January Stitching

 I haven’t even responded to one comment from my last post but I wanted to get the stitching recorded for January so here goes.

I worked on my heron a good bit and made quite a bit of progress. I think I van get the rest of his body and tail feathers done in February and the the neck and head in March. Hopefully, he will be ready to frame before Easter. Goal!

Then I gave a little bit of time to Thirsty Hart. I think I can say I am almost halfway done with this one,

Oh and here is the final picture of Lindsay’s Valentine’s stitch. I honestly feel like January has flown by. I a, sure those that have had an icy month might not agree, we have had the coldest weekend here in a long time. It has been sunny but very cold. I am dreaming of spring now. It can let up,

I will catch up with everyone over the next few days.

Sandy

Catching Up

 The longer I stay away the harder I find it is to compose a post. I am going to try and get my brain juiced up and share what I have been doing with my days. 

I am still on my yearly January refresh of organization and cleaning. I did get one closet painted. Painting can only be done on the weekend, because I just can’t pull that out and keep a baby. I started with my smallest project. I learned a few things that will help me going forward and I am not doing every closet in the house. Just those that have a lot of use and consequently just have a good bit of scuffing.

I started with my short closet (it is over an air intake) that is a multipurpose closet in our kitchen to garage hallway. It holds the medicine cabinet supplies, the paper goods, lightbulbs, batteries and my very large cookbook collection.

Here it all freshly painted. If you are wondering what that white box is, it is a recipe holder. It has index cards and the letter filers. It was there from my mother-in- law. I have chosen to leave it there because it is a sweet reminder of her.

Now, here it is all filled back up with lots of cookbooks. I do use a lot of them. I still have some I could get rid of and I suppose I could write he recipes down from many of them but I have a great fondness for cookbooks although I haven’t bought a new one in quite a while.

I have one more in that hallway that holds small appliances, a portion of my bedroom closet and them a storage room that I am planning to do. 

I have also been organizing and sending off home movies to Legacy Box. I had sent my small ones on reels and the first of our VHS tapes last year. I watch for good deals. For instance last year, during the Super Bowl game they offered a 60% off. 

I chose the flash drive for them to be put on because, I knew I could make multiple copies for the kids and other family members from a flash drive to a new flash drive. I have done that with my first two batches. 

I am storing them for myself and family members like I do my floss. I take an index card and write what is  on the flashdrive and them store it in a snack size Ziplock baggie. 

I have enjoyed watching these again and sharing them with family members. We have all had some good laughs and some cries too, but all good to have them useable.

I have a box currently sent away, it takes about 6 weeks for them to return, I have one more set of 7 to be sent off. Down to the last of them. I will of course look for a good deal during the Super Bowl this year and get them all done. Either way, that is task I want checked off in ‘22.

I have been steadily but slowly like the tortoise not the hare checking things off my list. January has been a good month for that. The painting tasks are really all I have left to do. Of course, each task you do often adds new ones to the list but that is just the way of life. When I get those done, my mind will shift to outdoors. I have a good many things outside that need to be done. 

Currently, I am listening to the sounds of workers outside. This time of year he water in the bayou recedes so that you can often see dock problems. Three of our neighbors have been getting work done. One a whole new seawall, another a whole new dock, and a third a new retaining wall higher up from the seawall. We are getting some new likings on our dock. Over time they do just deteriorate. We all jumped on the guy while he had his barge over here. I feel for the boys because it has been some of the coldest weather around here. Real wintery. They have suits on but it is still just so cold.

I do have one question. The other day I saw an Instagram post with a question for viewers. She was talking about organizing books (of which I own a LOT) and placing them on shelving, she asked if you took your book covers off. I was in shock at the answer percentage. Why? I love books! 

****Libraries, bookstores, and fabric stores all have the same effect on me. I can walk in and  just know I am going to be there for a while browsing and soaking up such sights. I love looking at all the covers and wondering what is in that book. I love all the color and patterns in fabrics just wondering what possibilities they hold. Never would I take all the covers off. I wouldn’t know what the book is at a glance. Now, I have taken a cover off to decorate a space with the books working with the color of the spine but I am one who can’t even throw a cover away. The answer turned out to be 75% yes that they remove the covers before placing them on their shelves with 25% no. Well that sent me into deep thoughts on whether I was missing out on something. I haven’t tried it yet. Probably won’t but I am curious. Pipe in with your thoughts:)

I have been stitching and hopefully before the weekend is over I will share my progress on two stitches. I have also been sharing my stitching time with some books. I will share one of those with you later too.

As Jeff and I suspected his brother has started the downward slope with his cancer. My posting will be sporadic as I predicted this year. It’s life. 

