Launch, Stitching and Flowers

It has been a busy start to the week. I knew it would be hard to blog regularly, so I said no day would be given. I did however, want to mark today. 

We have a liftoff! I have been obsessed with space since my earliest memories. I was known as the "space lady" at my schools. I have done my best to inspire the students. There would be no doubt I would be tuned in today of course wearing "one" of my Artemis t-shirts.

I am excited to follow along with the mission. Most every room in my house has something related to space and more books, patches, autographs and just a plethora of things that would make most people roll their eyes when I get started. 

I will share a picture of Mama and me when we went to a shuttle launch many years ago. Finally one took place in June so I told Mama we were going and staying until it launched. We had the most wonderful day. We met Mike Mullane with his latest book that day.

He was wonderful and sent me a copy via email of a book he wrote for children. I of course read it that next year to my students. The book was no longer in print, but I found 2 on eBay so I do have that one and the one he wrote and was signing the day of a launch. 

Like I said, I have so much stuff. I love it all!

*****

I wrote parts of this blog post ahead of time when I had a moment to go write.

I have found my stitching inspiration again. I am telling you around December, I was just not feeling it. If I hadn't stitched the sandpipers for a friend I don't know that I would have found anything to inspire me enough to pull out my needle and floss. I hadn't bought any new patterns in ages, but this year's market releases in March have inspired me. I purchased quite a few patterns this year and have been busy stitching and just plain loving it!

I ordered Freedom Flock by Plum Street Samplers. The linen seen below was my second try --- sometimes when you stitch with one strand you have to take into account that something light will not show up on 36 count or higher. 

This is 36 count vintage country mocha with all the called for colors. I still think it would have looked nice on 28 or 32 count to stand out a bit more. I did remove one of the stars on the lower right to add 2026. I also think a grey linen would have worked. I thought about that about halfway through stitching it. It turned out nice and the first weekend I have a little time, I will finish it up in to a cute little pillow along with my Liberty Bell stitch.

Then I started my third patriotic stitch for 2026. The pattern is not a patriotic stitch per se, but....

I am going to make changes. I love the border, but I am replacing "Happy Day" with "America 250" in a blockish font. The rabbit and the little row of flowers below will be gone too. My plan is to stitch "We the People" in their place in a font similar to the Preamble which I would say is somewhat of an Old English font. I have graph paper to mark this all out. I think this will make a cute patriotic finish. OH, and I do plan to do a few color changes.

I will share it in my next post.

All in all I ordered 5 patterns and 2 pieces of linen from the new releases. I am super excited about all of them. I don't usually let myself order that many at one time, but I have been in a funk and really liked so many things so I went for it. I will share more as I stitch.

*****

Spring is springing and it has been so good for me. Winter seemed to be extra long this year and I know that is silly considering where I live. Some things are budding slowly while other things are just breaking forth. Jeff and I have been really trying to go out as many evenings as possible and sit on the lower deck. It is always good. 

I found the gray rocker in the water one day. It had washed up. WE both liked it so much that we found it online at Ace. We ordered another so we are rocking buddies most evenings.

Now, I am still struggling to get up in the mornings. I do have to set the clock since I pick up Valerie. I hope I will settle in soon to the new time. I LOVE the longer evenings so no complaints. Once I get up I am ok, but I will admit I would love to pull the covers up and just lay there.

My pansies were so pretty one day. I am a horrible photographer, but they were really showing out. Now, they won't last much longer. April will warm up quickly and they will wilt each day from the heat. It will be time for vincas soon, but they were getting in a splash of color for March.

Jeff has actually done the majority of the fluffing downstairs on the deck, but now it is up to me to water. He has made these pots for deciding what will grow down there in full sun. We have put several things together to really see what takes off. The hostas still look amazing and he has some tomatoes and peppers going to. Farmers Palmer are enjoying the spring.

The deck could use some pressure washing but no reason to do so until pollen has stopped. 

