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

Show sponsor

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!

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 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.

Alternate Route Needed

I made a dilly or two  or ten mistakes in my stitching for Land That I Love and guess what, I AM NOT frogging it.  I am not even wasting time to look for it.   My order of stitching was down the left side and about one-third across the pattern.   I then decided to stitch across the top border and work down.    Somewhere along the way I thought it a brilliant idea to stitch the dividing bands across - and in retrospect - it is a darned good thing I did.    As I worked down from the top border, I realized I don't have enough space left to stitch the eagle and the vase for the flowers above the first dividing band.....I did find a two thread error on the left but I think I am more like 6 threads off.  Since I knew I wasn't going to rip it out but rather compensate my back side off.....I stopped looking.    No one will know the difference except me and the blog-o-sphere and oh yes, there is my EGA group that I blabbed to.    Deep breathe, calming thoughts.   Decision made, I am over it and moving on.    It has been in time out for two weeks and it is time to refocus on this piece and get to compensating!

It seems after over a year of nothing, I have had a couple or four busy weeks with what seems like something to do every day which always means something is getting neglected.  Sometimes that is housework, sometimes it is gardening and sometimes it is needlework and sometimes it is just as simple as down time.    I took a day last week to do nothing.....well not really nothing.   I did some necessary EGA work, I did some necessary computer work, I balanced my checkbook, I paid my property taxes and than I was done for the day.......and it was only 1:00 .....I spent time in my hanging egg chair on the deck, listening to the sounds of summer, stitching, reading and NAPPING!    It was heaven.   I don’t know about others but I get myself all wrapped around the axle when things I am neglecting seem to take a life of their own.  It felt good to check a few things off my to do list that I had been avoiding.    Note to self, learn to say NO to others and have a me day at least one day a week.

I just finished the Indigo Girl which I enjoyed.  It is a historical fiction novel based on Eliza Lucas Pinkney of Charleston, South Carolina.  A place I need to go back to.    I enjoyed the book and the epilogue even more when the author shared all the  acclaims for Eliza.    I also finished The Old Girls Network.   It was a light, cheery read about two sisters in their 70's that don't get along.   One comes to stay with the other to recover after a health issue.    Their lives are turned upside down and changed forever when I stranger comes into their lives. 

I finished the stitching on the EGA plaid spider.    Early on during this stitch that I thought it was not going to turn out right because I used stash and not the called for colors.   Once I started the  vertical stripes and the plaid formed, I could see it materialize before my eyes. He will be sitting in the bin of finishing that I hopefully get to by fall. 

Other things going on for me......I have the need to lock up my credit card.  I have been on a spending spree for sure.   I ordered new furniture for my family room.....get this.....10 months until delivery......due to Covid related shortages and the bad weather in Texas...apparently Texas is the sofa stuffing producing capital of the world.   

Also ordered new blinds.  Mr. W wanted to know what was wrong with what we have.....um, they are twenty years old, more than a couple of the cloth cellular blinds are torn from the demon cat, and even though I clean them, they are graying at the top.

.....and I broke the news I am getting a contractor to paint the room.   Again this room hasn’t been painted in 20 years  and I promised myself when I stood on scaffolding and painted the cathedral ceilinged room  back then that the next time it needed to be painted I was hiring someone.   It was not fun when I was 20 years younger so now I know it would be really ugly.   

......lastly to round old my spending purchases, I bought new deck furniture....this order has  an eight week delivery.  Mr. W was ok with this order since it will be delivered at no cost and he won’t have to make  a couple of trips to Lancaster County, Pa to pick it up.   ....for these  new chairs, I went for whimsy and ordered turquoise!   

They will match the new mailbox and welcome sign I picked up in Lancaster.  Wait til Mr. W. finds out I am ordering new rugs for the family room when the furniture arrives.   Let’s not even venture the reaction I get from him when I tell him I need his help to repurpose and bring into the current century our 40 year old coffee table.  It's a good thing are opening up again because I think I could  Number 1, drive Mr. W around the bend with my projects, and Number 2, bankrupt myself via the internet if I am locked up much longer! 

 

In other stitching news, I have spend a teeny tiny bit of time on these two designs.   For WinterRose Manor, I finished one page of the page albeit the page with the least amount of stitches.   I started working on the next page which is the right side of the house.    Also put in a few stitches on I Crow.   I am alternating these two pieces at my needlework groups as my take along pieces.  

