Pumpkin Time

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

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

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

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

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.

The Blahs

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.

Passing the word

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

Dance! Dance! Dance!

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

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!

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!

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!

Getting There

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

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

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

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!

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

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.

Bad Blogger

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.

Slow and Steady

Here is a progress picture of Independent Mind. I finished off another section yesterday afternoon. I haven't been able to stitch as much as I would like in the evening since the wall lamp that I use as my stitching light broke. I hope to find one to replace it very soon.

Our local library called to let me know that a quilting book (with a pattern that I love) was recently returned so they are holding it for me to come pick up. I will probably do that today!

Be sure to read the April 18th post and sign up for the giveaway!

This is a short post with not alot of exciting news but I am happy if things roll along nice and steady. Thanks so much for stopping by to visit! Your comments mean the world to me! Have a wonderful weekend!

Monday Morning

Our weekend was going to be full of our usual errands and running around but somehow we got off schedule and nothing much was accomplished on day 1. It wasn't a total waste though because I picked up several quilting magazines, JCS came in the mail along with one of my backordered designs (Seek Joy in Everything by NFF).

There was no stitching over the weekend as I decided my hands deserved a break (especially when I noticed some minor swelling). I am farther along than I had anticipated on Independent Mind so I don't feel bad about taking a little time away from it. I did get my sewing machine set up along with my cutting board set in place. I found some older cut triangles in a bag and decided to sew a few together.

A trip to the fabric store was in order for the second weekend in a row! For now I am working on collecting fabrics for several quilt tops I have in mind.

I played around on my blog again moving the new quilting blogs to their very own section. Just scroll on down to see it. Of course many of the gals in the Stitchers Plus section do quilting, knitting, rug hooking and more. That's what the Plus stands for! Stitching plus more. Wasn't that an interesting piece of trivia for the day! lol.

After the storms we had on Thursday night, the weather has cooled back down to normal Spring temperatures and the pollen was washed away! I have never never seen it so bad. You see it coming off the trees like thick smoke!

By now I have usually gotten outside with my sleeves pulled up working in the yard. Cleaning up from the winter months and making everything look somewhat better for the warmer months. I haven't done it yet. I know I need to get it done before the really hot months are upon us but for some reason, this year I am happy to stay inside with my stitching, various crafting magazines and my sewing machine!

Oh and by the way, Happy Birthday to my youngest who turns 24 today! 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.

Long Winded

It was a busy Easter weekend since DH took some extra time off but I don't know how much is actually news worthy. We took care of a few errands, some yard work, poured over our to do list and discussed our attack plan for some of the items on it then we both took time to play around with our hobbies. I love to look at the sun through Harold's solar telescope. This picture doesn't do the sun justice as it was blood red this day.



As I mentioned on my last post, I have been working A Mind Independent and Free by CHS. Once I got past that divider, it has been smooth sailing! I am stitching this piece in memory of my dear Aunt Robbie. The saying reminds me so much of her and I think of her each time I pick it up to work on. I am hoping to get this piece finished up this month in time for the framing sale at my LNS. I was able to complete what I call section 2 this weekend. It is getting too big now to photograph the entire piece with good clarity so I will post section progress photos until completed.



When I went to pick up Thankful Wheeler, I had to shop! Forget that stash diet and all the good intentions I had! lol. I picked up the latest Loose Feathers (Winter Wonderland) by BBD and have several charts on order. After I got home, I called my ONS to see if my backordered fabric had come it yet. Nope, it is still taking it's own sweet time so I will wait patiently but I couldn't leave there empty handed either so I ordered Autumn@HRH by CHS. Did I say I would wait patiently on the backordered fabric? My mistake! I am not a patient person. I know I have plenty for now but I have this deep seated fear that it will all vanish if I look away for too long thus I keep my stash stocked up so that doesn't happen!

I realized I was in need of some DMC colors which was a good excuse to also stop by the fabric store for stitching fabrics and while there, I also picked up some other fabrics. Maybe these will give me the incentive I need to set my sewing machine back up and and start on some on some quilt tops!



I also decided to subscribe to Sampler and Antique Needlework Quarterly. I have wanted to subscribe to this magazine for quite awhile! There is no time like the present!

So much for my long winded post! Thank you again for stopping by! Your visits and comments always make my day! Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart!

Adding to my Dream

For years my decorating dream has been to have a home with piles of quilts on the beds and oodles of stitched samplers adorning every wall. Just the thought of picturing this in my mind makes me go weak in the knees! With my last framed pieces, I began to see part of this dream taking shape. And now I have another framed piece to hang! Thankful Wheeler came home to stay yesterday!



Look at the detail on this frame. It has a very old, wood eaten look to eat. Just perfect for this piece!



I am working on Independent Mind right now. I finished up the divider and I am loving stitching on it now! I will have a progress photo next post for you all to see.

