SEPTEMBER ORNAMENTS - 2

Things have been a bit hectic around here. We're packing up and getting ready to move to a smaller home. Everything is off the walls, filled boxes are stacked in the garage, and we've begun to sell and give away some things that won't fit into the "new" house. One thing I don't want to pack up yet is my good old Kenmore sewing machine. I have a newer machine, but the Kenmore has been a faithful companion for almost 40 years. I used it to stitch curtains for my very first home, maternity clothes when I was carrying my daughter, and clothes and dolls for her when she was little.

I wish I'd kept a record of all the craft and gift items my old sewing machine has stitched. There was a time I put the old machine in storage, opting instead, for a new Viking brand sewing machine with fancier stitches. I'm not sure why I decided to go back to my old friend, but I'm glad I did. The old Kenmore and I have stitched eleven sets of Christmas ornaments this year - one for each month through July, then two sets in August, and two sets in September. Last night I completed the second set for this month. My good friend, Deanna, and I may be hosting a home show early in December and I probably won't have time to sew ornaments in November and December. Making ornaments each month was a goal I set for myself back in January and I'm now in the home stretch. Even though I've been stitching "down to the wire" a few times, I've successfully completed ornaments each month, without fail. It's about the only New Year's resolution I've ever kept!