Dear Mom,

So.  Paolo has cleaned and oiled the second sewing machine you had.  The one that I thought didn't work, but does, and is supposed to be perfect for quilting.

I'm really excited to try it and actually really excited that my first project on it will be Tink's quilt.  That seems fitting.  Two amazing, important women in my life and I get to honor them both.  You, for having unknowingly given me this new creative outlet, and Tink for asking me to make a quilt for her.  It's nice to think of something that I make being wanted in someone's home.  That may sound silly, but I don't know if people realize what a compliment it is.

It occurred to me that I never showed you the final picture of the redone chairs.

I'm sure you may have heard the colorful language that accompanied the process, and let me just say, thank God I had Paolo to help.  I can't fathom how I would have done them on my own.

I have to say, that's the first time I've done a project, known that I was pretty much erasing something that you'd done, and I wasn't sad about it.  I think you would have approved.  Actually, I don't think it, I know it.  Remember how hard those chairs were?  Now we all have cush for our bums.  SO nice, especially on holidays and at dinner parties.

Speaking of, I'm having Julie, Michelle, and their respective families over for dinner tomorrow and I cannot wait!  I'm so excited.  Michelle and I reconnected a while ago, and we have unknowningly lived in the same town for the past several years and not realized it.  Thanks to Ellington for being a soccer town and us for signing up our boys because that's how we met again.  I'm looking forward to seeing Julie again too.  It's almost...full circle when your past meets your present.  How everyone is "adults" (ha ha) and has children of their own...it's almost surreal.  Kind of like when Tyran calls me for parenting advice.

Now that's a baby I wish you could have met.  Trent is ADORABLE.  That kid gets cuter every day and I highly doubt that will stop.

Anyway!  Time to sew.

Love,

Kathryn

Dear Mom,

What else?  EESH!!!  It's not just one of those days, it's one of those weeks.

So I started sewing after you passed because Michelle offered me your machine and I said, "I'm going to learn how to sew!"  Ever since you died I've been all about the I can do it mentality.  I can go on a cruise.  I can climb the rock wall.  I can run a 5K.  I can put a blue streak in my hair.

I can do it.  Why not?

So I've been sewing for a while now.

And I'm STILL having problems with your machine.  It's a timing issue.  On the bobbin.  And will run me at least $70-75 to fix.  I know this because I called the sewing machine repair shop and I learned something.  Your machine?  I'm not disparaging, but apparently I've grown past it.

I sew too much.  LOL!!!

There's nothing wrong with your machine...well, besides the timing issue...but it really isn't meant for the level of work I've been doing.

It's time to consider buying something new.  Something "fancier."  More bells and whistles and presser foots and stitch variations and on and on and on.

:::sigh:::

I'm at the point where I realize that you are not the machine...nor are you any of your things that we have kept as mementos...but it's still hard to let it go.  I know Andrea always says that it's not about the thing...it's that I learned how to sew in honor of your memory and that you wouldn't want me to keep something that's not working for me.

It's not working for me.

And right in the middle of Tink's quilt too.  DANGIT.

Tink came down and picked out gorgeous fabric for her quilt.  I was so excited to start on it.  And Garrett picked out all the fabric for his big boy bed.  I can't wait to start on that either.

I know that in the grand scheme, this is a little thing.  But compounded with all the other little things that have gone wrong this week, it feels like a big thing.

I know I need to, but I don't want to pick a new machine.  You know?

But I need to.

Keep moving forward.  Thank you, Uncle Walt. ;)

Love,
Kathryn