True Love

At my son's house when the children go to their bedrooms a door is closed between the living area and the bedrooms.  The dog, Abby, wants so badly wants to go with them but if Abby joined them they wouldn't stay in bed.  They'd play and giggle and stay awake for hours.  So poor Abby has to stay out.  But here's how she waits for them.

There's one little sliver of light leading to where the children are.  And so she waits patiently, staying in the light until it goes out.  I think this is the most beautiful demonstration of love that I've ever seen.

Fall has finally arrived here - we have had some cool days and some cooler nights this week.  But the flowers of summer are still holding on.  The rain lily has one last bloom....

Even the geranium is showing some brilliant color....

The tomatoes are still holding on and, to my surprise, some volunteer basil has come up....

Of course it won't live for long - it will be gone with the first frost - but it's such a beautiful bright, crisp green right now.

But autumn is really here and the mums know it....

Inside I'm sitting in my stitching chair with my feet propped up working on a pattern from Notforgotten Farm called Olde Witche Mary.  I love the pattern and I'm getting close to a finish - I hope to show it to you in less than a week - but sadly, I ran out of thread way too soon and am having to substitute.  I think I got close enough that it won't be glaringly obvious but only time will tell.

And later this week my small quilting group will be coming over for dessert and stitching.  There's nothing to compare with long time friends sitting together and stitching.  Happy Fall!

What In The World Happened?

What in the world happened to the last three weeks?  Yesterday I posted on this blog and it was September 20.  Today I looked and it's October 13!  I've had a couple of people - maybe the only two who read this :) - ask me where I was and if I was ok.  Well, I'm here and there and everywhere.  I've been to see my son a couple of times and I spent a week with  my sister and maybe I'll go camping next week.  I'm just doing whatever takes my fancy.  :)  Honestly, do you find that time slips away and somehow you lost it and you didn't even realize it?  Happens to me all the time.

I've finished a couple of small things.....made a valance for my kitchen windows that I absolutely love.  Black and white gingham just always looks so fresh.  Now if I could afford to get my counter top replaced with some gorgeous granite it would be better but for now they look fine with my blue formica.  And I made a little bag with my witch cross stitch piece.

The lining is the fabric I used on the strap and the black cat band was leftover from a halloween quilt I made a couple of years ago.  I love the way this one turned out.

This little pumpkin was so cute -it's a Lizzie Kate pattern - but I find I don't care for stitching on dark colors since my eyes have gotten so old.  Not the rest of me, just my eyes.

I added a little bug button to it for a bit of whimsy.  By the way, is there some sort of trick someone can teach me about twisting thread to make cord?  I found a great tutorial in a Just CrossStitch magazine but somehow mine didn't turn out like theirs.  I only wanted one color on this piece and I wanted it narrow so it worked fine but wasn't really what I was aiming for.

And then Christmas decorations began to appear at Hobby Lobby and other places, which made me decide I might better get started on holiday stuff, so I made these little guys.

I made the straps a little long but I like to hang ornaments so that I can "nestle" them down in the branches and with longer straps they don't fall and are easy to position.

I know we're not supposed to covet things - the Bible tells me so.  But let me just assure you I'm having to ask for forgiveness every time I look at this picture my daughter sent me because I WANT this chair!  Anyone know where I can find it?

Don't ask me why you can see through it to the street behind it - maybe it's a ghost chair.  I don't care.  I still want it.

That's all for me today.  Except to say that I know fall is here but we're in such a drought that the leaves are turning brown and there aren't many pretty colors, there's a burn ban so even if we rake the leaves we can't burn them, and the dust is everywhere.  We're having siding put on the few spots of wood on our house (it's mostly brick) and where they tore out the old facia and soffatt (sp?) the dust and dirt were horrible and have migrated to my window sills.  I'll be glad when they're done so I can get those windows washed and sit out on my deck again.

I'm here and I'll try to be better about posting and right now I'm praying for rain!