Of course, the live oak leaf drop is happening. Leaves are everywhere. If you are unfamiliar with the phenomenon of live oaks- they lose their leaves in the spring.

Spacey and springy here,

Sandy

 

Stitching and a Little Spring

After the serious tone of my last post, I will try to keep it a bit lighter and cheerier over here. I am loving spring. March has been up and down with the cool vs warm. It is on the warm side now and I do hope it is staying. I am excited to be outside and puttering in the yard again. I have not planted much new, but am really reaping the good from a few years of work.

These hostas above were in one pot. I have had them for years, but I felt like last year they were about to burst through the pot they were in, so before they broke ground this year I separated them into 2 pots. They are an easy care plant that come back year after year and look wonderful until Thanksgiving.

The 2 pots they are held in were the ones used with my brief experiment with clematis last year. Those were a no go in this area. I will stick with more tried and true things for my area. 

I am not getting rid of the rose pots just yet, but I don't have plans to buy more and when they have exhausted themselves, I will let go on that idea too. Jeff is busy getting his tomatoes, peppers, and squash going in their pots and I am walking around looking for the next thing coming to life. 

We went to Auburn last week for spring break. It was so cold!!! We had talked about going to a baseball game, but I didn't want to sit in 30 degree weather for a game. We did order some new flooring for the upstairs. There has been some carpet up there and this will be the end of it soon. We will head back up in April to check on things. It was too cold for me to putter around outside at all. Hopefully we can get to a baseball game then.

Before we left I got in an order from 123 Stitch of the new March releases. I just threw things in a bag and thought I would get stitching time. That didn't fan out exactly like I thought, because one of the things I ordered was missing the pattern. 123 Stitch quickly put a new one in the mail and I spent my time up there thrift shopping, picking out the flooring, decluttering and reading.

When I got home I got my stitching plans in order.

I wanted to share the finished framing of the second set of sandpipers.

I loved how it turned out. I am putting a picture of both together below. The first one I did is on the wall and I still love it too. 2 different linens and counts to them and 2 different frames. Both are wonderful and Alayna, our friend really loved it. Made me happy.

After I ordered the new patriotic stitching patterns, I pulled out the bell I had messed up over a year ago and stitched it again.

I had fully finished the other one but then messed this pattern up when trying to piece it together. I will be very careful this time. 

I am stitching on a new patriotic small piece for America's 250 celebration, but in order to keep this post a bit shorter I will wait and share later.

I will also be back with some family updates soon.

Enjoying spring,

sandy

A Quick Trip to Auburn

Jeff and I made a quick trip to Auburn on Monday through Wednesday. It wasn't really in our plans. That is a biggie for me to do something so spontaneous since I am a planner girl. We really won't be able to get up in May due to his physical therapy, so we decided to go check on some things and get some things also lined up too. He thinks some pressure washing needs doing, so we have someone coming next week for that. Paul Allen and Katie are going up the next weekend for a baseball game and then my good friend is going up for the week, so there will be a presence there in the month of May.

We were busy going more than relaxing but I did find some time to just sit, read, and think.

Gus and I took our walks of course and saw a few things to share.

I came across this flower and oh did I stop!!!

I mean it is purple...think Donny Osmond's sash purple.

It is similar to the Mandevilla that I see here in the big box stores that are not made for our growing zones. I used my handy dandy app to identify it as Clematis. I know many of you know it, but I was not familiar with it. BUT, I needed to be.

I went home and did research for it. I made my way out to the local nursery in Auburn and promptly bought me some of this goodnesss even though I have said I am downsizing plants, etc., etc., etc.

It says it grows in zones 5-9 so it should be a go. I also watched lots of videos to make sure I was doing all the right things. 

I have been outside most of the morning today planting new stuff. I will wait to share it until it has been planted a week or so, because nothing ever looks too happy after being moved from their pots to a new pot.

I have shared many of the homes in the Auburn neighborhood before. It is such a nice place and I seriously have to pinch myself sometimes to think that I live in the most amazing place on the planet...the Panhandle of Florida, but that I also have a home in Auburn. We really do get to see 2 such different landscapes. 

