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01-21-2026, 05:07 AM
#181
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Portage, Michigan
Posts: 9,461
LAF, those drone videos are so reveling. It is amazing that there were only minor injuries.... except to vehicles.
Take care everyone. I saw last evening that the southern states are expected to get snow and ice in the next few days. Take care and do what YOU need to do to be prepared for a few difficult days ahead. Extra thread, needles, and rotary blades might be on your list. Tee-Hee-Hee! Seriously be ready for some nasty weather. Take care all.
Take care everyone. I saw last evening that the southern states are expected to get snow and ice in the next few days. Take care and do what YOU need to do to be prepared for a few difficult days ahead. Extra thread, needles, and rotary blades might be on your list. Tee-Hee-Hee! Seriously be ready for some nasty weather. Take care all.
01-21-2026, 08:54 AM
#182
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: East TN
Posts: 2,857
Hey folks! I put Janice’s candy in the mail at work today. It gets picked up late afternoon. It only has to go over the mountain but with the weather approaching who knows when it will deliver?
We are making plans for the weekend. We don’t know what we will get for weather yet. Could be rain, sleet, snow, ice, or some combination of all. The mountains can be our friend and shield us from some things or can trap a bad system over us. You never know. We have all electric in our neighborhood and the likelihood of ice and extreme cold is a bit concerning. We have friends a few miles away who have gas heat, hot water, and stove, and the invited us up for the weekend. We will probably take them up on that if the dog is also invited. We will cook and eat and play cards and watch movies all weekend.
Everybody stay safe and warm.
We are making plans for the weekend. We don’t know what we will get for weather yet. Could be rain, sleet, snow, ice, or some combination of all. The mountains can be our friend and shield us from some things or can trap a bad system over us. You never know. We have all electric in our neighborhood and the likelihood of ice and extreme cold is a bit concerning. We have friends a few miles away who have gas heat, hot water, and stove, and the invited us up for the weekend. We will probably take them up on that if the dog is also invited. We will cook and eat and play cards and watch movies all weekend.
Everybody stay safe and warm.
01-21-2026, 04:55 PM
#184
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: The Great State of Texas
Posts: 417
I dropped off the February birthday girl’s candy packet today, Jan. 21, after a drizzly walk to the post office. Down here in Texas, we’re bracing ourselves for the weekend’s arctic blast—we’re not used to that kind of thing around here! The plants will be coming inside or being covered, for sure.
01-21-2026, 05:58 PM
#185
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Traveling the USA
Posts: 2,715
Hello! I am back at home base after our one month plus travels. South Arizona was hot!! We so enjoyed our gatherings with other RVers that we have meet over the past 20+ years and meeting new ones too!
I haven’t been near fabric this month, and have so many UFOs and wanna-dos that I don’t know where to start.
Will hold Janice’s card to end of month to mail.
I haven’t been near fabric this month, and have so many UFOs and wanna-dos that I don’t know where to start.
Will hold Janice’s card to end of month to mail.
01-21-2026, 07:13 PM
#186
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Florida
Posts: 566
February candies were mailed today. I'm still sorting my candies into color/theme groupings. I love doing this, it relaxes me! A good audio book or movie re-run and bits of fabric says to me, Calgon, take me away! I haven't decided on a quilt pattern yet, but I'm feeling strongly to do something from Debby Brown.
All the comments about the cold weather brings me back to our first home near Lake Ontario, NY. Man could we get some snow and ice storms! And with those often came a loss of power. The house we bought was an old country school house that was transitioned into a family house in the 1930's. We purchased it in 1993. It was completely gutted in the 30's except for the exterior walls which were very thick brick. Rail road ties were used to support the outer shell and they were never removed, just left in place after the house had floors and walls added. The house was so solid, a storm was hardly heard inside. We were fortunate that it was on a spring fed well, and the water supply line came into the basement - into the pump room as we called it. Here we tied into the house water pump and added one of those farm hand crank water pumps. Power out from the storm? -no worries, we had all the water we wanted. For heat without power we purchased two large kerosene heaters that had flat top metal grating so large pots of water could be heated on top. 50 gallon tanks of kerosene were filled yearly. We added a small handpump on the top to dispense the kerosene. To shower, the person in the shower had warm water poured over them. We could cook, and heat water for coffee and hot cocoa. This is when our children were young - what fun memories! It seems so unsafe to do/have something like that now, but we never had any incidents or injuries.
