NO PICTURES

 The worst part of the sciatica is winding down. I still have a limp every now and then but it's not constant anymore or as painful! Good news!

 

I was able to get some more stitching done on Ann Pegg 1877 by The Scarlett House but not much. I was not able to get as much done on her during infusions as I had hoped because the way I would bend my arm to stitch would cut off the tube and my machine would just beep all day long! The infusion nurse does her best to adjust it so I can stitch. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't.

 

We are only 2 months into the year and I have already labeled it The Year of the Doctor! It seems like between me and the Grumpy Ol Gazer, we have my pocket calendar pretty full for the next month or so! I haven't even had time to take many pictures!

 

Several more Happy Mail days! Some fabrics and threads from My Vintage Needlearts, some stitching aids and more threads! I have plenty of charts to keep me busy over the year and beyond (plus I am waiting on 2 to be released by HATS) but I just never have enough threads or fabrics!

 

I got an email saying that my new stitching storage containers would be arriving later than expected so I took part of a day to begin the re-organizing with the old ones I have. I found charts I had forgotten about and so much more!  I am very pleased with it so far. I don't feel like everything is cluttered and will take hours to find! I can finish up when the new ones arrive!

 

We are waiting for the yard to dry out some more before calling to get more estimates on a walk way going from the driveway around back to the deck. The yard is so sloshy muddy when it rains that a walkway would make it easier and much safer for us. Now we just have to find the right price!

 

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

No Update

What a dreary, dark, cloudy day! It is a good day to stay inside and stitch! For dinner, I am planning on making spaghetti. I use my moma's recipe for the sauce. I also use her recipe for my stuffed green peppers. These were two of my favorites that she made when I was younger so it always brings back such sweet memories as I fix them.

I tried a few new recipes over the past several weeks. I have my tried and true basics that I fix on a regular basis but a new recipe here and there can even perk up the old ones!  I had to pull out the crock pot for several of them but it was worth it. I fixed some slow cooker beef stew one night with a salad and some crusty bread. This is usually a meal for a cold Winter evening but with the crock pot, it was Summer do-able! Talk about good and filling!

I can't believe the media is telling people to stock up again because the hoarding is starting all over! Things were just starting to get back to normal a bit at the grocery store! I really don't want to deal with this nonsense again!

What an awful week I had this past week! I was feeling really sick for several days but it was my own fault. Those yummy nutty buddy ice cream cones were the culprit. It happened to me last summer but I forgot and did it again! For some reason, they just don't agree with me anymore! Seriously! Of all the things to make me sick! I eat chocolate and am fine. I eat nuts and am fine. I eat ice cream and am fine but put it all together in a cone and I explode!

I have come full circle and am once again grocery shopping all by my little lonesome! I did it by myself when we first got married. Then the kids came along and I had company PLUS a larger grocery bill because they just loved to sneak things into the cart when I wasn't looking! After the boys got older I was shopping alone again until The Grumpy Ol Gazer retired and he started to go with me which was sort of like taking the boys when they were little cause he would stop to look at all the candy and cookies and sneak a few things into the cart. But since his return from the hospital I have been shopping alone again. All that walking in combination with the heat just doesn't help his breathing. Hopefully when the hot days turn into cooler days, he can join me again. I miss the company!

Big News! I am a Great Great Aunt for the second time around! Isn't he adorable?

I really wanted to finish up my current stitch before my infusions start next week so I have been doing as much as my hands will let me.That house has been a bear to stitch! Otherwise, it has been an enjoyable piece to work on. I almost set it aside several times because of tedious brick laying but I am staying with it and am glad I did!

I have a change in my infusion project for next week. Since I felt bad and did not get much stitching in, I have my doubts about finishing up Bee Skep before it starts so I may just take this in to stitch on. I should be able to finish up before my infusions are over then I can resume on This is the Day for the remaining infusions as planned.

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

Happy Father's Day!

I am starting to have second thoughts about my infusion project! I still want to stitch The Fall by Barbara Anna Designs but I am just not sure if I want to take such a big piece of fabric to infusion each week but I WILL get to it! For now,I will have go through my stash and see what I can find.

We had a nice weekend and treated ourselves to some ice cream at the local ice cream shop here. A lemon shake for the Grumpy Ol Gazer and a hot fudge nut sundae for me! We also made another grocery trip. Lots and lots of fresh fruit this time of year! Peaches, sweet black plums, cherries, blueberries, strawberries and of course,watermelons! I always pick up a watermelon when they are in season.

Did you know that there are male and female watermelons? The males are the big oblong melon and are extra juicy. The female is round, has a sweeter taste but is still juicy enough. I usually buy the female. They are in the stores earlier plus they are a little bit easier to carry!

I was going to share my current stitch but decided I wanted to wait until I was a little farther along on it before doing that. I did not finish it up in time to take in for framing but it will go to the next sale in October! The Grumpy Ol Gazer had a follow up dr. appointment and I wanted to ride along (no one other than  patients allowed in dr. offices right now) so I took it along to stitch on while I waited in the car.

I took 6 pieces in to the framing sale this week. I am thrilled with the frames we picked out and can't wait to get them back! I have an empty wall in my dining area. After painting I never put anything back up on that wall so I have a blank canvas to work with! I am thinking I would like a nature wall (birds and other critters that wander into my backyard). I may have to intermingle a few other designs with it for the sake of space. It will be fun to work on pieces and watch that wall grow!

Thanks to everyone who sent get well wishes for the Grumpy Ol Gazer. He is actually doing better than before he went in the hospital! It's good to have him back home!

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

MoJo in the House!

Hello again! I hope everyone had a good week. I can't say that anything super exciting happened around here. We had some more snow showers but no accumulation. One thing that has been a constant is rain!! Everyone around here is so tired of muddy yards along with up and down temperatures!

