My House is Built on Him

I decided to start this post out on a more positive note. 

I finished up my sunflower pillow a couple of weeks ago and never shared the final product. It is lovely and just as I am ....a plain little lady.

It is first pictured in the dining room on Jeff's grandmother's rocker. Not sure where it will finally find its home. I am not planning to put it out until mid July.

It took me forever to actually make a decision on the pillow. I backed it with the most lovely shade of green that matched perfectly.

I thought long and hard about a fabric cording, but it just never seemed right to me. I even ordered some store bought cording for it.  Again, it just didn't seem to suit me. The more I thought about it, I decided that the stitch itself was just enough. So plain it is. I can always change my mind, but for now it is just a pillow with no trim. 

I took my time stitching the bottom where it came together and was very pleased with it. I know wherever it lands in the house is going to be just perfect.

I am stitching the whale still, mostly because with all that is going on it is all I can do to stitch anything. During this crazy month, my stitching lamp just broke in half. I have been wanting to wait until after my surgery at the end of July to see what I will actually need. Most of my stitching has been done in my sewing room early morning right under the pot light above and with a terrible clip on that doesn't stay charged long enough. I will need a new stitching lamp but want to make a wise purchase. With all that is going on right now, I think it best I wait a few more weeks to shop for one.

Grandchildren...

Tucker sayings...

Miles at the Gulfarium...

Palmer with a Dad given haircut...

A beautiful blonde boy. Turns out Dad didn't cut all the curls off. Just like his Uncle Paul Allen, when he walks out into the Florida humidity, it curls right up.

I stayed at Lindsay's most of the day on Friday as it was first day back from surgery in Atlanta. The boys and I went around the circle many many times that day. Tucker on his bike and Palmer on his scooter. While Palmer napped, Tucker and I picked up a grocery order and then later that day we visited Mama at rehab.

Before, I get to that...Lindsay is doing well. She had a rough couple of days right after with medicines. She takes after her grandma with medicine reactions, but she is doing well now. It will take a few weeks for the surgery effects to kick in we are told. The doctor said all went very well.

Now, for Mama. I don't want to even type, but I am going to get a small portion out. 

Mama really could go either way at this point. 

This morning at church one of the songs that I have heard lots of times almost brought me to the point where I would need to go out. 

"The rains came and the winds blew, but my house is built on YOU." 

They have surely blown. I am not even going to tell you all the stuff today. Just don't think I can, but my house is truly built on faith in my sweet Lord. I will get through it all.

Mother could pick up this week and get back on her feet, and that is what I pray will happen, but I would be falling short if not recognizing that she has a hard journey ahead to do that. She is tough, but being 88 with this type of injury is hard. 

She will be dismissed from the facility she is in on Friday. It is a short term intensive care. They work her 3 times a day, but she has had a few complications that have hindered her progress. I have never seen her more humble or trying harder.

I did visit an assisted living place and plan to drop off a deposit and paperwork to get her on a waiting list tomorrow, but she has to get a lot better to even be accepted there. 

Lots of tough things ahead for her and our little family. I need her to be able to come to my house on Friday. They are saying that if she needs further assistance she might have to go to a nursing home. Mother has her mind so sitting in a nursing home will end her. I am praying she can come home with home health assistance until we can think this through and make the best plan for her. 

I probably won't post next week because with her getting out on Friday, I am pretty sure I am going to be busy. I will keep you posted at some point though.

I am going to try and end on something else. Our niece is here and we will have our annual June gathering of our wee little family Tuesday evening. Enjoy every good day people and while I am dispensing advice, ladies do everything you can to strengthen those muscles and avoid falling.

We had a gator sighting 

I circled it for you. Jeff spotted it from the kitchen window one morning just swimming by. We managed to capture a photograph at the bedroom window. This one was 5-6 feet which is trouble for Gus. Gus had just fallen in love with the new stairs too. This is unusual for our bayou or at least as close to the bigger water as we are. It can happen after a hurricane. I have had to put a leash at the back door to keep him from jumping in. I did let him swim yesterday during the day because there was a lot of boat traffic out. I will really have to watch him in the mornings and evenings.

We also had tornadoes and homeless people trying to camp out at the cottages next door, but I am going to close it up for tonight. If you lack excitement in your life, just come on down to the Palmer house. We have it, not all good, but you will never be bored.

Fortunately, it didn't touch down, but the boys' playhouse was torn up.

