I Know I Should Be More Patient With Her, BUT Come on ..... Give Me A Break!!

Okay, I knew that the sewing machine that Earl bought for me at a garage sale was older (1968 according to Wikipedia). I was actually surprised when the old girl worked last week when I brought her in the house and plugged her in after sitting in the garage for almost a year and not knowing where she came from before that. I was so relieved at her working and saving me when my Brother sewing machine decided to unexpectedly die on me. I also know that Kenmore's tend to be excellent sewing machines. My mom had a Kenmore for years before she finally bought a Bernina (which is a day that I will never forget!) So I was just pretty pleased by finding this old and charming sewing machine.



I have been sewing all weekend and the old girl started to misbehave a little bit so I put a new needle in her and bought some new bobbins. She was doing so much better and I was so happy! Then, she started acting up again so I oiled her and cleaned her a little bit. Much better! She seemed quite happy and so was I as we were sewing along. Then today she decided to throw a tantrum. I wasn't very happy with her this time around and gave her a oil bath (which wasn't really necessary and caused me to have to deal with quite a mess afterwards!) and I cleaned her again and she was better this time. The old girl was working, but not good as she should be. I was getting quite frustrated and after naming her Bella (a very bold child I babysat last summer who could be so bad at times and then could turn around and be so good) and using sewing machine language on her (which, I'm embarrassed to say, only escalated with time). Earl told me it might be the belt so after I took Bella apart I discovered that yes, the belt was dry and cracking.

So Bella I'm sorry that I judged you and cursed at you and you will be happy to know that I found a very nice website that has all these little drawings of sewing machine parts, model numbers and all kinds of little tidbits of information and I ordered you a new belt. Now if I ordered the right belt and you decide to work nicely after I replace the belt I am going to rename you to a name that has happier memories for me and my family and we are going to get busy with multiple sewing projects. I also found on this same website a new foot controller for your brother, well actually..... my, Brother sewing machine, and ordered him a new foot controller and some new bobbins. So I am hoping that in a week or two I have two happy and properly functioning sewing machines so that my blood pressure may remain with normal limits and so that I will be one happy Momma again.

Please wish me, Bella and Brother luck or I will be one miserable and unhappy girl!

Am I Expecting To Much??

I'm going to gripe for a minute. I have mentioned before how many of the people in the town I live in act and talk. It is very offensive to me. I'm not prude, perfect or a goodie two-shoes, but I do find certain behaviors in adults to be quite offensive.

The kids have to catch a ride to and from practice because Earl is working and I don't have a car. Yesterday the kids had a football game and we were in the same situation. I really do appreciate that this one family and the coach take the kids to and from practice and then to the game yesterday. I really do appreciate it, BUT, I am really irritated with these people. Here's why, and tell me if I'm wrong.

Mallory came home one night and says that she smokes. Of course, she got my immediate attention with that one. She said that on the way to practice the dad, who is in his 40's, smokes in the van and there fore she smokes too. Whew, what a relief, but at the same time I am really irritated that this man is smoking in a car with my kids in it. Isn't it common knowledge that second hand smoke is bad for you??? I do realize that this family is doing me a favor but at the same time he has someone else's kids in the car and he should refrain from smoking. I mean it's only a 5-7 minute drive to the High School. He can't have a cigerette before they leave??? I haven't said anything because I guess the dad doesn't usually go with them.

Then yesterday the coach took the kids to the game for me. He's a nice guy and has a couple of kids. He's probably in his late 20's. Well, Mallory came home and was telling me about this song they were listening to on the ride home from the game. She said her and the other kids don't say the word Mother F!@#@r and the other bad words that are in the song just the good words. I said, "Your Coach was playing that music in the car with all you kids in there?" Mallory says, "Yeah, he always does." Well, the kids won't be catching any more rides from the coach.

We try really hard to teach our kids good values and cussing is not one of the things I want my kids to learn. I admit that I occasionally will say something that I shouldn't and Earl definitely has a potty mouth. I am always on him about talking in front of the kids like that and he does try not to or apologizes if them does (not that it makes it right). Earl's was brought up with a large amount of cussing in the household. I wasn't. My parents would occasionally say something like s!#t or damn it, but that was about the extent of the cussing in our household.

My point is, I think that parents should not smoke, cuss, play music with explicit lyrics and/or disrespect people of authority in front of other people's kids.....even if they are doing you a favor by providing a ride. I also think that if a child is spending the night with another child that the parents should not allow the kids to watch R rated movies or play the M rated video games. I think the parents should refrain from looking at things like porn on the computer when their child has a friend over. I don't think they should be doing it in front of their own kids, but that's not for me to say. All of these things have happened to my kids and it really makes me mad!!!!

I am so tired of my kids coming home from school and saying that someone called them a fag or someone said "F!@k you" to them on the bus. I am tired of people calling them wiggers because they have black friends. I am by no means claiming that I or my kids are perfect, but, What are people teaching their kids???? Obviously, not the same things that I am teaching mine!

Mallory asked me if I would home school her when we move in a couple of months. I am seriously thinking about it even though the thought of it scares me to death. It really scares me though as to what my kids are learning when their at school!