Life Around Here

 I have almost stitched another page on Let Freedom Ring...

I say almost because I still have not made a decision about the area near bottom of those pages. There is some wording outlined in a fancy floss that I didn't get in my order. I may change the color and I may change the wording to do a backstitch rather than one over one. I am planning to go all the way across before I make the decision. It is such a pretty pattern and I have enjoyed it very much.

I think today I will pause and stitch an ornament maybe and then do a page on the heron.

I did stitch a Halloween piece. That was not in my plans at all, but I just felt like it when I saw this pattern. 

My next statement is going to sound bad, but it is meant in the most wonderful way. The hat reminded me of my mother-in-law. She always had a witch's hat that she wore on Halloween when the kids came over. Now, that is the most unlikely thing EVER for her. The first time we saw her in it we about fell over laughing. Anyway it was a cute thing and the pattern instantly made me smile thinking of her with Lindsay and Paul Allen. 

I did swap out my fall stitches for the last two weeks of October for now 4 stitches I have. They had all been in my sewing room but I brought out a couple for the bookcases.  I added a few new things to the coffee table. I do love a happy Jack-o-lantern.

I have been just home busy as a bee. I have been doing an extra measure of cleaning in each area as I go the past week or so and just being home has brought me peace. I have had the TV on very little ---honestly just quiet.

I have been walking each morning around 8:00, but today I am taking a break because the soreness from the weekend caught up with me. Up until a week or so ago I went at a different time everyday. I decided to stop that and just get it done early. The light is fading in the evenings and pretty soon I won't be able to go then.

You see all those concrete pieces? Jeff and I brought those from a nearby house where they had dug up their driveway to replace with pavers. That little area had a little trouble from the storms. There is no seawall on our neighbors property and the wave action knocked out our skirting for the deck. It actually got caught in our dock so it was mostly saved. Jeff put it back but noticed a hole had washed out just under the deck. He used all the tomato pot plants' dirt to fill it up and then put the boards back. 

We added the concrete for reinforcement. However, toting them down the hill caught up with me last night. I decided my body needs the rest today, so writing a post instead of my walk.

I also did some yard work and moved my geraniums from the back deck and added them to the front door pots. They just don't get the sun that they once did with the pine trees. The other plants are temporary. 

Can I just tell you I have a love/hate relationship with those pine trees? For one they have grown immensely since this house was built in 1984. They dump copious amounts of straw on my deck and scare the life out of you during a hurricane and YET...

They possibly block the house from other things during a hurricane and certainly possibly save the lower deck from maybe more wave action AND provide lots of pine straw for my front flower beds.

Anyway, they are a big part of my days and have definitely changed the lighting on the deck over the years so for now I am going to think on what I will put in the pots outside my kitchen window. Hmmm.

Tucker has been in quarantine which is up tomorrow. His teacher tested positive but no kids have had any problems...just been home which meant Lindsay has been working from home. Yesterday, she had an important Zoom meeting so he went to work with Tyler. 

Tyler said he loved watching the big trucks unload stuff so I think he had a blast.

Mother is having headaches so we have a telemedicine doctor appointment with her neurologist from Pensacola. I am actually so happy I don't have to drive over, so this may be one of the good things about the Big C.

In other news, our church is back in full swing - by full swing I mean every thing is opened. We are still providing online church, and I would say about 35% came back. I am not sure I have the numbers correct. 

Since my husband is an elder and we are good friends with the pastor I will tell you that church is no different than most of the country. Half want masks, half don't, pretty much every detail with the Big C is split down the middle. 

Anyway, I taught my girls for 2 weeks in a row. I am nervous. In fact, mid week I get down right anxious and then I look around at the world and I go try to teach my girls. 

I made some pumpkin spice blondies this weekend for Jeff. I hate anything pumpkin spice, but he said they were good. Here is the recipe I used. https://cookiesandcups.com/pumpkin-blondies/ He chose white chocolate chips for his blondies.

