When It Rains, It Pours

What started out as a normal two week camping escape to Dale Hollow Dam somehow turned into a wild and crazy string of events. We are back home, safe and sound. We handled the stressful stuff well, didn't panic, and actually enjoyed camping. But, I don't think we will forget this trip.

Day one: on the way to Celina, the left rear truck brake got hot, really hot. When you're pulling a big honking 5^th wheel on a twisty, hilly two-lane road, this is not good. Got to camp safely.

Day two: Ordered brake parts at NAPA, only parts store in town.

Day three: Guys at NAPA were great, next day service. Jacked up truck and installed new brakes. Not many campers to observe our amazing work. It is quiet and peaceful here during the week.

Day four: If you're ever in Celina you HAVE to stop at Los Primos for excellent Mexican food. Their Chicken La Loma is the best I've ever had. Just the right amount of cilantro in the fresh salsa. And who knew that a small town Mexican restaurant has all you can eat fried catfish buffet on Fridays? NAPA guy stopped by and asked us if all was well with the truck.

Mother's Day: Scattered the last of Sam's ashes in the trout stream where she and Allen loved to fish. My mama is rollin' on the river now.

Day six: Jerold is feeding the squirrels roasted peanuts in the shell. Three are lined up outside the camper every morning, and taking nuts out of his hand.

Day eight: Drove back home to mow grass and pick up mail.

Day eleven: Woke up 7 am to flood warnings at home. Checked our cameras and sure enough, basement had water. Drove home and found Hwy. 52 blocked near house, detour to Gallatin and back up ridge. More water than I've ever seen across fields and roads. Driveway washed but passable, ditch a mess. Vacuumed up water and started fans to dry out basement. Around lunchtime, a minivan wrecked into the ditch in front of our house. No one hurt, they left van where it landed. Jerold graded drive so we can bring trailer back in. Back to Celina along Hwy. 52 yard sale, shopped a little along the way, ate more Mexican food.

Day twelve: Decided to shorten trip and come back home to air out basement. Traffic crazy along yard sale route. Got home, unhitched. Minivan gone. An hour later, a thunderstorm slammed through, blowing over a dead pine tree out of the woods across our driveway in front. Good timing that we got in before it fell.

Day thirteen: Pulled dead pine (covered in poison ivy) off driveway with truck and picked up debris. Jerold graded driveway again. Basement dry.

Day fourteen (today): Picked up mail, sprung Callie cat from jail. Now we're all home where we belong. 

There are always a few bumps in the road, but I am hoping for calmer days ahead. 

From Another Point Of View

Last week we had almost six inches of rain in an hour. Our basement ended up with over an inch of water on one side. We spent four hours with two shop vacs, pulled up sopping carpet and moved shelves out of the way. It's finally dried out, thank goodness.

A crisis can make you look at things from another point of view. It certainly made us ask some questions: Weren't we going to clean up down here last winter? Why in the world do we have so much stuff in the basement? Did we really need to keep that? Why was this cardboard box on the floor?

Live and learn. It's not like we are hoarders. Well, maybe we do hang on to a few potentially useful objects “just in case” or for future projects. Most of those were on shelves. At least we didn't put back as much as we took out. Decisions are easier to make when the consequences are fresh in your mind. If we didn't even remember having it, we surely don't need it now.

Looking at the bright side, nothing important was lost. The basement floor has been mopped and there's no more carpet. We vacuumed behind shelves and under the stairs. We have fewer items down there and a plan to eliminate more. 

I like this point of view.

Crazy Week, Bad Cat

I'm not sure where last week went. Maybe the leap day had something to do with feeling like I was marching in place. Looking back, we actually got a lot done but it was a little crazy and sure went by quickly. Between voting, errands, and routine stuff, I was able to sew.

Crazy Spring Geese

This bright flying geese lap quilt took a while to cut, lay out, and stitch together. I love the greens and turquoise in contrast with bright white, perfect for spring. I used variegated thread to outline the triangles and sew long swirling trails down the middle. I finished it up on Saturday afternoon, snapped a few photos and spread it on the back of the couch. It turned out exactly like I wanted and I was so pleased with my work.

Twenty minutes later, I walked through the living room and the quilt was all bunched up. Apparently Callie cat had attacked it and punched several holes and a few tiny rips in it with her sharp little claws! BAD CAT!!! I don't know whether she didn't like the colors or just didn't want it on the couch. Strange, since she normally likes to sleep on any quilt or fabric I have lying around. I chased her out the back door, where she was banished for several hours. Needless to say, I was furious.

So, here's the outcome:  I was challenged to repair the quilt in a creative way. I covered the holes (which were right in the middle) using a decorative triangle stitch with the variegated thread. The quilt is more embellished than I had planned. It is NOT on the couch. The bad cat is still alive. But she can no longer be trusted and will be carefully supervised while indoors from now on.  

