Some Stitching and a Pie

The trip I mentioned in my last post got canceled. I had a cousin test positive for the virus, so we postponed going. He had been at my aunt's house where we were planning to stop and eat lunch. We will just wait and go in the fall to check on the cemeteries as it will be cooler by then anyway. 

Now for some stitching...

I have been stitching on two things. One, I can only stitch on during the day due the linen. This particular 40 count linen is very tightly woven and I just can't seem to stitch at night without mistakes so it is daytime stitching only. I do hope to finish it in August.

You may notice in the above picture a pot to the way right. That is NOT supposed to be there. It is pictured on the pattern right next to the pattern part I wanted to stitch. After I had completely stitched that pot it dawned on me that was for the scissor fob. It was printed close to all fit on one sheet of paper. 

Most of my mistakes have been just getting in the wrong hole with the close weave and small count. ARghh...

I started some flowers from an oldie book, and my plan is do four of them for a grouping. I haven't decided if I will stitch words underneath or not. I am thinking- yes, so that they look more like botanical prints. I will wait until I am finished with them and then try it on one. 

My first one is Florida' state flower the orange blossom. It has gone much quicker than I thought. I thought these would take me a long time. With that said, I have taken a chill pill on speed. I have really decided I don't want to rush so much on anything especially stitching. I want to fully enjoy it. I am also reading again.

Let's talk about reading. I am not sure what has happened to my attention span. I feel like a child in elementary school at the beginning of a school year who has to be taught to have stamina after a summer of no reading. It is not about lack of interesting books either. I have lots of good books piled up on my nightstand. I have started a new one. I really like it and am interested in it and yet I find my mind wandering to what I need to do. I am over it. I will build my stamina and read again and love it. Less TV...less computer...less distractions and lots more focus!

Anyone else finding themselves there or is just me?

I will share what I am reading when I finish:)

Baking

My husband loves Key Lime pie. He says it is a summer pie. My mother-in-law gave me this recipe which is a postcard bought in the Keys from a trip way back in the 1980s. It is the only Key Lime pie I have ever made. It sounds like a lemon icebox pie, but with this one you beat stiffly one egg white and fold it into the mixture.

My husband doesn't like meringue....what is a pie without meringue is what I say???!!!!!!!!! So, no meringue on this one. I do however pop in the oven for the time it would take to brown a lovely meringue. I estimate that to be about 5-7 minutes.

I use fresh limes, not necessarily "KEY limes." It usually takes about 4 to get a 1/2 cup of juice.

What does one eat for a tasty snack when she tries to avoid gluten? Well, I have a very tasty treat to share.

I absolutely love these maple buckwheat flakes from Arrowhead Mills. They are amazing with oat milk or almond milk and sliced bananas. I am quite addicted to them. The other day I thought---"Why not add them to my coconut milk ice cream since I didn't have a cone and I love cones?" I found a winner! It takes my sweets craving and chocolate craving away in one bowl. I have to buy the flakes from Thrive Market online since I can't find them here, but I am sure if you have a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's close by, you could find them.

Pamela at Closed Doors Open Windows did a post on treasures the other day that has inspired me to share some treasures. I have been thinking about it and I think I will do one on Thursdays and call it Thursday's Treasures. We will seen how long it lasts! If the creeks don't rise, I will be back tomorrow for a green teacup treasure.

Tucker did well on his first two days. I miss him so much and will probably drop out to visit this evening or at least tomorrow evening. Don't think I can wait much longer. I know how blessed I am to live close.

Until next time,

Sandy

Hello August

The tagline for my blog is ...a blog about decorating, stitching, baking, gardening, family, and walking a faith filled life. Truthfully, I just changed stitching from sewing and baking from cooking as I do more of the former rather than the latter. I have not been a great blogger and for good reason. I have had the absolute treasure of keeping my grandson since January of 2019. It has been tough as I am not getting younger, but one of the greatest gifts.

I have treasured every single day and might have been tearful last night as I laid down and thought about how I wouldn't have him with me today. He is off to daycare and I have spent most of this day in prayer for him and my daughter. 

When he has settled into a new routine and I know more about his scheduled day I will go and get him at least for an afternoon or morning once a week just because I want to and Lindsay says I can.

