It should be cool by then. lol Are you going to start a have and wanted list for the swap, Sylvia? I'd like to start potting things that I know someone wants. I dug up a couple of vitex seedlings the other day.

That is an amazing pool!

I've sewn on both a White portable that died last year from the 40's and my grandmother's rotary in mahogany cabinet with no reverse on it that got sold when she had a house sale I didn't know about. I think your machine either needs a good tune up or a new bobbin case (case is relatively inexpensive). You could also have a bit of thread in the case track..try running non-waxed dental floss through it and through the threading path pulling downward from the spool pin. My other thought is are you using a different brand thread than you normally use, and I hope you are not using glazed hand quilting thread in the machine. You should look at other brands and try the machines out like you are doing now. Janome and Kenmore made by Janome are decent machines...I have a Kenmore 19365 I love to sew with. I went from a flatbed to a portable with the same adjustment you face without much of a problem and older like you with wind in place bobbin that took me a while to learn. With any new machine, read the manual from page 1 to find out what's going on. Some manufacturers have manuals you can download to read beforehand to get a better idea of what the machine will do. The nice thing with new machines is the free arm you have available for doing cuffs and small areas with storage in the bed that is on the machine. The new meachines also have an automatic needle threader that's wonderful for "mature eyes" and a plexiglass table surround to give you more area should you need it. I also used the top of the old Kenmore cabinet to sew on until the Kenmore and blonde cabinet went in the dumpster, then it was on the dining room table. You can still keep your well-loved cabinet to sew on and use underneath for storage like I did.

In my area, the northwest, prices start at about $1,500 for 5 hours of coverage and go up to over $3,000 for all day coverage by a husband and wife team. For those prices you get an album. Most photographers today place the proofs on-line so that family and friends from all over the country can order directly without having to wait to see proofs. If you consider hiring a photographer that works in a studio with others, be sure that you see actual samples of the work of that photographer. The best shots will be on the walls, in sample albums, etc. but they may not have been taken by the person that you are considering hiring. In this area we don't pay extra for photographer's helpers. They are optional. I often fill in as a helper if needed. If a photographer chooses to bring a helper, they usually pay that person out of what you pay them.