Another week or ten days and there will be nothing to do in the yard but pick flowers and I will be able to dedicate afternoons to needle and thread.   Hmm,  I keep saying that I am done but I keep finding things to do in the yard and gardens.  On the flower front, I planted all my pots and again  I over brought.   Need to make a note of that for next year.  

Loving walking around my yard and seeing and smelling all my pretties.  Above, picking strawberries this weekend right in my own yard.  Below, my sitting area in my "back 40" project.

Spending time with the grand babies.    Looks like one spoon for Raegan and one for Damma.

Next up, I am diving into the abyss of the Medicare rabbit hole.  I am trying to understand the options and make the right decisions...........I'll send up a flag or fire a warning shot if I am going down for the count....

Thanks for stopping by, stay safe and keep on stitching.

Time Away

Put your feet up and get ready for this catch up post........

Omgosh, as I packed for OCMD I realized how tired I was from the "days of Willy".  They started on Thursday and lasted until Monday and I loved every minute but needed a rest up for sure.  All my children were here for the first time since December 2019.  We celebrate with just my son's family on William's actually birthday and then again on Saturday at a family party.

The birthday festivities were great and it was so good to see family and friends which we have not been able to get together with for so long.  We spent a lot of the time outside.  Now that everyone is vaccinated, we all felt more comfortable. 

We had a 'smash' cake for Raegan since
her 1st birthday was via Zoom

Legos are always a winner!

 

What?   I didn't touch your cupcake.

I did end up waking with nagging sciatic pain on Sunday morning which means I had shirked my responsibility of daily morning stretches that keep back issues at bay.  By Tuesday, it was bearable and with walking the boardwalk on the horizon, I made sure I did extra stretching to try to get it under control.   Aleve always helps too.  This getting old crap is not for sissy’s for sure.   But really, can’t complain, I am in good health just not good shape.....but that is a whole other story.....

 

 

 

 

For OCMD, I had the big decision of what was I going to take to work on.  You know we always take more than we ever could possibly work on and it is not like there isn't a store just steps away to buy something.   

It wasn't hard to wakeup to this view.....we had an apartment on the third floor right on the ocean.   Trust me, the climb up was not fun, especially when we checked in and toted all our stuff up.  I kept telling Stacy, eat the food, drink the bottled water, drink the wine....less trips we have to go up and back down.

I struck to my original plan and prepped two finishes for the hand sewing into fully finished pieces but only got to work on one.    I was able to stick to my small list for Salty Yarns.   I needed some random flosses that were missing from a couple of kitted future projects and I wanted the Stacy Nash Be Kind Sampler.  I got the fabric, chart and fibers but a start on this is not even on my radar yet.  

Due to Covid, we were divided into three stitching rooms of only twelve stitchers in each.   We had assigned dinner times with our 'room' to maintain social distancing for Sara's famous lasagna and scrumptious desserts.   Stacy and I ended up having the entire stitching room to ourselves because the others wanted to stitch in their rooms.   We could unmask, spread out, turn on the TV.  We ate at one table, did some guild computer work at another table and stitched at yet another all while we watched the ocean out the wall of windows.  

I did make a bit of progress on Land That I Love.   I really want to stick to this being my focus piece.  But no promises.   I find that whenever I layout a plan of attack, I don't follow it.   I am the master of my own disaster.   I do hope to finish each row as far across as the top three and then move to the little bit left before the right border.   And what did I just say about making plans?   OMGosh, I am such a  ninny!  Sorry for the wrinkles.  I am trying to stitch in-hand which is new to me and  I seem to have a death grip on the fabric while I stitch.

This is a small project  I took with me.   The fabric is called carnival and I am not 100% sure it will work for this design but I plan keep at it.

I spent an entire afternoon on this canvas-work piece.   It is an EGA project and I have the wire cupcake holder to finish it with.  I wanted to get as far as starting the vertical stitches so I could see the plaid start to form.

I was able to fully finished L. Genders from With Thy Needle and Thread.   At first I thought I might UNfinish my by-hand finishing  and redo it by machine instead but.....I think I might just leave it as is.

View from the Route 50 Bridge walking to The Bad Monkey for breakfast.  

Stacy and I went out for Cinco de Mayo....I mean the Margaritas were calling us.  We walked the boardwalk each day; one day we walked all the way to west OCMD for breakfast.  We walked to Springfest at the inlet which was filled with crafters, food, music and beverage tents. 

