Whew! A busy, but fun month!

I really didn't mean to be gone for four weeks! July has been one of the busiest months ever and I'm so ready for a quieter August... Before I show you my stitching or give family updates, I really, really want to thank all of you who commented on my last post. I simply haven't had time to get back to most of you. But, I truly appreciate each and every comment--thank you!

I did manage two simple finishes this month, both of which I've already shared on Instagram. First up is the charming Plum Street Samplers design called "Summer in Nantucket." Who has visited Nantucket? Not me, but it's definitely on my list! I just love the photos I've seen of the most beautiful hydrangeas blooming against the weather-beaten gray background of the seaside houses (although in this scene, the house just happens to be red!). I love the whimsical details--the whale weathervane, the seagull as big as the roof, and who doesn't love a flag-bearing, whale riding mermaid? I did make a few changes to the colors in this piece--mainly to the red and green. For the red, I used Gentle Arts "Weathered Barn" and for the green, I substituted Gentle Arts "Baby Spinach." The fabric is one of my favorites: 40 ct. stormy night Newcastle. It's such a great fabric for summery piece, snowy designs, or even spooky stitching!

"Summer in Nantucket"

Luckily, I had a perfectly sized frame in my stash of thrifted frames (this one was $3.00!). It started out as a gold frame, but I knew that wouldn't do at all. So I gave it three coats of a creamy white paint (FolkArt matte finish acrylic paint in 515E "Vintage White"), distressed it a bit, and had an instant finish!

The shells are ones I've collected on my travels

Another change I made to the design was to add a few little bubbles for the fish--it seemed to give the piece some movement. I'm thrilled to have another true summer-themed piece all ready for display as I have so few. Most of my summer finishes are either patriotic or sunflower/bee themed.

I do love that mermaid sailing through the sea on the white whale!

Having very little time to stitch my monthly Christmas ornament, I had to choose a simple and quick design. As I was looking through my notebook of possible ornament charts, this little cutie popped out at me. With only four DMC colors and a simple to follow snowflake, I had this one stitched and finished in just a couple days. This is called "Bird and Snowflakes: Chickadee" and can be found in the February 2020 issue of Just Cross Stitch Magazine. There are two other alternative bird designs included: a red cardinal and a little robin. I love the way the beads were added to the lattic design in the back. Once again, I used 40 ct. stormy night Newcastle for the fabric.

A sweet chickadee for my July ornament

I turned it into a simple round ornament, bordered it with a gray and white cording, and added a double layer of gauzy white ribbon to the top. It's so delicate and sweet, isn't it? Seven ornaments down, five to go for 2024!

Sometimes a simple finish is best!

I've turned to stitching a cute bee-themed piece for August along with my latest Christmas ornament so I hope to have those to share with you soon. 

Giveaway winner... There were quite a few entries for the "Americana Sampler" that I offered in my previous post. I really enjoyed reading about where you purchase your cross stitch supplies and have to say I'm envious of those of you who still have local needlework shops. Sadly, there seem to be fewer and fewer of them! The lucky winner's name drawn from the hat is...

GAIL L.

Gail L.--you are the winner of this patriotic chart!

Congratulations, Gail L.! Please send me your mailing address (my email is in the right sidebar--just click on my profile) and I'll get this in the mail to you next week. I hope you enjoy stitching it as much as I did and will pass it on when you're done. And for those of you who didn't win... keep an eye on this space. I'll be offering more giveaways in the near future!

So... which do you want first? The good news or the bad? Let's get the bad out of the way. My dear husband now has Lyme disease. He began having some muscle pain and asked his doctor for a Lyme test and, sure enough, he tested positive. So, he's on doxycycline for two weeks (the same antibiotic I was on a few weeks ago). He's had no other symptoms, so we are hopeful that the medicine will clear it up with no lingering effects. I'm considering getting tested myself as I've been having some unusual symptoms lately. Although my tick report came back positive for Lyme, I was not tested for it and was simply put on the antibiotic. So, I may just have it, too... For those of you living in Pennsylvania, you can send the ticks to the Pennsylvania Tick Research Lab for free testing. I would imagine other states have similar programs, but I don't know for sure. Anyway... Lyme disease and ticks are terrible problems in this part of the country and they will certainly spread to more and more states and countries. We are now paying to have our yard sprayed for ticks (many neighbors already do so because they have pets)  and I'm hoping that helps. Stay safe out there and always, always check yourself for ticks after being outside in grassy areas!

