One Last Post for June

Two posts in two days...

I decided I had complained in the last post which really though is the truth of what goes on around here sometimes.

In between all that chaos I read three books this month. I have one to mention. Back at the beginning of June, Diane at Lavender Dreams mentioned the book Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger.  She wrote, "If you only have time to read one book this summer, read this one. It is amazing. You'll never forget it."

So I normally look at the library, but after reading about in on Amazon, I ordered knowing if I liked it that it might be one to pass onto my son. (It was written in 2014, so good chance it is at the library.) My son, daughter, and I are all readers and I usually can tell if they will like something as well. I am the most eclectic reader of the bunch.

Back to the book...yes, it was one I am still thinking about three days later. I enjoyed it and she made a great recommendation. For those of you who know me...it has some strong language in a couple of places but are not cast out there lightly like everything these days. They are part of the character and story.

A couple of months back I purchased a new decorating book. Y'all know my love for those, but I don't buy them lightly these days and this one did not disappoint. I am just now getting around to mentioning it. The book Enduring Southern Homes by Eric Ross is just that...beautiful classic, not trendy homes.

Here a few of my favorite pages...

He is on Instagram and one to follow if you love home decor like me, and I have been thinking I should share it for months. Now, I have:)

Onto other things...

I really really really need to stay off of Instagram period. I have two things I saw on there that are in some form or other showing up in Jolly July stitching, but first....

If you don't read or follow Judy at Halland House Gifts, you are missing a treat. You simply must go and see her finished "Sarah B" Hands Across the Sea Sampler. Simply marvelous, beautiful, amazing, and every other fantastic word you can think of will describe it. Vonna and the Fiber Talk guy have been talking about it for quite awhile on Youtube, but Judy has put the final stitch in it and I am so inspired.

If after July and my Christmas stitching that I have picked out I can stay away from being swayed by all the adorable smalls, this ole girl is going to be a stitching machine on some larger pieces and then just maybe one day I will do a Sarah B sampler.
Go see it!!!!
Then come back for some of my plans.

I have three larger projects that I have kitted up which really when you see here is way more than three.

Here is what I am up to...

Right after this past Christmas, I ordered some patterns that had birds. My plan when I ordered them was to eventually stitch them and make a wall in the master bedroom with these. I had been so inspired by all the botanical prints making up walls on Instagram and I though these would be my version of that. When they arrived all those months ago, I sort of put them on the back burner thinking maybe I had been wrong. They were not true pictures like, but maybe cartoonish. That is really not the word I am looking for, but I second guessed myself, so I stuck them back and started something else even though I had been all about them.

THEN, along came that inspirational lady... Carol at Stitching Dreams and lo and behold she had stitched one of them and I knew then I absolutely had to do at least some  of them, but which ones and how many?! After all, I don't think they will be that quick to stitch. So, I am finally getting through with some things I had started and put together a plan. I will do Faith, Hope, and Love first. If I never get to 8 of them, at least these three will look good together. I have 8 patterns, but two more have come out since I purchased them. They really need a mockingbird and then I will be in business:)

I plan to do all on the same linen.

Have Faith has been started and the colors are so pretty.

I definitely want to do my roses stitch that I have started and I simply must do two more from my space book...one of the Apollo 11 landing and then one of Voyager. I can so see myself starting the moon landing one on the 50th anniversary this year on July 11th.

I will stitch on the roses and the bluejay Sunday and then it is onto Christmas. I will be back soon for that plan!!!


In the meantime, I simply must not buy anything else, cuz wait to see you Christmas plans.

Overly ambitious,
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