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Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T08:20:00.002-05:00

This is the same post I make at the end of each year with a few changes here and there to suit the time of my life. It may get old to some but it works for me.

A New Year is right around the corner! A brand new clean calendar! It's up to each one of us what we do with it. Each year I make the same 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 every day. The joy of knowledge is indeed a blessing no matter what you choose to learn.

2. To make time for myself. It's 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 in life for granted. My continued goal is to look with my eyes but to see with my heart. To simply enjoy life and all that is a part of it.

4. To enjoy my family and friends. I am lucky to have each and every one of them in my life. I have been blessed with so many online friends and each day I am grateful for each one of you! My online stitching and blogging friends are a very important part of my life!

5. Organize and Simplify! Two key words I always yearn to make a part of my everyday routine but often lose focus on. Organize doesn't mean I have to go on a cleaning rampage each day. It just means I need to get my life and things that are a part of my life in some of manageable order so that I feel comfortable instead of constantly overwhelmed. Not putting things off until the last minute can contribute greatly to this cause! Simplify! Just what it means - plain and simple! Stop making a mountain out of a mole hill, do what I can and leave the rest, don't volunteer for more than I feel I can handle or feel will stress me out!

6. To Remember. So many people have come and gone from my life over the recent years and I want to keep their memory alive.

7. To keep my faith alive and strong.

8. The past several years have been horrible for us and have only continued to get worse. Changing things will be hard and will not happen immediately but I am determined to get our lives on track again.

9. To Forgive. Things happen that cause hurt, anger and resentment but often the people who cause these emotions don't care. We are the ones left with bitter feelings that only mount up and make us more and more miserable. I will let the past remain in the past and let go of these feelings so that I can move on with my life.

10. To use kind words and practice patience more often. I will try to live by the good old standard saying "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."

And of course the New Year just wouldn't be complete without a few just plain fun goals!

1. Take more trips. Even day trips can be fun.

2. No pressure. Keep the fun and joy in stitching. This is why I started in the first place! I actually have several special projects planned for this year but will keep them a secret until I start.

3. Work on some WIPs I have been neglectful of. Each stitch on them brings me a little closer to a finish!

4. I also have a lot of freebies, smalls and magazine patterns I have been wanting to stitch.

5. Take more pictures.

Have a safe New Year's Eve! Thanks for stopping by! Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

Taking a Moment

2011-12-21T07:25:00.003-05:00

I was asked about a comment on my last post. If I enjoyed smalls and pillows, why did I stop doing them and only stitching larger framed pieces? Good question and very easy to answer. When my boys were younger, they would use my smalls to throw around the house at each other while playing. The pillows were often used when they would crash on the couch for a quick nap. I always felt like I was trying to rescue my tiny treasures and then I would end up cleaning them over and over again so I decided framing was the safe bet answer and I sort of got into a habit with it. Boys!

I was going to start Favorite Spot Sampler over the weekend but decided to put a few more stitches in Parson Brown by NFF first. He was sitting in my basket and begging for a little attention. I have actually gotten quite a bit done on him in the past several days. I did change several colors just for the sake of my decor. I hope to have him finished by the end of the year then I will pick up Favorite Spot Sampler. I can just see Poor Maidens, Parson Brown and Favorite Spot Sampler in a group together! I'm not sure how I will finish them yet but I can cross that bridge when I come to it! It's been a busy several days with no camera time but I will get a picture of it soon to post!

I knew I would fall behind on my daily blogging but my intentions are good. Thanks for stopping by again. I always enjoy your visits and comments. Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

Morning After

2011-12-18T07:16:00.007-05:00

Thank you to everyone for the sweet and special birthday wishes. I had a very nice day. DH and I had a few left over errands to take care of and then it was time for some birthday fun!

First we went out to lunch for a super sized burger. Then he took me to the LNS and I picked up several items for my stash! The Green Santa and Black Santa by BOAF and Favorite Spot Sampler by PSS. After I saw the Spot Sampler finished off at the LNS, I knew I would have a new start this weekend so I came home and got everything kitted up for it.

I had yet another realization. I love samplers, no doubt and I certainly don't want to give up on them but I also love smalls. I used to do a lot of smalls. I enjoyed stitching them and finishing them off. They are fun, quick and satisfying. I love baskets and bowls filled with wonderful things. I enjoy stitched pillows, too. I have been working on bigger pieces and only framing. Time to spread my wings again and savor it all!

This is Christmas week and I'm sure everyone will be holiday busy! Enjoy yourself and the season! Thanks for stopping by again.

Short and Sweet

2011-12-16T08:18:00.003-05:00

Our weather has been really wonky for the month of December. We have gone from freezing temps back up to early Spring like weather. Then it has continued to bounce around.

Today is our errand day. Grocery shopping and more. Since tomorrow is my birthday, I want to get everything finished off today so I can do whatever I want on my day.

I hope everyone has a lovely day. Thank you for stopping by! It's always nice to get a visit from my friends!

It Was Bound To Happen

2011-12-14T09:11:00.001-05:00

I have decided that I have too much! Too many lists, too many plans and way too many ideas rolling around my mind! These are all good things but when they begin to knock heads with one another it can get very confusing and frustrating! So, it's time to downsize the clutter in my mind! I am keeping my 2012 challenges and several ideas that I just like way to much to turn my back on. That's it for 2012 plans!

I knew it would happen sometime during the month. I missed a day of blogging! I just hoped that I could hold on a little longer and post each day but life happens. The past several days have been busier than usual and I was finding the time just to check my emails. Oh well. I did good for awhile and I can still shoot for more regular posts.

DH is on Christmas vacation and will have the better part of the month off. I am so glad to have him home. Just having him around is calming and makes the world feel right.

I hope everyone has a wonderful December day!

Surprises!

2011-12-12T10:17:00.005-05:00

Seems that I am posting later than usual today and will probably be so the rest of the week. Finals week for DS so he is using the main computer a lot more than usual.

When I posted yesterday I thought it was going to be just another ho hum day of trying to get these computer programs straightened out again. When DH got up, he asked if I found the package he brought in. Package? What package? After I saw the return address, I tore into the cardboard delight! It was just what I needed! A tin of Edgar's yummy Christmas candy! I don't who was more thrilled - me, DH or our two bottomless pits! Thank you again Edgar! If you have never visited his blog, you must stroll on over and see his beautiful stitching!

While going through some Christmas ornaments, I came across several special ones. The gold Elvis. Tacky in it's own way but it was a joke gift from my Dad one year. I have always loved Elvis and my dad liked to tell a story of when I was about 4 years old. I was so terribly in love with The King back then that when I heard his music, I would run through the house screaming his name then in a fit of exhaustion I would throw myself on the floor and just sob. lol. A little dramatic but hey, I was in love! lol. No picture of it because the camera refused to focus on it properly. I guess Elvis was wiggling his hips too much! lol.

The second ornament was another gift from my dad. It's a Hallmark ornament that looks like a radio. When you press a button, my dad's recorded voice sends us his Christmas greeting. I tried to hear his voice but the batteries were dead. I remember his voice. Strong and vibrant but I wanted to actually hear it again! DH went out and picked up some batteries after I had expressed my dismay. Now I have a part of my dad with me for the holidays again!

I hope everyone has a wonderful day and finds their own suprises that will bring a smile!

Not Much

2011-12-11T07:55:00.003-05:00

In keeping with my December bloggiing challenge, I will make a post this morning. I do wish I had alot of fun things to write about but unfortunately.....

I spent the better part of last night working with some programs on our computer that just don't seem to want to co-operate and I am still feeling frustrated because of it! I will try again today.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday with lots of holiday joy.

Looking Back

2011-12-10T07:39:00.003-05:00

Sunday, December 10, 1950

Top News Headlines This Week:

Dec 10 - 1st black American awarded Nobel Peace Prize - Ralph J Bunche Dec 10 - Ralph J Bunche (1st black American) presented Nobel Peace Prize Dec 11 - Baseball owners vote 9-7 not to renew Commissioner Chandler's contract Dec 11 - Hindemiths Concerto for clarinet, premieres Dec 12 - 16th Heisman Trophy Award: Vic Janowicz, Ohio State (HB) Dec 12 - Baseball owners vote to drop 4-year old bonus & high school rule

Top Songs for 1950

Mona Lisa by Nat King Cole Goodnight, Irene by Weavers with Gordon Jenkins,
Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy by Red Foley I Can Dream, Can't I? by Andrews Sisters,
The Tennessee Waltz by Patti Page, The Thing by Phil Harris,
The Third Man Theme by Anton Karas (also Guy Lombardo) If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake by Eileen Barton, All My Love by Patti Page Harbor Lights by Sammy Kaye

1950 Prices

Bread: $0.14/loaf Harry S. Truman
Milk: $0.82/gal
Eggs: $0.70/doz
Car: $1,750
Gas: $0.27/gal
House: $14,500
Stamp: $0.03/ea
Avg Income: $3,815/yr
Min Wage: $0.75/hr

People born on December 10
1952 - Susan Hallock Dey Illinois, actress (1st Love, Partridge Family, LA Law)
1830 - Emily Dickinson Amherst MA, poet (Collected Poems)
1914 - Dorothy Lamour [Mary Kaumeyer] New Orleans LA, actress (Road to Bali, Greatest Show on Earth)

On TV in 1950
Time for Beany Truth or Consequences The Alan Young Show
The Ed Sullivan Show The Burns and Allen Show

Hot New Toys in 1950
Little People Clue

(taken from www.dmarie.com)

A Christmas Legend

2011-12-09T05:49:00.001-05:00

The Story Of The Christmas Robin

The Christmas night was extremely cold and a cold breeze blew constantly into the stable where Mother Mary lay with her infant, Jesus. The fire in the stable, the only source of heat for the baby, was about to go off and all that Mary could do was call the surrounding animals for help. She asked the sleeping ox, lazy donkey, horse and the sheep, but they were either of no use or just refused to help. Suddenly, Mary heard the flapping sound of wings. A robin had heard Mother Mary's cry for help and had flown to the stable to help her out. The robin flapped his wings hard at the dying embers of fire until the fire was rekindled and became bright red. He fanned continuously, flapping hard so that the fire never went out and kept the baby warm. To ensure that the fire stayed alive, the robin used his beak and dropped some dry sticks in the fire. This caused the fire to rise abruptly and it burnt the breast of the bird. Despite the burns that he received, the bird didn't bother and continued fanning so that the infant could be kept warm for long enough to sleep comfortably. Mother Mary heartily thanked the robin for his efforts and tenderly looked at his breast that was now red with the burns and blessing him for his deed of valor and selflessness.

Rethinking the Plan

2011-12-08T05:48:00.002-05:00

I have signed up for two more SALs listed on my sidebar. After I looked at the list, I got a little bit jumpy. What have I done? I pulled out the stitching list that I made for 2012 and looked over it. It is a long list but I have to remember that it's just a list. Not a promise written in blood.

I am confident that I have figured out what I will be doing and how I will work the rotations. For now, I feel like it's a good plan.

WIPocalypse 2012 - I will work on The Mother's Tree a week a month until finished then pick up another WIP.

Oldest UFO - I will work on AAFG by Rosewood Manor a week a month until finished.

Elizabeth Hancock - I will work on this piece a week a month until finished.

TUSAL - No problems. No worries. Just a picture once a month.

LHN Ornament - This is more of an incentive to get me working on some of these ornaments I have wanted to do as I can. This is a No Stress SAL so I won't stress out!

These will be my focus pieces for now. As I said before, I know I won't be able to resist the new start bug every so often. I went through my stitching basket, cleaned it out and set up everything I would need when I am ready to begin!

Thank you for stopping by again! Have a wonderful day!

Bizzare December Holidays

2011-12-07T06:29:00.001-05:00

December is . . . . Hi Neighbor Month, National Stress Free Family Holiday Month, Bingo's Birthday Month, and Read A New Book Month

December 1 is . . . . . National Pie Day and Eat A Red Apple Day
December 2 is . . . . . National Fritters Day
December 3 is . . . . . National Roof-Over-Your-Head Day
December 4 is . . . . . Wear Brown Shoes Day
December 5 is . . . . . National Sacher Torte Day
December 6 is . . . . . National Gazpacho Day and Mitten Tree Day
December 7 is . . . . . National Cotton Candy Day
December 8 is . . . . . Take It In The Ear Day
December 9 is . . . . . National Pastry Day
December 10 is . . . . Festival For The Souls Of Dead Whales
December 11 is . . . . National Noodle Ring Day
December 12 is . . . . National Ding-A-Ling Day
December 13 is . . . . Ice Cream and Violins Day
December 14 is . . . . National Bouillabaisse Day
December 15 is . . . . National Lemon Cupcake Day
December 16 is . . . . National Chocolate Covered Anything Day
December 17 is . . . . Underdog Day and National Maple Syrup Day
December 18 is . . . . National Roast Suckling Pig Day
December 19 is . . . . Oatmeal Muffin Day
December 20 is . . . . Games Day
December 21 is . . . . Look At The Bright Side Day, National Flashlight Day,

National French Fried Shrimp Day, and Hamburger Day
December 22 is . . . . National Date-Nut Bread Day
December 23 is . . . . Roots Day
December 24 is . . . . National Egg Nog Day
December 25 is . . . . National Pumpkin Pie Day
December 26 is . . . . National Whiners Day
December 27 is . . . . National Fruitcake Day
December 28 is . . . . Card Playing Day and National Chocolate Day
December 29 is . . . . Pepper Pot Day
December 30 is . . . . Festival Of Enormous Changes At The Last Minute and

National Bicarbonate Of Soda Day
December 31 is . . . . Unlucky Day

Day 6

2011-12-06T05:24:00.000-05:00

DH is already asking me for some Christmas present hints. OMG. Of course I have more than cross stitch charts on my wish list but they do seem to take priority this time of year so I handed him my list. I tried not to go crazy and overwhelm him. There are a few LHN ornament charts and a couple of PSS designs.

Has anyone seen the new LHN Elizabeth Hancock coming out this month? That is must have when it becomes available! I had promised myself I would put no more than 2 big designs on my 2012 list. I already have one and this one will make two!

My side is feeling better each day. I was able to get out of bed this morning without flinching. Just taking it easy, getting a little catch up done around the house and hopefully I can stitch this evening but I keep reminding myself to be careful so I don't have to go through all that again!

Until tomorrow, have a wonderful day and thank you for stopping by!

First Monday of the Month

2011-12-05T05:18:00.001-05:00

Here it is December 5th and my 5th day blogging in a row. That's a big deal for me! I used to do it but as time went on the posts got fewer and farther between. I realize that some posts are not interesting and just jibber jabber but I am taking baby steps! Don't give up on me! Please! lol.

The holiday season is full of traditions. Some new, some old. Some lost but remembered, some carried on through out the years. We have a few that have survived but I have one just for myself. Each season, I buy myself a new holiday coffee mug. It's an expensive tradition but one that I enjoy. My special mugs go into a separate cabinet. Over the years some have been broken, cracked or the design has worn off after so many washings but I always enjoy looking over them, using them and picking another new mug each year!

After Saturday's post, I realized that I left out two very big holiday favorites! The movie, It's A Wonderful Life! My family could care less about the movie but they all gather around to watch it with it with me mainly because they want to see me cry like a baby at the end and get their annual holiday laugh! Meanies! lol. And the Christmas carol, O Holy Night. Each time I hear it, my heart gets full and I get tears in my eyes.

After my side feels better, I will pull out the camera and take a few pictures to post. Thank you for stopping by again! Your visits and comments always mean so much!

Sunday, Day 4

2011-12-04T09:43:00.000-05:00

While our heat was out and we were using the fireplace I managed to either pull or sprain a muscle in my side. Painful! I used the heating pad every chance I got and I know everyone got tired of listening to my low moans and sudden yelps of pain. I was not able to do anything, even stitching, because any type of movement seemed to set off another pain and scream!

I decided to take the weekend to pamper the wound. No lifting. No stretching. No bending. Or as little as possible. A little hard since I had to go grocery shopping but DH was my helper and went in with me, pushed the heavy cart, got items off the lower and top of shelves, then he and the boys brought the groceries in for me. Of course I had to put them away after we got home but every little bit helps while I am on the mend.

Hopefully, I will be able to pick up my needle again soon and get back to stitching instead of screaming!

Day 3

2011-12-03T08:13:00.003-05:00

Day three of the NaBloPoMo challenge and I am hanging in there. I can't help but wonder what I will post about each and every day of this month! Really? It's a big holiday month! Food, presents, family, friends and so much more comes to mind!

Ten Things I Love About the Holidays

1. Flavored Coffees
2. Family Gatherings
3. DH takes alot of vacation time
4. My birthday
5. White chocolate covered pretzels
6. Cella Chocolate Covered Cherries
7. Christmas stockings
8. The beautiful colors
9. People seem to smile more
10. Good Deeds

There is alot more that just these 10 things that I love about the holidays. It's early and I am on my first cup of joe so everything hasn't kicked in yet! lol. Maybe I should wait until I wake up fully to make these daily posts! lol.

Thanks for stopping by again!

Challenges

2011-12-02T09:05:00.005-05:00

Heat, heat, glorious heat! We are no longer freezing and I woke up warm and toasty this morning!

I spent a couple of days going through my empty jars for one that could be used for the 2012 TUSAL (link in sidebar). Do I want one with a lid? A lid would be safe. My guys see a jar sitting on the table with Orts, they think it's trash and out it goes while I'm not looking!

I went back and read over the challenge rules I have signed up for and (oops) I was supposed to post some pictures of what I will be working on! So without further delay....

First is AAFG by Rosewood Manor for the Oldest UFO challenge (link in sidebar). Actually I have little bit more than this done but it still has a long way to go! I am half way finished so another half left to be done.

Next up is This is the Day which was from a JCS magazine. I would like to finish it up as I am doing it in memory of my FIL so I will putting his initials and dates on it. He was a man of very strong faith. I am doing the border flowers in green because they look like little pineapples to me. Old eyes? But every home needs a welcoming pineapple so I went for it.

Last but not least is The Mother's Tree (not pictured). I'm sure I have a few more WIPs but these are the ones I will focus on getting finished. There will be new starts without a doubt but I am going to try the size of them down or just not start too many large ones.

Thanks for stopping by again! Have a great day!

Friends

2011-12-01T08:48:00.003-05:00

It's the first of December! And a cold start to the month. What a bad morning to be without heat! DH worked on it on last night and it actually ran but then stopped.

This morning I signed up for NaBloPoMo for the month of December. It sounds like an interesting challenge and one that will get me back blogging on a more regular basis. I don't know how well I will do at every day blogging but I will definitely try! When I first started this blog, I did blog every day or close to it.

This month's theme is Gifts. The first gift that came to mind was my blog and the wonderful community of stitchers that I share it with! You have all added so much joy to my days. You are each so special and bring me smiles, inspiration and a good warm fuzzy feeling! Thank you for being my gift! I couldn't have thought of a better one!

Enjoy the day and I will post again tomorrow! Hopefully.

Tomorrow is December!

2011-11-30T09:48:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. Did anyone brave the crowds of shoppers on Thanksgiving weekend? Not me! I have not participated in Black Friday in years and really don't miss it at all! lol. To those of you brave souls who ventured out, I hope you found some wonderful buys! I just can't get over how fast the year has passed by and that tomorrow marks the beginning of the final month of this year!

Our weather was chilly before Thanksgiving then it warmed back up for holiday. The temps have dropped back down again so it was time to turn the heat back on. No Heat! We have no idea what happened within several days time but until the fix it man comes out, we are relying on the fireplace!

Since my last post, I began a new start. Like I said before, I am sticking with the Winter theme for awhile so I pulled Parson Brown by NFF from my stash. I have changed a couple of colors around to show up better on the fabric I'm using. I also put a few more stitches into The Mother's Tree. The letters are beautiful but tedious to stitch. I want to keep at it though so it doesn't become a UFO. I am taking my time with these for the remainder of the year.

