COLD NOT RESIST!

That tea/coffee dyed fabric kept calling and would not stop till I picked it up and started to stitch! Now I can't seem to stop! I picked out a few DMC Fall colors and started on "My Lady's Quaker", which Mayte gave to me for my birthday. It is coming along nicely and I am pleased with how well it is looking.

These are the beginning photographs, I have stitched several more motifs and will be showing you more shortly! And there is more to show you on "To The Acorn" as well.

I ordered four charts from Stickideen von der Wiehenburg, three of which are Vierlaneden and one is the "Rose Quaker". These are the first few charts I have ordered this year, being quite frugal and keeping to my premise of purchasing no new charts for the year. However. I am spending Birthday money so that does not count! (At least we are making an exception and especially since they were on sale, with free shipping from Germany!)

Wishing you a bodacious day filled with the best things Autumn can offer: apple pie, walks in the woods, turning leaves, crisp cool weather, deep blue skies, tart apple cider, raking leaves, preparing for Thanksgiving, pumpkin pie, etc.

MORE OF "TO THE ACORN"

Could I possibly stitch any slower? That seems to be the question of the hour! It's been a busy week, and frankly I have been just too tired to do any stitching in the evenings. So "the couch potato" aka "stitching fiend" has sat there and watched movies instead.



Today was break time from all the work, (well honestly the power was shut off for most of the day, so what could I do except stitch)? It was wonderful, and this section has now finally been completed! Thank goodness, as you read my tales of woe below! I had planned to straighten my craft room, vacuum, clean the windows. neaten the geraniums and the patio, dust & etc. but instead I got to stitch!



This section has given me nothing but heartache! It looks simple, and really it is not very difficult. But because of certain circumstances I had to frog quite a large amount, as I missed one cross stitch due to poor lighting. That one itty bitty stitch through everything off and the two sides were not symmetrical. Couldn't believe my eyes, but yep it was indeed true! I did carefully manipulate the variegated thread to look the way it does, and took a little time in and of itself.



While Ruby had her surgery last Friday, I camped out at a local Motel lobby to stitch and wait till she could be picked up and brought home. We had to travel to Banning for her surgical appointment. The lighting was not the best and I made a mistaken counting which cost me hours of time!



Plus the bottoms of the acorns I couldn't seem to get to look right no matter how many times I stitched them and restitched them. The directions were hard to follow and they really are not right- even now. But they look OK, and they are what they are! No more obsessing about these particular acorns , it's time to move on!

May you have an awesome October weekend, enjoying the sounds, scenes,

and tastes of Autumn!

ONE MORE TIME

Yes, that's right - I did it one more time, this morning.

And, again the results are just right (for me- that is). The 32 count linen fabric was dunked once all over for just a brief moment. Then it was wrung out and placed in the oven for a few minutes while the solution was boiled down to a concentrate. I took a cup and dabbled some of the concentrated solution and it was put back in the oven for a short visit. Afterwards, I washed everything out with some clear cool water till the water ran clean. It was put out in the air to dry a bit and then ironed completely dry. So now I have a very light, a medium, and a medium dark coffee/tea stained fabric(s) upon which to stitch. These will be perfect for those fall colors of browns, rusts, reds, greens, golds and so on! Can't wait to try them out.

Have a bodacious day filled with some sweet stitching.

A DOG'S PURPOSE

A Dog's Purpose

(from a 6-year-old)

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old

Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife

Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to

Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the

family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform

the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it

would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure.

They felt as though Shane might learn something from the

experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker 's

family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog

for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was

going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any

difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after

Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal

lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening

quietly, piped up, 'I know why.'

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next

stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, 'People are born so that they can learn how to live a

good Life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice,

right?' The Six-year-old continued, 'Well, dogs already know how

to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.'

So live like a dog:

Live simply.

Love generously.

Care deeply.

Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be

pure ecstasy.

Take naps.

Stretch before rising.

Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you're not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it..

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and

nuzzle them gently.

ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY.