However, I don't think I have ever shared the pink house. There has to be one house in every neighborhood that is a little different. Jeff is not a fan, but I am. She had a Dolly for President flag outside all during election season...gotta love that --- 

Check out the toadstools. Now that is in Auburn, Alabama but she has got some Florida yard art going on there. Chairs on the porch have some hot pink cushions and once I could see in her front room and lots of abstract and color art adorned the room. 

I added some pine straw to our front beds. 

I really took this picture coming back from a walk to see if the chair on the porch looked ok?

The porch is very narrow so the black rocking chairs we have out back won't fit, but I really wish they did. This is very much a front porch sitting kind of neighborhood.  We had gone looking for some black ones while out and about to which I saw nothing I loved. I came home and just decided to try out the ones we use on the back. We keep the chairs in the garage when we are not there to make them last. My eventual decision was those were fine for when we wanted to sit out front. A win...saved money and these are comfortable. 

What you can't see from that picture is that the gardenias planted across the front are about to be an explosion of white blooms. I hate I missed it but my friend will get to enjoy them.

The Confederate jasmine growing on the fence is blooming and smells so good. Just imagine a week from now with all those gardenia blooms. People will want to stroll by our house.

I found part of a robin's egg. Such a pretty color.

Next up is an example of how different going north 3.5 hours can be. Get a load of these pansies.

Pansies will fizzle out here when the calendar turns to April. I grow them in FWB from mid October to mid April and switch over to vincas then.

I might also have bought another bedspread. I go in spells where I go for months buying nothing and then I see stuff and go nuts. I swore I was through trying to buy something for the guest bedroom aka Lindsay's old room.  

Now, the problem with the picture is that it is hard to notice how cute the bed is with a twin size mattress standing up in the room glaring at you...

I will share again when the mattress being saved for Palmer's big boy bed is purchased and this leaves my house.

And since we have switched to interior picture talking, I love to sit on the end of the couch and look out the windows at the neighbor's bird feeder. It keeps me entertained and I love that I can open that door and let Gus out without having to go out with him since the new fence addition takes care of him leaving. He is a good dog, but he does like to run up the street and see if our friends are there from Huntsville. Remember we have been friends forever and they had to move to Huntsville years ago, so Auburn (specifically this neighborhood) is our meeting place.

This house is a testament to how dark colors can be so nice. This room and the upstairs bedroom which is a dark paint are the coziest rooms and everyone always says how much they love them.

There is lots of natural lighting to help make it not too dark.

I do find I love to go and just read, stitch and nap here.

I will share my plants soon. I will be checking in with everyone soon. I didn't take my computer with me, so hang on I am coming.

I have 6 roses in containers downstairs. They love this time of year. I love it too.

They won't look this way much longer. 

On a side note, I always watch for these little guys.

They are in abundance here and on most everything. Pots, porch railings and the one I always check first....the trash can lids. Our lids have a lip to lift it and they love to get under those which means you can get quite a scare unless you are Miles. 

Miles thinks they are cute and need to be caught and touched. He doesn't understand why Mimi screams when I touch them which is why I never lift the lid before pounding on the top to scare them.

Spring is a lovely time of the year. Although I was quite surprised by how cool it was still in the mornings in Auburn. Definitely a change of pace for us when we get to go up. 

Jeff starts his PT for Parkinson's next week and Mom has not been feeling too well these past couple of weeks. I did get a change in her blood pressure meds so hoping that helps her. I don't often know what to pray but God knows what is needed so I am trusting in Him.

I love May,

Sandy

This Week

One morning this week, I captured the sun just as it came up over the tree line. We are loving the new view minus the pines.

Spring is still doing its best to pop out here. The trees are either budding beautifully or dropping their leaves right on time (live oak leaf drop season is spring). The camellias have their last blooms on them this week and the azaleas are popping out all over the neighborhood. I added some day lilies to my front bed. I happened to come across some more Alabama Jubilees and one called South Seas. Jeff says I pick my day lilies because of their names and he might be right. 

