Sunday Sundry - Vol. 10

It has been somewhat of a wild ride this week.  Not as wild as this ride, though.  

This military M-ATV, or bomb-proof truck, made a stopover in our neighborhood.  The driver hauling this vehicle, which is probably bound for Afghanistan, was spending the night at the local Super 8 and parked his trailer on the street.  These are built here in the state at Oshkosh Truck.

An Open Letter to My Sewing Machines
Dear Jane, Tammy, and Viv:
I miss you guys.  I'm sorry we haven't spent much (any) quality time together lately.  As you probably suspected, I've been otherwise preoccupied for the past week or two.  Her name is Bathsheba, aka the half-bath.  You don't know her, but it's just as well.  She's kind of a pushy thing.  Got wind of the new flooring that's coming and demanded an immediate makeover.  She had a point, though, dressed as she was in some funky striped outfit circa 1985.  Trust me, you would have been mortified.  I was embarrassed for her, so what could I say?  It has taken some doing, but I've gotten her out of her old getup and into a modest blue number, and her attitude has improved.

Tammy, I know we were on a roll with the cute little clutch purses.  We'll make more, don't worry.  You do the best zippers, and you're so easy going.  Your feet are a breeze to change, no screwdriver or swearing involved (always a plus), and your bobbin winds right there in its case with the push of a button.  And you're quiet and undemanding.  If I forget to oil you, you don't even raise your voice.  I know you're a product of the '60s, but we've got to work on that.  It's called assertiveness.

Viv, you deserve at least a new dust cover for all the time you've sat on the sidelines.  You're a real trooper and another quiet non-complainer for being "of a certain age," and I mean that in the nicest way.  You know I love your mid-century aesthetics.  You may not be able to zigzag, but your straight stitch is to die for, and you're a great piecer.  We'll get together again on a project, just the two of us, I promise.

Jane, you've seen a tiny bit of action for the free motion quilt along, but less than an hour once a week is not much of a relationship builder.  You're the newest kid on the block and a little fast and loose at times, but I like your spirit.  We'll find our groove with this quilting thing.  I'm going to keep working on it.  Meanwhile, if you could straighten out your bobbin tension issue while I'm away, that'd be fabulous.  Heaven knows I can't seem to figure it out.

Hang in there ladies, I'll be back soon.  Bathsheba's days are numbered.  In the meantime, try to keep the cobwebs away!

XOXO
P.

In Other Home Wrecking Improvement News
We're kicking up an awful dust here at Casa de P.  

We had a big tree taken down and then stumped, decimating my flower bed in the process and putting a rock through the siding in two places.  

The projectile missed a window and all my Pyrex on the other side by about 18 inches.

Baked Apples in Vintage Pyrex!

Fortunately, we had some extra siding, and they fixed it.  As for my flower bed, we'll just have to see what comes back next spring and go from there.

Indoors, the bathroom ceiling has been painted.  The walls have been washed (twice), spackled, primed, and painted (twice).  I have thus become intimately acquainted with every facet of my toilet and the underpinnings of my sink.  Yes, I think "Ew" is a perfectly apt expression here.

Today I pulled off the baseboards and register covers in the kitchen, hall, and two closets, and let loose a herd of dust bunnies.  In a more rare sighting, Norm was spotted using both a hammer and a screwdriver in the same day.  Many things have had to be temporarily relocated.  All of this because the new flooring is going in on Monday and Tuesday.  I will be glad when this is over and order has been restored. 

Getting Out of Dodge
Norm and I are planning a little road trip.  If anyone knows of any awesome fabric stores on the Mississippi River side of Wisconsin/Minnesota, let me know.  We also brake for thrift stores, antiques, and pottery shops.  I'm looking forward to taking in the scenery and doing some treasure hunting along the way.  

Sunday Sundry, and probably any other posting, will be on hiatus for the coming week.  See you all back when the dust settles!