It's Summer Again

Oh, how wonderful the weather was the first part of  the week! I have even been wearing a sweater in the mornings and evenings!  I took advantage of it and went outside to clean out some bird feeders and houses so they would be ready for this Autumn. While I was able to get outside and do a few things, I cleared off places for my blackberry bush, blueberry bush and butterfly bush.

Of course all good things must come to an end and so did our Fall preview! It got hot and humid again and I just didn't really want to get out in that!  The Grumpy Ol Gazer mentioned one evening that "we haven't had real food in a while. Just quick to fix dinners." Well, like I tell him every Summer, it just gets too hot when the oven is going along side of the outdoor heat! But I caved and fixed one of my favorites the other night. Notice I said "one of MY favorites"! I made my mother's recipe for stuffed peppers which I always loved, some steamed squash and a garden salad.

I do love my hoops and just can't stitch without one. I usually get the German Hoops and they are very good quality with no splintering. I have been wanting a square hoop though and it finally arrived! I love stitching with it!

A Sister's Garden by La D Da is coming along nicely too. I am really enjoying this piece. Such a pleasure to stitch on!  I am stitching her on Aida 18ct. Khaki that I got from My Vintage Needlearts over at Etsy! She has some beautiful colors but I think I will getting more of the Khaki!

I got so involved in A Sister's Garden that I forgot to work on AAFG. It's not going anywhere so I can pick it up later on. I hope everyone has a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

Until next time may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

I'm Late. I'm Late.

I am late with my post out of laziness. I kept forgetting to take the pictures I needed. We had a week of big thunderstorms each evening. I love when it rains at night. I sleep so good! Back on topic, after all that rain we are now having a week long preview of Fall weather! Love it! After taking a break from stitching over last weekend, I decided to start the week off with a new start but my threads had not arrived.

I spent the first several days working on AAFG. I am almost finished with section 8! Only 5 more sections to go! Maybe I will finish it up by the end of the year (no promises) if I stick with it. A reader suggested that after I finish with it, I could coffee stain it to hide those old age stains! Good idea!

I usually like to begin my infusion project about the time I go in to see the doctor which won't be until mid November so I have plenty of time for a new start.  I decided to do something smaller and on the simple side so I chose A Sister's Garden by La D Da so it does not cross over into the infusion project. The colors are so pretty. Hopefully I will start on it soon.

On the home front, I noticed that my wild rose is blooming again! Our oldest has taken over the yard work and he keeps my bushes trimmed back nicely. Of course my Grandma would probably have a heart attack if she knew how he does it -- with a machete! But it works! LOL.

He trimmed my pyracantha bushes way back. We actually thought they were dead (which is why he trimmed them back) but they are coming back and hopefully they will have some yummy berries for the birds this Fall.

I am already planning my garden for next year. I have a blueberry bush, blackberry bush (both self pollinating) and a butterfly bush ordered. The Grumpy Ol Gazer said "but the birds will get all the berries" Exactly! And I am already looking at tomato plants along with several other veggies and fruits to put out.

I have stayed indoors as much as possible lately since we have had some terrible heat and air quality warnings.

Until next time may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

HAPPY DANCE

Creation Sampler is a finish! Yea! I can now consider this infusion project #5. I finished minutes before my I posted my blog. Below is my final picture (excuse the wrinkles). What you don't see is the second bird at the bottom and I have also added the year under my initials. I prefer to work on just one piece at a time but once in a while I will make an exception and work on two but no more.

I had planned to start a piece earlier this week but with errands and some left over side effects from the last infusion I did not pick up any stitching. I did go through my stash and kitted up designs that had not been kitted yet. I always like knowing that I can just pull a design out and be ready to stitch.

I realized that there are less than 5 months left in this year and I really have not stitched that much! Well, I have stitched but few finishes. I decided to make a plan for the remainder of this year and take it on into next year.

I pulled out And A Forest Grew by Rosewood Manor. This is my longest running WIP to date! I try to work some on it at least once a year but one of my plans will be to TRY to work on this piece at least two days a week until I finish it (good intentions). It has been stained over the years from taking it out and putting it back up. I will have to decide how to work around these battle scars.

Do you have any WIPs? What is your longest running WIP and how long how you been working on it?

Until next time may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

Day After Day

It's raining. It's pouring. The old man is snoring. Bumped his head. Went to bed and didn't get up till morning. We used to sing this as kids whenever it would rain. I do love a good rain shower! It just makes everything feel new.

I spent the first part of the week getting ready for the family get together! Babies from my wild rose. Potted and given out to happy cousins!

We had a great time and it was so nice to see everyone again! Cousins can be so silly! LOL

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Creation Sampler is moving right along now that I have come to the words. There was a deer beside of Adam but I left it off so that I could put my initials on it.

I have been thinking that I may enter a cross stitch piece or two in one of the county fairs around here next Fall (2020). Give me time to get some special stitches done. I have never thought about doing this before and it just hit me like a lightning bolt! Why haven't I and why don't I do it!!!!!!

I had my last infusion for this round so I am done with that until December!

I have to play in my stash at least once a week. It is just fun to visit all the wonderful designs I can't wait to work on! I ran across Margaret Cottam by La D Da. Now how did I forget about her?? I have Part One and Part Three. Where did Part Two disappear to? OMG! After a quick panic I realized that Part Two was stuck to Part One! Whew! She will definitely have to go on the priority list! This picture is not my work. It is from the La D Da website.

After I finish my current stitching I really need to get busy working on my Stitching Bucket List. These are designs I have wanted to do for so long and I even have planned where to hang them on the walls! It is time to make them stop waiting! The hard part is that I keep seeing all of these other beautiful samplers that I want to add to my stash! I need a blindfold! LOL

Until next time may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

TWO JULIAs

Our family is full of stories and story tellers. I love to hear these stories over and over. I never tire of them! Let me share a story with you this time (told to me by my Aunt) instead of my stitching.

Thomas Casey Westall and Andrew Henson Westall were half brothers. The same father, William Brittain Westall but different mothers. There were many other children but I am going to focus on these two. They lived in Yancey County, NC.

Thomas was the older of the two and Andrew adored his big brother. Thomas married first and Andrew followed suit a bit later. Thomas and his wife had a number of children. One of which was Julia Elizabeth Westall.

When Andrew and his wife had a little girl, he asked his big brother if he could name the baby girl after his daughter. Her name was Julia Ann Westall.

The two Julias were first cousins and Julia Ann went on to become my great grandmother. She passed away when I was 5 but I still remember her well. I remember their house. I remember her weak laugh (because she was quite old by then). I remember how I would lean in gently to hug her like she was a precious china doll. Her funeral was the first one I had ever been to and I remember being fussed over to look just perfect. I remember being told to act well mannered and polite. A pretty big memory for such a little girl!

Julia Elizabeth, the older cousin, married and moved away from Yancey County. She was later to become a mother. The mother of Thomas Wolfe, the author, who wrote many novels such as You Can't Go Home Again and Look Homeward, Angel.

Until next time may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.