Edgar's having a "Lo How A Rose" Giveaway

And you ALL know that I WANT this one.

Edgar asks that we mention his drawing for the pattern on our blog. So I'm mentioning it. LOL

Only I hope I win it. :)

Please, please, pretty please pick me.

Just kidding. May the best deserving stitcher win.

Until next time...................
Love and stitches
Kathy

Whew!! TGIM

Lunaria or Silver Dollar Plant, also called a Money Plant (I wish!)

Thank God it's Monday.

Sounds strange doesn't it? I have mixed feeling about this Monday. On the one hand I am really glad to be back at work. I need the rest. On the other, the weather is so pretty that I really wish I were home sitting on the back deck with a cup of coffee, a good book and my stitching. EXCEPT I know if I were home I would be out in the yard raking and bagging more debris or starting to replant a garden.

Nope, I'm glad to be at work. I am beat. Rest wins. LOL

To recap my weekend. Friday night on the way home from work I stopped at the local pharmacy to pick a brace for my left wrist. If you read my post on Friday I had a few goals that I really wanted to get done and figured I better get something for the carpel tunnel in my left wrist. That done I made dinner and stitched until bedtime.

On Saturday I hoped to get the far left corner of my yard cleared. 19 bags of leaves later I did it! (Well, there is about 10 more to pick up but at least the leaves are all in a huge pile.) I also managed to clear the leaves from two more gardens. Only one more large garden bed to do! Then I will on to weeding and edging them. I wrapped up the yard work at 5. I had absolutely NO energy to even think about making something for dinner so headed to Micky D's.

The Traveling Stitcher
by Little House Needleworks
stitched on 32 ct linen using the recommended Crescent Colors floss

By 8PM everything was put away and it was time to sit, stitch and watch one of my all time favorite movies. Turner Classic Channel was showing "Funny Girl" with Barbra Streisand. Love this movie. And while I watched I actually finished my Traveling Stitcher piece! Wooo Hooooooooo!!

Before

My list of weekend to dos included trimming the shrubs and hedges in my front and side yard. (I only wish I had done this chore on Saturday. It was cooler. Oh well.) Once I finished the laundry and vacuuming Sunday morning it was time to head outside. Now in the past when I trimmed the bushes in the front it usually took about two hours. Now remember it has been a while since I did these. (As you can see in the before photo.) Almost two years. So that two hour job? Try closer to FIVE. In record breaking heat. (87 degrees!) And in the sun! (It is only shady in the late evening. Right before sunset.) Can we say HOT?? Oh my, even with a hat and sunscreen I am burned. But it is done. I'm sore but there is good sense of accomplishment.

After

So as you can see the weekend was busy. And one where I got a lot done outside and even a stitching finish for April!

Whew.

Until next time.................
Love and stitches
Kathy

TGIF and weekend plans

Oh my, I am so glad today is Friday! For some reason this week has seemed soooooooooo long.

So have you made any plans for the weekend? Me? I have made plenty. With a capital P! The weather is supposed to be absolutely glorious. Sunny and upper 70s. Picture perfect.

I am planning on spending most of it outdoors. Yup, more yard work. On the list for this weekend is to get more of that back corner finished, trim the bushes out front, trim the bushes on the side yard, put the fences back up around the gardens, prune the branches of the trees in front of the house, and maybe, just maybe, sit on the deck and relax. Or is that collapse? LOL

I'll be sure and take photos of the before and after. Again these are chores that haven't been done in a while so I know they won't be easy but darn will it feel good to have them finished.

On the stitching front I have been catching up on the many blogs I enjoy reading and finding new ones to add to my reading list. I have also been falling in love with some new designs.

I LOVE this one. Of course it would be an OOP and hard to find but find it I will!

Then I spotted another design that just screamed out to me on Melissa's blog. (Click on her name and it will take you to the posting on her blog.) The pattern is by The Goode Huswife. Of course it too is OOP. BUT has recently been re released as part of a collection. It's a bit pricey but if I'm a good girl maybe I can get it with my income tax refund. Whenever that comes. :)

The Goode Huswife's Book of Designs Vol 1
The book consists of ten 9 by 12 envelopes which each have the pattern inside, with a hard cover and back. It was designed in this manner so that you may put your fabric and floss in each envelope with the pattern as you're working on it or for future use.
The designs in the book are: 1798 Quaker, Nine Patch, The Birth Sampler, Ellen Birdseye, A Primitive Bird, Mattie Graves Quilt, With My Needle, Elizabeth Easton, Live Simply and June Morning

And last but not least another design to add to my hard-to-find wish list. I first noticed this one on Vonna's blog. I liked it but it didn't completely grab me then. Then I saw Edgar's more recent finish if it. And for some reason it has become one of those I MUST do soon patterns. Another OOP and I understand it is very hard to find. Nothing I like than a good challenge. :)

Oh, that pattern is by Brightneedle, called "Lo, How a Rose e'er Blooming". I love this carol and once sang it as a solo at Christmas Midnight Mass. So it does have special meaning for me. Wish me luck in finding it.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. You probably won't hear from me until Monday. I'll be outside and no where near the computer. :)

Until next time...............

