tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-167688872024-03-13T14:35:37.472-07:00On the Dry SideMy Life at HomeVonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371188658168380757noreply@blogger.comBlogger867125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16768887.post-63490207448352695152020-10-15T14:59:00.000-07:002020-10-15T14:59:05.622-07:00Where To Find Me These Days<p> Poor long neglected blog. Not only has it been put on a back burner, it's off the stove entirely! After my daughter's wedding in June of 2018, I kinda lost my blogging mojo and even set my stitching aside for awhile. </p><p>But I have since taken up my stitching again and have been updating over at Instagram where it's easy to upload a quick photo and description and call it good. If you're on Insta too, you can find me as @vondaleekay.</p><p>Perhaps one day I'll take up my blog again, but for now IG fills the bill.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371188658168380757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16768887.post-44852369974713310812018-08-13T15:40:00.001-07:002018-08-13T15:49:42.370-07:00Stitching, Fires, and SmokeHello Summer is progressing nicely.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello Summer</td></tr>
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After finishing the eagle, I decided to set this one aside and get to stitching on another project. First I picked up Red Velvet Inscription and put in a couple more strands of floss, finishing the K and starting the X below it. I'm planning to put in a couple of strands in between rotating projects, or maybe try picking it up every stitching session for one strand of floss.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Velvet Inscription</td></tr>
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Then I went to Hello Fall.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello Fall</td></tr>
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I got in the curly end of the branch, the star designs on the O, and ended with the blackbird. On Hello Fall I'm using one strand of floss over two fabric threads and you can see a clear difference on the two 36 ct fabrics. I don't think there's one definitive rule as to how many strands you use on 36ct, just use whatever pleases you!<br />
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The weekend brought us some cooler temps, but Saturday was blustery and a wildfire started south of Kennewick next to I-82 at the exit to Hwy 397. The wind whipped that blaze up quickly spreading it to the east where it came up over the hill and threatened homes at the edge of town. In fact, 4 or 5 homes were lost, many damaged by the heat from the flames coming so close, a couple of horses were killed, but no people. Our local first responders did an excellent job evacuating the area and keeping property damage to what it was. It's very sad that the homes were lost, but it really could have been so much worse. The flames continued to spread to the east/southeast to an area that is mostly wild grasslands. The authorities still do not know what caused the fire.<br />
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By Sunday the sky was actually pretty clear, the wind had blown the smoke away from town so Gary and I and Kirsten took the opportunity to drive down to Maryhill Museum to look at the Plein Air Exhibition that daughter Melanie participated in a couple of weeks ago, as well as look at the regular exhibitions at the museum. We had never gone inside before, but had stopped with the kids (years ago when they were little) a couple of times to let them run around the grounds.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Melanie's painting "Scorched Earth"</td></tr>
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Melanie did well at this exhibition winning an Honorable Mention, as well as the museum purchasing the above painting. You see during the week a wildfire burned hundreds of acres right across the road from the museum. Several of the artists captured the images they saw as the flames worked their way across the landscape.<br />
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After enjoying all the exhibits there, we drove down the road to Maryhill Winery where we enjoyed some nice wine and a picnic lunch on their patio. They had some live music going and it was a great way to relax after a week of work.<br />
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Now the skies are smoky again, so bad today that we can't see the nearby hills unless you get almost next to them. But I really don't want the wind to start up either to spread another fire that could be accidentally sparked. I have great sympathy for the people in California who've been displaced and lost homes in the deadly fires there. Let's all pray for rain . . . with no lightning!<br />
<br />Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371188658168380757noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16768887.post-52421771054313923012018-08-07T08:49:00.000-07:002018-08-07T08:49:07.908-07:00Hello Summer!Yep, it's summer alright! Last Friday we had a lovely day with a high of 88 degrees, but this week we're heading back up to the 100s - tomorrow maybe even 109. Typical summer here in Eastern Washington.<br />
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With summer in full swing, I have a good start on Hello Summer by Plum Street Sampler.<br />
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Yesterday I wasn't going in to the office until I finished the flag! The "blue" in the flag is Milady's Teal by Crescent Colors which is a bluish gray. I worried about it at first, thinking I might have to find a substitute, but with the Used Brick color it made more sense. This flag just looks like it's been out in the weather for a long while. I love this series and look forward to getting back to Hello Fall real soon!<br />
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Over the weekend Gary and I made a quick overnight run to Ocean Park for the Paulson family reunion, which has been going on over 40 years. The weather there was sunny and warm for the beach, at least it felt warm in the sun and Gary ended up getting a sunburn on his forehead. I think it got up to about 67 and just felt sooo good.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isaac playing on the beach with Aunt Kirsten</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lilly is all tuckered out</td></tr>
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The grandkids had great fun playing in the sun. Wish I could find one of Gideon on the beach. Just hope next year we're able to take more time away from the office as we usually do. Sometimes running your own business gets in the way of fun!<br />
