Good Bye 2020

 

It's Coming!

 A New Year is right around the corner! A brand new clean calendar! It is up to each one of us what we do with it. Each year I take the same basic goals with a possible extra or two tossed in for good measure. I prefer to use "goals" instead of "resolutions" because I feel that I am taking already important things in my life and putting my focus on strengthening them.

 

1. To make an effort to learn something new everyday. The joy of knowledge is indeed a blessing no matter what you choose to learn.

 

2. To make time for myself. It is amazing what 15 minutes sitting on the deck with a hot cup of coffee and watching the birds can do for my soul. A little time each day to refresh my spirit is all it takes.

 

3. To take time to appreciate each day. Too often we forget to see the beauty around us and take the simple things for granted. My continued goal is to look with my eyes but to see with my heart.

 

4. To enjoy my family and friends. I am lucky to have each one of them in my life.

 

5. To remember. So many people have come and gone from my life over the years and I want to keep their memories alive.

 

6. To keep my faith alive and growing stronger each day.

 

7. Organize and Simplify! Organize does not mean that I have to go on a cleaning spree each day. It just means that I need to get my life in some sort of manageable order so that I am not constantly feeling overwhelmed. Simplify. Just what it says. Stop making a mountain out of a mole hill and take life one day at a time.

 

8.  A Random Act of Kindness. Like so many others, I was raised to do them. Only back then, they were called "manners". I challenge myself to make RAKs a regular part of my days. Whether it be opening a door for someone. Taking a grocery cart back into the store. Buying someone a cup of coffee or just a smile to make someone's day a little brighter.

 

9. To Forgive. Things happen and often we are left with feelings of anger and hurt. Too often the people who cause these feelings don't even know or just don't care. We are the ones left feeling bitter. I will let the past remain in the past and let go of those feelings so that I can move on.

 

10. To use kind words and patience more often. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.

 

And of course, I always add some personal goals just for me.

 

1. To keep the joy in my hobbies.

 

2. To journal more often.

 

3. To spend more time with my stitching

 

4. Keep my blog up to date.

 

5. Take more trips. Even a day trip can refresh the soul.

 

6. Enjoy each day!

 

7. Work on my Stitching Bucket List

 

8. Catch up some of my WIPs

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

What a Year!

 I hope everyone had a nice Christmas. It was quite around here which is the way I like it! The boys are grown now so that early morning excitement has been replaced with sleeping in a little longer. It's just amazing how much better I feel when the Grumpy Ol Gazer is home instead of the hospital!

 

I was asked to show the inside of my journals by Journal Junky over at Etsy. When I have hand cramps, I type out my journal entry and paste it on the page. My journaling drawer got too full so I switched it over to a tote bag (with journals, stickers, adhesives and more) until I can find a bigger drawer!

 

I also wanted to show the covers. You can leave them plain or you can have a quote (or anything else) put on the cover. You can get the inside pages plain or with lines. I like the lined pages.

While catching up some Flosstube programs at YouTube, I watched the most recent one by Hands Across the Sea. One of her recent releases, Cicely Margaret Ingram is such a sweet little design but I knew it was a must have when I saw that Cicely's birthday was the same as mine!

 

One of my birthday deliveries was this stitching frame that I have had my eye on for more than several years. It was too expensive in the past but I found a sale that was just right!

 

I also got a new boom box. My old one was really OLD and just did not work very good. This one is small enough I can leave it by the computer and wear my headphones to listen to some music while I surf the web or bring it out to sit by stitching chair.

 

One of my journaling prompts was "What time of day do you enjoy the most?". I would have to say early mornings. Usually everyone is still asleep and I can enjoy my coffee in peace and quite while catching up online. Even if someone else is awake, they are usually too tired to even acknowledge my early rising so it is still like being the only one up and stirring around.

 

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

From Our Family To Your Family

 

He's On His Way

 

He's Home. Again.

 Thank you to everyone who sent sweet birthday wishes!

 Well, I had my birthday all planned out. I was going to to go down to my LNS with my birthday coupon and go crazy. Then we were going to go out to eat at my favorite place and on the way home, we would stop and I would get my free holiday birthday coffee. None of that happened.

 

Two days before my birthday, the Grumpy Ol Gazer landed back in the hospital.This time it was pneumonia and he was on a ventilator again. Luckily he got home about a week  before Christmas. I did not go the first several days because of freezing rain and I did not want to risk  another fall plus the hospital wanted me to wait for some of his test results to come back. So for my birthday, I ate left overs and just hung out by myself. Life happens. I am glad he is home and well.

 

Several nice books for keeping track of my cross stitch arrived from Amazon and now I get to work on filling them out.

 

I also have some PDF printable stitching record sheets from BlackCrowDigital over at Etsy to help me keep up with my stitching.

 

My journals arrived  this week (Journal Junky at Etsy) and I am over the moon happy with them! I was going to save them to start on for the New Year but I am so thrilled with them, I just couldn't wait! I will probably go ahead and order several more after the first of the year to have on hand!! LOL While letting my old bones heal some more, I set up my journaling drawer so I would have everything at my finger tips when needed!

