Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year!

Our 2013 ended with sorrow.  My mother in law passed away the Sunday before Christmas. We feel blessed that DH was able to be with her and 2 of his siblings when she passed.

Summer 2011

He flew back here so we could have Christmas together and then he and I flew back to Pittsburgh for the funeral activities.  It's all very sad, but it was comforting to be with extended family and many of his old friends (some whom he hadn't seen in ages).  We arrived home just last night.

We're in the Central time zone but were so tired that we celebrated the new year during the Eastern time zone's midnight.  We weren't sure if we could stay awake one more hour.

We're still awaiting word from our insurance company about whether DH's car is worth the expense of repairing or if we'll be looking for another car for DH.  I'm hoping we hear something tomorrow since his work commute is one hour each way....he goes back to work tomorrow.

Before our trip, I'd frogged the leaves on LHN's My Dwelling Place bc they were so light, it was hard to see them against the fabric.  I restitched them in a darker green and I'm so glad I restitched them.  The piece looks so much better now.  It's my official last finish for 2013.

I finished 12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup, then picked up and read Brain on Fire by Susannah Calahan (I couldn't put this one down!).  Yesterday at the airport before boarding our first flight, I bought the Kindle edition of Sycamore Row by John Grisham and read about half of it while traveling yesterday.  So instead of stitching this past week, I was able to get a lot of reading done.  (I love to read about as much as I love to stitch.)

I spent (more than I'd planned) time in the kitchen today.  Later we'll have some black eye peas, ham, and cabbage casserole for dinner and some pound cake (that I'd baked and frozen before we left) with a little blueberry pie filling on top for dessert.  One DS has plans with a group of friends to watch Baylor's bowl game tonight and our other DS who's home hasn't been feeling well today so I think he'll stay here with the "old folks" tonight.

I started a January 1 project (with one of my groups).  My choice is Bestitched Lone Star Sampler.  I saw it stitched on some overdyed fabric when I was at the San Antonio LNS earlier this month and bought the fabric for it.  (I already had the leaflet;  in fact stitched it once for a friend's Texas themed family room.)

I'm hoping to have a progress picture to post soon.

Happy stitching!!

Keep Austin Weird

We did our best to try to help out the Longhorns in their game last Saturday by sitting on the 50 yard line right behind the team.  Unfortunately our efforts didn't help.  Aside from that ugly game (and the drunk, rude Ole Miss fans sitting behind us), we had a great time being there.  Their band was really good!

  My first love is the team of the OSU Buckeyes and at least they won their game.

We got to see our 2 UT student sons and deliver "provisions" (including home-baked chocolate chip cookies and banana bread).

Here's my wip progress for last week:

One of the Prairie Schooler Woodland Santas:

CHS 2000 Christmas Sampler (I'm not comfortable stitching on black but it's coming along.)

LHN My Dwelling Place.  (Technically it's finished but I don't like the color of the leaves from my skein of that color so I'll rip it out and try again with another green.)

Happy stitching!

Friday WIP Progress Report

I finished and sent off (and got word that it was received--Yay!) the CCN model so I got to stitch on some of my wips this week.

First off is a ufo/wip (just picked it up again recently) of Hinzeit's Sweet Land of Liberty.  I love patriotic themed pieces especially patriotic samplers.  For me this qualifies as a bap too.  I found out that I stitched a bit 1/2 stitch off vertically so I'll have some frogging to do on this one.  I just wanted to enjoy stitching this a bit first so worked some more on the border and the branch on the left side.

I also worked a bit on LHN's My Dwelling Place.  (Wow! that's a lot of grass!)  I don't think I'll put the date in the little banner because I'm not sure what date to choose....wedding year, one of the houses where we've lived, ????  I think instead, I'll center the lettering and maybe put some motif on either side of it.  I'll see when I get that far.

I'm itching to start something with a fall or Halloween theme.  For years I've wanted to stitch a little BOAF freebie of a cat wearing a pumpkin suit so this may be the year.  I'll order some purple fabric for it if I decide to go with that one.


Happy stitching!

Post Labor Day Update

As you can see, I'm challenged by titling this post, so there you have it.  lol!