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Well, it's time for me to take a quick walk around the block and get some sprinklers going around the yard! Have a wonderful week, my friends!Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371188658168380757noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16768887.post-90995021547208243482018-07-30T15:35:00.000-07:002018-07-30T15:35:55.607-07:00Stitching ProgressI've been stitching a little most days and moving right along with the alphabet in the center of the design.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Velvet Inscription by Blue Ribbon Designs</td></tr>
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And as of this morning, I'm even farther along than shown above. It's stitching up faster than any of the bordering squares. As satisfying as my progress has been, I've been thinking of starting up this design:<br />
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I still haven't finished Hello Fall, but I bought Hello Summer months ago, with the called for flosses, and I did have a finish recently so that leaves a project box available and it must be filled! I found that I still have some 36 ct Platinum to stitch it on so stay tuned for progress on this sweet design.<br />
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The heat is on here in the West, but looks like temps in our area will normalize by the end of the week - yay! But even in the heat, there are things to do and people to see. Friday was Gary's birthday and I made him leave the office for a quick jaunt over to Walla Walla for an afternoon of wine, music, and great food. Itinerary: Northstar Winery where Tom Taylor from Boise, was playing, then dinner at Whoopemup Cafe in town. I had the sockeye salmon with creamy grits, summer veggies, and tarragon pesto - SO GOOD!<br />
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Then on Saturday morning, I left early to drive to Spokane for my Aunt Cleta's 90th birthday celebration. I picked my sister up at the airport, then we walked the mall awhile to kill some time before the party. Some of our favorite cousins were there, coming from all over Washington, and northern Idaho. What a grand time we all had!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the cousins and Aunt Cleta<br />
I'm third from the left and my sister is seated right in front of me</td></tr>
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Well, I think that's more than enough chatter from me for one post! I hope you'll come by again to see what I've been up to!
Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371188658168380757noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16768887.post-12512552716489841502018-07-23T17:31:00.000-07:002018-07-23T17:31:16.666-07:00Picnic SuccessThe company picnic was a grand success for our little band of employees. We welcome extra family and kids to make it even more fun. The pool at Shelly's house is the perfect size for this kind of party - one family arrived early to get more pool time for the 9 kids. Famous Dave's did the cooking for me and we got enough to feed the crowd and have a little leftover for Shelly and me to make some lunches. Last year I got way too much - although the leftovers never go to waste, lol! With temps in the low 90s, the frozen t-shirt contest was very popular. Seems we picked the right weekend as all this week the thermometer will be hitting 100 degrees and more.<br />
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With that kind of heat, I'll be spending mornings and evenings moving sprinklers so the grass and roses don't dry up on me. And I'll be spending more time with Red Velvet Inscription! This weekend I took some time away from picnic prep to start a different color for the center portion of the design. For my project I have chosen Gentle Arts Loganberry.<br />
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This morning I saw the my Abraham Darby rose bush had some nice blooms, so I cut them to enjoy here at the office. They really filled my car with lovely fragrance. My poor garden could really use some attention. The weeds and grass are taking over which would not have happened before I started working. But the roses are fine, even if their surroundings aren't optimal!<br />
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That's about all the news from my part of town. Till next post, have a great day!Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371188658168380757noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16768887.post-69074380867983568112018-07-20T09:30:00.001-07:002018-07-20T09:30:49.131-07:00Picnic PrepI haven't picked up my needle this week after finishing Beach Cottage. Instead I've been preparing for our annual company picnic that we're hosting this Sunday afternoon. That means shopping for prizes and filling the children's gift tote box, so I've been to all the local bargain stores -TJ Maxx, Tuesday Morning, Target, Marshalls, Home Goods, Costco - finding lots of goodies and supplies for the picnic.<br />
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We'll be meeting at our Yakima manager's home as she has a pool, and the kids really enjoyed using her pool last year. Famous Dave's will be providing the food, and we'll have our traditional frozen t-shirt contest, watermelon eating contest, and Mexican bingo for the employees, plus corn hole, badminton, and water volleyball. Temps promise to be right around 90 degrees F., so great for pool activities!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the prizes and gifts for the kids</td></tr>
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We're looking forward to lots of fun on Sunday!<br />
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I've been thinking of the next wip to bring out and have decided to work on Red Velvet Inscription.<br />
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My version is very subtle, low contrast in comparison to other versions I've seen. But I'm enjoying it - my first project on 40 ct fabric!<br />
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And I'm considering a new start, so I'll talk about that with you once I've decided and pulled together all the supplies.<br />
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Last nite after work, Gary and I decided to visit a winery in a newly developing, old part of Kennewick. On Thursday evenings Palencia Winery stays open later and brings in music and a food truck. I've been wanting to get down there as the city is renewing this part of downtown with the wine village and now they've begun work on improving the landscape and adding parking, a public square, and a food truck cluster. It's located right next to the Columbia River by the picturesque cable bridge so an ideal place to attract people to spend some time relaxing with great wine and food!<br />