Much of my time this month was spent with my grandson which was wonderful! In early July, we drove the four hours to Maryland for his very first overnight stay alone with us. The first night was a bit difficult for him and he cried and cried for his parents at bedtime, but the remaining three days and nights went well and we had such fun! Since we were there over the 4th of July, a parade was, of course, in the mix. The neighborhood Mister B lives in has such wonderful community activities at holiday times. This time they held an event in the park where the kids could decorate their bikes and scooters, get temporary tattoos, and even have their photo taken with Uncle Sam before they participated in a short parade. And, what would the 4th of July be without an ice cream truck?!

Mister B and Uncle Sam on the 4th of July

Our patriotic tattoos (somehow, I put mine on upside down!)

Mister B turns 4! We drove home on Monday, July 8th and then back down on Saturday the 13th for Mister B's 4th birthday party. Like most little boys of that age, he is totally into superheroes so his mom and dad went all out and had a Spider-Man themed party for him. Since they are relatively new to the neighborhood, they also invited many nearby neighbors so there were close to 50 people there.

Spider-Man ruled the day at Mister B's 4th birthday. There was a bouncy house, Spider-Man piñata filled with candy, Spider-Man cake and cupcakes. The birthday boy is posing with his new Spider-Man sunglasses as his dad (my oldest son) looks on.

 

It was such a fun party! Until... about two days later. One by one, we each began to get sick. Yep--the birthday party was a "super-spreader" event! Not Covid, thankfully... "just" colds, sinus issues, headaches, coughs, etc. Almost everyone in our family got sick with it! My worst symptoms were fever, cough, and neck pain. And, unfortunately, the surgery that was scheduled for my oldest son a few days after the party had to be postponed because he was one of the sickest. Sigh... You'd think a summer party would be safer. But, I guess there is some nasty virus going around as I've heard of many folks having similar problems. 

We came home to recuperate and then my oldest son and grandson were here for a four day visit last week (my daughter-in-law was on a girl's trip with a friend). What fun we had--visiting local parks and a community garden, going to a bike event where he was thrilled to go up and down some small ramps on his balance bike, feeding the koi in our pond, exploring his grandpa's garden and relishing all those juicy red tomatoes, and playing with all of the wonderful old toys that I'd saved from the 1980s when my sons were small. He cried when he had to go home on Sunday... It warms my heart to know we're creating such fun memories for him of visits to Nonna and Pompa's house!

I can't believe Mister B is now four years old... Where have the years gone?

We've finally gotten a bit of rain this week--thank goodness! Our lawn is brown and crispy and some of the leaves have already dried up and fallen. It's been one hot, dry summer here and I actually found myself dreaming of cooler, snowy days last week. (WHAT?!? Snap out of it, Carol!). The pictures of the flowers taken here were from early July when everything wasn't as dried out. My husband grows all of these flowers (except for the hydrangeas which we treat with an anti-deer spray) for me within the confines of his fenced in vegetable garden. 

Snapdragons, sunflowers, zinnias, and hydrangeas from our garden--my husband deserves all the credit for growing them!

This is the best year for hydrangeas we've ever had. I read it was due to our mild winter and all the rain we had in the spring.

So, that's a wrap on July... I am truly hoping August will be a bit cooler and a lot less busy. I think all of you know what a homebody I am and I've missed just puttering around the house and sitting quietly with my stitching or a book. Then again, I would never give up those memories spent with my family during our busy July! Hope each of you has a wonderful new month. Bye for now...

Mister B spies a young male deer right outside our basement door. One of my favorite things is watching the awe in his expression as he  enjoys the wonders of nature.

Christmas stitching as Spring approaches

Greetings on what was a sunny (but quite chilly!) last day of February! I always love having this "extra" day every four years, don't you? And to those of you born on February 29th--I bet you especially love it! Can you believe March begins tomorrow? February was a good month here--I felt we got a lot accomplished around the house. So many projects that we've procrastinated about for years are done--the main one being the wallpaper removal in our bedroom. My husband painted our bedroom last weekend and it's so wonderful to have the old wallpaper and chair rail gone and the room looking brighter and refreshed. It really gives me a lift when projects like this are finished. Next up? The dining room! I've been saying that for at least five years now, but that red paint in there has to go. I need something lighter and airier in my life right now rather than the red walls that were so popular for kitchens and dining rooms twenty years ago. 