In my last post, I had been so busy that I didn't cover all my goings on in that post, so here are a couple other things I did in February and early March....

Jeff and I along with friends went to Pensacola one evening to see Sean of the South and Three on a String. Saying it was good doesn't even come close to the experience we had. Seriously, we all left in the very best mood talking about it all the way home.

The tickets to this had been purchased back in early December - before we took the trip with friends to Atlanta and the holiday lights at Calloway Gardens. You may remember that trip was not as easy as I had hoped.

I sort of thought to myself after that trip that we would do this one with the friends, but I would not plan anymore trips like this with friends. I put out of my mind until about a week before. Jeff seemed fine so as it approached time I thought he would be ok. The night before the event I panicked big time. He was putting off the driving to Pensacola on our friends and I could see his anxiety. We had even driven over to Pensacola to check out the parking over the weekend prior to the Thursday night event. Here is the thing...I know Pensacola as well as I know Fort Walton Beach. I spent my entire life going there...I am completely comfortable driving there. I tried to assure him of that, but this new Parkinson's thing attacks him at random times with anxiety that I have explained before is so NOT my Jeff. 

Anywho, when he kind of pawned off the driving to Mike which again is not like him...I went into panic mode. Was this going to be like the December trip? After talking to my wiser than years daughter, she said I really needed to talk to my friend Cindy and let them know what it might be like. I heeded her advice and let Cindy know how the Atlanta trip had gone and that I sensed Jeff getting anxious about the parking and getting there on time, etc. 

Bottom line: that was a good idea and God guided me the whole time. Parking could not have been easier with hardly any walk to the theatre. The event was in historic downtown Pensacola that I love so much. The seats were incredible and the music and stories were amazing. 

If either Sean or the group is ever near you ---Run to it. The music was so good. It covered all genres and I truly can't say enough about it.

*****

Tucker's first field day happened. I enjoyed it so much. You know being a teacher I really missed my own children's field days. Jeff would attend them, but often I was dealing with my own class while my kids had field day. I got to watch and enjoy my oldest grandson have fun. I just wish the powers that be would not do Field Day in March. It can be 60 something degrees and freezing. The wind here in this month can make the same temps seem completely different depending on said winds. It happened to be a cold day for his field day:)

This week has been lots of baseball games but mostly at home during the days which I needed. Friday, I kept Tucker and Palmer because there was a teacher workday. Spring break is this next week. Katie brought Miles and Valerie over to play. I had to take Mama to get her nails done but brought her back over for play time. I think she thoroughly enjoyed watching them all. It is loud with 3 boys in the house. 

I have done a good bit of stitching this week and will share soon on Valerie's name. 

Bad weather is expected today and I am trying not to listen to the weather reports because they are scaring me. I have the alerts set, but I can't just listen constantly to it.

My dad's first cousin posted this prayer poem today ....(I thought it to be very appropriate.

Until next week,

Sandy

 

Spring Time

Life has been full these few weeks. I never intend to stay away so long from blogging, but it just happens. I am in a stage of life where I know these little grandchildren won't be young long, and I don't want to miss it.  I don't want to miss out on their energy, and the fact that they still enjoy grandparents.  I have attended baseball practices and opening day for baseball. I have taken Mother to appointments. I am watching nature come alive daily for spring. All good things.

Outdoor Time

February gave me 3 out of 4 glorious spring like weeks...can't beat that.  I enjoyed them immensely. While I always say spring begins for me on March 1st. I know March can be a crazy month. The weather will be all over the place and the wind lets us know why on elementary bulletin boards everywhere a kite is the symbol of the month. Nature just starts giving me things to watch for daily....the ending of camellia blooms, the buds of azaleas, the poking through of all the lilies, the beginnings of the lives oak leave drop and so much more. It is truly such a special time in my eyes.