I joined a few challenges for the upcoming year as well. TUSAL just for fun. WIPocalypse because it may be the incentive I need to get several of these WIPs finally finished off and The Oldest UFO seemed to be a fitting challenge to help me finally get And A Forest Grew by Rosewood Manor finished or close to it. That piece has been in my basket for close to six years now! I totally bombed out on last year's challenge but life happens. My intentions are good though! Fingers crossed for 2012! All links can be found in my side bar to the right.

While cleaning out a forgotten drawer, I found some hidden away freebie ornament patterns! It was like bringing home a load of new stash! I would love a basket filled with these smalls. Like I really need another project or theme going on but I do have the charts. Who knows how well this will pan out but I went ahead and put it on the list! Wow. That list is getting loooong! Nothing definite. Just the wheels of my mind kicking into gear again! lol.

With everything that seems to have been going on around here, I just haven't felt like pulling out my camera. Hopefully next time I will have some pictures to share! Thank you for dropping by! Your visits and comments always brighten my day!

Get Ready to Get Stuffed!

2011-11-19T08:27:00.003-05:00

What a week it was since I last posted! The kind of "thank goodness that's over" type of week. It all began with our phone and internet service. Losing connection in the middle of a telephone call, soooooo sloooooow internet and just a major annoyance. They came out in a jiffy and it took a little while longer than I had anticipated but both are working 110% now. That should have been enough. Right? Nope. We were without any water for more than 30 hours. That was a real annoyance with dishes piling up in the sink, the dirty clothes hamper seemed to fill up faster than usual, no showers to be had and something as simple as washing your hands was unavailable!

DH is home on vacation again for the Turkey holiday. I do like having him around. During the evening we sit in the living area while he reads his astronomy magazines or works on his hobby and I stitch. It just reminds me of our earlier pre-kids days and has a cozy feel to it.

Did I mention that Poor Maidens was a gift from a lovely someone? I was so thrilled and couldn't stop dancing around the room. DH thought I was totally crazy! lol. I finished off AWWR - sort of. DH likes it better without the border. Yes, I usually show him my stitching and get his input. I still haven't decided whether to add the border or not so for now it remains a sort of finish.

While going through my stash I saw all those wonderful bird designs that are waiting to be done and remembered I also want a bird wall! Do I have enough walls? For now I am loving stitching on these pieces for my Winter wall and will probably concentrate on them for awhile. Now to go through my stash and find my next new start!

I have been keeping some candy on hand lately and I am beginning to gain some weight back. All my tests came back normal so I have another appointment with the doctor to discuss other possibilities. He thinks it could be something as simple as nerves. He said that's pretty common when you get older. Gee, thanks doc! Maybe I should tell him that he's no spring chicken either! lol.

Mr. Turkey is in the fridge getting thawed out for the big day. I always make my standard dressing that everyone loves for Thanksgiving dinner but I like play around with an extra dressing recipe looking for that perfect one with that special umph. This year I have come up with, what I think, will be THE one! Actually I am basing it on a salad that I love from a local restaurant (minus the lettuce)! Just sort of making it up as I go type thing. I'll let you know if turns out as good as I am hoping. What all do you fix for Thanksgiving? Any traditional dishes? Any new experimental ones?

Happy Thanksgiving and thank you for dropping by! I wish you all a wonderful holiday!

Happy Dance!

2011-11-13T08:42:00.006-05:00

What have I been doing since my last post?

I re-arranged some things on the bookshelf, including my shelf of sewing goodies and a few things that are dear to my heart. Scissors I have accumulated displayed in the frog that Edgar sent to me. The glass cookie jar holding my collection of tomato pincushions complete with pins (sorry for the glare on the glass), a jar of buttons and of course my beloved corn shuck dolls that had once belonged to my Aunt. You can't see it but I even have a couple of Gee Haw Whimmy Diddles that my Grandpa made for me many years ago.

I finally have my first finish of the year! Here it is, all stitched up in practically no time and ready to get finished off for display. Poor Maidens by Paulette of Plum Street Samplers! I fell in love with the design immediately when I saw it and knew it would be a must. It was such a fun stitch and I enjoyed working on it so much! I could hardly put it down to do any housework. It was just what I need to renew my motivation.

It is worked on 18 count Fiddlers Cloth with the recommended DMC colors except for the middle maiden's dress which I changed to red (for my added red fix). I don't know why my green looks different from the picture but I still love it! The Fiddlers Cloth was the perfect choice because it gives the piece a rustic look. This is my first PSS finish and the first piece for my Winter wall. I. Am. Thrilled!

There are a few other Christmas/winter designs I want to get or are already in my stash that I want to do now. After I finished off Poor Maidens, I picked up my WIP of AWWR by Shakespeare Peddler and am almost finished with it! Then I made a "Christmas hint" list for dh which includes Favorite Spot Sampler by PSS. It looks like another really fun stitch and perfect for my winter wall!

In my last post I mentioned that I had made my list of pieces to stitch on the remainder of this year and into 2012. I divided this list into categories or walls I want to have. Adam and Eve/nature wall, In Memory Of/samplers wall, Winter wall and my yearly reminder wall. The last one is for those quotes I like to do each year that remind me how I want to live or things I just tend to forget and need a gentle reminder of i.e. Treat Yourself Well (Lauren's Voice) by La D Da.

Thanks for stopping by to join in my Happy Dance! I always enjoy your visits and comments. Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart!

Hello. Hello.

2011-11-05T08:09:00.002-04:00

It's already November! Oh, how the last part of the year just flies by once Labor Day comes and goes. Where did the past several weeks go? It seemed like I was really busy but I can't remember accomplishing that much! Stitching or otherwise. I did manage to get a little done but not even close to what I had intended.

After I began to feel better I decided to continue on my goal to downsize by cleaning out more closets and drawers. Just stuff we never use or wear anymore. For now, these spaces are looking are little neater and less intimidating. Of course I couldn't toss out any stitching stash, scrapbooking supplies or fabrics!

I worked on the Mother's Tree for a bit after the meds took effect and I stopped all that horrible coughing. Once I got my mother's line finished up (the longest line of the group), I was able to cut off that excess that was making it so difficult to hold. I am hoping it will move along quicker and smoother now it won't feel so terribly heavy as I stitch!

I was asked what I put on my list for the remainder of 2011 and 2012. I have four WIPs I want to finish up. I think I will keep the rest of the list a surprise. A surprise to my readers and probably to me as well. I usually just grab what speaks to me at the moment but I still like making the list! I would be thrilled to get half of these stitched and completed since this year was not productive at all with no finishes to date. Do you make a list for the upcoming New Year or just grab whatever calls to you at the moment?

DH took some vacation time last week. It was nice to have him home. We were able to mark a few things off our "to do" list around the house. I didn't get much stitching done while he was home and I am already looking forward to his next vacation over Thanksgiving week.

Our weekends of errands never take a vacation though. We spent our usual weekends taking care of these and hitting the grocery store (which we both hate doing more and more each time it rolls around). I have been stocking up on Thanksgiving stuff the past few trips and this time I was able get more of the big meal including the guest of honor - Mr. Turkey!

Sorry I have no pictures this time. I promise to pull out my camera soon and take a few snaps of things I keep saying "I should post that on my blog"! I am still waiting for those lab results from the doctor and while I wait my weight is continuing to dip lower and lower. It is getting to the point I feel very uncomfortable with it or maybe it's just the nervousness accompanied by it. Actually, it would be a pleasant weight if I was about 7 inches shorter in height!

Anywho, thanks for stopping by. I always enjoy your visits so much!

Short and Sweet

2011-10-25T07:42:00.002-04:00

We have had sunny days, warm days and even chilly days. It's that time of the year when the weather bounces around and you may start off the day with warmer clothes then change over to something less bulky later in the day.

I went to the dr. and it turns out that my cold is really bronchitis so they gave me some meds to knock it out. He sent me over to the lab to get some blood work done and hopefully that will show if I am hyperthyroid again or if it is something else going on. He promised to get me back to normal. I couldn't help but laugh and told him "I think at my age, normal is a lost cause".

Each time I picked up my stitching, my eyes got dry and itchy from allergies or I just fell asleep so not much got done on that side of the coin.

Another thing I did was to start making a list of the pieces I want to work on through the rest of 2011 and for 2012. It always looks so good on paper. Organized, thought out and full of promises. But I have to say the actual finished pieces do look better on the walls than a list! *wink*

Thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway! I wish I could send a set of these to each of you. The winner is Calamity Jr. Congratulations!

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

Ho Ho Ho and Giveaway!

2011-10-13T14:57:00.003-04:00

I noticed that my blog has been missing some stitching pictures the past several times I posted! It happens to all of us every so often but I still feel guilty. After all, this is a stitching blog! Thank you for the comments and emails about my bursitis but it happens (too) every so often. Thanks to some TLC and meds it is all better for now!

I have been battling my first cold of the season. At first I thought it might be allergies but once everyone else began sneezing and coughing along with me, I had second thoughts. Out came the quilt my Grandma made for us and I have been sneaking in some naps, wrapped up nice and cozy. There is something magical about this quilt. It even makes me feel better than homemade chicken soup! Oh yeah, she could make a good pot of that, too.

Christmas stitching is showing up more and more on a lot of the blogs. I love these but I seldom do any type of holiday stitching that is bigger than ornament size. Not because I don't want to. The problem is that I know I will not want to put them away for a year! *big slap on the forehead* What am I thinking? I keep my Santa collection out year round! There are several Christmas designs in my stash I have been itching to do for a few years (or longer) and I am working on A Weary World Rejoices (a verse from a Christmas carol). So get off it and start working on them (that's me fussing at myself. lol). I haven't even started yet but the design pictured by NNF is the one I really want to do (first). What do you do with bigger holiday pieces after the season is over?

For those of you who showed concern over my sudden weight loss, I spoke with my Endocrinologist. They will probably do some tests. I was hyper thyroid until 2007 when they gave me radioactive iodine to kill it off. Then I was supposed to do an about face and go hypo thyroid so they could give me medicine to control it. My thyroid levels never went below normal so I was never put on the medicine. I was shocked to find out that hyperthyroidism can come back! It doesn't happen often but it does happen! I have been having some of the symptoms that I had before - just not as bad. Time (and some lab work) will tell.

I think it's time for another giveaway! This time I am going to offer 3 La D Da charts. You are my Sunshine, Merry Sunshine and Mares Eat Oats.They are from my stash but have never been used. One person will win all three. No rules to speak of. Just leave a comment on this post by October 23 and make sure there is a way for me to contact you in the event you win.

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

Getting Back to Normal

2011-10-10T07:12:00.003-04:00

Things are back to usual around here. DH finally finished up with those awful wonky hours he was working. Yea! Over the weekend while cleaning out some drawers I found some of my old journals (actual writing type) and a few of them were not even half full so I decided to pick up my daily writings again. I love my blog and hearing from all my wonderful blogland friends but something about pen in hand satisfies my soul. It was fun to read some past writings as well. Speaking of cleaning out drawers, it felt good to get around to this task. Geesh, all the junk that accumulates over time! Didn't I just do this not too long ago?

While we ran around over the weekend, trying to catch up on errands that had been shoved aside to a later time while DH worked those stinky hours I was able to finally get my hair trimmed. Thank Goodness! I was beginning to feel and look like a witch on her worst hair day! All I needed was a few missing teeth and a cackeling laugh to complete the picture!

Then on we went to conquer more errands and of course, the grocery shopping. Every now and then my family gets on healthy kick. I mean they actually go overboard on it! No junk food at all! Healthy is good and I am happy to accommodate them but sometimes I want my chocolate and cheese straws so deal with it! The goodies get put away in a hiding place for my own private snack stash. After a few days of total health food, they usually begin to crave something sweet or "junky" so they sift through my goodies accompanied by a remark like "you only buy the good food for yourself"! *rolling eyes*

Lately I have noticed that the skin on my neck is starting sag. Ugh! Another sign of getting older! I pulled out my night time firming cream and have used it for awhile. Maybe it's just me and my wishful thinking but it seems to be working! As I get older I have noticed traits of loved ones showing up. I took a close up shot of Edna. She looks pretty good in her golden years! A little bit of a double chin on her but the old gal has held up well.

As usual I have rummaged through my stash dreaming of a new start! Nothing new about that. Shame on me! Double shame on me! Unfortunately, I don't have any new stitching to show since the bursitis in my shoulder has been acting up lately. Not fun. Even the weight of a needle and repition of stitching hurts like crazy! Thank goodness, with the help of some meds, that is all over now!

Thanks for stopping by again! I always enjoy your visits and comments!

Happy October!

2011-10-01T13:34:00.007-04:00

Fall has arrived this weekend in the South. The weather has said that the warmer temps will return next week so far now I will enjoy the crisp cooler days and flannel pajamas at night. DH has been working those odd hours again that totally throw my internal calendar out of whack. I don't get a lot of stitching accomplished when he works these hours so I don't have any new progress photos to show off.

Every now and then when I become over envious of everyone's beautiful stitching on linen, I will pull out my 28ct. Monaco fabric to practice on. I keep hoping that one day my eyes will miraculously develop perfect vision again on their own whim and I will be able to turn out the same stunning work on this beautiful fabric. Oh, I'm not complaining because for so many years I unable to stitch at all but it can't hurt to try every so often. Right?

OMG! What was I thinking! I got it all set up and ready to put a few xxxxx's in. I went cross eyed in no time flat and had blurry vision for over 10 minutes. DH kept looking at me funny and finally asked why I was blinking so much! Maybe after I eventually have eye surgery I can try again but not now! So, I will visit blogs and drool over everyone's masterpieces on linen. As for me, Aida has been with me since the beginning and I can still count (literally) on it.

What WIPs do I have in my basket now? Marianne and The Mother's Tree are my current ones. The ones I saw alone and forgotten are A Weary World Rejoices by Shakespeare Peddler (which was nearing it's end when I set it down & pictured below) and AAFG by Rosewood Manor (which I have been working on for about 5 years now. OMG!) It might even be a good center piece to put into an A&E wall. I am about half way finished with that one. It's a fun stitch but it does get tedious.

My neighbor and I love to watch the hummingbirds during our daily chats out in the yard. She has several feeders and her yard is always full of the little friendly ones but I don't have a feeder this year and I miss them terribly. The other day, she came knocking at my door with a present for me! A hummingbird feeder. How sweet of her! Now I can drink my morning coffee on the deck and enjoy their flights! Below is a picture of my first visitor!

I played around with my pincushion collection, wanting to show them off as showcase worthy as possible. I found an old glass cookie jar, empty in the cupboard and decided to use it for now. My favorite one is an old red velvet like material. It was my first pincushion as a new wife and has been used over and over until it is now soft, faded, worn and stuffed with memories of quilting, last minute repairs on an item before someone left for school or work, homemade Halloween costumes, crafts for school projects and much more. Even though the others are also loaded with pins, I always reach for this one first. Some things just feel right.

Thanks for stopping by! Your visits and comments make my day brighter!

Dropping In

2011-09-26T14:55:00.003-04:00

It's another Monday. Nothing exciting happened over the weekend. As a matter of fact, the weekend was full of headaches. Our main computer got zapped by a nasty, nasty bug and we spent the majority of our time trying to find and retrieve files. Not fun! Things have turned upside down around our place for awhile but I am hoping all will be back to usual within several weeks so for now, I don't have a lot of stitching to report on or show off.

Over the weekend, I decided to take a trip through my past blog posts. I saw a lot of birds, nature photos, scrapbooking endeavors, trips we took and stitching. I couldn't help but notice that although many of the projects had either been finished off or still in WIP mode, there were a few that I had not picked up in a long time. They were just sitting around, waiting for some attention. What a waste of my time and their potential finished beauty! So I dug them out, kitted them back up and have them in my basket of growing WIPs. I may need to find another basket to house them all until they each begin to finish off! I don't even want to list the total number as it makes me mad at myself for letting this happen! When I first began stitching I would never, never, never let this happen. I would start one and work on it until it was finished. Of course, back then I didn't have all these wonderful designs to choose from either so I'm not complaining!

How many WIPs and UFOs do you have? *wink*

With everyone posting pictures of their new or familiar established pets, I was feeling out of the loop. Should I post a picture of some of the regular visitors to my backyard kingdom? Then I saw Edna sitting all by herself on the chair. She is such a good ol' gal and never complains. A quality worth appreciating. She doesn't look especially happy about anything but she always catches my eye as I walk by and gives me reason to smile. I fluffed up her dress and spread out the skirt all nice and pretty for a picture. Who is to say that she didn't enjoy the much over due attention?

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

A Short Post

2011-09-23T05:18:00.002-04:00

I am almost finished with the second line from the bottom. My mother. It is definitely going to be the longest line of the group from what I have figured out so far. I am just hoping it is not too much wider thus throwing off the balance of the rest. Sometimes, my numbers come out different in my head than they do on the cloth! That always presents one of those "duh" moments for me. Some of these women have some long names!

Now for the winner of my silly song giveaway and the chart, Be You To Others by Hillside Sampling. The name of the song was "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose it's Flavor on the Bedpost Overnight?". It's one of those songs that can get stuck in your head for days at a time but it's a fun song with a catchy tune!

I drew a name from a bowl out of all the correct answers. The winner is -- drumroll, please -- Linda! Congratulations!

Thanks for stopping by and playing along with me! I always enjoy your visits and comments.

Two. Count 'em. Two!

2011-09-18T12:12:00.004-04:00

Two posts in one day! Oh my!

I was asked to explain more about the Mother's Tree. This a family history tree of women on your maternal side. No siblings, aunts or cousins. You, your mother, her mother and so on. And only the women. No sons, brothers, ect. You could alter it if you wanted to though. Instead of trying to make a long, involved and confusing explanation, I have posted a picture of the chart by Lavender and Lace. I hope this helps to clear up any questions about it.

I just noticed that the picture (previous post) of the Mother's Tree gives away my age! Oh me, oh my, oh you, whatever shall I do? lol. Anyone out there remember that song? Leave me a comment with the name of the song and I will draw from all the correct answers for a chance at winning Be You To Others Sampler by Hillside Sampling (shown below). It has never been used. The contest closes at 6pm EDT September 21 and the winner will be announced on my blog on September 23rd. Be sure to include your email address so I can contact you should you win.

Thanks for stopping by!

I See Fall

2011-09-18T09:09:00.004-04:00

Glimpses of red and yellow are showing up in trees. The mornings and evenings are sweater weather cool. The sun is setting earlier and in the mornings I see a new shadow cast by our Japanese Red Maple indicating shifts in the sun by a different season. Fall is on it's way! Time to pull out my cozy flannel lounging PJs.

My dr. seems to agree with my conclusion about the weight loss. Nothing major or life threatening. My orders are to keep eating until I begin to put on the pounds then back to my regular daily diet as I get to my normal weight! So for now, bring on the cakes, the pies, fried foods and all the other yummies!

I finally got the camera back from DH so I could post a picture of my current progress on Marianne. I did make several mistakes on her already but by the time I noticed them, the damage was done. I could frog them out and possibly lose my enthusiasm for stitching on her, chalk them up to uniqueness or even the Amish practice of intentionally inserting a mistake in their work to remind themselves that no one is perfect (a practice I admire). I chose the last option.

I also goofed on several color changes and am just not very pleased with their look but now that I have a "feel" for her, I don't think that will happen again. I hope. I am still debating on whether to frog those out and change the colors. I am hoping once I get more done on her, those colors will not stand out like a sore thumb (to my eyes, anyway).

There isn't a lot of progress to show on the Mother's Tree just yet. Those Old Script letters are taking some time and may not be as quick of a stitch as I had first thought. Especially since I am already longing to get back to Marianne!

For now my plan is to do two lines on the Mother's Tree, go back to Marianne for a while, do two more lines on the Mother's Tree and so on. Eventually they will get finished!

As I show my progress on this piece, I will block out some of the last names for security reasons. I am working from the bottom up which is something I usually don't do or like to do but I am frantically doing some extra last minute family history research for one last name to add at the top. I have 8 names which was my original goal but I just want more! Greedy me!

