Christmas Ornament Exchange

Merry Christmas!!

It's definitely Christmas inside my house....but outside it's a different picture.

It's been so warm here that I saw forsythia blooming yesterday and the Bradford Pear Trees have buds on them.  When the cold weather finally hits they're going to be so confused!

Joan over at Moostash Quilting was my swap partner and we shared a few laughs over gifts and getting things mailed - mostly because I was almost, but not quite, late in mailing mine.  :)

Joan sent me this adorable sewing machine ornament.  How could I possibly get one I'd love more?  I couldn't!

Isn't it gorgeous?  And so perfect with that red thread for this time of the year!  But that's not all - she also made me this adorable Scottie mini quilt....

And that's not the last of her gifts - she also sent chocolate.  I can't seem to find that chocolate anywhere to take a picture - it's disappeared!

We had so much fun exchanging ornaments - if you didn't join in please consider it for next year!

It's Official!

We must be officially old....we went out for dinner last night at a local establishment where they don't take reservations.  The wait was only about 10 minutes we were told, despite the long line snaking out the front door and onto the veranda.  There was a bench where a young couple were sitting and when they saw us standing they immediately rose and told us to take their seats.  We protested - we were fine, really.  They wouldn't take no for an answer.  Isn't that just the nicest thing?  Perfect for this season of love.  But really, that kind of made it official.  We're old.

One Month!

I haven't written a post for a month...a whole month!  That's the longest I've gone since I started blogging in April of 2008.  And I don't even know what I've done for the last month, but here are a few highlights of things that have happened.

Back in early November my son ran his first half marathon (and came in first in his age class!) and my granddaughter ran her first 10K.  I'm so proud of both of them!  And I wish I had started running when I was her age because my body says, "no, not now!"



My grandson took a dive off a monkey bar when he was trying to sneak up to the front of the line - not really a suitable punishment I don't think - and had 5 staples put in his head, was a real trooper through his first CT scan, and was back to acting like a crazy monkey as soon as the pain med began to work!



I went shopping for a new chair and came home with one that I'm reserving judgement on - I didn't go looking for a recliner at all but this is what happened.



While shopping I ran across this Grinch sweater - anybody out there love The Grinch?



I started my Christmas decorating and rediscovered this little apron for the fireplace broom.  It was made at least 30 years ago by a dear friend who passed away a long time ago.  I treasure it.



And a sweet friend (from my high school "sisters") sent me three new violets.  Today was repotting day.



I'm working on Eighth Day of Plum Street Samplers Twelve Days of Christmas so I'm a bit behind but that's okay....I still have time to finish.  I think.  And I've been shopping 3 times.  Three!  I hate shopping because I always see things I would love to have for myself and don't need at all...such a temptation.  :)

Thoughts From The Back Of An Ambulance

It started a week ago Friday, the day before Halloween, with a scratchy throat.  I ignored it because I had company coming for the weekend and really, isn't that what we women do?  On Saturday it was about the same but by Sunday afternoon I knew I had caught a cold.  And answer me this...why do we call it "catching" a cold, as if we'd been chasing it and finally, finally we caught it?  I, for one, avoid colds like the plague.  I wash my hands a lot, I use hand sanitizer, I wipe the handles of the carts at WalMart with their bleach wipes, I take Vitamin C.  But still, there it was.

It wasn't too bad, just a cough and stopped up sinuses, and so I continued on my merry way.  I went to Yoga on Sunday, Weight Watchers on Monday and Yoga again on Tuesday.  Where I got light headed and broke into a sweat.  Strange since I'm always cold and never hot.  Wednesday the cough was worse so about 6 that evening I put on my pajamas and settled in with my stitching.  And I coughed and coughed and coughed.  For hours.  Which triggered esophageal spasms that were so bad I couldn't get my breath.  Finally my husband got scared and called 911.  Well, to be honest it was me who got scared and told him to call 911.  :)

The First Responder from the Fire Department arrived pretty quickly.  He was such a sweet 13 year old.  I remember thinking that .... 13 years old and I wonder if he was one of my students.  Of course, the problem is that at my age everyone looks like a 13 year old.  I'm sure he was much older, maybe even 25.  He put oxygen on me and took my blood pressure.  Correction - he tried to take my blood pressure.  It was so high that it wouldn't register.  The ambulance arrived next and started asking questions.  Try the blood pressure again.  190/88.  I'm pretty sure I told them to try again because my blood pressure is really 120/60.  Always.

