Today I threw away my red wellies.
I loved my red wellies and cannot say they will not be missed.
This past summer, however, did them in.
It was a time filled with ceremonies and sickness,
lessons and licenses,
college prep and car shopping,
applications, apartments, and new jobs all around.
Some was good and some was bad and some was downright exhausting.
One constant through it all was the summer necessity of yard work.
I won't say it wasn't a welcome escape.
A tired body is much preferred to a tired mind, or at least I have come to believe it to be so.
My dear departed wellies may beg to differ of course....
Up at my parents house one day I searched out some old photos from a time when my obligations and responsibilities were at a minimum. This one was taken in front of my grandparents house in Wyoming. I see the inspiration for my current love of both red and gingham in my outfit and I wonder who it was that selected my clothing back then.
It could have been me although I doubt it as I was no more than four years old at the time. This was the same house in which my grandmother, Doris Emily Clark, painted the set of seasonal pictures I now display. She was always up to some sort of creative project so it could very well be that she made the my dress. Gingham would have been fairly easy to acquire and the red tights readily available through the Montgomery Ward's catalog.
Another photo revealed a Christmas gift I had totally forgotten,
my first sewing machine!
The "cuppa" mugs scattered across the table, however, I actually did remember....
...so fondly in fact that I nearly tripped over myself at the thrift store several years ago while trying to nab this one for myself.
Of course the sewing bug has hung on through the years.
Funny how things change and yet stay the same at the same time isn't it?
Kids become adults and yet will always be your children.
Grass, although possibly greener in your neighbor's yard, continues grow and need attention.
And, for me at least, the act of putting needle to cloth will always make happiness bloom.
Grass, although possibly greener in your neighbor's yard, continues grow and need attention.
And, for me at least, the act of putting needle to cloth will always make happiness bloom.
Very nice look back on your love of sewing! I too love to sew things for my home. Growing up my mother made all my clothes and I always longed for store-bought. Back then it was "Home made" not "Hand made", there is a difference. But, I made my dresses in junior high and High school- easy to be individual that way. Now when I am sewing I feel close to my mother and wish I could have told her how much I appreciate the skill! :o) Cheryl
ReplyDeleteI am truly in awe of those that can sew clothing with ease. The number of "home made" garments I have made for myself is very limited and the one and only zipper I ever put in took me 5 hours and brought on several temper tantrums! For our moms and grandmas it must have been such common knowledge. I wonder if they had any idea our memories of their skills would be such fond ones?
DeleteI started sewing when I was about six. I was given a tiny children's Singer sewing machine by my aunt for Christmas. I had it for years and years. It clamped onto a table and you manually turned the handle to stitch. I finally got to use my mum's treadle sewing machine when I was about eight and could just reach the treadle to get the machine going LOL. My mum always made my clothes. My first ever store bought dress was red. I remember it very well. I was 10 and starting a brand new school. I used to wear a lot of red because I had dark brown hair. I even had red Mary Jane shoes:)
ReplyDeleteRed Mary Jane shoes sound absolutely delightful as does that tiny "clamp on" Singer you had! Thank goodness for your aunt.....what a wonderful gift of inspiration that continues to this day!
DeleteWhat a beautiful and heartwarming post! I had lots of clothing and tights from Montgomery Ward growing up I am sure.
ReplyDeleteAnd do you remember the excitement of getting the Montgomery Ward Christmas catalog each year? Oh how worn to bits the pages of the toy section always were by December 24th!!!
ReplyDelete