Since I'm not totally sure of the finished size yet, I am using a really big piece of fabric to play it safe. I have already gone past my anticipated width. Ugh.

I received a suggestion to stitch the names the person went by in a solid color. I liked that idea, so be it. Also, I am stitching the full given names of the ones I know. The rest of the names are stitched as the chart calls for. First letters of each name in a darker green with the remainder in a lighter green. I decided to only switch out two colors. Brown for the tree and my much needed red fix for the dates.

What are you working on or just dying to start on?

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

Updated!

2011-09-16T11:33:00.002-04:00

While online, I found 5 more charts I want! I could justify one and possibly even two but there is no way I can allow myself to add five new designs without first doing some serious stash-busting. Will I ever work on it? Was it an impulse buy and I have no idea why I got it or does it really really say something to me? I emptied all the charts out of their boxes and began to sort. Keep. I might do it later but not now. Why did I buy this? I doubt seriously I do this one so let someone else enjoy it. Four piles.

I have updated my Trade and Wishlist blog so pop on over and take a look! If you see something you like and want to trade for, let me know!

I also found a few new yummy blogs to add to my sidebar.

Where is That Camera?

2011-09-11T08:13:00.002-04:00

Right now, the news is pretty slim around here. More storms, more heavy winds, more power outages, more trees down, blah, blah, blah! Seems like the same ol' stuff since earlier this Spring! Other than that, we have been having some nice Fall weather - for a few days anyway. I have even found myself pulling out a sweater or sweatshirt in the early mornings and evenings after the sun goes down.

Life is pretty much the same around here. No recent trips to share. No winning lottery ticket to get excited about. Nothing out of the ordinary. Our anniversary came and went with no big celebrations. Just the acknowledgement that we are getting older! DH had his birthday and luckily the cakes were a success. Thank goodness. I always hold my breath when I make that icing. So does he since he loves it so much and I only make it once a year.

After a quick "look see" of my stash, I put together an order (that are still on hold). Several charts I have wanted (but don't know when I will get around to them) and fabrics. I usually keep a good supply of fabrics so I don't have to worry about having the right color, size or running low. I have been lax on doing that lately and my fabric supply is beginning to dwindle. I just can't have that.

Isn't it funny how a lot of the stitching designs you like developed by watching the progress of other stitcher's work? I was never a big A&E fan. I liked looking at the finished designs but never had the urge to make them a regular part of my routine. We all know of several big A&E fans in our blog community and after seeing so much of their beautiful work on the famous couple, I finally did a piece of my own last year. I liked it. After going through my stash, I was surprised to see that I have at least 5 other A&E designs waiting for their turn at the needle! Plus there are several more on my wish list. How did that happen? They just snuck up on me!

I am drastically losing weight! And I'm not trying to. No exercise programs to shed the pounds. I still eat just as always. I still stuff down those donuts, calorie rich cakes and other sweet treats along with my meals but the weight just keeps falling off. I told DH that I don't like being over weight but I don't like being this thin either. I can see my rib cage. I know my standard weight that I am comfortable at. Last time I lost this much weight, I had new babies and I could see the logic. We lived in a house with a lot of steps and I was doing twice the work running around to take care of them and using those steps a lot more than I had. This time I am totally baffled. Last year at this time, my goal was to lose 20 pounds. Now my goal is to gain 20 pounds! LOL.

I hope to get the camera back from DH soon so I can post some pictures. I keep asking for it and he keeps forgetting to get it out for me.

Thanks for stopping by. I always enjoy your visits and comments.

Long Busy Weekend

2011-09-03T09:40:00.003-04:00

I can't believe that it is September! Once this month arrives, the remainder of the year seems to fly by before you know it! This month I will start stocking up on my holiday baking supplies. A few items each trip makes it lot less hectic and doesn't pinch the ol' wallet quite as much.

I hope that everyone on the east coast is safe and sound today after Hurricane Irene. We are far enough inland that we were not touched by her. The winds did kick up a few times during the day. Otherwise it was mild weather in our part of the state. We had our share of damaging storms earlier in the Spring so everyone around here breathed a big sigh of relief. My heart does goes out to the people on the coastline and those close enough to the coast to feel her effects and have to deal with her damaging wrath.

I had every intention of making a post earlier in the week but troubles with our internet connection kept me from doing very much online. Luckily it was just due for an update and not because of Irene. After that was fixed and running good, we had a whopper thunderstorm that knocked our power out for the better part of blogging time.

DH is taking several extra days off making it a nice long weekend. It's nice to have him around for more than just a couple of days. In the evenings, he works on his telescopes while I stitch.

Over the long holiday weekend we will celebrate our 35th anniversary! Wow, does time fly! It doesn't seem like yesterday but certainly not that long! I still remember...

For dinner one night last week I made Brenda's mac and cheese! Scroll down to post on 8/16/2011 on her blog for recipe. Yum! It did not sit around very long as everyone was going back for more! It was a big hit of the meal and I'm sure I will be asked to make it again very soon! I borrowed the picture from her blog but mine looked just as good!

I finished up page 3 on Marianne and was doing some major happy dancing. I still have about 9 pages left to go but the good news is that the last 4 pages are not full pages so that may help. I decided to treat myself to a new start and began my Mother's Tree. It looks really simple but once I realized how long some of our family names are compared to the picture on the chart, uhh, this may be a little more detailed than I had first thought! To quote Ricky Ricardo (remember "I Love Lucy"?) Ei, Yi, Yi. Oh well, it will still be a special piece! Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to just start on everything in my stash! Now that would really be a MIP (mess in progress)! LOL.

DH has a birthday coming up! He loves German Chocolate Cake and his mother used to make it for him every year on his special day. After we married, I begged her for the recipe for years to no avail. She would not share it with me (or anyone else). I was sure I could find a recipe else where but this was the one DH loved so I wanted to stick with it. When she got older and tired of the yearly ritual, she gave in and passed the recipe on to me. Now I make two each year for the birthday boy! One for home and one for him to share with guys at work. After my MIL passed away, I got her cookbook that she had put together over the years. I couldn't help but laugh when I saw that many of her prized and secret dishes were in there as clippings cut out from the local newspaper!

I am low on pictures this time around because DH borrowed my camera and didn't put it back in it's proper spot so I have to interrogate him later to find out it's current location! I hope everyone has a great holiday weekend! Thanks so much for stopping by!

What the?

2011-08-24T08:12:00.003-04:00

Amazing things really do happen!

First of all, this is my second blog post this week! I used to post every other day so this seems like old times!

Second, how many of you on the east coast felt that earthquake yesterday? Weird! At least for our part of the country!

Third and last but not least, alot of us along the eastern coastline are getting ready for Hurricane Irene. She originally was going to make landfall and possibly come inland like Hugo did. Now they are saying that she made a turn eastward and we may just get a few storms but her arrival is not due here until this weekend so she has plenty of time to change her mind if she wants. And she is a woman (of sorts).

So far now, we are just hanging out and waiting to see what happens next.

Monday and All is Well

2011-08-22T10:03:00.005-04:00

I am stitching again! And more than just a couple of xx's. The Mother's Tree was calling my name but I still had to gather up all my supplies and several WIPs, supplies and all, were in my basket within reach so I pulled out Marianne Wenn. Terri and I had started this back in January as a private SAL. She finished. I didn't. I do love the design. We both made thread conversions. On the borders and dividers, I stayed with my chosen thread colors but on the alphabets, I have been picking up whatever I think it needs for zing. I will say that I am very happy with my color choices so far. I was lazy and did not press it before taking the picture. Bad me.

I am sure you have been able to tell by now that I am notorious for making color changes. Pinks, Purples and some blues just don't set well with me. Pastels in general (except yellow) make me scrunch up my nose. Those are always the first colors I change out but maybe I am beginning to mellow as I grow older because I am thinking I will begin staying with chosen colors for a lot of designs. Pastels and all. Not all of them, mind you, but more than in the past. You can see that on Marianne, I began tucking more pinks in here and there (her original color chart does call for some pinks) so it would not be such a total shock to my system later.

I gathered up my threads and fabric for The Mother's Tree by Lavender and Lace. It is done in two colors. A dark green and a lighter green. Very pretty but I wanted more color. A special piece like this really needs to stand out! Did I just say I was not going to change colors? LOL. In my defense, I am not changing the colors of green. Just adding some new colors in other spots! I need my reds! I think this should be a quick finish. No borders (yea! They are beautiful I but cringe at stitching them) and only one motif at the top. The rest are words and dates.

Last weekend, we made the trip out of town to visit the cemetery and place new flowers on the graves. It was a hard weekend but there was a certain peace to it this year. Last Friday was the forty second anniversary of my mother's death and (the next day) Saturday was the second anniversary of my father's passing. While in my old home town we ate lunch at my very favorite BBQ place. I grew up loving it and when I would visit, my father always made sure I would get big plate of it before we left. The picture is how it looked back when I was a kid. Does that show my age?

Thank you for all the lovely comments on my last post! I did ramble on making it longer than I had intended. I was asked what DH's hobby is. He has loved astronomy since his youth but he bought the Mag Eyes for his side hobby of model trains.
Thank you for stopping by! I enjoy your visits and comments so much! Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

One Stitcher's Story

2011-08-06T09:54:00.003-04:00

A lot of my stitching was done as gifts in the beginning and although I do have pieces hanging in various spots around the house, they just aren't all in one spot (thus looking like fewer). As for the quilts, I do have some. Ones made for me by friends and family, some I have made. Others were used so much by my boys when they were younger that they just gave up the ghost and couldn't take any more naps, picnics, tickle fights or washings. Before the final farewell, I always cut out the good parts to be saved for other projects or just keepsakes of sweet memories. Good enough.

When I was younger and had first started cross stitching, I did a few larger pieces but I mainly focused on smaller designs that I could finish up quickly for gifts. I remember sitting in my bentwood rocking chair (a gift from my dad) and stitching away each evening after DH and I got home from work, ate dinner, did a few household chores and then sat down for the evening as we both worked on our hobbies and caught up on our days. No kids yet. Just us.

Later, the kids came along. I began to stitch on pieces for them. Birth samplers, nite time prayers stitched to hang over their beds and I had to do things about being a mother! The migraines had started to happen before they born and working on any type close work was hard but I finally had children and just had to do some of these.

Then it just got to be too much for me. Each time I began to stitch I could feel the awful headaches beginning so I put down my needle and thread. For 20 years I took up a menagerie of other hobbies to fill the void but I never gave up hope that one day I would be able to return to the hobby that had captured my heart and still held it. At least twice a year, I would pull out my supplies and try to stitch again. It didn't take long for the migraines to start. Sad and frustrated, I would gently tuck it all back in the drawer until I tried again.

Around 8 years ago, I had pulled it all out again only to be disappointed once more. That weekend, DH and I went shopping for some hobby equipment he needed. He found a pair of Mag Eyes and said they were what he needed for his detailed labor of love. Then he said, they might help me and I could stitch again. I told him it was doubtful as I had already tried every magnifier on the market but he put an extra pair in the basket for me anyway. A few days later, I saw them sitting on a shelf and thought "what the heck" so I gathered up my stitching supplies, sat down, took a deep breath and began. As I stitched, I waited for the headache to begin. It never happened! I could stitch again!

By the time I was able to resume, the stitching world had changed so much! So many new designers and wonderful designs to choose from! Even all the new designs in frames were exciting to me. And the fabrics! Linen? I thought linen was for tablecloths but why not try it like everyone else was doing! It made the pieces look even more stunning. I bought a piece of linen and shortly after beginning I felt the headache starting. Oh no! I returned to working my trusty Aida and no more problems! Life was good again.

It didn't take long for me to catch up on the new lingo and catch phrases of stitching, learning about new designers or even building my stash back up. Even computers with online shopping and blogs were new to my stitching world but how neat that I could share it all with other stitchers now. And I just love you all to death! You made a wonderful hobby even better!

Years had passed and my taste in stitching designs had changed just like with so many other things. Since that lucky day, I have found that I prefer the medium to larger designs. No more quickies. Samplers and inspirational pieces are my favorites. Something that touches my soul. Of course I still get those "blocks" when my stitching sits untouched longer than I would like but what's several months compared to those years before.

Some things never change though. I still sit in the evenings with DH as he works on his hobby while I stitch or go through my stash and I still have that cup of coffee (sometimes tea, now) on the table beside my chair! Sometimes I think DH might regret putting that extra pair of magnifiers in the basket for me since I can spend hours and plenty of money on it all but I am still grateful to him for that one spur of the moment action!

Thank you all for stopping by to visit while I tell my story. And thank you for being a big part of my stitching. You bring smiles, encouragement and friendship to my life!

Same ol', Same ol'

2011-08-03T07:17:00.005-04:00

The old saying tells us that bad luck comes in three's. So far this summer, our dishwasher has died so for now I am using the old standby method of handwashing in a sink full of sudsy water. Not something I want to do forever and we will get it fixed when we can but for now it has actually been soothing. As I stand at the sink and wash each cup or plate, I am flooded with memories of helping my mother with the same chore when I was younger. She would wash. I would dry. Sometimes I begged to help and other times she had to insist I get in there and do it.

Next on this round of bad luck, we got a flat tire that had to be repaired. We walked in to the tire shop, expecting some outrageous bill that would make us walk away mad and feeling like we had been taken advantage of. After the tire was repaired, we were handed the receipt. No charge. DH and I just looked at each other puzzled. No way. No one does work for free anymore. So we approached the counter and asked if they possibly made a mistake. Nope. They just smiled and said "tell your friends about us". Sure thing, you bet we will!

Bad luck #3 has yet to hit but if it's no worse than #1 and #2 we can say this was a mild round. But wait, maybe it already happened and we just didn't realize it! No harm, no foul.

Moving on to my hunt for family history, I hit a road block on my side of the family for now but found out some wonderful new information for DH's family history! I see a road trip in our near future! I could not wait to tell him all the news. He was just as excited to find it out.

We have another trip to make this month. It will be a hard weekend for me. The anniversary of my parent's deaths. The days fall side by side and I am going to visit the graves, make sure the care and upkeep is being taken of, put out some flowers and while there I always visit with my infant brothers buried just a few steps away. When I was younger, my mother would take me out to the cemetery with her to put flowers on their graves then she would go sit in the car and let me have some alone time to visit with them. I always missed not knowing them and having siblings. Little children commonly have imaginary playmates. Mine were my brothers.

Over the weekend we did our chores and errands. The lawn was mown just in time before a big wave of humidity hit the next day. The grocery shopping was done. No exercise program can beat this task for a good work out! Walking around the store, putting all the bags into car, taking them out and carrying them in then putting them all away when you get home! Stretch, bend, walk, lift weights (heavy bags of food), squat and repeat then fall into your chair totally exhausted and unwind with an ice cold beverage! And since we only shop every other week, we have twice the groceries and twice the workout! The rule of thumb at our house is that mom does NOT cook on grocery shopping day. Everyone fends for themselves. There is plenty of food and they are big boys. Make a sandwich, nuke some leftovers, whatever. Just don't ask me "what's for dinner". But they still do except for DH. He understands. Bless his heart.

Sunday was ours. No chores. No major errands. Just time. Time to sleep in a little later than usual. Time to get online and catch up on some reading or visit some favorite sites. Time to watch a movie. Time for doing absolutely nothing.

The picture posted is one of me and my dad taken years ago but brings back memories for me. Sorry for the lack of pictures again. I promise to make up for it very soon! Thanks for stopping by! Your visits and comments always make my day!

Another Friday

2011-07-29T09:32:00.002-04:00

Thank you for the great comments on my last post about my family history search. I was asked what his relation is to me. Henry Hatton (his stage and pen name) is my GG grandfather. His father was a famous writer, novelist and play write of his day. I have read some of his work but get tired of it quickly. A lot of thee's, thou's and therefore's along with other words not commonly used anymore. I have continued my quest on this project as the mood hits me and every so often something interesting will pop up and make it worth while.

Oh, those nagging questions that have haunted me since March have reared their ugly heads once again. What to stitch? What to stitch? WIPs? Start a new piece? Why am I wasting time trying to decide when I could working on those poor WIPs sitting in my basket? I can hear their pitiful cries of "finish me, finish me". The year is half over with no finished pieces for me to show off so I think I will focus on the WIPs for now and maybe I can knock at least several of them out by year's end.

Each year, we put out several tomato plants and I usually pick another veggie plant or two to try my not so green thumb at but not this year. We just didn't. No real reasons behind the decision. Every year, I grumble to myself about the up keep of the plants but I have missed the bounty of them this season with grocery prices on the rise. Next year, we will re-join the edible gardeners club once again for sure!

We had that major heat wave move through our area of the south about a week ago! Temps close to 100 degrees. It was that humidity that did us in though. Luckily, it didn't stick around too long and after if moved on we had a weekend of awesome temperatures. Friday was pretty cloudy which kept the heat at bay and we only reached 69 degrees. I actually got chilly several times. Saturday and Sunday were equally as nice. A little more sun but tolerable temperatures and very very little humidity! But, it's back again. Ugh.

I wish I had more exciting news to write about. Winning the lottery or a free vacation to Hawaii. Something to perk up these days of summer but this year we are staying buried inside as much as possible to avoid the awful heat. Even my camera doesn't want to come out of hiding from it's cool spot so not alot pictures to share this time around.

Thanks so much for stopping by and not giving up me during this blogging lapse I am having. Until next time, may you have simple (and cool) days and an uncluttered heart.

History, Magic and More

2011-07-10T08:11:00.002-04:00

I haven't forgotten about my poor little pitiful blog. Really, I haven't. It just seems like when I start to get my second wind from the last blast of busy-ness, it starts all over again. More storms, more doctor appointments, more errands. I look at my stitching chair during the day and just sigh. I miss you, dear old comfortable friend.

While my husband was on vacation I decided to use the time to enlist his help in hanging some samplers (which I will show you later). There were things to hang, others to move and generally not a lot of fun for him but I was happy to get the wall caught up. It is in the dining area and I would rather move it into the living area. I have a bigger wall in there and I think there would be more focus on them in there. I have already mentioned switching everything out on the two walls and I got a very stern look from him as walked past me. Other than that, we didn't get a single thing done during his week off. All the ambitious plans we had for his time off just got shoved aside! We decided to call it *age* instead of laziness.

This stitching slump is getting the better of me! I stitch a little then set it down for long periods so I can't really say anything is making enough progress to mention. I decided to clean out and organize my basket and stash. I have 3 WIPs. I really should finish them up because I hate having unfinished pieces sitting around. I can feel their *shame on you* glare even when they are tucked away from sight but I also have 3 that I really want to start on! I have plenty of choices. Let the others sit while I start the new ones. Stitch on the WIPs a little now and then while working in the new pieces. Wait to start the new ones and concentrate on the WIPs. Or, maybe if I close my eyes real tight and click my heels together 3 times...... lol. When I decide, I'll let you know.

This past week, I pulled out my family history to catch up on. Since I have no stitching to share right now, I will share one of my family members.

Henry Hatton was the stage name used by Patrick Henry Cannon. He was born in New York on 12/16/1837 and died in Glen Ridge, New Jersey on December 24, 1922 at the age of 85. In 1845, at the age of 8, he learned some magic from a professional magician whose manager was a friend of Hatton's father. For three years, 1855, 56 & 57, Hatton was a full time professional stage magician travelling mainly around the south. During the same three years, he wrote a series called "Lessons in Magic" in Our Young Folks magazine.

After 1867, Hatton left the stage but his interest in magic remained paramount in his life. For many years he performed as a society entertainer and he always kept abreast of the progress and development of magic. He was an accomplished writer on the subject. For many years he was employed as an author and editor in a prominent publishing house firm in New York City. In 1910, together with Adrian Plate, he wrote "Magician's Tricks: How they are done".

