They Make it Look Easy

Today I spent the morning at Mom and Dad's farm.

Mom and I were working on a sewing project. I don't sew.

So let's reword that.

Mom was working on a sewing project. I think the only thing I can actually claim was the idea. And Mom was game.

While she sewed, she told me she's been sewing on this machine since before I was born. She first sewed some of Rusty's clothes on it, some 47 years ago. They are one, Mom and this sewing machine. Years ago I tried to get to know it, to sew on it. That machine will have nothing to do with me.

So I plan to stick to the creation of ideas and I can only hope Mom will stick with her job as my go-to seamstress. She jokingly said, "Well, I can't do some of the things you can do and you can't do some of the things I can do." (But I think she can do pretty much everything.)

She collects kid-sized sewing machines and other vintage sewing stuff at garage sales and junk stores. Cute, huh?

Here's my new summer scarf, whipped up by Mom in no time at all.

It's made from vintage dishtowels and tablecloths. What a great way to use up some too-perfectly-worn-out-to-throw-out linens.

Talk about repurposing! (Just days ago some of these pieces were drying dishes in my kitchen.)

After that one turned out so well, we tried making a scarf out of some quilt blocks Mom had in her sewing closet.

Pretty darn cute. (The scarf, not my hair.)

Lunch consisted of bologna sandwiches, perked up with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, freshly canned dill pickles and squash relish, cantalope...almost all of it grown by Dad right there on the farm (except the cantalope, but it was given to them by another garden-growing friend). 


After lunch, Dad and I spent some time gathering goodies from his garden. I got onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and squash. Standing near the garden, we talked about how this is the land of milk and honey.

That's what their place is...to me. The land of PLENTY.

Time seems to slow down there. It's simpler. Things somehow seem clearer.

On first glance it appears easy, this life they lead. But what it really is...is this: The two of them work together like a well-oiled machine. They compliment each other. What one doesn't do, the other one will.

That's not easy.

That's teamwork.

And love.

Love for each other. Love for their home. Love for all those who come there.