Since Stacy has had a condo in OCMD forever, she knows EVERY ONE and EVERY WHERE to go.   Last year, due to Covid, she stayed away from going out.  This year, vaccinated and masked up,  she was ready to socially distance with her OC friends in person again and took to me to some of her favorite haunts for drinks and to watch her different friends' bands.  Not my usual view of OCMD but it was great and she has some fabulous friends for sure.

The weather was great but cold, we had great food, great fun and the days flew by.  For now I need to unpack, do laundry and add my new floss and pattern to my inventory so I need to get myself in gear for a busy week ahead.  

Thanks for stopping by, stay safe, be happy and keep on stitching....

May is fast approaching

Mulch was done yesterday and I am in great shape yard-wise.   I ordered my veggies from Grow-Joy again this year and I expect them any day.  Once they are in the ground, it will be maintenance only on pulling the stray weeds in all the different flower and vegetable beds and I will be enjoying the view from my deck.   I may, a big MAY, consider clearing more in the back forty and then again, I MAY not.   I transplanted a Holly tree and three Lilac bushes back there and hope (fingers crossed) they make it. All four were volunteers that needed to be removed from where they cropped up so if they don't make the only cost was my labor.

Power washing the house has started......but not completed.   On a different note, we had an issue with our solar panels and needed the services of the Fire Department - nothing serious - crackling wires with smoke which caused black soot on our chimney.   Thank goodness for the kill switch for the panels we have.   It has been a waiting game until the solar company sent out their electrician to re-wire everything.   Fire Department couldn't believe how it was wired and I couldn't believe the Building Inspector PASSED what they had done.   I will say no more on that whole debacle of inspectors!  Enjoying the most recent electric bill - which was only a part month, balance due - none with a $19 credit.  Can't wait until we have a FULL month of generating to see what it says.   Realistically it will take a year to get a good evaluation but so far so good.

Stitching has been meager to say the least.  I seem to be only able to get in one length of thread on two different projects a day.    I know slow and steady wins the race but.....  I am thankful I document it here so I can at least see a photo from a month ago and say, hey, you did make progress.

I did finish L. Genders from Brenda Gervais.   I was about fed up with the over one and I know there are  mistakes but it is staying as it is.  I plan to take this to OCMD next week to hand finish it.

We started up our Thursday sewing group again.  It has been a year since we met regularly.  In honor of it, of course I had to have a new start.   Any excuse in the book works on that front where I am concerned.   I started Winter Rose Manor from Brenda Gervais.   I am using the called for colors on 38 count Grey Heron from Legacy Linen.    This is my new one strand of floss a day on and it is what I am taking to work on on Thursdays.   New to me, I am trying out stitching in hand and because I am left-handed I am starting my stitching in the upper right.

I am all over the place on Land That I Love.    I have made progress but it is so scattered.   A few letters here, some border there and a flag somewhere else.   All stitches count and put me closer to the end.    I plan to take this to Ocean City next week and really concentrate on making progress first on finishing the alphabet and then maybe some more of the border.   We shall see.   As you know I am not very good at making stitching plans (or rather any goals or plans for that matter) and sticking to them.   They seem great and doable when I conjure them up......but..... ultimately something else shiny comes along and I am off in another direction.   If only I could harness myself..... 

I had the pleasure of going to a local tulip festival a couple of weeks ago.   This was almost in my back yard......10 miles from home...... We had timed admission, were masked up and socially distanced - our new way of life.  I do really believe there are tons of things local to each of us that we can enjoy without boarding a plane or traveling in the car for hours.  

There were food trucks and wine tasting and tulips to buy.   This same farm has a strawberry festival in June and will have the bulbs on sale.  I definitely want to go and buy some and maybe some strawberry shortcake while I'm there.   I have already promised Mr. William I will take him as he told me...."You know Damma, strawberries are my favorite".

And here's a milestone, William is five years old today.   I cannot believe it.   I am hosting his birthday party this weekend which will be family only.  I have enjoyed every minute of his little life.  Oh how my life changed when he was born.   Me, who had finally accepted, with much regret, that I would never be a grandparent and now I am his Damma!  And how the heart opens with his unconditional love and that of his little sister too.    Much fun time ahead in the pool this summer I am sure. 

Thanks for stopping by, stay safe and keep on stitching.