Stitching Post

 Valerie's name stitch is framed. I think it turned out well. I was torn between 2 gold frame choices. One was ornate and then the one I chose was a plainer choice. As I stood there debating them, I realized the ornate one was more like Lindsay and the plainer one more like Katie. I guess only time will tell if I made the right decision for Valerie.

I am pleased with it.

I will get a picture of it when she hangs it up. I just picked it up last night just before they closed.

I decided to pull pictures from all the others to share in this one post for comparison. I don't have a favorite. I like them all. They were all done with lots of love and hopes that they would be good all the way through high school in their bedrooms.

Tucker was first.

He loves the water and all things fishing, but he loves baseball and golf too.

Below is it in his big boy bedroom a few years back. I did have both his and Palmer's matted. Their rooms are larger and seemed to call for it.

Then came Palmer. I loved his little palm tree.

Here it is in his current bedroom minus the front railing on the baby bed. He is about to get a new bed. 

Then along came Miles. It was me branching out more with my own patterns. I think it all fits him so well.

I didn't have his matted because Katie painted his wall a dark green and the room is smaller so I felt just the frame worked. I searched high and low for the picture of it in his room. Couldn't find it.

Now for other stitching ---

I started some sandpipers before Valerie's name. I pulled it back out when I delivered Valerie's stitch to the frame shop. I have finished said sandpipers.

Yes, you read that right. It was such easy stitching to do after months of doing things that had to be drawn or created in my mind. Stitching by a pattern was just pure pleasure. I didn't take a picture though. I had finished it when they called to tell me the name was done. I just ironed it and took it. I couldn't believe I hadn't taken a picture.

Oh well, we will wait to see it after it is framed.

Now speaking of framing. I think I am not going to frame many more. Something is just going to have to be dynamic to cause it. I have no more wall space. I am sure something will eventually call my name and that will mean I will have to swap things out. 

For my current thoughts, I am trying to find a Christmas ornament for Valerie. I won't veer too far from what I have done for the other 3, but the "one" hasn't hit me yet. I do want to get better at stitching ornaments too.

I did start a dolphin like this whale I did. I have wanted another one. It is on the same linen and I have enough of the trim too. This dolphin will take a while to stitch. So many color changes and there are a lot of x's in that small space.

I hope to get in my sewing room this weekend and go through my patterns and plan out some new things. The planning will start soon.

Whether I frame or not, I will stitch. It is soothing and rewarding. It is truly a hobby I have done since 1980 and never have tired of it. I told Lindsay I might just have a drawer full of stitches one day and I am ok with that.

That is all I have stitchy friends.

Be back soon with more goings on around here.

Sandy

Easter Blessings

 I felt like I needed to add one addendum to my last post on puttering in my yard. I showed you a photo a couple of posts back of these 2 geraniums....

The one of the right was bought first and I planted in the correct sized pot. The location should bring lots of geranium blooms until the intense heat of summer comes and then it will bounce back in November and December. However, it seems I do the same thing each year ---I think, "Oh no, you look so sad and alone. No worries, I will buy you a friend." Then I purchase another one and for some reason put it in a lower pot in which case it kinda falls over and is unhappy for a few weeks until I change the pot to the taller one. I have made this mistake the last couple of years for certain. I am going to try and remember that they seem to like the deeper pot next year. We will see!

Of course, I once put tons together ---

I have since simplified much and one is the geraniums. The 2 are plenty to enjoy.

One more thing I forgot to mention in my puttering in my flowers was that I have deemed the snow to have been a good thing for the azaleas this year. All of the locals agreed with me that this year was a BANNER YEAR for them all over town. I even had the owner of the jewelry store comment on them as well. It wasn't just me!

*****

Now on to Easter blessings. I really tried with all my heart to set my mind on not letting the message of Easter pass me by or Easter Sunday show up and I haven't given my heart and mind proper time to consider the holiness of the day.

For Christians, it is our holiest day - the day we remember He arose!

The tomb is empty and He is living.

