More Than One Kind of Excitement

Yesterday I brought home a Singer Redeye. Here are a few pictures of what it looked like:




This is what it looks like now--after a few hours with cotton balls, q-tips, olive oil, Barkeepers Friend, and a little Wright's Silver Polish--oh, and with more than a few minutes of my fifty-year old Electrolux, which did a great job of cleaning out a lot of dust, dirt, and cobwebs.
It's also been lubricated with Tri-flow.
I did pick up a new leather belt, and new bobbins, but I forgot to get a new tire for the bobbin winder. Its presser feet fasten in the back and all mine (except the one that came with the machine) are side fastening. I'll have to see how reasonable it is to change the way they attach--don't know if it can be done, but it would be nice to be able to use the ones that fit my other machine.
The irons could use a little more attention from the Electrolux, but that will have to wait until tomorrow.
I can't wait to start treadling--I hope I can install the belt without any trouble. Just turning the handwheel, I can tell that it is already running pretty smoothly.

The other excitement in our little town included plenty of morning sirens and helicopters. The funeral of a former governor was held at the local high school. Alex's p.e. classes were cancelled the last couple of days due to the presence of the Secret Service securing the high school gym for the funeral--one former President was expected to attend. We didn't attend. By the time my brain started to process the fact that the sirens and helicopters were connected to the funeral, I was fighting off a panic attack--and glad to leave town to take Alex to her weekend retreat. By the time I returned this afternoon I was much calmer and all the excitement of the funeral guests was long past. (Not fun the way PTSD can burst onto the scene--I can't remember any siren and helicopter event in my past--but then I don't want to.) By evening I was so busy working on the new old sewing machine that I forgot to watch the news and see if a former President had actually visited.