And poor Jeff had a whopper of a place cut off his nose. They had to do plastic surgery afterwards. I have to play nurse with bandages of which I am, not good. I am a squeamish nurse. 

On a positive note, a prayer was answered. An older lady has moved into Mom’s neighborhood. They are walking together and she went with her to her church who has a game night for seniors twice. Dominoes! Mother loves them. Back at home she was in 2 groups and she has missed that. This has been so good for her.

Other than that my days are spent loving on Palmer. I did have Tucker a few days as their daycare got closed for sickness a few days. Those days wear me out. All is well. 

Be back soon with some stitches,

Sandy

Stitching and Grands

 I took last January off from blogging. It appears I was doing that again. I hadn't planned to be away, but I have been busy and quiet. I have been ticking off those chores on my list but more about that in a minute. 

I will share my stitching first for those that just come along  for that. I pulled out my heron the last few days of December while we were in Auburn. It is the only stitch I took with me. I was so darn tired of those tail feathers with all of the grays and it was cloudy so I took off and started working on his body to get to the neck. It was rewarding. 

Here is where I am. Finish in 2022? Yes, it is my goal.

I had to stop to do Lindsay a Valentine's stitch. I have only one more to finish the year for her. I need to do something for May.

Last night, I put the last stitch in the hearts from the old Prairie Schooler month by month. I changed all the colors to purples. Purple is my V-Day choice of color.  I will fully finish it this weekend. Since it is a little smaller than the others I have done I may add some fabric to the bottom and do something to expand it. I did the clock for January from this pattern, but remember I added some fireworks to the top of the pattern.

I will share the fully finished product next time I blog.

What have I been up to? 

• I have been very busy with taking care of Palmer and getting those routines set up.
• I have been a cleaning machine.
• The usual appointments of life and seeing about Mother...making sure she eats:)
• Organizing and a little decluttering.

*****

Palmer is just the cutest little thing. I wake up everyday happy to go pick him up. 

What a job I have! 

He smiles constantly. 

He will be 6 months old next week. 

Where has the time gone? 

He loves his walker. He can't really go just yet, but he likes the toys on it and can push back on his tiptoes. He will rock back and forth to get it to go forward. 

One morning I was in the kitchen getting me something to eat and I looked down and he was on his knees in the little bouncer seat.

He had turned himself over which I saw coming, but then he scooted right out. Mimi is going to be on the run VERY soon.

We get outside everyday if it isn't raining. It has been cool a few days, but we bundle up and head out.

He already looks forward to this.

Tucker stayed with me the first day of work because it was a teacher workday and his daycare follows the same schedule. He was dying to take Gus for a walk. Palmer was asleep and Mother stayed in with him. That was our coldest day this year. We didn't make it too far, but as I said we bundle up and go. 

He insisted on holding the leash. I had to give Gus a stern warning about pulling. Both managed quite well to my surprise.

These two are my heart. It keeps me busy but I wouldn't trade the season for anything.

I have been cleaning like crazy every free moment I get. I think all the wheels on my cleaning bus fell off in 2021. Everything looked ok from a visitor perspective, but when I started that deep cleaning I realized I had let things go way more than I usually would. I think the past year like everyone else was just too much on the old noggin. I just fell out of some routines and then throw helping Lindsay out with Palmer even while she was off. Well, like I said - it was just a year when things fell apart. 

I think that I needed that quiet again this year too. I have tuned out and just plugged in at home. 

I have polished every stick of furniture, every door and frame, every baseboard. I have been going through and cleaning every drawer or closet. I have made a lot of progress and it has all felt so good.

The paint can is coming out next. I will have to do this on the weekends only so it will take me awhile, but I am going to paint some insides of closets and tackle what we call the fishing room downstairs. It is basically a storage room. It is not heated or cooled so I guess it is what you would call a utility room in some houses. It is used to hold all the fishing stuff and boating stuff. It has not been painted since the house was built in 1984. It needs freshening up. I may start there. I figure if I get that done I will really have accomplished the hardest task first. It isn't huge and pretty much a box, so it should go smoothly.

That is what I have been up to. Can't complain at all. 

Until next time,

Sandy and Gus

Rested and Refreshed

After spending a few days in Auburn, I feel rested and refreshed. I think I am ready to tackle a New Year.

As promised, here is the finished picture of the clock I did very quickly for Lindsay.

I know it has been odd weather in lots of places and if you looked at this photo I took in Auburn you wouldn't think it was hot. It looks wintery. I snapped on a walk with Gus. The first two days were quite sunny and warm, but the last two were cloudy and warm. Nevertheless, I was there to unwind, clean a wee bit and just have some quiet time. 

The trees are such a different landscape from home. Almost all the leaves on the trees around our house were on the ground. 