I took a very long walk on the beach this past Wednesday. It wasn't planned. I had started the week quite busy and knew that Thursday and Friday were Mama days with appointments, so about noon I thought why should I not go to the place that feeds my soul. 

I drove myself out to the beach with no chair and decided to just walk. I took a very long walk. Easily got in my 10,000 steps for the day. 

It was the most gorgeous day. Look at that blue sky and those emerald waters. 

It truly gave me time to prepare my heart.

I didn't expect to have my full family with me this year as Tyler's parents were coming down Thursday for the weekend. I am happy they were able to visit and see both boys play baseball, going boating and even stayed for church this morning. They hit the road so I ended up getting all the family together. 

Lindsay let me know quick enough that I got eggs filled with candy and quarters for a hunt. Jeff cooked most of the dinner so this little mama's heart was so full.

With the past couple of years, it seems as if one thing or another has tried to beat me down, but I DO KNOW the Lord has me and He is in control even if I don't like the way it feels sometimes. Rain grows us just like the flowers. 

Jeff too is doing much better after the cancer scare. It has made us so appreciative of the days. WE know there could be more tough ahead but we will be grateful for every single blessing that comes our way.

He texted the next three pics this morning to our family. I think it truly true.

*I have decided to continue blogging and make it a priority, not for any other reason other than for posterity's sake. A journal of the good for my children.

So you get to follow along and see our family's text.

What a blessing Jeff is our family's life! A leader in every way. Life has dealt him some hard blows, but Jesus lives within our hearts so we will be ok.

Here are a few scenes from today and yes, it will be a bit of picture overload. I hope my children one day will love the journal I am committed to keeping for them.

I had the pleasure of having Palmer today at church. As a family we generally attend our first service, but Lindsay's group attended the second service which is my serving service time.  Paul Allen's family attended the normal time and Jeff, Mom and I attended Saturday evening at 6:00. Mother really wanted to try and go so we figured the evening service would be the least crowded.

Saturday was indeed less crowded, and we were able to get her on the golf cart and right at the side door. The guy that drove us up before was waiting on us when we came out. Bless him! She seemed tired last night, but I was glad she wanted to go. Based on what I am seeing these days I honestly think that will be her last church service. She is getting too feeble to make it all the way in and it is a lot for her. She is good for a long time yet, but things such as that take a lot out of her. 

 ***

Tucker and Palmer had the cool factor with the Easter bunny.

I almost forgot to order Valerie one. These are Amish baskets that I have ordered for all. I managed to get her one here in time which the truth is I could have waited. Cute, pink and girlie after 3 boys.

Miles and Valerie this morning. Valerie has on one of Lindsay's smocked dresses made by Mama. I think it made her happy.

Lindsay's family with an added Miles who loves his aunt and uncle.

Katie's birthday is this week, so I made her favorite dessert, strawberry pretzel salad

She got a special present this year. One of the perks of giving jewelry as special gifts has been being able to pass down jewelry from grandparents to our children. We had Lindsay a necklace made with things from Jeff's mom for Christmas a couple of years ago. This time we took a stone and some diamonds from her rings again and then used some wedding bands to make the rings for her necklace. We only had to buy the August birthstone. This has Miles and Valerie's birthstones.

I think she was pleased and a little stunned, but we consider Katie and Tyler to be our children as well.

Paul Allen and his family.

The 3 Musketeers

On the hunt.

A little fishing.

And a girl in the mix.

We set the timer for the Easter photograph.

 Seriously, I am so blessed. Both of kiddos have prioritized church for their little ones. Jeff is here with me. Mom has lived a long life. 4 little grands to love on.

Grateful beyond words. 

These are probably not the most interesting posts for blogging where they are all family, but I am planning to keep that part in for my family. I will continue to add other things too as I have time and the thoughts. 

Blog friends have been an unexpected blessing that I didn't fully understand when I launched this thing, but I am grateful for you too. 

Happy Easter,

Sandy

Hobbies #2 and #3

 For today's post I am going to share a little about 2 other hobbies I have...nature watching -puttering in my flowers and reading.

Many of these pictures have been taken over the past 2 weeks so the growth is showing more green than noted here.

