Cindy Peters - An Appreciation (or two)by Helen Howes | |||||||
| In 2016, at the kind and very generous invitation of Bill Holman, I went to America to attend the River Rat TOGA, in Lake City, Minnesota. The whole 10 days was a revelation, a huge culture shock, and enormous fun. And I got to spend a couple of days with Cindy Peters. We had been business counterparts across the Pond for some years, sending each other customers for old sewing machine supplies, corresponding and amusing each other... When I took on the Treadleon website (that's this one, folks) after the Captain retired from running it, we moved the email list to Yahoo, and then, with much relief, to Groups.io. So, we got to chatter, travel all over Minnesota in her amazingly ramshackle mini-van, eat breakfast together, sit on her veranda and watch the pelicans fly past. I stayed in an honest-to-goodnes Motel! I got to see her Sewing Machine Collection, and we had supper in a cafe full of incredibly polite Harley-Davison riders... And I got to attend the River Rat, which was just such fun. I'm sorry she's gone, but while we all mend, sew with, and enjoy our People-powered machines, her memory will remain fresh. Thanks for everything, darling.. Rest well, and keep on sewing in heaven And, from Mea Clift The first time I met Cindy in person was the first time I came to Minnesota. We had a wonderful cruise on the Pearl of the Lake, drank coffee, then had lunch at the Rail House. She showed me the collection in her front room. Each machine in that room had a wonderful story, and you just saw her eyes twinkle when she told each one. It was such an incredible moment. I was really hoping for more of those moments, once I moved out here, but it seems that isn't to be. Cindy brought me into a whole new family- one that I didn't know that I truly needed, but now whom I can't live without. That's all of you, RiverRats, Junkies, and Treadle Onions. You're a family that have touched my heart, and who I look forward to seeing at the TOGA every year more than I look forward to going back east for Christmas. You are all so wonderful, we have such a great time, and I don't want to see that end. Because of that, I've already taken the liberty to reach out to Pastor Dave, and confirm that we are still a go for this year's RiverRat TOGA as scheduled. Its absolutely what Cindy would want, and at that TOGA we can decide how the RiverRat Toga goes from here. So please put on your calendar Sept 26-29 for this year's TOGA, if it wasn't on your calendar already. I also want to keep the Junkies lunches, sew ins, and other social opportunities open as well, if you all are amenable. As I'm sure she did for so many others reading this, Cindy lit the fire of treadles in my heart, and made people powered machines one of my great passions. Her desire to help all of us with advice, encouragement, and quality supplies will always be a standard I hope to live up to as we continue on with life without her. But she will always be in my heart, on all of my machines, and in all of my posts, activities, and projects. I hope that for all of us that is the case, and that we will "Keep calm and Treadle On" not only because of our own passion, but to continue her legacy in keeping our wonderful machines working, running, and sewing. Love and Light to you all. |