 

My arms are starting to feel a little better. I have been exercising them about 30 minutes a day to loosen them up. I may just pull out a new start now that the Grumpy Ol Gazer is home.I just don't have stitching concentration while he is in the hospital!

 

I had a list of threads and charts I wanted to get at the LNS on my birthday. Instead, I just ordered them. Not as much fun but I still got what I had wanted except for a few items that were out of stock and I can get later. Several other goodies arrived that I will show off later. Plus there is more to come. Double the fun when your birthday is so close to Christmas!

 

Right now I am SO SO ready for some dull days! LOL

 

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

TODAY!

 

December Rolls On

 I have been having a blast looking up ideas for my 2021 creative journal! It may just be the best one yet! I am looking forward to working on both of them. Writing and creativity has always been a big part of my life. I grew up surrounded by people who were talented in both areas.

 

The bursitis in my shoulders is so much better after the shots but my lower arms are still tight and hard to move. I have been wearing an ace bandage to help out some and switching from a heating pad to ice packs. If it does not get better within several weeks, he told me to come back. But I have been sleeping like a baby thanks to those numbing bandages he gave me for that giant bruise on my back (from that nasty fall).

 

I tried a new recipe the other night. The Grumpy Ol Gazer is on a heart healthy diet now that calls for one day a week with NO meat.  I absolutely loved it and he was surprised at how much he liked it since he did not get too excited about the ingredients. I took two similar recipes and used the ingredients that I liked from both.I call it Greek Pasta.

 

(I seldom measure. I just add until it looks like the right amount)

1. start your angel hair pasta

2. saute onions, green peppers and mushrooms

3. Put #2 in a pot

4. add sundried tomatoes, artichokes (cut up),  black olives, black beans (rinsed and drained) and anything else that makes your mouth water.

5. Drain pasta and toss with olive oil. Serve with toppings and sprinkle feta cheese on top. Serve with garlic bread

 

Because of my arms and the fall, I am taking a break from stitching (and housework) for a while but I am getting everything ready for the first of the year! I have two charts that are up for grabs for the first 2021 stitch!

 

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

Still moving around

 I have had back to back bursitis flares since August and I am really tired of them! I had an appointment for my dr. to give me his magic shot and make this nasty stuff go away. Hopefully I will have full use of my arms in several days! Same rules as last time though. Don't over do too quickly. Do a little, rest, do a little......

 

All of my dr. appointments are taken care of until the end of the month. I don't want to go anywhere else until I am healed and not so stiff and sore from that fall!

 

I had several Happy Mail days since my last post. I got Isabella Fox by Gigi R. and Mahala Barber by Fox and Rabbit Designs. I am not going to buy the fabrics until I see what I have in my stash. I plan to make a birthday trip to my LNS later this month and will pick up the threads then.

 

I really like the Mahala Barber sampler but only the top half. I doubt I stitch the bottom half. If we can switch out colors for ones we like, why can't we stitch only parts of the pattern that we like?

 

Since I have not been able to stitch (or anything else) I have been making my stitching plans for next year. I have more than one WIP but only one that I am determined to get finished in 2021. This piece has been on going for 15 years!!!

 

I have never cooked on Christmas. When the boys were little, I wanted to see every minute of them opening presents and playing with them so I would usually get a big tray of BBQ with all the fixings to snack on all day. The Thanksgiving dinner that I ordered was so good, I decided that I will be ordering our Christmas dinner from Cracker Barrel also. Only this time, it will be my favorite. Chicken and Dumplings with sides.

 

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

Hello December

 They say that bad things happen in three's. The Grumpy Ol Gazer's hospital adventure can easily count as two. The other day I took a nasty tumble on the front porch and have been stiff and sore ever since. Hopefully our bad luck is over for a while now!

 

I made a stitching schedule for 2021. I love to make list but have a bad habit of not sticking to them or changing them around. Hopefully I will do better next year!

 

What are several of your very favorite stitching threads that you keep on hand just in case you want to switch out some colors? I always have a good supply of Gentle Arts Mulberry thread. It just screams the perfect red! A close runner up is Weeks Dye Works Teal Frost. I fell in love with this last one while I was stitching Feliz Navidad by BBD.

 

We had both been craving some Oyster Stew so I made a pot last week. I think I will have to double the recipe from now on! It was definitely GOOD! I found the recipe and picture at Addapinch.com Here is what I used to make it.

 

3 T butter melted

1 cup half and half

3 cups milk

2 cans of oysters (drained)

several splashes of Worcestershire sauce

Cook on low or med. low so the milk does not curdle.

 

With a new year right around the corner, it is time to get a new journal. I found this one over at Etsy in the Journal Junky shop. I bought 2. I keep a basic journal, a creative journal and my blog is my hobby journal.  I am anxious to get them and be ready!

 

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