Long Time, No See

I've neglected my blog (and stitching) lately but for a good reason.  I returned late last week from visiting our new grandbaby (and her parents, of course, but they'll probably always get "second billing"  from now on).

  She's doing great now but, unfortunately, she had to spend a few days in the hospital after we arrived.  It was a little scary and stressful for all of us at first and I'm so thankful that we were there to be able to lend some emotional and practical support during and after her hospitalization.  My husband had to return home as we'd originally planned (see below) but I was able to extend my stay another week+ and help out with cooking, laundry, grocery shopping, baby cuddling, etc. so that the parents could catch up on their rest.   I know they could have handled it on their own but I'm so glad they didn't have to.  (Everyone seemed to be doing better by the time I left so I felt ok about leaving when the time came.)

  They had a few days on their own and now the other set of grandparents are there visiting.  I Facetimed with them yesterday and was happy to see the other Grandma preparing dinner for them...and hear that Grandma and Grandpa took the baby out on a stroller ride yesterday afternoon so DD could take a nap. (DD couldn't have chosen a better husband and in-laws.  They're wonderful people!)

While I was in CA, my DH retired from his job, had a 3-day weekend which he spent doing yard work, and then went to work the following Monday for a new employer.  His drive is even longer (1.5 hours each way) but when things settle down, he'll be able to work from home at least a couple days a week.  Those of us who know him laugh at his idea of "retirement" but he's very excited about what he's doing with his new job.  As long as he's happy, I'm happy. 

As for my stitching....it's taken a back seat.   I didn't even take any with me while visiting the new baby...and wouldn't have had any time to pull it out anyway.  Once I returned home, unpacked, and reorganized I pulled out a sampler that was only lacking the personal touches to be finished.  It's "Live Laugh Love" by Primitive Betty.  Rather than use my initials and the current year in the "banner", I thought I wanted something older.  I ended up using my late grandmother's (maiden name) initials and her birth year in the banner and thought it would be a nice way to honor her.  (She didn't cross stitch but she was a talented seamstress, quilter, and crocheter and I think I acquired my interest in stitching from watching her over the years.)  I "signed" the piece in much smaller back stitching.  It felt good to finish something right off the bat after just picking up the stitching again.

Happy stitching!

A Finish and a WIP

I finished the stitching on this little guy from PS leaflet 198 Christmas Tree Farm for the Christmas Ornie sal blog. This one reminds me of the years we'd take the kids to cut our own trees and Christmas tree farms when we all were younger.  I think I may finish finish it like the fall ornament I did recently.  Quick and easy!

I'm on the home stretch of Primitive Betty's "Live, Laugh, Love" sampler.  I just have to stitch in the initials and date.

 I'm continuing with my daily walks and "stepping" that I added last week (despite the muscle soreness).  I (and my legs) feel more energized having added the stepping.  I'll try to keep it up.

Finally.....we're overjoyed and excited to be expecting our first grandchild next spring.  We're hoping to find out the gender soon and then I'll start deciding on a baby sampler to stitch.

Happy stitching!

A "Finish", a WIP, A Little Travel, and a Visitor

I agonized over how to finish my little fall block for the ornament exchange (yes, really-I'm finishing impaired) and after the second try, here's what I came up with.  Nothing fancy but I'm calling it a "prim" style finish.

As mentioned in a previous post, the stitching is from a Prairie Schooler leaflet called October.

I'm working on a model and it's coming along.  I can't show it but I'm also working on "Live, Laugh, Love" by Primitive Betty for my "sampler fix".

As long as we've lived in Texas, I'd not yet been to Corpus Christi so last week when DH had some spare vacation days, we drove down there.  We toured the Lexington, visited a bottanical garden, drove down to Padre Island for a beach walk, and on the way back a couple of days later, we stopped at Aransas Pass to a wildlife reserve.

Lexington

Bottanical Garden

Padre Island

Wildlife Refuge

We came back home for a couple of days and then drove to Austin to visit our sons.  As many times as we've been there, we didn't know about Mount Bonnell but this time we went up there for some beautiful views of the Austin area.

Mount Bonnell

Here are a few pictures from our wanderings:

(DH's first attempt at taking a "selfie".)

We've had some rain since we came back home and the other day I had a visitor:

Happy stitching!

Hot in August in Texas! Go figure!

After temps here hovering just above and just below 100F degrees, we're looking for it to cool off in a few days to the low 90's.  You know it's been hot when you can use the words "cool off" and the "low 90's" in the same sentence.  Despite the heat, I've been faithfully going on my morning "fitness walks".  DH is taking the day off and he went with me today for 3 1/2miles.  One of the simple pleasures of life is taking a shower after walking in the heat and humidity.

I've been challenging myself in meal planning to avoid turning on the oven and even the stove so as not to add more heat to the house.  I bought a nice toaster oven that we use when we just can't avoid baking/roasting something and it really helps.  I put off buying one for a long time, wondering if I'd use it enough, but I use it a lot!  For so many things, it's better than heating up the whole oven...and kitchen.

DH likes to bake (in the toaster oven) too and last week he tried a new recipe for Iron-skillet Peach Crisp.  Instead of the oatmeal in usual crisps, it used toasted pecans.  (DH used some of the stash in the freezer of some of the pecans he gathered last fall.)  He also threw in some blueberries.  We both agreed that this recipe is a "keeper".  We loved the taste and texture of the pecans.

Here's the recipe if you'd like to try it:

Iron-Skillet Peach Crisp

I tried making a tortellini salad for dinner last night.  It's more of a construction of ingredients rather than cooking.  (All I did was to cook the tortellini.)  We both enjoyed it, but decided it's more appropriate for lunch or a side rather than a main course for dinner.

I think I found the "recipe" on Pinterest.  Basically it's a layer of cut-up Romaine lettuce, some bacon bits, grape tomatoes (cut in half) and the tortellini.  Serve with ranch dressing.


On the stitching front...I'm working on a model but also started "Live Laugh Love" Sampler by Primitive Betty.

I don't think I shared the last of "my" CCN models that was released...Seasonal Celebrations-Autumn.  So here it is:

You can find more info about it here:  Country Cottage Needleworks 

Happy stitching!