An elite group of magicians used to meet quite informally on Saturday nights after their shows at a very private magic shop called Martinkas, run by two brothers (which still exists today). Slowly this evolved into a notion that an actual magic club night would be a good thing. On May 10, 1903 twenty four men organized the Society of American Magicians (S.A.M.). It is the oldest magic organization in the world. Henry Hatton joined the Society of American Magicians in 1901 as Member #21 and was one of the original 24 founders. He served as National President for two terms, 1912-13 and 1913-14.

Thanks for stopping by and for being patient while I get my act together!

Longer than Usual

2011-06-11T20:31:00.003-04:00

What is wrong with Blogger? Is anyone else having trouble signing in and leaving comments? I can post but I am having serious trouble leaving a comment on other blogs! It's getting pretty frustrating! I have also noticed that pictures (on my blog and others) often don't show up!

DH is finally finished with those awful hours he was working.Yea for him and yea for me! When he works like that it really throws us both off our mental calendars! I think a giveaway is order to celebrate the return of some (not complete but I'll take what I can get) normalcy in life around here! I will post more about it very soon!

I haven't written much lately about my other love. Birdwatching. I need to catch up on getting my backyard island area (where most birding activity happens) back in shape but these extra hot days just leave me with the "I'll do it later" feeling. I have really ignored it over the past year and it looks terrible! Shame on me. Of course the birds really like the grown over look but I don't. It's not totally out of control. Just enough to urk me. The honeysuckle and Virginia Creeper vines take over in the warmer seasons. I know the birds feed on the VC and both make excellent ground cover for them to hide in while looking for insects or worms. I'll probably just yank up enough to please us both because weeding (along with frogging) is one of my least favorite things to do. I have enough bird baths and feeders for the time but I have plans to put out several more birdhouses this coming Fall.

Good News! I finally found the names and birth years of my GGG Grandmother and my GGGG grandmother so that I can add it to my Mother's Tree when I begin stitching it! Now that I finally found them, I want to find more names for the piece! Call me greedy. lol. So for now, I have 7 names for this piece but would love to have at least 8 (or more)! I guess I'll be spending some time on Ancestry.com for awhile!!

For the longest time, I was the only coffee lover in our house. I had full control of the coffee maker, the brand of coffee that was bought and drinking it. My husband usually just bought a cup of joe at work and that was it for him each day. Recently, our son has developed a taste for the wake up juice and a second coffee maker may be in our future! I don't care for the brand he buys but most of all, he makes way to strong for my taste! I like my coffee to gently wake me up over the course of several cups but one sip of his brew is like being slapped in the face! lol. Now it's a race each morning to see who can set up the coffee maker first!

Not much stitching to brag about this post. I was all ready to pick it back up when I got hit by the ever not so popular stomach bug! Ugh. At this point, I feel like any stitching I may do would be brag worthy since it has been so long since I held that slender needle with my fingers and gently caressed the fabric as I worked my x's.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your visits and comments always make my day!

I'm Still Here

2011-05-30T09:05:00.003-04:00

I had a hard time signing into Blogger last week so that I could leave comments on many other blogs. I'm not sure if it is Blogger or my computer. If I haven't gotten to yours yet, know that I will and I am reading your blogs no matter what!

Our weather had calmed down alot! No wild storms - just rain every now and again. Other than that, nice days. Then we got hit again! The tornados from the midwest were moving towards us. We were reassured that they would weaken and there was no chance of danger. Suddenly, last Thursday around 10pm, the wind kicked up like nothing I have heard since Hurricane Hugo and there were alerts for our area to take immediate cover! A tornado! I was totally freaked out and grabbed my pocketbook (of all things to save) and told my family that if it carried me away (like Dorothy) I would at least have my ID on me and would not be a missing person! Funny the things that go through your mind. I always thought I would be gathering up my samplers if anything like this ever happened! It lasted about 35 minutes and quit as suddenly as it started. Once again, the storm left plenty of damage all around us. For some reason I can't post any pictures right now but I'm just glad we have power! Now we have Hurricane Season right around the corner!

I mentioned that I started a new piece on Mother's Day but I only got several stitches in before I set it down so it's not worth showing yet. What is wrong with me lately. Two months of kaos around here has taken it's toll on my stitching mojo and blogging! It's not over, by any means but I am hoping it has settled down enough that maybe I can start to pull the unraveled strings of my life back into place (a little at a time).

Thanks so much for sticking with me during this upside down period. Knowing you are all out there means so much to me! Until next time (and hopefully a more normal post) may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

Stormy Weather

2011-05-15T09:59:00.003-04:00

Another strong storm hit our area last week. It woke me up in the middle of night with extremely loud thunder and the room was lit up with all the intense lightening. The winds were bringing down trees and doing some major damage to the area but luckily not to our house or property. The weather had said we would get large hail again and it seemed that towns all around us did but it skipped by us. Good news.

Harold has told me about a family of geese that comes back every year to nest at their plant. I love all the stories he tells me about them. He said the guys can't understand why they come down there to nest and I told him it was because the geese know the spot and they consider the guys down there as family. Moma goose had four babies this year. Harold was at work during the storm and said the wind was blowing so hard that two of the babies were lost in the wind. He saw one of them trying to get back to moma and the wind was so hard, the poor little thing could not fight the strong wind. It kept falling and blowing backwards. He carried the baby over to the area where the moma had taken the other two babies for safety. Later another guy found the fourth baby under an engine and carried it to the same spot. A family reunited. I told Harold "see, she knows you guys care and considers you family". DH was afraid that moma goose would reject the two lost babies after being handled but he told me later that they are all together and doing fine.

There were several more storms this past weekend but nothing too bad until lightning hit our front yard! It didn't hit close enough to damage anything but the sound of it hitting was unreal! It even set off the smoke alarm. Some of our neighbors saw the flash of fire it created and ran outside to see if all was well too. That makes the second time lightning has hit our yard! What a scare. Did I mention that I am getting really tired of all these storms?

There were periods of sun over the weekend and during one I sat out on the deck to watch the birds. The warmth of the sun felt glorious to my cold natured side and I began to drift off as I soaked it all in until I was rudely (and painfully) awakened by a sneaky wasp that found his way up under my shirt and must have panicked (or not liked what he saw) when he couldn't find his way back out so he did the natural thing and really let me have it with his stinger - right in the stomach! Leaping to my feet, I was jumping around and yelling like I was doing some odd ritual dance when I saw him fly out from under my shirt and go on his merry way. At least he was happy.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get a lot of stitching done lately. Life has been too hectic with DH on these odd hours. I plan to pick up some stitching again once everything (or at least a good chunk of it) gets back to normal around here again. Whenever that may be!

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope to have some fun stitching news next time I post so be patient with me. Until then, may you have simple days.

New Look

2011-05-09T13:33:00.006-04:00

The shingles arrived today for our new roof and they should begin working on it tomorrow unless there is rain. This is not our house but a picture of how the roof should look once it is completed. We plan to paint the house (hopefully within another month) and the colors we will be using are very similar to these in the picture.

I started a new piece on Mother's Day just to try and get my mojo rolling again. I don't like to work on more than one piece at a time so I am really pushing the buttons with three pieces in progress! Just one of those "what was I thinking" moments.

Otherwise, Mother's Day was very quite around here. No trips, no gifts (I told dh I would get something later), no big surprises. Just a day of peace and quite and doing whatever I wanted. A perfect day. I sat outside and watched the birds for awhile, made several phone calls, got several phone calls then watched a day long marathon of one of my favorite shows. Of course, I cooked but I fixed what I was in the mood for this time.

Harold has been on a different shift for awhile which totally throws my mental calendar out of whack. I hate when he works these hours but someone has to do it. He has another doctor appointment coming up and naturally I will be right by his side so I can hear first hand what the doctor has to say.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your visits and comments always brighten my day.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

2011-05-08T07:32:00.002-04:00

I hope all mothers have a wonderful Mother's Day and I hope everyone else enjoys the day being with their mother on her special day.

Be sure to check out the wonderful giveaway at http://greyhousesamplers.blogspot.com for some lovely primitives.

Long time, No see!

2011-05-03T07:38:00.002-04:00

There is an old saying that bad luck runs in three's. We had our three (or maybe it was four) so I am going to be positive and say it's over for awhile! Our house was damaged by the storms but it could have been a lot worse like so many other people who lost everything so that's a plus in our favor. Second plus is that the roofers should start to work on our new roof within several weeks. DH has had some bad times with his health but I still have him around and am extremely grateful for that. Having to get him ready for the hospital during a power outage taught me to be better prepared. I now have a set of "hospital" clothes for each of us that I can easily grab without having to look through the entire closet. I also bought a more powerful flashlight so that I can do what is necessary without stumbling around should there be another outage when DH needs to go to the hospital. The one I used last time was no stronger than a night light. Ugh. The new one even has a strong strobe light setting in the event I have to jump around the yard to flag down the ambulance again. That will definitely get their attention! Next on our list is to buy a small generator that will be just powerful enough to run his breathing equipment in the event of another power outage. Live and learn!

With everything that has happened I lost my stitching mojo somewhere along the way. I was shocked when I realized it had been almost a month since I had given any attention to my projects! Actually, the shock was because it really seemed so much longer. But after getting my basket in order again, I began stitching again. Unfortunately, nothing is far enough long for any progress photos yet. You know what they say -- "it's like riding a bike".

After last post when I decided it was time to spoil myself a little, I went hunting for a pattern or two that would brighten my spirits. I found Ann How by The Scarlett Letter and was in love. I have mentioned before how I love samplers with alphabets and meaningful verses plus it would be my first SL pattern! Double cha-ching! I decided to just go with the one chart because I will probably need some fabrics on down the road. An early Mother's Day present will be a justifiable excuse to go ahead and get it!

I have made my list of pieces I would like to stitch up before the end of the year. I have a little over 6 months to accomplish this. Can I do it? I would love to and I probably can as long as I don't go changing my mind or falling into another slump. *fingers crossed*

Thanks so much for stopping by. Your visits and comments really brighten my days. Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

Life Without Pictures

2011-04-21T09:09:00.002-04:00

It feels like I have been gone from life much longer than I actually have. What with what seems like almost a month long string of one thing after another, though, I am back! DH, health issues, storms, dealing with insurance adjusters, running errands, yadda yadda yadda.

After my last post I looked at the pictures and thought I should apologize. I was pooped and didn't take the time to edit and crop them so that you could all see the details of the damage. Unfortunately, Mother Nature wasn't finished with us yet. About a week after the power returned there was a line of severe thunderstorms, damaging winds and hail as big as baseballs balls! I had pictures but DH was playing around with my camera one evening and deleted them before they got downloaded to the computer! Bad DH! Those large balls of hail beating on our roof was a scary sound! There were some trees blown down again and a lot of power outages but luckily our power only flickered occasionally. There have been several other storms move through since then that we have watched carefully but luckily no damage or power knocked out.We were extremely lucky to miss the line of 62 tornados that passed through our state. We had some hard heavy winds but nothing like a lot of other people got. Now all eyes are watching another system that is moving in this week. So far, they are saying it should be milder but Mother Nature is a woman and women are prone to changing their minds! I have heard reports that because of all the odd and unusual weather changes, storms like this will become more common. I realize Spring is a big season for storms but these were definitely not our usual type.

The insurance adjuster came out this past weekend to take a look at our roof and damage that the hail caused. We will be getting a new roof and new gutters for the house, a new roof for the storage building and some repairs to the air conditioner unit. This week we have to take the car in for an assessment of damages from the hail.

DH has gone back to work for now but I don't know for how long. The doctor has put a load of restrictions on him and being the worry wart that I am I like to have him nearby so I can jump into action if need be. He has his good days and his bad days. Unfortunately, even his good days are not as good as he would like me to believe. I have made a few changes around the house so that I can be better prepared should (and probably when) any thing like this happens again.

Stitching has just taken a back seat to all the hull-a-balu going on lately. It's in my basket and each night I look at it fondly then slowly drift off for a short nap! I think I will pull it out again later this week after things (hopefully) calm down a bit more.

I felt so bad about being MIA that I spent a better part of the morning catching up on some blog reading! I just wanted to drop in and say hi. Maybe next time I will have some good news, stitching updates and pictures to share. I learned my lesson about downloading pictures immediately! lol. I have been a good girl and not ordered anythhing new all year so far but after this past month, I am thinking it's time for a little Sherry spoiling! *wink*

Thanks so much for stopping by. Your visits and comments always brighten my day!

Long Post and Pictures

2011-04-08T11:16:00.009-04:00

Thank you all for your comments of concern for DH. We both appreciated them. He has had several follow up visits with various doctors since coming back home and the news isn't as good as he had hoped. It looks like some changes are in our future.

Unfortunately, this year has not started off with the stitching bang I had planned. According to my list for the year, I should have several finishes behind me by now. Not yet. Does that mean I'm giving up? No way. I just won't have the number of finishes for the year I had hoped for but they will still mean just as much to me. I will continue to get my "fix" by watching the progress of all of your work in blogland. The first part of an old song by Dionne Warwick keeps popping into my head when I see my poor stash sitting on the shelf "Wishin' and hopin' and thinkin' and prayin' Plannin' and dreamin'......" But, life happens.

Earlier in the week, we were hit by that horrible storm that moved through 20 states and left so much destruction. The day before the storm the wind was so strong, we could hardly walk outside in it. It felt like we using all our strength just to get from the house to the car. We came home later that day to see our roof in shambles because of the strong winds. Later that night the storm moved through. It didn't last long but the winds sounded like a freight train rolling through the neighborhood. Power transformers were blowing up all around us lighting up the sky. Trees were falling like dominoes and landing across the roads on power lines pulling them down, on cars, big store signs blowing over, taking out stop lights and well, you get the idea.

Our section of town was hit the hardest and people are comparing this storm to a mini Hurricane Hugo. We were without power for over 50 hours (also water, gas and phone for much of that time) and there were power companies from many eastern states called in to help. It was not unusual to see 15 or more power trucks gathered in a spot working on lines. Sirens were in the air constantly from ambulances, fire trucks and police.

There was no time for stitching during the outage because we stayed busy getting things done before it was time to light the candles and pull out the flashlights for the night. It made me wonder how people managed to find time to make those beautiful and detailed samplers so many years ago.

DH had to make another trip to hospital during the outage because he not been able to use his breathing equipment as required. It was early in the morning before there was any type of outside light to help matters and all I had was a cell phone and a not so bright flashlight. Not the best of conditions but we got him there and luckily they didn't have to keep him overnight. Even a lot of his follow up visits with doctors concerning the previous trip to the hospital were canceled because they also had no power. Once the power came back on, it was touch and go for awhile. A power line pole caught on fire at the top causing a lot of short bursts of power then another black out but only for a short while this time. Once the power was stable we each headed for the item we missed the most. For me, it was the coffee maker. I can drink instant but once I got my first drip coffee maker, I was spoiled so that had been sorely missed and that first cup tasted oh so good!

So for now we have power and our fingers crossed it stays on! After the first 24 hours without power, it stops being an adventure and becomes nothing more than a nuisance. Dull days, I miss you! Thank you for stopping by again!

Where Are My Dull Days?

2011-03-28T09:42:00.002-04:00

Thank you all for the wonderful comments on my framed pieces! I still haven't had time to hang them up but they are waiting patiently.

It has been a busy and hectic week around here again. DH went to the hospital and was there about 5 days. It certainly added a lot to my plate around the house but knowing he was getting the care he needed was most important. I am always a nervous wreck when he goes in the hospital. He is back home now but that doesn't mean things have slowed down very much with him being on oxygen 24 hours a day. It is definitely a lot easier to take care of him here at home instead of running back and forth so much. He had planned to take several days off this week and we were going to get some things done around the house. Well, he is home but our plans are on hold for awhile. I laughed and told him that he would just do anything to get out helping around the house!

I am sorry to say that I haven't gotten any stitching done over the past week either. When I did have the time, I was just too darn tired to even hold that tiny little needle! I can't even begin to count the number of times I have dozed off in my chair when I had a moment to sit. Hopefully I can get back to it soon. Breathe in. Now breathe out! Whew!

Our weather had been really nice then all of a sudden the temps dipped down again. We had those beautiful days in the 70's and 80's and now we are back into 30's and 40's with lots of cold rain and even the chance of some snow! All I can say to Mother Nature is "make up your mind"! I was expecting a weather change like this but not this late into the month so I had begun to think that we might be home free. No such luck.

I wish I had a more exciting post to make with lots of progress photos on my stitching but not this time. I have been trying to keep up with other blogs in between all the madness around here. Reading all your blogs and seeing your wonderful pictures do bring some peace and normalcy to my day.

Thank you all for stopping by again. Until next time, may you have simple days and uncluttered heart.

Frames, Frames, Frames

2011-03-20T19:07:00.009-04:00

Hi everyone! We had a nice but busy Spring weekend with beautiful weather and the birds were singing their hearts out in celebration of the end (hopefully) of cold days. No real stitching updates to post this time as I took a break from it for a few days.

I needed to get a new frame for Good Things by NNF but kept forgetting. When I finally remembered and went to look for one, I wasn't happy with any that I saw. I guess I'm too picky. After getting home, I saw one peeking out of the stack of frames I have waiting to be used. It's a much older frame but I have always loved it and have been saving it for just the perfect thing. Bingo! Problem solved! Of course I had to clean up but I just love old knotty wood. It has so much character!

I picked up my pieces from the framers and I am love with them! She did such a wonderful job on the framing and I couldn't help but think "did I really do this work?" because of her wonderful touch and they look so much better in the frames than I ever thought my work could be! When she brought them out for my approval, I was jumping up and down and clapping in glee like a small child! Even Harold was impressed. They are special to my heart since they were both stitched in memory of loved ones. I have a list of more designs I would like to work up in memory of other loved ones. Personalizing them like this just makes the pieces much more special and keeps my heart warm.

My father was a gadget nut! He wanted (and usually bought) every new techno play toy that came out. He especially loved making CDs of his favorite music. Once when I called him, he told me that he had just finished a CD of his favorite gospel songs and hymns.He asked me what my favorite hymn was and I promptly replied "Oh, that's easy. His Eye is on the Sparrow." He said "Oh my gosh! I love that one and forgot all about it!" I laughed and told him he would have to make another CD now so he could include it. When he passed away, I chose the songs for the service and this was the first one I picked because of that special conversation and laughter we shared about it. This piece by Tree of Life of Samplings was a must to stitch when I saw it. I wanted a simple yet striking frame to bring out the colors of the design.

A Mind Independent and Free by CHS was stitched in memory of my aunt. She was a very special person in my life. Many times she told me that she wanted to live a good long life but if her mind ever started to go, she hoped the Good Lord would go ahead and take her home so this verse was more than perfect to do in her memory. I think she would be pleased. I picked a simple yet darker frame for this piece and the woman at my LNS was even in awe over the finished outcome.

My aunt had been working on our family history for years before she passed away. This past year we have all have received many CDs and other files with her pictures, a box of the history ready to put into binders and much more. This past week I was surprised with a another huge file with more history that I had not expected. I haven't looked at it yet because of the size and I know I will want a lot of time to look through it. I have been wanting to find more information on my Grandma's side of the family so that I can work on the Mother's Tree by Lavender and Lace. I have enough information right now to do it with 5 women but I have seen it finished off with 8 or 9 and it is beautiful! The more the better so my fingers are crossed! I would especially like to thank my cousins for helping to pull all this history together because they all did a lot of work on it.

Thanks for stopping by again! Your visits and comments always make my day brighter.

No Pictures Today

2011-03-16T11:27:00.002-04:00

As usual we got a lot of errands and regular chores done over the weekend. As tiring as they are, it feels good to have them out of the way for another week. DST started over the weekend. YEA. Longer days. I do like the extra daylight hours even though it throws off my sleep for a night or two. On a sad note, my cousin passed away and we went up to the mountains to attend his funeral. He held a special place in my heart and will be missed by many who loved him. While there, I did get to see other family members that I don't see often as I would like.

We have been closely watching the disaster in Japan. DH works at a nucleur plant that is a carbon copy of the ones over there so their nucleur plant disaster will more than likely affect the plants over here as well in one way or another sometime down the road.

