Slowly but Surely

I have one goal in mind. To get this piece done early next week! I don't know a lot of sttitching yet to be done and so little time! But I'm sick of this piece it's taking much longer than I anticipated. Of course Vertigo hasn't helped either. But this piece has to be in the mail by end of next week in order to be received by Nov. 1. Plus I have a small flower piece due Nov. 1. Guess that piece will be a few days late! Tomorrow we are going to a wedding of a daughter of some friends. Hard to believe "little Kristen" is all grown up now. She will be a beautiful bride. After church on Sunday we are invited to my brother's house for dinner. Not sure what the occasion is but they invited us so we're going. Wonder if their grandkids will be there. If not the dog will be there. I'm known for spoiling all the family animals! Of course Saturn isn't spoiled, he just gets what he wants. LOL! We have some answers as to my vertigo and some other issues. Actually the cat scan on my sinuses showed several issues. Including a cyst right below the sinuses at the gum line which was causing on the gum problems and jaw pain. Here I thought it was dental then convinced myself it was all in my head. There also is a cyst in the sinuses and a narrowing there. So I'm taking an antibiotic for now and see how that goes. If it doens't work we'll talk surgery. Also the allergist thinks sleep apnea may be involved which would make the vertigo worse. I see the ENT next Friday so I'll know more than. Well....I need to go stitch just a little longer. So until next time....Happy Stitching!

Another week of stitching

This week I did get to do more stitching then I have the last couple of weeks. So the Chipmunk Baby is finally moving along. It's a little over half done now and while I enjoy working on it I am anxious to get it done. I have this piece and then a small flower piece both due Nov. 1 so I need to get this done and start the flower piece. Especially since the flower quilt is for my cousin who has Ovarian Cancer. Today Whiskers would have turned 20. I had so wanted him to make it to his 20th birthday but didn't quite make it. So I have thought of my sweet forever baby a lot today. Of course Saturn has created his own special spot and has been pretty active today. I'm still having problems with vertigo although not to the extent it was and today really was a descent day. I even managed to do two loads of washing. The washer and dryer are down in the basement but I made it. Our weather has cooled off some but it seems to go back and forth. One day warm and the next day cool. This weekend former idol contestant Chris Sligh is going to be at our church. Saturday he is doing a conferance for worship leaders, that night doing a concert then on Sunday morning will be performing during our church service. I'll wait until Sunday to hear him. Has anyone been watching Dancising with the stars? I think this year has been great and last Monday was the best ever.

Well until next time Happy Stitching!

Chipmunk Baby Progress

I have stitched some this past week. Not as much as I would have liked because I've had a real difficult week with vertigo. Today has been about the best day I've had in a while so I'm hoping it's running it's course! This piece is coming slow but sure. I love working on him he's so cute. I need to get him done within a couple of weeks though and I think I might be able to do it. It'll be close. They already have snow in Denver. My niece's husband posted the cutest picture of their 3 year old and 15 month old shoveling snow off their deck. Since their Grandma (my sister) is visiting them I said it was to show her what good boys they were. This really has been a very uneventful week I've mostly slept the week away so until next time Happy Stitching!

Chipmunk Baby

I saw I wasn't going to get the horse done and have it in the mail by Oct. 1 so I put it down until after the 1st of the year and started this chipmunk baby so it would not be late. These are designed by Ellen Mauer-Stroh. When they first came out almost 10 years ago I thought they were the ugliest things and would never do them and they were free at first! Now they have grown on me and I think they are kind of cute. Cross Stitch Addicts is doing a quilt of these animals so I signed up for Chipmunk Baby. It's going good now that I have the face in. That took a few days. I'm still struggling with vertigo but I am not as nausiated and the head ache has gone away so I'm hoping that's a good sign. Plus I do better in the morning, then lay down in the afternoon and do okay for a while. They say that is the thing to do, sleep when you have to it'll help and it works. Our fall colors are just starting to come in. It looks like it will be a prettier fall season then what it has been. Thank you for reading my blogs and for posting. I really appreciate it it gives me encouragement to keep stitching. I really enjoy all the blogs I go to. Well....until next time Happy Stitching!

