While the old volvo had tons of character, it also had tattered upholstery, leaking heater fluids which gave it's inside a very characteristic old car smell and a few minor holes in the floors from the New England road salt. But we both loved this car dearly and Michael had the where-with-all to get under it's hood and fix what ever needing fixing....on a regular basis. Needless to say, we would do anything to keep this car in it's old mint condition. I have been known to be industrious at times and nothing brings this out more in me than a problem which shows me a solution which is within my capabilities. Most people don't know I am a "sew-aholic." I have been addicted to sewing ever since my Singer sewing classes at the age of 8. There are still old family portraits with me wearing my "latest creation" and thank goodness that my skills and taste were camera-ready. I really did love that magenta fabric with the tiny green velvet leaves all over it. So in January 1980, two months into our relationship, I realized my next project was going to be sewing seat covers for the front seat of the old volvo. I have no other memory of the fabric used, but only that it worked and gave the needed face lift to the car. I also thought at the time, it may have impressed Michael to have such a crafty girlfriend.
A few years ago, we had the good luck, after years of pining away for a truck, to buy a surplus truck from the federal government, aka, the USDA lab where Michael works, through the surplus auction online site. We scored a 1989 Chevy S10 with only 35,000 miles on it. Finally, we had a small utility truck to haul mulch, tree limbs and to even make runs to the dump. It became Michael's "new" car to drive to work.
About a month ago, we traded in our 10 year old Toyota van with 240,000 miles on it (and one transmission replacement at 150,00) for a new Honda CRV. It made sense to have Michael drive the new car with the better gas mileage to work We agree to take turns with the truck and the CRV and I started spending more time in the truck on a regular basis than ever before.
While we have already had the truck now for about 5 years, it was not until one sunny summer day last week, when my back side hit the 150 degree Naugahyde seats that I realized I had found my next project. And wasn't it convenient that it was going to be our 31st wedding anniversary this week? This will be a gift for "both" of us for our anniversary. Luck strikes again when I find the perfect fabric in our own attic; heavy weight white denim, originally intended for me to make "Karate Ghees(clothes)" for the whole family (4 out of 5 of us) ten years ago. I dyed the fabric blue under the supervision of my granddaughter via the IPad facetime. I know I have sewing angels; they help me figure out solutions to problems and they definitely helped me come up with some brilliant ways to get these seat covers to stay on those seats. Or you can call it my intuition. Either way, all those years of sewing experience once again paid off and we now have high class seat covers keeping our back sides cool. I also forced myself to learn how to apply window tinting films and now the truck has no excuse to getting overheated on the inside.
I casually mention to Michael, that we have come full circle with the seat covers. There is a dead pause, where he is scratching his head wondering what I am talking about. "Don't you remember the seat covers I made for your old volvo 33 years ago?" I demanded. Clearly, he didn't recall, but reassured me, "If I forget our first date hiking up Parker mountain or that horrendous first meal you made me at your apartment, then get worried." I decided not to mention that I hadn't remembered about the old seat covers until I was well into sewing the new seat covers, which is exactly when I realized, we had come full circle. That must mean we are beginning a new circle for the next 31 years. It'a also pretty cool that both cars in this story are painted the same light colored yellow.
