Tuesday, June 4, 2019

A Dog Story and Some Stitching

Gus, the Springer met his brother this past weekend. A rather cool story this is.
Soon after we arrived home with Gus, my son discovered that a former student of mine's fiancĂ© had gotten a dog from the same litter. The student and his now wife were just graduating from Florida State, so they named their pup, Chief after the mascot, Chief Osceola. 
I couldn't believe someone so close had managed to get a dog from the same litter. I always talked about our dogs when I taught and we have had Springers since just a couple of months after we married. I had Murphy at the time the student was in my class.

We were out boating this past Sunday afternoon and had taken the dogs to the back of the bayou to swim along the shore of Eglin reservation land. We were slowly boating back home with the dogs in their usual position up front getting as much wind as possible. We happened to see the young man and his dog outside his parents home. He was tossing a ball into the water to tire him out. 

The brothers finally got to meet. We took a couple of quick pictures, but they are all basically a blur because the dogs were running. They had a blast. 



Small world!

I finished my gift stitch. I have stitched it before and shared it on here, so nothing all that new. The book is a very old book that I have had for decades and stitched many things out of it. This time it is for Jeff's birthday coming up. 


Modeled after this one...


Typical Golden pose!


Currently I working on Part 2 of Things Unseen. I am making progress.



I have three other rather large projects that I am just dying to do, so other than the month of July when I am going to work on Christmas stitching, this is going to be the year of large projects.


I just needed to start one of the other ones the other night, so I started a few stitches on my rose project. This was not on my list at the beginning of the year, but blogs and such got me.
I saw that Martina was doing a rose pattern and I just new I needed to do one, so off to Ebay I went a searching.





AND then there is happy mail!
My sweet friend Arlene sent me a wonderful present today. I feel as if I have arrived with my new "Stitching with the Housewives" bag. Priscilla and Chelsea have just made it even cooler to be a cross stitcher. Truly is a wonderful hobby.



Oh and my finishing is so much better than it was 5 years ago and I came across Priscilla's blog and realized there was a whole new world of stitching that didn't have to be framed. That said, I decided to maybe maybe maybe redo my monthly cottages that I first saw on that blog. I have had them in my kitchen each month for years now. I thought maybe I would redo and make a flat fold out of them. Well, since I had two June stitches.... Long story about how I didn't like the red one with the strawberries and stitched a new one with different colors which I guess could be peaches or oranges. Anyway, I took one of them to redo. Then I had a moment of sanity and realized I do not want to go down the rabbit trail of redoing things along the way because I improve. I will accept the old and keep moving. No more redos on them. I do hope to continue to improve!!!



So with keeping Tucker, keeping a house tidy, cross stitching, and reading I am living the life.






Loving the longer days,
Sandy

16 comments:

  1. Tucker is a cutie. Gus doesn't seem to be bothered too much with that little hand with his ear. I like your June cottage stitch re-do. I am in agreement about not going down that rabbit hole. It certainly does sound like you are living the life.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Sandy,
    Dogs are just great companions. I also had one, a girl, and I loved her.
    Oh wow, you've found a great rose motif, it looks gorgeous.
    Sweet pictures of Tucker, how tall he already is.
    Have a good time

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hello Sandy,
    wonderful progress on the sampler.
    A beautiful rose motif you have found. Great start.
    Tucker is so cute. Lovely photos from him.
    Enjoy the day, Manuela

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a fun post, Sandy! Your “Things Unseen” project is looking stunning! I love, love, love, love, love your June redo, but I agree... better to forge ahead with NEW things! Great story about the dogs. :-)

    Tucker is such a doll!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Those doggies are precious!! So glad you liked your surprise. I have mine full as well. I saw that Priscilla posted some tutorials on Fat Quarter Shop regarding finishing. I need to watch them today. I plan to do the Jolly July as well. I only have six things to finish so it should go quickly. I also want to finish my Yuletide on Thistle Hill. I must admit it is my favorite stitch right now. I like both of your June cottages. But I will say, I like Peaches for June here in the South. So glad you are living the life.lol

    ReplyDelete
  6. Beautiful projects/work, beautiful baby, and beautiful dogs! You are busy!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sandy: It is so cool they met, how lucky for them to get to know each other.
    It is a lovely gift and a beautiful frame perfect.
    Your works in progress are lovely, oh my the rose's is a beautiful design, I am looking forward to seeing your progress.
    I like your finish's on your monthly's, I like both color schemes.
    Tucker is so adorable, look at those big beautiful eyes.
    It is good to live the life, I feel so sorry for people who have no idea what it is like to really live.

    Hugs
    Catherine

    ReplyDelete
  8. I adopted our Barca and have tracked down all of her litter but unfortunately we haven't met yet. Hope we will. AriadnefromGreece!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm behind on my blog reading, a very busy few weeks, but I'm glad I finally made it to admire your beautiful makes and dogs. Both are equally adorable :-) And how nice for Gus to have a play-date.
    Amalia
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  10. Lovely post. Happy grandson, loving dogs, and great cross stitch! I like the idea on the blue version of June where you have the trim around the stitched piece and then all attached to a backing board. I will probably do that soon to one of my finishes. Looks so tidy and clever.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love the story of Gus and Chief! Do you think they knew? I think that's a deep bond that never goes away. I hope they will be able to visit again.. that is so beautiful!

    Speaking of beautiful, your cross-stitching is exquisite, such lovely workmanship and designs. Things
    Unseen is my favorite!

    And that Tucker is such a doll! What joy!

    Blessings, Net
    http://itsawonderfulmovie.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. What fun to have the brother dogs reunited for a bit! I wonder if they remember their early lives as teeny newborns? They sure look happy together!

    Lovely stitching--especially those scrumptious colors in the Just Nan piece! I know what you mean about redoing old pieces. I have thought about doing that with some of my early ornaments, but I tend to just want to work on new things :) And by keeping our earliest finishes we can track the path of our improvement which is always a rewarding feeling.

    Loved the Tucker "fix" today--he really is the cutest little guy! Looks like he and Gus are very special friends--Happy Birthday to Gus today!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I am so far behind on my blog reading and I'll be catching up later today but just saw the cutest embroidery and immediately thought of you! will you send me your email addy so I can forward it on to you?
    Been in major funk since my baby girl left me and cannot seem to get my **** together, if ya know what I mean!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Gus and his brother certainly enjoyed their reunion!! Things unseen is gorgeous!! How sweet of Arlene to send you the bag, she is the one that turned me on to Priscialla and Chelsea on floss tube. Tucker is so adorable!!! You are living the good life!!

    ReplyDelete
  15. You really are living the life! I love the gift stitch and the Things Unseen stitch. Your photographs of the brothers made me smile. They look as though they are really enjoying themselves. Have a lovely week.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Aah what a great reunion!!! Things unseen is so beautiful. Love your bag from Arlene. Tucker is such a sweetie...he gets bigger and cuter by the day. RJ

    ReplyDelete

I am so glad you stopped by my little blog. Drop in again anytime.
Sincerely,
Sandy