Progress on Brown Pony I have stitched quite a bit on this piece this past week. It really has to be done by Tuesday of next week so I can mail it out 1 week from today. It is due Oct. 1 so I'm cutting it very close. I suppose if they get it Oct 2 or 3 it'll be okay as long as I tell them it's coming. My problems with vertigo have returned! And I am not happy about it. Our weather has cooled down quite abit it's now more fall like weather. I love the fall season. I love seeing the different colors even though I know the leaves change because they are dying but they can be so pretty! There isn't much going on so until next time Happy Stitching!

Back to Brown Pony

I started this last spring and then laid it down. It is due Oct. 1 so I better really get serious about this horse. It's going much better now than it was in the spring.

Bible Study Fellowship started back up this week. My group leader is my friend, Marilyn. This is her first year doing it and it was funny I got put in her group. We've been friends since we were teenagers. We were in and out of each other's lives for awhile as our paths went different ways, in recent years I moved back to our home town and she started going to my home church and we reconnected then. She was the one who got me into BSF. So I'm looking forward to a good year. I knew a couple other ladies in our group from previous years at BSF.

After taking the summer off from the food pantry I returned last week. Yesterday we had 5 people come . It's been a very busy summer, and no one did much food ordering while I was gone so our shelves got very low. Fortunately we are building back up and in Oct. we are having another food drive. We also are hoping to remind the people of the food pantry once a month. As they do good in giving at Food Drives but then sort of forget about us. So by someone different each month making an announcement as to what we are collecting that month will help. Some will, some like me won't get up in front of the people, fortunately enough others will do it.

Well, until next time Happy Stitching!

Chelsea, Addie, and Saturn

I just have to share these two picture of Chelsea and Addie. I talked about them on the dance floor in my last post and here's proof. I miss those two girls already they were so much fun! Aren't they adorable? Or am I just prejudiced. You can sort of tell they are related I think. Although Chelsea being part Mexican and part Chineese is darker than Addie who is pure blond. These two little girls became best friends and probably will call each other on the phone from time to time for a while anyway.
My brother came today and took some pictures of my sweet Saturn. Here is one of my favorites.

Splish Splash is Finally Finished

Hello! I know it's been a few days. I just was busy and really wanted Splish Splash to be finished. I loved stitching on it but am glad it's done. It was so much fun to do. Now back to the horse I started a few months ago and due Oct. 1. Better get going on that

Last weekend was a busy one for us. My nephew, his wife and daughter arrived in from MO on Thurs. so Friday we did some things with them. First they took Chelsea down to Lake Michigan, it was a littly drizzly out but she had fun, then they came to my parents and we visited a little bit got to meet Chelsea. She was 2 months old when we went to MO to see her so she didn't remember us. She was really shy Friday. That afternoon my sister came to town and we all went to her daughters, near Grand Rapids. Chelsea and Addie were shy at first and we weren't too sure they would play as well as we had hoped but in time they warmed up to each other.

Saturday was Christina's Wedding. Christina was a beautiful bride, it was a nice ceremony. Katelyn age 2 and Johnny age 5 were Flower girl and
Ring bearer. They were so cute. Then we went to Jared's (the grooms aunt and uncles for the Wedding Reception. They had a beautiful home and huge yard that accomodated about 200 people. It was a beautiful day outside. The bride and groom did their dance, afterwards they invited everyone to join them in a dance. Chelsea 3 and Addie 4 decided they wanted to join in so Heather took both little girls up there and they basically stole the show. Especially after the dance was over a couple of other dances were planed but Chelsea and Addie took over They were having a great time out there so the adults left the floor and the children got it. A few more children joined in. They were so cute. Sadly the weekend had to end. Josh, Elaina and Chelsea left for MO and Jeremy (Christina's brother) had to return to AZ. We only got to see Jeremy at the Wedding. He had changed so much we barely recognized him. After the wedding becdause other members of the family were by him I went up to him and said "Is that you?" He says "Yea it's me. I know I've changed in looks." We had hoped he would return to MI when the wedding came because he and his girlfriend broke up but he loves it in AZ and has no intentions of returning to live.

