I want to wish you all a Happy New Year. I hope 2012 brings you love, health and peace as you go through each and every day. I know many of my stitching friends have had a rough 2011 so may 2012 be the best year we can make it.
I received the following from a Friend from the gym and I think it is a wonderful expression of what I wish for you.
2012 Contract
After serious & cautious consideration... your contract of friendship has been renewed for the New Year 2012
It was a very hard decision to make... So try not to screw it up!!!
My Wish for You in 2012
May peace break into your home and may thieves come to steal your debts.
May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for $100 bills.
May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips!
May happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy
May the problems you had, forget your home address!
In simple words .............
May 2012 be the best year of your life!!!
Happy New Year !!!!!!!!!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Brittercup Designs - Christmas Cat Tree
I had the stitching for this ornament completed a week or more before Christmas but DH had some problems making me a triangle of cardboard that would work for the backing. I finally finished the ornament yesterday.
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| Brittercup Designs - Christmas Cat Tree Stitched on 16 CT Aida using DMC Floss I am sending this to my niece. It will be a little late for this Christmas but she will have it for next year. |
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Grandma and Santa Claus
Grandma and Santa Claus
I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I was just a kid.
I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she jeered. "Even dummies know that!"
My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her "world-famous" cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said so. It had to be true.
Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. "No Santa Claus?" she snorted...."Ridiculous! Don't believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad!! Now, put on your coat, and let's go."
"Go? Go where, Grandma?" I asked. I hadn't even finished my second world-famous cinnamon bun. "Where" turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. "Take this money," she said, "and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car." Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's.
I was only eight-years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping.
For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for.
I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, the people who went to my church.
I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock's grade-two class. Bobby Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out to recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn't have a cough; he didn't have a good coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat! I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that.
"Is this a Christmas present for someone?" the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. "Yes, ma'am," I replied shyly. "It's for Bobby."
The nice lady smiled at me, as I told her about how Bobby really needed a good winter coat. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag, smiled again, and wished me a Merry Christmas.
That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible) in Christmas paper and ribbons and wrote, "To Bobby, From Santa Claus" on it.
Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially, one of Santa's helpers.
Grandma parked down the street from Bobby's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. "All right, Santa Claus," she whispered, "get going."
I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his door and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma.
Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobby.
Fifty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker's bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were -- ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team.
I still have the Bible, with the coat tag tucked inside: $19.95.
May you always have LOVE to share,
HEALTH to spare and FRIENDS that care...
And may you always believe in the magic of Santa Claus!
I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I was just a kid.
I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she jeered. "Even dummies know that!"
My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her "world-famous" cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said so. It had to be true.
Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. "No Santa Claus?" she snorted...."Ridiculous! Don't believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad!! Now, put on your coat, and let's go."
"Go? Go where, Grandma?" I asked. I hadn't even finished my second world-famous cinnamon bun. "Where" turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. "Take this money," she said, "and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car." Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's.
I was only eight-years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping.
For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for.
I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, the people who went to my church.
I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock's grade-two class. Bobby Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out to recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn't have a cough; he didn't have a good coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat! I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that.
"Is this a Christmas present for someone?" the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. "Yes, ma'am," I replied shyly. "It's for Bobby."
The nice lady smiled at me, as I told her about how Bobby really needed a good winter coat. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag, smiled again, and wished me a Merry Christmas.
That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible) in Christmas paper and ribbons and wrote, "To Bobby, From Santa Claus" on it.
Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially, one of Santa's helpers.
Grandma parked down the street from Bobby's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. "All right, Santa Claus," she whispered, "get going."
I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his door and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma.
Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobby.
Fifty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker's bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were -- ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team.
I still have the Bible, with the coat tag tucked inside: $19.95.
May you always have LOVE to share,
HEALTH to spare and FRIENDS that care...
And may you always believe in the magic of Santa Claus!
Friday, December 23, 2011
KYKS Ornament Exchange
Here is a picture of the ornament I received yesterday from Tara. Well actually there were 2 ornaments in the package. You know you can't separate a perfect couple. I love them and I love the fabric Tara dyed and included in the package. Thank you Tara.
I am all ready for Christmas. I did my grocery shopping yesterday. What a mess, I am so glad I didn't wait until today. The store was packed at 8:30 in the morning. I got my nails done yesterday afternoon. Today I am going to be lazy and read or stitch. I just need a little down time.
