Whoever Dies with the Most Toys Wins!

I think I've mentioned before how Brombeere likes to sew, especially quilts.  Since before we got married she's sewn clothes, which grew into sewing lots of things for us and our kids.  I still have a shirt she made for me when we were dating.  Stuff she has sewn typically plays a large part in Christmas and other gifts for kids and grandkids, to some extent or another, depending on how much time she has.  Anyway, Since retiring she has focused mostly on sewing quilts.  A couple of years ago she replaced her old Pfaff that's she's had for a long time, mostly because it was getting hard to get it serviced.  Part of the sewing she did on her new machine was a big quilt for Moosbeere, which turned out very nicely.  And so she has done a lot of sewing.  

The place she has normally taken her machine closed a while back because the owner retired.  She found another place here in town but a few years after she switched, the city was redoing the road in front of his place and was going to take his parking lot.  Instead of arguing with them or relocating, that guy decided to just retire as well. That was the guy who had told her he wouldn't be able to continue repairing her Pfaff because he was having a hard time getting parts. That led Brombeere to start looking around for another place to take her machine.  She has a couple of friends who are also quilters, and she got talking to them about where they got their machines serviced.  That led her to a new shop in a neighboring town.  So one day when we were in the area, she decided to drop in and check them out, she liked what she saw.  A short time later we had Erdbeere's machine because it needed some service so we went this new shop.  In talking with them about repairs she came to find out that they are a Pfaff dealer and could still service her old Pfaff machine so both machines went in the shop and a short time later, Brombeere had her old Pfaff back and working and suddenly she had two working sewing machines! 

Two machines, twice as much sewing, twice as fast, right?  Well, not quite.  Brombeere has also been learning to machine quilt, which is a bit different from hand quilting, much faster, but it has its own issues.  

While the Janome is a good machine, it's for general sewing, not specifically for quilting.  It doesn't have a big "neck" and so sewing a big quilt can get challenging some times.  Sometimes Brombeere would have to do things to make the material fit in the neck, especially when she was working out in the middle of the quilt.  On a big quilt that can be pretty hard.  So she started looking around for a new machine again.  She did a lot of research online and talked to her quilting friends.  She even went to the sewing shop and tried several different machines they had in stock.  Finally she made a decision on which machine she wanted and began looking around for the best price.  She found that price online and placed her order.

A few days later her new machine arrived!  This was a happy girl that day.

It came in a big, heavy (emphasis on the word "heavy") box but we got it inside and she began unpacking it.

Then she lugged the machine downstairs to her sewing area.

It took her a while to get it all out and assembled and set up on her sewing table so she could actually sew with it.  She had to consult the directions several times, even for stuff as simple as how to thread the needle.

The first thing she sewed on was a wall hanging she's been working on for a while.  She had been working on this wall hanging but, since it is a Christmas decoration, she figured she had plenty of time to finish it and had set it aside because she wanted to work on a quilt she's been working on for Erdbeere for some time.

Then she got out a piece of cloth she had brought home from the sewing shop where she tried some machines, and did some more quilt like sewing. Then, at last, she was ready and comfortable to try it on Erdbeere's quilt.

So she moved the Janome off her table and got all set up to do some serious sewing on Erdbeere's quilt.

And sew she did. The more she sewed the more she decided she liked this new machine.  Designed for quilting, this machine is much easier to do machine quilting on; getting a third machine is going to be a happy thing. She quickly decided this was going to be much better.

Just Like Old Times

 When I was growing up my parents had a big yard, much of which was in garden and orchard.  There were several peach trees, an apricot tree, as well as an apple, a plum, and a cherry tree. There were grape vines and they grew all kinds of regular garden vegetables; tomatoes, corn, beans, onions, strawberries, and other kinds. All of this got bottled and stored and we got to enjoy it all winter.  But all that yummy goodness didn't come without a whole bunch of work at harvest time.  I have lots of memories of all us kids sitting around the kitchen table, under the careful supervision of my parents, peeling, slicing, chopping, and bottling all the bounty from our garden and orchard. Mom would be at the stove, pressure cooking all these bottles.  We learned to love the sweet sound lids popping as they sealed, ready to go in the storeroom.

Anyway, the other day Blaubeere came into a whole bunch of apples, so much so that she was more than happy to have a little help getting them all into bottles, or at least a whole lot of them into bottles.  So we planned a time and went over to spend some time socializing as well as helping with the apples.

Just like when I was a kid, most of us were gathered around the table, working on the apples in something like an assembly line.

Some of us were peeling, that was where I was assigned, which was perfectly okay with me, it was my preferred station.

Others would take the peeled apples and chop them in to smaller bits.

These were fallen apples, for one reason or another they had fallen off the tree and been picked up from the ground.  That meant that they had bruises and stuff so they weren't the prettiest apples.  But they were still fine for making applesauce after having all the bruises and spots cut off.