Infusions are over for a while, anyway. I can't say that I will miss getting up extra early and dragging myself over to the center.

I have been working on A Virtuous Woman and Quaker Bluebirds (using red). Here is an update on Quaker Bluebirds.

Last time I mentioned rotations and have thought hard on it since then. I know myself. If I have too many in the works at once, I get overwhelmed and stop all of them. If I only work on one at a time, I get bored, want a new stitch and put it aside! Right now I am working on two. I have been working on one for 10 hours then I switch over to the other and do the same. So far it has been working fine for me. No less than 2, no more than 3.  I may have found my rotation mojo! I am hoping to have at least one finished or close to a finish by the end of the month! I have even picked out the next several pieces that will be worked on!

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

Day After Day

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More Stitching

My infusions began this week. One down, three to go and I will be finished until the next round later this year. Packing up everything I will need is more like getting ready to go away for the weekend instead of just the major part of a day!

I spent some time with my wild rose the other morning before the sun took over the back yard. I was digging up several of her babies to take to family next month. I sure hope they live because it is a beautiful rose!

I managed to get some work done on Catharine Dickenson but I just could not finish her! I am close to a finish though so it should be soon! 

In between my regular naps at infusion and getting up to walk around to stretch my legs, I worked on Creation Sampler some. I was able to finish up the tree and get a good start on Eve. The nurses and other patients love to see what I am working on.

When I find a product I like, I don't mind sharing! Recently I have been taking some of the vitamins and supplements from Mega Food. Sometimes the drug store versions just don't work or give me enough of what I need. So far they are keeping their "easy on your stomach" promise but the real test will be when I see the results of my next blood work.

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

No Pictures Today

The rain has returned and we get at least one shower a day but usually more. We are still having the roller coaster temperatures which makes it hard to switch over my closet to totally Spring clothes! Just last week, we had a beautiful warm day in the mid 60's but the very next day it was in the 30's with sleet and snow! That's a southern winter for you!

I had my last infusion for this round and all went well so I am finished until around June or July. Nice break!

The painting continues. We had to skip a few days because of doctor appointments and other errands so that threw us behind schedule but we are still trudging along! I can't wait to get my cross stitch back up on a new fresh background!

Our bedroom is finally our bedroom again! For years it had been a combo of our bedroom and family junk room. If you could not a place for something, you put it in Mom and Dad's room! That just got old and felt like a walking through a maze! It has been cleared out and everything set up the way we way it now! YEA! One big job out of the way!

Faith (Words to Live By) is moving right along too. I did not finish it before the last infusion but I will keep working on it and finish it soon! No pictures this time but soon.

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

Day by Day

We have had a Spring preview the past several weeks. I love the warmer weather but we always get another blast of Winter before Spring actually arrives. The trees are budding. Some are in full bloom. I even have chick a dees nesting out back!

Along with the roller coaster weather comes colds. It seems like I am the only one who has not fallen to the ickies. Fingers crossed I don't catch anything!

The inside is still being painted but we are very close to the being finished! After we finish, we can begin to rehang old items and some new things too.

One of the new items we will be putting up is this sign. I love it and it really does describe me and the Grumpy Ol Gazer now! When we were younger, we loved to be on the go constantly. Now, we are happy to just stay home. I ordered this at Magothy Shop at Etsy.

I also purchased a PDF cross stitch file at Etsy. It is simple yet very poignant. After I finish up the Words to Live By series, I will want something smaller to work on and this will be just right! I am thinking this one will be at home in the kitchen.

Speaking of the Words to Live By series by Heartstring Samplery, Beth has hinted that she may be adding a few more to it! Big yea!! I already have a place reserved for this series!

I have one infusion left for this round and then I will be finished until about July. My infusion project is almost finished too. I usually take my own snacks to infusion with me since some of the meds I get really make me hungry and I hate to eat up all the snacks since there are so many other people in there too!

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

Just Another Day

The inside of the house is in the process of being painted! Oh, I had forgotten how a fresh coat of paint can lift your spirits!! Amazing! The exterior of the house is next as soon as warm weather rolls around again! We meant to do it last Fall but life happens!

My order from Better Life arrived so I have no good excuse not to clean. I prefer their cleaning products to a lot of items on the store shelves. They are plant based with no chemicals which is what I need to use since the ingredients in many of the store products can cause my Vasculitis to flare up. Plus they are about the same price and they clean GREAT

While painting a few old things have come down off the walls and will not be put back up at my husband's request. Instead, I will have more room for some of that cross stitch I wasn't sure where to put it! That's fine with me.

These little heaters are great. We bought them back around Christmas when our heat was out for several days and we still use them. I keep one on the computer desk for those mornings when I feel a chill but don't want to turn the heat up. It is great to turn on while I sit at the computer and drink my coffee! And if left on long enough, it can really warm up an entire room!

I have not done any quilting lately. Life always gets a little hectic around infusion time. I am still working on my infusion project though so between the paint brush and the stitching needle, my hands have not been completely idle!

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

Another Year Older

I had another birthday come and go this month. I have always loved being a December baby. It has just always felt like all the lights and hub-bub made my birthday even more special. I celebrated by spending a nice relaxing day with my husband (who always takes vacation at this time of year). What did I get?

A new journal to start the New Year with

The quilt kit pictured in my last post. Bubblegum and Chocolate from Private Source Quilting on Etsy. Be still my heart!!

Every year I buy myself a new coffee mug as a Happy Birthday to Me gift

And a nice dinner at the local steakhouse.

It is time to get my infusion project rounded up and get a head start on it. I will try to get to that before January 1st. I hope everyone has a wonderful Merry Christmas!

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