A View from Mel

This week began and ran on like most others, cooking, laundry, cleaning and watering the flower beds took up a lot of my time!

That changed on Saturday! Well the change began on Friday. I was on line chatting with one of the mods from my web site, again fidgeting about needing a sewing machine.

Well when I got off for my noon time prayer time, I realized I had not asked for God’s help in this. I ask for His help for most things, but have never felt comfortable asking Him for “stuff”. Well during my prayer time, I decided to pray for His help, to show me what He wanted me to do, and if I truly needed a machine or just wanted one.

Then I went on about my day, but I did not focus on a sewing machine, I felt at peace, as if things were settled. Yes I know it sounds crazy! However… when I checked in box Saturday morning, there was an email. An Answer to a free cycle post I had made 2 weeks before! The gentleman’s words were: “We have a sewing machine that is yours for the taking. It works, but can be temperamental according to my wife. Let us know if you are still interested.” I could not believe it, months of looking and pining, and in less than 24 hours God provided!

We had to go get Drew from his college entrance test (which he says was not as hard as he had expected!) and so I made contact and after we had him we went and got it. It is gorgeous! I do not know the age, if anyone reading this does, PLEASE let me know! It is a Kenmore 158.850 and says it was made in Canada . Pictures of it can be seen on my site, here: http://prairiehomemaker.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=3790

I had to play with it a bit to get the stitches to look right, but it runs like a dream! I have already gotten orders for 4 aprons! 2 are for material I have to go shop for… as if that is a chore! LOL

On to Sunday. MJ and I had to go to town to get money for him to gas up the car for the week. So off we began around noon , I was making eggs for a bbq later in the day so while they cooled we decided to go. Well we get to the top of the street, and the car dies! We were lower on gas than we had thought! So a neighbor stopped and asked if we needed help, and sent her hubby to come give MJ a ride to the station for some. (I had to go get a small payment owed me in town to fill it up). When they got back, and put the gas in, it would not start! Dead battery! Well his cables were not in his car and ours were not either (note to self, next time you tell the guys to clean out the trunk, be more specific!) So the neighbor, who I am sure, has better things to do on a hot muggy Texas afternoon brought us home to pick up ours. Then back to the stranded car we go. Charge the battery and head to the station to put in the last of our change so we can get to the cash I have waiting. Well we turned the car off to put in the gas, and it would not start again! We finally reach our destination and leave it running while we get the cash then go to the auto parts place where they will test the battery and alternator for free. The alternator is shot! It is killing the battery!

So we go to one more station and put in enough gas to get us home, and grab a cold drink. We had to get another jump to get going after we put in gas.

We get home and call about an alternator, the guy at the store said around $45… he was off by $20! It is $65! We have $19! So we call a lady whose son hangs out here and she agrees to take MJ to work everyday until we can get it fixed, she drives right past where he works anyway, so refuses to let us pay for gas! We know we need to replace this car, and so we are thinking of ways to do that, and pay for going to San Diego to see Chris graduate from boot in November. We hope this car will last at least until January or February. I doubt we can squeeze it through inspection again! Parts for it, like covers for signal lights are impossible to find, so MJ made his own! Several of the inspection places demand you have factory parts, even though what he has on it meets the state guidelines.

Anyway, all the heat did a number on me and I ended up with a migraine so I went to lie down (after calling and canceling the bbq and finishing making the deviled eggs).

I am rested, still achy but not as bad as before. I am sitting here lovingly touching this machine that I will begin sewing on tomorrow, and being happy and thankful that our needs have once again been met! True it will be a bit inconvenient depending on rides from others, but our need to get places has been met! The car part can be procured in about 2 weeks (saving up the money) and life, in my view is very good!

Y’all have a wonderful week, I plan to!