I’m Back in the BFZ Groove

I’ve envisioned a shabby chic denim and pink floral Bag for Zaza for many months.  I made the flap tonight.  So cute… if you like shabby chic and denim…. with cutesy heart buttons and yellow chenille rick-rack.  I also have a little girls size 2 denim skirt to make into a little princess’ bag for her treasures.  AND Darla, my friend who wants a denim bag, came over and picked out all the coordinating fabric for her bag…. last November, maybe December.  Anyway, I don’t have a blinkin’ thing to do these days, so I’m on a roll, baby.  AND I’m playing my “Learn Spanish in Your Car” CDs while I’m sewing.  Oh, I feel so productive even typing that….. now to remember the words in el español.

I didn’t comment much on our recent trip to Lake Tahoe, but there were, as per usual, entertaining stories that emerged.  My personal favorite came from garage saling, which we have continued the Saturday morning Tahoe tradition again this year.  Last year we came home to PHOENIX with such useful items as a snowboard, an orange butterfly quilt, a bee-bee gun, a $2 prom dress, a Beetles black wig, a purse shaped like a Chinese take-out box, butterfly sheets and a 1920 Singer sewing machine (minus the most important part to make it work).  I rolled my eyes as most of those purchases were made.  THIS year there was a higher level of eye rolling….. oh, Rick should be grounded from garage saling.  We came home with two pair of snowboarding boots (Rick and Larisa), an entry rug, a pink oriental little shirt (BFZ!), a green coat (Larisa), Vans tennis shoes, and Rick hit the jackpot:  a garage sale run by a sweet little widow who was selling her deceased husband’s clothing… ALL Rick’s sizes.  He got a really nice NEW pair of brown leather shoes.  No eye rolling there.  I kept pointing out other things to Rick like red plaid house slippers and white church shoes… with a matching belt.  He was satisfied with the brown shoes.

Anyway, Rick wore the shoes to church this morning and being the loving wife that I am, I pointed them out to one of his friends.  Of course I said they were a dead man’s shoes.  How could I pass that one up?

Back to the sewing machine y mis lecciones españolas. ¡Dios me ayuda!  (God, Help me!)

Mystery Solved! Now what?

When in Tahoe a yearly ritual is to go garage sale-ing on Saturday morning.  You can find gems at Tahoe garage sales that aren’t available in Phoenix garage sales.  We have come home with a snow board (SOOOO useful in Phoenix), Calphalon pots, quilts, a purseshaped like Chinese take-out boxes, a Fiddler on the Roof DVD (“If I were a rich man, deedle diddle diddle deedle di da deedle di da dum”), a pink pooka shell necklace (Austin’s purchase), a BB gun and more, I’m sure.  I simply can’t remember all the nuggets of gold we’ve uncovered. 

THIS trip we found an antique Singer sewing machine.  I didn’t rapidly jump at the deal because, being a member of the BFZ sewing team, I know a bit about sewing machines and I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to make this one work.  There was no pedal foot.  There was no attachment port for a pedal foot.  There was no hand crank.  There was no foot treadle.  There was a motor.  But it was a mere $10, so Rick bought it while I stood there perplexed.  Here is the little beauty that we’ve named Agnes:

Thankfully, someone who works at Singer put all the serial numbers on the web so we were able to quickly date the ol’ girl… 1924.  Wow!  Agnes is 84 years old.  But, you ask, what good is an antique sewing machine if it doesn’t sew?  I know.  My thoughts exactly.  The internet came through AGAIN.  Thank God Al Gore invented the internet for such a time as this. Just yesterday someone here in Phoenix put Agnes’ cousin up for sale and there was a peculiar bar that was absent from Agnes’ side.  It was described as the knee control bar.  Look closely.  It’s the bent crowbar looking black thingy:

Mystery solved!  So now what?  Somehow I don’t think a want ad for “1924 Knee Control Bar” will do the trick.  Where’s my 1776 metal forging blacksmith when I need one?  If only Paul Revere were here, he would save the day AGAIN.  Rick’s answer, “We just need to make one!”   Yeah, right.  I’ve heard that before.  I am wide open for suggestions.  HELP!

Down time? What down time?

Just when I was hoping to lie on my yard swing and read historical novels to take me away from the here and now to an English garden and young love… I made a “to do” list last night.  Shoot.  Down time starts on June 14, as far as I can tell.

Adoption news: Nothing substantial, just our fingerprints expiring and needing renewal.  I don’t really understand how fingerprints can expire????  They don’t change for your whole life… why a 12 month expiration date?  The only thing that lasts longer than fingerprints is Twinkies.

Larisa’s Jr. High Graduation:  It’s THIS Sunday, and I still need to make her beautiful red strapless dress a conservative Christian strapped dress.  She informed me this morning as she stood shoulders bare on the living room coffee table that she wants the gown floor length.  That really limits my fabric availability to make G-rated straps.  What to do? 

Anniversary Celebration:  Rick and I actually got away to a resort for 3 days without children, cell phones or business talk.  Day two as we lounged by the pool, he leans up on his elbow, blocks my sun and says, “We need to hire someone to do email blitzing for your book.”  I spoke a little too harshly with my “WE ARE NOT TALKING BUSINESS THIS WEEKEND!” as was noted by surrounding looks on sunbathing faces.  But it worked.  He laid his natural-born-tanned-self down and with a sigh, conceded, “Shot down.”  I added, “In a blaze of glory.” 

Boys:  Need I say more?  I thought these two little wiry guys were leaders among their peers.  Well, in our absence, the leadership qualities turned to the dark side.  I just returned from one of our pastor’s homes where the boys had thrown dirt clods and rocks into their pool.  It is not heated.  heh heh heh.  Aus and Keeve had to dive over and over and over to get all the stones out.  I won’t even comment on their cannonball behavior at another community pool.  Sheesh.

Bags for Zaza:  See previous post.  Amazingly, 8 of 9 bags sold in 48 hours.  Way to go Auntie Jennie!  I’m feeling the pull of the Singer.  Me and my chenille might meet up after June 14th.

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