I love to putter in my yard. My morning routine involves rising somewhere around 6:15. I like to give my body time to wake up and then I head out to the upper deck to check out the water and the flowers downstairs and whatever else I might see.

In fact one morning I was out and Gus and I saw a raccoon down on the ground about to go up the neighbor's yard. It was a little earlier that morning and just getting light. He heard me so he stopped to look up at Gus and me. I figured Gus would go nuts, but he was just standing by me looking down I think trying to figure out what it was. A cat? something else? I have a gate to keep him from running down the stairs until I am ready which kept him from tearing out after him.

I said hello to it and it stared at us for a moment longer and decided to crawl under the bottom deck. It explained why there was board missing from that side. He apparently goes under one side and comes out the other end. Sometimes you can see his prints on the shoreline.

If you have a computer that lets you enlarge you might be able to see his paw prints.

After I get my nature look I sit down for my Bible reading.

I love to then make me a coffee and wander downstairs to look at my roses.

I am still learning about growing roses in pots. Sometimes it is hit or miss on blooms and such, but I keep trying and learning. Jeff has some veggies in the hardware store buckets. 

You can tell it is still early morning. I will tell you I go out in my pajamas with a robe of course. I have a lot of retired people in my circle and I am positive I am up before anyone has thought about getting up.

Some mornings I will stroll on up to the front yard and check out the flowers. Other times I will go back in and get my chores done and go out mid morning for the front yard stroll. I often check it all again after supper. A watched pot never boils right?!

The bottlebrush shrubs lost every single leaf during the January snow. I have since researched that they can take the low temperatures. I think it was just snow sitting on them for such a long time. I have been patient and go out daily to watch them grow new leaves.

This picture was last week and they are still adding new leaves every day and I think I see more from morning to evening as well.

My day lilies are growing. There are some buds but no blooms just yet.

I pulled up my pansies and planted my vincas last week. I am still crushing on those orange pansies, but I love white vincas for the summer. I know many are planting pansies now, but here where I live they are a great winter flower. They fizzle out soon with the warm weather here. The vincas will get big and really cover the pot well.

Do you spy the amaryllis in the pot behind those vincas? Those are from my mother's yard and came from my hometown of Brewton. I had some picked out for Lindsay to take. She has not taken them and may not get them now. The ones I put in the ground have not surfaced yet, so if they didn't make it I will be trying again with these.

I do feel like some things are late this year. The little fuzzies on the live oaks are just not falling. You know they lose all their leaves and regenerate all new leaves in the spring. The trees are never bare.  It is the most amazing thing to me. It is like fall on the ground though at what most would consider an odd time. AND it always rains after those little fuzzies fall and make a mess.  

However, I am a tree hugger when it comes to live oaks. With their Spanish moss it is the most quintessential northern Florida look I can think of.

We got some patches of new sod this year too. We had three places where the grass had just died. Nothing seemed to help so we had someone come out and look. He scraped the dirt from those spots and patched in new sod. At the moment it seems to be working. Now this is one of those pictures where there is a lot more green. The grass is really greening up fast even though it has been a cool spring. The sunny weather has helped.

I am one of those that says spring waits on Easter to warm up.

I love to stroll around and dip down and pick up a weed now and then and just marvel at the beauty of nature. I find great enjoyment in trying to grow something.

It has been quite dry and sunny lately, so the water is just so clear. We are expecting rain next week.  this picture was mid morning one day this week right off the bottom deck. The water is so clear.

And here is the end of the dock. A friend's boat is tied up over here, but you can see how clear it is. Of course, this is over my head here, but I can see the bottom and the fishes that swim by.

I consider planting and puttering in my yard one of my top 3 hobbies. Cross stitching and reading are in that top 3. I am definitely a jack of all trades and master of none kind of person. I love to decorate the house as well. I still think of how to teach something and I am going to get a chance this summer because I am going to work with Tucker and Palmer a little each week on academics. Lindsay is not a teacher type. I told her I would gladly take on that and help keep my skills sharp. 