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| Aren't Mr. & Mrs. Snowman just beautiful. The fabric they are resting on is the fabric Tara dyed. It is a really soft green. This picture does not do it justice. |
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Quilts my Grandmother made
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| This is a Wedding Ring Quilt Made by my Mother's Mother She did all the patchwork and then she and the ladies from the church quilted it. Gammie made each of her Grandchildren a quilt for their wedding She died before I was married but my Grandfather had each of the unmarried grandchildren pick out a quilt shortly after Grammie died I truly cherish this quilt |
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| Wedding Ring Quilt I keep this quilt on the bed in my spare bedroom except when we have guests. It is getting very fragile and I don't really want anyone using it. It is just for show. |
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| This is another quilt that my Mother's Mother did the patch work on. My Mom got it when she died and then my Father's Mother made it into a quilt and knotted it |
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| Close up of Strawberry Quilt I have this quilt on a quilt rack in our bedroom Love it since both of my Grandmothers had a part in finishing it |
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
SanMan Originals - I'll Be Home For Christmas
I stitched this in 2009 and it has been sitting around waiting patiently for me to make it into something. Well I made it into a no-sew cube and this morning I finally made the bow for the top. I am giving this to a friend as part of her Christmas present. Hope she likes it.
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| SMO I'll Be Home for Christmas Stitched on 14CT Aida No-Sew Cube |
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| The back of SMO I'll Be Home for Christmas No-Sew Cube |
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving. I have so much to be thankful for this day and every day. I need to remember to be thankful for each and every day that I am given. I have a great husband and two wonderful sisters whom I love very much. I hope and pray that we all remember to be thankful for all the wonderful people in our lives.
Thanksgiving is the holiday of peace, the celebration of work and the simple life... a true folk-festival that speaks the poetry of the turn of the seasons, the beauty of seedtime and harvest, the ripe product of the year - and the deep, deep connection of all these things with God. ~Ray Stannard Baker (David Grayson)
Here is a picture of an ornament I made and sent to Patricia for an exchange I was in at KYKS. I think this turned out so cute and I hope Patricia liked it as much as I do.
Thanksgiving is the holiday of peace, the celebration of work and the simple life... a true folk-festival that speaks the poetry of the turn of the seasons, the beauty of seedtime and harvest, the ripe product of the year - and the deep, deep connection of all these things with God. ~Ray Stannard Baker (David Grayson)
Here is a picture of an ornament I made and sent to Patricia for an exchange I was in at KYKS. I think this turned out so cute and I hope Patricia liked it as much as I do.
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| LHN He's a Flake I stitched this for an exchange for Patricia from KYKS |
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Bridge in Monet's Garden and a Pillow Finish
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| Bridge in Monet's Garden as of today. Page 7 is complete and so is the top row. I really feel good about the progress I am making on this. |
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| San Man Originals Christmas Magic Stitched on 14CT Aida made into a pillow. I actually stitched this several years ago and it has been hanging around waiting to be finished into something. |
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Joy
This is the November SAL.
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| Joy by Blueladie Designs stitched on 14 or 16 CT tea stained Aida using DMC floss I didn't have any Mill Hill beads so I used what I had in my stash |
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Bridge in Monet's Garden - Page 6 completed
I started page 6 on 10/11/2011 and completed it on 11/7/2011. Less then a month to finish this page because there were large sections of the same color. I started page 7 which is a only a 1/3 of a page because I was afraid I had cut the fabric to small. There isn't much room on the right side but it should be enough for the framer.
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| Bridge in Monet's Garden Page 6 completed 11/7/2011 |
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| Bridge in Monet's Garden |
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Some Ornament Finishes
I have finished a few more ornaments.
