It's Been a While!! (and Halloween!)

Dear Stitching Friends,

I have been a bad girl, and not doing much blogging for a while!  I really enjoyed my break...Summer was busy and HOT!  But our weather has broken now, and we are enjoying cooler weather for a change!

I have missed out on some wonderful stitching by all of you!  I'm going through blogs now and seeing what's been going on!  I did participate in an exchange, and I really enjoyed that.  I'm catching up on all of your news and I'll be trying to comment and respond! I had to re-sod a part of my yard--my only two year old sod!  Believe it or not, it got chinch bugs and they ate and destroyed a big path through my formerly beautiful grass!  It was dreadful, but I just bit the bullet and called the sod man and now it's looking great again!  I hope this is finished.  I will not be doing this every other year!!!

It's almost Halloween, so I have done some Halloween decorating!  I love my beautiful concrete lion that sits at my front door.  It was my mother's and I brought it to my house so I could enjoy it after she died.  She had the little mask for him, and I put a fluffy bow on him, so he could participate in the Holiday Festivities!  ha!

 

I also put up my Halloween tree, which I adore!  I think the bright orange and black is so much fun, and it makes me smile!  In addition to the little clear lights that came on the tree, I add little "candy corn" lights that make it even more festive!  They don't really show up too well here, but they are cute in reality!

 

I've actually done a little stitching and that's been fun.  You don't realize how much you miss it until you pick it up again!  I hope to have some finishes to show soon!

I can't do a post without including my two favorites.....Precious Omar is always ready to pose!  He approves of my new chair and is always happy to strike a very becoming pose!

Darling Zoe is just growing too fast!  My son wanted to go to Buffalo Wild Wings, (I didn't particularly!) but we went and she loved her little buffalo hat! ha  Apparently those fries are pretty good, too! ha

Thank you for visiting!  If you are reading this, then you are one of my very few readers that I still have!  oops!  I will try to work on that!

I hope things are going well for everyone, and that you are anxiously awaiting the Holiday Seasons that are upon us!  I will do my best to make another post in a reasonable amount of time! ha

Frances

Shocking, isn't it??

Dear Blogging Friends,

I know you must be in total shock to see a post from me!  I have thought about all of you often. I hope you are all doing well!   It took me this long to just sit down and make a post!

As you know, my life has turned upside down lately, but I am progressing and getting used to my new way of living.  I wish, so much, that things were different, but they aren't, so I am determined to forge ahead and try to enjoy life!  I'm pretty much finished with all the paperwork and financial things I had to do, so at least that is behind me now!

During the past year or so, we let our yard take a back seat to everything else, which wasn't a good thing!  After this Spring, the grass was almost non-existent in places!  We had dead limbs hanging in our trees, and a some trees that looked like they were on the way out!  After reviewing everything, I had four trees taken out and dead limbs cut from every tree!  I also had St. Augustine sod put down in the entire yard.  Some overgrown bushes were removed and replaced with new ones, but not all.  I had to stop somewhere! I am pleased with the end result, and now I'm in the process of watering until I could scream!!!  But I have to do that for the sod to live!  I did not put in a sprinkler system because I spent a small fortune on all the trees, landscaping and sod.  Maybe in the future!

It looked so sad with all the grass scraped off & utilities marked....

Then, tons of sod magically appeared at 6:30 AM and change began!

Now I have a yard full of sod and some new stepping stones, so I don't step in gooey dirt while watering all day long!!!

Sometimes, I think I must really be a genius!  Since I have been watering all day long, I decided to take advantage of the water that goes on the driveway, and parked my car there to get the dust rinsed off!!!  And yes, I did turn it around and get the other side, too!  

I have put up my Halloween Tree, and I'm really pleased with it!  I love all the fun colors and I have located such cute little bought ornaments to fill in with!  

I finally have a finish to show!!  I know some of you might need to sit down with that news! 

This is a little Prairie Schooler freebie card that I had stitched up quite a while back.  It's on hand dyed linen and I think it's really cute!  I even had some BOO! ribbon to use on it! This is one in a stack of things that must be finished, so maybe I'll have more to show very soon!

Just a little lesson I learned...never think anything is ever completed and over!  I walked out on my patio and noticed this in my yard.  I thought it was a big limb and couldn't believe it!  I live next to a creek, and there is a small strip of common area between my house and the creek.  I do not own that land.  My tree people were so kind, that they went on and trimmed up the 2 trees on that common land so they would look nice by my yard.  And then they left.  And the the yard was done.  And then...this very tiny but tall tree that grew beside the larger tree got tired and just fell over.  It didn't crack.  It just drooped. Right on top of my new camellias and gardenia bushes.......I was able to slide it off my bushes and on to my new sod!  hahaha  But, I called the homeowner association and they came and cut it and took it away!  I guess I just live for drama!

