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!

Unleash the Season!

We actually put our Christmas tree up right after Thanksgiving, like two days after Thanksgiving. But by then, all the family that we had for Thanksgiving had already cleared out and for the first time in a few years, we had to do the tree and all the decorations all by ourselves. Of course, the pandemic didn't help with that any. But it's always fun having grandkids around to help, they do enjoy it so. And so do we.

Every year we toy around with putting our tree in a different place but we always come back to the same corner. It just works so well there.

In my mind, the Christmas season officially starts the day after Thanksgiving, despite what the merchants might tell you. So this year, we got the tree up and the decorations out pretty quick. Not bad for a couple of old people.

This fall, however, we have been working on turning our family room from a storeroom into an actual, comfortable family room. We have made enough progress that we decided to put up a second tree down there.  And for the second tree, we got some help.

Schwartzbeere and his whole family came over to visit the other day so we put the kids to work. We used the tree Brombeere had used for years at school in her kindergarten classtoom, along with all the decorations. These were kid proof decorations so we weren't worried about breaking any at all. And the kids had a great time!

Brombeere had even gotten some ornaments they could make. So they did. And those that did not elect to take theirs home with them got to put them on our tree.

So it went well. It didn't take so long that anybody lost interest. And we now have a nice little tree in our family room, too. As the song says, "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!"

Multiple Tries

I have this bathroom stool that I got several years ago that I really like. I bought it to be good and sturdy and I use it every day. The grandkids also like it as it makes it so they can reach the sink for washing hands (a good thing) and playing in the water (not such a good thing). Anyway, it has rubber tips on the end of each leg and I noticed a few months ago that one of them had pretty much worn out; it kept falling off.

I didn't want the floor to get damaged so I thought I'd just replace the tip. After all, the rest of the stool was still in real good shape. But then I had to decide how to measure to be sure to get the right size. Do you measure the leg or the tip? Was I looking for an inside measurement, an outside measurement, or something else entirely different? Just how are stool leg tips measured? Who knows. So I took a stab at it and sent off an order.  Alas, when it came, it was too big. Actually, I bought and returned about five of them before finally ending up with the right size. All this was from Amazon so each try involved ordering, waiting, trying, and returning. Very frustrating.

Then just the other day I was walking through one of the local hardware stores, looking for something totally different, when I walked by a display of stool tips. Amazing! I guessed at the size I needed and got it.  But, when I got it home I found it was too big. A familiar feeling. But this time, returning it was very quick and easy.  

The next day I took it back and tried the next size down. Lo, and behold! It was the right size and went right on! And they even came in packages of four! Callooh! Callay! Three cheers for doing it the old fashion way! Good for another several years!

From Scratch

The other day, Blaubeere came to visit with her kids, that's always a good time.  She brought with her a start of her sourdough, which we know from experience to be really yummy.  The original plan had to been to make something with it, bread or cookies, or something, but we ended up doing other stuff and never got to it.  So when it was time to leave, she left it. 

I've made bread before, using our bread machine. Several times, actually.  But except for one time, I've always used the bread machine. I've come close to trying it without the machine several times but just never gone through with it. So, after Brombeere suggested it would be simple to just add the start to a regular recipe, I decided to give it a try.  After all, we couldn't just waste a perfectly good sourdough start.

I dug out all my bread recipes to see if any of them called for using a start but none did.  So I picked the one that looked simplest and decided to do as Brombeere suggested.  So I got out the yeast and started it in some warm water.

Then I got all all the other ingredients and added them all together, as called for in the recipe.  To that point, the recipes says only add half the flour.

It was at that point I also added the start.  Brombeere was kind enough to add a little personalization, some decoration.  It's a smiley face, in case you can't tell.  This is, after all, supposed to be happy bread.

Then I blended it all together.

At that point, the recipe says to begin adding the rest of the flour.  You keep adding flour until the dough looked like the right consistency.  Then you pour it out onto the counter and knead it for a while.

I really didn't know what "the right consistency" was, I only had my memories to go on, from watching my Mom all the times she used to make bread.  For the longest time, all the bread at our house was home made.  She typically made several loaves at a time, there were six of use and we all loved her bread.  So, anyway, I did the best I could and moved ahead with it.

After kneading it a bunch and then letting it "rest" a while, it was nearly ready to go in the pan.  I put it back on the counter, punch it down a bit, formed it into loaves, and put them in the pans, ready to cook.

Forty-five minutes later they were done and ready to come out.  And out they came.

One of my favorite foods is still homemade bread, fresh and warm, right out of the oven.

I learned a lot from this, about making bread the old fashion way, without a bread machine.  I might have to try this again, it actually wasn't all that hard.  One thing I still need to work on is getting the loaves to be more "pretty".  I just need to pay a little more attention to that when I put them in the pan.  Hey, how hard can that be, right?  But regardless of what they look like, they still taste way better than store bought bread.

Another Thanksgiving!

 The preparation actually begins days ahead of time, with planning the menu and getting all the stuff you need for the big Thanksgiving Day feast.  Brombeere does an excellent job with all the planning and preparation that go into Thanksgiving. We continue to be blessed to be able to enjoy this holiday, and to be able to have family visit for the special occasion, although not everyone we'd hoped for was able to make it this year.  Still, it was a good time.

Getting the meal ready begins at least a day before, fixing what can be done early.  It's a logistic masterpiece, to plan out what is needed, using the equipment available, and getting all the food that needs to be cooked to the table, not only at the same time but on time.  I am amazed every year at how she does it.

Our Thanksgiving menu usually varies a little from year to year.  There are the standards, like turkey, pies, potatoes of some sort or another, and sweet potatoes with marshmallows. 

At our house there is the usual pumpkin pie, and cherry pie (she does that just for me), and at least one other kid of pie, depending on who is coming.

This year the third pie was chocolate cream pie.  

The turkey got set on top of the washer to cook since we needed the oven and stove for other stuff.

The sweet potatoes were done in what has become the traditional pan, which complements their color very well.

The cooking gets going in earnest in the time right before the meal as all the side dishes get done.

Then the turkey moved into the kitchen to be carved and served.

Stuff got placed on the serving dishes with plenty left in the pans incase it was needed.

And, at last, just before the kids begin to faint from hunger, it all makes it onto the table, set with the special plates, and matching glasses and silver, all at the same time, ready to dig in!

Then all the people gathered around and it was all ready.  A marvelous feast with which to give thanks.  And at our house, there was plenty to be thankful for.  In the midst of all that has, and continues to go on, this year in particular, we have been blessed, truly blessed.

And then, 30-40 minutes of good food and conversation later, there's the "aftermath".  Signs of a well enjoyed good time.  Everybody's full and happy, and the tryptophan already beginning to take affect, everyone's ready for a nap.  Thanksgiving is such a good time for so many reasons, but mostly because its such a good excuse to get together.  I think that's what I like best.