*Big Breath* Ahhh...
It's amazing how when you give your anxieties in life over to God, surrendering completely, you are blessed with what you are supposed to have, not with what you think, honestly believing with all your heart, that you need or want.
Yup.
Okay. How many times have I had to learn this, and learn this the hard way? Shoot, ashamedly, but honestly, more times than I could ever count. And I probably will learn this all over again.
So, the closing on the house is by the 3rd of September, and since that is Labor Day, I am assuming they will do it before then. The house needs work, but for $19,000 (final cost after closing and such will be about $25,000), that is pretty good.
Let me switch gears a minute here. I have an incredible lifelong friend. Her name is Debbie. We have been friends for well over 35 years. We lost contact with each other from time to time over the years, but each time we had connected, it was as if time was never lost. Our trust, love, humor and bond never changed. This last time, she was telling me about how her husband was asked to come out of retirement from Army Airborn to serve in Afghanistan for a 13 months. Debbie works a full time job that is demanding as a skilled trades laborer for a division of Dow Chemical and they have two school age children, then ages 12 and 16, that needed rides to school, meals and basic guidance.
I was asked to be their live-in nanny. I was very honored, and gladly accepted. That was in February of 2011.
In June of 2011, my disability was approved. What a blessing that was! I was finally able to pay off several bills, get my teeth fixed, new glasses, a good working computer and a sewing machine, all of which will help me to get back on my feet and perhaps get off of disability. (well maybe not the teeth, but I can smile with confidence and eat better now).
Well, George has been back from Afghanistan since April of this year. Thank God he is home and alive. Thank God.
Okay back on track:
I had talked about trying to find a home once George came back, but my credit is pretty bad... my 2nd marriage ripped that all apart... and that is a very long and rough story (thank God I am free from that)! Well, George and Debbie had already talked about buying a home and me buying it from them, basically making the payments, a land contract deal. Mainly, because I cannot afford to buy a house for myself outright, and I have bad credit... and because they want to help me for all I have done for them. I still tear up when I think of the love and trust they have to do this for me.
Well, after all the searching and waiting for several other houses, and losing bids, along comes this one. A rather large one. The upstairs is pretty much a studio apartment without a kitchen, which I would not use, so I thought I may possibly rent it out some where along the way if the right person were to come along. I cannot do stairs. NO STAIRS. One of the main requirements for a house was first floor laundry and no basement. So, we win the bid. **Super Yay!**
The house was built in 1884. It was built to last forever, like homes always should be built. It has oak floors. It has four bedrooms (the one on the top level has three beautiful skylights). The main floor has the kitchen and living area fully open with two nice skylights in the center. All appliances included (even a dishwasher). The front bedroom is the largest and is where I am putting my sewing studio and my new-old loom (more on that). The other two bedrooms are smaller, but, now that I have other rooms to live in, I do not need a large bedroom. I will have my OWN STUDIO ROOM. I will not really believe it until I am there, working in it. I am ecstatic just thinking about it! And each day I will praise God for my home... As I should be praising Him daily just for my life, although I have to admit, I do not always do this.
Well, two weeks ago, just after the down payment went on the house, we found out that Debbie's eldest son, 27, is losing his home to foreclosure. We all decided what was best to do... So, he is going to be my housemate! And I LOVE this kid! I am excited! He is gonna have the upstairs studio suite... So already bills are cut in half! He is excited because he LOVES the room... it is huge! He is an artist himself so I know we are gonna have an inspiring atmosphere. God works like this... Marvelous! So instead of the small two bedroom house I wanted SO badly, God made sure I got a big house with plenty of room... not just for me and Nick, but for everything... including a... loom...
I took up a Fiber Arts class at Central Michigan University back in 1993. I LOVED IT. I dreamed of someday owning my own loom, especially a floor loom. Once, I was given a small table loom, but it was in pretty rough shape and beyond repair. And believe me, I tried to repair it. (I always wanted a table inkle loom. I still would like to make one... Someday I will.)
I have a friend that lives in Key West, Florida, that I lived with for quite a while that had a smaller fold-up floor loom. She had a great warping board and nice shuttles, everything was awesome. When she found out that I knew how to weave and had had college classes on weaving, etc., she asked me to warp her loom. So I did. Little did I know, she had an enormous antique floor loom in storage. Apparently it was missing some parts, but I believe it needed only a reed and heddles if I remember right. I vaguely remember it... but I do remember it was HUGE. It would easily weave at least a 5ft width of fabric. I believe the loom was 6 ft or longer in the front and 5 ft wide on the sides.
Anyway, she said I could have the loom (yeah, I was in heaven!), but I needed to find a way to get it up here (I live in Michigan now). It would cost at least $250 to ship it... and it would still need parts. I do not receive enough monthly income to pay my bills and do what I need to do for that. Maybe someday, and she said she will save it as it isn't going anywhere, but not now.
So, I got a wild hair up my tail and decided to look on craigslist to see what looms were going for on there. Just to see, just to make myself feel worse, or whatever...OMG! They were anywhere from $5,000 to $1,000 used! Then, I had to wipe my eyes... It read $100 for an antique loom. It was posted about three weeks prior. I called it anyway. I got a voice mail, left a message, but I pretty much gave up, just surrendered, and left it at that.
The phone rang about an hour later. I didn't recognize the number but I answered it anyway. It was the lady with the loom... it was still available! OH! The angels sang!!
I arranged to go pick it up with a dear guy pal (brother-type guy pal) and we brought home this loom. Oh, was she a rough looking puppy! But. I could see her potential, and she had a nice sturdy fame and all the wood and metal parts she was supposed to have. SOLD!!! $100!!!
She has a rusty reed, rusty heddles, two treadles missing (the only wood parts missing, but easily made and replaced, daddy is awesome to do that thing!) and the bolts and screws are rusty. There are several things that have been improvised on it over the years, I found out, after some brief research. I had to laugh at the electricians drop chain used for the bottom ropes for the transition of heddle frames and treadles. LOL! The wire cable on the pulleys was pretty cool, but was not really nice to the wood on the top of the castle over time. The various sizes of nuts made taking it apart a chore, but after about 10 minutes of frustration, I just carried 6 sizes of open end wrenches, closed-end wrenches and ratchets around each side with me. :)
I only took apart the castle frame, treadles and beater bar. The main frame is going to be stored for further restoration at another time.
I want to try to restore it as best as possible to the original, but I am going to modify the ropes, get new bolts, nuts and washers, springs, aprons and heddles. At this time I am going to try to salvage the rusty heddles that I have now. I found a few different things on the internet that I am going to try for these rusty heddles, and whatever works, believe me, I will post kudos about it!
Debbie is taking the rusty reed to work to sand blast it, hopefully it is not going to destroy it, and it will remove the rust. She said it will be like new. I am hopeful. :)
So. In one month's time, I will be painting and cleaning. I tripped and fell recently and have had issues with my left wrist and left knee. As always, I need to be aware of my limitations. I have time and many others are helping, so it is not like I am doing all this alone. And since I do not have to be out of the place I am in on any given date (I live with Debbie and George still), I can take my time moving in.
I do have some things to pack up still. I need to do a minimization of the clothes I am using now so I can declutter and box stuff up. It will make for an easier move when the time comes.
Ahhh... enough writing. My wrist it telling me to STOP NOW. So I am. I think a nice bubble bath is on order.
~Robbie