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We chose to enjoy our meal on the patio as the musician in the tasting room was on the loud side. Just as well, as the evening was beautiful and we could still hear the music outside. And best of all Palencia has a frose machine - yum!!<br />
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Well that about does it for this update, friends. I hope you all have a great weekend!Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371188658168380757noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16768887.post-53085417662114683872018-07-16T14:58:00.001-07:002018-07-16T14:58:13.212-07:00That Didn't Take Long!Beach Cottage is finished! I'm trying to figure out why I put it away when I was so close to a finish, but most Victoria Sampler designs are what I like to call fiddly. Below is a snippet from the pamphlet that I made a working copy from. As I work my way through the design, I mark out the verbiage, as well as marking my progress on the chart. At some point, I get a little burned out on the backstitching here and there, color changes, etc. and I move on to a simpler design. But I always come back.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beach Cottage by Victoria Sampler<br />stitched on 32 ct Frozen Fractals by Hand-Dyed Fabrics by Stephanie<br />using the VS accessory pack</td></tr>
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I come back because the payoff is so sweet!Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371188658168380757noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16768887.post-82599596986925249392018-07-13T15:18:00.001-07:002018-07-13T15:18:25.832-07:00Wanna Stitch?The last time I picked up a project was in April at the Victoria Sampler retreat in Sidney, BC. And before that I did very little since before the holidays. I just wasn't feeling like stitching. Part of me was dealing with the fact that my last daughter was getting married, and not only that, but she decided to share an apartment with friends for her last months as a single. All very understandable and even wonderful, but it left me with that empty nest that just had to sink in and then adjust to. I must have turned a corner the last few days as my bag full of projects came to mind, and the one calling to me is Beach Cottage by Victoria Sampler.
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One reason I thought of this project must be the fact that the summer heat is finally turning on with temps well into the 100s for the next few days, so thoughts of the beach are especially lovely right now. There's not much left to finish Beach Cottage, just a lot of fiddly, detailed stitching that eats lots of time, but really does bring the design to life. So I'll plug away on this for awhile and see how much I can get done.<br />
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Looking forward to my first stitchy weekend in a long while!! I hope you enjoy yours too!<br />
<br />Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371188658168380757noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16768887.post-79484351352190529912018-07-11T21:45:00.002-07:002018-07-11T21:45:59.736-07:00Event of the YearAt the beginning of the year, my youngest daughter got engaged to a terrific young man, Noah Farris. After much consideration, June 23 was their chosen date. I really wasn't eager to plan a quick June wedding thinking that we would have a hard time finding rentals and vendors. Much to my surprise, and their delight, June 23 was available for all the vendors we wanted.
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We also decided we wanted an informal, fun wedding and reception. There's no place like home for feeling comfortable - in this case my oldest daughter's home which is on just over an acre of land, with wonderful neighbors to help with parking cars, because, well, they had about 370 people on the invitation list (including children). Most venues don't accommodate numbers larger than 250, and our working number was 300.<br />
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By ceremony time, most of the seating was shaded, but the weather was a perfect 87 degrees. Tri-Citians are used to desert heat, so 87 really is pretty perfect.<br />
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And when putting on an event like this, having a big family that pulls together makes it easier and more affordable. Mystie and her husband hosted, using the event as incentive to get the yard spruced up. She's also quite an organizer, so she served as the wedding coordinator. Her husband had the parking people in place and even ran a shuttle service from the neighbor's down to the event. My oldest son loves beer and provided that beverage for the reception. Melanie, our artist, did all the graphic work on the invitations and programs, as well as getting them printed. She also decorated the front of the ceremony, and the groom's best man made and put up a wood cross in the center. My middle son, Brendan, served as the DJ, and the twins helped with manual labor. And then there's our church family that helped in decorating, set up, serving drinks and cake, moving tables and chairs. We are so blessed to have all these people in our lives!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the Paulson clan<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noah's mom and I bought matching dresses and didn't know until arriving at the wedding!<br />Great minds . . . !</td></tr>
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Since Kirsten and Noah went out for tacos on their first date, we had Hacienda del Sol cater. Their Mexican food is delicious and is the preferred restaurant for our employees. Our guests really enjoyed it as we had absolutely no leftovers and some folks went back for seconds. The bridesmaids really got the party going on the dance floor and everyone had such a great time! Soon it was all over and the happy couple left the reception for a few sunset pictures. The next day they left super early for a honeymoon on the Big Island of Hawaii.<br />
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<br />Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371188658168380757noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16768887.post-26427847352246304822018-02-27T17:49:00.000-08:002018-02-27T17:49:22.158-08:00Not So RoutineOkay, obviously I'm not back in the routine and it looks like things won't be routine for several months. I'm still working in the business, still teaching my ESL class, even still getting in some stitching - just not as much. The reason is - my youngest daughter is getting married in June!<br />
