June and Its Many Wonders

This has been a very busy past month.

   I excuse myself for not posting on those grounds. It's easy to set high expectations for yourself when you have only the basic, time-honored duties, like laundry, mowing and mopping, to do.

As I hung shirts, I noticed that Himself has quite the rainbow on his side of the closet.

Treasure among the hay - Wild Strawberries

   Last month, some friends of ours bought their first house. It was in need of a little (they thought), work before they moved in. After much patching, replacing, painting and cleaning, they have taken possession. We were all amazed at the transformation (which included painting the laundry room a stunning orange called "Autumn Glimmer" by Valspar, keeping all the trim, doors and cabinets white), and they are happily settled in. (I don't know why, but prepositions are such gratifying words that I love to end sentences in.) Little guessing how long the process would take, I offered my help. Though my yard looks like a hay field and you can barely see my lilies for the weeds, I would do it all over again.

   Beating the heat has been pretty hard, lately. I was daydreaming of cold food a couple weeks ago, and remembered this "simply good" dish that Mum made, once upon a summer:

Spaghetti Salad

Cold, cooked noodles, tomato and onion slathered in Italian dressing. Yum. Keep refrigerated.

I've named her Aria, considering she's a Singer.

   On another note, I have a great new toy. Well, great old toy, I should say. She's a full century old, best I can tell. A little oil, then all she needs to be fully clothed, is a belt. Himself found her on Tuesday. His knee-jerk reaction was to slap the money down, but he called me to make sure I wanted her. He assured me that she looked good and he thought she was a great deal. Shaky, nervous and fearful of being snookered, I told him to follow his own instincts. Apparently, they were good ones.

   My earliest knowledge of a treadle machine was from reading about Ma Ingalls receiving hers. I had no real grasp of the thing until my aunt got one. I remember sitting on the floor with my cousin and working the treadle and being utterly amazed at the lack of an electrical cord.

A zipper foot, which, I suspect to be much newer, though usable.

   I raided the drawers, once we got it in the house. Himself had already done so and found the zipper foot (above) and the spool (below). I did find a dime that he missed, and today I got the bobbin case out and was pleased to discover a bobbin.

Very neat, complete with a rat's nest (a tangle), at the thread's end.

  I think I have enjoyed June very much. Have you?