My camellias have just shown off this year. February kept me daily outside looking and admiring their beauty. I kept camellia bowls on the kitchen counter and the living room coffee table. I think they are on their last week this next week, but I don't have to worry because the azaleas are about to explode. My camellias showed off because I fertilized them pretty heavy. Last year I felt like they were a little lack-luster. The fertilizer was explosive for them. I used a fertilizer designed specifically for camellias and azaleas. 

My roses are pruned and starting to pop with new growth. I added one. Can't wait to they open up. 

The orange pansies are putting on a show too. 

The pine trees have not been missed not one bit. In fact, Jeff and I have agreed that the view is prettier than ever without them. The deck is certainly not going to have to be swept as much. We have begun eating our meals out on the upper deck. Yes, I am happy for spring.

I am in wait and watch mode for the citrus trees and bottle brush dwarf shrubs. The citrus trees are alive, but they don't look like they will do much this year. Wait and watch. The bottle brush look dead to me. They can survive low temps but the snow made them very unhappy. Jeff says we are waiting for a good long time before we dig them up. Again wait and watch.

Yes, spring is wonderful. For my blog friends to the north, hang on - it's coming.

Building Routines

I have definite routines in place for my Bible reading/prayer time, chores, tending my flowers, etc. However, one routine that fell out of favor when the grandchildren came along was my exercise time. Before them, but after retirement from teaching I hit the gym. Then they came along and I didn't go and it has been hit or miss since Tucker's birth in 2018. I wanted to make an exercise routine just that;  a routine in 2025. I knew it wouldn't be easy to add it back and I have had ups and downs. It takes a while to add something like this back to where it is second nature and a priority. I walk daily...if you have a dog you have too. I love those walks with him, but I know that strength training is important. After much pondering I decided on a plan and have tried really hard to be faithful to it. I pick myself back up when I fail and keep at it. I know one day I will have it as routine again. 

I found a plan on Pinterest and printed it out and now I am trying to add it back slowly. The three day rotation has 6 exercises using free weights and body weight. It is meant to do 3 days a week. Currently, I am doing 3 of the 6 exercises each day and spreading it out over the 6 days so I won't upset the joints. I also am not up to doing 3 reps which is the intended for each exercise. I read my body. I'm actually pretty good at that due to the rheumatoid arthritis and thyroid issues. Slow and steady is my goal, but for it to be a routine. I printed the routines out and along with my weights put them in the front bedroom. I go in there all through the day and do the next exercise on the lists. I try to do 3 reps with each exercise and depending on the exercise a different set of weights is chosen. Anything lifting my arms above my shoulders gets a 2 or 3 pound set. Anything that works the legs like a squat or a lunge will get a 5 or 10 since I have pretty strong legs but weak shoulders.

Working on it but not beating myself up and hey, I am home and not having to go to the gym.

Cross Stitching

Oh my y'all ---I made a costly mistake and had to start over on Little Valerie's name. As always, if you just take a breath you get inspiration to correct your error. I had the V and the A all stitched that I shared with y'all on a previous post. When I removed the Q snaps I realized I didn't have enough linen. I was shaken for a moment, but realized there was nothing I could do but order a new piece and begin again. This time I stitched the bottom row of each letter carefully counting all the spaces between. I have the V done and with the inspiration given I decided to personalize the stitches as I had done with the 3 grandsons. I gave the V's little girl darker hair because my heart is telling me Valerie is going to have dark hair. I am now planning the other letters with all the motifs personalized for my little granddaughter. 

While I was waiting on the linen to arrive, I stitched her Christmas stocking. See all this dark hair. I think I finally have one that is going to follow in my line of hair. I had black hair before I turned silver and now snowy white.

