Seams Like a Story

October 1, 2021October 1, 2021

Booked

Book Shopping Experiences Now and Then

This summer I made a trip back to my hometown in the Midwest. It’s also the home of a major university. The historic limestone courthouse centers the town and at first glance, it still has a small town vibe. But walking around the square, it’s evident that the sprawling university is changing the cityscape. Mom and pop shops of the past have morphed into wine bars and coffee shops. A tattoo parlor now inhabits the ladies’ shop, where local moms once took their daughters to be fitted for their first bra. Woolworth’s Five and Dime is now a Mexican restaurant.

Yet some things remain. Catching an article in the local newspaper, I discovered The Caveat Emptor Bookstore recently celebrated its 50th year. Though struggling through the pandemic, it is still in business. I made a visit.

An Afternoon’s Entertainment

The space is small and cozy. Rows of bookshelves line the walls, floor to ceiling, the sliding ladders invite the daring to peruse the topmost shelves. A lone employee sits behind an ancient wooden desk as soft music plays. He glances up from his textbook and bids me to take my time. A sign on the desk quotes John Maynard Keynes:

“A bookshop is not like a railway booking office, which one approaches knowing what one wants. One should enter it vaguely, almost in a dream, and allow what is there to attract and influence the eye. To walk the rounds of the bookshop, dipping in as curiosity dictates, should be an afternoon’s entertainment.”

Little Free Library

In a different sort of “merchandising,” my talented, wood-worker brother-in-law has built a “free lending library” in his front yard. Committed to recycling and an avid reader, he hates to see anything go to waste. Neighbors who stroll by his library are free to take a book and/or leave a book.https://littlefreelibrary.org

Today’s Bookstore

How different this is from our current-day book shopping experience. It’s hard to find a brick-and-mortar bookshop these days. Most folks, myself included, shop on-line and have books delivered to their door. Or, faster yet, download convenient e-books to electronic devices.

As a new author, I’m delving into this arena myself. It’s an interesting process to see your stack of words converted to a book. I’m in the final stages of publishing now and am anxiously awaiting my advanced author’s proof copy to arrive. Miraculously, with a click of a button, words can travel much faster and farther than the local bookshop or my brother-in-law’s neighborhood spot. It’s a sign of our fast-paced times.

Yet there was something magical about strolling through that old bookstore. Who knows? Maybe 50 years from now someone will find my book on one of the shelves….hopefully sooner than that on Amazon….

Threads of Thought

Three years in the making and I’m almost “Booked!”

Stay tuned!!

September 24, 2021September 25, 2021

And Sew On

The Life and Times of my Vintage Sears-Kenmore Sewing Machine

This post is going to show my age, but it’s time to tell the story of an old friend.

It was 1975. I’d just graduated from college when my in-laws gifted me the latest in sewing machines. A Sears Kenmore, Model 1320, ZIG ZAG Machine. I was ecstatic! It’s been with me through all the stages of my adult life.

Young Teacher

I brought my new Kenmore into my first classroom in 1975 to make curtains for the classroom windows and the windows of the “housekeeping corner” my grandpa helped me to build. A few years later, when teachers were no longer required to wear skirts or dresses, I made 1970s style tunics and tops to go with my slacks. (dress codes prohibited jeans)

1977…I’m a second year teacher, ready to face the world! My hand-sewn clothing helped to stretch my tiny salary.

When schools shut down for weeks after the blizzard of 1976, I occupied my time by piecing together a quilt. Interestingly enough, we were not required to make up the days we’d missed. To my knowledge, no one was permanently damaged from missing a few weeks of school. (The quilt is still unfinished. I’m waiting for another blizzard. Now that I live in Arizona, that’s not likely to happen.)

First Home

With more creativity than money, our first home brought lots of opportunities for sewing. I was glad my mom had taught me how to make curtains. Nothing fancy, just café-style, hem the sides and bottom edge, create a casing at the top for the rod to go through. I even attempted to make slipcovers and pillows for our hand-me-down furniture.

New Mom

During my stay-at-home-Mom years, I enjoyed making a few dresses for Kelli and curtains and a window shade for Matt’s room when he came along. My specialty was Halloween costumes. I discovered I could make almost anything using a “onesie” sleeper or a sweat suit. From lions, to raccoons, to a western vest for Pioneer Days, the Kenmore never let me down.

School Days

I returned to teaching when Kelli started kindergarten and Matt was two. Being a mom and teacher left little time for sewing. Though I’d made a little sewing area in the corner of our basement. It was dark and damp and the Kenmore sat idle for long periods of time. It made a spectacular appearance years later. When Kelli was in college, I sewed the dress she wore as she pledged to a sorority.

