June 30, 2021

Seems like I am forever getting up to speed....

After the last 16 months of  keeping myself busy around the house and yard, I am slowly finding myself busy out of the house most days.  I seem to be going somewhere or the kiddos are here every day.   It’s great albeit exhausting getting back up to social speed.  I am sure I am not alone to THIS new normal. I know as I get older I move slower but the same thought I had when I worked, I still have.... I still need more hours in my days!  I am still amazed people are bored in retirement.  Not this chickadee, no sir re. 

We celebrated Father's Day with a cook out, family and a bushel of crabs.  Pool water was still a cool 73 degrees.   Damma had no choice but to brave it.  Ugh.   Willy learned to swim on that weekend so that meant a jump-a-thon into the pool.   And little Miss Raegan learned to wear s’mores.   She was taken straight inside to the shower after this wearing of the s'mores.



I made great progress on my hexie quilt.  You all know cross stitch is not the most mobile project to take to most places. Too many accoutrements needed……magnification, array of floss, scissors, hoops, Q-snaps, pattern, concentrating on the count,  and the danger of someone dropping a deviled egg or a wet towel on your linen makes it a big No-Go.   I’ve envied my daughters who can sit and knit for hours at picnics or family events.  Well guess what, ….hexies are my new take-to-an-event project.  It is what  I worked all the way to Virginia Beach and back in the car.   My sister and I are each making progress.

Each week when we together, we trade 4 inch squares with each other so we can get a good variety of colors and patterns.

I am super happy with progress on Winter Rose Manor.  Initially, I was not going to stitch the snow but decided to go ahead and add it.   Once the trees are in, it has been mindless to add.   People usually complain about stitching houses but this one is not so bad.   I just love the look of the curtains in the windows, not so much the stitching of them.  It is perfect to take to stitching day with friends.....no counting, thinking, just filling in.  Wow, it's amazing how much a person can get done being a monogamous stitcher.  I am pushing ahead with this piece until the first of July.  My hope is to pick up some smaller/closer to being done projects so I can complete them and knock them off the list.   Two or three comes to mind and I have some pre-stitch for my September EGA meeting that needs to be stitched.  Hopefully I will be back to stitching on this one only by mid-August.....or sooner of my needle flies.

Upcoming, I am looking forward to our Annual Mom/Daughters Sew-a-Thon over the 4th of July weekend.   Last year's was cancelled because of the pandemic. I’m expecting my Boston girl tomorrow and Philly girl on Friday.  I have no business starting a new quilt but that is exactly what I am thinking.   I want to make a red, white and blue one to go with my family room make-over.  Just call me the Queen of Unfinished Projects.     

Oy! I met the new neighbors last weekend and learned they have 5-five-FIVE boys.   Hearing the chattering, basketball bouncing, and just kid noise in general in my otherwise quiet neighborhood  could take a minute to get used too! Hmmmm.......this could fit nicely into my grand scheme to get Mr. W. to consider moving.

Thanks for stopping by, have a safe and happy 4th and keep on stitching! 

June 18, 2021

Virginia Beach

A little road trip is a great thing.  We headed down the road and because we were chattering away it seemed we arrived in no time at all.  Checked into our hotel,  had drinks and a great crab cake dinner.  Tuesday we went to visit our friends from Camp WannaStitch who live in Williamsburg.  Joan, Ann, Dee, and Ginny….it was just like we saw them last week  not 18 months ago.  We enjoyed catching up, had great laughs and really a super nice visit.  Joan opened her house to us for stitching and we had a great lunch prepared by the ladies.  I should have taken pictures but so often you miss part of what is going on because you are taking pictures.  

Not a bad view....

The next day we went to Dying to Stitch.  

The ladies there were so nice, welcoming and helpful.    Of course the entire drive down Pat and I both swore we were buying nothing, we needed nothing, but remember Need and Want are two different things.   I didn’t do too bad.   An older Birds of a Feather chart/Bloom where you are planted.   I want to start stitching strawberries so I picked up four patterns, three from Erica Michaels and one from Scattered  Seeds Samplings.   Fabric and fiber will hopefully be from stash.




And look at this afternoon view I had to suffer through as I stitched.




I am closer to being done Ye Olde Crow, but ran out of WDW Onyx and yes I could have bought some at Dying to Stitch but I had 4 skeins at home.  I used restraint.   

I am happy with the progress I made on Winter Rose Manor.  It is surprising I got so much done with the view I had while stitching.


We have started meeting in person again for EGA and it was great to see everyone in person if only for the last meeting of the year.   We also got an email from our president that the church we meet in will be open and ready for us in September.   Hallelujah 

The week before Virginia Beach I went to the Philadelphia Flower Show.  It was outside this year.   It was a dreary rainy day but still enjoyable.  I meet my daughter there and we dodged the raindrops and strolled through for park.  The displays were lovely and I am sure we missed things as we left when the steady downpours started.  


This was my favorite window setting.   It looks like it is easily achievable even by a lay person like myself. 


Tons of displays to enjoy

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Love the hummingbird


Mr. Squirrel


All kinds of little vignettes like this throughout.



Very interesting display of small trees arranged in a bowl-like semi-circle that you walked through.











All those purple flowers are LIVE orchids in test tubes.


One last note….I am not so good at replying to comments but I do read (and reread) and appreciate each and every one.  

I'll leave you with the very lovely sunset view from our balcony.