It still feels like Spring has arrived in our area of the South. I am certainly not complaining but am keeping my excitement on hold since we have seen it snow in April before. We had an early Winter this year so maybe we are getting an early Spring, too. No problems here with that!

Harold and I have been doing the happy dance around here lately because we have both lost weight. I have lost enough to wear clothes (and even my wedding rings again) that I haven't worn in several years. DH is the big winner though with a whopping loss of 52 pounds and over 30 that is just from this past January! I told him to reward himself with some new clothes because his pants would fall off without nice secure belt now!

I have noticed that I am adding threads and fabrics to my stash that I have never tried before. I have always used nothing but DMC but I am adding different types of floss now. They are kitted up along with certain patterns so I haven't used them yet but am looking forward to trying them out. My last try at stitching with linen was a disaster so I bought some evenweave to try with Sarah Woodham. Still in my basket but is there when I get ready to start.

Sorry there are no pictures this post. Hopefully next time I will have some good ones to share! Thanks for stopping by! Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

Better Late Than Never

2011-03-07T07:23:00.004-05:00

February is gone and March has arrived! Even though February is the shortest month of the year, it always seems like the longest to me! I really don't know why. It won't be long now before DST begins again and with it comes longer days! Yea! I can't believe it has been so long since I last posted. Every night I would remind myself "tomorrow I will take some pictures and update my blog" but the next day would always come and go with no pictures or update.

During the last week of February, there was absolutely no stitching. Things just got away from me around here and my stitching was put on hold. Occasionally I would look at it sitting in the basket by my chair but I was just too tired to pick it up. Here is the picture I have been promising of Marianne. She is moving along. Not quite as fast as I would like but she's getting done and that's what counts. Right? I am thinking that she will be become my year long piece so I don't rushed (which usually leads to a lot of frogging) to finish. I see so many stitchers just zoom through their work and I feel like I am watching my own progress in slow motion!

I also worked on This is the Day a little bit the past few days. Even though I haven't spent as much time with this piece, I feel it moving right along. Harold is enjoying watching the progress on this one since it will be personalized in memory of his father.

Once again we spent a lot of the weekend catching up on errands and chores. Last weekend we made a trip to the Choo Choo Store (yes, that's the name of it) for Harold. It is a haven for all kinds of model train supplies. Then it was time for my fun. We made a trip to the LNS along with several samplers I have been waiting to take in for framing. Last year I took in 5 pieces for framing but this year I only took in 2. I still have some others to frame but I think I may do those myself when I can make myself find the time. I will frame some but if I feel it is special for whatever reason, I like to give it it's just reward and have it framed by someone who can do a much better job than I can. I can't wait for them to be ready to come home where they belong! While we were there, I picked up some threads for another piece! There is nothing like some new stash to lift your spirits.

Our weather has been on the up and down scale lately. The sun shines nice and bright then disappears into the clouds for awhile but I am hoping the terrible cold temps are over for another year! The trees are budding and the birds are singing their mating songs so everything is beginning look and sound like Spring! I am holding my breath because it is still early enough for another storm! *fingers crossed that winter is over here*

Thanks for stopping by! I always enjoy your visits and comments. Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

It's Too Early to Think of a Cute Title!

2011-02-21T08:00:00.003-05:00

Sorry about the picture on the last post. The humming birds are definitely not out yet but I am still working on setting up this new computer and transferring some of our pictures over. It takes awhile to do that plus learning a new system is always time consuming too.

One of my very favorite things is the geese flying over our house as they come and go for Fall and Spring. There are a few places in the area where they remain year round residents but I can always count on other flocks to make their trip. They don't land in our yard (which is fine by me) but I do love watching them fly over in formation and hearing their calls announcing their departure and return.

Our weather was just beautiful this weekend! Yesterday was a little on the chilly side in the 50's after having a bright sunny Spring like day on Saturday. DH was home for a long weekend which made it even better! We took a day trip on Saturday to go to a model train store for him plus some other running around he had been wanting to do. He said this next weekend is mine so it will be off to the LNS to drop off some some pieces for framing and search the store for whatever catches my eye!

For some reason I just haven't seen as much from Market this year that I just have to get. There are a few designs I like and plan to order but compared to years past, it is a small number. Have my tastes changed that much or am I feeling a terrible pang of guilt because of all the patterns I already have waiting to be stitched? Just like Edgar, I am finding more older patterns that I want to add to my stash! I definitely need to stock up on some fabrics and threads. This is obviously my year for bigger pieces to stitch! Out of frustration one day while looking through my stash, I thought maybe I should just make a start on EVERYTHING! lol. Now, wouldn't that be a mess!

I will post an update of Marianne soon. As soon as I stop putting off taking the picture! I wake up with the intention of doing it but always get distracted or just don't feel like pulling that big camera bag out. I need to find a smaller camera bag that won't make it seem like such a chore to get out of the closet!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your visits and comments always make my day brighter!

It's In the Air

2011-02-15T08:03:00.003-05:00

It's been fairly dull around here since my last post which as you all know is just fine with me! Drama and disasters don't fit well into the scheme of things for me so I treasure the moments that it stays at a distance.

We had our usual weekend of errands and grocery shopping. Not one of my favorite things to do because as soon as all the bags are brought in, we are pushed aside as two grown bottom pits that we call our sons scour through each one for something to immediately devour as if they haven't eaten in weeks! I have learned to just step aside and let them do their thing before attempting to put everything where it belongs. Otherwise, it could be life threatening!

Our weather has been simply gorgeous! Warmer days, clear skies and sunshine! I call this our Spring teaser because it seldom fails that we get all excited about the nicer days and the trees begin to bud then Winter hits again. I can just hear Mother Nature laughing when this happens and saying "Silly people. Haven't you learned by now that I'm not finished with you".

I have been waking up to the sweet sounds of the birds courting songs. The bluebirds are busy starting on their nests. They often make decoy nests in one of the bird houses as well as the one they plan to use in another house. Time to get the feeders ready and stock up on food to help them out a bit during nesting season. The business of Spring has begun.

My rotation isn't coming along very well at the moment. I keep working on Marianne and saying "when I finish this section I will set it down" but I just can't seem to part with her so I keep on stitching. Whether it is Marianne or another piece, I am just thankful to be stitching since I had to leave her all alone for several days due to an arthritis flare up in my hands and an allergy attack that kept me sneezing constantly. That's never fun!

I am planning to take in several pieces for framing next month and I can't wait to see them hanging on my wall! Along with this, I have gotten the all clear sign to make an order around the same time! Yea! I can't wait to see what kind of goodies I find to toss in my basket but I know that fabrics will be a priority! I really don't need to order any patterns but I'm sure a couple of designs will pop up from Market that I will make an excuse to justify tossing them in as well.

Surprises are always fun and over the weekend, the mailman brought the Guarding Eden pattern I had ordered. It was backordered and I felt like I waited forever for it to arrive but it is here all safe and sound now! I have tucked it safely away for now while I work on Marianne so I am not too distracted by it!

I am not much of a Valentine's person so we never do much for it. Even as a child, all I really cared about was the abundant amounts of candy in the stores. My Grandfather (who I never knew) was born on Halloween and died on Valentine Day. I could always sense my father's sadness around this time. My mother's birthday was just several days off from Valentine's Day and since she passed away, I don't feel much like any celebration around this time of month. When the boys were little, I made a special effort for them but they are past that now. She has been gone over 41 years and it never seems to get any easier for me. There are 4 very hard days for me during the year. My parents birthdays and the dates of their death. I am always a little bit relieved if I can get through these days without remembering what day it is because I remember all year anyway. These days just sting more.

Thank you for stopping by again! I always enjoy your visits and comments. Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

Introducing Marianne

2011-02-09T13:48:00.002-05:00

I am so sorry I haven't posted in awhile. I keep thinking about it but decided to wait until I get a little bit more done on Marianne first so I will have a good picture for show and tell!

Here is a picture of Marianne. Not much, I know. It seemed like every time I sat down to stitch on her, I would think of something I needed to jump up and take care of! I always hate when this happens. When I sit down to stitch, I want to stay planted in my chair. Other than changing out the fabric I originally chose, I also switched out hoops to use. The one I bought especially for this project was just way too large and I could hardly move around the bigness of it to do my work. So out came my trusty wooden hoop which I seem to prefer most of the time anyway.

My conversion colors were picked for the original fabric I chose and now I am finding that some of them just don't work with this fabric so I am going through threads and switching out some as I go. No real order or planning. Just choosing what I think will look good. The dusky pink I chose (on the crown) seems to cast an orange tint on this fabric so I doubt I use it again. I can see one great big mistake already in Marianne but I am not going to start frogging it all because I would have to totally start over. No thanks. I asked DH if he could see the mistake (without telling him what it was) and he couldn't so I will let it be. Can you see it? One hint - it isn't in the stitching.

I think I learned my lesson on conversions after losing my list for This is the Day. I pulled out an old but unused diary (of sorts) to make into my Conversion Book. From now on when I change colors on a piece, which I am notorious for doing, I will write down all the changes in this book to have for future reference in case the piece lands in my WIP pile. To keep the book safe, it will stay in a drawer with my fabrics.

I revamped my list of pieces to stitch this year with the main ones I want to do taking the top spots. Holy threads and needles, Batman! There are some time consuming pieces on this list!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I always enjoy your visits and comments.

Found!

2011-02-03T07:11:00.002-05:00

We have had gloomy weather lately. Very cloudy and overcast. Those clouds are keeping the sun from reaching us and warming temperatures up. At least we are not getting those horrible snow storms hitting the north east. For that I am thankful. For those of you in the path of these storms, stay safe, stay warm and try to stay indoors as much as possible. Good days to stay inside and stitch.

I usually have a first finish for the New Year by now but not this time around. As I mentioned before, I put AWWR away for awhile. I still plan to finish it up this year. I have started on Marianne though. Enough talk about her. Time for some action! Plus I haven't stitched in a while so I was ready. It doesn't look like much right now so I will post a picture of her later but a start is a start. I am working on the upper left side border right now. There are 15 pages but the print is big so I am hoping each page goes quickly.

I had another "what if" moment and wondered about the fabric I chose to use. Would my lighter colors show up good? I pulled some Vintage Country Mocha to compare it with. All the colors seemed to dance on this fabric but I kept thinking that the sampler shown on Needleprint looked to be done on fabric closer to my original choice. What to do? What to do? I hate moments like these. I want to pull my threads, choose my fabric without any doubts and start stitching. With some help, I chose to use the Country Mocha.

Awhile back I mentioned a WIP that I thought was lost. I found it! It was safely tucked away among my fabrics (pictured in here). I was looking for a piece to do in memory of Harold's father and when I remembered this one, I knew it would be perfect for him. Now I can finish it up this year with that intention. I plan to personalize it in my FIL's memory just like I did on The Sparrow for my Dad. Harold seldom pays attention to what I am stitching on at the moment, but he likes to look at pictures of pieces I want to buy, so I think I will just wait till it is finished to show it to him.

Although I tend to shy away from them, I suddenly find myself with a 3 piece rotation. Marianne, This is the Day and Seek Joy. The last two are on my list of pieces I would like to see finished during this year. Once I get to stitching on all of them I plan to give each piece 2 days a week then give my hands a rest on the 7th. I still have to gather up threads for the last two pieces before I can begin a rotation. Should be fun (Not) since I changed a lot of the colors on This is the Day and it seems I have lost my conversion chart! So I will be eyeing the colors then winging it!

Thank you all for stopping by to visit. Until next time, may you have simple days and uncluttered heart.

Conversions and Gizmos

2011-01-30T13:37:00.004-05:00

Another weekend has come and (almost) gone and was just as busy as most others but not quite as busy as some I can remember! We got our grocery shopping out of the way and did a few errands. On Saturday, DH went to his yearly Bob Fest (similar to a needlework market but for astronomers and founded by 3 guys all named Bob. Thus the name).

On the weather side, we have had a lovely weekend with pleasant temperatures but just how long will this last during this time of the year. It's like we are getting teased with a taste of early Spring.

Everyone has been showing their conversions for Marianne Wenn so I thought I would join the party. It took awhile to get them all together and feel comfortable with my choices but this is it. Of course, I may toss in an extra color now and then just because I feel it needs something. I have also pulled out Seek Joy by NNF (I might change a few colors on this one too.) to work on as well so that I don't get frustrated with Marianne! I made another run to pick up some more threads for both pieces so I will have plenty. I am hoping to start on her this week.

Here is the conversion I used.

DMC 906 - changed to DMC 471
DMC 725 - changed to DMC 729
DMC 312 - not changed
DMC 3818 - changed to DMC 987
DMC 433 - changed to DMC 839
DMC 844 - changed to 310
DMC 744 - changed to DMC 676
DMC 304 - changed to DMC 815
DMC 890 - not changed
DMC 3761 - changed to DMC 799
DMC 3863 - not changed
DMC 3713 - changed to DMC 152
DMC 3706 - changed to DMC 356
DMC 842 - changed to DMC 372

Once in a while, Harold will see a picture of a sampler and fall in love with it himself. Such was the case when I showed him pictures of Marianne Wenn and Guarding Eden. Usually, he shrugs his shoulders and says "don't you have enough to work on" but this time I could see that special gleam in his eye and the awe in his voice when he asked "you want to do these? How long will they take?" He's hooked!

Luckily Harold is good with computers and gadgets so he spent an evening showing me how to download my pictures to this new computer. Now I can post them on my blog once again! I am still learning all the new gizmos. I'm not big on change but obviously the computer companies are. With my luck, once I get settled in and comfortable, it will time for this one to give out!

When Does It End?

2011-01-24T10:00:00.003-05:00

What a long weekend we had! First of all our computer died on us! We took it in to be fixed and they said it was working like new again but when we got home and set it back up, it was a different story! We took it back in and told them to just save a few things on CD for us and we ended up computer shopping! You would think that with no computer I would have spent more time stitching but that didn't happen.

It's been quite awhile since we had a new computer so we are still learning all the new gadgets and gizmos that have been added since then. Not to mention that computers have changed so much since we last bought one that alot of our existing software will not work with the new models! When does this madness end? No pictures on this post because we are still getting everything set up on this computer!

On the weather side, we had several days with temps that were pretty nice for this time of year but the cold is back and they are even calling for more snow early on in the week! Scientists are saying that all this wonky weather is definitely global warming and we can except our current weather conditions to be the new normal! That would mean (for us) longer hotter summers, longer colder winters and very little autumn or spring! I don't think I like that very much.

Market is coming up soon and I have come to realize that I get way too excited over new releases! I am like a child in a candy store running from isle to isle while yelling "I want it. I want it!" so I have decided to let my spurt of wonder and amazement run it's course before ordering! It's either that or we may be forced to move because of the all the charts taking over! *wink* I have already calculated that I will have to live to the age of 150 to complete even part what I now have waiting to be done! lol.

I am so anxious to start on Marianne Wenn from Needleprint! I hate to leave awwr as a WIP but I just have to set it aside for a bit. Maybe it is startitus fever or it could just be feeling antsy but I need something new. I have my fabric and threads for Marianne. I have changed a few colors. Some of the colors were just a little too harsh for me so I made some substitutions. I will be getting a large size Q-snap to accommodate her and hope it arrives soon.

I will be using 18ct. aida which will be make the finished piece 14x13. Not too bad and I hate to stitch on anything out of my comfort zone or I end up putting it down and this piece definitely deserves to be completed in all her glory! I just love everything about this piece! Like Terri, I am going to be switching out some of the colors. I am not very good at rotations but I don't want to get antsy or frustrated while working on Marianne so I may try a small rotation to keep things fresh and moving along.

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

News of Sorts

2011-01-16T08:19:00.006-05:00

Our weather is still c-o-l-d with a big fat brrrrrrr on the end! The sun has been melting off some of this ice and snow but a week after the big storm, we still have plenty left and the temps get so low at night that it just freezes right back over again! I am so ready for Spring and warmer days (and nights). Everyone around here is sick of snow and ice after this last storm. We did have a major heatwave over the weekend and reached highs in the high 40's but everyone is waiting to see if it last or we slump back into freezing temps again. Our weekend was nothing out of the ordinary. Grocery shopping and errands. I enjoyed stitching with a nice cozy throw tossed over my lap.

January has not been the best month for us and a really bad way to start off a new year! Two busted pipes and two cars, both needed some major work!

Opportunity knocked at my door and I had the chance to make a stitchy order. Once in a while especially when you feel like everything is falling in around you, it's good to spoil yourself! I had promised myself that I would be good this year and not make many orders but when opportunity knocks........ *wink*

I decided to keep it small or at least not big enough to fill up the Grand Canyon! I knew I could not make it through the year without any orders so I set a limit for myself. If I can keep to that, I will be satisfied.

I knew I needed some fabric and threads. Check. Since these are basically necessities, I don't count them as part of my limit. I would like to make a trip to Mary Jo's fabric store to see what they have available in cross stitch fabric - if anything. Sometimes they have a nice selection.

On to the designs. I am not as big a A&E fan like many people but every now and then one comes along that I really want to do. So was the case with Guarding Eden by Examplars from the Heart. I first saw it stitched up on Siobhan's blog and the more I went back to look at it, the more I wanted it. In the basket and ordered!

Marianne Wenn over at Needleprint (scroll down to January 10, 2011 post) is a stunning piece and and the colors are breath taking! Who wouldn't want this in their stash? Terri has ordered it as well so maybe we can encourage each other to keep those fingers moving. In the basket and ordered (and arrived already).

I saw a sneak peak of Jenny Bean's Creation Sampler by Shakepeare's Peddler and I already know it will be a must have as well but that will after it is released! After this, I will be nearing my limit!

Stitching is moving along slowly on awwr but I still have high hopes of finishing it off very soon. My pie birds sing to me as I stitch! *wink*

I know I signed up for the Crazy January challenge but in all reality I only did it as an incentive to get my hands busy and do more stitching. If I can finish off these this year along with (possibly) another one or two, I will be a very happy person! I applaud and marvel at those of you who stuck by the challenge rules 100%. I have watched your work with eager eyes.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your visits and comments always make my day!

Almost A House

2011-01-11T17:49:00.003-05:00

Monday, we were snowed in with around 7 inches of white stuff. Not much for some people but just the mention of snow can cause major panic in areas of the south! After the snow stopped later in the day, we were *blessed* with a sheeting of freezing rain and sleet (as well as below freezing temps). This morning everything was solid ice! DH tried to go into to work but ended up coming back home. Tomorrow will be day #3 that school has been cancelled.

I finally pulled out my camera to get an updated photo of AWWR. I have managed to pull it out the past several evenings for some short stitching time. As you can see, the house is half finished. It has been too hard trying to stitch very much while constantly reaching for a Kleenex because of this cold. I wanted something stitchy to do so I pulled out my stash. While sorting through the piles, I ran into a lot of old friends who have been patiently waiting for their turn at the needle! Which one will be next? So many choices!

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

Snow Day!

2011-01-10T08:23:00.003-05:00

We have snow! It was so beautiful to see when I woke up this morning and the light white flakes are still falling - heavy at times. The bad part is that we are also waiting on freezing rain and sleet to add a sheet of ice over the snow. Snow is pretty. Ice is bad! I am hoping that Harold gets to come home from work early before the roads get extra hazerdous.

I don't really have a lot of exciting news to share on this post. Over the weekend I did venture out into the cold so that I could get my hair trimmed up. What a difference a few snips made! I feel like a person again.

It seems like one thing or another has happened since the first of the year and my stitching has suffered for it. I feel awful about not being able to get a start on my crazy challenge and it is already the 10th of the month! We had to take the car in for some major repairs but I guess it could have been worse. Then another pipe busted under the house! More repairs and only several days after the first leak! Where is our good luck?

My cold is better or I just haven't noticed it as much with all the other things happening around here. Hopefully I will have some stitching to show very soon. Thanks so much for stopping by again! Your visits and comments always make my day brighter!

Sniff, Sniff, Cough

2011-01-07T08:29:00.003-05:00

First of all, I want to say how much I have enjoyed seeing everyone's New Year starts and Crazy January challenge starts.

