A few weeks ago whilst changing my machine needle, my daughter came in and asked me to help with her dress zipper, not thinking I placed the needle between my lips whilst using both hands to do up her zipper. She asked a question but as my hands were busy and a needle in my mouth I mumbled a reply. The grunt annoyed my daughter as she did not realise my position. Once done I explained why I could not answer her. Well, she retorted that's a stupid place to hold a needle, what would happen if you were on your own and you swallowed it, quoting the 'Loan Worker Policy.' Why would I swallow it, I asked, do you think I am stupid? Besides, I would telephone you and ask you to come home.
And just how would you be able to do that, she responded, seeing as you would not be able to speak with a needle stuck in your throat!
I thought for a second. Well, I would grunt down the line.
Yeah she said and I would think it was a pervert calling and cut the call.
Well, you will just have to store this conversation won't you, so if you receive a grunting call remember not everything is as it first appears to be!
Yesterday, having spent the morning in the park with my 3 year old granddaughter, after lunch she fell asleep, so I took the opportunity to work on my project knowing she would sleep for at least an hour. I collected the threads and other bits I needed from the beautiful hand painted tins I use to keep bits and pieces tidy, which are arranged in order of size and stacked one upon the other on the quarry stone floor just inside the door of my project room.
There I was engrossed in my work and was just about to change the foot on my machine when the telephone rang. Returning to my work and thinking about the news I had just received, I forgot to change the machine foot or the needle setting, so when I put the machine going the needle hit the wrong foot and 'snap'. Darn it! Turning my head and looking across the hall seeing the little one still sound asleep, without thinking I placed the replacement needle between my lips whilst unscrewing the broken one.
I did not hear Amelia creep into the sewing room, but I did hear the horrendous clatter of tins as they crashed to the floor. I jumped so high, my tummy sank so low and at the same time I took a deep intake of breath. The needle between my lips shot right into my mouth and lodge in the back of my throat.
Seeing the look of both fright and pain on my face, Amelia burst into tears. Clearly given my situation I was unable to verbal comfort her and I knew grunting at her would make the situation worse. Scooping her up into my arms, I ran to the mirror to see if I could pull the needle out, I could just see the red tip but did not dare to attempt removal. I reached for the telephone and immediately dialled my daughter's office. I prayed my daughter would answer the telephone, but knew it was highly unlikely. Some consolation was she has caller display, so who ever answered the call would know it was from home.
Eawww ummm arrrh ooooww a variety of incoherent sounds escaped from my mouth (Yesssss I know you are all laughing now) The secretary repeated several times, I cannot understand you, before I heard her say to my daughter, I think we have a heavy breather on the line, the odd thing is the call is registered to your landline number. My daughter came on the phone, Milly Moo, (pet name) is that you playing with the telephone?
Eawww ummm arrrh ooooww, I started all over again. Milly Moo, My daughter repeated and then impatiently 'Amelia give the telephone to Grandma 'right now' sweetheart!'
Eawww ummm arrrh ooooww I started again and tried hard to make the sound louder with more urgency. A few more verbal exchanges took place before I placed the call on louder speaker.
By this time Milly clearly knew something was wrong with me.
Mummy Mummy, Grandma cannot talk. I knocked Grandma's tins down and there was a loud bang.
Was grandma at her machine when this happened my daughter asked.
Yes Mummy.
Did that make Grandma Jump sweetheart?
Yes it did, I am sorry Mummy I did not mean too.
That is okay Sweetheart, accidents happen.
Mum, my daughter said, have you got a needle stuck in your mouth.
Uhhhh Uhhhhhh I mumbled.
Okay she said I am on my way!
My throat is very sore.
It was very frightening but a lesson learnt!
The moral of the tale is..
Never place a needle in your mouth, not for a second.
states, never put things in ones mouth that one is not supposed to eat and never stick things in your ears. And yes it has learnt me good and proper. lol
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Warm wishes
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Take care and I know I will think of your frightening story if I go to ever do that. I KNOW you will too! Be careful!
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I am glad everything worked out good for you. I am sure it was a lesson well learned. Hugs and blessings, Linda
It is a lesson well learnt, so make yourself a pin cushion to keep by your machine.
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Please don't hold them in your mouth, I, like you have done this all my life. We are just silly.
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Plus she tells me I am naughty, she gets that from hearing her mother's scolding toward me. lol
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If I could have put my hands on the tweezers, I perhaps could have pulled it out myself, but my hands were shaking so much, I was conscious of the fact if I manage to grab hold of it, I may have let it slip or something.