Retirement

When I retired, I became interested in sewing again. I now had space in our new home in Arizona to make a proper sewing “studio.” Far from its basement days, the Kenmore now sits on a stylish Ikea drop-leaf table, and when in use, moves to a small desk that overlooks our desert garden and the Catalina Mountains. I became obsessed with Christmas pillowcases that first year of retirement, then moved on to aprons, and ventured out into making clothing for myself.

I was obsessed with sewing Christmas pillowcases for awhile…

https://seamslikeastory.com/mens-shirt-upcycle/

Sew Sad

The Kenmore was happy to be back in regular use, but I could tell it was struggling to keep up. The bobbin winder quit working, and the machine became sluggish. One day, while working on a thick piece of fabric, I heard a clunk. My machine was in trouble. We had worked together for 45 years. I couldn’t give up on it now, yet it was old. In today’s world of computerized super-star machines, would they even have parts for my 1975 Kenmore?

Rehab

I phoned a local sewing and vacuum cleaner shop and found out they could repair it. During its six-week stay at the sewing machine spa, they cleaned and oiled the Kenmore, fixed the bobbin winder, and replaced the belts.

I’m happy to have my old machine back. Over the years, we’ve learned each other’s quirks, and know each other’s limits. Kenmore and I will never do more than the basic straight stitch, zig-zag, or the occasional button hole, but that’s enough. Besides, we’ve been through a lifetime together.

I’m thinking about giving the old, yellowed plastic cover a makeover. What do you think?

Threads of Thought

Should I…..

Make a fabric cover to fit over the plastic one.

Paint the plastic cover.

Clean the original cover and rusty hinges as best as I can and keep it as is.

September 17, 2021January 21, 2023

September in the City

West Ridge Nature Park

Chicago, Illinois

I had some time to myself on a recent trip to Chicago. My sister, who was working from home that morning, suggested I take a walk to the West Ridge Nature Park, less than a mile from her home. I’m not an urban dweller. Big cities make me nervous and to make matters worse, I am directionally challenged.

“The route is simple,” she assured me. “Take your cell phone, but you’ll be fine.”

Curiosity conquered fear. I ventured out from my sister’s neighborhood of quaint 1930s bungalows, cozy yards, and shaded streets and headed east for several blocks.

City Sidewalks

The traffic noise increased as I approached the busy intersection and turned towards the park. Picturesque family homes gave way to commercial buildings interspersed with rickety apartment buildings. The air was hot and sticky. City buses rushed by, spewing diesel fumes my way.

My pace quickened as I continued past sidewalk debris that showed evidence of late-night parties or early morning breakfasts. Cars parked along the street seemed to be forgotten. I checked my pocket to make sure my cell phone was at the ready.

Nature to the Rescue

I was relived to see the park gates. West Ridge Nature Park is a twenty-one acre park that was dedicated in 2015. Once a never-used, neglected section of Rosehill Cemetery, the planners removed invasive plants and filled the space with native vegetation and designed paved pathways that meander through the grounds and around a pond. As I stepped through the gate into the lush forest, the busy urban streetscape disappeared behind me.

The path was welcoming, and I was delighted to see the storywalk, pages of a children’s book, posted along the trail.

Wildflowers waved their late summer petals as I passed by. Cicada chirps and bird song replaced the city sounds. A church bell rang in the distance.

A group of birdwatchers approached as I was examining a walnut that had fallen on the path.

“People used to put walnuts in their driveways and run over them with their cars to get the tough outer skin off,,” a lady with binoculars around her neck said.

“My great-grandmother told me she used to do that!” I examined the walnut, avoiding the brown stain oozing from its green, leathery skin.

A flash of crimson caught my eye, heralding the beginning of fall. Was it my imagination, or did the air feel different here? Cooler. Cleaner.

The gaggle of geese I had been observing honked in alarm as I got too close. They ran across the pond before taking flight, leaving a trail of splashes on the surface of the water.

All too soon, the path brought me back to where I’d started. I left the park and began walking back along the busy city sidewalk, the urban oasis safely tucked away behind its sturdy, chain-link fence.

Yet, now and then, nature reaches out to touch the city.

Threads of Thought

Are you an urban dweller? Small town? Rural?

September ushers in the fall season. What signs do you see in your area?