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Wedding planning is consuming bandwidth in my brain, lol! I was really lobbying for a fall wedding, but circumstances with our pastor's availability and family complications have bumped up the date to June. It's pretty late to be planning for June, but so far we've had good luck with our date being free for the vendors we've talked to. We're planning to have the wedding and reception in the back yard of our oldest daughter's home as they have just over an acre of land. Kirsten found her dress very quickly and easily - in and out of David's Bridal in 90 minutes, lol! The photographer has been procured and one by one the check list is getting shorter.<br />
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On to the other part of my life!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Promise of Spring</td></tr>
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I did get Promise of Spring finished the first part of February. This was a nice little design, stitched on Picture This Plus Dapple with DMC floss. The end of January, Gary and I had a trip to Scottsdale, Arizona, for an insurance conference and I packed of Promise of Spring to work on during down times.<br />
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Yes, the weather was lovely and warm - just right for stitching by the pool.<br />
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But the cool mornings were warmed by fire pits all around the property. We were at the J W Marriott, Desert Ridge which is a gorgeous place for a conference and for kicking back in the sunshine!<br />
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And I came home with my Starbucks You Are Here mug. I just love these mugs, lol!<br />
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So I finished stitching Promise of Spring and I delayed starting another project. The VS Jingle Bell Xmas Tree Farm came out for a few stitches, and then I got a call from my local x-s shop. The Valdani floss set I ordered was in!<br />
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Oh boy! This is my first set of Valdani floss and so far I really do like them. This set of colors goes to Rosewood Manor's Autumn Quaker sampler which was an impulse buy when I lingered a little too long at the LNS. In my stash I had plenty of 32 ct Vintage Country Mocha which seemed to be the best color choice I had available.<br />
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So here is the latest pic I have, although I've gotten several more motifs finished since I took it. With a 32ct fabric, I do have to strand the Valdani to two strands (Valdani has three) and that is a bit of a pain to not have an even number of strands in the floss. The end result is worth the effort tho. 😊<br />
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We celebrated grandson Knox's 8th birthday on Sunday, and yesterday he and I went shopping and out for lunch. We found a Star Wars lego set he'd been wanting, then went to Red Robin for a hamburger. Red Robin seems to be a favorite for the younger set, and I think this gizmo on the table has something to do with it!<br />
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Who needs crayons when there are video games on that screen! Somehow I was able to pry him away from it to get his lunch down and then we actually played a few trivia games together. He's a bright little guy and always a lot of fun!<br />
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So that pretty much wraps up my update! I'll keep plugging away at my blog reader and maybe someday I'll actually catch up with all of you.Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371188658168380757noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16768887.post-19883872634604626642018-01-12T09:45:00.000-08:002018-01-12T09:45:47.151-08:00Into the RoutineIt's been back to the routine this week with my ESL classes starting up again. The weather was wet and gloomy and Monday's attendance was a little low, as I expected. These classes are totally volunteer for both students and teachers and many of these refugees are from warm climates, so going out into the cold is difficult. Tack onto that cold and flu has hit our area hard and the result is low attendance, I just view it as an opportunity to give more attention to those who do come.<br />
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Then on Wednesday the sun came out! And that was the birthday shopping and lunch day with my granddaughter Ilse who turned 10. She wanted shoes and once again we had great luck finding some cute ones at Ross, She's at the difficult stage of needing a woman's size shoe, but still being a girl. Thank God for ballet flats! :) Ilse will also be starting a beginning sewing class soon, so her mom gave her a shopping list for the class. My daughter is not a seamstress at all, her husband runs the sewing machine if needed. So we had fun looking at the fabric at Hobby Lobby, then going to Craft Warehouse for the fat quarters - they have a superior selection. We ended the morning with lunch at Red Robin where Ilse surprised me by eating her adult size hamburger, two servings of fries, and a little birthday sundae at the end. She is long and lean, and I think she's going into another growth spurt!<br />
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My stitching project, Promise of Spring, is coming along. Here's my progress as of yesterday:<br />
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If I'd been putting in the same amount of stitching time as last fall, I'd be done. It really does stitch up pretty fast. So with divisional football on this weekend, I should get pretty close to a finish.<br />
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And speaking of football - how about that college championship game between Alabama and Georgia!! Living here in the Pacific NW, I'm not a fan of the SEC, but that was a great game!<br />
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I've gone off watching much Youtube/Flosstube. It's so much to try to keep up with so I'm not even trying. Now I just watch a little bit of this and that every now and then. I do enjoy listening to Fiber Talk though. Gary and Christine put out two podcasts each week, Sunday is usually an interview and Wednesday is catch-up talk between the two of them. Really great listening!<br />
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Well, it's time to get going. Have a great weekend, my friends. And to those of you in the Midwest - stay warm!!Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371188658168380757noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16768887.post-73949860142166482052018-01-03T09:21:00.001-08:002018-01-03T09:21:06.197-08:00New Year, New StartAfter taking the entire month of December off from stitching and blogging, it's time to start again. We had a great month of parties, baking, eating, family, gifts, Amazon Prime deliveries then ended with me catching a cold and generally feeling run down. So I spent NYE and Day at home, watching football and the Rose Parade, and starting a new stitching project.<br />