Unfortunately, due to all of the house projects, my stitching time has been limited. I did manage to get my two ornaments finished for February and March, though. My taste in ornaments is very eclectic--have you noticed that? Last month, I stitched that elegant wreath with the cardinals and the two I have to show you today are just plain fun and whimsical. For February, I stitched yet another Crocette a Gogò design--the little gingerbread boy from the "Christmas Green Chic" pattern. I had a small scrap of a mystery sage green 40 ct. linen left and thought he would look perfect on it. I used most of the suggested DMC colors, but changed the gingerbread boy himself to DMC 167 and chose to use DMC 816 for all of the reds. A simple sage green cording and a row of rusty bells sewn to the bottom finishes him off quite nicely. He is very small--the finished pillow is just 3 inches square!

Too cute to eat! A new gingerbread boy ornament for February.

March's ornament is a bit larger even though I stitched it "over one" on 25 ct. vintage country mocha Lugana. This is "First Snow" by Annie Beez Folk Art and I actually used all of the suggested DMC colors (for a change!). I just love that little snowman head she used to represent the letter "O" in the word SNOW. The ornament is surrounded by cording in the same green I used for the pine needles (DMC 580) and the fabric you see on the larger circle is wool felt. I thought the green and cream checkered bow topped it off nicely. I did move around/add some snowflakes to achieve the round ornament I desired.

My finish of "First Snow" by Annie Beez Folk Art

I've had questions as to how I finish the back of this type of round ornament... Very simple! I just cut out a round piece of wool felt (in a coordinating color) to cover the area and use some spray glue to carefully press it in place (spray the piece of felt with the glue--not the ornament back). Below is what it ends up looking like. I do this to save both time and money on supplies. I'm not fond of bulky ornaments which happens when you add yet another covered fabric round to the back.

The felt covered back on my round ornament finish. Simple, but effective!

 

One additional ornament was sent out as a gift to a special friend who has a family member dealing with a very rare health issue. I just wanted to bring a smile to her face as she and her family deal with a very scary and worrisome situation. This is one you've seen before--a small motif from Madame Chantilly's "Celebrate Winter." It's stitched on 40 ct. raw natural Newcastle with some added snowflakes to shape it into an oval ornament. I love the little polka-dot bow and brass bell and so did the recipient. Thinking of you, my sweet friend--and sending caring hugs and prayers your way!

I love this motif of the sweet bird perched on the white house and have now stitched it four times!

The only other new things I "made" this month, were some tasty mini-Bundt cakes for my middle son's girlfriend's birthday on Monday. I didn't know what to bake, but decided on these cute little chocolate cakes using the recipe found right here. They were very rich and I could only eat half of mine! I used sour cream in this recipe, but I'll use buttermilk the next time as they were a bit dry for my taste. The recipe made 12, but I halved it for the four of us. Of course, whipped cream and fresh raspberries hopped on to the plate, too! Doesn't this little Bundt cake look pretty?

One of the Mini Chocolate Bundt Cakes for a birthday celebration

 

I had a wonderful trip down memory lane this past weekend. We were invited by friends to attend a musical tribute to Fiddler on the Roof on Saturday. I thought it was just going to be a selection of some of the musical numbers, but it turned out to be almost the entire play, dialogue and all! As soon as the orchestra began to play the first few notes, I was immediately transported back to my high school auditorium where our drama club performed Fiddler on the Roof to standing ovations in March of 1972. Imagine that... over fifty years ago and I could still remember (almost) every word to every song. I was one of the "villagers" in the play--no speaking part (heavens, I was way to shy even back then!). The villagers sang as a chorus, did a few (very minor) dance steps, and simply "created magic" as our director wrote in a letter to each of us after our play was over.  I smiled wistfully throughout most of the production on Saturday night as I remembered my high school friends who acted in the play with me and all the fun we had during those rehearsals so many years ago. I also got a bit teary-eyed during the very sad parts as the villagers are forced from their homes in the little town of Anatevka by the Russians (the very same thing that is happening in Ukraine today).  Anyway, it was a night I'll never forget...