Thanks for stopping by, stay safe and healthy and keep on stitching!

June 9, 2021

Time-outs Work for Grown-ups too

They sure do work well for little ones as well as for myself when it comes to a project I am frustrated with.   I think I  have gotten myself straightened out.....or possibly I am continuing to fool myself.   The later is the more likely.

This is the corrected flower arrangement.
This is the corrected flower pot that had given me the fit.

Land That I Love is my early morning piece.   Most days I am getting about an hour in before I  start to tackle the dishes or laundry or whatever the day may hold.   Remember when I posted about making a dilly or 10 mistakes?   Well my mistake was even worse/better than originally thought.   Seems the only error was in the current flower I was stitching and not earlier on in the pattern as I had thought.  Said nemesis is pictured above.   Frog-frog-frog that flower, its stem and leaves and I am back on track.    I think putting this piece in time-out gave me a chance to chill out and re-evaluate with fresh eyes.   And oh yes, no more believing I can count or stitch in the evenings when having a glass of Pinot.  


I cleaned my craft room and guest room and I feel so much better for it.   My craft room and my craft table, in particular,  is well-known as my catch-all.  I never quite know why I am out of sorts or without motivation, and then I walk in there......it is like some horror movie fabric-and-floss monster, invisible to the untrained eye, creeping down the steps like the blob and invading my Qi.    And we all know what happens when you go into your craft room.....yes, all kinds of discoveries and things to touch and imagine with and divert your attention....and finding of things you don't even remember buying.....you can lose a weekend.   I was good and only spent an afternoon.   As well as putting everything in its place, I boxed up some charts I am taking to our first in-person in a year EGA meeting to see if anyone wants any.   

I've been spending time helping my sister who is still struggling with the loss of her husband last fall.  I've helped her plant flowers, driven her to some appointments,  as well as I assembled an Ikea-like credenza for her.  I know of all the things I can give her my time is the most valuable and it is nice to just be silly together.  Next up, we are going to meet weekly to work on our hexagon quilts together.  I dug that project out of its hidey hole and brushed the cobwebs off of it.  I may decide to continue in a totally different direction.   I was originally making flowers that I planned to edge with a neutral background but after one day of working with my sister on it, I think I might just go with just a total random placement as she is doing.   Jury is still out.   The random placement would be a complete no brainer.   Whichever way I choose to proceed, I think I have found a project I can work on in the evenings.  I think we only need about 600 of these 2 1/2 in hexagons to make a quilt.   Great scrap buster.  

 

I did cross that monumental threshold and signed up for Social Security and Medicare.  The years of worrying will SS still be there when I need it because eligibility seemed so far into the future have vanished.  The online application on the website was easy to complete and in less than 24 hours I was notified  my application is being processed.  Now all I have to do is wait for that first check to be deposited.

The yard is done, yes completely done, with the exception of my Back 40 project.   I don't know if I will clear anymore or not.  It just might stay as it is but then again I may get the 'itch' to play in the dirt.

The strawberries are being harvested, lettuce is growing as well as the spinach and other veggies.  I only need to spend about 30 minutes a day tending everything and the rest of the time is pool or deck time.....that is if I am staying home that day.  On the pool front, the weather has been TOO COLD (in the 50's just ten days ago) to get that water warm enough for me. I need to convince Mr. Wonderful that it is his idea to get a solar cover for the pool for the grand babies.  (he-he)

For stitching I have been concentrating on three pieces.   Land That I Love as I stated above.  Ye Old Crow Sampler from Heart In Hand  is a quick piece to pick up and carry with me just in case stitching time should magically be available.    I take it to babysitting and have put in nary a stitch while there.     Delusional, that's what I am.












Winter Rose Manor is my stitching-group piece.  I only stitch on this on Thursdays.   After my needlework group meets, I stitch ahead to outline a big chuck of the house so the following week I can just do the fill in.   I'm all ready for tomorrow for a section of the house and the two empty windows.  It helps me avoid frogging mistakes made while chattering away. Once I get the house done I am not sure how I will proceed.

Babysitting continues to be a joy.   We have taken on kids exercising on You Tube.   I've got to say that Will's jumping jacks look a little spastic but then again so must mine.  And I cheat and situate myself out of sight and don't do the burpees.   I mean, are you kidding me?  

I treated myself to a project bag from Dot Dot Goose.  I included the little floss keeper book.   I have really taken to liking these little needle books not so much for my fancy floss but for the other five strands of DMC when working with one on 36 count.  This is now my new home for Land That I Love. 

Next week a stitching pal and I are heading to Virginia Beach.   Ye ha!    I can't wait.   The main reason is to spend time with our dear stitching buddies from Camp WannaStitch which was not held this year.   These four ladies are gems.  About five years ago we needed a table to sit at and they had two empty chairs.   We became fast friends and have sat with them every year since.  And of course, when in Virginia Beach we will do what all other stitchers do and visit Dying to Stitch.  

My daughters and I are forming our plans for our annual July 4th Sew-a-thon get together.   Seems it will be shorter than in the past but it will be wonderful just the same.  Nevertheless, I am tossing a couple of projects around in my head for what I might concentrate on.  A red-white-and-blue quilt top could be the forerunner.  I've got some make ahead menu ideas in mind to make it easier and maximize our crafting time.  

Thanks for stopping by, happy stitching ahead for everyone, stay safe and stay healthy.