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This is Promise of Spring by Silver Creek Samplers. I think this is my first project by this designer. I like the alphabet and the sentiment to remind me that these gray days will become bright, sunny, and warm again. I've chosen to stitch with DMC rather than the GAST threads called for and am using a 32 ct Picture This Plus linen in Dapple. Promise of Spring is not a large design, so I should be able to finish it up quickly - for me.<br />
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Speaking of finishes, I had a pretty good number of them in 2017, fifteen in all.<br />
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1. A Spot of Winter - The Drawn Thread<br />
2. Joyful World SAL, December - Snowflower Diaries<br />
3. Blossoms and Blackbirds - LHN<br />
4. Be Mind - Hands on Designs<br />
5. L-O-V-E - Hands on Designs<br />
6. Daisy Sampler - CCN<br />
7. Springtime - Victoria Sampler by Cathy Jean<br />
8. Hello Spring - Plum Street Samplers<br />
9. Happy Birthday Sampler - Victoria Sampler<br />
10. Pure Love - Snowflower Diaries<br />
11. Spirit of Christmas #1 - Lizzie Kate<br />
12. Spot of Autumn - The Drawn Thread<br />
13. Peace - Blackbird Designs<br />
14. Coffee Quaker - Heartstring Samplery<br />
15. Spirit of Christmas #2 - Lizzie Kate<br />
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As for goals for 2018, I'll just take things as they come.<br />
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So here we go into 2018. May God grant us all health and peace.<br />
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<br />Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371188658168380757noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16768887.post-41673072989767481962017-11-29T12:05:00.000-08:002017-11-29T12:05:06.779-08:00End of November CatchupIt seems the Thanksgiving holiday has thrown me off my blogging game, and my stitching has been mostly set aside. And with all the Christmas busyness, I foresee more of the same for December.<br />
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This year, as usual, we spent Thanksgiving weekend in Boise with family there. One of Gary's cousins lives on the way in to Boise, so we stop by to visit with that side of the family on Wednesday evening. Thursday the more immediate family gathers at his brother's house and my sister and her family join us. Friday much of the gang did some Black Friday celebrating down at Payette Brewing Company. They had a special line-up of dark beers which my family likes. I volunteered to stay home and babysit little Gideon. That night we went to a friend's home in Eagle for a gathering. Saturday we went out to the Sunnyslope area for some wine tasting at Koenig, Vizcaya, Syringa, and Indian Creek wineries, ending up in Kuna for dinner at Enrique's for great Mexican food. And Sunday we journeyed home.<br />
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Thanksgiving brings in baking season and I've already baked 10 loaves of cinnamon swirl bread, plus a batch of dinner rolls and 2 loaves of sandwich bread. The next couple of weeks my Bosch mixer will really get a work out!<br />
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This week I've been preparing for our company Christmas dinner which is this Sunday evening, mostly agonizing over buying gifts for the Dirty Santa part of the evening. But this year I enlisted daughter Kirsten to lend a hand and we finished up this morning!<br />
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My stitching projects haven't seen much action, but I did do a small amount that I can show you.<br />
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This is the Lizzie Kate Christmas Mystery. Perhaps after my events are over, I'll have time to get this finished before Christmas!<br />
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That's all for now, friends! I hope you are having a wonderful week!Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371188658168380757noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16768887.post-36705471481696827712017-11-17T14:51:00.000-08:002017-11-17T14:51:46.194-08:00Blowing In the WeekendIt's another blustery day in E. Washington. The leaves in most trees are gone and are being blown into little piles all over my yard. But the sun is shining, so I'm feeling pretty good today!<br />
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This week I received the third installment of Lizzie Kate's Mystery Christmas Sampler, so that's what I'll be working on today and throughout the weekend for my November Year of Starts. While I'm eager to finish up the mystery series, I really didn't want to put Hello Fall away for awhile. The colors really are gorgeous and I'm loving how it's looking so far on the Doubloon linen.<br />
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It's hard to believe Thanksgiving is next week! That means I'll have to get my Bosch mixer working again and get some baking done to take down to Boise. It's the start of cinnamon swirl bread season, better known as The Holidays. I love that Thanksgiving is a bit earlier this year giving me an extra weekend to bake for family, Confection Selection, and our employees.<br />
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I've also got a start on shopping for the gifts we give at our company Christmas dinner, but just a start. It's so hard for me to choose gifts that I think will be appealing! Somehow I'll come up with what I need.<br />
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Have a great stitchy weekend everyone!<br />
<br />Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371188658168380757noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16768887.post-27405012444214403452017-11-15T09:27:00.000-08:002017-11-15T09:27:35.055-08:00What's Next?I ended my last post wondering what to work on after finishing Coffee Quaker, which was so much fun to stitch. My new project needs to be just as much fun! The answer was in my latest stash acquisition - Hello Fall by Plum Street Samplers.<br />
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There was plenty of linen waiting in my stash, but I thought I'd take a look at the called for Classic Colorworks floss in real life. That called for a trip to my LNS - Needful Needlecrafts in Richland. It's just a tiny shop, but they pack a lot of goodness into that space! Oh those fall colors are just gorgeous. And as long as I was there, I picked up the floss for Hello Summer too. And the great owner/enablers showed me Rosewood Manor's Autumn Quaker which also came home with me!<br />