La Vida Loca!

“Cats are intended to teach us that not everything in nature has a purpose.” --Garrison Keillor

“My cat is not insane, she's just a really good actress.” --P.C. Cast, Untamed

"When a cat rips a quilt, embellish it!" --me

Running Like A Sewing Machine

I had just begun to sew when my Singer XL1000 started making a horrible noise. I called my resident handyman, who dropped everything to take her downstairs to his workbench for troubleshooting. Fortunately, I have a backup machine, my trusty old Singer Athena that I haven't used in several years. I pull her out of the closet, dust her off and, well, she's making an awful noise too!

OK, fine. My mama's basic Singer Simplicity is sitting under my sewing table. She will do for what I want to sew today. I set her up, threaded bobbins, and you guessed it...more growling noises! What in the world?

I check downstairs, where Jerold had my good machine apart on his bench. This will take a while, he says. So, I head back to the sewing room and start my own mission to fix the Simplicity. I found a maintenance manual online, got my tool kit and went to work. Next thing you know, I have this machine apart on my craft table. I had the back, sides, and top off; I oiled, dusted, changed needles, made some adjustments and put her back together. VOILA! She's humming right along now.

Me upstairs and him downstairs, both of us doing sewing machine repairs. Maybe we should have taped this for submission as a new reality show. The XL had a lot of lint jammed way down inside, which threw something out of alignment. After lots of tricky and fiddly adjustments, my man saved the day and fixed her. Athena had a loose wire on her circuit board, and unfortunately a cracked gear, which may eventually cause her demise.

Thankfully for now all are up and running like sewing machines should. I'll need to blow lint out of the XL after every project, and use my backup machines more often to keep their mechanisms lubricated. Any solution that requires more sewing is just fine with me.

The experience was challenging but extremely fulfilling. I'm lucky to have a husband who's willing and more than able to work on nearly anything. I'm thankful that I'm mechanically inclined and capable enough to fix a few items on my own. The down side to fixing them is that I missed a chance to buy a fancy new machine...

“If we all did the things we are capable of doing,

we would literally astound ourselves.” 

--Thomas Edison

“Never underestimate the power

of a woman with a sewing machine.” 

--Unknown

Life's Rhythms

This has been an eventful year with lots of highs and lows. I've learned lessons, managed challenges, and tried to stay flexible.

It seems to me that the best way to handle life is to roll with its rhythms. Things happen that aren't in our plans. Sometimes the changes are nice surprises; other times they aren't. No matter which way, you have the choice to resist or adjust, panic or stay calm. How you respond is up to you.

Here are three tips that might help:

Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to. Being informed is helpful only up to a point. If you're not going to do anything with the information, why ask for it?

You can't fix or figure out crazy. Not going to happen. It's a waste of your time, energy, and brain cells to even try.

Let it be. Sometimes it's better to step back and wait. Life might make the right decision for you. Things don't always need to be micro-managed. They work out on their own without your input.

“You can't plan life. Because no matter how perfect your plan is, life has a way to rearrange it.” - Mina Deanna

So What If It's Cold?

We've been camping at Defeated Creek. We made the reservations six months ago to get a choice spot on the lake. Yeah, weather after the first few days was predicted to be cold, with rain and wind and snow flurries. So what? We went anyway.  

We packed hoodies, thermals, and quilts. We had firewood and a comfortable, well heated fifth wheel camper. We had plenty to do inside: TV, movies, internet access, library books, hobby gear.

One day we drove the scenic route up Highway 70 to Cookeville for lunch, some shopping and the required stop at Ralph's Donuts. We rode our bikes, hiked around the campground, took photos, sat by the fire, and even fished a little bit when it wasn't raining. 

I started and finished two new crochet bags. We made homemade soup and chili. We saw seventeen deer grazing together right behind our campsite.  

We watched a lot of people leave. We could have come home early, but we didn't. So what if the weather wasn't perfect? If we waited for things to be perfect, we might never start anything or go anywhere. 

So what if people say we're nuts for camping in winter conditions? We were cozy and warm, relaxed and happy. And that's all that matters. Life's too short to wait...so what if it's cold?

Resilience

Merriam-Webster defines resilience as an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change. Some people are naturally capable of managing the stress associated with significant change. Others struggle to adapt as they work through life's challenges. 

Whether natural or learned, resilience involves maintaining flexibility and balance in life. It is definitely a personal journey. Asking for or allowing others to offer help can bring support and focus. Taking time to rest and reflect will energize and strengthen. Going forward with plans for today will create the first step toward a positive path to the future.

“The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists.” 

      – Japanese proverb

"It is not the strongest of the species that survive,
nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change."

     – Charles Darwin