My Grandmother's Promise

One of the great things about homeschooling is that all the stuffy schoolhouse rules fly out the window and you can let your creative juices flow freely! It's so freeing to be able to help your child learn in the way he needs to learn.

Early yesterday morning I decided that since Nick was so excited about his new quilt, we would make it a "Home Ec" Day!! Then I quickly changed the name of our theme day to "Life Skills Day" after getting the idea from Hezra. Sounds more modern, don't ya think?

So Nick and I spent over two hours cutting out the squares for his quilt (I'm so THANKFUL for rotary cutters!!). Then, the main event was about to begin! SEWING! And I was all giddy to announce to Nick that HE would be sewing. I got my machine all threaded up and ummm, problems. Of course. I finally messed with it long enough to know for sure that I broke something on it. Fine. I sent Nick to retrieve the sewing machine that I inherited from my grandmother. She bought this super nice Bernina when I was a teen. And having been taught by her from my early childhood the joy of sewing, I fully appreciated this fine machine. She told me that someday when she died, I would get her machine. Well, in some ways that excited me...but I certainly didn't like the thought of her dying!!

Years passed....that machine and my grandmother made my prom dress and wedding dress and lots of precious things in between. Then a couple of years ago, my beloved gramother passed away. I won't lie....I thought about her promise of getting her machine. Not that I was eager to get it...by then I had my own machine and frankly, didn't spend a lot of time sewing anymore. But I wondered if she remembered.

As we ended our trip to Alabama to attend her funeral and spend time with family, I was told not to leave without taking her sewing machine. I can't tell you what that meant to me. A token of so many sweet memories spent with my grandmother.

Yesterday was the first day that I had pulled it out. I was intimidated to say the least. I didn't even know how to thread it! I called a nearby store who sold Berninas and they really felt it was best for me to bring it in to have it serviced first since it had been setting around so long.

So, we didn't get any sewing done yesterday but I'll take my new treasure in to be serviced and I truly hope to spend more time behind it as I recall the countless times that I sat with my sweet grandmother, her talented hands guiding and instructing me. She's enjoying heaven now too much to notice me down here...but if she did, I know she's be so pleased.