Excited Jabber

Busy weekend! Sunny Days! Cold weekend! We stayed on the go with our usual errands plus a few extras. It felt good to get back into our regular habits since this was really the first weekend Harold was back out running around with me full force since his hospital episode. The temps stayed on the chilly side and the wind that accompanied it was one to cut right through you. Brrrrrr. Thank goodness that wonderful sunshine knocked off some of the chill.

Last Christmas, Harold found an LNS to buy part of my gifts at. I was thrilled to find out there was a shop within a decent range of us and have been wanting to go ever since. He finally took me down there this weekend! I was one happy gal. The ladies there are wonderful and the shop is perfect with everything I could dream of wanting and more. Their framing section was a dream come true. The prices didn't make my mouth drop open in shock and the selection of mouldings was too good to be true! They are framing up some of my pieces and I hope to get back in several weeks! I even let them order several charts for me. Gives me a good reason to go back again! I can definitely see this LNS becoming a regular part of my life and I couldn't be happier! By no means do I intend to abandon my online shops but for now I am basking in the happiness of being able to fondle and wallow among all the goodies of a real life LNS.

While at the LNS, I noticed they had a wonderful selection of scisssors and as a lot of you know, I have wanted to add these to my collections of sewing items so I took the plunge and came home with these! I always say that once I have 3 of something, I have a collection so I went the full mile on starting this collection! I can't wait to add to it! In case you can't see, I got the Owl, Witch and Tudor Rose all by Kelmscott.

At the LNS, I noticed they had a framed sample of AAFG on their wall. I showed it to Harold and he thought I wanted it. I just laughed (because I would have loved to have taken theirs home with me) and told him that I was working on that piece. He was sort of taken back by the size of it! Wow, so was I when I saw their finished and framed piece!

I told Harold how much I appreciated being able to get all that framing done since this was the first framing I have had done in a long long time but I wouldn't be doing that all the time. I would continue to frame some of my things and then take certain things to the shop for framing. He liked the idea and I think I saw him secretly pat his wallet as if to reassure it all would be ok. lol.

While we were out, I saw a frame for Independent Mind but didn't get it. I should have gotten it but I think I will wait until it is complete since I am bad about setting things aside for long periods.

Thanks so much for stopping by to see me again! Your visits and comments always brighten my day! Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

Where Did The Sun Go?

While setting up my new 15 drawer organizer, I was happily surprised to see that I have much more fabric than I thought. I still need a few pieces though. Never enough fabric! Here is a picture of my organizer. Not as good a picture as Vonna's but mine is in a cramped little corner of our bedroom. On either side, you can see quilting rulers, mats and frames. On top are storage boxes that contain kitted charts, charts for trading or not yet kitted and extras like ribbon, doilies, lace, ect. Now I need a stitching stand and my very own craft room!

Our wonderful sunny days have disappeared! We are in the midst of cloudy, rainy, foggy days again! Ugh! I. want. my. sunshine. back. Now! I am so tired of wet and cold days! And so is our squishy yard. I don't think the poor ol' ground can hold anymore water!

Harold went in for his last follow up visit yesterday. The doctor released him from using oxygen during the day but he still has to use it at night. He was allowed to go back to work but with restrictions (which is what I had predicted for him) and he will have another test in a week to see if he can do without night oxygen as well.

Thanks for stopping by! I also enjoy your visits.

Signs of Spring

I want to apologize about the past several posts I have made. I know they have been downers because they even depressed me when I went back to read them again! I have had time to rest up some and that "bug" is getting better so I finally feel a little energy coming back. *grin* As for Harold, he is still on Home Health Care but as I have told him, I really think it is only a temporary thing. This whole ordeal has been a wake up call for him and he has quit smoking also. I did tell him to be prepared for some restrictions from the doctors at his follow up but all in all, I think everything will turn out better than he is expecting.

Our snow melted away quickly which was fine with me. It was a pretty surprise and I love the white stuff but I just don't care if it hangs around like I did when I was younger. Here today, gone tomorrow is good by me.

The piece I had started on (and got very little done on) was put aside for now. I just couldn't get the *feel* of it. I still like the design and hope to pick it back up at a later date. For now I am working on another WIP and will post a picture after I get enough progress under my belt.

As I have said before, I want to pack up and move to Hawk Run Hollow! Especially now that I have had a sneak peek of Autumn there! But why can't I start stitching these pieces? Is it the size or just the overall commitment to such a large piece? I have thought of doing it over one on 28 count which would cut the size back a lot. Then I have thought of only my favorite blocks from each one. Maybe doing a long table runner type piece. How about doing each block as it's own separate piece. And then again, maybe I am just thinking about it all too much and should just dive in and get my feet wet with HRH glory!

I have bluebirds building nests in my birdhouses out back! They are always early birds about this and I am surprised they waited this long to start but I am thrilled because last year they just passed my houses over and I had no baby blues to enjoy. When moma and daddy fly away for a break from the kiddies, I am able to sneak over and lift the lid for a better peak. Of course, I always knock first. One year I forgot to knock and Daddy Blue almost flew into my face. Don't think badly of me for doing this. The Bluebird Society even recommends monitering the babies for abandonment or preditors (and count), I never stay around long and they build the sides up so high, there is no way those darlings can fall out. I always put out my leftover floss from projects to help out with the building so it's fun to see my contributions mixed into the nest walls.

