Some Stitching and a Book Review

 I did put a finish on my starfish ornament. This is going to be a gift. It is such a cute stitch that I might want to do it again and again and again. 

Let's see what else is going on in stitching. 

Well, I was stitching a Prairie Schooler Santa and 2/3s of the way in I didn't like my plan anymore. I won't bore you with all the details, but it was put back into the project bag until I feel better about it or it sparks joy. It was not sparking JOY.

I have mentioned before I am stitching 4 flowers so I have two more to go. I didn't have enough linen to do them. I had a big chunk left but not enough, so while I was waiting on more linen to come in I got distracted and started something else and ordered a gigantic one. 

Good grief ---

Let's show you what I ordered first.

It is beautiful and I have no idea how long it will take me but I am thinking a very long time if ever:) I do love that it uses DMC for almost everything. There are a few Gentle Arts threads but I haven't looked to see if they are something I can substitute yet.

While waiting for the linen to come in I started something I have had for awhile and plan to stitch for Lindsay but quite frankly it is a big project and will take a good long time in itself.

What you see here is the bottom left corner of this next picture.

I have  this heron and an egret that I want to stitch. These are by the same pattern company as the birds I have already stitched this year and last.

They are a huge undertaking but you may remember if you ever read my very first couple of posts that I had planned to do a heron when I retired. I think I put in a few days on it. It was a complete full coverage stitch that was the size of a table cloth. I realized quite quickly I wouldn't get it done and I discovered Arlene's blog and then Priscilla as she was doing her monthly cottages. 

That is when I realized stitching had changed tremendously in my break of busy life and I had lots to learn. Arlene coached me along and currently listens to me vent when I mess up. 

She also sends me lots of patterns and just recently some fabric which has my wheels spinning for some ornaments along the way to use this fabric.

So my plans are this...I will stitch my two flowers and intersperse some Christmas ornaments in between and then plod along on the two larger projects a little at a time. I will not rush but just let them move along.

Stitching is my relaxation so when it is not you know something is amiss.

Now, for a quick book review of a trilogy I finished a couple of weeks ago.

I read Janie Devos's A Corner in Glory Land, The Rising of Glory Land, and The River to Glory Land. I mentioned one of them much earlier. I had read it out of order. I really liked them. They are all about Florida. Historical fiction that follows three generations of a family who come to  Florida in the 1880s. I couldn't help but think of my great granddaddy who was born in 1880 and then later my grandparents as I read these. 

I mentioned earlier that I couldn't understand the one sexual scene put in almost as an afterthought. It didn't mesh up with the rest of the story. I later read a review on Amazon that said exactly what I thought about the books. The reviewer loved them but said other than the sexual scene they could have gone in the church library. I guess a publisher made her add it in each book. 

Oh well, other than that which I always feel I need to warn about they were wonderful books especially for lovers of Florida.

It is hot as heck here still. The heat index was 106 yesterday, so I am ready for just a wee bit of cool down. 

The family is headed to the beach ---not ours but Cape San Blas at the end of this week, so I will not post again until mid week next week. Don't think I have forgotten y'all if you don't see any comments from me. I am probably not going to have WiFi so I will catch up with everyone when I return.

Happy September,

Sandy