*****

I hopped in the car around noon on Wednesday. I had a window of time and the sun was shining so pretty. I just jumped in and drove out to the beach. Now I will tell you I make time each day to sit on the deck -top and bottom- but there is just something about the beach and the healing waters of the Gulf and the sugar white sands. 

I walked a long way. I didn't take my chair but just strolled along the water and back soaking it all up. I got in my 10,000 steps and felt soothed and energized as well. I feel closest to God there. He met me and helped.

The water was crystal clear so far out.

I shared some video on social media. You could hear the comforting sounds of the water rushing in. I wish everyone could have a bit of it. 

Now for hobby #3. I love to read. I tend to be sporadic and have eclectic taste. I don't really share all that I read here because I love nonfiction and some of it is political at times. I do not want to argue with anyone on that. We have lost the ability to have differing viewpoints these days so I keep that quiet. 

I have kept up with my reads since retiring in my planner. I have often thought how I wished I had kept a list of my reads over the years. Lindsay had tried to get me to do Goodreads to record them but I hesitated because I wouldn't be able to list them all. I decided to just delve in last year.  I had planners going back a couple of years so I entered them in and kept going. I really like it as a way to keep my list. I don't leave a review, but I do add the stars. My goal is just to record my reads.

The books I have really enjoyed this year are...

Under the Magnolias by T. I . Lowe

The Last Twelve Miles by Erika Roebuck

The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate

Here be Dragons: Treading the Deep Waters of Motherhood, Mean Girls and Generational Trauma by Melanie Shankle

I have read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins. I devoured the 3 other Hunger Games books, but I put this one off for some reason. I did like it but I think it is similar to some other books that I have tried to read in the past couple of years. My circumstances have made it hard to dive into some sad stuff. There is a new one out in this series and I would normally already have gone to the store to buy it, but I am just predicting I am going to have trouble reading it too. I want to read it but am not sure I can in my current circumstances. 

The above is not all my reads but some I can safely say are good if you are interested in the topics. Now Under the Magnolias was a little hard too, but really good.

Hobbies are important. They can be varied amongst us but that is what makes us interesting.

I hope you are having a good week and resting in the love of Christ...

Sandy

A Stitching Post: Valerie

 I am going to devote this post fully to stitching. I will be back with other things later, but here is the name all finished.

I just couldn't love it more. This thing changed so many times in my head as I stitched each letter. After doing this for 3 grandsons, I had to regroup and think all girly things.

I will break down each grouping. The V has the girl. I chose a darker hair choosing to believe my Valerie is going to be the dark haired grandchild. After all I am a former brunette (almost black) and both of kiddos have dark hair. Thus far, I have 3 lighter haired grandsons. We will see if I am correct. 

I had a bouquet at the top right of the V, but after so many people asking me what it was I chose to remove it. The A got some music notes because Mama Katie is hoping she will be musically inclined. I added some cute ballet slippers for possible lessons. Nigel their cat is represented too.

Next up I added books on the L. I am hoping she will be a reader like her mommy and daddy are. I added their dog, Dansby (the Blue Tick hound).

Katie was a cheerleader for a little while, so we have some pom poms and a megaphone. Those shakers were hard. I found some cute little patterns, but all were too big so I had to take my graph paper and draw it and the megaphone. I tried winging the megaphone once and it looked more like an Egyptian pyramid.

Then I did the dolphin and sunset like I had on Tucker's stitch to represent our living in a beach/bay town.

At the top of the I is a tiara because I am calling her a beauty queen.

The E is a nod to her being Daddy's little girl and since Daddy is an avid duck hunter...she needed some ducks like on her brother, Miles's stitch. I added Darcy the other dog to the bottom.

I finished it Wednesday night before leaving for Auburn on Thursday morning. I have since come home and trimmed it up and pressed it good. It is on its way to the frame shop tomorrow.

I stitched this on 28 count Opalescent White Linen. I have used this for Christmas ornaments many times, but wanted Valerie's name to be a little different than the boys' names' stitches. The letters were done in Classic Colorworks Tennessee Red Clay which has some variegation in it. 