Thanks so much for stopping by to see me! Your comments always mean so much to me! Once again, have a wonderful Easter weekend!

A Hidden Treasure

While going through some tote bags, I found a CHS design I had been working on and obviously set down and forgot about. I know I wasn't really thrilled with the count size I used for it (Aida 14ct) but look at how much I have done on it! I thought about re-starting on a smaller count but I have way to much done to worry about that now! Now I need to go through and get the threads pulled out again for it so that I can resume working on it and hopefully have another CHS finish very soon!

While I am writing about CHS works in progress, Independent Mind is starting to coming along nicely! I no longer feel like I am stuck in first gear on it. I am almost finished with the divider which will make me very very very happy! I will share a picture as soon as the divider is finished up!

The rest of the week will be spent with stitching, appointments and if the weather permits, Harold and I will probably get busy with some of these projects we need to to take care of.

If I happen to disappear for the remainder of the week, I hope you all have a lovely Easter filled with jelly beans and marshmellow chicks! Thanks for stopping by. Your visits always brighten my day.

Spring Has Sprung!

Our neighbor had the tree guy out last week to take care of several in his yard. He asked me about a tree that sits right on the property line almost split down the middle - half theirs, half ours. The tree was in bad shape and neither of us wanted to see it go but it had become a danger because either way it fell, it would land on one our houses. We all agreed to let them take it out. For the neighbors, it was a sad goodbye because of the shade the tree provided. For us it was a sad goodbye because we have watched woodpeckers make their home it the tree since we first moved here.

Over the weekend, our regular errands took priority. I worked on AAFG and Independent Mind this past week. That zig zaggy divider on Independent Mind is still driving me nuts but I found a solution! I have opted this part for now and started working on the "meat" of the design! Once I started this it felt as though a huge weight had been lifted so now I just do at least one line of the divider each time I pick it and it doesn't seem so tedious! I will share a picture once I get a little further along and I give my hands several days of rest. It sat in my basket feeling neglected for awhile and I am hoping to make up for that. I really want a new start but am holding off now because I would love to finish this piece!

Kathy Barrick has shared some sad news on her blog. After I was able to resume my stitching after years, her designs were one of the first "new to me" that I fell in love with!

Saturday was beautiful. Spring was in the air! Clear blue skies and warm temps. Sunday was a different story with dark gray skies and thunder storms all day.

I wanted to share a picture of one of the walls in our living area. This is the back wall and you can you see my stitching light on the wall that hangs over my chair. Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

Better Late than Never!

I don't have any big stitching news to share right now! It feels like a let down of sorts after last week's shower of framed finishes. I have been working on AAFG some more and it is slowly coming along. I don't why I just can't make myself work more on this piece. I am ready to pick up on a new start but I can't decide which one it will be!

While digging through some old boxes in my attempt to do some Spring cleaning and decluttering around the house, I found two older pieces (framed) that I stitched for my son when he around 2 years of age. I loved the verse on the one shown but I don't why there is no design. Was it like this in the pattern or did I just leave it off in an attempt to hurry up and get it done? Afterall, I did have my hands full with 2 little ones wanting my total attention. Either way, I am really thrilled I found these. There is one more older piece that I did for one of my sons that used to hang in his room but he took it down when he got older. I am hoping to find it in one of these boxes. I plan to hang all these older pieces up again but on a different wall.

Sometimes I play around with backgrounds while I have my morning coffee so some of you have seen a lot of changes the past several days. Too much time on my hands! lol.

Have a wonderful day and thanks so much for stopping by!

Ready or Not!

It's almost the weekend and it's almost officially Spring! I am ready for both!

After seeing AAFG framed and hanging on the wall at my LNS, Harold has taken an interest in my progress on this WIP! I know I will be thrilled once it is done and out of my WIP pile but now his interest gives me even more incentive to get it finished up. I have just finished up Section 6 and have a small start on Section 7 (which is the last section of the top half). Sorry for the messy look but I took the picture right out of the hoop!

Every now and then (just for fun) I will take a look to see how many followers my blog has. I checked this morning and I have 90! I know of many other blogs with so many more followers than this but it totally thrilled me and (at the same time) bowled me over that 90 people actually enjoy reading what I have to say! How neat is that!

Thanks to everyone for the good vibes about the dryer repairman. He came out yesterday morning and was really nice. He showed me some things and even explained it so I could understand. Our dryer is now fixed and since it was nothing major he didn't even charge us!

Thank you all for such a fun week. I enjoyed sharing my framed pieces with you and your comments really brightened my days! Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart! Have a wonderful weekend!

Show and Tell #4

Last but not least (for now) is Lauren's Voice by La D Da. This was my first stitch of 2009. I liked the message and decided to use it as my own reminder through out the year. I am sorry the picture is a tad blurry but the light in the room was playing some funny tricks on the camera. I chose a frame with some inner beading that really plays well with the border around the design.