Well that's it for now. Until next time. Happy Stitching.

More Progress

Hi everyone. I want to thank all of you for reading my blog. I love getting the comments and appreciate them. I do try to make comments on blogs there are so many great ones out there. Mine isn't half as interesting and good as there's. There are some good writers out there!

I had so hoped to have this piece done by today but it didn't happen. It'll be sometime next week before it's finished. As long as it's done before next Friday is all I care. Then I can give it to my sister and she'll have it framed for her two grandsons. Only thing is I probably won't be showing the finished piece for a couple of weeks as I can't find my camera charger and don't know how to piece it together. The person who usually pieces these larger pieces together will do it in a couple of weeks. I know part of it is cut off but you've seen that side of it. It's just a little too large for my scanner.

A week from tomorrow my youngest niece gets married! Why do they grow so fast! So we'll be having family come in from out of state and out of town. My one nephew and his wife and little girl are coming in from MO. We can't wait. Chelsea is now 3 almost 4 and we last saw her at 2 months. We are expecting, Chelsea, Addie and Katelyn to get along great as all 3 are little Princesses. All are girlie and all like just about the same things. Addie is 4, Chelsea 3, and Katelyn 2. Plus Johnny 5, and Nolan 1 will be there, maybe Ashton age 9, but the rest are all too far out of state to make it in. I doubt the ones from Chicago will come in, we'll see.

Last Saturday's Kia Kick Off Carnival was great. We had a pretty good turnout and everyone seemed to have fun. It was a long, fun day. We got there at 9 am to set up and everything. It was to close at 3 but about 2 the crowd was down to just basically the workers kids and a few from church and we were all getting tirred and crabby so by 2:30 we had closed up. Next Sunday night Kia Club begins. I'm working with the 2nd and 3rd graders this year.

I can't believe August is at it's end. Where did the summer go? I like fall though, it's not quite as hot.

I hope everyone has a great Holiday Weekend!

Well.....until next time....Happy Stitching!

Lots of Progress

I think the end of this piece is in site. My goal is to finish it up next Friday that way I'll have a finish in August. I think I can do it as it should go fairly fast from here on out. Knock on wood! I have enjoyed this piece but am ready to see it finished.

I deserve 10 lashes with a wet noodle. Can you believe I forgot to announce the birth of Emma Jane. She is Great Grandchild no. 17 for my parents. They named her in part after my mom, (Jane). She is so honored. We always told Amanda and Michelle if they had a 3rd child to head to the hospital before they go into labor or they won't break it. Both had 2 boys and they barely made it to the hospital and all 4 were born a month early. Emma followed suit born a month early and she was not born at the hospital. They got part of way there and Amanda told Luke to pull over and call for help this baby is coming. So Luke pulled over and called for help went to the back seat to help Amanda and Amanda already delivered. She says to Luke, "Here is our baby girl." Fortunately all is well and Emma is now at home with her parents and 2 older brothers, 2 1/2 year old Scott and 18 month old Connor. Think Amanda has her hands full?

This Saturday we are having our Kia Club Carnival to mark the start of Kia Club in Sept. Last Sat. the Pork Out was a success, it was a beautiful day for it and everyone had a good time. We look forward to the same this Sat. only it's suppose to be hot out there.

Well until next time Happy Stitching!

Some Progress on Splish Splash

Hello! How was your week this week? Mine was busy. I didn't get quite as much time to work on this past week. I've been gone almost all day this week and 3 evenings I was away. My poor cat hardly saw me at all and today he let me know it. He wanted my attention when he was awake and didn't let me stitch a lot. He kept trying to play with the threads and material.


