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.

Progress to share

Finally tiny bits of stitching progress to share thanks to a few rainy days.   Today being one of those iffy days.....will it rain, won't it rain.  I think know I need to devote a day to picking up the random things that have landed in different spots all around the house.   Considering I have all my flower and vegetable beds save the last half of one all weeded and manicured, I think I can take a day off from the yard.  The work does continue on my back 40 project.   I just ordered a bunch of perennials from Breck's or Michigan Bulb Company (I can't remember which one....who knows, maybe from both of them......but I now just offer more evidence of me being scatter brained....)  that I want to be ready to plant when they arrive.  A bit of rest today for the moisture deprived hands will be a welcomed treat.

I finished HOD Year of Celebration March on the last day of March but I haven’t kitted up April yet.  I want to look through my fabric stash for perhaps a blue linen.  I am afraid I could lose a whole day if I go into my craft room and start shopping my stuff......better leave that until I get the house tidied up.

On the right, I found the Shamrock pin in my jewelry box from the days of working in an elementary school when I would decorate my blazer to match the holiday.   Geez, now that's a random, crazy, walk down memory lane.  Anyway, I hope to somehow incorporate the tie-tack style pin in my finish. 

I am getting quite a lot done on L. Genders red sampler roll with my one thread at a time approach.  It is amazing how much can be done one length of thread at a time.   The over one, not so much.   Definitely need good magnification and good light for that section.

Thanks to a delivery from Salty Yarns, I have a completely kitted up Winter Rose Manor.   I selected Heron Gray in 38 count from Legacy.   I am thinking my WDW Conch will show up fine for the house. Oh I'd love to start this one but I will exercise the utmost restraint.

I also got the Cozy Winter from Jeannette Douglas Designs.  Just love this piece and it is on the smaller size so it should take long to stitch.......famous last words.

I finished With This Needle, I Thee Thread needle book from HOD.  This should have taken me one week rather than three.  

Finishing calls for the piece to be folder this way.....

I may fold it this way instead.....

Who am I kidding.....this will go into the basket of shame and sit for untold weeks/months until I really do finish it.

I started A Robin's Discovery from Luminous Fiber Arts.   Love the colors and the cheerful springtime pattern.   This is being stitched with the called for colors on 32 count mystery linen from stash.   My Thursday stitching group will start meeting again next week and I just had to start something on the smaller side to have to work on.  I need to work out how to eliminate that bow on that rabbit.  I'm not a fan of it.  

What you are not seeing any progress on is Land That I Love.   I don't believe I have touched it for a month.   Maybe after my vacuuming and picking up and putting things where they belong I can dedicate an hour  this afternoon while I catch up on some floss tube.

My daughter-in-law started her job the 1st of April and I am  babysitting every Monday.  Even though I am wiped out by the time I get home I am loving the memories we are making. Thank goodness for leftovers for dinner and early bedtimes on Monday evenings.   I am so enjoying them living closer but I am still not used to seeing them so often.  

Everyone in the family has either had their vaccine or at least has an appointment for their vaccine.  It’s looking like a return to normal pool parties, family visits and cookouts for us this coming summer.   And even more than that last several years with my son being closer now.

I booked my first retreat in a year.....it will all be with social distancing, small assigned stitching rooms, limited number per table.  A friend asked me to join her and I hesitated half a minute.  We plan to go down early and stay at her place a night or two prior to the event and since she is one of two that has been in my bubble the last year I was on board.    It is just a stitch-in (no classes) but it is Sun Fest weekend and we hope to be able to walk to the inlet and enjoy the festivities and partake in an adult beverage or two!  It will be so nice to be back in OCMD and this Damma needs a vacation after running around chasing grand babies.  Geez, I just hope I don't go overboard with shopping at Salty Yarns.  I already have a Stacy Nash piece in mind to purchase.

That about sums up everything that has been happening with me.   Hopefully once I get the last flower bed finished, mulch in and all my veggies and potted plants in, I will be back to stitching in full swing.....literally swaying my chair on my deck as I look at the fruits of all my springtime labor.  

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

PS That is NOT my back 40 in my header picture above....but how I wish is were.   The photo was taken while on the Wilmington City Garden Tour several years ago.  

I'm racking up......

you name it.....I have been racking up the hours in the yard clearing beds or transplanting lilies and hostas, prepping my vegetable garden.   I do so enjoy being outside.  Once it was 45 and sunny, the sweatshirt on and out the door I have been for the majority of the day.   From enjoying my morning coffee on the deck, to lunch on the picnic table to a cup of hot tea in the evening.   I told a friend on the phone the other day that I missed her call because I was out in the yard working.   Her response......"What! Aren't you done out there yet?"  Well, all I can say to help non-gardeners relate is the comment is the equivalent of someone saying don't you already have enough floss and patterns?   