I still haven't had time to address comments. It took me 1 hour and 15 minutes to go 13 miles with all the beach traffic. Lovely views but lots of people enjoying them too.

Be back in a couple of weeks,

Sandy

Easter Weekend

 A joyous Easter Monday here! 

I have been blessed to be in the company of my family and to worship the Lord. Just knowing last year that we weren't able to go to church is mind blowing enough. I know there are many who couldn't go this year and I feel for them so much. I am grateful for the fact that I could attend and also teach "my girls". 

I am so grateful for being able to have my family around the table to eat and visit. It is always so much fun to watch the kids be together and enjoy each other's company. OF course, Tucker is still the star of the show. His day of sharing is coming soon.

I am not photogenic!!! but it is what it is. Aging is not always easy, but a part of life so here is my family all gathered on the deck. I am far more happy to be able to take this picture than to worry about my poor posture OR bad hair days.

Mother was able to take one for us before Tucker was over it.

I am going backwards in time for the remainder of the post.

Tucker had a visit from the Easter bunny before church.

Mother, Jeff and I actually attended church on Saturday evening. We had a service then and two on Sunday morning, so as to spread it all out and it helps me out so that I can cook early Sunday morning and then go in to teach at my regular time slot.

Jeff was lagging behind in the parking lot, so Mother and I had our picture taken at church.

IT was quite chilly this weekend. I simply had to wear pants (no cute Easter dress for me) and hunted down a jacket to match. I had gone to a bridal shower earlier in the day, so no changes were made to the outfit.

On Good Friday, Tucker was off from school since he goes to a church daycare/school. Lindsay decided to take off and spend the day with him. We went up to the north end of our county to Baker. They have a wonderful strawberry farm. My goodness... we had so much fun. We were able to get up there before the crowds.

I told you it was cold. I had put away all the jackets and scarves. I had to dig them out for this trip.

Tucker was dressed in the cutest camouflage overalls and boots.

He enjoyed picking them. There was absolutely no trouble with him picking the wrong ones. He loves strawberries and he knew exactly which ones looked best for picking.

I honestly don't know who had more fun, but suffice it to say Mother AND Tucker enjoyed themselves immensely.

A little heavy on the pictures but they were all so cute.

The strawberries were so pretty. 

While driving home, I had a side thought. When I retired and began cross stitching again, one of the first things I stitched were the Little House Needleworks monthly cottages. I loved every single month except June. It is a strawberry cottage. I just didn't understand that one! It dawned on me that strawberries are probably in season in most of the country in June, but for Floridians that is not true. Well, strawberries are probably a much more year round thing in south Florida, but this is strawberry season in north Florida.

It all made sense as I was picking them.

So many blessings, but the most wonderful blessing is the resurrection of my Savior.

He is alive.

Looking forward to a great week,

Sandy

A Random Assortment of Things

I am popping in with a cross stitch finish and trying not to be a complainer. The blog is a happy place, an escape from the mess and a place to record good things, so that is what I will do today.

2020 has been the year of stitching larger pieces, but June has been for doing some smaller quicker projects.

I completed my September wordplay. I am not sure how I am going to fully finish it just yet, but I have some time to ponder it. Being that is school themed and my birth month I almost am tempted to frame it. Probably won't, but definitely want to think about it for awhile.

 I have done two others and while I absolutely love these patterns I don't think I will do anymore.

I don't think I will do more than these three because I have a good many fall small stitches. That is probably my largest lot. I have about 4 more fall stitches kitted up, so no real place to put the fall ones. I have all the Christmas decor I can handle, so if it doesn't hang on a tree I don't think I have a place to put it. I just don't do winter scenes. It is not like I hate winter. I don't. For the most part winter here is mild and kind of fun to wear some winter clothes for a couple of months...or at least some of the time. I just have never been able to muster up the motivation for stitching snowmen. Again, I think they are adorable, but they will be out for 2 maybe 3 weeks and then it is like I am over that. I have a good many spring stitches so the word plays are not needed.

I do love them though. They are just the cutest little patterns. If they had come out with these right as I was retiring I might have done them instead of the monthly cottages that I did and still love.

I got my cardinal back from the frame shop. I can't wait to get to Auburn and hang it with the other birds. I want to maybe add some flowers to them. I am thinking of 4 from a book of state flowers that I have. Down the road I will do so.