I'm thrilled to report that my youngest son and his girlfriend returned safely from their vacation in Oman with glowing reviews. He said one of the best things was that where they were staying was within a two-hour drive of the mountains, the beach, or the desert. In fact, they even spent a night in the desert at a remote camp. I have since learned that Oman is considered the "Switzerland of the Middle East" due to it's neutrality so I guess I had nothing to worry about concerning their safety after all, did I? But, a mother always worries--even when her "baby" is 35 years old!

A beautiful view of the sun over the sand dunes in Oman sent by my youngest son

 

We've had a couple of huge rainstorms this past month and when that happens, we get what we call "the second pond," in our back yard. Oh, the deer just love to come visit it to get a drink of water and romp and splash through the giant puddle. Here they are with white tails flashing danger after they spotted me walking toward them... There were actually nine deer in the yard at that time, but the rest are out of the photo frame. I think that's the most we've ever seen at one time! Now, do you understand why growing flowers or vegetables outside of a fenced in area is impossible in this area?

The deer romping through the water in our "second pond" that forms after heavy rains.

 

And I saw my first robin of Spring last week--always such a joyous and welcome sight! Although this hasn't been a hard winter here, I still look forward to the beauty of spring--the longer daylight hours, the pretty pastel flowers, the smell of the fresh air wafting through open windows. Ahhh... I spotted these two new With Thy Needle and Thread designs last week (when I was buying some overdyed threads online) and I just couldn't resist them. How about you, are you buying/stitching anything fun for Spring? 

Two new additions to my Spring stitching line-up!

 

I want to thank you for your visit today! I'm so glad when I see your comments pop up letting me know who has stopped by... Thank you, each and every one, for your very kind emails and your words in the comment section. I do appreciate each of you--I hope you know that! Wishing you a wonderful March ahead filled with warmer days and lots of sunshine. Bye for now...

Welcome, March!

"B" is for...

Hello there! The middle of July has passed and I'm just now posting... July is one "busy" month (just one of the many "B" words you'll read about in this post!) for my family with lots of birthdays, our wedding anniversary, gardening, etc. It's interesting how some families seem to have "clumps" of celebrations in one month or another. Our busiest month is definitely July. We don't have a single birthday in June or August (since my dad passed away anyway). What are your "busy" months? 

"B" is for... Big finish!  I decided earlier this year that I just had to stitch more summer themed pieces. I have a ton of patriotic finishes which I love having out in July, but I wanted more simple summer finishes to decorate with in June or August. The adorable designs in the "Celebrate" series by Madame Chantilly caught my eye when they were released and I purchased every single one. I've stitched snippets of "Celebrate Winter" and "Celebrate 4th of July" as little ornaments, but "Celebrate Summer" is the only design I've stitched in its entirety. There was a lot of stitching in this piece--much more than I anticipated, but I love how it turned out!

"Celebrate Summer" by Madame Chantilly

I stitched this piece on 40 ct. raw natural Newcastle linen using the suggested DMC colors. Stitching with DMC is so relaxing, isn't it? You never have to worry about the actual stitched piece not matching the photo on the chart like you do when using many overdyed threads. The reds, yellows, and blues are such perfect summer shades.

Look at the cute mermaid--she even has tiny blue earrings!

I did make one major change (in addition to leaving off the word "Summer" underneath the tray). I substituted "Hello Summer" for the charted "Hello Beach." We are not near a beach and rarely visit one so I just felt the "Hello Summer" phrase on the chalkboard was much more appropriate for my family. 

Such a happy looking whale!

The little motifs are so charming aren't they? Why just look at that little pig-tailed girl in her old-fashioned bathing costume and parasol--adorable!

So many adorable motifs!

I enjoyed stitching this summer piece so much and I know I'll be doing more of the "Celebrate" series--I think the fall design may be next! Have any of you stitched one of these?

I hope to frame this one soon!

