July 15, 2025 AD

 Shortly after I wrote my last post which has been almost a month ago, I felt like I needed to take a brain break. Back when teaching, I called a brain break for the kids after we had done some heavy learning; when the brain might be tired from all the work the students had done. Sometimes the brain break involved physical activity which is what most 4th graders needed, but for this older lady brain I just needed some quiet from the noise that life can throw at us. I will give a life update after I share my stitching.

Stitching

I mentioned I was stitching something for a family friend's daughter who just graduated from high school. These friends have 2 of the sweetest girls who are just precious to us. I had no idea that either would want something stitched. The older put the bug in my ear that "Laura" would like it. Trying to do something quick I looked for a quick download PDF from Etsy. That pattern had way more little x's than I could have imagined. I did finish it.

The pattern was from Yvonne Sewing World found on Etsy. I did change the outer edges of the flower to a darker color since the called for DMC Ecru just wouldn't show up on my linen. It has been framed in a round matted frame and delivered with notices to both girls when they move out from home and acquire a place of their own that I will stitch them something really cool. After all my home is full.

I immediately switched back to stitching grandchild #4's Christmas ornament. That is now stitched.

I plan to finish it with the tartan plaid for the back when I get some time. 

I haven't had as much time for stitching as I wanted since finishing the verse, but is there ever enough for this wonderful hobby. I have started some fall stitches that I have previously stitched. I did them shortly after I retired and while I love them, I have hated the linen that I stitched them on. I don't know if you even call what I used linen. I was just getting back to stitching after a long break and didn't know how much things had changed and modernized. This stuff was super stiff and hard to work on for finishing. I just loved the stitches and have had it on my mind to redo them for ages. Why not now? There are 2 of them to redo. I started the first this past weekend. 

I also really want to do some Christmas smalls...maybe even as gifts for some really good friends who have held my hand through the trials of the past couple years. We will see how much I can pull off with my plans. One thing is sure -  I love stitching. I have been stitching in my little sewing room as of late. I have discovered that I can lay out all my stuff on the sewing counter. There are overhead lights right there and then the natural light and view of the water are added bonuses to the relaxing feeling of the needlework.

Gardening

Well, my green thumb seems to be taking a break too. Anything planted in the ground is loving life - my daylilies have flourished this summer. Everything is so lush and green. My dwarf bottle brush shrubs have come back from the January snow. They haven't bloomed yet, but from the looks of them I think they will be blooming in September just in time for all the butterflies and bees. 

That clematis that I went crazy over this spring are a big ole dud. I bought 3 of them. When will I learn to just buy one of something and try first? They look absolutely no different - well maybe worse. No blooming. I have tried everything...locations, fertilizer, etc. You name it---I have read and studied. Nope ---just a big letdown. They aren't dying, but not much to get excited about. Jeff thinks it is the humidity. 

It has been very hot and humid even for this summer loving girl. The heat index high for today is 114. 

Even my vincas which I have grown for years are not happy this year. I have lost my edge I think. I think it is just a reminder that I need to not try to do so much. Less is more in this case. A few things to nurture is better than a ton that look sad.

Speaking of heat...

Tourist season has been a doozy this year. So much that I have not been to the beach as often as last year. The last week of June I had to help out with getting Tucker to a golf camp out in Sandestin. He loves golf and is quite honestly good. They signed him up for this camp since he needs things to do in the summer while Mama works. The traffic with tourists AND the fact that we are getting a new bridge out on the island has led to a jam up and jelly tight situation out on the beach road. While it a wee bit of a drive it should not have taken an hour to go and an hour to get back. I got to listen to a lot of podcasts on the drive. So much traffic...just standstill ---at least the views were good. Oh and hot! Tucker was wiped out each day after it. I kept him that week at my house so that he could cool down and rest afterwards. 

And helping with the kiddos has been a lot of what I have done this summer. I am grateful that I can do that. It has kept me hopping for certain.

My leave from the blog was a combination of busy with the kids and just feeling like the world was so noisy. I can read myself when there is just too much going on ---those times tell me to step back and quiet everything but the important stuff which is my faith and family.