In gardening notes, I have changed out my garage wall plants to some summery heat taking plants. I have had the best year with my selections for those pots. I traded these out at varying times getting the most out of the other ones. I have gone with white and green for the summer. They look so pretty when you drive in the circle. The white flowers are vinca and I have filled in with some lily of the Niles, some asparagus and foxtail ferns, and some other little white flower that I had never heard of.

The front flower beds look so much better without the roses. I miss having roses, but not at all the work that went with them especially in this season of life I find myself in.

Sorry for the poor quality. My camera fogged up and I didn't realize it until I went to upload. Day lilies are struggling this year. I just showered them with some food...hoping that will help.

We have really quit trying to grow anything on the back due the heat and sun. I take that back, he has two pepper plants out there.

I have grown geraniums outside my kitchen window for years now, but that pine tree that I have spoken of on too many occasions has gotten larger and larger. I may have to actually find a shady but heat tolerant plant to grow there next year. They are just getting so leggy trying to find sun. Plus they hate heat. We haven't really started with the real heat yet. July, August, and September are the scorcher months.

Update on Mama. Mother is still feeling poorly, but this morning she had her best day in ages. We went yesterday to the doctor again. I was just so worried about her not eating and getting weak. She got a prednisone shot and some pills so I think that may have helped.

Jeff made me leave and go out for a boat ride on Saturday afternoon. It was good for me.

Lemony and Gus leading the way out our bayou.

We went out to the sound near Hurlburt Field away from the crowds. We were greeted with a treat. An osprey's nest with mama in it and daddy in the tree all the way to the right. We were careful to go on down just a little ways to swim. I wish I were a photographer because it was picture worthy.

We found a little sandy area further down to swim and play. The Gulf of Mexico is just beyond the nest in case you wanted to know.

Tucker is scheduled to start daycare on August 10th. I will miss him terribly, but I am a back up if things get bad with the BIG C again. Cases are on the rise here.
The daycare is in a church right next door to Lindsay's workplace. They have a good Christian school curriculum and Lindsay will probably call it school with Tucker. She can pop over there to see him if needed. I like that is right next to her. No extra driving as she already has to drive from Destin to Niceville to work. Jeff and Paul Allen work out of this building as well, although they do travel to schools. He will have plenty of people to go get him if he gets sick.

I will close it up for now and rest while Tucker is napping.

Thanks for your sweet comments. I still have troubles with my account. I think it may be an Apple/Google thing and I just have had no time to address it. Maybe in August I will spend time researching it all.

Going to take a nap,
Sandy

Life Around Here

Let's catch up with things around here. I have some stitching to share at the end, but here is an update on just some of life.

Jeff had decided that the neighbor's wild growth was endangering the trees that run down between our homes. I have shared before that next door are two of the most amazing waterfront lots probably left in our area. We are told they are owned by an elderly lady in Andalusia, Alabama which is about an hour and a half north of here. There are two small cottages on the property and one is rented out and the other is used by members of the family a couple times of the year. When they are finally sold I envision that it will divided up and more houses than should probably fit on them will be put there so I have always found it EXTREMELY hard to complain about them even though it is quite grown up on our property line and a three huge longleaf pines are growing at the water's edge and they are simply terrifying to watch during hurricanes.

I have always prayed that if they had to fall that they would somehow get caught in a swirl and go down into the water or at least miss our house. I think seeing what Hurricane Michael did to pine trees that large this past year prompted Jeff to act. Jeff has tried to poison the growth before, but I swear the oaks further up into the yard didn't look to good after that. I am sure they are really old, so I nixed that.

Back to the pines along the water.  Jeff waded and snipped the vines close to the ground that were literally sucking the life out of the pines. They did die so it was now time to wade in and start pulling it all out. Let me just say, that in the entire history of someone in our family living in our home... (December will make it 35 years that the in-laws first moved in) absolutely wonderful people have rented the little cottage. The neighbor has even helped with all of this as well as Paul Allen.

This first picture shows you what it looked like all the water to the water and growing out over the water.

This is the after.

This is during some of the work.

You can see how tall the growth is compared to my two tall guys.

My problem with flies has even been better. There is still more to go moving back from the water towards the street.

Now, that all led to two dogs and their story of being sick.

Early to mid June was rainy around here. Our pups love to swim and if I am not watching and even then sometimes they head to the water when let them out the door.

