Christmas is just around the corner....

Hello Stitching Friends.

We are watching the skies for snow tomorrow. But it sounds like the heavier snowfall amounts will be Northeast of us. We will most likely have a green Christmas.

Like all of you I have been busy preparing for Christmas. Things are coming together tho. Shopping is done and presents are wrapped. I still need to do some baking for our family and some to give away.

There are no words to express the sadness from the awful event in Connecticut. Our thoughts and prayers are sent to those grieving families.

I haven't found the time to sit and stitch very often lately. I did take a recent picture of where I am with Reindeer Roundup.




It has been a fun piece to work on.

We had our cross stitch group stitchers party on December 10. It was extra fun for me this year because my niece hosted the party at her part-time Illinois home. (She resides in California most of the time). And then, my sister from Minnesota was at our house with her husband for the weekend, so she was able to join our stitchers party as well. I forgot to take pictures that night. Next year I will have to do better! We all made an ornament to exchange. In all the years we have been doing this, we have never had a duplicate. But this year took the cake...we had 3 duplicates...
"Fa la la" which was sold as a small kit with tuck-away pillow. Designer may be Bent .creek.

I received this ornament




My friend Susie stitched it, and I love it. It is hanging on our tree. I stitched 'hot cocoa' by little house Needleworks. My sister was the recipient. It was one of the monthly charts from 2012.




Our tree has many stitched ornaments on it, some stitched by me and others by friends and family.




Mike, Holly and I have been sharing a nasty cold. ny-quil has been my night-time ritual for several nights. We are all tired of it and ready for it to leave.

My sister brought me a beautiful new stitching bag...




Sorry the picture is kind of dark. She has used the prettiest red fabrics!
the fabric in the top right corner is a window with a cat looking out. (she knows me well).... She also embellished it with some pretty antique buttons.

Well I hope all of you are finding some stolen moments of peace and reasons to find joy each day.

Happy stitching friends!

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Thanksgiving

Hello Stitching Friends.

I am up early here this morning.  Getting ready to put the turkey in the oven.  We are having an early dinner, since Mike has to go to work this afternoon.  But, I wanted to post and wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

I am thankful for all of you online stitching friends, you have truly enriched my life. 

Hope you find some quiet time to spend doing what you love the most! 

RAK received

Hello stitching friends!

I just have to share the lovely surprise I received in the mail today.

I am a lucky recipient of a RAK from Andrea.




This is such a pretty ornament.



She even included a handmade card. I feel so lucky to be a recipient of her beautiful stitching and finishing!!

Thank you Andrea.

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Foggy night

Hello stitchy friends.

I have been busy around here today. I've done a major amount of laundry... Then I had some help from Holly to help rearrange furniture in our living room.

I washed the curtains in the living room and Mike washed the windows. So we have a much cleaner house for the holidays.

I am ready to start Christmas decorating. Although I am going to hold off until after thanksgiving.

Tomorrow I will have to spend some time in the kitchen doing some advance work before the big meal.

I have also done a major clean out of my needlework fabric. I pulled all my Aida cloth and have stored it in a separate container. How many of you still use Aida cloth? I am curious. I don't use it any more.




I thought I would share a picture of a couple of favorite pieces that are framed in the living room.

Also I will have to share a cute picture of our only male cat, Simon.




I have done some more stitching on 'reindeer roundup'.




Well it is getting late and I should be heading off to bed soon.
Happy Stitching!

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Happy Dance

Hello stitchy Friends,

I am happy to report Rest and Be Thankful is finished! I was getting close last night, so I stayed up late and put in the last of the back stitching. I haven't had a chance to wash it and press it as yet. I will post a picture after I have.

So, I sorted through my stitching bag this evening. I put the floss away from that project, and put some other charts away that are more fall themed. Then I looked through some my basket of newer charts and pulled Christmas themed pieces.

I have one ornament kitted up ready to start.



I will probably start this soon.




I also have a small start on a Prairie Schooler piece. 'Reindeer Roundup'.

I have this coming week off work. So I hope to start doing some Christmas decorating after Thanksgiving. We will have Thanksgiving dinner here at home. I will be cooking. Mike and the kids are good about helping with the last minute details.

I still have to go to the grocery store for a few items necessary for the meal. Our son especially, wants the same favorite items on the menu. He's ok with me adding something new, but not replacing. Ha!

Well guess it's time to wrap this post up for now.

Happy stitching!

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early November morning

Hello Stitchy Friends.

It is early morning hours here on a cold Friday in mid-November.  The sun isn't even up yet.  However, I woke up early and since I couldn't go back to sleep, I finished my current book.  The Bone Bed by Patricia Cornwell.  It just occurred to me I don't often talk about what I'm reading on my blog.  Maybe, it's because I talk and write about books so much at work....  I write a newspaper column every other week for our small local newspaper, and then talk about books so much in work related ways as well. 

I have always worked in a library, even in high school.  I did work for a local optometrist while I was in high school, but other than that, it's all been about the library.  I do love my job.  It's scary when you think back how many years I've been working.  Guess these early morning hours are making me reflect. 

Well, nevertheless, I did enjoy Cornwell's newest book.  She is getting better again.  She had a rough spell in the middle of this series where I didn't think the books were as good as they should have been. 

Now, it's on to the next book on my shelf waiting to be read.  I always have a book in progress as well as a stitching project or two.  I haven't decided what I will read next.  If you are a reader, and haven't found goodreads.com yet, I encourage you to check it out.  A great website to interact with fellow friends, and if nothing else, to keep track of what you are reading, and what you've read.  Several of my online stitching blog friends are also friends on goodreads, which I think is very cool.

I have been slogging away on this Cricket, Rest and Be Thankful piece.  I am getting close to the finish line.  I don't want to abandon it now since it is so close to being done.  But I do seriously need to do some more ornament stitching for our exchange in our stitching group and for some other small gifts. 

I don't like it that the photo I just uploaded is sideways.  But you can see that I've made quite a bit of progress...  Not too much left.  The row of checkerboard border at the top and then I think just the birds in the sky and backstitching. 

Well, it's time to put the coffee on, then head to the shower and work.  I have a meeting this morning in a town about 40 miles away.  So, I best get going.

It's hard to believe Thanksgiving is less than a week away!

Hope you are all finding time to stitch!
 

Election Day

Hello fellow Stitchy Friends!

Just wanted to say hello on Election Day.  We have done our civic duty and voted.  It was our daughter's first time to vote, and she was pretty excited.  I have to say, I've been proud of her for doing her research on the election and voting with some knowledge of the issues.

The best part of Election Day, besides the pride in doing your duty, is that the political ads will finally be over!

I am working at the library until 8 tonight, but after work, I am looking forward to watching some election returns with our daughter, and possibly doing some stitching....  :)