Grand Times

Almost Missed it

The calendar and I have a long and tortured relationship. From time to time I have been known to confuse the time of an event or show up on the wrong day for an appointment. Not often, but it has happened. So it comes as no surprise that I nearly missed my own birthday lunch.

I got an email this morning inviting me to lunch tomorrow. My birthday IS today but grownups don’t always observe the occasion on the actual day. So I gleefully accepted, glad for the chance to spend some time with family I don’t see often.

Just before noon today I get a text message saying, “We are here. Where are you?” Our agreed upon time was 11:30. That part I didn’t confuse. So I made a quick phone call and said I’d be there in 15 minutes. Dashed out the door. Remember those “come as you are” parties years ago? That’s how I went. And I got there in time for a shorter visit than planned, but it was still good.

There is a lesson in all this. The email invitation saying “tomorrow” was written last night and I didn’t  see it until this morning. So her “tomorrow” and MY “tomorrow” meant two different days. (This has happened one time before, but I was the one sending the email.)

Let this be a cautionary tale. Learn from us. From now on, we will say “Can you meet me for lunch on TUESDAY?” And for good measure, we will add the date, too. “Can you meet me for lunch on Tuesday, Nov. 13” And maybe, just maybe, we will all end up at the same place at the same time.

You know, if things always went smoothly, there would be precious few—if any—good stories to tell. 😁

I Am Thankful

Look at your calendar. Or, maybe you’d better not. Thanksgiving is two weeks from today. TWO. WEEKS. I don’t know about you but this weekend I need to be making lists, doing some freezer cooking, getting things ready.  Besides “THE dinner” I’…

Doing Grandparent Things

Both little girls have fun Mimi-made socks now. Just in time for cold weather. Yes! We finally have a cold day that calls for hand knits. They were excited to put these fun socks on. And “ice skate” around the house. What else are handmade socks for?

And finishing the socks makes me feel better about heading off this morning to SAFF (Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair) to look at more yarn. You heard me say “look.” That’s the plan anyway. Just going to look and to visit with other knitters. And to see what those other knitters are wearing. High today will be in the upper 40s so everyone should have on lots of knitwear. It’s a sad day when this annual fiber event is held on a hot weekend. And that has happened.

And while I was at Mommy’s house, I made a Halloween costume for Little Sister. She wanted to be Wendy (from Peter Pan) and that is a difficult costume to find ready made. Good thing they have a Mimi who also sews. Baby Girl already had a lovely Tinkerbell costume. And yes, two days ago the temperature was in the 70s and they were fine outside without coats.

I knew making a Wendy dress on the to-do list. The plan was to buy fabric and a pattern. Measure Little Sister well and make the dress at home. And hope it would fit. But as we were walking into the fabric store, I had a brilliant idea. Why not buy an inexpensive sewing machine and make there while I could try it on her and adjust if necessary? Let me tell you this little Singer Tradition is a sweet little machine. For less than $130 (at Joann’s), it made even straight stitches. All I had wanted was straight stitching and reverse and maybe zigzag. But this little machine does that and more.

Before you get excited about the half-price coupon—they always have coupons— from that store, let me tell you it doesn’t work for sewing machines. I thought I was REALLY going to get a bargain. And I did. But not half-price!

I made the dress on their dining room table and let her try it on to check the hem before I finished it. So nice to do that while I was there. And now that little machine will stay at their house. I even stitched up a jacket pocket for the new son-in-law when they came for dinner. There is always something to be mended. Maybe when the little girls are older we can do some sewing lessons.

So if you are looking for a basic sewing machine for light household sewing, this is a nice choice. There were machines at Joann’s that cost more and one that cost less. This one worked fine for me.

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