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I auditioned several pieces of linen and decided on PTP Doubloon in 36 ct. stitching 1 over 2.<br />
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Here's my start after a couple days of work:<br />
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I'm starting in the middle and working out from there. It's definitely a fun design to stitch.<br />
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Over the weekend I finished the second installment of Lizzie Kate's Mystery Christmas Sampler, but forgot to get a pic of my progress. It's turning out to be a cute one. I'll be starting #3 for my Year of Starts start on the 17th.<br />
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So there's been lots of stitchy fun here the last few days. Hope you're having a great week too!Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371188658168380757noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16768887.post-13608036216216320842017-11-11T16:09:00.000-08:002017-11-11T16:09:16.161-08:00A Quick UpdateThere's much to do today, but I wanted to quickly share my exciting finish! I just put the final stitches into Coffee Quaker. It's been such a fun design to play with and stitch.<br />
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My Coffee Quaker is stitched on 32 ct. Vintage Country Mocha using most of the charted flosses, but with some changes that I made along the way, the blue is WDW Jaybird.<br />
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Now, the question is, what do I start now?<br />
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Hope you all are having a great stitchy weekend!Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371188658168380757noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16768887.post-10285795534538920992017-11-07T12:10:00.000-08:002017-11-07T12:10:12.144-08:00Getting to the Bottom of ItThe bottom of Coffee Quaker, that is.<br />
Over the weekend I brought CQ out to work on and got to where the very bottom motifs are coming up next. With a finish in view (perhaps not this rotation, but soon), I've kept it out to continue working on.<br />
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I did run out of GA Picnic Basket that the lettering is stitched in, among other motifs. Luckily, the DMC equivalent, 839, does not look drastically different. Maybe you can see that "things" is in the DMC and the other words are in Picnic Basket?<br />
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I've also run out of GA Apple Cider, but my plan is just to use other GA flosses in the pattern that aren't used as often. For instance the flower motif under "do the" was not charted for Hazelnut, but that's what I decided to use.<br />
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Saturday was the big day - the State XCountry meet and our Kamiakin HS boys team (that my twins help coach) won the state 3A title as a team! It's a first for the school and the head coach, Matt Rexus, has deserved this win for a long time. This year the boys were healthy (illness plagued the team other years) and our main rival, North Central in Spokane, did not have as many outstanding runners this year.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matt Rexus (center), my twins on either side, plus 2 more coaches</td></tr>
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The weather held out pretty well for the races, while all the rest of the state was getting rain and snow, which is one reason they hold the state races here. Congratulations to everyone on both the girls and boys teams. The girls did well too, finishing in 5th place!<br />
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This coming weekend the boys are heading to Boise to run in Nike's regional qualifying race. Then the Nike National race will take place in Portland, OR, in early December.<br />
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OK - that's my update! Have a great week!Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371188658168380757noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16768887.post-86898425335601942232017-11-03T09:33:00.000-07:002017-11-03T09:33:48.852-07:00Cutest Lunch DateYesterday was my granddaughter Geneva's 5th birthday which means a morning shopping trip and lunch. She is a shoe girl and wanted to shop for shoes. Like last year, we found some super cute, great deals at Ross! Geneva took home a new pair of tall boots - perfect to wear with leggings this fall - and two pair of ballet flats. One pair light burgundy with a perfect bow on the toe; the other pair silvery gray with a poofy rose on the toe. Both will complement any Christmas outfit she comes up with this year! We also went to a couple other shops in the strip mall we were in, but after Michaels, she was ready for lunch. And lunch was at Red Robin, on the advice of her older sister. She ate every bit and her birthday sundae too!<br />
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On the stitching front this week, I did finish that "L" square of Red Velvet Inscription, and with that a row finish too!<br />
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Then I decided to pull out Victoria Sampler Jingle Bell Xmas Tree Farm, I'm at the really fiddly part of the top portion of the sampler. I put in the confetti snowfall, added the little trees, the needles of the far left tree, and a cardinal. The plan is to stitch on it more this evening, then bring out Coffee Quaker for the weekend.<br />
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And over last weekend, I got the need for some new stash. Oh my, I really don't need any of it! But it's nice to freshen up your choices now and then. I ordered patterns from The Silver Needle, and some fabric and needles from 123 Stitch.<br />
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Both fabrics are 36 ct linen, the larger is Platinum, the other is Vintage Light Exemplar. And then there are my favorite Bohin needles. Always need new needles - it's the simple pleasures.<br />
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Well, tomorrow is the big day - the state cross country meet - right here in the Tri-Cities. The weather is not the best around the state, especially for those coming over the mountain passes. Snow and rain all over. Hopefully during the races tomorrow, it won't be too bad.<br />
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That's all for now, my friends. Have a great stitchy weekend!Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371188658168380757noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16768887.post-78357432435004678222017-10-31T15:18:00.001-07:002017-10-31T15:18:08.199-07:00Happy Halloween!As I mentioned in my last post, Saturday was our regional cross country meet up in Spokane an Wandermere Golf Course. It was a gorgeous day so Gary and I did drive to Spokane to watch the teams race. What a rare fall day for regionals! So often we've had wind and rain, sometimes just plan frigid temperatures with fog making for an uncomfortable day. But with the sun shining brightly, I even took off my sweater at times as we walked/jogged from viewpoint to viewpoint for the races.<br />