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| JBW Designs Christmas Keepsakes - Reindeer Stitched on 14 CT Aida White Opalescent There are red, green and white beads on this but you really can't see them on this picture This will be for one of the Great Nieces or Nephews for 2012 Christmas |
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| Prairie Schooler - Christmas Favorites From Just Cross Stitch 2011 Ornament Issue Stitched on 16 CT Aids from Sassy's Fabrics - French Vanilla using DMC floss |
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| San Man Originals - I don't remember the name of the design as I stitched this several years ago and just got around to finishing it. It hangs proudly on my ornament tree |
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Snow
It is October 29th and it has been snowing here most of the day. Something I heard on TV this morning said this is the earliest snow in our area since the 1700s. We have a couple of trees in the backyard that do not look good. Since they still have leaves on them the snow has really been so heavy they are all bent over. I am talking about 60' plus maple trees. We are afraid they are going to crack right down the middle.Bob and I ran around doing errands this morning. Yes we were a little crazy and went out in the stuff. Bob is a good driver and he had no problems at all. After lunch I sat down and finished stitching a PS Christmas ornament and started beading a JBW Christmas ornament I finished stitching earlier in the week. Hopefully tomorrow I will finish the beading on the JBW ornament and be able to finish the 4 ornaments I have stitched. One of these is a Thanksgiving ornament I want for my ornament tree. My sister called a couple of hours ago and they have no electricity or phone service. Her husband walked up to the road and a tree is down and knocked down all the wires. I can imagine that it is going to take a long time for that to be taken care of. Luckily they have a generator but they didn't want to turn it on until they absolutely had to so the house would be warmer tonight.
Hopefully later in the week I will be posting pictures of 3 of my ornament finished. The 4th ornament is for an exchange I am in so I can't post that one until my partner receives it. I hope to send it out right before Thanksgiving.
Yeah Penn State won, just barely but a win is a win.
Hope you have a great weekend.
Hopefully later in the week I will be posting pictures of 3 of my ornament finished. The 4th ornament is for an exchange I am in so I can't post that one until my partner receives it. I hope to send it out right before Thanksgiving.
Yeah Penn State won, just barely but a win is a win.
Hope you have a great weekend.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Lonely
For some reason I am feeling very lonely tonight. I have no idea why as this night isn't any different then any other night. We finished dinner, I cleaned up the kitchen and now Bob is upstairs watching TV, sleeping while the TV is on, and I am downstairs playing on the computer. I am ready to go into the family room and turn the TV on there and stitch on Bridge in Monet's Garden. I just made a couple of calls and no one was home maybe that is why I am feeling lonely. I don't know and I know anyone reading this isn't really interested but I just had to voice my feelings somewhere.
We had a wonderful weekend. We and another couple had our annual Ethinic dinner on Saturday night. Bob and I were responsible for the entree and the salad. Linda and Pete did the appertizer and the dessert.
Here is the menu:
Mushrooms stuffed with escargots (made by Linda)
Tuna and Bay Scallop Salad (made by Bob)
Confit of Duck (made by Bob)
Cassoulet (made by Bob)
Perfidaroles (made by Linda)
White wine with the mushrooms and the salad
Red wine with the Duck Conit and Cassoulet
Tea with the dessert
Can you tell this was a French meal and everything was delicious. We have done this yearly for the last several years and we thoroughly enjoy it.
Well I am off to stitch the night away. I vinished the stitching on another Christmas ornament this afternoon and just ordered the beads I need for it from 123Stitch. I finished the stitching for the KYKS ornament exchange yesterday so now I have to make it into an ornament.
This morning I took my car for a recall appointment for the transmission. Tomorrow I have an appointment to get my hair cut. I will be working on Wednesday and Thursday. I have one more load of wash to do for this week and a little cleaning to do. So all in all it is a busy week for me.
We had a wonderful weekend. We and another couple had our annual Ethinic dinner on Saturday night. Bob and I were responsible for the entree and the salad. Linda and Pete did the appertizer and the dessert.
Here is the menu:
Mushrooms stuffed with escargots (made by Linda)
Tuna and Bay Scallop Salad (made by Bob)
Confit of Duck (made by Bob)
Cassoulet (made by Bob)
Perfidaroles (made by Linda)
White wine with the mushrooms and the salad
Red wine with the Duck Conit and Cassoulet
Tea with the dessert
Can you tell this was a French meal and everything was delicious. We have done this yearly for the last several years and we thoroughly enjoy it.
Well I am off to stitch the night away. I vinished the stitching on another Christmas ornament this afternoon and just ordered the beads I need for it from 123Stitch. I finished the stitching for the KYKS ornament exchange yesterday so now I have to make it into an ornament.
This morning I took my car for a recall appointment for the transmission. Tomorrow I have an appointment to get my hair cut. I will be working on Wednesday and Thursday. I have one more load of wash to do for this week and a little cleaning to do. So all in all it is a busy week for me.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen Christmas Ornament
I just finished this ornament for a SAL at KYKrossStitchers. It was designed by the owner of the group Cathryn of Blueladie Designs. I am not real happy with the finishing as the cardboard I mounted the design on wasn't heavy enough and I couldn't put it tight enough without bending the cardboard.