Lemony had gotten an ear infection and skin allergies. I had been working for two weeks to get her well.  She is much better:) Last Saturday, we were out working on the back and trimming trees and so forth. Lemony was puny so she stayed inside for much of this, but not Gus. Back and forth he swam for hours and drank the bayou water.

Yep, you guessed it ---he got sick. Saturday night I was up quite a few times with him vomiting. He even had some diarrhea. I thought it was over on Sunday so life went on, but he kept sporadically throwing up. On Wednesday, he threw up quite a bit, so I called the vet. I had just been in there on Monday to have Lemony rechecked.  Tuesday she got a special grooming, so she is feeling and looking much better. Thursday morning he went in and he is now on medicine for ears and severe colitis and eating special diet until Monday. I will say he has bounced back as of this afternoon.

OF COURSE, all of this throwing up on Wednesday happened about an hour before I was having a church group over for a cookout. I said to Jeff that I often wondered if other people had as much chaos in their lives. Sometimes I feel like my life is a I Love Lucy episode.

Lindsay had taken off on a Thursday and Friday over a week ago, so I had hoped to take off to the Auburn house and get some rest, but Mother had been slowly succumbing to sickness, so that didn't happen. Here is that little story... On Thursday of that same week, I had to take her to Brewton for a little bit of business. It was a quick but necessary trip. By the time I got her home, I talked her into going to the walk-in clinic. Of course, just less than a month ago we had been to her doctor for her regular appointment. That is the way that always works. She had a sinus infection and then it that wasn't bad enough, she came down with a stomach bug. She has been a very sick little lady and can't afford to lose a single pound. So, yes it has been downright hectic!!!!

I am so glad she lives here because I would still be making the hour and a half trip to Brewton and worrying when I am not there. Many of her friends up there are getting older too. Her best friend has just been diagnosed with cancer. She is 90 and has always been the picture of health, but Mom and I knew something was wrong. Mother will be visiting her often in the coming months.

Oh and Jeff's brother has taken his radiation treatments and his chemo starts this next week.
I am about to get off this computer and make him some peanut butter cookies.

So there has been lots of doctoring around here, BUT there has also been some fun.

I take Tucker to have lunch one day a week with Lindsay, so yesterday we went Panera Bread to meet her.  Mother was feeling better so she got to go too.

And the next picture is just because who doesn't love baby legs. We are sitting in the chair together and I couldn't resist this goodness.

It is hot here, but this week there has been a somewhat cool breeze in the 90's temps and Tucker have been back to our stroller rides; just walking a bit slower to not get so hot. He loves outside! We even saw some chickadees this week twice. I love my cardinals, blue jays, robins, mockingbirds, and sea birds, but I get so excited when I see something else.

I have puttered in my flower beds today and should sleep good tonight.

So for the stitching part...
I took my Things Unseen to the framer's last night. First chance I have had. I can't wait to get it back. I think it is going to be wonderful.

I did stitch up three little pillows with the threads and extra patterns that came with the sampler. I used some of the buttons and beads from the embellishment pack. You can't see the pink beads in the picture, but they are there. I was not able to find a place for those two blue buttons with the rose. I just quit and will use them somewhere else. I am quite sure of that. I will share where they land (bowl or shelf) at the Auburn house.

Even with all the hectic, I must say I have enjoyed June. I really really hate to see it go. I don't like to rush time anymore. I did far too much of that in my past. I like to savor the days. I am still walking at 6:00 in the mornings. I have not been as good about the gym days so I have devised a home plan to try next week for strength training. Y'all the gym is less than a half mile from my house and I can ride my bike there. I have no idea why I procrastinate that. I am hoping my home plan will work. Better make me a sticker chart!!! Ha Ha!

I am grateful Mom ad the dogs are all on the mend.

I have a "#jollyJuly" stitching plan, but I don't know if I can stick completely to it because I am ready to do my roses stitch and I have a bird one started too.

That was a kind of complaining post, but keeping it real for you. Life is not perfect anywhere.
Next post I will share some stitching plans AND some books I have read. I have a winner for you!!!

Hoping for a little less hectic and very sad to see June go,
Sandy

A Dog Story and Some Stitching

Gus, the Springer met his brother this past weekend. A rather cool story this is.

Soon after we arrived home with Gus, my son discovered that a former student of mine's fiancé had gotten a dog from the same litter. The student and his now wife were just graduating from Florida State, so they named their pup, Chief after the mascot, Chief Osceola. 