My stitching for the New Year has taken a back seat to this horrible cold that decided to make an appearance! At least it isn't the flu! *knock on wood* This awful feeling has put a halt on my regular stitching and on starting my Crazy January Challenge! Hopefully with a little help from cold meds, I will be feeling like new in no time!

Harold's nice long Christmas vacation is over and he is back at work. I have already started asking him when he plans to take more vacation time! I don't get much accomplished (housework or stitching) when he is home but I do enjoy having him here!

There is an old saying that bad things happen in 3's. Hopefully our bad streak is over for awhile now. We had the dryer die on us in the summer, the washer died in the fall and we started off the New Year with a leak in a pipe under the house. That's three and I'm ready to be done with bad luck for a good long while!
The weather around here was supposed to warm up but I haven't felt much of a difference. Oh, there is a big difference from those dreaded single digit temps we had earlier in December (brrrrrrrrr) but I am still waiting for the 50's and 60's to show up again! I guess I will have to wait awhile since January through March are our normal cold cold months (which often include plenty of ice).

I have been stitching a little when this cold gives me a break on AWWR and feel I may finish up before the middle of January now! It was started in 2010 but will be finished in 2011 so I will count it as a finish for the present year. I have thought of setting it aside to start a new piece more than once but I just keep telling myself to push forward with it as I am so close to the end! Hopefully next time, I will feel like dragging out my camera to take an update picture to share!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I always enjoy your visits and comments. Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

Totally Annoyed

2010-12-29T11:17:00.003-05:00

Two posts in one day! Maybe I am on a roll!

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas. Our Christmas was perfect. The BBQ was delicious and I made an extra big pot of chili beans so there would be plenty left over in case the BBQ ran out! I sat and stitched and Harold tinkered with his toys while waiting for the snow. The snow finally arrived late Christmas evening and continued on through the next day. Harold and I decided to wait a while on our gifts because neither of us were really sure about what we wanted. We both have way too much stuff anyway!

With Harold being home, I haven't had quite as much time to stitch but I try to pick it up while we watch the evening news. Here is an updated photo (actually I am farther along than this now). As I mentioned before, I joined the Crazy January Challenge but more for incentive than anything else. I went through my stash and filled a basket with a lot more than 15 charts! How could I just choose 15 when I have so many waiting to be done? For now, my plans are to work mainly with my present stash and try to limit buying extras. I will pull them out to work on as I go along. They mostly range in size from medium to large. I will introduce them as I start and just let each one be a surprise. I like surprises!

I want to finish up AWWR and hopefully several more before March or April which is when I usually take some of past years work in for framing. I do some of it myself but I like to have the special ones professionally framed. Last year, I took in 4 and I would like to take in as many as 6 this time. It's pretty much a once a year thing so I look forward to it so I can see my wall fill up. My goal of having AWWR finished by the end of 2010 is looking dim but I think I can wind it up by the middle of January.

Here comes the totally annoyed part of this post. I decided to pull out some of my WIPs to set aside for working on this coming year. I knew of several in particular I wanted to see finished. Upon going to my WIP basket, I discovered they were gone! I started going through drawers, closets and anyplace else I could think of they might be hiding but no luck. Where did they go? Who took them from their basket? No one wants to admit to the dirty deed or just doesn't remember doing it. I have learned a valuable lesson from this -- no more WIPs! I have to finish what I start or take the chance of losing it entirely!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your visits and comments always make my day brighter!

Almost Gone

2010-12-29T09:53:00.000-05:00

This is the same post I make at the end of each year with a few changes here and there to suit the time of my life. It may get old to some but it works for me.

A New Year is right around the corner! A brand new clean calendar! It's up to each one of us what we do with it. Each year I make the same 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 every day. The joy of knowledge is indeed a blessing no matter what you choose to learn.

2. To make time for myself. It's 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 in life for granted. My continued goal is to look with my eyes but to see with my heart. To simply enjoy life and all that is a part of it.

4. To enjoy my family and friends. I am lucky to have each and every one of them in my life. I have been blessed with so many online friends and each day I am grateful for each one of you! My online stitching and blogging friends are a very important part of my life!

5. Organize and Simplify! Two key words I always yearn to make a part of my everyday routine but often lose focus on. Organize doesn't mean I have to go on a cleaning rampage each day. It just means I need to get my life and things that are a part of my life in some of manageable order so that I feel comfortable instead of constantly overwhelmed. Not putting things off until the last minute can contribute greatly to this cause! Simplify! Just what it means - plain and simple! Stop making a mountain out of a mole hill, do what I can and leave the rest, don't volunteer for more than I feel I can handle or feel will stress me out!

6. To Remember. So many people have come and gone from my life over the recent years and I want to keep their memory alive.

7. To keep my faith alive and strong.

And of course the New Year just wouldn't be complete without a few just plain fun goals!

1. Take more trips. Even day trips can be fun.

2. No pressure. Keep the fun and joy in stitching. This is why I started in the first place! I actually have several special projects planned for this year but will keep them a secret until I start.

3. Take more pictures.

4. I would like to work occasionally on some family history this year and get that in albums for all to enjoy.

5. Get back into life! Period. Plain and simple.

6. Work on home improvements. We have plenty to choose from!

Have a safe New Year's Eve! Thanks for stopping by! Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-21T08:14:00.003-05:00

It has been a different Christmas around here this year. No tree. No decorations. No stockings hung on the fireplace mantle. No lights. After missing Thanksgiving (because of a family matter that sort of took the wind out of our Christmas sails), the mood to pull everything out just never took hold. Luckily our kids are grown so there are no sad little faces to contend with (oh, wait! I forgot about my DH and his look of disappointment). I have already promised that next year will be much better. That gives me one year to stock up food for the cupboards and take care of some home repairs so the new repairs help show off the decorations. Isn't it funny how so many of us start planning for the next Christmas decorations and food often before the present Christmas has even come and gone. I already have ideas dancing around for next year!

I have a bad habit of hitting the after Christmas sales with one or two items in mind but end up coming home with lots of marked down holiday decorations! Not this year. I will not let myself fall into that trap again. I have already cleared out, thrown away or given away a lot of excess decorations and I still have enough. Probably too much. I want next year to be simple so I doubt I use all that I still have!

We discussed Christmas dinner. Should I cook since I missed doing Thanksgiving this year or should we stick with our tradition of bringing in enough BBQ to last Christmas Eve evening through Christmas day? We decided to stick with tradition. We had anticipated this earlier in the year and have been trying out new places since our old favorite BBQ place had closed down. We found a place that was worthy of our picky taste for it. Not just any old BBQ will do for us and this restaurant suited both of our tastes.

I picked up several items on my year to year Christmas list. I always buy a loaf of Pecan Raisin bread from the bakery. It is so good served warm with some cream cheese spread on top! One of my yearly holiday indulgences! Then I like to look for inexpensive holiday coffee mugs. I have a cabinet full but I found another to add with a simple cardinal on it.

Once more I would like to wish a Merry Christmas to all of my dear blogging and stitching friends. Some of you are new friends and others I have known for quite awhile. I look forward to spending another year of friendship with you all! Thank you all for touching my life and making it more special.

Peeking In

2010-12-18T21:29:00.003-05:00

DH is home on vacation and I had a few minutes to drop in and say hi to everyone! There hasn't been as much stitching as I hoped lately and I am beginning to wonder if I will get AWWR finished by the end of the year. I am going to keep pushing for that goal anyway.

It has been busy around here. Thanks to Harold, I had the most perfect birthday! I couldn't have asked for a better birthday! We went out (as planned) and did some needed errands then off to shop for my birthday present.

Since I love and collect Santas, I have had my eye on this Boyd Santa (on the left) for awhile. It was still at the store and to make things even better, it was marked down 50%. Then I found this thimble Santa by Tom Clarke in NC (on the right). I collect a few of his figures and I love his thimble gnome collection since I also collect thimbles. Another wonderful surprise when I found that he, too, was marked down 50% plus he is an edition #1. Triple the surprises! I am rebuilding my Santa collection since over the years many have been broken or just gotten raggy. These are wonderful additions to my new start!

After lunch, we drove across the state line to the LNS where I get some pieces framed. I had a birthday coupon and was looking for just the right thing to get. I couldn't find what I wanted until I went through the sale bin and found God Bless Us Everyone by The Primitive Needle marked down to $2.50! I have been wanting this pattern and the price was definitely right!

Then off to eat at my favorite winter time restaurant for Chicken and Dumplings! Yes, I said winter time restaurant! Their food is delicious but just a little too heavy for those hot summer days yet perfect for the cold days of winter! On cold evenings, they always have a fire burning in their mammoth fireplace to help make everything even more cozy!

Yesterday's weather was beautiful! Sunny skies and warmer than recent temperatures. We got ready today to finish off our errands and do some shopping, opened the door to leave and we saw the biggest, fattest snowflakes falling! It didn't last more than an hour but it beautiful coming down!

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

Christmas Past

2010-12-15T09:33:00.003-05:00

It's been a few days since I last posted. No stitching for me since last post. I got some sort of bug and have been fighting getting over it. I think the fever broke last night so maybe I am on the mend.

We had snow flurries earlier this week! It was so fun to see everyone at our house get excited over the few flakes! Snow always brings out the kid in about everyone!

We have been having temperatures as low as 9 degrees and highs topping off at 34 degrees. The term Artic Blast is mild! Our temps haven't been as cold as other places but too cold for us non the less.

During the holiday season, I tend to remember things that always make my heart warm. Usually memories of past Christmases. This time I thought about the year my Dad bought a race car set to put up around the tree. What girl gives a hoot about something this? But I loved it because each evening after he got home from work we would sit under the tree and race our cars round and round the track! Together time. It was only put out when the tree went up so it became a Christmas tradition. The tradition of time well spent together laughing and enjoying each others company.

DH will be taking Friday off as part of my birthday present, then we will be going out to shop around, maybe hit the LNS and on to the restaurant for Chicken and Dumplings! I can taste them now! These are as good as my Grandma made and hers could really make my taste buds dance!

Harold will begin his two week Christmas vacation soon so I probably won't be getting online very much while he his home. No special plans. Just watching some movies together while I stitch and he putters around with his hobby.

I want to go ahead and wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year now in the event I get busy. I am sure I will pop in occasionally but it doesn't hurt to say it more than once! Hopefully I will have more to share next time! Thanks for stopping by. Your visits and comments always make my day!

Thank You

2010-12-12T11:24:00.005-05:00

First of all, let me say thank you to all of you who left speedy recovery wishes for me on the last post. Yes, I felt pretty rough but luckily, after several days of rest and no heavy lifting, bending, ect I am feeling better. I can't do cartwheels yet but -- oh yeah, I never could do those! *wink* Even my broken toe is on the mend! DH gave me a flashlight to keep on my bedside table with the orders to "use this when you get up at night". He really does look out for me!

It is just still super cold and it supposed to be even colder this week! As long as I can stay indoors, I'm fine! Of course, I might brave the cold harsh winter winds for a trip to the LNS.

Without further delays, here is a updated progress picture of AWWR (actually I am further along than this now). As I said before I changed a few colors. If any design has purple or orange in it, I tend to run for my thread stash to find an alternate choice! I am thinking that I may see how it all looks after I finish with bottom designs and for go the border. There are some really nice decorative mats now. It's just a thought right now. I have plenty of time to decide.

Each New Year, if possible, I like my first stitch of the year to be something that feels inspirational to me. Such as in 2009, I stitched Lauren's Voice by La D Da (with the saying Treat Yourself Well). For 2011, I have chosen Seek Joy in All Things by Notforgotten Farm as my first piece.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I always enjoy your visits and comments. Until next time, may you have simple days and uncluttered heart!

So Cold!

2010-12-08T10:28:00.001-05:00

I have been taking it easy the past several days due a fall I had the other night. Sounds like I am a total clutz, huh? It was late at night and I got up, not fully awake. My broken toe hasn't helped my balance very much so when I came around the corner, I ran into the dresser and ka-boom, down I went, hard! I've been pretty sore so not much movement for me which gives me a real good excuse to sit and stitch. To be honest though, I think I would rather come up with my own excuse than falling like that again!

I had hoped to finish up AWWR by the middle of the month and even have time to do another simple stitch by the end of the year! Big expectations, huh! I am thinking now that I will be doing good to finish off AWWR by the years end deadline just by its self! I am working on the two decorative line borders that come between the alphabet section and the pictorial design. So far there has been no frogging or even a minor mistake so I am happy.

Brrrrrrr. These frigid temps will really take a bite out of you when you step outside! The past few mornings have been in the single digits. No snow yet and just a tiny bit of sleet that didn't last long enough to do any damage to our already icy spirits. Over the warm summer months, you tend to have memories of those cold winters past but the memories are nothing until it rolls around again to remind you "hey, remember me? I'm Winter and I didn't want you to forgot me!". Even the sky looks cold. I have my coat, my mittens, my warm hat and my scarf to wrap around my neck then my face but that darn cold still manages to burrow through the yarn and do it's frosty magic on me! Days like these my coffee pot works over time so I will have a hot mug of joe to warm up with.

I don't like posting without a picture but sometimes it just happens! Thanks so much for stopping by! I always enjoy your visits and comments!

It's Monday

2010-12-06T07:05:00.004-05:00

After a day of grocery shopping, running errands and sloshing around in the rain and sleet I came home totally exhausted to find a package waiting on me. After putting the groceries away, I collapsed in my chair with the package! I was so thrilled to see it contained goodies from Santa Edgar! Some of his wonderful chocolate covered cherries (which my son promptly claimed as his own), yummy homemade Peach Jam (which thrilled my peach loving DH) and some of that delicious white chocolate bark that I love so much! It was the perfect end to an exhausting day! Thank you dear friend!

What with a busy weekend, feeling icky due to the weather and my broken toe caused by not looking where I was going there was no stitching for me this weekend. I decided to just rest. I did pick up some more threads so I won't run out while working on it.

I have been changing my mind almost every day about what 15 charts I want to stitch for the Crazy January Challenge! I wanted to work on a lot of designs I already have in my stash. I had 15 picked then thought I might to do more seasonal designs since I have so few of these done. I hate the thought of doing a beautiful cross stitch only to put it out once a year so I will choose a wall for these so that they can remain out year round. After all, our home decor is that of older Christmas colors and my Santa collection remains out year round also. My average number of yearly finishes is between 5-7 designs so I will be really pushing my needle to knock out more! Not all 15 will be seasonal but I am thinking there will now be more than first planned!

*update* I have my 15 charts planned out. Several will have to be ordered but will be well worth it! I will post them at a later time. Most of them will be small to medium but I may sneak in a larger one every so often!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I always enjoy your visits and comments. Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart!

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

2010-12-03T07:23:00.004-05:00

The Farmer's Almanac had predicted an early, cold winter for us and I think they hit it on the head once again! We have had some bitter cold temps! No snow for us yet but as I recall, we got hit by the white stuff pretty hard last year, so that's ok by me. Several mornings this week, I have stepped out early in the morning (pre-coffee oriented) only to take a second look because the frost looked like a dusting of snow.

As I promised, here is an update of AWWR by Shakespeare Peddler. I am just loving the flow of stitching on this piece. I need to go pick up some more floss this weekend so I don't run out in the middle of this project!

I still haven't even pulled out any of our Christmas stuff yet! The wind outside has been so strong, I decided to wait so that decorations aren't flying around the neighborhood. Indoor decorations, well I guess that's just been laziness on my part.

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

Will Sing For Food

2010-12-01T09:33:00.003-05:00

My people pie vents are picky about what kind of food they will sing for but they will really belt out a steamy tune for the right kind of pie! But this time, I'm not sure if they are singing or looking at me in shock because I have signed up for the Crazy January challenge! Yikes! What have I done! I have pulled my 15 projects for the challenge but as stitchers, we all know these can change without warning. I doubt seriously I get all of the pulled designs finished up by year's end but maybe this will give me a good kick in the back side to do more!

A Weary World Rejoices is coming right along at a good pace. I will share another picture soon. I am saving the border for last this time.

Happy December! I have another birthday coming up later this month. No numbers (although I know some family and friends know!). As usual, no special plans for it. I like for DH to take the day off, spend the day being lazy and then go out to eat for my favorite comfort food -- chicken and dumplings!

Thanks for stopping by! I always enjoy your visits and comments!

New Start

2010-11-29T06:09:00.003-05:00

Life is getting back to normal - sort of. It's an unspoken rule of thumb that after a crisis you wait on edge to see if something else is going to happen. Hopefully, the storm has passed with no other casualties.

I have made a list of everyone's favorite holiday sweets to make up. Cheese cookies, pecan balls and cream cheese bread. A few other yummies might get requested but for now, this sounds like enough to me and I will be doing good to these made!

My stitching is coming right along at a good pace. I am hoping to stay on schedule and have it finished up before the New Year. A few colors/shades have been changed to appeal more to my personal preference. I have been enjoying stitching this piece and have picked it up each day to work on since starting. That's a good sign!

The Christmas Bird Count is right around the corner. I always enjoy doing this. Put on a coat, venture outside and join me for it!

Thanks for stopping by!

Some Thanks and Some Stitching

2010-11-27T07:20:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone who celebrated the holiday had a nice Thanksgiving. Ours was quite and different this year. I usually spend two days preparing all the food for the big meal but not this year. After a family crisis earlier in the week, my cooking mode was in low gear so we fixed something simple and had a quite time and best of all, no dishes to clean up. I think everyone really did miss that big meal though and I even told DH that I missed fixing it up but he laughed and said "don't worry. We'll let you fix it for Christmas!" lol. Bless his heart. As I sat stitching that night, I thought of all the things I was thankful for.

Did anyone hit the stores the day after Thanksgiving? I always stay away from the crowds on this day and keep in safety of my home. We did have to venture out to get a couple of small items but I guess all the wild crowds were gone by then because it was really no worse than a regular weekend errand run. Whew!
I took a stitching break after my last finish. I used the time to go through my stash and revise my 2011 stitching list. I like what I have on the list but doubt seriously all of them will get their turn at the needle but I will definitely be happy with the ones I do get completed. Most are already in my stash and only several will need to be ordered.

I felt like making my upcoming work something with a holiday theme. I pulled several kitted up designs then saw what I wanted to do. It really doesn't look Christmasy but the verse on it is part of my very favorite Christmas carol so that works for me. In case you are wondering, I have pulled A Weary World Rejoices by Shakespeare Peddler. This one was actually in my 2011 pile but having one less on my list is just fine by me! I may change a couple of the lighter colors to a darker version of the same shade so they will show up better on the fabric I am going to use. Once I get far enough along to show some progress, I will take a picture to share with everyone! I am setting my sights on having this one finished by the end of December so here's hoping I can stay on schedule!

Now it's time to start pulling out some of the Christmas decorations. It seems like I drag out less and less each year which is fine because less is more seems to fit like a glove these days. And with the holidays comes more busy days so if I don't seem to be around as much please know that I am reading your blogs on the sly because I can't bear to be apart from my dear stitching friends for too long!

Thanks so much for stopping by. I always enjoy your visits and comments. Until next time may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

November News and A Winner

2010-11-15T07:50:00.002-05:00

Did you see posted on Cathy Barrick's blog that her sister will be taking over Carriage House Samplings and even continue on with the Hawk Run Hollow series! What exciting news! I can't wait to see what she does!

I had planned on what to do for my next stitch. Something small that probably wouldn't take too long and could be finished by the end of the year but I am having second thoughts now. I keep looking through my stash and drooling over several designs in particular.

I am wanting to do some revamping to our bedroom. Nothing spectacular. Maybe a new comforter and blinds but I have a wall just crying out for something special. What could be more perfect for the bedroom than a theme wall of winter and quilt pieces! I love both so much and they go together perfectly!

More news on the home front. Remember our dryer died over the summer? Well, this weekend, our washer died so we went out shopping for a new one and had it delivered the next day! Hopefully both will last a good long while now.

