut and removed by the helping hands of a group of leaders and young men from church. What a wonderful blessing.

Needless to say, we were a little nervous of other old trees possibly doing the same thing so we decided to try to do some preventive measures. So last weekend we rented a lift or cherry picker to get up in the trees to cut overhanging limbs and top trees that could hit the house if they were to fall in a storm.

So family members young and old were enlisted in the project. Again, younger, stronger, and frankly braver helping hands came to our aid.

Before the day was out, the job was done. How very grateful we are for those willing helping hands who did so much in our behalf.

all because two people fell in love

So what does happen because 2 people fell in love?
In my case, it went this way.
2 people fell in love.
from that love came 8 wonderful kids who grew up to be some pretty great people.
one of those 8 was a nanny to 3 families giving me 8 special kids who call me Granni.
7 of those 8 wonderful people fell in love, married and gave me 2 sons-in-law and 5 daughters-in-law.
those 14 people gave me 18 grandchildren.
so, all because these two people fell in love, there are now 43 people in our family.
Life is good.

thanks thanks thanks

My blog consultant and helper came to my rescue and gave me a new look to my blog. It is me. Plain and simple. Thanks so much daughter.

Also I now have a digital camera and hopefully will learn to use it soon and can actually document some of my country adventures.