I thought they would just give me a shot, calm me down, and head on back to the ambulance home while I went to bed.  No they said.  Can you help us get you on the gurney they said.  Young man I've been getting myself up and around for 69 years and I'm not gonna stop now.  On the gurney, up into the ambulance.  Did you know that the lights inside the ambulance stay on while they drive?  And it's dark outside so everyone on the street can see you in there?  They put the EKG machine on me, trying very hard to keep me covered up.  For which I will be eternally grateful.  I would have hated riding down the highway with the girls showing.  The nice EMT tried to draw blood and tried to get an IV started.  I have the proof that he tried - several black bruises on my arm.  I offered to pray for his blood drawing skills.  I think that probably wasn't politically correct but it was definitely appropriate.

Did you know that from the back of an ambulance cars behind you look like giant eyes following you?  And that riding backwards like that gives a whole different perspective to travel?  Instead of looking where you're going you're looking at where you've been.  Think about that for a while.  We passed the Shoe Factory...I bought a really comfortable pair of shoes there once.  And there's the place where I used to get my oil changed when I had the car that the eighteen wheeler crushed.  Oh yea, that used to be the neighborhood market but it closed and I really miss it.  Looking back is ok but trust me, looking forward is much more uplifting and positive.

Don't worry, this story has a happy ending.  I got shots and meds and more oxygen and finally got back home about 3 a.m.  It's days later and I'm almost well.  In fact, if the weather weren't so awful today I'd have gone walking today.

And since I've been sidelined this last several days I've coughed and stitched and finished up The Second Day of Christmas and The Third Day of Christmas and The Fourth Day of Christmas!  Here's a couple of pics....

Or maybe there's one picture - I'll take the other pictures in a day or two.  These are from Plum Street Samplers and are her free patterns for her Sunday Sampler series.  You should check them out because they're so cute and so fast and fun.

Meanwhile I'll be back in a few days to show you how I'm finishing them.  I haven't actually decided yet how I want to finish them but I'll be sure and show you.  :)  Any suggestions?

Gray Days

Well last time I posted I mentioned the drought and I have to say that's over.  Completely over.  We've had rain and more rain and there's more rain coming.  They days have all been gray and cloudy and damp and perfect for staying in and stitching.

We've had siding installers here for weeks - the 4 day installation of siding on our house has taken a month and they're not finished.  We have a brick house so there's not a lot of wood area to cover but it's been a comedy of errors.  Materials didn't come in or they came in damaged.  Where I asked for it to be put on horizontally they put it vertically.  The list goes on but I have high hopes that all mistakes will be corrected by tomorrow and the job will be finished.

Meanwhile I've done a little stitching and had my high school friends here for the weekend and started yoga again.

I did this quick embroidery but then couldn't decide how to finish it....

I love big stitch embroidery - it's very easy, suits my primitive style and is oh so fast.

Olde Witche Mary - has to be one of my favorites despite the many mistakes I made doing it.  I ran out of thread very early on and had to substitute.  This was a kit from Not Forgotten Farms and the thread was hand dyed.  There was plenty for the top half but not the flowers so I found a Presencia thread that was very, very close.  Somehow I miscounted and ended up altering a couple of the flowers to make them fit but if I don't tell you which ones I don't think you'll be able to tell.  :)

And I'm working on the Plum Street Samplers "Sunday Sampler" series - and yes, I'm way behind.  This is the First Day of Christmas...I've begun the Second Day but I think there are about six of them out now.  I have no idea how I'm going to finish the first two pieces but these will be ornaments when I get all the stitching done and get them finished.

I made a trip to Goodwill the other day to drop some stuff off so I shopped a little.  I'm always on the lookout for ways to use my cross stitch pieces.  I ran across a wonderful round green box for $2 that is going to be perfect for something....have no idea what, but something!  :)

I've got a hot cup of tea beside me, bread dough rising in the kitchen, and stitching in my lap.  Life doesn't get any better than this!

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!