The days are still warm and the nights are still cold around here. We usually don't get our big winter blast until the end of December on through mid March. So far we are having an average weather season but that can always change in a snap.

And now for the big announcement of the day. The winner of my giveaway for 4 patterns is Faye! Congratulations! Thank you to everyone who entered. Be looking for another giveaway sometime in the near future.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Finished!

2010-11-10T07:45:00.002-05:00

Yea! I finished up The Sparrow and am thrilled with how it turned out considering this piece has been through the wringer with spills, rinsing out and mistakes on my part (I had to make a few adjustments here and there to avoid days of frogging). Excuse the wrinkles but those don't effect my joy right now! As you can tell, I figured out how and where to put my Dad's initials along with the years of his birth and death. This is such a meaningful piece to me for so many reasons and all bringing back memories of some sort about my Dad. After a short break where I focus on some neglected housework I will turn my attention to my last stitch of the year.

I have a terrible problem that whenever anyone walks through our house every picture on the walls goes bonkers and they all end up hanging haywire like an earthquake had struck so while we were out doing our usual errands I picked up some new double sided sticky stuff to hold them in position that won't hurt the walls (or frames). I haven't used it yet but when I do I'll let you know how it works. I was told at the store that they have to constantly restock it because it sells so good and so fast.

I do have some sad news. The sampler, Good Things by Notforgotten Farm fell off the wall and the frame broke. Now I have to go out and look for a new frame. I hope I can find another one either just like the old frame or maybe one I like even more! *fingers crossed*

Remember to leave a comment on the previous post to be entered in my current giveaway! Thanks so much for stopping by. Your visits and comments always make my day!

Giveaway!

2010-11-06T10:27:00.002-04:00

Now the days are getting chilly again although the weather forecast says it won't long. The DST change will soon take place and we will turn our clocks back an hour. I really like the longer days but on the colder evenings the early twilight hours give me a good excuse to put on those cuddly flannel jammies for some comfy cozy stitching.

Did I ever mention that I just love flannel pajamas? My favorite collections are

1. my sewing supplies such as scissors, pincushions, thimbles, plus my stash
2. flannel jammies
3. bowls Yes, I said bowls. I love any ol' kind of bowl especially wooden or stoneware.

What is your stitching thorn in the side? Mine would have to be borders. I love the finished look that borders give to a piece but working on them gives me a headache! I guess it because they tend to be so repetitive in their design plus I really just want to get to the main portion of it.

I am hoping that my next update photo of The Sparrow will be a finished picture. I am coming right along and have my fingers crossed to put in the last stitch by weeks end - maybe sooner!

I promised that giveaways would be coming up soon and here is the first one. Instead of just one chart, I am offering four(all for one winner)! The charts are Fox Forest by The Workbasket, Tokens of Friendship and Love by With My Needle, Insect Sampler by Stoney Creek and The Blackbird by BBD. They are all new and never used. There are no rules except to leave a comment on this post by midnight November 13 along with your email address so that I can contact you if you are the lucky winner. I will announce the winner on November 15. If you would like to become a follower or even post about my giveaway on your blog, I would love that.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I always look forward to your visits.

Angels on Earth

2010-11-01T16:55:00.003-04:00

November is National Hospice/Palative Care Month. The theme of Hospice Month is Seasons of Caring. There are more than 4,000 hospice organizations throughout the U.S. providing compassionate care for patients at the end of life...and their families.

Our family would have been lost without them when my Dad was dying. They made everything so much easier for him and for us. Please remember them during them during the holidays as they always need donations even if it is only something as small as a goodie bag with some daily essentials for their patients.

Thank you all for caring.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T12:57:00.002-04:00

I have finally posted another update photo of The Sparrow. I picked it up again the other night and finished up the house, the woman, some more grass and the verse. Now I have the rest of the grass, the tree and the left vine left to finish off! Sorry it isn't a better photo.

Our weather has taken a turn for the very chilly side on the thermometer. The nights and mornings are downright cold! I love Winter as long as I can enjoy it through a window while in the warmth of my cozy stitching chair!

I have my list of 2010 stitches I want to complete before the end of the year and there are only several left after I finish The Sparrow but I am going to have to get my stitching fingers busy in order to meet my deadline! I never finish off as many pieces as my fellow stitchers but as Doris Day would say - Que Sera Sera! Here is my 2010 list as it stands right now. Some have been framed while others are still waiting for their touch of glory. As you can tell, I stitched pretty regular during the cold first months of the year then slacked off when the weather warmed up for summer. Of course, AMIAF was really big and took more time to wind up than the others. If my list isn't completely finished up by the end of the year, I will roll the remaining designs over to 2011.

My Home is Built in Glory - Finished in Jan. & framed
Early Candle Pocket - finished in Jan.
Margaret Pence - finished in Feb & framed
Thankful Wheeler - finished in March & framed
A Mind Independent & Free - finished in July
The Sparrow - in progress
Tall Pines - waiting to be done

I have started my 2011 list but nothing is ever written stone because as we all know, you either see something in your stash you forgot about, decide to finish up a UFO or something else entirely catches your eye (whether it be a new design or something from your stash). I will say that I would like to concentrate on doing more A&E designs along with more Winter themed designs. Of course I still hope to get several everyday samplers turned out as well during the year. Hopefully I won't get hit by the blahs as often next year so my stitching can roll right along at a productive pace! *fingers crossed*

While gathering up my 2011 patterns to be done & making my list of designs to order, I decided to just go through the whole lot and do some cleaning out of ones I have either finished off or just don't think I will ever get around to doing them. Sad as that is, I know someone else will be happy to give them a nice home so be looking for more giveaways in the near future.

On an excited note, I was one of the lucky winners in Jan's recent contest! I am so looking forward to the release of her Emma Rose Christmas design. I haven't even seen any of it yet but I I just know it will be a must have for my stash!

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

Pumpkin Time

2010-10-23T13:26:00.002-04:00

Our little colds turned into monsters! DH even stayed home from work one day because of it and I woke up feeling like a truck had hit me. I promised him that from now on when he comes home feeling bad, I will put a zip up tent around him to protect myself from the sickie germs. Then a whopping Fall allergy attack was just waiting in the wings for both DH and I. How fun is that! We still have the tail end of the yuckies but hopefully in a couple of days we will both feel as good as new.

On my current grocery list I have Halloween candy! It's that time again. We don't get as many ghouls and goblins as we used to since many parents take their kids to special gatherings but we still get a few so I like to be prepared.

Our weather is finally showing signs of Autumn. It warms up during the day but the mornings and nights are definitely sweater worthy. We finally got some much needed rain. A nice drink for the ground and hopefully it will wash any allergy grubbies out of the air. The Farmer's Almanac said we would have another early winter (beginning in late October) with lots of biting cold weather (but not as much snow). On the other hand, the National Weather Service has said that our winter will have up normal temps for the season and will also be dry winter. Hmmm, I like winter but after last year, I can live with warmer days and especially no ice! I think I will take prediction #2 and hope for the best!

I have spent more time on The Sparrow lately and I am happy to say that the progress is rolling right along - slowly. All I have left to complete on Section 4 is the lower right half then I will go back up to the alphabet block to finish off the personalization for my Dad but I have been bitten by the blah bug and haven't felt the urge to pick up my stitching every evening like usual. I have had to make a few adjustments here and there. Not because I planned to but I saw the mistakes too late and correcting them would have involved a lot of frogging (and I do hate that). All in all, I think it will look just fine when finished even with the changes.

Other than regular errands and daily chores things have been pretty normal around here. Thanks so much for stopping by again! Your visits and comments always brighten my day. Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

Catching Up and Winding Down

2010-10-11T09:48:00.002-04:00

First of all I want to say how sorry I am about not blogging much lately. I needed a break while I recovered from life's hard knocks. I cross my heart promise to try and do better about blogging in the future!

Yes, I am still working on The Sparrow but I had a hold up. Unfortunately, my soda bottle got knocked off the side table while I was working on it and landed smack dab all over the piece. Talk about being upset! All that work and I was on the final stretch then that happens! I ran it to the sink and rinsed it out very gently then rolled it up in a towel to dry for several days. I am still upset about the accident but I think the majority of the spill did come out. Also, I have been taking more breaks from my stitching so as not to overwork my hands and suffer the consequences.
I had hoped to have three pieces ready to take to have framed by the end of the year but it may be just a while longer now. I still frame alot of my finished pieces but certain ones that have a special place in my heart go to the framers. Sorry this isn't the best picture of my progress on The Sparrow but it's what I have for now.

Our weather went from deep summer 90s to the autumn days of low 70s and even mid 60s in a flash! Now we are back up into the warmer days but the nights still have the flannel pajama chill to them! Could it be we are in store for another early winter?
With all the up and down temps, it is definitely cold season and we have had our share of sneezing and coughing around here. As long as it doesn't get any worse than that, all should be ok.

Now I need to ask for some suggestions and opions. I am looking at needlework floor stands to give my hands a little more freedom and less strain. I have looked over many different types and found a few I am very impressed with but I am looking for something that will hold both hoops and Q Snap frames. I definitely want something sturdy that will not be a waste of money in a short time but doesn't cost an arm and a leg either. So, if you use a floor stand how about sharing your opinions with me.

Until next time, may you simple day and an uncluttered heart! Thanks so much for stopping by. I always enjoy your visits and comments!

Busy, Busy

2010-09-22T08:45:00.004-04:00

Once again my camera is out of commission and it may be awhile before we can do anything about it this time. I feel lost without it and hope to have it snapping away again very soon. Until then, I will be sharing some older photos on my blog.

I have been steadily working on The Sparrow but am not quite as far along as I had hoped because I spent one day frogging a small section. I won't say which one. I will just let you see if you can find it when I am able to post an update picture! I am happy to announce that I just started on section 4 last night! That means I am on the home stretch!

I need to get my pen and paper back out so that I can resume making my "things to do" list. Maybe not having the list to fall back on has been one big reason my days have felt so off lately.

One list I have been working on is the pieces I would like to finish up by the end of the year. With the holidays coming up, I don't want to be too hard on myself so I am keeping them lean but mean! I am doing pretty good on my promise to not go crazy buying stash but every now and then I see a design that just begs to be added to the stash and I have already seen several market sneak peeks that will definitely find a home in my growing stash.

I haven't had very much time for the computer or my blog lately because of one thing or another and I don't see any signs of my beloved dull life returning any time soon. Hopefully within the next month or so. Harold decided he wanted a late birthday gift. Two German Chocolate cakes! One for home and one to take to work. The cake for home was gone within a day and he came home from work with an empty cake carrier. I told him that I was guessing but the guys either liked the cake or gagged on it and tossed it in the trash. He said they loved it and gobbled it up in no time.

All of sudden, out of the clear blue and with no warning our dryer died. It had been just fine the day before and suddenly it just decided enough was enough and fizzled out. What a rough week, running back and forth to the laundrymat but we now have a new dryer that I hope will last for a very very long time!

Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart! Thanks so much for stopping by. I always enjoy your visits and comments.

Up and Running

2010-09-13T13:20:00.004-04:00

September has arrived! For some reason the other months can drag by but the months from September on through to December just fly by! There just always seems to be so much more going on to keep us busy and I love the Fall weather.

I really got behind on my blog and hope to catch up on alot of reading during the next week!

DH took a week of vacation. I prefer September vacations but his work is having a special job then and he can't be off during the month. Oh well, he snuck the first few days of September into his vacation which included our 34th anniversary and his birthday! Wow, 34 years of marriage to the same guy! Hmmm, I guess I like him enough to keep him! lol. I wish I had some dreamy and exciting vacation photos to share of some faraway spot but we stayed home and prepped the outside of the house for painting along with a few other mundane chores we had been putting off. I just like to have him home and I am already looking forward to his next vacation time! A late summer cold kept me out of whack for awhile but I feel up and running again.

I have finished Section Two on The Sparrow and am working on Section Three! Even though I took several days off from my stitching, I still feel it's moving right along! Next in line will be Tall Pines by LHN and personalized for my Grandpa. I hope to share a sneak peak of my progress on The Sparrow very soon!

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

Dull is Good

2010-08-22T13:04:00.002-04:00

There hasn't been alot going on this week so I really don't have much to blog about this time.

Over the past several days, I have worked on The Sparrow and organized my stash a bit. I went through my charts and picked out the ones I really hope to complete this year then set them aside in their own special box. Of course, hoping to do and actually getting them done by years end are two entirely different things.

I am on Page Two of The Sparrow by Tree of Life Samplings. It has been a fun stitch so far and knowing the special meaning it holds just makes me want to pick it up to work on even more. I plan to put my father's initials with year of his birth and death on the bottom line of the alphabet box. I have not quite figured out how I want to stitch up his personalization yet. His name is too long for the space allowed but just his initials leaves a lot of blank space unless I fill it in with some symbols provided on the pattern. I put my initials above the date.

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

Up and Running

2010-08-15T11:59:00.002-04:00

Thank you all so much for your wonderful well wishes to me during this hard time. The worst part is over and I am feeling a bit better but, oh, how it lifted my heart to know that I have such special friends who are keeping me warm with their cyber hugs. I just love you all to pieces!

I spent the main part of the week looking through picture albums and just remembering while shedding some tears as well. I did get several calls through out the week from other family members and friends checking up on me to make sure I was alright.

Harold was unable to take off either of the days that I had hoped he would be home for me. Instead he rearranged his work schedule and was able to take off Wednesday. Not the day I had hoped for but it worked out! He took me down to my LNS and I picked up several charts I had been really really been wanting (which is probably why nothing in my stash seemed to satisfy me) thus I had something to keep me busy on those emotional days.

What did I get at the LNS? I picked up Tall Pines by LHN which I plan to change around a bit and do this in memory of my Grandpa. I remember sitting out on the front porch after dinner with him. The tall pines towered above us (probably because I was so small) and the stars would come out to dance. It's just a perfect piece to do in his honor. I also bought The Sparrow by Tree of Life Sampling for several reasons. His eye is on the Sparrow is my favorite hymn. My father and I had a discussion some time back about hymns and he told me all his favorites then asked what mine were. I told him this hymn and he got all excited because he had forgotten about it and said he really loved it too. When my dad passed away, I chose the songs to be played at his service. I chose several I remembered him mentioning that he liked and then I chose His Eye is on The Sparrow for special reasons (between me and him). When I saw this design by Jan, I knew it was a "have to do" piece. Thank you Diane and Jan for these special designs that will make my heart sing each time I pass by them (after I finish them, of course)!

I have changed some of the colors in The Sparrow. Partly for my own preference and partly because I didn't have some of the colors it called for and I was too anxious to get started. I think it should fine.

I also picked up Simple Joy by LHN and a lovely little needleholder with a dragonfly embossed on the front. I showed Harold several designs that were perfect to do for his parents memory and he loved them (plus I think it really made him happy I suggested doing them). They are older pieces and will have to be ordered at some time. Once that is done, I will share what they are!

Over the weekend, Harold was home and we did some catching up on errands with grocery shopping being at the top of our list! Food is in the house again! Such a luxury that we often take for granted until we are down to nothing but peanut butter and a few stale crackers!

I have batteries in my camera again and all feels right with the world. Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

The Blahs

2010-08-09T08:10:00.002-04:00

Once again I am unable to use my camera. I need some batteries and won't be able to get them until this weekend. I feel as though a part of me is missing!

Harold went to the hospital again over the weekend. He came home from work early in the day and said he felt really funny with chest pains so another ambulance made it's way out to our house. They took him to ER first then set him up in a room on another floor to moniter his heart for the remainder of the day. After a days worth of blood tests they finally decided to release him around 9 that night along with some medical orders and he came home.

I am still digging through my stash and constantly changing my mind on what to do! I need to just pull something and start it! I have an order to make later this week. Nothing big. Just several charts I saw that begged me to bring them home!

The past year since my Dad passed away has been a hard one for me. It was full of tears and memories. My mother died when I was 15 years old on August 12 and this has always been the hardest day of the year for me to get through. Now I have the anniversary of my father's death on August 13 to deal with also. Harold may take a day or two off to help keep me busy. Not that I would forget either day but staying busy would help some. August has always been a hard month for me and now it seems even more so. I don't know if it's because of the sadness involved with this month, the heat or a combination of both but I always feel a lack of energy and desire to do anything productive until September arrives.

I will be back after this hard week is over and life resumes back to normal. So until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

A Winner!

2010-08-02T08:02:00.002-04:00

Good Morning to you all. I hope everyone had a lovely weekend. It seems like we had another busy one but upon looking back our weekend was just consumed with a lot of everday "stuff" but enough to make it feel like a busy few days.

Once again, I was held hostage by the heat and stayed indoors most of the weekend. Even the ozone is bad enough that I have trouble breathing outside. Our excitement scale has been very low but we did have to get our AC unit serviced and found out that it needs some repair work done on it. If it's not one thing, it's another! On the yummy side, we went to a small local farmer's market and found stacks of perfect green tomatoes for frying up! These were some nice big ones unlike the ones on our vines that just aren't up to par this year. Yep, fried green tomatoes for dinner and they were delicious to the southern taste buds! Makes me want to go buy some more!

I haven't started any new stitches yet but I have been rummaging through my stash looking for the right one(s). So many choices! I found several I liked a lot but will require an order so in the mean time I will have to continue sorting through my stash with an eenie meenie minie moe!

The winner of my most giveaway is Barbara! Congratulations! I hope you enjoy working on it as much as I did.

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

Passing the word

2010-07-24T09:51:00.002-04:00

Be sure to check out Amy's blog for a chance to win a GC at Down Sunshine Lane!

Giveaway Time!

2010-07-22T14:32:00.003-04:00

I have decided to keep my blogiversary giveaway a secret! I am already gathering items for the package and I promise it will be a fun one! I will begin the signups for this giveaway during the first week of August so keep watching!

As for A Mind Independent and Free by CHS, I have decided to do a giveaway for it also. It is dog earred but in good shape other than that. Most of the charts I really want are probably too new for a trade so with that being said, here we go!

To sign up for AMIAF, leave a comment on this post only. Please let me know if you are interested or not in being entered in the drawing.

1. Leave a comment on this post by midnight on July 31, 2010. The winner will be announced on the August 2nd post. Be sure to leave a link to your blog or an email address so that I contact you in the event you are the winner If there is no contact info, I will choose another winner.

2. If you are not currently a follower of my blog, become one.

3. If you announce this giveaway on your blog, you will receive a second entry. It's not necessary to do this to win but I do enjoy reading the comments and discovering new blogs to read! Let me know if you post it to your blog so I can hop over to see it!

4. And if you tell me about something special you stitched and why it was special, you will receive a third entry! I enjoy hearing stories about being creative.

You don't have to do #3 or #4 to be entered to win but the extra entries couldn't hurt!

For those of you who are disappointed that I didn't post a finished photo of this piece, I promise to post a photo as soon as I get it framed! I saw a frame that would be perfect for it. Now I have to buy it! Please be patient with me! *grin*

Thanks so much for stopping by! I always look forward to your visits! Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart!

Dance! Dance! Dance!

2010-07-21T07:07:00.005-04:00

Happy Dance time! Happy Dancing around the room! I finished A Mind Independent and Free by CHS! I tried every angle to get a picture and some portion of it was always blurry. Remember this is a very long piece! I asked DH to hold it up for me but his heart just wasn't in it so maybe after it is framed I will have better luck! Of course, you can always see it at an online shop. I have to confess that I was a bit lazy and left out a tiny bit of it mainly because I was running out fabric and space to stitch on. All in all though I love it and am so thrilled to finally have it completed! I will think for a couple of days on whether to add this chart to my trade list or to put up for a giveaway! Hmmmm, what do you think? *silly wink* I haven't decided what my next new start will be yet but what ever it is, I promise it will be smaller and a lot less complicated! For now though, I am taking a stitching break while I ponder on these important decisions! *big grin*

I went for an evening stroll around our yard. Our tomatoes are coming along. For some reason they don't seem to be as big as usual (by this time) but fresh maters still make my heart go pitty pat especially when Harold decides to fix up a batch of his fried green tomatoes! Look at all the wonderful rose hips on this rose bush!