My plan is a gold frame to match some sconces in her room.

When it is all framed I am going to put all four of these in one post to compare them. I honestly loved stitching them although they are not the easiest since there is so much personalization. I did save the dogs that I had charted for Miles so I didn't have to recreate the wheel. Sometimes I could find an old pattern that worked like the duck, dolphin and books. Other times I had to draw out something. 

I will be back sooner rather than later with other things.

Sandy

Good News

We got good news.

I will be honest with you. I didn't expect it. Maybe my own life's circumstances and several of those around me in the current time let me expect the worst. More of that for another day.

Today I will choose gratefulness.

Jeff's tumor was all removed. No chemo needed as it had not invaded the muscle wall so no scans or other such stuff either.

Because of the high recurrence rate of this kind of tumor, he will be a regular patient for the days ahead to monitor. I will take it!!!

I had so much going and my mind was clogged that I didn't respond to most of the comments last Saturday. I am beyond grateful for each and every one. They were read and meant so much to me. I hope to calm down and catch up with each of you this week.

I am not going to do a post this weekend, because Jeff and I are going to go to Auburn on Thursday and spend the weekend. I am gonna go walk a few trails with Gus and relax.

I am closing in on a stitching finish. I cannot wait to show y'all Valerie's name. It is so adorable. I have two small things to add and one half of a letter to stitch. 

I will return to normal programming over here next week with some stitching, flowers, reading, and whatever else I can think of.

Thank you blogging friends for all your prayers. 

I will share why one geranium is bigger than the other.

Until next week when I hopefully will be rested in mind and body...Sandy

An Update

Well this past week didn't go quite as planned. We are back to waiting on news.

I will start at the beginning and move forward. I am finding it hard to concentrate on much and writing is almost nonexistent. When things are weighing on my mind I can write lots of journal pages. I can't write much at all right now.

I came across this sentence in my reading this week. 

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving." --- Albert Einstein

I am doing my best to stay busy and keep moving.

Last Tuesday, we woke up thinking we had to do something to not think about surgery. After I was sure I had all things done for Mama so that I could not visit her until today, we grabbed a late lunch and headed to a water front park with Gus. We ate at a picnic table, then I walked Gus. We headed down to the water and sat on a bench and just held hands. Gus was tired from his walk, so he let us just sit quietly. We decided going to Tucker's baseball game that night was better than just moping.

Wednesday morning after a fitful sleep we headed to Pensacola. The doctor gave a great analogy of what he was hoping we were hoping we were dealing with.

He had described the tumor as large and having been there for a while, but he hoped it was like a slash pine and not a long leaf pine. Because we live with those trees all around, the analogy made perfect sense. The slash pine grows big but without putting down a tap root...sometimes quickly big. The long leaf pine grows slower because it is putting down its tap root. He hoped we were dealing with a slash pine without roots.

That wasn't quite what we got. He ended up having to scape pretty deep thereby keeping him from injecting chemo into the bladder on Wednesday as part of the procedure. Most tumors in the bladder according to my research are not good (hard to write the C word) and getting it out and injecting with chemo was the best case. So much scraping had made the chemo too much for Jeff to stand.

The doctor was hopeful he got it all, but we are back to waiting on pathology reports which take a week. I kept hoping we would hear yesterday, but alas that didn't happen.

Wait it is and try to keep busy.

Often when we have outpatient surgery, it is thought it isn't going to be so bad. He has been in a lot of pain. Mornings are especially hard. I think it will take a little more time to heal up. He can't be away from the toilet too long and it is painful and causes spasms, so it is up front and in the face a bit too much for my good. 

We will persevere ----

Romans - 3 And not only this, but [a]we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

I will write again when I get the pathology report. That is it for now. Like I said, I will be able to later, but for now...I am moving to keep my balance.

The picture above is of one of our neighbors. It is what I love about my neighborhood. An eclectic mix of homes and this one shouts Old Florida.

Just a cute picture of Valerie in one of Lindsay's old dresses.

And a little boy got an accident haircut.

Praying for good news.

Be back soon...Sandy