 

"B" is for... Baking! I got the chance to bake when we went to a little get-together with my husband's biking buddies and their wives a couple weeks ago. Since it was a hot, hot day, I went with two very quick and easy desserts that I've made before and shown you on my blog. But, with a number of new readers, I thought you might like the links to these recipes again. Shown below are a very decadent pair: Peanut Butter Pie and Flourless Chocolate Cake. Don't they look scrumptious? Believe me... a little slice of these goes a long way! The Peanut Butter pie recipe can be found right here on the Jif Peanut Butter website.

July baking

The flourless cake looks quite elegant, but it is so simple! Be sure to watch the video and follow the tips suggested for a perfect looking cake. The white powdered sugar design is  made by placing a large doily on top and sprinkling the sugar over it. Lift off the doily carefully and you have a lovely dessert. I used strawberries to decorate the center. If you'd like to surprise your family with a super fudgy  treat, you can find the recipe on the Allrecipes website right here. The glaze I used for it can be found here. I only make a half-recipe of the glaze and it is plenty.  (Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Premium Baking bars were used for both the cake and the glaze just in case you're wondering). Yum!!!

I dare you to eat just one bite!

"B" is for... Blueberries! Two years ago my husband planted six or eight blueberry bushes and this year we had our first edible blueberries. (We had some last year, but you're not supposed to pick them that first year). Oh, my... they were fabulous! Sadly, we only got a few cups due to the birds helping themselves to them, too. We have the bushes under netting, but the birds still found a way to get underneath  and devour them. If anyone has any tips on keeping birds away from blueberries, I'd love to know...

Our first homegrown blueberries!

"B" is for... Blooms! My husband went a bit crazy with the sunflower planting this year (well, actually, I went a bit overboard in buying so many seeds) and they've taken over his garden. I love seeing their big bright heads bobbing around outside our window. Such a happy flower!

This year we planted sunflowers of all heights--from 3 feet tall to over 12 feet!

 

A bouquet of sunshine

"B" is for Babies! No, not human babies--baby deer. They seem to be everywhere right now and I love seeing the tiny white-freckled creatures trotting along after their mothers. This photo was taken from my living room window the other day. Sadly, there used to be two babies, but one was hit by a car and my husband found its little body back in the woods by our pond. 

A new little fawn exploring our yard

My sweet grandson (whom we fondly refer to as the "deer whisperer" because he has this uncanny ability to spot a deer quicker than any of us) is shown below. Look closely and you'll see him pointing at the mother deer with her baby lying right next to the street in their suburban neighborhood. It looks like the baby deer was just born, doesn't it?

Mister B loves animals of all kinds and was so excited to see the baby deer right in front of his house.

"B" is for... Birthday! And finally, I saved the best "B" for last. My little grandson, Mister B, turned three years old! This was the first year he really understood what a birthday was about and his enthusiasm was contagious. For months he had been telling people he was going to be "three in July" and he would be getting "five presents." Well, he ended up with many more than that, trust me! He had a little party in the park down the street from his house with six little friends (all were girls!) and their parents, his uncles and aunts, a few neighbors, and a little pug dog. The highlight of his day was the Hot Wheels piñata--he kept asking over and over when he could "do the piñata!" 

Clockwise from top left: time for birthday cupcakes, piñata time, a walk with Nonna, Mister B with Nonna and Pompa, my oldest son with the birthday boy, my son and daughter-in-law with their newly minted 3-year-old

We tried to keep our gift giving reasonable and got him a new sandbox, some clothes (which he barely glanced at, of course!), some books, the Curious George zippered pouch I had made for him earlier this year, and his favorite toy--this UPS truck! I bought it online from a neighbor  and he absolutely loves it. Do you see all those tiny boxes in the back? I found a file on Etsy for $2.00, downloaded it, and my sweet husband constructed the little UPS "packages" for him. I swear--you can find just about anything on Etsy!

One of his favorite presents--a UPS truck complete with teeny packages. Unfortunately, I don't have the driver for it, but hope to find one. This truck is made by Bruder in Germany--love the quality!

"B" is for... more birthdays! Yes, a trio of birthdays happens within a six-day span in our family in mid-July. My grandson was up first, then a day later my youngest son turned 35, and five days after that, my husband celebrated his 68th (or, as I always like to say: he caught up with me!). We were lucky enough to be together in the DC area again this year so my youngest son's girlfriend has us all over for a delicious birthday brunch and a tasty oreo cake to celebrate. 

