I'm Back!

And of course you didn't know I was gone! My step-dad had a stroke and I drove down to Ballinger to help my mother. He is doing good. He has been transferred to a nursing home and is going to have therapy for several weeks. For a couple of months we had suspected he might be having little strokes. The last big one he had it affected his speech and his writing hand (why is it always the one they need?). This time it affected the same way.

I am always so torn. I know they need my help. I stay for a few days and then I need to get home. It is hard. All of us (sibling and spouses) are going to need to talk and see what we can come up with and present to them. My mother is a very stubborn lady. Their house needs lots of repairs and is not prepared for anyone with special needs. My step-dad's daughter wants them to sell their house and move a town over closer to her. That would work IF she would help them. Mother said they hardly ever hear from her. So I don't think Mother is going to go for that. I live over 200 miles away. But I am the nearest. My sister lives out of state. My mother is nearly deaf. My step-dad can't hardly talk. It is a circus.  I really love it where we live now. I am praying for God's will.

Blessings,

Rain!

We've had a little rain. Praise the Lord. It started last night and things are still wet this morning. It is still drizzling at 8am. The Possum Kingdom Lake area where they are fighting the fires hasn't received much rain as yet. From my understanding. But the conditions are much better with the higher humidity and cooler temperatures. We only got to 60 degrees yesterday and today is to be cool. If the sun comes out it will warm up. The fire is 25% contained.

The Wildcat Fire near San Angelo is 75% contained. Hallelujah! No loss of homes! Minimal loss of livestock! And they are having some rain! The new grass that comes will be awesome.

Here is a link to a map to see the burned areas from that fire.

https://www.facebook.com/GrapeCreekVFD#!/photo.php?fbid=215078948502393&set=a.215077595169195.62858.214795751864046&type=1&theater

Thank you for your prayers and please continue to pray. It is my understanding that the US Forest Service has taken command of the Possum Kingdom Fire. Thank you to all the volunteer fire fighters across the state for their hard work. And most of all thanks be to God for answered prayers, His mercies, and His goodness to all. It will truly be a good Resurrection Day! 

And now my prayer is that God will help them put out the remaining fires and comfort those who have lost so much.

Blessings,

Marilyn    

Fire Still Burning

The towns of Palo Pinto and Graford were spared. The fire reached almost to Graford. Scary for sure. The winds diminished last night for a time. This morning they are blowing pretty good again. The DFW area got rain and hail (some very large in areas) but the areas where the fires are burning haven't received any rain.
The temperatures are forecast to stay in the 60s to 70s today. Big plus. It is overcast here. The fire is still burning around Possum Kingdom Lake and west to southwest of that area. Possum Kingdom Lake is south of Graham where our daughter lives.

Please pray for rain.

Blessings,
Marilyn

Tentative Report

The winds have shifted. The fires seem to be diminishing. Praise the Lord. The DFW area got rain and hail. We've missed the fire and the rain.

Blessings,
Marilyn

Please pray!

The fires are six miles from Graham where our daughter and family live! The temps today are forecast to be in the 90's and further west as high as 100 degrees. And the wind is still blowing.

I read on the Texas Forest Service site that since April 6 one million acres have burned in Texas.  Wow!

Again as I posted previously--we are not in any immediate danger.

Thank you,
Marilyn

Grassfires in Texas!

Everyone who reads this blog please pray for the state of Texas. There have been homes lost and many acres burned all over the state. Here is a link to the Texas Forest Service.  A firefighter has lost his life. Small cities and communities have faced mandatory evacuations. We do not have any immediate danger where we live. Everything is so dry. We did receive a little over an inch of rain just a week or so ago but you cannot tell it now. The winds have been relentless. Friday the winds blew even more and higher. What we thought was dust in the air we found out was a combination of dust and smoke. Today we can see smoke from the Possum Kingdom Lake fire. The fire they are calling Wildcat came very close to the area where we formerly lived.

Thank you for your prayers.
Marilyn

Are you busy too?

Seems like there are never enough hours in the day to get everything done. Now there is yard work calling for attention.  I want to apologize for not posting. Everything is good with us we just have lots of things to do. Like everyone else.

I have been machine quilting. I have pieced some C.A.S.A. quilts. I am working on a sample to take when I sell my notions and supplies. I worked up an order this morning and I am really excited about some patterns from Jaybird Quilts. I like them a lot. I've been to Post Oak in recent weeks. Hello Post Oak Quilters. You ladies are special.

And a very special lady has very generously given me her copy of Electric Quilt 5! I was touched and very thankful. She and I found each other through blogging several years ago. We have contacted Electric Quilt and have the paperwork sent in to take care of the licensing. As soon as I have a little more time I will play! Thank you for your gift, Patsy.

The bluebonnets are blooming! We traveled to visit our parents this weekend. It is very dry in their area and not many there. Between Springtown and Weatherford there are some really pretty ones on Hwy 51. Some were in mass between Albany and Abilene. The ones in the drier areas are smaller and lighter blue. We got home yesterday evening just in time before some storms blew in. No hail, or high winds! Just some much needed rain. An inch and four tenths. Today the wind is blowing again. Instead of from the south it is coming from the north. When we were in San Angelo this weekend they reached 100 degrees. In April!