I hope you all enjoyed your long Labor Day weekend.  DH and I expected a quiet one.  We got a few things done around the house and watched a couple of movies.  On Sunday afternoon, we drove to Houston and "hung out" in Rice Village where we had lunch and browsed in a bookstore then went to Central Market and bought some "foodie" goodies.  When we arrived back home, we received an invitation to join some friends for a Labor Day pot luck (it's still way too hot to want to have a picnic!) so yesterday I made a big batch of potato salad and some Texas sheet cake for my contribution.  It was fun getting together with everyone.

We got up early yesterday to take a walk and saw a coral snake on the track.  It's only the second coral snake I've seen in the wild and both of them were on that walking track...even close to the same place on the track.  He didn't seem to be too bothered by our presence;  we didn't hang around very long to give him a chance to change his mind.

I finished and mailed off the model and finished and mailed off the donation quilt square so now I can get back to stitching my own stuff.  Here's the quilt square (HIH Wee Vegetables):

I picked up an old wip/ufo of Hinzeit's Sweet Land of Liberty to work on.  I'll also work on LHN's My Dwelling Place.

My Dwelling Place and a "Wee" start

I've been working on a (top secret and VERY cute!) model that's taking my stitching priority this week but I also made a little progress on LHN's My Dwelling Place:

...and made a wee start on HIH's Wee Vegetables:

 This one is for a quilt square donation and it's requested that I don't use overdyes.  I'm using several shades of DMC in random lengths  instead of stitching the veggies in all one color (boring!).  Hopefully I'll get the "look" I'm going for.

I'm finding myself in the mood to stitch something with a Halloween theme so maybe once the model is finished, I might add something like that to the "rotation".

It continues to be really hot and humid here.  I walked 4 mornings this week...about 3 miles.  I missed this morning's walk bc  the AC guy was supposed to be here "first thing this morning".  He called with some "emergency"  (I've heard this story before.  It's one of the reasons we've been waiting since mid April to have this job completed.  Ugh!)  You know how it's said that you should use local businesses because, since they're local, they care more about getting the job done promptly and correctly.  Not always the case as this demonstrates.  A few years ago we spent a ton of money with them completely redoing our heating, cooling and venting system.  You'd have thought they'd show their gratitude by providing good service but....Well you get the idea.  The only reason we've stuck with them this far is because there's a slight chance that there's a small crack in the equipment that's still under warranty.  Once we get this figured out, we'll probably go with another company in the future.

Oh well....while waiting for the guy this am, I cleaned 4 ceiling fans and did some vacuuming.  I can do some more vacuuming while waiting for him to get here....if he ever does.  Grrrrrrr!

We're still making progress on the dorm shopping.  This week we added a new bike and wireless printer/scanner to the pile.  (Hey!  I want one of those wireless printers/scanners.)

Between work and seeing friends, DS is gone a lot.  As he was leaving for lunch with some friends the other day, I suggested he and I make a lunch date before he leaves.  It's amazing how quickly this time is passing for DH and me.  It's still too slow for DS.  He's SO excited!  (...as he should be.)

I have an outing tomorrow.  I'm driving to a friend's house near Houston for a stitchers' get together.  There are several "regulars" and a few once-in-a-whiles who come to these.  We always have fun!  We always have a theme for the food. Apparently this one falls near or on Jimmy Dean's birthday so the theme is Sausage.  (I wonder when Oscar Meyer's birthday is but, wait!  We already had a bacon them.)  I'm making sausage balls to take.

Until next time......Happy Stitching!

Friday update

We keep crossing things off the dorm/school list and it seems like every time we cross something off, we think of 1 (or more) things we forgot to put on the list. Aargh!!  I think we're making progress, though.

Proud Mom Moment:  Our oldest DS will be defending his thesis soon for his PhD (Physics) and DH and I will get to go watch.  He's busy interviewing for post doc positions and has some promising possibilities.  Earning a PhD is a long slog and quite an accomplishment.  (I hope he won't make me call him Dr. Mike.  lol!)  We're so proud and excited for him.

I know, I know.....my youngest child graduated from HS (and band) but that didn't stop me from helping out some at their first week of summer band camp.  I helped most of yesterday's practice because my replacement had a doc appointment.  I think I can truly say I'm addicted.....although I'm glad I can go only when I feel like it this year.

