Grinster,
I love the Golden, she is sure pretty. We had one but lost her at age four, I don't think their is a nice dog.
Now regarding Feather weights. They are so easy to clean and I think it would be a wonderful class. I will be interested in know what they recommend to keep the finishes. My mother in law was manage of a Sewing shop and they used car wax on the older sewing machines to keep them looking good.