Thanks so much for stopping by and listening to me yack away again. I always enjoy your visits. Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

Weekend Surprise

I thought I might be able to get a little stitching in since getting Harold back home but a very little is exactly what I have done so far! Between waiting on Harold, catching up around the house and trying to take care of a bug I caught (probably during one of my many visits to the hospital) I just haven't had time to do much. I was able to finish one tiny bird on the WIP if that helps any. lol. So many pieces have birds on them, it would be impossible to guess.

Harold has several doctor follow up appointments next week and we will probably know more by the end of the month whether Home Health Care will be permanent or just a temporary fixture around our house. I know he is scared but I keep telling him to think positive. He would have to give up his astronomy trips and I would have to give up my day/weekend trips (which I'm not ready to do). For now he is taking some time off work until we know a little more.

I have added a few things to my wishlist and hope to add some more to my trade list by the end of the month! I am getting excited by the few sneak peeks I have seen for Market this month. I will have to be very selective though.

Look what we woke up to! I wasn't ready for ice but a nice snow is always a fun surprise! I was able to get my errands done before it arrived and I even managed to remember to pick up some birdfood for my little backyard sweeties.

Thank you to my wonderful friends for all your comments of care and concern. They really do mean so much to me. Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

Back Home

Thank you again to everyone who wished Harold well (and me too) during his hospital stay. He is back home now. It seems like he was up there forever. He is not 100% well but is on the mend. For now, Home Health Care has come in and set up a few things he will need and he goes in to see the doctor in a week to 10 days for another evalution.

Hopefully I can pick up some stitching tonight and relax. Not much other news on this side of the world right now. For now I am exhausted and will just take the day to do nothing.

Have a lovely day and thanks for stopping by.

Wet and Messy Friday

No new starts for me just yet and the reason will become apparent on into the post. I promised myself that I would not start another big stitch until I had finished at least one of the two big pieces currently in progress. I know what I want my next biggie to be. Now, can I really hold off?

I wish I could say that it looked like it would be another not so eventful weekend. Several family members have been sick, including Harold. It started out yesterday morning when he woke me up while getting ready for work and told me he was dizzy and had a fever so I told him to call in and stay home sick. He had bouts of fever and chills all day but around 3:30 in the afternoon, he began having breathing problems and they only got worse as the day progressed. By 9pm I was begging him to let me call an ambulance (as you remember we did this same thing several months ago and for the same reason). My pleas and watchful eye were only making him more aggitated thus making his problem worse so I went on to bed knowing he would come for me if needed. Sure enough, about midnight he came in and woke me from my very light sleep and I called the ambulance. We were in ER until the wee morning hours before they decided to keep him overnight and sent me on home. I got a needed (but hardly enough) several hours sleep. I will know sometime today whether they are letting him come home or keeping him another day. Depending on today, the doctor even said that Harold may need to take some time off from work. All I know is that it will take me the remainder of the weekend to catch up on my rest just from yeterday's broo-ha-ha.

I will leave you with a close up of AAFG in progress. I hope you have a wonderful weekend and thanks for stopping by. Until next time may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

Slushy Monday

I don't know that I have a lot of news or anything exciting to share. It's been cold. Then it turned warm. I stitched. Then it got cold again - real cold. Before the snow and ice arrived on Friday, we went grocery shopping. I picked up some more DMC - a major haul this time. I stayed warm and cozy indoors all weekend and I stitched except for the several times I ventured out to refill the feeders for the birds.

The weather people are already predicting several more winter storms for us in the upcoming week. Sleet on Tuesday and another winter mix next weekend. Of course, weather forecasts change day to day or even hour to hour so we really won't know until something (if anything arrives).

While I was out doing errands before the winter storm, I picked up several more tomato pin cushions. Now I can accommodate all my pins and even sort them. I love these. But my favorite one is my oldest one and is a well worn soft velvety red tomato (at the far right). I also picked up some more pins to fill them up with and some foam board.

I went through my stash again. I have all my designs boxed up into the following categories 1. Definitely to do 2. Finished and/or no longer interested 3. I can't decide whether to keep it or not. I finally went through that last category and really made myself decide what to keep and what to say good bye to. I have added some more designs to my trade blog. I know there are some other AIDA stitchers out there besides myself and I have some 14ct. up for trade on the blog as well. I mainly use 18ct. and Hardanger now.

I worked on "A Mind..." last week. I am still on the zig zaggy divider. It is coming along but not as quickly as I had hoped. As I said before, I really want to wait until the divider is complete before posting another progress picture. After the divider is finished, it should be smooth sailing. Believe it or not, I have really wondered about leaving the top alphabet and divider off completely and just going on from there. Hmmm. I guess I would always know but it's not like I haven't done stuff like that before to make it a little easier on me. *tapping finger on my chin*
It seems that so many people have theme walls for their stitching. Adam and Eve wall, sampler wall, mermaid wall and the list goes on. I like this idea but I wonder how long it would take me to fill up all the walls I would like to do. Better yet do I have enough empty wall space to accommodate all the themes I have in mind so for now everything goes up as it is ready then later as my wall(s) begin to get full, I will begin to think about seperating it all into themes. LOL. Best not put the cart ahead of the horse!

Thanks for stopping by! Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.