Sewing and Family History

Once a month doesn't seem very often, but it sure creeps up fast! Since we changed our Bible Study/Family night to Thursday night (to avoid Little Brian's sentence homework day) I had to switch sewing night to Wednesday.

Anyway, we spent the first 30 mins to an hour just chatting... catching up on the month and just talking about family... Aunt Mabel (my Grandma's sister that passed away this week), etc. Its funny to hear her refer to my Great Grandma Aue as Aunt Maggie.

I love to hear the stories about the Aue family - my dad's mom's side. There is just so much that I don't know since my Grandma Taylor passed away almost 20 years ago when I was just 10 or 11. For example, the Aue family lived on the land that was 'improved' by the August and Ernst Aue  - that came over on the ship when they were just little guys (8 and 3 years old) sometime between 1884 and 1886. They were ambitious young adults and improved a lot of land which made it theirs. My Aunt Barbara actually lived on Aue Rd & Henry St when she was a kid and could it was just walking distance from Aunt to Aunt! I looked it up on google and you can see the blocks and blocks of streets that belonged to the family... just about a mile from Lake Michigan in Muskegon, MI. Its all pretty fascinating and I want to learn more!

There are somethings you know, but until someone flat out points it out to you, you don't KNOW it...  What I specifically mean is all of the occurrences of childless women in my family. For example My Grandma Aue had 4 daughters; Doris (my Grandma), Joyce, Edith and Mabel and of the 4 girls 2 of them could not have their own children. Joyce chose to adopt, but Edith never did. Plus of my Aunt Mabels two daughters one of them could not have her own kids. And not to mention my Great Grandma Aue's sister couldn't have kids... so she adopted my Aunt Barbara. I can't believe I am so surrounded by adoption and know nothing about it...

We did finally get to sewing and made some awesome bags.

My bag 

Aunt Barbara's bag

Aunt Barbara let me use her 1937 Singer! I was intimidated to use it because it seems so different than a modern machine.... it was actually simple and similar to the technology I am used to. It only sews in a straight line and will go forward and backward- what else do you need? I really liked it using it. Its funny because I must have had a bad look on my face, because Aunt Barbara kept saying, "I am not punishing you, people enjoy using these machines." HA HA I was just nervous and didn't want to wreck something so irreplaceable, you know?

Next month we are going to make another bag and she is going to remind me how to crochet.... don't be surprised if you get some lumpy crocheted wash clothes for Christmas!