Fortunately my daughter only works 3 miles away, so once the call was made she was here in a jiffi.
Do I detect a note of dis-belief in your tone or is it sarcasm? If so, (forgive me if I appear rude, this is not my intention) I cannot imagine why you would think or to what purpose I fabricate such a terrible situation. Perhaps to collect more flowers! Why, I have a garden full. Oh Perhaps I am attention seeking, if this was the case, surely anyone capable of inventing such a graphic tale could strum up something more interesting or grippingly eventful.
Would you like my daughter to take a photograph of my red and slightly swollen throat and post it here for your perusal?
To answer your slightly mocking questions,
A Yes my mouth was wedge open after I called my daughter for approx 20 minutes or so. (At the time I never thought of starting a stop watch.)
It is not really difficult, try walking round for 20 minutes with your mouth open, perhaps instil a little fear, that should keep it open for longer without any difficulty.
B Why would I want to swallow, there was nothing remotely sweet about the situation which could possible induced salivation.
C When a person is actually quite frightened the mouth tends to dry up. So No I did not drool!
I can think of a few folk I would like to frightened, perhaps then they would dry up!
The only reason I posted this was as I have already said, for many years I like others without thinking have held pins and needles in our mouths, given what occurred I thought it would be helpful/useful to make others aware of the consequences of our thoughtless actions. Given your attitude, I will think twice before posting again!
I hope this has answered your questions
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My unkind daughter is as I type, strolling round the room with her mouth open, pulling the most ugly face and making ridiculous choking noises.
Clearly she finds it amusing. I shall slap her in a moment Rolf
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Thanks for sharing.
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Hugs Dawn
XXX
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I have always placed pins and needles in my mouth, since I was at school, despite being told by my teacher the perils. Would I, did I, listen, clearly No. But I will try hard not to ever do it again.
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Just really glad you are OK. A sore throat is a minor detail compared to what it could have been.
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Thank you for your valuable comment.
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Re: writing horror books. As another hobby, I write short children's stories for family and friends and have them professional printed by an American company, some actually are quite scary. (to children that is) I also created picture books for my family and have them printed too.
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Hugs and kisses right back at you. Thanking for reading this post
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Now I will tell you that as a child, I used to watch my mother, aunts and grandmothers sew all the time. I don't recall ever seeing them with pins or needles in there mouths, but when I was about 2, for some reason, I put a handful of pins in my mouth. Mom caught me and tried to stop me, but I swallowed 15 or 20 of them. She got the remaining ones out of my mouth and off we went to the ER. They did xrays and other various tests, then told mom that the pins seemed to be going through ok, so to give me a laxative and wait for the pins to come out. Eventually they all did! Honestly I don't remember any of this, but have been told over and over about it. I suppose I was extrememly lucky! I know from then on that none of the sewers in the family put pins and needles in their mouths-just to keep me from seeing it and copying.
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What will you do, so that you don't put them in your mouth unconsciously?
I am not trying to be mean, but you might have to do something like putting a little piece of masking tape (which can be easily and painlessly removed), on your mouth, so that you remember not to place them there. Just till putting them on the pin cushion, or a little box, or somewhere becomes a habit.
I have done it myself, I shall try not to do it ever ever again.
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I used to push them into my bed or into a sofa if I was working there, but I learned the hard way not to do that. I'm so glad I didn't have a water bed or one of those air mattresses! ;)
I actually made a wrist pin cushion by hand yesterday, it is not top notch, but good enough to do the job. If it is on my wrist, I am sure I shall remember to use it, the only reason I place pins in my mouth is because I always leave my magnet pin tidy on the cutting table. I saw a beautiful design for a wrist pin cushion on here somewhere, it looked almost like a little pumpkin, but I would not know how to make it, so oppted for a simple round circle on elastic, will do the job and thats all that matters..
I also used to stick pins in the arm of the sofa, then would forget and sit on them, so they became embedded in the arm lol
I actually made a wrist pin cushion by hand yesterday, it is not top notch, but good enough to do the job. If it is on my wrist, I am sure I shall remember to use it, the only reason I place pins in my mouth is because I always leave my magnet pin tidy on the cutting table. I saw a beautiful design for a wrist pin cushion on here somewhere, it looked almost like a little pumpkin, but I would not know how to make it, so oppted for a simple round circle on elastic, will do the job and thats all that matters..
I also used to stick pins in the arm of the sofa, then would forget and sit on them, so they became embedded in the arm lol
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