EVERYBODY IS DOING IT

Either everyone is doing it or has done it, perhaps, except me. But now I have finally joined in! This morning I took the plunge, or rather a couple of pieces of fabric did! Two pieces of 32 count linen and one piece of 28 count even weave got dunked, basted, and baked!

These are the before, and the afters photos.

Needless to say there was a little bit of anxiety involved, however the results were quite pleasing and now I will be excited to do some more.

The solution was a mixture of strong coffee and strong tea. One piece was dunked several times and another one was dunked a couple and one was dunked only once. Really there is very little difference between them, except for the type of mottling effects. They all look similar to the RR Vintage Exemplar which was exactly what I was trying to achieve. Now I want to dye another one of the 32 count linens to a Light Vintage Exemplar.

To achieve the lighter shade, the solution from this morning should probably be diluted. We will give it a whorl and see what happens. These pieces of fabric will be very nice to use for some of the samplers I have planned to start!

I have some natural dye, indigo and cochineal which would be fun to experiment with. These will give various shades of blue and magenta's.

If you haven't tried this as yet, take the plunge! The water (coffee/tea) is fine and bodacious. Smells good too!! Back at you soon.

A BEAUTIFUL CHRISTIAN SISTER

A woman's heart should be SO hidden in Christ that a man should seek Him first, to find her.

When I say that "I am a Christian", I am not shouting that I am clean living. I'm whispering "I was lost, but now I'm found and forgiven."

When I say "I am a Christian" I don't speak of this with pride. I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say "I am a Christian" I'm not trying to be strong. I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say "I am a Christian" I'm not bragging of success. I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.

When I say "I am a Christian" I'm not claiming to be perfect. My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I am worth it.

When I say "I am a Christian" I still feel the sting of pain. I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

When I say "I am a Christian" I'm not holier than thou, I'm just a simple sinner who received God's good grace, somehow!

Today is Beautiful Christian Woman's Day. Pretty is as Pretty does but, Beautiful is just plain Beautiful.

Hoping to boost your self esteem and that you know I care about you!

UPDATE ON "TO THE ACORN"

Band seven is done and I am ready to begin band eight, hopefully sometime today. It's cool, foggy, and drizzling right now. The forecast is for 40% chance of rain today and 60% chance of rain tomorrow. We could have a fire in the fireplace, but after all that heat this past month, I am not quite ready. However a bowl of homemade cream of potato soup sounds really good. That is what we will have for lunch. I made a new recipe for BBQ pork in our cock pot yesterday, and it was delicious! There is enough for several nights this week. This recipe is definitely a keeper!

I have added lots of blankets and rugs for a covering on Ruby's crate in the garage. She likes to spend some time in there during the day, an now that it has cooled down considerably, she seems to enjoy the extra warmth! We have an appointment on Friday for her surgery, which was changed from this past Friday to this week.

This pix is just a closer view of the stitching on "To The Acorn". I see where there is a mistake and I need to frog one row and put it in correctly. OH, why does this keep happening to me? I started it over several times and still got it in the wrong place. Will I ever learn? But I do love the colors, so appropriate for this time of the year.



May you have some sweet stitching this week with no mistakes!

A NEW DESIGN

The inspiration for my new Bangle Fobs came from the way some of the cucumbers and yard long beans form the garden looked like a curly-Q. I experimented and played around with several ideas and finally came up with the scissor fobs. These are but two of the fobs I have created so far.

They certainly are different! What do you think?

Of course one could use them for many more things than just a scissor fob. Your imagination is the limit! Zipper Pull, Cell Phone tags, Purse Decoration, Tote Decoration, and so on!

BEST WISHES AND BUTTERFLY KISSES AS YOU COUNT YOUR STITCHES!

