Treadle Made by the Treadle Maid

When was the last time you were home alone... laughing almost uncontrollably... from something you did? I don't know about you, but it makes you feel wonderful and I know I don't do it nearly enough (perhaps that is a good thing). Today I had one of those fun, just me, times.

My sciatica has been bugging me (dull thing to report) so I got it in my head that perhaps I needed to add a different kind of exercise to my everyday life. Solution, convince my husband that bringing down the old (circa 1901) treadle sewing machine from the second floor was something that was a good idea. (Trust me. Husbands after a certain point in life learn not to argue with a wife's good ideas...). So, walla, that treadle sewing machine is now downstairs. It's even cleaned and oiled thanks again to a husband who is intrigued by all things mechanical. Face it, how many machines can you list that are almost 110 years old, left to veg for 30 years and then, with just a little oil and clean up, work like the day they were made? Who wouldn't find that at least a little fascinating?

Anyway, I digress. We live in a old house, older than the treadle by more than 80 years, and the floors have tilts that go this way and that. Hence, it is far too much to expect the new location for my treadle to be level. Nor is the spot where you sit. No big deal until you add the coordination needed to keep the machine stitching together with the rollers on the chair together with me hanging onto the machine to keep from sailing across the room, not to mention I'm laughing so hard I'm almost crying. But, do you know what? My sciatica does feel better and, through the laughter, I did get one jolly "green" hot pad made. It's made from old jeans padded with an old army blanket and sewn without electricity. How's that for green?!

PS - I related how funny my first "sewing experience" was to my husband who thought that, of course, the chair would roll. (Was it my imagination or did I see his eyes roll too?) However, I do hear him in the other room stitching and chuckling away. Laughing yoga may be the up and coming exercise, but perhaps treadle laughing won't be far behind...