I just took this time to slow down everything and be quiet. 

I have made use of my back deck and dock in the late evenings. I am so blessed to live where I live. I really can't complain when I can walk out there and sit and just listen to the sounds of nature and the water moving with the tides. 

I have nothing much to share other than it has been a ton of family time with me just not having to think about what I might blog about. 

The kids are growing up so fast and I love that I get to spend time with them. 

I also had in the back of mind that yesterday was Jeff's 3 month visit back to the urologist. It has been 3 months since the surgery. It was time to check for a recurrence of tumors. I can shout that he was all clear. 

Now we move on to his knee replacement scheduled for the 23rd next week. One thing at a time. So grateful for yesterday's test result. 

We have 2 little ones with birthdays coming up soon and before I know it school will start. I am looking forward to having Valerie then. She is adorable. I am ready for her.

I don't have a ton of pictures to share because part of my brain break has been not thinking too much about stuff like that. 

I think I am ready to get back in my groove.

Sandy in the summertime!

Oh I did see a thing on Instagram to share a song that said high school to you. I chose Stay by Jackson Browne. I can visualize that song on the tape or radio while sitting on the bridge to get to Pensacola Beach between junior and senior year. 

Trip to Cape San Blas

Since my last post, our family made it back to Cape San Blas for a weekend. After one trip was canceled and trying to find a house for another weekend, Lindsay said why not just go sooner than we had planned. I feel like it was a fast decision, but we were lucky enough to find a house. We just planned and packed quickly. This time we stayed on the bay side rather than the Gulf side. 

One thing is for certain, the bay will win out for future trips. We always went to the bay when the kids were little, but when we went in 2020 we got a Gulf side house. Hands down all loved the bay side, so Sandy will just have to walk over to put her toes in the Gulf side. Now, the bay is actually just trapped Gulf water so really I am getting my salty experience on either side. If I am honest, I liked the bay side too. The one who didn't or maybe he did was Gus. Gus was a bad dog though. He couldn't relax because he could see everything from the window so no one was leaving out that back door without him. He didn't understand the salty taste of the water. He threw up all the salt water that he ingested despite my best efforts. Next time, he will stay home with a sitter.

Other than that we had a marvelous time together soaking up the quiet life the Cape holds.

Here are a few photos of the trip.

Sunrise and you can see low tide. The tides are very prominent in the bay and bring with them loads of sea life. We didn't keep any of it...just enjoyed seeing it. All of the sanddollars and starfish are alive.

Tucker did reel in a small shark. He was quite proud and asked if anyone his age had ever caught a shark before? HA!

View from the porch. The water you see is wonderful for swimming. Shallow and clear. Pure Gulf water. Lots of patches of grass for finding starfish and sand dollars and other things too.

Jeff and Paul Allen's birthdays were last week but we waited until we got to the Cape to celebrate. I felt like I rushed their birthday a bit, but I think they would have chosen the trip over the regular day we usually have.

The boys put each one of those candles in the cake. I also felt he cake was rushed. It is the fudge frosting that I know is popular in the south. Not sure about other parts. It is time consuming and I didn't even clean up the cake pan. I was making it the night before we left.

I failed to get a better picture of the birthday boys. When you have 3 little boys around, the mind doesn't work as well as it once did. They did however get the candles blown out and the cake was delicious! All that icing was cleaned up off the pan before we left for home. Paul Allen is 33 and Jeff is 64. I have 9 months on him.

I am back worn out and spent most of yesterday moving slowly. Grateful that we got to go and now there will be a knee replacement for Jeff in July and of course the usual with Mom. I am still planning a day a week for tutoring Tucker. I am also doing something each week with the kids. It is a busy season, but I am grateful to be able to share time with them. 

In my next post I will share more about what I have been stitching on and a book I read. I have 2 new books sitting in my stack ---deciding which I will start today. Both look like they will be great.

The stitch is a gift for a family friend that graduated from high school this year. I had no idea she would like a stitch, but I got word she would.  I am just trying to finish it by the end of June. More details later on it.

 

Tired, but oh so grateful for time with family making good memories. 

Sandy