There will be more framing to show off soon when I get Thankful Wheeler back so just hang on to the edge of your seats! lol. I know I am! While I am waiting to get the rest of it back home where it belongs I will be searching for wall space! Goodbye old pictures. Hello samplers!

Yesterday was one of those "I wasn't expecting this to happen" days. Our dryer is on the fritz. The repairman came out and I told him what we thought it was. He was certain it was something else (without even checking the problem we mentioned). He did some work, charged us a nice chunk and left. When I put a load of clothes in the dryer - boom - the same problem was still there! We called him and he is coming out sometime today. I sure hope he listens to me this time!

Have a great day and thanks so much for stopping by to see me again!

Show and Tell #3

I got a phone call that Margaret was ready early so I picked her up before I had planned to. I am very happy with the framing on this piece - even though they had to re-do it. That's right! The first time around was just awful. Even Harold said it looked sloppy. I took a close up shot of the frame to show it off also.



I appreciate all the wonderful comments about the framing I have shared so far. These are the first in-store framing I have had done since I was able to pick back up on my stitching after a long absence from it because of migrains! Cross stitch was always my favorite hobby and it broke my heart when I had to put it down for years. I was always picking it up again just to see if maybe - just maybe - I could stitch again without a sad ending but it wasn't until around 5 years (or so) ago and the discovery of a new type of magnifier that I was able to make cross stitch a part of my life again! I was thrilled! When I got back into stitching, I was shocked to see how much it all had changed but I was determined to adapt. I was so happy when Harold told me to get all these finished designs framed!

I have found a new love! Usually when we go to the steakhouse, I get steak and the works but since I have been cutting back that just seems like more than I really want. DH and I usually go up there around lunch time sometime over the weekend while doing errands and I have been ordering a special salad on the menu that is too good to describe! Lettuce, tomato, grilled chicken bites, crumbled blue cheese, walnuts, dried cranberries, deviled eggs and more! I could make it but in a house full of "gotta have meat" guys, I don't think anyone would appreciate it as much as I do!

Thanks so much for stopping by again and putting a smile on my face! Have a wonderful day!

Show and Tell #2

Next up on my framed list is Blessed are all the Needleworkers. This was a design in The Gift of Stitching online magazine but I just can't remember which issue without pulling them all out and digging through them! Actually, I liked this piece but was a bit disappointed because I felt it didn't turn out as good as I had thought it would. But now that it is framed, I am completely happy with it! It is everything I wanted it to be and more! I chose a simple frame with a thin gold band around it to pull out the yellows in the design.

I am already getting the itchies for a new start (no matter what I may have said in past posts)! lol. Until I decide what it will be, I have been working on AAFG for awhile. I kitted up several more designs yesterday. I have plenty to choose from, that's for sure!

There really isn't much news right now. I'll be back tomorrow with another framed goodie! Have a good day and thanks for stopping by again!

Show and Tell

I have been watching Who Do You Think You Are on Friday Nights. It's a collaboration between NBC and ancestry.com. It is a journey for well known celebrities to find their family roots. So far, Sarah Jessica Parker and Emmit Smith have studied their family histories. Very interesting and I couldn't help but feel excited and a bit apprehensive for them since I am an on again off again minor league genealogist . This week Lisa Kudrow will take her family history journey. If you don't get a chance to watch or record it, you can go to NBC.com and watch all the full episodes there.

Daylight Savings Time started over the weekend. It will take a couple of days for me to adjust to the change but I do like the longer days once in a while.

Wow! What a great weekend. I picked up three framed designs! I can't wait to share them all with you! This meant a trip to the LNS. I am totally thrilled with them! I told Harold that with the cost of framing, I better be jumping up and down in glee at the results! He agreed since he is paying! lol. One piece was not ready and will be picked up this coming weekend. Oh, I took Thankful Wheeler in for framing as well. This is it for awhile unless I frame it.

I will be sharing one a day so that I can stretch out the anticipation a little more! First up is My Home is Built in Glory. As you recall, I started this right before my Dad got ill and decided to finish it in his memory. I picked it up on the 7 month anniversary of his death. Very fitting, I think. I am 100% thrilled with this framing job! I picked out a nice heavy frame. No frills. Just something good and substantial to bring out the beauty of the design!

One of the charts the LNS ordered for me was in. I ordered the new chart Parting Hour by Beth Twist and an older one, Mary Corey by Threads of Gold. Mary Corey has not arrived yet but I told them to just set it aside for me when it comes. And by the way, these were already ordered before I said I would be good on my stash buying until next Market! I had to stick that bit of FYI in there mainly for my own benefit!

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

Happy Dance!