I have racked up a string of Wordless Wednesdays with nary a post.

Because I am in the yard, I have done very little stitching.   I try to put in a few stitches when I stop for lunch but even after scrubbing I still have ground in dirt on my hands even though I wear gloves.  That said, I somehow managed two new starts.   As always, I have total justification for them.  The first one is "With this needle, I thee thread" from Hands on Design.  Justification - I met with my Tuesday night stitchers for the first time in about 11 months and I needed something small to take along and stitch.  Legit, right?  It wasn't until I was stitching on the fob in the lower right that I realized I stitched every shorter spool of thread wrong....and guess what, they are staying that way!

The second start is "L. Genders" from Brenda Gervais.   I start this after watching Lori Holt on Floss Tube.   Lori is stitching Red Rhapsody from Rosewood Manor.   What she does when she sits down in the evening to start stitching, she puts in one length of red thread and then moves on to her main piece for the rest of her stitching evening.   It is amazing how much she is getting accomplished on Red Rhapsody with only 10 minutes every day.  And besides we all need to do at least one red sampler in our lifetimes.

The problem with spending only ten minutes a day of stitching time I guess I am racking up more WIP's too.

And I have been racking up time with the grand babies too.   At least two days a week of either me going there or them coming to my house.  We have gone to parks and playgrounds, ran around the yard, done puzzles, dyed easter eggs, giggled and laughed.

So this is what Will did the other day.   He collected a bucketful of monkey balls from the yard and he put them in a semi-circle around the door to pop-pop's shed while pop-pop was inside the shed taking a nap.   What is this Will?    Without hesitation I was informed me it was a porcupine surrender to keep pop-pop trapped in the shed.    Oh to be inside the mind of a little one.

And sorry to say, I have been racking up the pounds too!   I heard this morning n CBS Sunday Morning that since the CoronaVirus started, the average person has gained 18 pounds.  I have managed to make it all the way to the one year mark and then BAM, I get on the scale I had gained 8 pounds!  And from where?   I don't understand how because the pounds came on at a time of increased activity and constant movement.  I guess it is a delayed reaction to the sluggo life of January when I just sat and stitched and watched movies and ate.  The scale is not lying ladies as is evidenced that my bras and unmentionables are getting tight. A sure sign indeed of gained weight.  I need to get back into the daily walking.   It is so easy to fall out of the habit and hard to get back in.

I have been racking up bursts of blog reading trying with total futility to catch up on everyone's blog posts.   One to share with anyone who does card making is Nikki (aka Anna) at StitchBitch.   Each day during the month of March she is introducing a new stamped card she has made.  Poor Nikki, I have been bombarding in one day with comments on each of the last 10 days posts. When she made the announcement last month I was so on board to be stamping right along with her.   I knew it would be a great way to increase my depleted card stash.......and then I just couldn't seem to find the time. (Mysteries of the universe - How did I find time to work?)   Once the yard is done and mulch down, it will be clear sailing and maybe I will get out the stamps, paper and ink pads.  It always takes me back to what a friend told me years ago.....we make work for ourselves because we want to maintain our houses, our yards, ourselves at a level above what is necessary.  I don't know.  I just seem to look around and see something that has to be done where others don't.  Oh well, I doubt I am changing at this stage of life.

Thanks for stopping by.   Hopefully I will have more stitching to share next time. Stay safe - my second dose of vaccine is Friday!  Keep on stitching.

Stitching Catch up and Life Catch up......

This is a little after the fact since I am only now recounting the last week of February but that is what a catch-up post is all about.   I went out of my quarantine comfort zone traveling to State College PA in February to help my son and his family move.   When the movers said it would be a two-job, I was kind of like why?   Trust me, it was a two-day job because of the distance between the two places.  They were 95% packed when I got there and ready for the movers the next morning. We needed to work on the garage and clean the appliances and handle some laundry.  Forget anything left out in the yard as it was under 18 inches of snow.   They are now in, 100 % unpacked and only 50 minutes away.  Willy stayed with me for four days and trust me, his bed time and my bedtime were the same time!  I have seen them more times in the last three weeks than the last two years and I am loving it.

So, that said, you know there was no stitching accomplished if Damma was needed to build forts or watch a Disney movie or help with train tracks.  

Boy I can see my life is going to change.  I am used to a solitary, quiet, no interruptions life, just stitching or digging my yard or hanging out on my deck.  That is not the way it is going to be.   At the end of last week I was up there for breakfast and somehow a little someone was in my car on my return home. 

