It's In the Air

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Introducing Marianne

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

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

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

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

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

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

Found!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conversions and Gizmos

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

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

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

Here is the conversion I used.

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

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

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

When Does It End?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

News of Sorts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Almost A House

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

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

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

Snow Day!

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

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

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

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

Sniff, Sniff, Cough

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

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

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

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

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

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

Totally Annoyed

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

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

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

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

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

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

Almost Gone

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

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

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

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

3. To take time to appreciate each day. Too often we forget to see the beauty around us and take the simple things in life for granted. My continued goal is to look with my eyes but to see with my heart. To simply enjoy life and all that is a part of it.

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

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

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

7. To keep my faith alive and strong.

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

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

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

3. Take more pictures.

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

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

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

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

Merry Christmas!

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

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

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

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

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

Peeking In

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Christmas Past

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So Cold!

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

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

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

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

It's Monday

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

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

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

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

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

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

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

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

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

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

Will Sing For Food

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

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

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

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

New Start

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

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

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

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

Thanks for stopping by!

Some Thanks and Some Stitching

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

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

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

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

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

Finished!

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

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

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

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

Happy Halloween!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pumpkin Time

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.