Oh and for those of you who like home decor, Lindsay got a new piece of furniture. She replaced a bookcase on a long wall with this lovely piece. She has more plans for it, but this was right after she got it home. She wants to get a beach picture made into a 3 piece canvas to go on the wall.

That is about it in my world...

Grateful for my cave, AKA my home. The dogs and I enjoy our quiet days. 

A Hodgepodge Post

A little stitching first...

I finished flower #3. This one is the Cherokee Rose. Sorry for my blurry dark picture. I will do better soon.

There is another flower planned for a total of 4 and then I will share all and how I came up with the four flowers when I love ALL flowers.

Now, onto storms. Seriously 2020 ---just stop this nonsense! I am usually a positive person, but I am tired like everyone else of the crazy. No one on the northern Gulf Coast needs another storm. Saturday is at the anniversary for Michael over to our east. Those people would probably surely don't need one on the anniversary of a hellish night two years ago.

 To our west in western Louisiana they have had one already that was really really bad. However, I know from experience (Erin and Opal ---1995) they will come to the same place in the same year. Alabama and Pensacola haven't even gotten cleaned up from the devil, Sally. 

My street still has debris from it as well, but I drove to Pensacola yesterday for a doctor's appointment and trust me a storm in there would be disastrous. The street sides are loaded with limbs, logs, wet carpet and the like. I did hear on the local news this morning that they were sending out more trucks to try and get as much as they could up from over there.

I can't take my eye off of it because quite frankly the NHC has gotten intensity or landfalls right to well in the past two years. 

So, I am on full alert and ready to spring into action. I haven't pulled things in yet, but watching closely.

Now, onto another happier topic...PURSES.

Now, my philosophy has always been if you are feeling sad a new purse could do wonders for you. I lived by that sentiment for MOST of my life.  However, with retirement I quickly realized I didn't need to buy a new one every time I turned around. I did a post a while back where I pared them down to 10. Now, I don't have all those and I will admit I have a dozen, but that is it. You hear ---I mean it.

Seriously I can't even use 12, but some of them I have for sentimental reasons and with this story you will see sometimes it isn't a good idea to quickly get rid of things.

I pulled out one the other day when I was cleaning out a closet and pulled one out to get rid of, so that meant I could have a new one.

After some really long thoughts I decided on an eBay purchase. I needed a medium size more fall/winter purse. I have more spring/summer.

I ended up ordering one and get this...I had this same purse in the early 2000s. I got rid of it and kind of always missed it so when I saw this I knew I would like it. 

I don't think the picture does it justice, but it is in great shape and for $20 rather than a $100 + I was pleased. IT is clean and no wear. It has some leather fading, but very minimal.

I chose this one for its medium size.  It has three compartments.

I have actually been using a much smaller purse in retirement because if I travel I carry a tote bag with more stuff in it, but just around town I need my basics. However, with all those virus stuff I have my masks and hand sanitizer stuff so I felt like a needed a wee bit bigger than my smaller fall/winter purse.

Here is my small fall/winter purse.

I also have a large fall/winter purse, but things can get lost in the cave. This one is a knock off brand that I got at Dillards. I really like, but don't like those short straps.

I found the perfect purse a few years back. I have used this purse more than any other purse EVER in 60 years. I have written how I love purses several times on the blog. I loved a purse even as a very small girl...way better than a doll. You never saw me without one.

You can see my near perfect purse here. I still love both of the purses in this post.

One more topic before I start supper. 

I finally did a DNA test. I am completely overwhelmed with all the information that it sent ---not necessarily the test but the people who have contacted me and sent me further information. I will be down this rabbit hole a while. I really wanted to put a family book for the kids for Christmas. ---don't know it I will accomplish it.

One surprising thing...not a bit of Irish. Let's just say I feel like the guy on the commercial who thought he was German, but found out he was Scottish.

I have a lot of Scottish... 

Ok... I am shutting it down for the day. Need to go cook supper.

On a serious note, add the Gulf Coast to your prayers. I would love to see this thing just fizzle out and disappoint the Weather Channel.