I worked on the following wips this week:

CHS 2000 Christmas Sampler (I can only work on this one in small doses.  Stitching on black is challenging for my old eyes.

LHN My Dwelling Place (I'm stitching this one as a sal with my friend, Renee, and I think my friend, Sherre will be joinging us.)  I'm really enjoying this one!  I'm missing a few of the needed overdyes for this one so have to order them soon.

Hinzeit's Sweet Land of Liberty which was recently "rescued" from a drawer where it had been languishing for a few years.  (Yes, I said years!  I'm not proud of that.)  I sang in a "cantata" with a community choir that was called Sweet Land of Liberty (I can still hear the title song in my head.) the year after 911.  I thought this piece would be a great way to remember that event.  I noticed I'm half a stitch off in the bit below the right flowers....I blame the pesky teensy weensy thread that I must not have seen when I was stitching that part.

I'm also working on a new model which, until it's finished, will be my stitching priority.

It's very hot and humid here but I keep making myself go out for my am walks.  I enjoy the walk (minus the heat) and how it makes me feel but for some reason I dread getting started even after all this time.

Thank you for reading my ramblings and for the comments.

Happy stitching!

Happy, Happy, Happy

OK.  I'll readily admit that one of my guilty little pleasures is watching Duck Dynasty and you can see by today's title that it's rubbing off on me just a bit.  I won't get too worried about it until I start dressing in camo.

Yesterday was my birthday and was a whole lot more fun that last year's (when we took our DS to Houston for hand surgery after he broke a bone in his hand).  DH arranged to take the day off work and planned for us to take a tour of a winery not too far from here.  DS decided to come along with us.  (He's been making a point of spending some quality time with us before he leaves for college.  Sweet kid!)

We've been to wineries in Sonoma Valley, CA and, while this winery was not like their's yet, it was very nice.  It's only been in commercial operation since 2001.  The wine we tasted was great and a few bottles came home with us.

Haak Winery

We had lunch at Olive Garden, browsed in Barnes and Noble (I bought the JCS Annual Halloween special issue), and went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond where we finally bought a nice knife set (our mutual anniversary gift for this year.  My sister thinks there's a funny story in there somewhere about a knife set for an anniversary gift.) and a few more things for DS's dorm room.  I picked up the mail when we got back in town and found a gift from my DD, a cookbook.  I also heard from lots of FB friends, my parents, siblings, and our other 3 children.

We were too full from our late lunch for much of a dinner but we really enjoyed the intensely chocolate cake DH baked the night before.  He also whipped up some homemade whipped cream.  Believe it or not the recipe came from Cooking Light.  Yum!

I share my birthday with my cousin (who just turned 40...I won't say how old I am, lol!) and I found out today that one of DS's best friend's mother also shares my birthday.

Band camp starts Monday.  The band director mentioned to the mom that took over my volunteer job that I'll probably show up at some practices to help them.  lol!  He's right although I hope to taper off after they all get the hang of it.  He knows I'm "hooked" and really believe in what the band program does with their students.  As I've said often...the music is wonderful but it's such a small part of what band is for the kids. So...part of me is a little sad that we're finished but another part is looking forward to all the things I can do since I won't be spending all that time there during marching season.

I also stitched a bit this week.

The beginnings of LHN's My Dwelling Place.  (My friend, Renee, and I will be stitching this together.)

CHS 2000 Christmas Sampler

Hinzeit's Sweet Land of Liberty (It's been a neglected wip/ufo but some people on mb were talking about it lately and inspired me to get it out to stitch on a bit.

I also have a couple of finishes.   First off is LHN's Blessed Are the Pure in Heart.  I converted the CC's called for to DMC bc this is a donation for a quilt and they didn't want any overdyes.  I'm pleased with how this came out and heard yesterday that it was received by the quilt organizer.

This little one is a freebie by Cherrywood Designs.  I'd had it kitted up for a while and finally got to it.  It was a fun little stitch and I finished it up the day I started.  It will either be a pincushion or a pinkeep.

Thank you for looking and for the nice comments you leave.

Happy Stitching!