Our Kamiakin High School boys and girls teams are both going to state this weekend - the boys team winning the regional title, and the girls came in 2nd place! This is the first time the boys have placed 1st in school history! Very much worth the drive!<br />
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With spending all day Saturday traveling, my stitching progress took a hit. But I did have a chance on Sunday afternoon to get more done on the Lizzie Kate Christmas Mystery Sampler.<br />
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On Monday, I decided to pull out Red Velvet Inscription (Blue Ribbon Designs) and continued on the "L" square.<br />
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This project is on 40 ct linen, 1 over 2. When I get this square finish I'll get to start the center section of the design.<br />
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Halloween day - and the end of another month! The wind is picking up here, just enough to blow leaves off the trees and into the house when you open the door. It's really looking like fall. The kids will have a pretty good night for trick or treating with clear skies and no rain.<br />
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Oh, and yesterday my son and daughter-in-law came by to deliver a little bit of news regarding their new one on the way!<br />
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Yay! Another little girl!! And best of all the baby is looking strong and healthy.<br />
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So I'm having a great week. Hope you are too!<br />
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<br />Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371188658168380757noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16768887.post-47656792376029211102017-10-27T14:50:00.000-07:002017-10-27T14:50:09.968-07:00Let There Be "Peace"My October 17 start, "Peace" is finished - before the end of the month!<br />
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I haven't done a lot of stitching on 36 count linen, but both Peace and Spot of Autumn were done on it and I must say I like it a lot! No worries about multiple strands of floss laying flat, just one strand of floss and the coverage is quite nice over two fabric threads. You just might be seeing more projects on 36 ct.<br />
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With two little finishes this week, I pulled out the Lizzie Kate Christmas Mystery to work on and hopefully get done soon, before the last installment shows up in my mailbox.<br />
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My husband returned home safely from his business trip to Charlotte, NC. It's good to have him back. But I cannot believe that he forgot to buy the Starbucks mug in the "You Are Here" series!! He's trying to make it better by saying that we'll get back there sometime. Sigh. Well, I will just have to hold him to that, lol!<br />
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We've had a gorgeous fall week here in the Mid-Columbia! Lots of sun and temps in the 60s. Cannot complain about that.<br />
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High school cross country is coming to a close soon and state regional meets are this weekend. The twins are both helping to coach their high school team and will be going up to Spokane later today. With the weather being so nice, I think Gary and I might take a drive up there tomorrow to watch the meet. Sounds fun!<br />
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Hope you have some fun this weekend too!<br />
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<br />Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371188658168380757noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16768887.post-25262569039611301512017-10-25T10:00:00.000-07:002017-10-25T10:00:55.551-07:00Just a Little SpotA Spot of Autumn is finished! With just a few stitches to get those pumpkins, stems, and vines, it didn't take long. Now I just have to find that little acorn charm that belongs in the empty space.<br />
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It is stitched on 36 ct "Summer Khaki" linen with 2 WDW threads as called for. Then I substituted Gloriana Autumn Arbor instead of NN Woodland Fantasy since I already had the Gloriana. Finally, instead of DMC, I used Sullivans floss just to see what it was like. The girls at my LNS really like it and they carry it, so I was curious.<br />
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After using it for this small project, I can't say that I found a big difference between the Sullivans and DMC. The colors are good and Sullivans does put the equivalent DMC number on the label.<br />
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The texture of the floss is just a tad rougher or less silky than DMC. For Spot of Autumn I used only one thread of floss, but I wonder if coverage using two threads would be better on a lower count fabric. Sometimes coverage with DMC black and white isn't good, it might be worth giving Sullivans a try. Will have to find a project with that in mind.<br />
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Drawn Thread designs always feature a variety of embroidery stitches, this one includes: satin stitches, smyrna cross, lazy daisy, double backstitches, and of course regular backstitches.<br />
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I love it!<br />
<br />Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371188658168380757noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16768887.post-77431791196787415092017-10-23T19:57:00.000-07:002017-10-23T19:58:20.183-07:00Good StuffI had a pleasant weekend. Saturday was rainy all day, so it was easy to get some laundry done while watching football, and fitting in some stitching. I kept "Peace" out on Saturday for attention and it won't need much more to finish!<br />
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On Sunday after church, Gary and I went out to Hamilton Cellars on nearby Red Mountain to see the results of the local Plein Air artists exhibition. Of course, Sunday was a beautiful sunny day. Friday and Saturday was a study in perseverance for the artists, but they emerged with some gorgeous paintings. It was fun to get a glass of wine, enjoy the paintings, and talk with friends, people we probably wouldn't have met had our middle daughter not become an artist herself. Melanie didn't participate in this exhibition as she's been down in Sedona, Arizona, at a plein air exhibition there. Once we got home, Gary settled on the couch and began to snooze. I put on the Seahawks game and started working on Spot of Autumn by Drawn Thread that I'd put away for a few months.<br />
