Short and Sweet

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!

Surprises!

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!

Looking Back

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

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

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

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

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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

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

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

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!

Challenges

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

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!

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!

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!

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.

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

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!

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

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!

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

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

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!

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

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!

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?

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

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!