Saturday, July 23, 2011

My New Baby



We have a new addition to our family!  No, it's not a new baby or a cute little pet.  It's a Consew 206RB-5!  Up until about a month ago, I wouldn't have known what that was.  Well, I purchased a new-to-me industrial sewing machine.  It has been long journey from June 29th when I picked it up until now but I can't tell you how much I love my machine.  Clearly enough to be writing on a Saturday night.

Let's travel back to June 29th.  I found a machine for sale on Craigslist, contacted the seller and went to look at the machine that very night.  My husband, two children and myself went to look at the machine, probably buy it and haul it home.  When I sat down at the machine, I really didn't know what I was doing.  The owner was encouraging and assured me it would get easier with practice.  So we went to load up the machine in our FJ Cruiser.  I should quickly describe the machine.  It has a 75lb, I assume, cast iron head (the working part of the machine,) a table it is mounted on and a large clutch motor below the table.  Pretty major! Now, as we were loading the machine we had to tip the table and the head fell off.  I nearly died.  We thought it was heavy duty and were sure it weathered the collision.

I got the machine home and realized I left the oil with the previous owner.  This machine is oiled every 8 hours and there are at least 21 spots to oil!  Without oil, there was no sewing and this was the Fourth of July weekend.  On Tuesday, July 5th, I headed to T.J. Elias, my sewing machine extroidenaires.
I bought oil and headed home to my baby.  After oiling the machine, I tried it.  The needle wouldn't go up and down easily.  The wheel on the end where it dropped was sticking.  Uh-Oh!  Without going into every detail of my machine's repair, after bringing it in 2 more times, spending about $200 in repairs and thread, I have the machine working.  It is a dream.  I am creating bags out of vinyl and they are fun!  As you can see in the photos, they are not just your ordinary bag.  The adventure of buying a new machine has taught me patience.  The end result is well worth it!

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Finally!

I  was getting ready to sew last night and turned off the t.v.  Usually I have it on or I listen to a book on tape or some music.  I felt like I needed some quiet to relax and clear my mind.  It was once the room was silent that I noticed it.  Spring!  

I live on a pond teaming with wildlife.  Spring brings back the Canada Goose flocks and croaking frogs from the bottom of the pond.  Mallards, Egrets, and a Blue Heron gather near the edge of the water.  The warm air blows in my windows.  I am reminded of the peace and tranquility spring can bring.  So I had to stop, close my eyes, listen, and breath. Nature's movement brings stillness.  Peace.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Forgiveness

I was watching Mob Wives over the weekend.  Why I was watching the show, I don't know but I felt as if I was watching a rerun reality show.  The characters were different along with the set but the storyline was the same.  One wife was mad at another wife over something that had happened in the past.  I started thinking about reality tv and what keeps it going.  Conflict is the main fuel.  Without it, no one would be interested.


While none of this news is shocking, I did come to one helpful conclusion.  If there were a little forgiveness, all would be ok.  I think about times I have had a conflict with someone and how the problem would have diminished if I would have forgiven and let go. 

When I teach yoga, I tell my participants to let go of judgment and competition.  The hope is that they are forgiving with themselves, their bodies and mind.  If we can practice this principle on the mat, shouldn’t we be able to take it into our daily lives?  So I have to challenge myself to be forgiving when I find myself in an argument.  I have to assume good intentions.  I have to approach the conflict as I do yoga, with an open, forgiving heart.  What reality tv shows would still be on the air if they were to practice this principle?

Friday, April 29, 2011

Purple


I was running around the lake yesterday and I couldn't help notice the spring flowers coming up.  
In Minnesota, we are still getting snow!  

Anyway, it made me think about spring colors and how much I love purple.  It is such a warm color.  I love the way it has so many different hues and how it can compliment many different colors.  Think about your favorite color.  Doesn't it make you smile?

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Do Something

I have a new routine on Friday nights.  I have started watching a PBS show called Need to Know.  Besides being a super exciting Friday night (ha, ha), I have learned a little bit about current events.  Well, a few weeks ago the topic of the show was all about professional sports referees and how they call games.  It has been shown that referees will choose to not call a foul over calling one, especially when a game is tight.  The idea is that it is easier to take the blame for not calling a foul than to make the wrong call.  The newscaster also sited the CEO of Amazon as saying companies loose millions of dollars because they do nothing in fear of making a mistake that will hurt their business.

This got me thinking.  I started to reflect on my own life and how many situations I have been in where I did nothing out of fear of doing the wrong thing.  Risk can be one of the scariest feelings we experience.  I try to avoid "getting in trouble" at all cost.

What has "doing nothing" meant for my life?  Have I missed opportunities?  Have I been stagnant because I'm worried about branching out?  What can I do to change my current habits?

It's a scary proposition to try new things, go out on a limb and take a risk.  I can't promise anything but I am now aware.  I hope when I meet the next fork in the road, I will make a leap of faith and possibly fail but know I took a chance.  Can you take that risk and do something?


Sunday, April 10, 2011

Balance

I have written and rewritten this blog in my head over the past four months.  Sometime in November, life fell out of balance.  Between sewing, preparing for the holiday sales, family life, training and work, I felt like I had to stay in motion to get everything accomplished.  There was one deadline after another which lead to late nights hunched over my sewing machine eating walnuts and granola.  

I remember when I woke up and realized a few months had passed.  It was February 13th, the day after our handmade arts sale at school.  I started to think about my day and what I had to complete for the next deadline.  I had no immediate due dates.  I started to look around my house and saw what the past four months had created.  When people would ask how I balanced everything, my response would be "you should see my house."  

So as always I am pulled back to yoga.  I think about every pose I practice that pulls me in opposite directions.  If I stand in Warrior II pose, my arms draw me forward and back.  It is a balance between the two that I seek.  It is in Warrior III that I feel each side reaching toward an opposite wall.  If I were to allow one side to over power the other, all balance would be lost.  I want to carry my yoga postures off the mat and into my life.  I think about the commitments I make and activities I start doing.  I enjoy everything I am involved in but at what price.  Am I missing the daily experiences enjoyed by slowing down?  Isn't the saying "less is more?"  All I can say is I'll try.  As always, I challenge you to think about the balance in your life.  Are you immersed in work with no light in sight?  Are you finding time to sit down and savor a whole meal you made from scratch?  Are you saying yes to every opportunity at the cost of yourself?  Let your days be filled with balance.