....a trip to South River, New Jersey.
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| Sunrise January 4, 2013 One below zero. BRRRRR |
When do you start counting the days of Christmas? If you start counting on 12/25 then 1/4, yesterday, is the Eleventh day. This year Steven promised to help me load and haul some sewing machine parts that I bought from the widow of a sewing machine mechanic. We were a bit concerned about the frigid morning but NOAA forecast low to mid 20s for mid-day in South River. We bundled up and headed south.
R. loved sewing machines with all his heart. He could fix anything. I was the lucky recipient of his stash of parts, sewing machine repair manuals, needles and other sewing machine related items. We were so lucky to spend the day with his daughter, B., a delightful young woman who happens to love baseball. She worked tirelessly with us to load and pack the lot of parts. D., B.'s mom, is a generous, loving, compassionate woman who, understandably, stayed in the nice warm house and baked cookies. They claim to like road trips. Since B. loves baseball, we hope that they come to visit. We have the room! Oh and did I mention that they like dogs?
Admittedly as we unloaded the truck this morning I wondered "What have I done?"
What have I done? I think we helped out a very wonderful family continue the legacy of their husband and father. Certainly as we unpacked this morning, I imagined him rummaging through these things looking for just the right part. I can imagine his delight as he found it and used it to fix a machine. I can see him schmoozing with customers and neighbors as he sat in his little shed/shop showing off the beauty of these old machines. I am sure he was kind and considerate of those who brought him their broken machines. I know that he fixed them all. Well, almost all. B. found a motor with a sticky note that said "Struck by lightening."
Anyone else would have thrown it away. R. kept it because it was meaningful. I am so glad that he did. B. is keeping it.
"That is so my Dad."
Yikes! Seriously, what a lot of stuff to deal with. I am sure it is all good stuff, but you will need a tremendous amount of energy and foresight. Map it out first before you start unpacking everything so you don't get overwhelmed. Think of where the best place to put things for access and usage will be. You will probably have to reorganize your other stuff first. They you can chip away at it. I wish I was more I knowledgeable to say something profound. However, I can offer you help moving stuff if you ever want it. I am cranking up the prayers right now.
ReplyDeleteThank you Linda! I reorganized my shop weeks ago in anticipation of this event. There is no mapping anything out When it is 14 degrees, though sunny, the goal is to unload the truck into the shop where it is warm. We will manage. No hurry. No worry. I refuse to become overwhelmed.
DeleteWhat a wonderful thing! I am sure Be and her mom are glad to have found someone who could use it all! What a gorgeous picture at the top!
ReplyDeleteOhhh - back to Square One! And it looks great!! I look forward to seeing you sharing the interesting finds in that new stash!!
ReplyDeleteLooks like you might be taking over some of Steve's shop. Is there room for all that in your repair cubby? It also looks like some of the contents of MY Dad's machine shop. Any chance I know "B?"
ReplyDeleteYou are clearly NOT at stage 9 of sewing machine addiction.
I'm impressed that you know what parts go to what machines! Amazing! You are such a good person to take on R's stash. To each there own... so glad that
ReplyDeletesomeone out there will take on these things. Wouldn't the world be an empty place without people like you who love to fiddle with all these wonderful machines.
I should have gotten into machine repair when I got out of the Navy. Oh well... I do some just mine once in a while.
How cool to have those parts, and the history behind them, too. I know you will put them to good use.
ReplyDelete