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| God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen Christmas ornament Desiner: Blueladie Designs Stitched on 16Ct white Aida with DMC floss |
Monday, October 17, 2011
Matty
Here are a couple of pictures of Matty I got from my niece this morning. My niece is Matty's grandmother.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Bridge in Monet's Garden - Page 5 completed
I finished page 5 last night. I thought it had taken me extra long to complete the stitching of this page but it took just a little over a month like the other pages. So I suppose you would like to see a picture. It is getting really hard to get the whole thing in one picture but I did the best I could. I started page 6 and then page 7 is a partial page and I will have the top row done. Only 30 pages left to stitch.
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| Bridge In Monet's Garden Page 5 completed Page 5 started 9/7/2011 - Completed 10/11/2011 |
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Little House of Needleworks - Baked Goods
I love this ornament. This one is for my sister. You know the one I made 13 ornaments for last year. This is to add to her collection. After all she asked me to make her 300. lol I will be stitching one of these for me.
I am still working on Page 5 of Bridge in Monet's Garden. I may have it done this weekend. At least I hope so. I have a little under 800 stitches to complete page 5.
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| Baked Goods Designer: Little House of Needleworks Stitched on 16 CT Champagne Cocktail from Enchanted Fabrics Using DMC floss This is for my sister, I will give it to her for her birthday in November |
I am still working on Page 5 of Bridge in Monet's Garden. I may have it done this weekend. At least I hope so. I have a little under 800 stitches to complete page 5.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Back from the framer
I just picked this up from the framer this afternoon just in time for me to use in my Halloween decorating.
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| Halloween Quaker Designer - Jarden Prilvie Stitched on 16CT Light Gray Aida DMC Floss Started 1/2/2011 Completed 2/3/2011 |
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Ornament Tree decorated for Halloween and completed Christmas Ornament
I decorated my Ornament tree this morning so I thought I would show you a couple of views. I also finished a Christmas ornament yesterday.
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| JBW Designs Love & Joy Stitched on 14 CT Opalescent 14 CT White Aida Started stitching 9/10/2011 Finished stitching 9/11/2011 This will be an ornament for one of the Great Nieces or Nephews for Christmas 2012 |
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| Ornament Tree all decorated for Halloween |
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| Ornament Tree decorated for Halloween |
I continue to work on page 5 of Bridge in Monet's Garden. Yesterday I started a new Christmas ornament. It is LHN Baked Goods. I hope it stitches up fast as I thing I am going to give it to my Sister as part of her birthday gift in November. I just love stitching Christmas Ornaments. I have to figure out what else I am going to stitch for the Greats for Christmas 2012. There are several in the 2011Just Cross Stitch Ornament issue that I like so maybe that is my solution.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Matty's First Christmas
My niece's son and DIL had a baby boy at the end of July and my sister asked me to make a Christmas ornament for him. Well she actually asked me to make a baby sampler which I told her I wasn't going to do for this round of babies. So I made a Baby's First Christmas but I changed Baby's to Matty's to personalize it a little bit. I also added the year to it.
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| JBW Designs Baby's First Christmas chaned to Matty's First Christmas Stitched on 14 CT White Aida with DMC Floss Started stitching June 20, 20ll Completed into an ornament on September 10, 2011 |
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Bridge in Monet's Garden - Page 4
I just finished page 4 of Bridge in Monet's Garden. Only 31 more to go. I started page on on 7/19/2011 and completed it on 9/7/2011. Took a long time but for 2 weeks I was away from home on vacation. One week at the end of July and another week in August. There were 3780 stitches on page 4. Yikes why did I figure that out.
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| Page 4 completed |
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Halloween Ornament finish
I have another Halloween ornament finish. I think this is going to be the last one for this year. I am tired of stitching Halloween ornaments. I finished stitching Baby's First Christmas, changed to Matty's First Christmas, yesterday. As soon as I make it into an ornament I will post a picture.
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| PS Boo stitched on 16CT coffee stained Aida using DMC floss |
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Another Halloween Ornament Finish
I just finished this ornament a few minutes ago.
