High-tech mom

I'm still a long way from mastering all of the functions on my digital camera, and I continue to struggle with my new MP-3 player, but I am making headway on text-messaging. Apparently this is unusual for a mom of my age. Big City Girl went to visit a friend when she was in town recently, and she must have mentioned that she'd received a text message from me. "Your mom text-messages?" the friend asked incredulously, sort of in the same tone as if she had asked, "Your mom is a belly dancer?"

Although my texting skills are improving, I can't do the one-handed thing yet, where you hold the phone and type out messages with your thumb. My children are very happy that I've taken up this activity. They can deliver a message to me now, and they know it will take me a long time to type out all of the related questions I'd like to ask. And if I do ask a question and they deem it too delving, they'll just tell me they didn't get it because they had moved into an area with no service.....

So Kathie, a new blog reader, has correctly guessed that my latest project was accessory bags. Sorry Kathie, I don't have a prize for this little contest, but just dream one up and pretend I sent it to you! These bags are very easy to make, but take a small bit of engineering. The first step is to sew the zipper in. Then with right sides together, you sew around the three sides.....but you have to remember to open the zipper before you do this. I'm ashamed to admit that even after decades of sewing experience, I have forgotten this step....thereby making a simple sewing project into a several-hour event.

I've been pretty bummed out on my shopping trips around town lately. I've been looking for a skirt to take along on the trip. Since packing for China will take lots of mixing and matching in order to keep the luggage weight under 44 lbs. I figured a nice lightweight skirt would be good for dinners, and maybe the Chinese opera. I finally decided to go through my pattern stash and make myself one. This is an older pattern that I've made before. It's simple to sew with just two side seams and an elastic waist. I'll make it a little shorter than the one in the picture. The fabric has a small black and white checked background which didn't come out very well in the photo.

So Tech Guy had the unfortunate luck of getting a flat tire the other evening when he was out on one of his.....what I call "escapades." I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure he was on his way to see "Girl A" while possibly juggling "Girl B" and "Girl C" on his cell phone/text messages. Since I'm a mom with lots of wisdom (and all those gray hairs which have now been legally color-coated) I've warned him that this is not a good system, and that at some point the alphabet will turn on him. But I digress. Seems he wasn't too concerned about driving around with a useless spare, and when questioned about it said he really didn't have time to get it fixed.

Mr. Gadget, who was having a slow day in the home office, offered his rescue services. He's had lots of experience in this area. He took the sorry-looking thing down the street to the tire store where he found that, of course, it was too far gone for a fix seeing as how Tech Guy didn't realize it was flat and drove on it for a while. When Mr. G. got home he asked me if I wouldn't mind text-messaging TG. As it happened, we had been out of town on his last birthday.

"U have a new tire. Happy Birthday!"