BAKING DAY

YES, its official, sourdough baking has begun again. The weather is finally cooled off sufficiently to begin sourdough bread baking. However, I made a slight boo-boo and added too much water when mixing up the starter and flour, so there was dough coming out of my ears - enough to bake four loaves. But they did turn out handsomely and tasted delicious. There is nothing like the smell of fresh bread baking in the oven. It makes your mouth water just with anticipation. We kept two for ourselves and gave two to the neighbors. Everyone loves the sourdough bread. We were out of sweets for the house, and I baked a Jewish Coffee Cake and a Classic pound cake also. Well ---- since the oven was hot, right? Good enough reason for me!

Monday morning I took out the starter and did some''refreshing' feedings (since it ha been dormant for 2 months) and by Tuesday morning it was very active again. Can you see the small "bubbles" on the surface of this loaf. that is how a loaf of genuine sourdough bread should look, with all those tiny bubbles. And then you slice into it, and there is a bite of heaven! (with a little butter added)



The Coffee Cake recipe has been in the family for quite a number of years and it is one of my husband's favorites. I know exactly how to please him! The pound cake is one I have adapted from a recipe that calls for a pound of butter, a pound of eggs, and a pound of flour. There is sugar too! with vanilla, orange, and lemon extracts.

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!

TWENTY FOUR & COUNTING

Yes, this is what I did yesterday while multitasking other housework jobs. Twenty four pints of tomato sauce canned and ready for winter enjoyment - "when the frost is on the pumpkin" - which is hardly ever, around here! I so remember my Mother canning and preserving all summer long for the winter months, she worked so hard for the family! Back then I didn't realize what the fruits (literally) of her labor fully meant, but now as an adult I have come to a complete understanding. I miss her terribly, she has been gone only a short 4 years. I am like my Mother, which would be the BEST compliment anyone could ever give me!

Fall is "hands down" my favorite time of the year, it is such a glorious series of events, including harvest. No wonder the Israelites has such Feast Days celebrating the harvest of various kinds!

I have even more sauce to can this week, but today is set aside to prepare the garden for winter crops (and other little chores) Needless to say I was just too tired last night to stitch. I didn't get finished till 8 PM, which meant a 13 hour work day. Today, however, is a new day with much to look forward to!

This is one of my favorite pottery bowls. It came from Pigeon Ford Pottery in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee. Whenever I get a chance to visit my hometown of Knoxville, there is always as trip in store for the Smokies and a visit to the pottery. Over the past 45 years, I have collected many of their pieces. They are all over the house! The colors of this bowl are especially favored, and so I am planning on stitching a project with them. Just don't know what as yet, perhaps a Quaker Sampler such as The My Lady's Quaker & The Gentleman's Quaker by Jardin Prive - charts that Mayte gave me for my birthday. We are planning to do a SAL together! Won't that be fun.

Tomorrow the plan is to get back to the baking of the sourdough bread. We have missed it, but it's just been too hot for the past two months. Besides, now - we are eager for it! So the Sourdough starter is being prepped today and baking scheduled for tomorrow! Stay tuned for the rest of the story.

Have a glorious day filled with the colors and tastes of Fall!

BIRTHDAY WEEKEND

I had T-H-E- best birthday ever! (Had to turn 65 to get it!) Cakes, flowers, cards, $, dinners & lunches out, phone calls, stash, DVD's - the works. The plan was to stitch all weekend long, but my friends and my sweet husband had other ideas, as you can see. So, it is official, and I'm without excuse - now a full fledged member of the Senior Citizen Gang!



Here are a few pix taken over the weekend of the celebrations. The cake was delicious and very lite. The beautiful roses were from Hubby. They have opened up a little but still look & smell delightful. I was careful to cut them under water and they have kept beautifully since Thursday.



Here is the small progress on "To The Acorn". Hopefully this next part which is whitework, can be completed by some stitching in the evenings this week. Sorry for the shadow at the bottom of the picture, which was caused by the flash.



Since I totally goofed off for the last four days, I have some catching up to do with housework, including laundry and canning tomato sauce. The sauce is ready, but the cans have to be washed & sterilized.



Sweet stitching to you all and many thanks for all your cards, calls, and gifts! Life would be empty, indeed, without your sweet friendships!