Love and stitches

Kathy

Thank you

"This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated."

Thank you Meari for giving me this award. Awards like these make me feel special.

So I would like to pass this award on to others. To make them feel special.

Deborah
Mare
Viv
Debra
Alice

and so many more. :) I wish I could pass this on to all the blogs I enjoy reading. But then this post would go on far too long. :)

No new stitching to report. One project that I worked on Sunday and Monday is a gift. And then last night I stitched for almost two hours only to find I was off by one row and need to frog all the work I had done.

Heck, I didn't even stay up long enough to rip out all the stitches and will have to finish that tonight. Grrrrrrrrrrrr. I hate when that happens. :(

Add to the stitching frustration the fact that I am still recovering from my marathon yard cleaning this past weekend. Like many other people, I have carpel tunnel problems in both wrists. Now for the odd thing. Raking triggers the numbness and tingling. It is the weirdest thing. I can type at the computer for hours (I often do for work) and have no problem. But let me rake for longer than 30 minutes and BAM! Even stranger is that it is my left hand and wrist that is being effected at the moment. Maybe that's a bit of a blessing considering the fact that I am right handed. :) The numbness is so annoying. Especially when I want to get back outside and work some more as soon as the sun comes back out.

To all those who said such lovely things about my garden photos and hard work all I can say is: Thank You all! I know gardening is hard work but seeing the beautiful blooms and listening to the birds that some plants attract is so well worth the effort. And even spiritual.

Alice, you mentioned about a compost pile. That is something that I want to add to the back corner of my property BUT I need to make sure the area is free from the invasive plants that are currently there. No need to add more poison ivy, invasive wild rose, bind weed and invasive honeysuckle. When I get the compost going I do want it to be a "clean" as possible. I am hoping this is the year I can get it going.

Here's hoping my stitching this evening goes better than last. :)
Until next time.....................
Love and stitches
Kathy

Have you ever.........................

been grateful for rainy days and Mondays??? No? Well, I have to say that most of the times I would totally agree with you but just not today. Why you ask? Since I have to go to work that's my excuse not to be home cleaning and raking.

It is that time of year when the flowers are growing and the grass is growing and the gardens and yard are calling my name. LOUDLY. And since my poor yard, including the fifteen individual gardens, have been neglected the past few years I really have my work cut out for me. So once the temps are in the upper 50s and 60s, it's not raining and I am not at work you will find me outside. My rake and trowel and gardening gloves nearby.




The weather this past weekend was picture perfect for Friday and Saturday. I decided that I needed to take Friday off to get a some serious clean-up done. Now I have been doing a little in the yard each weekend for the past month but this one was my most productive. Actually so much so that by the end of Saturday I could barely move. Those little used muscles were really telling me what for. But as you can see in the photo below I got a lot done which made me feel gone. Achy body and all. It includes 5 trash cans filled with larger sticks and branches and 34 bags of leaves and debris!!
I still have a lot to do. Especially before the guy comes next week to mow the grass. If it is covered in leaves and sticks he won't cut it. Also if the garden beds aren't clearly defined than he might mow over them. But once I clear the back corner (photo below) the greater majority of the leaves are cleared.
If any of you are gardeners I just have to show you the best gardening tool I ever bought! Well worth the cost, which wasn't that much.

Knee pads! I got these in the flooring section at Home Depot a few years ago and they have saved my poor knees. The arthritis in my knees as well as the fact that the cartilage is nonexistent , do bother me a lot when I work in the yard. But once I discovered these it made things so much easier on my knees.

Try it and I am sure you will agree.

The daffodils are blooming beautifully this year. I have a few different varieties blooming right now and more to come. These are one of the prettiest. IMO.



A few more in another area. Below is the bleeding heart and it is doing really well. I should start seeing blooms on this in the next week.

Another flower stating to pop up and bloom are the violets. I have purple ones, purple and white ones, white ones, yellow ones and the pink ones I posted in last weeks blog post. There is one thing that drives me crazy about the violets. Maybe someone here can answer this question:

Why do the violets bloom the best when the are growing in the grass rather than the garden they were originally planted in??

Last one (if you have lasted this long looking at my photos--Thank you.)

This big blue thing was left in my yard by the previous owner. Since it made of fiberglass the town won't pick it up as trash so I decided to plant a garden around it. I painted it and planted daffodils and lilies and iris around it. I tried some clematis to climb over the top but it didn't take. So here is what we call the Blue Ball garden with the daffodils in bloom.

Very little stitchy new today. But I did want to say that Vicky, you were close in your guess. Rene you got it right. (Nancy, you did also) That mystery piece I have been stitching on Monday and Tuesday is LHN's Home of a Needleworker Too.