After they were all peeled and chopped, they went over into the kitchen to be cooked and put in the bottles.  That was Blaubeere's and Brombeere's job.

Once in the bottles they went into the big pot where they cooked the allotted time.

And lastly, they came out of the cooker and onto the counter to cool.  This is where we were able to listen to the lids pop as they cooled.

In the end, Blaubeere ended up with around 27 bottles of applesauce.  She also ended up with a couple of gallons of chopped apple pieces that she'll use for baking muffins and such.  Some mighty fine stuff comes out of Blaubeere's kitchen. And some got made into apple fruit leather. And that's in addition to all the apples that got munched on and eaten because her family really likes fresh apples.

It was a fun way to spend a few hours with Blaubeere and her family. It was a good illustration of the old adage, "Many hands make light work."  And it was a pleasant reminder of all the good times my own family spent doing the same thing when I was growing up.  All in all it was a good time.

The Wedding

Last December Stachelbeere got engaged.  That was a happy thing.  They decided to get married in Hawaii in October and those ten months went by super fast.  There was lots of planning to do, not only for the wedding but for the trip, as well.  Hawaii is a long way away and in these days of covid restrictions, there was a lot to do to be able to go.  And, there was no question, we were going.  Because of the pandemic, they were not able to have the ceremonies and celebrations they had hoped for.  As the day of the wedding approached, the State of Hawaii tightened down the requirements to come to the state and for any gatherings, which had required a number of changes in plans and some hard decisions, but they didn't shut down the state entirely so the happy couple was able to have a scaled down celebration and we were able to go.

The day began at the temple in Laie, for wedding photographs.  What would a wedding be without photographs?

The sun was out, a typical Hawaiian day, with temperatures in the 80s.

Among others, there was a photo of the groom with his parents.

And the bride with her parents.

And the happy couple.  In this day of the on-going pandemic, there were face masks.

But they came off for most of the photos.

After a while at the temple, all the photos were done and it was time to head to the beach, several miles down the road at Walahole Beach, for the next part of the celebrations.

Wahahole Beach is a small park on the east side of the island.  More grass than sand, it is more a park than a beach.  That was perfect for the next part of the day.

We looked around and then got busy getting ready for the next part.

The next part was the actual wedding ceremony followed by the reception.  It was small because of the limits on how many people could gather, even in an outdoor setting.  But it was still good.

The jam that several family members had made for the occasion was set out so the guests could have a remembrance of the day.

Refreshments we also set out.

Because of the pandemic, all  kinds of gatherings have been made available via Zoom, including this one.  That way, those unable to attend in person were still able to participate.  Moosebeere had been asked to be in charge of the Zoom broadcast so some time was spent getting that set up.

At last, everything was ready and the service began.  The offical was a friend that the bride had worked with for several years.  It was a nice mix of Christian and Hawaiian traditions, held on the beach since not everyone in attendance would be able to attend the temple a little later in the evening.

The couple exchanged vows, each written by themselves.

Then they exchanged rings.

Then, in the Hawaiian tradition, there were special leis they each put on each other.

He put hers on her ...

... then she put his on him.

And then the couple kissed, the kiss that drew attention all across the country.

And then, the new family was presented to those gathered.

And, when the service was over and the couple was greeting everyone, they took some time to greet all those who had tuned in over Zoom to participate in the happy day.

The festivities continued at the beach for a while, visiting and enjoying one another's company.  But eventually it was time to head back to the temple to finish the day.

And when the very small group that was allowed inside the temple (the state was limiting indoor gathers to only ten people) was done, the happy couple came out to greet everyone who had tagged along, now as Mr. and Mrs. for time and all eternity.

Yes, another kiss because, well, because they could.

And a few minutes with the well wishers before the long day was finally over and a new family was established and off to a great start.  It was a good day.  

The Perfect Storm

Three things came together this year to create a very happy girl.  The first thing was Brombeere's love of sewing.  Brombeere has long enjoyed sewing; she is happiest when she's sewing things for others, whether with her machine or handwork. In fact, the vast majority of things she sews she gives away.  She's been this way for as long as I've known her. 

Brombeere began this year with an old Pfaff sewing machine that she has had for a very long time. Brombeere got this machine when the local high school decided to replace their stable of sewing machines, used for their home skills classes, and sold them all to whomever was interested. Unfortunately, Pfaff, the company (founded in Germany in 1862) that made the machine, quit making this model of machine over twenty years ago. That was part of why the high school decided to replace them. Gradually, parts became harder and harder to find until a few years ago, the shop that Brombeere usually takes her machine to when it needs attention, told her they weren't going to be able to get parts much longer. They could keep fixing it as long as they could get whatever part was needed but eventually she was going to need a part that was no longer available.  So she began watching "the market", so she could replace her machine.  Last October she found a machine she liked at a price she liked.  Remember, this is the girl who seldom pays full price for anything, she's really good at catching things she wants on sale.