With all that said, August will still be a bit busy for me because I am trading one type of caregiving for another with Mother. I do hope to find some balance in the next few weeks and get back to blogging and figure out all the kinks with the new blogger and the comments or lack of comments coming to email, etc., etc., etc.

For today, I thought I would talk about the faith journey and some quotes that passed by me and caused me to think. Then if the creeks don't rise I will share some new cross stitching and other items in my tagline on a more regular basis. 

I tuned in yesterday to not only my church's message, but the children's portion as well.  I didn't attend in person as cases are rising, Jeff's bother had a leaking refrigerator and Jeff had to go see about him and various other life interruptions happened. Those life interruptions are part of life.

The children's portion was on Esther and the story of how she saved her people. Many have heard and read the story of Esther and the verses from Esther Chapter 4...

13 Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews.14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”

I suppose this verse and the kids' message was still on my mind when I came across a blogpost later in the day.  I have read Coffee Tea Books and Me for years and for some reason I have never entered it into my blogs on the sidebar. That is another thing I desperately need to update. I want to share just a small portion of the post, but it is definitely worth reading and you will find it here. It is entitled Homesick.

Just a small excerpt... 

Recently I have been thinking about how everything going on in the world has been affecting me and those I love.  Being an optimist, I have found it unsettling to be concerned about the future my children and grandchildren will inherit.  I have to remind myself that they were born for such a time as this... and so was I.

We can understand such Truths and still find ourselves unsettled.  Spooked not unlike the deer running from and to the safety of the forest.  We know God is at work in all things but how is this all going to unfold in the months and years before us?

She said what has been in my head so why try to recreate words.  I hope that I am indeed ready to be a shining example of someone who realizes I was born in 1960 for such a time as this. 

I also saw a wonderful message today that talked about great revivals coming out of great hardships. The message said that in 1966 the cover of Time magazine had the cover ---Is God dead? By the cover of 1971, it changed to The Jesus Revolution.

I could go on and on with more thoughts that I am going to use at our Zoom small group meeting this Wednesday, but I have some other thoughts floating around in the old noggin, so I don't want my post to become too long.

I saw this quote in a book as I was cleaning out some stuff the other day. 

"Nobody knows anything about America who doesn't not know its little towns." --- Dorothy Thompson.

Oh,  how I love that! It made me pause and think that if we really think about it.

 There is so much good still in the small towns of America. Sin has not left and will not leave. There will always be bad, but I want more of the good. I am choosing to concentrate on the good and pray for that revival!

Another quote came from Instagram. I can't give credit, but it had me thinking too.

"August is like the  Sunday of summer." or something like that. 

If August is like the  Sunday of summer then September in Florida or along my part of Florida would be the Sunday evening of summer. Summer doesn't leave us when September rolls around. It lingers. The light changes and you seen signs of autumn but not temperature wise.

I have the pleasure of enjoying August more in this season of life. I can embrace more summer and not be in a hurry for it to end. I sincerely hope that there will be some beach walks in the mornings of August for me. Saltwater and sand are soothing salve for my soul. There is no place that I feel His presence more than strolling along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico.

AND speaking of the Gulf of Mexico, was that not the most spectacular thing watching the Space X drop right near our home in Pensacola?!!!  It was surreal hearing Pensacola over and over as I watched the NASA TV portion although it was all over the local news here. IT took me back to my childhood. I was completely immersed and I also fully took in the Perseverance and Ingenuity launch last week. Yep, this space nerd is in heaven with all this space news. 

Our family is hoping Pensacola wins the bid for the new home of the Space Force. I mean I can't even imagine how cool that would be!!!??? I mean...Blue Angels and Space Force. Be still my heart!

Gardening News

I will close this very long post for a quick picture of some of flowers and a few notes about that.

All planted at different times...some big, some smaller, some lopsided.

This is what happens when you avoid shopping for flowers and try to make every thing last until forever. You get flowers that are quite pretty but all different sizes and not in the least bit uniform which kind of messes with this very symmetrical loving girl. I am embracing the idea of green and white is alright for summer, and from the road all you notice is the pretty.

Mother and I are headed up "to home"  (south Alabama) tomorrow to check on the cemetery and so forth. 

If you made it thus far I won't post tomorrow, but maybe Wednesday with some pretty stitching.

Until then,

Sandy

 “Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came! ---John 12:27