Family Time

Since my last post, I have been a busy lady with family. All of it good for the most part. Yes, there are the usual appointments that I could do with less of, but there has also been lot of time with my grandkids. I have even gone to a baseball practice. Palmer has wanted to play ball so badly. He has watched older brother, Tucker play. He barely made the cut off date for tee ball but wanted to play so badly. I guess curiosity got the best of Jeff and me, so we went out to watch his first practice. He was fantastic. He won't be 4 until late July, but he paid attention and did everything asked of him. He was all in. The opening ceremonies for the league they are in was today. This is number 3 of these that we have attended. They do such a great job of this ceremony. They have a parade down the neighborhood from the school to the ball park and then festivities at the ball park. 

It started out rainy on this one, but cleared up in time for all the good stuff. Paul Allen brought Miles out to see this one. 

Here are few pictures to share of that.

I will close with Gus in his St. Patrick's Day bow tie after his grooming. I think I will pop it back on him for the 17th.

Grateful and blessed, 

Sandy

The Strawberry Patch and the Wind

 There is not a whole lot of anything different to talk about except grand boys and the aches and pains of aging. I feel extremely blessed to be able to write about those boys and their escapades.

I spent yesterday taking Tucker on his field trip to the strawberry patch. Tyler had to attend the funeral of his last remaining grandparent who passed away at age 97. Lindsay had something she needed to be at for work plus she is taking off next week for Tucker's field day, so I happily agreed to tag along to the strawberry patch.

The strawberries were amazing and I had so much fun with my oldest grandson. 

They got to fill their plastic container as part of their field trip money and eat a cup of strawberry yogurt. Then he and Mimi filled another bucket to bring home. They were super tasty and the patch had so many to pick. As we were leaving for lunch at a nearby park, people were lining the roads coming. There are 2 farms that do this and they are about a quarter of a mile apart. Both were packed. His school got there early and we had the place to ourselves.

We ate lunch and the kids played for an hour on the park equipment. I found a bench to sit on and just watched. How can sitting and watching make one tired?! Age maybe? Anyway, he was exhausted too because on the 40 minute drive home, he fell asleep in the truck.

The day and night before we had a major thunderstorm line come through. The 2 counties to our west had tornadoes but thankfully they fizzled out before they reached us. However, it rained a lot and the wind blew all night and ALL day on Thursday. Like 25 mph all day with higher gusts. It was like a March day.

We then dropped Tucker off to Mama that afternoon and headed to Destin to drop off my Florida sampler stitch and go to his t-ball game. Y'all I can not wait to show my sampler framed. The choices made were just so good. I am glad I didn't rush out there right away. I pressed it and let it sit out on my sewing counter for the 2 weeks and just thought on it. It is going to be so pretty. The young girl getting it all set up for me kept telling me how pretty it was. She made me feel so good.

Then it was off to the still windy game. My goodness it was crazy all day. I have enjoyed getting out to see Tucker play. Next week is his last 2 games. 

Now, for a sad picture...

This is Palmer. It was taken last weekend when his mommy and daddy and brother all went putt putt at the Track. He had a blast until Tyler decided to let Tucker ride the go carts....

where you can see Tucker had fun. Palmer kept saying, "My turn, my turn." Lindsay walked him over to the sign that shows how tall you have to be which just made it worse. 

That same face came around again yesterday with me when he discovered Mimi was going with Tucker to the strawberry patch.

Oh I couldn't stand it so I promised him he could pick out somewhere to go next week with Mimi and she would keep him home from daycare and take him. He has decided on the airplanes (the Armament Museum) and Whataburger for lunch. Mimi will be taking he and Miles next week on the sunniest day to have fun too. I have not doubt he will not let me forget.

We had hoped to go to Auburn this week, but Jeff decided to pass. His back is giving him major fits. He will go to the first PT and get a brace next week, so we will try for our Auburn get away again based on all that.

I really need to share some gluten free baking I have been doing ---time here folks. Maybe soon. I will share some stitching too next week. 

Mom had another nerve ablation on Monday and I am just not sure they are doing all that much. It may be lowering the pain medication somewhat. Anyway, since I didn't show Miles this week I will share his picture one day this week when I took him over to see Grandma.