Thank you for reading my blog.  You know that the past few months have not been the greatest, and I appreciate any of you who are reading this post!  I am back in the swing of things and I will be posting some additional finishes very soon!

Frances

Back Yet Again!!

Hello Blogging Friends!!
I am back to blogging now...Holy Week and Easter are behind me now!  What a great feeling to have it all finished!  Everything went so well.  It was really beautiful!

The week before Holy Week, we lost one of our retired Bishops.  We were sorry because he was such a lovely person and will be sorely missed.  I have played for priests' funerals before, but never for a Bishop!  It's a three day group of events!!!  And this was the week before Holy Week!  I could not believe it, but everything was wonderful.  It was a joyous funeral.  We just had to juggle things greatly at the last minute!  Bishops from all over came--here is a photo of them during the processional hymn.  Quite an impressive bunch!

I went shopping at the Salvation Army (after leaving some donations!) and couldn't pass up this little strawberry picture.  It was a whole dollar!!  I plan to take it apart and make a little pillow ornament with it!  So sweet.  I always feel bad to see someone's hard work end up in a junk store!

You all know how wild I am about my sweet kitty Omar!  I got him a little t shirt.  You can see that he is not a fan of t shirts!  His expression is priceless!  I guess I'm just not going to have a cat that wears clothes!!!  hahaha   It even says "mommy's little dude" on it! hahaha

I'm embarrassed to show my Easter tree now, but I will do it anyway!!!!  It was cute and I enjoyed fixing it.  I will pull off the obvious Easter things and add some flowers and butterflies to make it a Spring tree!

 

I love all my sweet bunnies and carrots!

Finally, here are a few photos of the Cathedral decorated for Easter.  It is truly a stunning place!

Our weather has been delightful in Mississippi, except for the pollen and oak tassels!! Everyone is snorting and snooting!  But that's just how it is at this time of year.  These azaleas were so pretty at the rectory.  The bushes are so full!

Thank you for stopping by and please come back soon!  I hope I will have more posts and finishes to show very soon!  I am planning a big finishing day--my stack is growing and I'm very anxious to jump in and get some things done!  Now that Easter is over, we have a long stretch of calm regular Sundays!  YAY!!  Nothing special!  I feel like I will finally be back in my normal life!

Happy Spring!

Frances

Spring is coming!!

Dear friends....I cannot wait until Spring is here!  It's just around the corner!  YAY!  
I absolutely love the beautiful green landscape here in Mississippi!  It's really one of the most beautiful Spring places on earth!  There are flowers everywhere and much wildlife, and a mild temperature.  (Yes, it does get rather WARM in the Summer!)

Anyway, I went outside, looking around for birds and Spring things!  I have enjoyed seeing Beth's outdoor/bird/wildlife posts at her blog!  She is an expert photographer and knows so much about birds and critters!!!  Check out her wonderful blog, if you've never seen it!

I'm going to post a few fun photos--but these were taken with my phone, so don't expect great and fabulous photography!  I had such a good time outside, looking around at everything and just appreciating the beautiful world!!  I must take more time to relax and enjoy it!

I have no gardening skills at all, but I do enjoy looking at other people's yards, and wish that mine was as nice!  However, I have a few little things planted outside that make me happy, so I'm going to share those with you!

My pink hyacinths are coming up!

My jonquils are just coming out, but the one below is the only one with a bloom!

These are Easter lilies.  People at my church donate Easter lilies each year, but everyone doesn't come and get their lily when we take them down. Since I'm on the Flower Guild, I've brought home some of the "unclaimed" Easter lilies each year and we just put them in the "natural" back corner of the yard, which is where the jonquils and hyacinths are, too. The lilies come up every year, usually around Mother's Day.  I will be sure to share a photo!  They are really pretty.  They're peeking out now!!

*All of the hyacinths, lilies, and jonquils are left over from the church!

There are many, many birds and wildlife in Mississippi!  I forget to notice them, but they are everywhere!  I live by a creek, so there's always activity there!

There were TONS of robins everywhere, hopping around and looking for food, I guess!

We have too many Canada Geese, but I've always thought they were so pretty!

 

We have mallards swimming by...

And this fellow is new to me, called an American Coot!  What a funny name!  I saw two of them swimming by.

We also have at least 6 egrets that love to stay in the creek by my house!  They are so big and pretty.  I'd love to see where they might have a nest.  I'll have to investigate!  There's also a couple of blue herons, but I haven't gotten their photo yet!

I have several bottle trees in our yard!  These are trees that can't be ruined!!!  I love them and enjoy the colors in the sunlight.  I have a lot of champagne bottles (a friend saved them from a party) but I also like my fish bottle and my violin bottle!  They are so much fun! I see that these need a little bath so they'll be sparkling!  Hmmm...one day! LOL!

 

Well, that sums it up for today.  This is not my usual type of post, but it's been fun!  I'll be back with Blogoversary Giveaway news, so check back!

Thank you for stopping by, and please come back soon!
Frances