I'm sending warm wishes to all of you! Stay inside when the weather is frightful...and sew!
All the comments about the cold weather brings me back to our first home near Lake Ontario, NY. Man could we get some snow and ice storms! And with those often came a loss of power. The house we bought was an old country school house that was transitioned into a family house in the 1930's. We purchased it in 1993. It was completely gutted in the 30's except for the exterior walls which were very thick brick. Rail road ties were used to support the outer shell and they were never removed, just left in place after the house had floors and walls added. The house was so solid, a storm was hardly heard inside. We were fortunate that it was on a spring fed well, and the water supply line came into the basement - into the pump room as we called it. Here we tied into the house water pump and added one of those farm hand crank water pumps. Power out from the storm? -no worries, we had all the water we wanted. For heat without power we purchased two large kerosene heaters that had flat top metal grating so large pots of water could be heated on top. 50 gallon tanks of kerosene were filled yearly. We added a small handpump on the top to dispense the kerosene. To shower, the person in the shower had warm water poured over them. We could cook, and heat water for coffee and hot cocoa. This is when our children were young - what fun memories! It seems so unsafe to do/have something like that now, but we never had any incidents or injuries.
I'm sending warm wishes to all of you! Stay inside when the weather is frightful...and sew!
01-21-2026, 10:18 PM
#189
Member
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: near Seattle WA
Posts: 25
I worked in the office today and mailed Janice's envelope from there. When I got home from work I moved more things back into the sewing room as I was able to close up the Murphy bed since I'm finally down to one houseguest. She's in the guest room for another week or so.
We have had a very mild winter so far (I probably shouldn't say that or some random blizzard will blow through). I hope everyone who is facing a more dire forecast will stay safe and warm. Does anyone have a treadle machine? I've sewn during power outages on my grandma's treadle, which is 100 years old-she bought it in 1926 when my mother was born. It still works great and sews a beautiful, perfectly straight stitch. I don't sew on it very often as I'm pretty much devoted to my Bernina, which is about 30 years old and also still working well.
We have had a very mild winter so far (I probably shouldn't say that or some random blizzard will blow through). I hope everyone who is facing a more dire forecast will stay safe and warm. Does anyone have a treadle machine? I've sewn during power outages on my grandma's treadle, which is 100 years old-she bought it in 1926 when my mother was born. It still works great and sews a beautiful, perfectly straight stitch. I don't sew on it very often as I'm pretty much devoted to my Bernina, which is about 30 years old and also still working well.
01-22-2026, 05:25 AM
#190
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Portage, Michigan
Posts: 9,461
Pinkflowers, thank you for the story of your NY school house home. I was charmed at the word schoolhouse. Being a teacher, I always thought that living in a remodeled one-room school house would be perfect. Never happened, but I can still dream.
Julie G,, I do have a treadle machine but I need to replace the belt. I hear it is a challenge to learn to use but once figured out, a joy to use. I am guessing that it can't be any more difficult than a computer run machine!
Just get the rhythm and away 'ya go! Right?
Time to bundle up and traipse out to the bank of mailboxes with my envelope of February candies - mittens, hat, boots, extra socks and a face covering. Yup, under zero temps here with wind. Burrrrr! I will take my Zero over the ice that is possible for some of you this weekend. Be prepared and be safe. Have a productive day everyone.
Julie G,, I do have a treadle machine but I need to replace the belt. I hear it is a challenge to learn to use but once figured out, a joy to use. I am guessing that it can't be any more difficult than a computer run machine!
Just get the rhythm and away 'ya go! Right?Time to bundle up and traipse out to the bank of mailboxes with my envelope of February candies - mittens, hat, boots, extra socks and a face covering. Yup, under zero temps here with wind. Burrrrr! I will take my Zero over the ice that is possible for some of you this weekend. Be prepared and be safe. Have a productive day everyone.