My sister came to town Tuesday and stayed until Thurs. Tuesday was my birthday but it got lost in the day. In the morning my mom had her surgery. Then that afternoon my sister came in to town for our niece's bridal shower that night. Since she got in early afternoon she took me shoping for new shoes and a purse for the wedding. My sister insists I have to have brown purse if I'm going to have brown shoes. I can't take a black purse with brown shoes. I've asked around and verdict is I'm not buying black shoes to go with the black purse. Hey the shoes will match the outfit I wear to the wedding what more can they ask for. I am not a fashion queen and have no desires to be one.

Christina's shower was fun, my sister's 4 year old grand daughter came hoping to be able to play with another nieces 2 1/2 year old daughter, and 5 year old son, but they were camping with their other grandma so weren't at the shower. Once Addie got over her disappointment she was fine. She got to give Christina the shower gifts and pass out the prizes to the game winners. She seemed to have fun.

Wed. my sister and I stayed at our mom's and played Mexican Dominoes and Push Rummey with her. Then I went to a Premiere Jewlery Party my nieces was demonstrating and one of my friends house. Of course I ordered a necklace and bracelet.

Then last night a group of us from church went out for bagels. Well I just got a Pepsi. I mostly went because one of my friends from church doesn't get to do much and so I asked her if she wanted to go to this, and she did. She said she had a nice time. (She works 12 hour shifts 7 days a week, is mandated to for now but is on medical leave. Sometime in next two weeks she is hoping to get her gall bladder taken out.

Tomorrow we have our 2nd annual Pig Out at church. It's a community wide event where they have a contest who can make the best pork, they'll have 3 judges that are known in the community. Plus each class and ministry will have a booth set ut. Love Inc. will be there as well as Habitat for Humanity. I don't know if Pastor Nate got anyone to set up a Food Pantry Booth or not last year I did it but I took the summer off from the food pantry this year. I'll go back in Sept.

Also in Sept. BSF starts back up. I haven't heard from my new leader yet, hopefully next week. Also a friend got me into the Beth Moore Bible Studies. So I ordered 5 of her books. Two came last week and 3 came today. Some of us are going to do a Bible Study using her material.

And more Progress on Splish Splash

There is a method for my madness here. I don't know why designers do this but they fold the pattern in half and a row of the pattern is on the crease which fades over time which was happening so I decided to do the parts on the crease to make sure it was accurate. Also page 2 was stappled in the book and had to be very carefully taken out in order to read the creases. Why do designers do that. Fortunately the picture of the finished piece is very clear so I am using that as a guide too. Other than that this piece is going very well, is a lot of fun and obviously very hard to lay down. It is so cute I love stitching on it. Although I wonder if anyone else finds this as cute as I do.

Next week is going to be a fairly busy week as I have something going every day but Friday. My mom is having a stint put into the artery of her kidney on Tuesday. Hopefully this will solve the elevated blood pressusre problem, and her heart problem. Also Tuesday is my nieces bridal shower which mom is disappointed she won't be able to go to that. Tuesday is also my birthday. So mom isn't happy. But like I said to her she has to do it, each day it's not done she's at risk for a stroke or heart attack so do it. Christina will understand and I understand so don't even worry about it. Besides it's not like we are young children. We're mature adults.

Today a friend and I went to see a lady from our church and had a nice visit with her. We planned to see a second lady but she was not there when we got there. We also went out for lunch. So we may try again next week.

My sister will be in town Tuesday afternoon-Thursday so that will be nice.

Well....until next time Happy Stitching!

More Progress

Hello again! I have made more progress on Splish Splash. I really am enjoying this piece so much. I really think Nick will like it and Chase will when he gets a little older.

