So receiving 6 cubic meters of boxes put me into a flat spin. What had I been thinking?
I decided to work on the principal that for every item I gained I had to at least make an effort to get rid of the equivalent. I knew I was receiving my mom's sewing desk, so my old one had to go. That was easy. I went through all my old books and donated most to charity. Then came clothes, another small desk - anyway you get the picture. I think I managed to get rid of about 50% of what I ended up receiving. I have 4 boxes stranded in the lounge and nowhere to hide them. Mmmm might have to get the ex to move some of his ceramics .... Perfect excuse!
When neither of my brothers' sounded too enthusiastic about mom's sewing desk - the decision was made - it was coming to Australia (with a couple of other things that I might have stored at my parents house for the last 20 odd years. Dad moving into a retirement village was the catalyst. Mom would have been thrilled to see the back of my stuff).
Anyway, 6 weeks later, it finally arrived. I couldn't believe that the desk had actually been wrapped in cardboard. Took something to remove it and there it was - the sewing desk made by my grandfather, Gordon Jemison, for his eldest daughter - Sheila for her 21st birthday. I did some maths and worked out that the desk is therefore 54 years old!
Grandpa mirrored the old singer tables, where you were able to 'drop' the sewing machine into the cabinet and it became a desk. It has drawers on both sides which will really come in handy. Some of the things I rescued from the desk in South Africa - were returned to exactly the same drawers.
Over the years mom had a couple of Singer sewing machines, the last of which she held onto into the 1990's. She only upgraded to a Bernina when she used mine to go to sewing courses (it was portable - hers was not) and .... mine did a buttonhole and a top stitch. That was enough for her to rush out and buy a top of the line Bernina which put my basic model to shame. I brought her Bernina Activa 130 back with me the last time I was in South Africa.
Imagine my surprise when I opened the sewing cabinet and found her old Singer sewing machine! The saddest part is that I thought she had got rid of it some time ago and I threw the foot away! I should have known my mother - she was a bit of a hoarder.
Now how many sewing machines can a girl have? I have 2 x Bernina's, 2 x Singers (1 is an old treddle machine I picked up in an antique shop) and 2 x overlockers!
How many sewing machines do you have?