The green is much more vibrant in person than in the picture. The design may look farmiliar. I stitched it on a sweatshirt earlier in the year.
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| OCT 31 bh Nancy Boyarsky of Glory Bee Stitched on 14 CT Aida from Silkweavers. |
Saturday, August 27, 2011
On August 18th my sister Shirley and I went to Portland, Oregon to visit her daughter, Carla and grand-daughter, Jessi.
We left Shirley's at 3:15 am to catch our 6:05 flight out of Philadelphia. Rich drove us to the airport. On the way out the door he thanked me for going on this trip with Shirley so he didn't have to go. He really doesn't like to fly.
We got to the airport about 4:00 am, got checked in and through security without any problems. Then waited for the flight to broad which was right on time. Once everyone was settled on the plane the pilot announced that there was severe weather to the west and there would be about an hour delay in take-off. After a little while it started raining very hard and a little while later the pilot announced that there would be an additional 45 minute delay. We sat on the plane for 2 hours before it took off. Because of this delay in Philadelphia we missed our connecting flight out of Midway in Chicago. The next flight we could get on in Chicago was at 2:55 pm. Wonderful we had a 4 1/2 hours to kill in the airport. We ate some lunch, took a walk and bought a t-shirt. Finally reached Portland at 6:25 pm. We were suppose to get there at 11:00 am. Carla and Jessi were waiting for us in baggage claim so it was off to retrieve our bags. NO BAGS!!!! Yes, neither of our bags came off the plane so it was off to Southwest Customer Service. Shirley's bag was sitting right outside the CS office but not mine. After putting in a claim it was determined that my bag had gone to New Mexico and was on a plane back to Portland as we spoke. We made arrangements for the bag to be delivered to Carla's the next day. Then it was off to Red Robbin for something to eat and then on to Carla's and bed. What a long frustrating day.
Friday, August 19th
We took Jessi shopping for school clothes. Then spent the rest of the day just relaxing at Carla's. My bag was delivered about 2:00 in the afternoon. Yay I have clothes for the the rest of the week.
Saturday, August 20th
We left for Seattle about 9:00 am and arrived about 12:00. Traffic got a little bad when we reached Seattle but it was manageable. We parked and walked down to the waterfront. Had some lunch in a seafood place. I had fried clam strips and french fries just for Bob. Carla ordered an appetizer of crab stuffed mushrooms which she shared with us and they were delicious. After lunch we walked to Pike's Market. On the way up one set of steps Shirley fell. Luckily she didn't hurt herself. We walked around the market for a little while and then back to the car to find our hotel. While looking for our hotel we discovered that there was a Hemp Festival going on in Seattle this weekend. We got to the hotel and rested for a little while and then headed off to a Women's Basketball game that Carla had gotten tickets for. About halftime Shirley discovered that she was missing one of her hearing aids. We asked everyone around us to look under their seats to see if it was there. No such luck. We left the game and started walking back to the hotel. I finally realized I could find my way back so we sent Carla and Jessi back to the game and Shirley and I continued back to the motel. We tore that room apart but we couldn't find the hearing aid. I think she lost it when she fell.
Sunday, August 21
We started the day by having the free Continental breakfast in the motel. During breakfast we met the cutest little boy and his mom and dad. They were off to the zoo for the day and he was telling us all about the animals. Just adorable.
After breakfast we packed up the car and then headed off to the Seattle Space Needle. The Space Needle was built in 1961 for the Seattle Worlds Fair. When we got to the top Carla was telling us about different buildings in Seattle that we could see. She lived in Tacoma for a few years before and after she and Doug got married.
After the Space Needle we drove back to the Waterfront and took a cruise of the harbor.
Getting out of Seattle was a nightmare. Remember that Hemp Festival I mentioned yesterday. There were 150.000 people there for the festival and it seemed like we were all trying to leave the city at once. We got back to Carla's about 9:00 pm or so.
Monday, August 22
Today we had reservations for lunch at the Oregon Culinary Institute in Portland. It is cooked and served by students at the Institute. It was very good. We were served a 3 course meal, appetizer, entree and dessert for $9.00 each. I had shrimp fritters for my appetizer and seared trout for my entree and cheesecake for dessert. Shirley had the same appetizer, pulled pork sandwich with Cole slaw for her entree and cheesecake for dessert. Carla had corn chowder for her appetizer, Cajun shrimp skewers for her entree and chocolate torte for dessert. Jessi had a salad for her appetizer, pulled pork sandwich without the Cole slaw and the chocolate torte.