Wishing everyone a wonderful day,

Gone with the Wind

Not really. But sure does feel like it. LOL I guess you could say we are tired of the wind blowing. But March will be over before long.

I was reading Stash Manicure this morning and the guest blogger is Jane from Sew Creat It. It's a tutorial for a Dresden Plate. Did I tell you I love Dresden Plates?

 It just looks hard! Hurry go check it out.

If my want to do list gets any bigger -- well, I don't know what I'm going to do.  Sleep isn't an option -- my body kinda takes over.

Blessings,

Vintage Sewing Machine

Recently DH and I went to a local auction and picked up a couple of vintage sewing machines. This one has Newport Sewing Machine on the top of the machine. You can click on the picture to enlarge and read the
badge. It is in pretty much mint condition. You can see the dome lid behind the machine. I checked out the bobbin case and gave it a brushing and oiled everything. When I first attempted to sew I noticed the pressure foot wasn't coming all the way down. DH adjusted it and ta-da! sews beautifully. Through many layers. Denim included. It didn't come with a light or seam allowances on the throat plate. Easy to fix.

I did some research online to find out what I could about the machine. Best I can tell--it probably is a HA-1 or what some call a Singer clone. I'm not completely sure of this though. When I tilt the machine and look at the under carriage. There is a stamp of ZH on the bottom. From what I've read those made in Japan would have JA stamped on them. Anybody have a clue? Further explanation--Japanese companies began manufacturing these machines and copying Singer 15 after the copyright ran out.

Many believe their machines are superior because they have added amenities. Such as--again you may click to enlarge -- the knob on the base of the machine just left of the spool pin. It lowers the feed dogs. It has three settings. Normal sewing, silk, or embroidery. I haven't tried it yet. The machine only came with one pressure foot for basic sewing. It is a low shank machine so finding a foot should not be a problem. It is a beautiful machine.

The other two machines are Singers. One is a 99K made in Scotland in 1957. It needed a lot of cleaning. Very dirty especially in the bobbin area. My Q-tips and sewing machine oil took care of that. But I almost made a big mistake! I saw this red stuff and thought it was lint. I got the tweezers and started pulling it out. Something in the back of my brain said wait a minute. Then I remembered reading or someone telling me that some of the older machines have felt wicks for oil. Yup, that's what it was. So glad I didn't remove it all. Hopefully I left enough! I got it all cleaned and oiled good.

Started to wind a bobbin and had to make a slight adjustment to the bobbin winder screw. I got a bobbin wound. Threaded the machine. And sewed. Through many layers. I kept doubling the fabric strip. When the strip had gotten too small to fold again there were ten layers of 100% cotton. It didn't have a problem with four layers of denim. My 70s model Kenmore would have balked. It doesn't have the seam allowances marked on the throat plate but I can get one pretty easily.

The case it came in needs a major makeover. My DSIL does wood work. My DD is wanting a machine. This would be a good one for her and DGD Aimee. And since I was originally supposed to give the Elna Lotus SP to DGD Aimee (I am such a bad grandmother--but I love that little machine and it makes such a good one to take on retreat or to sew days and she will get to sew on it when she comes to visit--can I stop feeling guilty? I will keep a lookout for another one.) this would be a good one and could hem pants, make curtains, piece a quilt (Aimee) and would look really neat in her vintage house as well. So I am going to email DD a picture and see if I can entice her to come see me this weekend. ; )  Besides it's Girls Scout cookie time and we have an order due! Gotta have me some Thin Mints and Lemonades!

The third machine is a Singer 600 Touch and Sew. We paid $5 for it. It's going to need some repair. DH seems to think the clutch is out. It was a very dirty machine. I got it all cleaned and up and oiled. I got all set to sew and motor works but no sewing. It comes with cams to do fancy stitching. I was so looking forward to it sewing. Just for the fancy stitches! When DH gets some time --bless his heart.

He had a day yesterday. He is working for a welder. They were manufacturing flares for gas wells to burn off whatever it is that gas wells need to burn off. Somebody help? That slowed down then they built sound walls and wind walls for drilling rigs. Now that slowed down and they are working on the welder's personal farm taking down old fences and putting up new. They've had good weather for it. Yesterday DH worked fence, then came home and fed animals, had promised an older gentleman he would check out his bull dozer that wasn't working and he had to go by and check on some animals for someone. And I had started baking cookies yesterday afternoon and the first two sheets weren't done when the timer went off. My oven was on the fritz. DH always knows what to do when that happens. It's wire connections in the back. He couldn't find his box of connections so went shopping. Our little town's Auto Zone was closed. Begged some off his employer with a promise of cookies. Guess what? He got all that done and his fresh baked cookies and a glass of milk before 8:30pm.  He was one tired Papaw. And he took cookies this morning for their coffee time.

Ya'll be blessed today,

Marilyn