Obviously I will have to up my pantry supplies so I have 'treats' for the little ones at all times which will not help the diet for sure.   My house and shed are packed to the gills with things that won't fit at their place but it is temporary.....the packed to the gills part.  It warmed my heart when my son said he was glad to be moving back home and my daughter-in-law chimed in with him saying it felt good.

Sunday evening I pulled out my journal and created some a couple of yearly pages.  I am really enjoying this new discovery of bullet journaling.  I have other pages penciled in and am ready to get out the markers.  To me working on this is as meditative as yard work or stitching.

 

The last couple of days I did put in some stitches on Land That I Love.  Not as much as I would like but am happy with the progress I've made.   I'll get there.   My goal for this week is to get the house done and add the cat, dog and flowers below the foundation.   

I have only done some cursory quick fly-bys on blogs I follow.  I’m seeing such pretty things and need to take some time to catch up, read each post completely and add my comments.    And let’s not talk about my fly-bys on Instagram of new patterns being released from Market....I’ve sent off too many emails to Sara at Salty Yarns for things I want.  Yikes!  My pledge to work from stash has flown out the window for sure.  

Out the window went any thoughts of doing HOD March the first week of the month.  I did manage this much while I wait in the car for a friend at her doctor's appointments.  

Top that off with the weather is just perfect for being outside and I have put in four to six hours several days in a row in the yard.....and I am in love with being outside.   My "back 40"  yard project as I call it, is coming together.   It will probably be another year before I have the area completely cleared and replanted.   That said, I am so happy with the progress so far.   The top picture below is where I am now and below that, where I was nine months ago.  This continues to be a slow and steady process that might not look like anything to anyone else but I have a vision...... I just ordered a ton of perennials from Breck's and can't wait to get them in.   I want to get some forsythia for across the back, transplant a holly, transplant some lillies and hostas which need to be thinned anyway, add some structural items and whatever else hits me.   Love the feeling of the good tired after a day out there.    Only bad thing is it does take away from my stitching time while I am outside all day but also since once I sit down on the sofa for the evening.....I fall asleep.

Thanks for stopping by, stay safe, stay healthy, wear your mask and keep on stitching.

One Year Later

I got my first of two shots today!  Yippee.  

It was one year ago when we were all confused and wary of what was to come.   I had just returned from Florida and decided to self-isolate for two weeks and ......well we all know what happened.   I remember when hearing  TV doctor/commentartors were saying 12 to 18 months, it was hard to wrap my head around that long.

The mega site I went to was so super organized and so efficient and I was compelled to thank each health care worker and US Army personnel I passed.  

So what I have learned in the last year?

• Retirement is great, Corona Virus and all
• Not everyone follows the rule....wait I knew that
• I didn’t really mind staying home....I knew that too
• I learned to Zoom!
• I learned to use Instacart
• I learned that the automatic rolling into the next episode of a TV series is deadly!

I never ran out of things to do and on as a funny aside, I never ran out of so many things.....so what have I not had to buy in the last year.....here are a few of them.

• I didn't have to buy any toothpaste having just opened the last box from the big box multi-tube purchase that has been in my linen closet.
• Tea!  All kinds. Regular, herbal, bags and loose

• Jello
• I didn't have to buy of body lotion - time to combine these partial bottles and create a new fragrance!
  
  
  
• I didn't have to buy laundry detergent although I have been waiting for this last jug o' Tide to be empty so I can switch to tablets from Blue Land or Grove
• I didn't need to buy any Scrub Daddy's or scouring pads
• I didn't need to buy bar soap.  Buying hand milled soaps has always been a weakness to me.   Some buy candles or trinkets or jewelry from craft shoes or bazaars, I buy soaps.
  
  
  
• I haven't had to buy any candles either.....think of all those years of fundraisers for co-workers children and you have a cabinet full of candles.

• I didn't need to buy any make-up.....I mean I haven't worn any in a year!  I am sure it should be replaced.
• I didn't need to buy hair products either.   I think it is time to trash the ones I know I  will never use.  

• I didn't need to buy greeting cards, sympathy cards, get well cards......
• I surely didn't need to buy any stitching supplies BUT DID as I tried to single-handedly keep a couple of cross stitch stores in business.

So, I was able to remained showered, lotioned up, with clothes clean and teeth brushed and able to communicate by sending cards in the mail at no cost for a year....yes, I had a roll of stamps too!  It is not that I am a hoarder of supplies.....or maybe the harsh reality is that I am!   Could be I need an intervention.  It is the one thing I do blame on my parents who lived through the Depression - having provisions.  Isn't a good homemaker one that always has two of all household necessities on the shelf?   Snow storm coming, you will never find me at the grocery store.  

Thanks for stopping buy.......stitching update next time.......still wearing my mask......stay safe and keep on stitching.