After lunch we went to the Portland Japanese Gardens. They were beautiful. After that we went to the Portland Rose Garden which was right across the street from the Japanese Gardens. My memory card got full so I only have 1 picture from the Rose Garden and it isn't of roses.
We went back to Carla's and then went to Jessi's soccer practice.
Tuesday, August 23rd
We left for Cannon Beach about 11:00. Walked around the town of Cannon Beach going in and out of the little shops, had pizza and an ice cream cone for lunch. After lunch we headed for a nearby beach but it was all fogged in so we went to Surf City beach. It was a few miles north of Cannon Beach and absolutely beautiful. We spent a few hours sitting on the beach, Jessi was the only one who went in the water. We headed back to Carla's about 5:00 eating sandwiches that Carla had packed for lunch while driving home.
Shirley and I packed up our suitcase for the trip home on Wednesday.
Wednesday, August 24th
Carla and Jessi took us to the airport. Our plane took off right on time. We had a slight delay landing in Denver because of heavy winds but we made our connecting flight. We landed in Philadelphia at 12:06, again right on time and Rich was there waiting for us. Got our luggage with no problems. Bob picked me up at Shirley's at about 1:15 and I was home in bed by 1:45.
I think this trip was a little to much for Shirley. Even Bob said she looked extremely tired when he picked me up on Thursday morning.
We left Shirley's at 3:15 am to catch our 6:05 flight out of Philadelphia. Rich drove us to the airport. On the way out the door he thanked me for going on this trip with Shirley so he didn't have to go. He really doesn't like to fly.
We got to the airport about 4:00 am, got checked in and through security without any problems. Then waited for the flight to broad which was right on time. Once everyone was settled on the plane the pilot announced that there was severe weather to the west and there would be about an hour delay in take-off. After a little while it started raining very hard and a little while later the pilot announced that there would be an additional 45 minute delay. We sat on the plane for 2 hours before it took off. Because of this delay in Philadelphia we missed our connecting flight out of Midway in Chicago. The next flight we could get on in Chicago was at 2:55 pm. Wonderful we had a 4 1/2 hours to kill in the airport. We ate some lunch, took a walk and bought a t-shirt. Finally reached Portland at 6:25 pm. We were suppose to get there at 11:00 am. Carla and Jessi were waiting for us in baggage claim so it was off to retrieve our bags. NO BAGS!!!! Yes, neither of our bags came off the plane so it was off to Southwest Customer Service. Shirley's bag was sitting right outside the CS office but not mine. After putting in a claim it was determined that my bag had gone to New Mexico and was on a plane back to Portland as we spoke. We made arrangements for the bag to be delivered to Carla's the next day. Then it was off to Red Robbin for something to eat and then on to Carla's and bed. What a long frustrating day.
Friday, August 19th
We took Jessi shopping for school clothes. Then spent the rest of the day just relaxing at Carla's. My bag was delivered about 2:00 in the afternoon. Yay I have clothes for the the rest of the week.
Saturday, August 20th
We left for Seattle about 9:00 am and arrived about 12:00. Traffic got a little bad when we reached Seattle but it was manageable. We parked and walked down to the waterfront. Had some lunch in a seafood place. I had fried clam strips and french fries just for Bob. Carla ordered an appetizer of crab stuffed mushrooms which she shared with us and they were delicious. After lunch we walked to Pike's Market. On the way up one set of steps Shirley fell. Luckily she didn't hurt herself. We walked around the market for a little while and then back to the car to find our hotel. While looking for our hotel we discovered that there was a Hemp Festival going on in Seattle this weekend. We got to the hotel and rested for a little while and then headed off to a Women's Basketball game that Carla had gotten tickets for. About halftime Shirley discovered that she was missing one of her hearing aids. We asked everyone around us to look under their seats to see if it was there. No such luck. We left the game and started walking back to the hotel. I finally realized I could find my way back so we sent Carla and Jessi back to the game and Shirley and I continued back to the motel. We tore that room apart but we couldn't find the hearing aid. I think she lost it when she fell.