September 3, 2021January 21, 2023

Sew Write Teach

Same passion, different focus

One of the first things I did when I retired from teaching three years ago (after sleeping for about a month) was to convert a spare room in my home from a teacher’s office to a writing/sewing studio. https://seamslikeastory.com/creating-a-space-to-sew-and-write/ After thirty-seven years of teaching, I needed a different way to occupy my time and engage my mind. I rekindled passions I had put on the back burner and began to sew and write again.

A Different Type of Work

http://seamslikeastory.com/melanies-tutu/

I find the work to be satisfying and inherently different from teaching. After spending a morning working on a poem, story, or sewing project, I have something tangible to show for my efforts. In my teaching profession, though the goals were noble and the rewards great, it often took weeks, months, or even years to see progress.

Simpler Solutions

http://seamslikeastory.com/the-simply-complicated-dress/

If I make a mistake sewing a garment or am not happy with the way a story is going, I can rip out seams and rewrite paragraphs. Struggling students were much harder to figure out. Many times solutions weren’t obvious, and it took many tries to succeed. There were times I wasn’t able to unravel their tangled threads or smooth out their life stories.

The Mindfulness corner in my room was a place where students could go to collect their thoughts, reflect, calm themselves.

Reap what you sew

So why did I stick with teaching for all those years? Because sometimes, sometimes, a spark ignites, a plan works, a struggling student smiles and succeeds, I made a difference; I reaped what I’d sewn.

These moments, brief as they may be, are the rocket fuel that drives those of us who were, and are fortunate enough to be educators. That passion drives me still. I’m finding new ways to channel it.

Threads of Thought

Transitioning to retirement has been a three-year journey for me.

What are some of your retirement passions?

What do you look forward to when your retire?

August 28, 2021January 21, 2023

A Week in the Life

of a (lesser-known)writer

I retired from teaching three years ago. During that time, I’ve rediscovered a passion for writing. I joined a local writing forum and published a few stories and poems in their anthologies “Monsoon Madness” and “Desert Muses”. https://www.amazon.com/Debra-VanDeventer/e/B08GZS67GS. I am fortunate to be part of a writer’s critique group as well. This January, I ventured into the art of blogging and Seams Like a Story was born.

Why do I write? I’m not sure really, but it is a creative outlet. It keeps my brain active, and forces me to keep up with technology. Writing also helped me process the complex feelings I was having when I retired from a thirty-seven-year teaching career. I started writing about the challenges I faced as a new retiree and some anecdotes from my teaching past. Sometimes when I’m on a writing roll, I lose track of time and my husband has to drag me away from the computer for meals. Other times, I’m distracted, uninspired, in a creative slump.

My writing life has its ups and downs and my writer’s ego is fragile. Take last week, for example:

MONDAY : Girl dreams of fame and success

After three years, I had finished what I hoped would be the final draft of my “transition from teaching” memoir. Eager to test the waters, it was in the hands of three trusted critique buddies. I opened my morning journal and mapped out my road to success: publishing and marketing strategies, blog posts, Etsy shop? Pinterest? The possibilities were endless.

TUESDAY: Girl’s dreams are dashed

The critiques came in:

“Good job, this part is great, loved this section, so funny here, it’s going to be a great book that many can relate to. But… this part reads slow, move this chapter to the front, watch verb tense here, you have some comma issues, eliminate this part -it doesn’t add to the story.”

WEDNESDAY: Girl struggles with self-doubt

Maybe I don’t want to be a writer. It’s too hard. I don’t want to put in the work. No one would want to read this, anyway. My life is boring. Blah. I’m going to sit on the couch for the rest of my life and binge-watch Netflix.

THURSDAY: Girl receives a glimmer of hope

Text from a friend: “Just saw your story in the Desert Leaf magazine. Loved it!!”

I had submitted my 300 word short story six months ago, and they had accepted it for publication. After being rescheduled once, it was to appear in the September issue. It was in the back of my mind, almost forgotten, until I got the text. The next day, I received my copy in the mail. There it was on page six: Stir Crazy by Debra VanDeventer. A writer’s high, a glimmer of hope arrived just when I needed it most.

FRIDAY: Girl gets back to work

Maybe I’ll take another look at my teacher-retirement manuscript. It has potential. Let me take out this part…. move this to the front… add comma here… work on the flow… add more details to this section…

(to be continued)

Threads of thought

If you live in the Tucson area, check out the September issue of Desert Leaf Magazine.

If not, you can view Stir-Crazy and some of my other published stories and poems at https://vandeventerd.journoportfolio.com/

For the writers in the audience: How do you conquer writer’s block and/or self doubts? What are you writing about?