A change of scenery is good for one sometimes. I really just wanted some quiet unrushed time. Mother decided not to go. I don't think she rests well when she is away from home and I got lucky in that her brother came and stayed with her for two of the days and then her sister for the other two. I got a much needed vacation and didn't have to worry about her.

The following picture is an interruption to the Auburn trip, but Lindsay sent this to me while I was up there. My my that boy is so cute.

Does anyone else miss the old version of blogger when you could upload all the pictures and then put them into your post without the hassle that it seems to be these days? Or is just me doing something wrong?

Back to Auburn. We did take in a basketball game. That was not on our original agenda, but Lindsay and Tyler gifted us two tickets to the Auburn/LSU game. It was a great game and we had a blast. Our tickets were in a good place for old folks who didn't need to much breathing of germs on us, so hopefully all is ok. I think we have already passed the number of days to come down with it.

Now, back to my walks in Auburn. Many of you may remember the post I did on all the many colored doors in the neighborhood. This house was a favorite from that post with many commenters. It recently went up for sale and I was completely in shock over the inside pictures on the listing. For such a traditional home, the inside obviously had an artsy person. Every wall was a different and very bright color. It was quite overpowering. I actually found it hard to see the layout of the home over the wall colors and this from a girl who loves color. 

Anyway, homes in this neighborhood rarely stay on the market past two weeks no matter what is going on in the housing market. It sold and the door has been changed. Based on the door color, I am guessing the house has been toned down inside as well.

I left Auburn feeling rested and refreshed. The few days away were just what I needed. This morning we got up early and took a beach walk before things get hectic again. Our church was only going to be online today so we could watch at our discretion. It was a beautiful early morning and this time I dressed appropriately for the temperature. I even waded in the water. 

Yes, that is odd even for our area. While we were strolling we saw lots of odd things on the beach. We watched out step until we figured out what they were.

I will let you see if you can figure it out before I give it away.

We passed several of these before we finally came up on some with the tentacles trailing.

Have you figured it out yet? I certainly didn't think they were around here.

A very long tentacle made Jeff proclaim, "Portuguese man o' war." We looked it up and yes, he was right. Later in the day, it was confirmed by the local news guy.

The surf was quite rough with a southerly warm wind which is going to meet a northerly cold wind somewhere along the south tonight. That means someone is probably not going to have a good night. I am praying all will be smoother than is expected.

We took a very long walk. As we were headed back in the other direction the sun was popping out.

I have been in reflection mode as per my personality being the end of a calendar year. I know that '22 has the possibly of some tough times for us. 

Anyway, in this time I couldn't help but think with a lot going on I was really going to have to be disciplined this year with taking care of myself. I don't know that I really pick words of a year, but when something comes across my mind like this did I try to incorporate it in my life. 

A while back I mentioned the word streamline came to me rather than simplify. That simple shift in my mind from one word to another made a significant difference in some things.

A smoothie for breakfast for my disciplined eating plan.

As I pondered the word discipline I came across a podcast where the guy said discipline was no good without motivation. I chewed on that a day or two and I agree that he is correct, but I still think discipline is the idea I want to incorporate. I need to adhere to my strict dietary plans for good health with two autoimmune conditions. I know it is vital for health. I also need to keep up some form of exercise and movement to keep those joints lubricated. There is always a balance there for me with rheumatoid arthritis. There is a happy amount of exercise and there is a too much which leads to rest instead of forward progress.

A well disciplined life is in order. I am hanging onto that thought as I head into the new year to guide me. 

While I was relaxing in Auburn, I was reading and the word humble jumped off the page at me. I asked the Lord if I was prideful. I didn't think so, well not much anyway:) but if He was telling me so then I would be on notice and trying to pay attention to it.

Today when I finally sat down to watch our church's message I found out why that word was on my mind. The message today was all about what to avoid;  that being pride.

The gist was understanding my place before a God that is BIG and HOLY. 

1 Peter 5:5 says... You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

He talked about the "clothe yourselves with humility" part and likened it like putting on a servant's apron. The analogy was about a particular garment worn by servants in that time period. Just a reminder to put on humility each day towards others and giving God His due in respect to who He is. 

Apparently the Lord thought I needed to be tuned in to this as well so I am listening and hopefully will apply this where needed.

A song from today's service stuck in my head too. 

Here were a few lyrics that caught my eye and ear. .

I stand on the chain-breaking

Miracle-making

Powerful name of Jesus

On the body-raising

Prodigal-saving

Powerful name of Jesus

I want to focus on those lyrics too along with discipline and humility.

Winter will find me working a long list of projects around the house. I am in no hurry. I will do them as I can. I have already been a polishing doors and furniture. It is getting shiny here.

That is all I have time for tonight.