I have a blogiversary coming up next month. The 5 year mark! Five years of blogging and yacking my head off about basically any and everything! I have blogged about quilting, stitching, scrapbooking, decorating, weather, health issues, sad times, good times, fun trips, cooking, holidays, mundane errands, birds/nature, home repairs, gardening and so much more! And I have been very fortunate to share a lot of this with my dear stitching friends! Unfortunately I had some trouble with blogger a good while back and my earlier posts were lost. In honor of this milestone, I plan on having a giveaway. I don't know what it will be yet but keep checking back to see and have your chance at it.

Thank you so much for stopping by! Your visits and comments mean the world to me! Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart!

Another Hot One

2010-07-19T08:58:00.002-04:00

I have spent the past few days trying to catch up on some of my regular blog reading! I have been making some headway and it's fun to spend time with you all again! Sort of like a visit from a dear back door neighbor! If you haven't heard from me yet, be patient. I'm still making my rounds!

I have been doing some serious window shopping at some of my favorite home decor shops and my wish list has gone wild! I picked up the newest copy of Country Sampler. It was sort of a Good Idea - Bad Idea move. I love my magazines and this one always has some amazing home tours to drool over especially when they show off some wonderful stitching but then I tend to look around our house and wonder why I can't have one of those wonderful homes filled to the brim with eye candy! See what I mean. Good Idea - Bad Idea! *grin*

Our weekend was filled with doing errands again. No fun trips but maybe soon. I did get my camera back, thank goodness! I felt like I was missing a limb while it was gone.

We have been having some serious thunderstorms each evening which does help cool it off quite a bit but the next day is right back on the heat wave chart!

About my stitching, I have been working on it a little at a time. I finally figured out my problem. It happens every year around this time. For some reason (probably the heat), I just don't have any big desire to get motivated. As I said in a past post, these hot days just drain me physically and emotionally! That is why I am anxious for some cooler days so that I will once again feel like me again! I have been working on IM in the evenings and am getting closer and closer to the end! Here is a picture of her current progress and probably the last picture I will take (even once I am finished). It is hard to take an overall photo of this piece without parts of it coming out blurry. But I will announce my grand finish when it happens! Actually, I am further along since this picture was taken and I only have a very few stitches left to do before the big happy dance can begin!

Thank you so much for stopping by and brightening up my day! Your visits and comments mean the world to me! Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart!

I'm Back!

2010-07-16T10:56:00.003-04:00

It's the middle of July already! There are several yearly dates that really measure the passing of the year for me. July 4th always means that the hottest summer months are upon us and that there really isn't that much left of summer. Then Labor Day. Once that holiday is upon us, the remainder of the year just seems to flies by!

Another thing that July reminds me of is Secret Santa exchanges! I've never been much on exchanges but this was the one exchange I used to do each year with the online quilt group I was a part of. Sign ups were always in the early part of July. The quilt group has scattered to the wind and with it, a fun tradition. I loved to open that wrapped box each year (it usually arrived around my birthday) and find so many fun goodies! Some sewing needfuls and often there was a homemade trinket or two along with some chocolate or special coffee! I do miss that fun exchange!

I got a phone call from my doctor earlier this month with the results from my stress test. All is well. No problems and nothing they want to follow up on. Yea! I think I will make a toast to this good news with a nice hot cup of coffee! Next dr. thingy on my calendar is to get a blood test concerning my thyroid level. Fingers crossed it's still normal so that I won't need the meds!

I am sorry that I have been MIA from my blog longer than usual. I was in a stitching funk for awhile with nothing to show then Harold took a week off and we stayed busy.

We enjoyed some fireworks on the 4th then came home to hit the sack only to get up after several hours sleep to call an ambulance for DH once again. What a way to start off his vacation! The doctor diagnosed him and told him it was his decision whether to stay or go home. The episode wasn't super bad but because of certain factors, it could justify an overnighter at the hospital if he chose to do so. I would have felt better if had stayed but he came on home.

On one of our trips out, I picked up a bag of dirt to doctor up my Forsythia bush then I decided that I missed having a small lamp in the kitchen and went hunting for one that would make me happy! Success! I just think a lamp in the kitchen is so cozy!

Other than that, we stayed at home in the comfort of the air conditioning. No trips for us this time. The heat was making it hard to us to do much of anything except an occassional outing to the store, restaurant or window shopping. We enjoyed some quality time together in front of the TV and even ventured out to see a movie but sadly that fell through when the movie was broken and not showing. Other than all this fun, we worked on several repairs around the house but I wasn't a lot of help since my bursitis kicked into my shoulder and was determined to run it's course no matter what I did to calm it down! All in all, I am looking forward to Harold taking some more time off (whenever that may be).

On the down side, our computer has been acting like it wants to crawl into a corner and die. Harold worked on it some and helped to revive it for awhile longer!I have been daydreaming that my fairy godmother tells me to go get a new one! Would I want another desktop or should I join the hip crowd and get a laptop? Actually, I would like to get both but I don't think my fairy godmother is quite that generous! *wink* I have found several (of both types) that I am interested in. Of course, until my daydreams become reality, I will be using this dying dinosaur and just hoping that each time I turn it on, it lives to see another day!

No recent stitching pictures this time since my camera is in the shop. I am supposed to get it back today. I really really miss it! It is good to finally be back able to blog and catch up on reading other blogs (although that will probably take awhile to catch up on).

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

Catching Up!

2010-06-22T07:13:00.001-04:00

What a heat wave we have been having and they have been accompanied by severe thunderstorms almost every evening. Usually I am outdoors during these months, puttering around with my plants but this year I have turned into a hermit, staying indoors as much as possible away from the heat. Once in a while I venture out in the evenings just to sit on the deck and survey my kingdom (as such).

No, I am not finished with Independent Mind. I ran out of a needed color floss and that delayed my stitching several days along with a bum wrist that needed a rest. But I am stitching again and am close to the end. Very close! I should be really pushing myself at this point but it almost feels like work to even pick it up! I don't think I will do a big piece again for quite awhile!

Life has been keeping me busy (in a dull way) with doctor appointments and such so I haven't had anything interesting to post on my blog for you. These hot summer days just drain me. Physically and emotionally. I am ready for some cooler crisp Autumn days!

Suprise! Surprise!

2010-06-14T06:00:00.003-04:00

I managed to get a little stitching done on Independent Mind over the weekend. Not as much as I had hoped. I think I will still be able to keep on schedule for the finish though.

The stress test is over! It was long but not too bad. The worst part was not being able to have coffee for 24 hours prior to the test! It didn't last nearly as long as Harold's had lasted and he was surprised when I was finished so much quicker than he had been. I am assuming there were no problems or they would have just sent upstairs to a hospital bed! After I was done, the first priority was to get a cup of coffee! *big caffeine grin* I was told the doctor will call with my results in 3-5 business days.

Looky at what arrived in the mail over the weekend! I was lucky enough to be a winner of one of Becky's wonderful giveaways! I was just blown away by the design she stitched. I loved folk art bunnies and she really did a wonderful job with all the detail work (ric rac, bow, ect). The inside looks so homey and comfy cozy, I wish I was smaller so I could crawl inside and curl up for a nap!

Another idea popped into my head over the weekend. Since I have a basket of small quilted pillows, why not have a basket of small stitched pillows! These could include holiday as well as everyday smalls. My HRH debate has been narrowed down to two choices. 1) individually stitched and framed or 2) individual small pillows.

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

Getting There

2010-06-09T07:08:00.003-04:00

I thought I would post today since tomorrow will be extra busy with the stress test. I am not really worried about the results since my doctor seems confident that everything will probably be alright and this is just a precautionary messure but DH has had several of these test and he really comes home complaining about them and how tired he is.

I thought I would go ahead and post my updated photo of Independent Mind. I hope to have it finished up within the next 7 to 10 days and the next photo will be the finish photo! Yea!

Most everyone likes my idea for HRH of doing and framing each one individually. Siobhan had an idea of making pillows out of them which I liked. I can just vision a big basket full of HRH pillows.

Thanks for stopping by! I always read your comments and enjoy visiting your blogs too!

A Little Excitement

2010-06-07T06:48:00.003-04:00

A big thank you to everyone who has expressed concern over my last post. I'm not really worried especially since the dr. said all my tests (so far) were clear and good.

It was a short and busy weekend. We went out of town for the day on Saturday to where my dad lived. The Hospice House had a dedication for the brick walkway which some of you may remember me mentioning a while back. Harold and I had a brick put in the walkway in my dad's memory. It's a beautiful walkway (pictured to the side) which they hope to add to and an emotional trip for me to the Hospice House since this is where he passed away and I have my final memories of him here. Since he is buried somewhere else, I placed a single flower on his brick. Afterwards, we stopped by my all time favorite BBQ place. I grew up eating this BBQ and every time we would come up to visit, my dad would make sure I would get some whether we came out to eat here or just got some take out. In my opinion, it's the best BBQ in the world but I could be showing some favoritism since I have so many fond memories of this place! Next, we stopped by the cemetery to place some flowers on my mother's and infant brothers graves. The last stop was to go by and visit with my stepmother whom I haven't seen since October. So much had happened around here making it hard for us to get back up and to be honest, it is a little hard for me to go into my dad's house knowing he won't be there to greet me with a big hug.

All of our running around on Saturday meant that we were going to have to grocery shop on Sunday. Ugh. Who wants to grocery shop on a Sunday? Not me but we really had no choice or did we. On our way home from out of town on Saturday, DH's work called and left a message they needed him for an emergency job on Sunday so before we even went home on Saturday, we stopped and picked up some groceries to last a few days until we can get back out for the main shopping! By the time we finally got home we were both so exhausted and ready to collapse.

I updated by trade/wishlist (link in the sidebar) because it won't be long before I am adding Independent Mind to the list that I have for trade. The house on Independent Mind was really holding me up. For some reason I just couldn't get moving on it but I finally decided that enough was enough and I picked it up and really got busy on the house! Hopefully that will be the last stitching block in my path to finishing up this piece.

I took some time to look through all my HRH charts. I have often mentioned how much I love them but also how intimidated I am by them mainly because of their size. I had an idea about how to do them and make it so much easier on me. I would like to do my favorite blocks individually, frame each one individually and have a HRH wall of all sorts of pieces intermingled! It sounds like it would take a lot of the pressure off of me and in my mind it looks wonderful! I even have the wall picked out. The one and only draw back is that would be a lot of frames to buy! So for now I am back at square one trying to figure out a way to do these pieces that will make me happy and in the meantime other stitchers are starting and finishing their HRH designs! So far I have three ideas on how I may do them. I would love some input! Tell me what you think.
1. Just like they are shown
2. Cut the designs back to 9 of my favorite blocks (I really don't like them all)
3. Do each one individually and frame it on an HRH wall (my favorite idea and probably most expensive)

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your visits and comments always mean the world to me! Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart!

After the Long Weekend

2010-06-01T08:27:00.003-04:00

Since life has been dull around here lately, there hasn't been as much to write about so my posts have been fewer and farther between. The biggest excitement recently has been a check up at the doctor. No big problems or worries. Just one of those regular visits so he can keep tabs on how I am adjusting to all the aches and pains that come with old age! I think I passed the test! Since I casually mentioned to him that I had been having some chest pains he decided to do an EKG and a chest xray. Both were clear and good. He is setting me up for a stress test but feels it will turn out alright as well. He just wants to play it safe since I am having these chest pains while sitting still and doing nothing. He feels it is very likely scar tissue caused from my smoking days (which, by the way, are still a nothing more than a memory).

Every time I go pull out my stash to find my new start, I hear Independent Mind by CHS calling my name to come put a few stitches in! Still bored, yes but the prodding is helping me to make progress! I can't knock that. I will show a picture next post. I changed the chimneys and door color to red along with the center of the flowers. Now I have my red fix. I have the right side of the alphabet, the rest of the house, the date of finishing and the bottom design to complete! I am really pushing myself on this one since I am doing it in memory of my aunt. I hate the thought of letting it sit unfinished and unattended for months like so many others I have started then put down.

When I go through my stash for a new start I always get these feelings of being unfaithful to all the others that don't get picked! Especially if they have been in the stash bin longer than the new start. Does that ever happen to you? Just like with your children, you know you love them all the same but you also know that you may show favoritism occasionally without really meaning to.

Harold was off for several extra days over the holiday weekend. A day trip would have been lovely but we chose to stay around the house and I am so glad we did because on Saturday the mail brought me a wonderful surprise from Edgar! Yes, I now have a frog! A beautiful, scissor loving frog! When Harold pulled the package out of the mailbox, he gave me a "shame on you" look and said "Sherry, what did you go and order?" I promised him I had ordered nothing -- yet and finally convinced him to hand over the package so I could see the return address. I was thrilled to see Edgar's name because I knew it was going to be something really fun and special! Of course, as I squealed over it, Harold looked at it like it was some puzzle to be figured out. lol. Thank you again so much, dear friend!

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

Dull Days, Dull Nights

2010-05-24T07:44:00.003-04:00

It was a quite and dull weekend again. Yea! I could get used to these real fast! There was no major stitching done over the weekend. Naturally, grocery shopping and a few other errands took their place on the priority ladder along with getting my hair trimmed up and a nice drive up towards the mountains. Unfortunately, it wasn't the best weather for a day trip. Lots and lots of rain then my camera battery konked out after the first picture so I will share a picture from a past trip to the mountains. I had a bursitis flare up in my shoulder then my other shoulder which made it difficult to stitch for long periods!

After the weekend, I got back on track - sort of. Cleaning, laundry and of course, some stitching. I am really trying to stay true to Independent Mind but my mind keeps wondering. Since I am so close to the end, I decided that maybe I could go ahead with one of my new starts. A smaller one that won't make me forget about my obligation to IM. If I give IM a week or two a month, I should still be able to finish up pretty soon and still be able to chase away the boredom blahs with my new start!

I realize I had already said that I had two new starts picked out but since I didn't announce them yet I felt they weren't written in stone! After doing some early morning stitching on IM I took the latter part of the day to play around with my stash. Maybe I shouldn't have done that because after doing some counting I found out that I have 82 kitted charts and 32 still waiting to be kitted plus another 4 WIPs that have been put on hold! How depressing is that! And where on earth will I put them all (meaning of course that I actually get them all done!). Once I have knocked out a good chunk of my new start I will announce it and share a photo!

I wish I had some more exciting news to share but oh, that's right - I am happy with my dull life for now! Maybe excitement will be for later! Thanks for stopping by again. Your comments and visits always make my day! Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

Long Time No See!

2010-05-14T08:11:00.003-04:00

I wish I had a lot of news to share but alas it has been dull around here lately. Actually, I'm not complaining though because many of you have read my motto that "dull is good". Mother's Day was quite which was also good. Harold and I went out for a bit. He wanted to get some tomato plants to put out (but I will end up doing it and tending to them)! I have been wanting a nice herb garden. Maybe next year. I want to get speciality herbs. Especially mints but I also like dill, lavender, thyme and parsley. Later in the day he decided to take me out to eat. Maybe because I told him I wasn't going to cook and he could make a sandwich! lol. Every restaurant was super crowded or getting ready to close early. We finally ended up going to our favorite Mexican place. Beans and rice will really fill you up quickly!

I took a stitching break for several days. Yes, my hands were bothering me a bit but mainly because I am just getting really bored with working on Independent Mind. I keep telling myself what a treasure I will have, not to give up and to keep on plugging way since I am so close to the end! As much as I want a new start, I refuse to give up on IM now because this is definitely a special piece for me since it being stitched in my Aunt's memory. I will say though that this will be the last big piece I do for a good while! I hope to have another progress picture to share next time I post.

Flowers and bushes are blooming in our yard! I am hoping to take a few days in the near future and begin sorting out some family history pages. Thanks so much for stopping by to see me again! Your visits and comments always make my day! Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart!

Nearing the Finish Line

2010-05-06T07:01:00.005-04:00

I am still tugging along on Independent Mind. I have been trying to put in a minimum of several letters a day on it but over the past few days I had a nice boost of stitching energy and finished up page 3 of the design! One more page to go and it isn't even a full page! I have decided that when I finish stitching this chart it will be put up for trade. There are still so many that I still want! When I finish up, I will make an announcement and post the list of designs I am interested in for a trade. The picture didn't turn out as crisp and clear as I would have liked.

Good news. I have narrowed down my choices for my next new start! I am really torn between the two nominated picks so I may do something I haven't attempted in awhile and just start both of them! I will save the actual announcements for later. One I have been wanting do while I totally forgot I even had the other and was thrilled to find it hidden among my stash waiting to be stitched! Both are kitted up and waiting to get started.

More good news! I had several charts ordered at my LNS. One finally came in and arrived in my mailbox shortly after. Unfortunately they could not find Adam and Eve by City Stitcher for me because it seems to be discontinued so they sent me a gift certificate instead. That's fine by me. I do like gift certificates and store credits! Maybe I will hang on to it for a pair of scissors!

The weather has been nice but I have been staying indoors which is unusual for me in the Spring. Thanks so much for stopping by! Your visits and comments always brighten my days! Have a wonderful weekend and Mother's Day! Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

Giveaway Winner!

2010-05-03T07:27:00.004-04:00

Thank you all for encouraging me to stick with the stitching of Independent Mind! It is still moving along slowly but at least it is still moving along! Period. But since I don't have very much progress to share on it just yet, I will wait until it is farther along before posting another picture!

There isn't much weekend news to report either. It was sunny and warm so we stayed home and caught up on some yard work.

The exterior of our house is ready for a new paint job sometime this year. We have discussed colors. We usually stay within the same color family but often change shades. This time I am looking to go a bit lighter than what we presently have but a little darker than what we have had in the past. The shutters and front door will stay the same dark red color though. That is a must! That red is the signature for our house.

The winner of the Family Sampler giveaway is Teresa. Congratulations and I hope you enjoy stitching it up! Big thanks to everyone who entered! Keep watching because you just never know when I may have another giveaway and besides, I do enjoy your visits so much!

Thanks so stopping by and until next time may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart!

Bad Blogger

2010-04-28T06:51:00.006-04:00

It seems like it has been awhile since I posted anything on my blog. Shame on me but sometimes life just gets in the way!

Very little stitching for me over the weekend. We stayed busy during the days and since my stitching lamp is still broken, it was next to impossible to do any stitching in the darker hours. I needed a break anyway. My hands are fine. As much as I love the current WIP, I am just starting to feel tired of it. It seems to be dragging on a little more than I had planned. Of course, I had originally planned to make this piece be a year long project. I missed getting it finished in time for the framing sale so I don't feel as pushed to finish it off so quickly now. I just want to do something with more rich reds and greens and mustard yellows! Something with my color pallet ! On the other hand, I am over half way finished so I hate to set it down in fear it will become a UFO! Talk about being torn in two different directions at once!

*update* My very smart and very sweet husband fixed my stitching lamp so I am good to go now!

Yippy Dippy Doodle! I have over 100 followers now! How fun is that! That's not really a lot compared to some other blogs I read but for little ol' me, it's fantastic!

I went by the library and picked up the quilt book they had on hold for me. It is an older Thimbleberries book and I used to have it but a lot of my quilting books went missing mysteriously and I wonder if someone packed them up in a box that was being sent to Goodwill! Anywho, I have the book on loan for a few weeks and can get the measurements I need to get started. They are waiting for another book to be returned and they will hold it for me also. Sure beats having to buy them!

The past several days have been very rainy and we have even had some very loud thunderstorms! Thankfully, no heavy winds or hail along with them.

It has been so much fun to go outside this past week because the air has been full of the sounds of baby birds chirping up a storm for some attention and food! I was thrilled to discover that the bluebirds who I thought had abandoned the nest they were building in our bluebird house really didn't! There is a whole family of little baby blues in there just making all kinds of sweet noise!

Be sure to read the April 18th post and sign up for the giveaway! Thanks so much for stopping by! Your visits and comments always brighten my days. Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.