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| Jessi and Shirley with the pig |
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| Pike's Place Market - The hanging flowers were spectacular. You can see the 1st Starbucks - sort of - it is were all the people are |
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| Seattle Waterfront |
We started the day by having the free Continental breakfast in the motel. During breakfast we met the cutest little boy and his mom and dad. They were off to the zoo for the day and he was telling us all about the animals. Just adorable.
After breakfast we packed up the car and then headed off to the Seattle Space Needle. The Space Needle was built in 1961 for the Seattle Worlds Fair. When we got to the top Carla was telling us about different buildings in Seattle that we could see. She lived in Tacoma for a few years before and after she and Doug got married.
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| Shirley and Jessi outside the Seattle Space Needle |
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| Me, Carla, Shirley, and Jessi at the top of the Seattle Space Needle |
After the Space Needle we drove back to the Waterfront and took a cruise of the harbor.
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| Seattle Skyline and a cruise ship from the harbour tour boat |
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| Seattle Space Needle from the Harbour Cruise |
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| You can see Mt. Rainer in the background but it is a little hazy. You can enlarge the picture by clicking on it but it doesn't help much. |
Monday, August 22
Today we had reservations for lunch at the Oregon Culinary Institute in Portland. It is cooked and served by students at the Institute. It was very good. We were served a 3 course meal, appetizer, entree and dessert for $9.00 each. I had shrimp fritters for my appetizer and seared trout for my entree and cheesecake for dessert. Shirley had the same appetizer, pulled pork sandwich with Cole slaw for her entree and cheesecake for dessert. Carla had corn chowder for her appetizer, Cajun shrimp skewers for her entree and chocolate torte for dessert. Jessi had a salad for her appetizer, pulled pork sandwich without the Cole slaw and the chocolate torte.
After lunch we went to the Portland Japanese Gardens. They were beautiful. After that we went to the Portland Rose Garden which was right across the street from the Japanese Gardens. My memory card got full so I only have 1 picture from the Rose Garden and it isn't of roses.
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| Japanese Maple |
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| Japanese Maple and waterfall |
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| Waterfall and pond with sun shining off it |
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| Jessi and Carla reading the map. Where to next? |
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| Skyline of Portland from the entrance to the Rose Garden |
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| Bergmansia at the Rose Garden |
We went back to Carla's and then went to Jessi's soccer practice.
Tuesday, August 23rd
We left for Cannon Beach about 11:00. Walked around the town of Cannon Beach going in and out of the little shops, had pizza and an ice cream cone for lunch. After lunch we headed for a nearby beach but it was all fogged in so we went to Surf City beach. It was a few miles north of Cannon Beach and absolutely beautiful. We spent a few hours sitting on the beach, Jessi was the only one who went in the water. We headed back to Carla's about 5:00 eating sandwiches that Carla had packed for lunch while driving home.
Shirley and I packed up our suitcase for the trip home on Wednesday.
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| Carla heading to the ocean to get Jessi who had gone out a little to far. Shirley's head is in the lower right corner |
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| This is Spirit, Carla and Jessi's dog |
Carla and Jessi took us to the airport. Our plane took off right on time. We had a slight delay landing in Denver because of heavy winds but we made our connecting flight. We landed in Philadelphia at 12:06, again right on time and Rich was there waiting for us. Got our luggage with no problems. Bob picked me up at Shirley's at about 1:15 and I was home in bed by 1:45.
I think this trip was a little to much for Shirley. Even Bob said she looked extremely tired when he picked me up on Thursday morning.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Halloween Ornament finish and progress on Bridge In Monet's Garden
I have finished another Halloween ornament for my tree and I am also posting a picture of my progress on Bridge in Monet's Garden
I have decided to go back to work part time, about 12 hours per week. Yes I am crazy but the extra money will come in handy to help pay for the cruise my sisters and I are discussing for next fall. I am going to see if I can work Tuesday and Thursday for 6 hours each day.
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| Spooky Tree Designed by Elizabeth Foster of Elizabeth's Designs Stitched on 14 count Aida that I coffee stained using DMC floss Stitching started 8/7/2011, completed 8/8/2011 |
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| Bridge In Monet's Garden Page 4 is half finished as of 8/14/2011 |
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Halloween Visitor
I finished the KYKS SAL yesterday and made it into an ornament for my tree.
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| Halloween Visitor Designed by Cathryn McGurin of Blueladie Designs Stitched on 16 CT white Aida using DMC Floss You can see more of Cathryn's designs @ http://sites.google.com/site/blueladie/ |
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