Chase has had a rough week. Michelle (my niece, his mother), was planning on bringing him up to Michigan this week and Scott and Nick were going to go camping. Chase got really sick and spent a few days in the hospital. They think his adenoids need to come out. They were taking him to a specialist today. Because he is only 13 months old Doctors hate to take out his tonsils and adenoids. He's home now on oxygen when he takes his naps and at night. He hates it so Michelle and Scott wait until he is sleeping good to put it on then they switch off as far as watching him during the night to make sure he doesn't wake up or strangle himself on the oxygen cord. Poor baby. Doctor told Michelle she couldn't travel with Chase so their trip to Michigan to see us got called off. She's going to try later in the fall.

Well the first week of the Olympics is over. The best of the two weeks, the track and field doesn't interest me completely. Some of it does but not all of it.


August seems to be a pretty busy month. Every Saturnday we have something going on, plus next week my sister will be here 2 1/2 days we have a bridal shower to go to next Tuesday, and Wed. hopefully we'll do some shopping. Sounds vain but I want to get some new shoes to go with the outfit I bought for Christina's wedding. Maybe even a purse. We'll see I hate spending money onb shoes and purses. My idea of shopping for shoes and purses is selecting the shoes and purse that my sister or mom have that they don't wear or use anymore. I'm not big on shopping anyway unless I have something specific in mind.

Wel.....until next time happy stitching!

Hello again. I am so pleased with how fast and how well this piece is going. It is such a fun stitch I may be stitching it again after the first of the year maybe for Scott, Connor and Emma this time. Emma isn't born yet but will be in August. I My youngest niece, Christina is getting married Sept. 8. So tomorrow her mother is taking me shopping for shower and wedding gifts. Her bridal shower is Aug. 14, on my birthday. Anyone else enjoying the Olympics? I am....I've enjoyed the gymnastic and swimming, & diving events especially. Some disappointments but more victories really. Well....until next time Happy Stitching.

Start of Splish Splash

I have finally started Splish Splash by Imaginating. This piece has to be the cutest one I've ever done and is such an enjoyable stitch. It is fun seeing it come to life. It will be going to 2 of my great nephews that live in Colorado. Nick will be 3 in Sept. and Chase is 13 months.

I first saw this piece at 123 stitch someone else was working on it and showing their progress in the WIP Friday thread. Several of us loved it and I did buy it with my gift certificate. This piece has the elephant as the main character but there is a monkey on the right side and frog on left, and under the tub is a turtle holding the towels for them. I can't wait to get further along on this.

Well, the Olympics are now underway. I am enjoying them so far. I just watch the women's volley ball and the men's volley ball both teams won the first round, several more to go. Go USA! Now rowing is on. I did see the Opening Ceremonies last night. I wasn't impressed with the first part and fell asleep, woke back up as the teams were marching in saw most of them and enjoyed the rest of it. I loved the way they lit the torch that was creative.

Well....until next time. Happy Stitching!

Lighthouse # 2 is Finished

Hello! How is everyone this cloudy rainish afternoon?
I finished the second lighthouse last night. It was so much fun to stitch but in end a challenge as someone literally ripped the pattern to shreads. Fortunately I had enough done in the areas and was able to figure it out by following the picture. Now to get it to my friend in a couple weeks. Sunday her and her husband and leaving for MO with some of our young people from church to work at CEF headquarters for a few days.

I have started Splish Splash and I love it. It is so cute and so much fun to do. I may do two of them in time. It seems to be moving fast too. I'll probably show a picture of it tomorrow.

Well...until next time Happy Stitching!

Progress on Lighthouse 2

I have stitched quite a bit on this the last few days. I do have a small problem though. In the morning I have a little helper and attention getter and he is shredding the poor pattern! I guess he wants my attention and doesn't want me to stitch!


I am looking forward to the Olympics starting Friday night. I love the swimming, gymnastics and some track and field events. I like horsejumping too. I'm thinking about signing up to get them on my computer only problem is I haven't figured out how to get sound on the computer but I can at least see them when I want. I'm not sure how much coverage NBC will have.

Tomorrow we are suppose to get showers and thunderstorms. We need the rain.

Well...until next time happy stitching!