Rainy days have arrived once more. I did enjoy those warm sunny days so much! We even got outside and did some cleaning. DS cleaned around the front bushes while I cleaned out the birdbaths and filled them up with some fresh water. There is a lot more to be done though. DH and I talked about it all one evening and I was pooped by the end of our discussion! lol.

Looky, looky what I finished last night! I was so thrilled. Thankful Wheeler by The Goode Huswife done on 18ct. Aida in Natural with DMC threads. After I took the picture I realized I had forgotten to stitch the bird on the right side of the design. I am thinking I might leave it off and put my initials there instead.

Now to decide which WIP to pick up and work on. I am pretty much on schedule with my stitching. More so than in the past. One week a month for AAFG, one week a month for Independent Mind and the other two weeks of the month for whatever I please (and hopefully a finish). I was thrown a little off kilter last month because of all the excitement around here so I am leaning towards Independent Mind since it missed out on it's turn at the needle last month!

I hope everyone has a great day and thanks so much for stopping by! I always enjoy my regular visitors and it's so much fun to meet new ones! Until next time, may you have simple days and an uncluttered heart.

Orts and Ends

Back in December I said I was going to hold off on buying any more designs for awhile. I did wait awhile - until the end of February! lol. But now it's time to get serious again, I will hold off on buying any new charts until the next Market! *fingers crossed* DMC and fabrics are fine and trading designs is okie dokie too but no buying designs for awhile! I must be strong! *big pout*

Borders. Not the geographical kind but the stitching ones. How do you feel about them? I am not a border person but I will do them depending on how much of the feel of the piece is in the border. Some pieces just aren't complete without the border. Did that make sense?

Over the weekend, I took some of my old orts and scattered them around the yard on tree limbs and bushes for the birds since nesting season is here for them. Nothing like adding a little color to the home! A lot of times I use an old suet feeder to put all my orts and ribbons in for them and that works pretty good too.

Our weather has been beautiful the past few days. Sunny, warm and just a delight to open the windows and air out the musty ol' house that was closed up over the winter! Today's forecast is calling for rain. A good day for stitching and getting even closer to finishing up this current WIP.

The Blahs Can Be Good!

What a nice weekend! Mr. Sun came to visit us and the temps warmed up to early Spring status! The perfect days for getting out. We didn't have any usual errands to run so we just went out and about. We are wanting to do some repairs to the house so we made a visit to our home store to get some ideas on items and prices. I think I found everything I want plus a few extras! Other than that it was nice dull weekend! No hospitals, no ambulances, no excitement and no stress!

It seems like it's been quite awhile since I shared any of my stitching with you and I have been hoping my needle would take on wings so I could soar through the rest of my current WIP but it is just taking longer than I expected especially since my bursitis flare up this weekend. I had to take it easy on the stitching a few days but in the mean time I will give you all a sneak peek! Hopefully I will have a new finish to show off and happy dance around sometime this week! I should be getting a call this week that my orders are in and my framing is ready at the LNS. I am not a patient person so it has seems to take forever! As you can tell, I am expecting this to be a really good week!

Yea, Daylight Savings Time will be starting up again soon. I know a lot of people prefer Standard Time because of the mornings being dark longer but I just love those longer daylight evenings!

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!

Nature Tells it All

The trees are beginning to bud which means one thing. We are going to have one more ice storm or a big snow! It seems whenever our trees begin to bud early this is what happens. Some people use Farmer's Almanac to check the weather, others just use the weather forecast. I use the trees and birds! You can always tell if inclement weather is on the horizon if the birds are dashing around almost in panic looking for food. *updated to add* The weather has confirmed that we will get a winter mix today meaning they just don't know for sure how much will be snow and how much will be ice!

I picked up this little table top trunk for keeping some of my WIPs in between working on them. Not really what I was looking for but I couldn't find what I wanted and this was on sale.

Besides the two charts my new LNS has ordered for me, I placed an order for several items online. I am trying to keep it down to a minimum and several are older designs I am finally getting around to adding to my stash. Of course, fabric was a must even though I seem to have more than enough for the moment. On my last visit to the LNS I picked up A&E by Primitive Needle which I have been wanting. I will introduce other things as they come in.

I have my own little yearly goal list and so far, I am doing pretty good despite all the unforseen "life happens" interruptions. I will be picking up A Mind again soon for her week of stitching. I would like to finish up my present WIP first though. I am about half done. I had to make a DMC run over the weekend because this piece really eats up the thread with all the frequent color changes.

Excited Jabber

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Where Did The Sun Go?

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

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

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

Thanks for stopping by! I also enjoy your visits.

Signs of Spring

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

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

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

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

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

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

Weekend Surprise

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

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

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

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

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

Back Home

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

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

Have a lovely day and thanks for stopping by.

Wet and Messy Friday

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

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

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

Slushy Monday

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

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

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

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

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

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