And so it was that Brombeere got a new sewing machine.  And this one actually was brand, spanking new!  A brand new Janome machine.  I'd never heard of that brand before but that's beside the point.  The day it was delivered, she was pretty excited to get it in the house and unpacked.  

Of course, as soon as it was out of the box she had to start playing with it, trying out the fancy stitches it could do and getting to know it.  Technology had changed quite a bit since she last bought a machine and it didn't take her long to decide she was going to like this new toy! One thing she noticed pretty quick was that she could see her bobbin thread; no more learning it was empty by noticing the lack of thread running through the needle as she sewed merrily along!  Happiness! One comment she's made several times as she got sewing with her new machine was that she hadn't realized just how hard it had become to sew with her old machine until she got the new one and found how easy it was to sew with; it quickly brought back all the joy of sewing she hadn't even realized had gradually been lost as her old machine slowly wore out. So that was the first element of the perfect storm: a new machine.  

The second element in the perfect storm was that Brombeere had retired.  She'd been a teacher for 20 years.  Anyone who knows a teacher who loves teaching (and Brombeere loves teaching) knows that it can be a very time consuming occupation.  Suddenly, Brombeere was released from that demand on her time.  That's all the more time for sewing!  Yay! More happiness!

The last element was Christmas - what a perfect excuse to go wild with sewing projects! And, oh how Brombeere loves to sew for her family.  Some people do Christmas baking, Brombeere does Christmas sewing.  Few things give her as much pleasure as pouring over sources looking for ideas of things to sew for her family. It used to be magazines and pattern books at the fabric store.  Now days its Pinterest and other social media where people post their ideas for all to see. She'll see something and think how, with just a few little tweaks and changes, this or that would just perfect for so-and-so.  And thus cool ideas are born and turn into a project.  She's always buying fabric, sometimes for specific projects, other times because it catches her fancy.  Most projects require multiple trips to the fabric store but she's tickled when she can put together a whole project from her "stash".  She has gradually organized her stash into to several cabinets in the basement.  I find it amazing that she knows what's in them, and can usually find whatever she's looking for in just a matter of minutes. 

And so these three elements came together this year to create the perfect conditions for Brombeere to spend a whole lot of time doing something she really loves to do.  That's good for the soul, good for her soul in particular, and especially in this year that has been so crazy with the pandemic and everything else that has been going on to make life a challenge for her and the people she loves. 

Anyway, our family room, in the basement, is a huge room that goes from one end of the house to the other.  On one end we have made an inviting space to be a second living room; couches, end tables, lamps, a TV, and the whole deal.   

Very comfortable and inviting. 

On the other end, Brombeere has arranged cabinets, bins, shelves, and a nice, big, sturdy table to create a "sewing room".  She has turned it into a very nice space for her hobby, sewing.  Everything she has collected over the years is all conveniently arranged to make it very easy to reach and work on whatever project she's got going at the moment.  

There's even a little space in the corner, out of her way, for me to be so I can hang out with her while she works.  I like that part.  

The space in the middle, right now at least, is more or less open and gets used as a play area for grandkids.  It also gets drawn into sewing projects as needed.

This is her ideal space for Brombeere's sewing, her happy place. However, this year, because of some other work we've been doing in the basement (which is a whole 'nother story), she had to move her sewing upstairs to the kitchen table for a couple of weeks. 

Not quite as convenient but still workable.  Actually, it didn't slow her down hardly at all.  So in the lead-up to Christmas, Brombeere has been busily sewing on one project after another.

Whether at her machine or not, she has been designing, cutting, sewing, stitching, and finishing project after project.

This has been a very busy girl.  And the stuff she's turned out has been amazing.

Her biggest project was a big blanket, which turned out very well ...

... very comfortable

She did a couple of pillows, each designed and tailored with the recipient in mind.

And quite a few pillow cases.  It always amazes me how she can turn this ...

Into this.  Most of the grandkids got pillow cases, also custom done with each of them in mind.

         

She made some pot holders, that can double as trivets for hot stuff.

She was trying a new stitch on her machine for these.  I thought they turned out very well.

She made another pillow, not a big, thick fluffy one, but flatter, it could be a wall hanging or on the couch.  Very versatile.

Some placemats ...

And a big table runner.  This she adapted, from a design she saw, into a very unique, beautiful item, again with the recipient in mind.

All kinds of stuff she's turned out in the weeks leading up to Christmas.  Again, since so many of these are Christmas gifts, this won't be posted until after Christmas.  

There was just one tool that showed up in the midst of all her sewing that I wasn't quite sure how it was used as a sewing tool. Nevertheless, this has been an amazing season of handmade happiness!  Merry Christmas!