Lighthouse #2 Under way

Hi Everyone! I started the second Lighthouse last Friday. It is going quite well and stitching up fast. It's been a busy and fun week.
My sister made it into the campground last Friday afternoon so from Sat.-Wed. was pretty much spent at the campground. Sat. her daughter, son-in-law and their two children and dog were there. They went home that night but Heather and the children came back on Monday and stayed through Wed. night. Addie and Nolan are so cute. Addie was a lot of fun as she is 4 and she loves camping. Nolan being barely a year we had to watch carefully but he's a pretty good baby. Tuesday, we went to my sister's brother-in-laws pool it was so nice and warm. Addie was a little fish. Monday we swam in Lake Michigan and the water really was warm for being the Lake. There again Addie was fearless. She loves swimming and for being only 4 can hold her own at swimming. One day my niece, Melissa and her husband, John came out with their 2 children, Johnny 5, and Katelyn 2. Katelyn just gravatated to Addie she was her little pal. Johnny is starting school this fall, Melissa is homeschooling him. Like I said it was a great fun week.

Also our church had Bible School this past week but because of my sister and everyone being in town I didn't work at it this week. They said it went real well.

I got my package from 123 stitch earlier this week. The friend I made the Poppy Pair for 2 or 3 months ago gave me a $50.00 gift card to use on line. Of course I bought patterns and some floss with it. I got 7 patterns and 18 skeins of floss I got a good deal. I can't wait to get started on some of them. Especially Splish Splash by Imaginating but I have 2 or 3 other pieces I have to do first.

Thank you for reading my blog. I appreciate all comments.


Well...until next time Happy Stitching.

Lighthouse Finish

I finished this earlier today. Now I've started the second lighthouse and I'll give the two to Sherry, She'll make them into a kleenix box or something. I gave her the instructions from the book. It's summer time I love doing beach scenes.

Today my sister was going to come into town and camp at a State Park a few miles from here but she isn't feeling well so hopefully she'll feel better tomorrow and come. Disappointing but no one is more disappointed then her 4 year old grand daughter Addie, who was waiting for Grandma since early this morning. They are at the camp ground too. Kay will be there through next Thursday, I'm not sure how long Heather, and Brian and the kids will be there. They have been there since Sunday when Kay and Ken came in to set the camper up.

It's a good week for Kay to be camping as it will be 90's again. Really warm for us. I love Lake Michigan and look forward to being out there during the day time. I can't after dark because all the campfire smoke gets to me. I especially loved going down and watching the lighthouse when going down to Lake Michigan. I see that lake and I am so relaxed. As kids we use to love riding the waves and also diving in to them.

I got a gift card for $50 and I had so much fun spending it at 123 stitch the other day. I got 8 new patterns and 17 skeins of floss. Best is the gift card covered it all and it doesn't go against me in the 50 challenge since it is a gift. This was piece 27 towards the 50 challenge.

Well....until next time Happy Stitching!

Progress on Lighthouse

Slowly but surely I am getting further on this. But I have made progress. Just the part I'm doing now is slowing me do a lot. In these hot days, doing water scenes makes me cool down. Plus staying inside in the airconditioning helps a lot too.

It's suppose to be 90's all week very unusual for Michigan. And we don't like it too well! But we don't have it as warm as other places in the country!

I can tell the Fourth of July is getting close. This year Firecrackers became legal in Michigan and the last few days some of the neighbors have been setting them off. Very annoying as they are doing it in the court yard right outside my patio and they are loud!. Not only that this is an apartment complex and what if one misfired and hit one of the roofs or started a grass growing. Friday night I was really agitated as they did it about 2 am and when they left they honked their cars, and the one car kept honking and honking. How could any of us sleep. None of us around here were happy. I almost called the office this morning to complain but chickened out. Fortunately Sat. and Sunday nights were not as bad. They were done by 10:30 pm.

I hope all of you have a good 4th of July. Until next time Happy Stitching!