I couldn't believe someone so close had managed to get a dog from the same litter. I always talked about our dogs when I taught and we have had Springers since just a couple of months after we married. I had Murphy at the time the student was in my class.

We were out boating this past Sunday afternoon and had taken the dogs to the back of the bayou to swim along the shore of Eglin reservation land. We were slowly boating back home with the dogs in their usual position up front getting as much wind as possible. We happened to see the young man and his dog outside his parents home. He was tossing a ball into the water to tire him out. 

The brothers finally got to meet. We took a couple of quick pictures, but they are all basically a blur because the dogs were running. They had a blast. 

Small world!

I finished my gift stitch. I have stitched it before and shared it on here, so nothing all that new. The book is a very old book that I have had for decades and stitched many things out of it. This time it is for Jeff's birthday coming up. 

Modeled after this one...

Typical Golden pose!

Currently I working on Part 2 of Things Unseen. I am making progress.

I have three other rather large projects that I am just dying to do, so other than the month of July when I am going to work on Christmas stitching, this is going to be the year of large projects.

I just needed to start one of the other ones the other night, so I started a few stitches on my rose project. This was not on my list at the beginning of the year, but blogs and such got me.

I saw that Martina was doing a rose pattern and I just new I needed to do one, so off to Ebay I went a searching.

AND then there is happy mail!

My sweet friend Arlene sent me a wonderful present today. I feel as if I have arrived with my new "Stitching with the Housewives" bag. Priscilla and Chelsea have just made it even cooler to be a cross stitcher. Truly is a wonderful hobby.

Oh and my finishing is so much better than it was 5 years ago and I came across Priscilla's blog and realized there was a whole new world of stitching that didn't have to be framed. That said, I decided to maybe maybe maybe redo my monthly cottages that I first saw on that blog. I have had them in my kitchen each month for years now. I thought maybe I would redo and make a flat fold out of them. Well, since I had two June stitches.... Long story about how I didn't like the red one with the strawberries and stitched a new one with different colors which I guess could be peaches or oranges. Anyway, I took one of them to redo. Then I had a moment of sanity and realized I do not want to go down the rabbit trail of redoing things along the way because I improve. I will accept the old and keep moving. No more redos on them. I do hope to continue to improve!!!

So with keeping Tucker, keeping a house tidy, cross stitching, and reading I am living the life.

Loving the longer days,

Sandy

The Monthly Cottages - One Last Look

I thought I would put all of the cottages together in one last post about them. If you have followed my blog, you have seen me cross stitch each month.

I started the cottages last August, and the first month to be on display was September. 

I just realized while looking for the September picture that I never showed September on display, so I may have to do that in September. Y'all will have to humor me!

I have enjoyed doing them so much, and have worked to find the perfect spot in the kitchen over the course of the year so that were on display and not going to get messed up.

Through this, I have found the kitchen with my white counters and no really color theme going has been the place to have my little seasonal themes. 

I can change out the table linens very easily to go with the month. Example up next.

To store them, I had a tub left over from the classroom. I keep it in my sewing room cabinets. It has all of the backgrounds, ribbons, etc. right there. Easy to get to and easy to put away.

I placed a magnet on a frame with a saying I got at Hobby Lobby. It had some depth to it, so it worked perfectly with the monthly cottages.

I originally had the washer on the frame and the magnet on the back of the cottage, but quickly changed that set up to the exact opposite. Magnet on frame works tons better!!!!

Then I mounted the cloth and the cottages on sticky mounting board that you can get from craft stores. I glued the backs down with tacky glue and held them with clothes pins until they dried. 

Corners first and then sides.

I then glued a washer (the kind you pick up at a hardware store) onto the back of the cottages. 

By doing the magnet on the frame and the washers on the cottages, it was extremely inexpensive to do and easy to switch out each month.

I didn't put anything on the back of the cloth piece. The magnet and the washer were strong enough to hold both pieces in place.

I have thoroughly enjoyed them and look forward to them for many years.

So without further adieu, let's travel the remainder of the year with cottages.

Remember I did two Junes. I didn't like the first one, but......

I love the second one!!!!!!!!!

and last but not least August.

This makes up stitching for a year of my life with a few other things thrown in.

Thanks to Priscilla @Priscillas for the inspiration. I saw these cottages on her website and knew I had to do them.

Busy stitching,

Sandy

Linking up with Stacy@Poofing the Pillows
http://www.poofingthepillows.com

Thoughts of Home on Thursday