Saturday In the Park...

  ... a song from my youth!

I wanted to be outside working in my yard today, but it is chilly and the wind makes feel even colder. So, I am inside doing dishes, laundry, filing paperwork, mending. 

Not such great fun, but things that needed to be done.  

Here is a little tidbit of information I recently discovered. What lead me to look it up is my frustration with people ignoring all posted speed limits through the little town where my school is. And, especially going way too fast (or what I thought was way too fast) in the posted school zone. 

This information surprised me.

What is a school speed zone in Illinois?
The following is an excerpt from Chapter 625 of the Illinois Compiled Statutes, Act 5, Chapter 11, Section 605. The title of the section is "Special speed limit while passing schools and while traveling through highway construction zones"

(a) On a school day when children are present and so close thereto that a potential hazard exists because of the close proximity of the motorized traffic, no person shall drive a motor vehicle at a speed in excess of 20 miles per hour while passing a school zone or while traveling upon any public thoroughfare where children pass going to and from school.

The following is an Opinion of the Attorney General's Office (Number S-706):
This paragraph limits vehicle speed to 20 miles per hour only during school days while the vehicle is passing a school zone or is traveling on a street on or across which children pass going to or from school, and then only when children are physically present on such street or are outside the school building in a school zone. The 20 mile speed limit is not in effect when the children are inside the school building even though school is in session. 

I usually see a student or two walking and they do need to cross a highway to get to the school so I still think people need to slow down during the morning and afternoon times when children might be walking but, everyone seems to be in such a great hurry. Thankfully there have been no accidents. 

So... my husband's father grew up in a house a couple of miles down the road. The husband and wife who have lived there for the past 20 years have decided to move to Florida. They will be living in a mobile home park and have to downsize drastically. A few years ago when my Mother-in-law was in the nursing home the husband stopped me on my in to ask about my I (heart) 2 Quilt decal on the back window of my car. He told me about a longarm machine and table that he rescued from the dumpster a few years before. He took it home, cleaned up all the parts, put it together and has been quilting beautiful quilts with it ever since. The quilts are beautiful, I have seen some. Since he will not have room for it in Florida he decided to sell it and I may have bought something special for ME!

Well, I wrote him a check so I guess I DID buy it! He is including all the accessories he has 

which include the bobbin winder, needles, bobbins, lots of other stuff. He also GAVE us 

(two of my quilty friends went with me to look at it) as much of the fabric as we wanted.

Problem is, it is a FOURTEEN foot table. That's big! And, see that window in the picture? 

That's how it got into his workroom, upstairs, in his shed. It will have to come out the window. 

The turn to the stairwell just isn't big enough for that length. I am considering having it cut down 

to 12 feet, but I am not how complicated that will be.  I am also considering buy a 12 foot table. 

I can probably justify it because the cost to me for his set up is very well worth it.

The other problem is husband went to the field this week and I really don't want to 

stress him any more than he already is by having to figure out how to move it. He hasn't seen it yet. Thankfully, the guy still has a quilt on it that needs to be finished. I told him to take his time since I will need to arrange help and rearrange my house. I am hoping he will be able to wait until June 

since I will be out of school then and things will have slowed down for husband. 

Going from 9 inches of quilting space to 22 inches will be awesome!