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There's not much to do on this one either, so stand by for a couple of finishes in the near future!<br />
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Sunday was the twins' birthday, the first they've spent together in a few years. Hard to believe 24 years have gone by since they joined the family.<br />
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Well, I'm a little tired tonight after getting up at about 3:40 this morning to get Gary up and out to the airport. He's gone to Charlotte on a business-type meeting for a few days. Wish I could have gone! But I have things to do here, and plenty of time to stitch so it's all good.<br />
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I hope this week has lots of good things in store for you!Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371188658168380757noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16768887.post-27617058354969166032017-10-19T10:31:00.000-07:002017-10-19T10:31:33.583-07:00October - Year of StartsI once again reached into my stack of Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament issues for this month's new start. This time it's the 2013 issue, "Peace" by Blackbird Designs; a little sampler style that says, "Peace be with you my friend".<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peace - Blackbird Designs - 2013 JCS Christmas Ornament issue</td></tr>
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I'm mostly using DMC floss with a couple of GAST threads I had that are called for in the pattern. The linen is 36ct Vintage Maple Sugar - 1 over 2.<br />
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Also this week, my Christmas in July sale fabric from Picture This Plus came in!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From left to right: Tycho (32 ct), Fresco (32 ct), Legacy (36 ct), Doubloon (36 ct), Aerial (36 ct), Twilight (32 ct)</td></tr>
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I'm really happy with all these linens, but especially intrigued with Fresco and can't wait to find something special to stitch on it!<br />
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The weather has turned a bit rainy here this week and with the shorter days, I'm feeling that desire to cocoon at home and go to bed early. DH drove over to the Seattle area last night for a business meeting today. Usually I drive him to these things, but it's raining a lot over there today, so not pleasant to do the fun Seattle things I like to do while he's in meetings. Instead I'll be finishing up the payroll at the office today and doing a little stitching.<br />
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Yesterday I got to babysit both baby grandsons! Isaac is walking better every day and little Gideon is playing and smiling and trying to crawl. It's going to be so much fun watching these two little guys grow up together. And in March there will be another little one in the mix - Isaac will be getting a sibling! We're all so excited!<br />
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So all in all it's been a good week. Hope yours has been too. Let's keep on stitching all the things!!Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371188658168380757noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16768887.post-51950608778398787732017-10-15T18:57:00.000-07:002017-10-15T18:57:03.125-07:00Stitching at the MansionThis weekend I and many of the women of my church went to our annual retreat at the Bozarth Mansion Retreat Center north of Spokane, Washington. Always a highlight of our year, it's a wonderful time of fellowship, teaching, and appreciation of the beauty of God's creation.<br />
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Above is the mansion and next to it is a smaller dormitory building. It sits on the edge of a ridge, overlooking a wooded canyon at the back of the mansion. Deer are frequent visitors. Inside the mansion is filled with wood trims and paneling, a huge fireplace you could stand five people in, and a grand staircase to the second floor - beautiful details everywhere you look. The lighting is not ideal, but I found a spot to stitch for a couple of hours Saturday afternoon by the window.<br />
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The second part of the Lizzie Kate Christmas Mystery sampler arrived the day before I left for Spokane, so I took it along with me. Such a sweet little design it's turning out to be.<br />
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I left the retreat early this morning so I could be home to see my sister and brother-in-law who were stopping by to break up their drive from Chehalis to Boise today. My sons came by with their wives and baby sons and we all had lunch together. We had the football games on in the background, but the real entertainment was Isaac and Gideon!<br />
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Well, now it's time to prepare for the week ahead, especially for my ESL class tomorrow morning. I hope you had a great stitchy weekend!Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371188658168380757noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16768887.post-58299682591669671472017-10-09T15:26:00.002-07:002017-10-09T15:26:52.396-07:00Coffee Quaker ProgressI didn't get in quite as much stitching over the weekend as I would have liked. I did the unthinkable - went to Costco on Saturday! I usually avoid that place on the weekends, but Saturday I needed to go so I grabbed daughter Kirsten to help. Either she or I could run off into the cooler or down a crowded aisle so we wouldn't have to add to the craziness. Costco is pretty good about having all the registers running on the weekends, so checking out really was the easiest part of the experience.
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As I said in my last post, Coffee Quaker came out of the pile for a little love. I finished the two birds facing each other with the blue plant between, "then I do the", and started the golden motif just below those words. I also added my initials and the year higher up on the design. Now I've used up all the floss called for the words and I'm just going to use the floss for the two birds to stitch the word "things". If I hate it, I can change it! But it should be close enough.<br />
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Not sure what project will come out for this week, so check back in a couple of days to find out!Vonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371188658168380757noreply@blogger.com10