Just look at those smiles on the three birthday boys!

"B" is for Brand New Car! If you read my last post, you know that my 2010 Honda CRV was recalled due to a serious rust issue and was deemed too dangerous to drive. It has now been a month since that happened and we still have not heard about the settlement offer from Honda. Very discouraging indeed. But... all is not lost. Two weeks ago a new Subaru Forester was delivered to the dealership, we went and test-drove it, and purchased it that very day. Would you believe I've only driven it once since? That is how little I drive these days, but so far, I love it. I felt comfortable in it immediately, but, have a long way to go to learn all the ins and outs of the technology. Yikes! I'm too old for this! It is a pretty "Silver Ice" color and we feel very lucky to have found it given the low inventory of cars these days. 

Assuming I can learn all of its technology, I think my new Subaru Forester is going to be a great car!

That was a lot of "B" words, wasn't it? Funny how that happens... I hope you enjoyed today's post! It was a fun one to put together. To leave you with a few more "B" thoughts--I hope you have a bright, beautiful, blissful, blessed rest of July. Thank you for those wonderful emails and comments--I so appreciate each and every one. Bye for now!

One month down, eleven to go!

The final day of January--can you believe it? And my third post of the month--even more surprising! How is everyone doing? Surviving the winter okay? I hope that those of you who were caught in that massive snowstorm on the East Coast fared well and that February will be a bit easier for all. In our area of Pennsylvania they are saying this is the coldest weather we've had in four years--subzero temperatures in the mornings and barely getting into the 20's during the day. Today we are getting up to 34°F--heat wave! But, you all know what the best thing is about our cold winter, don't you? It makes for wonderful stitching weather. Honestly, is there anything better than snuggling under a  cozy, fleece blanket and stitching, stitching, stitching? I have to admit that since I've been retired and don't have to leave the house for work, the cold and snow really don't bother me (very much, anyway)!

I've finished my January ornament--can you tell which is the new building added to my little town? Why, it's the local diner on the far right of the photo--something every small town has (sometimes even more than one!). The six buildings that I've stitched so far include, the train station, the tree lot, the firehouse, the needlework shop, and Grandma's house. In my mind, I planned on stitching one each year, but with 22 in the series, and only 6 finished, I think I need to stitch more than one a year if I ever plan on finishing. You see, I'm 67 now and with 16 left to stitch, I'd be 83 years old by the time I finished the series! Um... no! Not going to happen... I can guarantee you I won't be stitching "over one" on 28 ct. black Monaco at that age!

My Little House Needleworks "Hometown Holidays" finishes so far

Most of you will recognize the diner as part of the Little House Needleworks "Hometown Holiday" series. I made some color changes; the main change was to the roof as I wanted it to coordinate with the gold "Woolies Flannel" fabric that I had chosen for the finish. Other changes included leaving out the front portion of snow, adding two candles in the center of the two windows, and topping the tree with a gold star. I truly love how this one turned out!

The Hometown Diner--freshest pies around!

Here is a close-up for you...

Can you see the little candles I added to the windows?

As I was stitching the diner, memories of my first real summer job came flooding back. You see, I actually worked at my small hometown diner as a waitress in the summer of 1974. I well remember the night I came home from my very first shift: I was exhausted, my feet hurt, and I smelled like grease from the kitchen odors (where I also had to wash dishes when I wasn't waiting on tables!). I remember telling my mom that I just couldn't go back... But, then the tips started pouring in and I learned to enjoy my three month summer job. The two other waitresses were fun to work with and I even developed a soft spot for the crusty, old cook who constantly had a cigarette hanging from her mouth (yes, people were allowed to smoke at work in those days!). 

 

This is the actual diner I worked at in my small western New York hometown in the summer of 1974

Giveaway time...  I found this very pretty small sampler (it measures  just 98 X 70) and thought it would make a sweet giveaway for this time of year. I love the large thistle in the center--such pretty colors, too! This chart does have some specialty stitches in it so I would not call it a beginner design. If you would like to win this design (simply a chart torn from the March/April 1992 issue of Cross Stitch & Country Crafts  magazine. I will fold and mail it to the winner in a legal-sized envelope to save on postage), please: 1) Specifically mention that you'd like to win the "Thistles and Flowers" chart in your comment below, 2) Answer the "Getting to Know You" question below, and 3) Make sure to include your email address if I don't already have it.