I did start two new pieces over the weekend. one is a birthday gift so no photos and the other have very little done. I will have more progress photos and maybe even a finish (I hope. I hope) soon.

Until next time.......................

Love and stitches

Kathy

A mostly wip stitching update

If anyone's curious, yes, I managed to get ot the post office yesterday before closing. Waited in line for almost an hour. There is one person in front of me when one of the postal people announce "If you already have postage on your envelope and only wanted it postmarked for today bring your letter up and leave it on the counter". Yup, you guessed. Waiting for an hour to make sure my taxes are post marked April 15th and I already had the stamps. Oh well. It's done.

Now for lots of stitchy pics for today. No finishes but a few are close. So by next week I am hoping for some finishes.

Most of the wording is done and I just need to concentrate on the border. I just love what this says. This one will look so pretty in my living room.

The Rain Fell by Little House Needleworks.

I had hoped to finish this one last week. But it wasn't meant to be. Between my work deadlines and running out of two colors (the green was one) it was hopeless. I'll pick up the green (or one as close as possible) tonight when I go to the sit and stitch at my LNS. Oh well, maybe the next SAL on my Yahoo LHN/CCN group will be the one that I actually finish on time.

The Traveling Stitcher by Little House Needleworks

I had put this one aside for a couple of week until my dear, dear friend, Deborah, caught up to me. We are doing this one as a SAL. She has made fantastic progress so it's time for me to catch up or she will finish before me.

This is one of my newer starts. Actually the one that had a small line in the post from March 30th. (click on the date and got to the end of the post) I had asked if anyone could guess which pattern I had started. No one did. (Not that I really expected anyone to with the little bit I had done.)

I have made a bit of progresson it. Can anyone guess now???

This is a photo of the exchange I received from Emily in the needle and floss exchange we were in.

Now that my busy time at work is over I can begin to wade through the many emails that have piled up. And all the blog posts and group posts that I haven't had time for. So if you have emailed me and were waiting for a reply. I'll get there soon. I hope.

Until next time..............

Love and stitches

Kathy

Whew!

My back yard. Mid-April

It has been a crazy, busy two weeks. Sorry I haven't posted or been around much. It has been a rather stressful couple of weeks. I am in the publishing business and last Thursday was our deadline. Working weekends and LOTS of stress. Needless to say it was a hectic one. But then they always are. Oh, did I mention that it has been a bit stressful?

The daffodils are beautiful this year.

Well, deadline is over and now it is time to get my yard in some kind of shape. You know, rake the leaves from fall of 07. Pick up the trees limbs and branches. Maybe even start to weed the gardens. So this past weekend I began that work in earnest. Can we say sore muscles?? But it is a good kind of sore.

I forget what these are called. But they are pretty.

This past weekend being Easter I wasn't really in an Easter celebration type mood. I did plant lots pf pansies at the cemetery. Pansies were one of my Mom's favorites. I spent much of the day at my Aunt and Uncles. Joan cooked a turkey just for me. And she is a good cook. So dinner was yummy.

Some more pretty little purple flowers growing among the weeds.

Monday I took the day off to work outside. I spent 6 hours rakes, bagging leaves, filling garbage cans with twigs and sticks, breaking off dead stalks from last year and just enjoying the sunshine and birdsong. I can't wait until the bulk of the work is done so I can sit and admire my handiwork while I sip on ice tea and stitch.

A lovely pink violet. These always bloom before the purple and while ones.

One other chore for this past weekend was to get my taxes finished. I know I shouldn't wait until the last minute and I don't normally do that. I usually do them in early March before my work gets busy. For some reason this year I just kept putting it off. Well, I am learning that lesson. Can anyone tell me why New York State makes it so difficult?? Getting the state taxes done this year has been a nightmare.

So here's the story. Friday afternoon I get all my federal forms and papers together, sit down and in about 2 hours I'm done. I'm getting back a nice refund. Yippee! Time to do the state. Since I didn't get the forms in the mail (come to find out they aren't mailing them any more. ) I have to run to the local library to get them. get to the library and they don't have anymore long forms left. Wait, the reference desk has a couple. She hands them to me, I go home. Since I won't get these done until Monday I figure I'll wait and work on them then. I KNOW the NY state tax form is always a headache. So definitely put this one off. It's now late Monday and I am pooped from gardening. I'm staying home Tuesday to visit with another Aunt and some cousins so I figured I'll take it to the post off after lunch. Tuesday morning I finally sit down to tackle the state forms. WAIT. I have page 1, page 1, page 3 and page 3. Huh??? I go online only to see that yup, the library goofed.

Well, now I figure I might as well wait until today and print them out here at work, Fill them out and head over to the post office. Yup, you guessed it. I have the forms all printed but left everything else at home!!!!! So guess who's going home early and going to be waiting in line tonight at the post office. Geez. That'll teach me.

Well, I'm off to head home, finish up these nasty tax forms and head over to the post office to get in line. Tomorrow I'll update my stitching for you.

Until next time..........................

Love and stitches

Kathy