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