I'm giving away this sweet chart called "Thistles and Flowers"

Getting to know you... It's been a while since I've had a giveaway and asked a "Getting to Know You" question! For today's question, I'm wondering what one of your first jobs was and what you learned from it or found interesting about it? Here is my answer: Working as a waitress in my hometown diner over 40 years ago began a lifetime of jobs working with the public. And it taught me so much... I still remember the well-dressed older couple who I assumed would be big tippers. Nope--they left me a quarter. And then there were the shaggy looking younger guys who tipped big (but that may have had more to do with my waist-length straight hair and short white uniform than my performance as a waitress--ha ha! I mean it was the early '70s after all!). My waitressing job taught me to be patient and kind with those in public service as exemplified by the four businessmen whose laps became the recipients of the four large sodas  that spilled all over them when I set down my tray too quickly! They were so kind to me as I teared up and apologized profusely--a lesson I always remembered and carried throughout life. I think you can tell a lot about a person's character by how they treat shopkeepers, waitresses, grocery store workers, etc.--anyone you come in contact with on a daily basis. Please remember to always be kind... Now, it's your turn--I'd love to hear about one of your early jobs and what you took away from it!

On Instagram, I posted my Pottery Barn cubby filled with snowmen and winter stitching for January and it was a huge hit! Unfortunately, Pottery Barn seems to have discontinued making the cubbies and I've had a lot of disappointed stitching friends who are unable to find one of their own. I suggest keeping your eye out for other cubbies like printer's trays at antique shops. Some folks told me Hobby Lobby also offers a similar smaller cubby, too. Anyway, I thought you'd like to see the snowmen display as I know all of you are not on Instagram... Do you have a favorite? I think mine are in cubbies #6, #10, and #12, but they all make me smile.

Snowmen have taken over my Pottery Barn cubby for the month!

 

Lots of blue--my favorite color!

Wordle... Okay, who else has become obsessed with Wordle, the online word game? My middle son told me about it earlier this year and I can't wait to play it each morning. My family often compares scores and strategies and dumb mistakes that we make in trying to guess the five letter word that is offered each day. (You have to go to the website to play--it is not an app). The idea of it, for those of you who haven't heard, is to try to guess the five-letter word within six tries. I usually manage to get the correct answer in four, but not all the time! I think what I like most about it, is it is only offered once a day and so you don't spend hours and hours playing it like some other online games. Also, there are no ads or annoying pop-ups (kind of like my blog!). Give it a try and let me know what you think. You can find the website, right here: Wordle website.

My Wordle game from Sunday

This funny deer made his way into our yard last week and we've seen him wandering around a few times since then. When I spotted him, I asked my husband what was on his antlers and he said it looked like moss, but as the deer got closer, I saw shredded ribbons and greenery. I think it was someone's old Christmas wreath that he had found blown off a door or been discarded for trash pick-up. Poor guy! It doesn't seem to bother him, but I hope it eventually falls off! I wonder if he is attracting any female deer with his fancy headdress?!

What a fancy deer!

We've been snow-covered most of January and although pretty, I am starting to tire of it! I'd say we have close to a foot on the ground right now because it's been so cold, the snow is simply not melting! Our pond at the rear of our yard has actually frozen over for the first time in years.

My backyard and pond after a fresh January snowfall

But no matter how cold the weather, kids seem to love playing in the snow, don't they? I found this cute photo of my oldest son recently and combined it alongside a photo of his own son (my grandson) as they enjoyed their snowy days. The little shovel my grandson is using actually belonged to my sons when they were little boys. I'm guessing the photo of my son was from 1985 or so when he was about 3 years old.

Snowy smiles for my oldest son and his own son, Mister B

I want to thank each of you for taking the time to visit and read my post today--and a special thank you to those of you who comment. I always love to hear from you! Hope February brings many relaxing stitching hours and much time spent with those you love most in the world. I hope to be back with a couple of Valentine finishes before too long--we'll see! Take care now, my friends. Bye for now...