And of course, I did step out to see the eclipse since I totally love that kind of stuff. I kept my glasses from 2017 and used this ....

to let me know when to head outdoors. I am close to Pensacola. I thought it was cool and remembered like last time that the temperature drops a bit while the sun is covered. 

I have decided to be optimistic and hold on to my glasses for the next one since I will be in the path of totality 

Yea I will only be a month away from age 85.

That will do it for me today. Happy Spring.

Spring Break

 My weekly post is late this week. I was trying for Thursdays, but schedules don't seem to work as well anymore for this schedule loving girl. There were some sick kids and spring break daycare closures that threw my schedule up into the air. I am grateful to help out the kids though.

March is being temperamental as always, but the cloudy rainy weather is still hanging on unfortunately.  I am hoping April Showers is really March Showers and May Flowers will really be April Flowers. 

In the meantime, we will enjoy the show of azaleas that are in full bloom all along the roads of the Deep South. 

I will type and share some of the ones I have captured in my own yard and down the street.

Jeff and I have been old people hobbling along this past week. I pulled a muscle most likely from lifting boys and Jeff has a pinched nerve that has been relentless. He will think it is about to let up and then he just stands up wrong and it starts all over. Mine is much better but he is still struggling. We have both been hunched over and slow walking all last week. It is a sight to behold. 

Palmer got a little sick and couldn't go to daycare for 2 days last week. He and Miles had a blast together. They really do seem to be fun for each other. Palmer felt bad but not really bad enough to play. He would be tired by the end of day. 

On one of the days while Miles was napping, Jeff took him to get Chik Fila and to a park to eat it. He asked a lot of questions and they drove around trying to let me rest while Miles was napping. That afternoon when Lindsay loaded Tucker and Palmer and headed for home, he told Tucker in a bragging manner that PaPa had taken him to Chik Fila for lunch. Lindsay said they hadn't really even gotten off my street. Little ones. OF course, Tucker was jealous.

Tucker got his chance though. Palmer made it back to daycare and Tucker's preschool was closed on Friday so we had him that day. I almost told Lindsay to let me have both of them. Miles was not with us that day as spring break started early for Katie on that Friday. We decided Tucker should have his own special day with Mimi and PaPa. He soaked it all up and got Chik Fila as well.

Jeff and I went to Auburn for the weekend. We did very little as both of us were hobbling, but peace and quiet were in order. I finished a very good book. I read a lot but don't mention the books unless they are worth the read by someone else. 

May years ago, I read The Three Miss Margarets by Louise Schaffer. I loved it and didn't know there was another book written about the trio. I found it at the library this month. It wasn't as good as the first but a fun read. It was called The Ladies of Garrison Gardens. Both are old books from almost 20 years ago.

The book that I loved was The Women by Kristin Hannah. The author has written many lately that have been coming up in feeds but I just hadn't read one. This one caught my eye because many were discussing it but mostly because it was about the nurses of The Vietnam War.  I really liked the book. I thought she captured the times well and after I read it I looked her up and she is 11 days younger than me. I thought to myself -well that is why she captured it well for ME anyway. 

I am still stitching away on my Ole Florida Sampler. I think I have about 1-2 weeks of stitching left. It is close. I have really enjoyed stitching it and I have enjoyed not switching up things too. I restarted this one in midNovember of '23 but didn't start exclusively stitching on it until the 1st of January.

The railing was built last week too. It looks amazing.

It will age in color pretty quickly. I told Jeff 9 years is a long time to make a decision. He didn't believe it had been 9 years, so I had to show him. He got quiet on that one. 

I will say no one has come along in our talks that could do it to this precision on the stone and tile, so the wait was worth it.

Jeff and I are headed out on one more excursion this week. I will share it next week. Praying he can enjoy it since it is too late to cancel it. We may just be sitting and staring at the bay that we are headed to or if we are lucky we can do a few visits to good eating places and a few antique stores. 

Plugging along in life, but I make a point each day to focus on the positive and the good things. It has truly helped my outlook!!!