04 | November | 2013 | Polilla Writes

Daily Archives: November 4, 2013

Challenge updates: NaNoWriMo and PiBoIdMo

Posted on November 4, 2013 | 7 comments

My writing challenges update:

NaNoWriMo: I am not doing well when you look at my link (at top of page), but I am thinking about it. That’s a start, isn’t it? 🙂 So far … zero words written.

PiBoIdMo: It’s day four and I have 9 ideas so far. Tara Lazar has fabulous guests again who have fabulous suggestions to help us with our picture book idea writing. I feel good about it this year.

NaBloPoMo: As you may have noticed, so far I am keeping up with daily blog posts.

Health: The first part of this week is busy for me in other ways, so my writing time is chopped up. Monday – an information education session called Understanding Dementia. It was very helpful, some of it new info for me. Tuesday – a Caregiver Stress Management workshop, which I expect to be more of what I need to hear. Wednesday I have three appointments for myself, including with my naturopath and my reflexologist. They have helped me with health issues, and aided me in regaining and maintaining my health – very important to me. I have to be well in order to better take care of others. It looks as if I will have Thursday and Friday for writing. All this takes place when I have someone present for my respite time. It probably won’t be uninterrupted, though.

Writing: I went through a blah spell with my writing, low on inspiration and energy for it. In early Spring one of my daughters got me into a game to play on my iPhone and it has turned into a vehicle of inspiration for my writing. Each day when I ‘visit’ my ‘neighbours’ I leave a little blurb of 120 characters or less. The response has been generally good, and that has served to keep me going. I found it has even released my creative thinking so that now I’m into these writing challenges it could be of help. My wheels didn’t rust or seize up during the slow time. 🙂 In fact, I am seriously thinking about a story book I can write from what I have been posting there. One never knows from where will come the next inspiration.

That’s all for now. I will post something tomorrow.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

7 Comments

Posted in Preambles to Writing, Writing

Tagged caregiving, Health, NaBloPoMo, NaNoWriMo, National Blog Posting Month, National Novel Writing Month, PiBoIdMo, Picture Book Idea Month, Tara Lazar, writing challeges

Passing on history (Singer Featherweight)

Posted on November 4, 2013 | 6 comments

In October 2009 my dad gave me my mother’s old Singer Featherweight Sewing Machine, shown above. That meant a great deal to me. I remember this little machine from when I was a wee little girl and my mother was teaching me to sew on it, very carefully. Somehow it seemed larger then, and I think that I was trying to make clothes for my baby doll, but I don’t recall having much success at that young age. Mum sewed clothes for herself, my younger sister and me on that little Singer – dresses and skirts and blouses, mostly, and she did a fine job of it.

Since Mum saved everything, in its sturdy carrying case I found the machine’s original Singer Warranty dated “Sep 11 1957”, stating that the Machine style is 221-1-270 and the number is AG878454. Also of interest, the “conditional sales contract” for her purchase is there, $124.50 – and describes her installment payments. All her receipts are there, too, but there are only three because, true to form, Mum paid her debt early. There is a letter to thank her for her patronage and informing her that she was entitled to a refund which they were enclosing in a cheque. Doing a little research I learned this model is a collectible item of value, and that Mum’s little Featherweight is worth in the vicinity of $350 now.

I still haven’t used this machine (since many years ago) because it should be thoroughly cleaned first just to be on the safe side, but I tested it and it runs so quietly! In fact, it has a contented hum in comparison to my larger and heavier portable Kenmore which I bought for myself in 1976, and on which I made clothes for my daughters and myself.

Do you have anything you cherish that has been passed on to you?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

6 Comments

Posted in Miscellanea

Tagged collectible, heirloom, History, NaBloPoMo, National Blog Posting Month, sewing, sewing machine, Singer Featherweight, Singer Featherweight Sewing Machine, Singer Warranty