This is a picture of my husband as a toddler -- I think he was 3 years old here.  My MIL has taken pictures of all her children with this same lunch box which belonged to Roger's Dad.  I absolutely love this picture <g>. 

Roger is in heaven now, and it's almost 6 years now.  Needless to say, I do still miss him and life is not at all like it was when he was here with me.  I am working now, and learning to adjust to all the pressures and physical draw that it makes on you daily.  I am learning -- trying to adjust to a new schedule and less time to do the things I want to go.

One of the thing I want to get back to this year is my needlework.  At one time I stitched every night.  Since Roger passed away to heaven, I have stitched  maybe one full hour.  That is strange -- but honestly, I have not been able to go back.  Lately, I have been thinking more about neeedlework or  stitching and it may be due to the fact that work is stressful and that I find myself needing to unwind when I get home.  Needlework is wonderful for creating a sense of calm and helping you to concentrate on just one thing at a time.  So I am hoping to begin working on some of the old projects and maybe one new small project as the month goes on. 

Going back to work has been stressful -- both becasue I get up at 4:30am -- and it is very different for me.  When you have the full day to yourself, and run your own schedule, you are not getting up at 4:30am!  This is a challenge, but I am growing accustomed to it.  Still, it is different, and I am very tired generally when I get home.  Work is challenging, constant and demands a lot of your energy.  When I get out I am ready for a meal and a bed!  Not necessarily in that order <ggg>.

Still, I am grateful for the job and the fact that it provides me a way to get insurance, and also a bit of income -- but it is definitely requiring something of me physically.

This update is not so much for posting needlework as it is for getting myself  on a new page with blogging again -- and hopefully I will be able to keep up and update with photos that will inspire you too.

Have a blessed Spring, since it is just around the corner now -- though we have had 9" of snow since yesterday --- the nice thing about New Mexico is you can have snow like that one day and it will be melted in 24 hours.   So I won't be driving to work in the snow on Monday, which is probably a good thing. 

Happy New Year!  I hope it is truly a great year for you!

Catherine

Stepping Into a New Year ---
    For those who celebrate the Jewish New Year, which is this month, you are probably very aware that this is a time to wrap up the old year, and prepare for the new.  
    In the process of doing that, I usually take a little time to look at life in general, what I'm doing, and how I am doing it -- see if God speaks to me about anything imparticular that I need to leave behind as I go forward.  Sometimes that's not an easy thing to do, depending on what you are asked to do.  Life has its way of changing around you anyway without you having a lot of control over things.  We are certainly seeing a lot of things change around us in this world, and it is without a doubt a time for praying for the nations.  I do that, but I also know that God has His own agenda, even for me.  If I am not in touch with His plan for me, I can miss out on a lot of blessings and opportunities and open doors that He has for me. 
    So I am presently spending some time asking God about this year, and next, to see what He would have me do, and how.  What is needing to end, and what is needing new faith to begin.  I don't mind this at all, because as long as I know I am hearing God correctly, this can be a time of great transitions and additions to life that were not part of the last chapter.  Since I am no Spring chicken in age, I know that this happens in life, and if you can get God's idea, it is always better than if you head out on your own, not knowing for sure whether you are embarking on the right path.  I like the level of certainty that comes with a 'clear word from the Lord'!
    Fall is also a great time because the work of the yard and landscaping begins to change, and I get more free time.  It is also a nice time because the weather isn't as hot and I can get at the last of the projects in the yard that need attention without sweltering in the heat!   I also just love the feeling of the air this time of year -- it's softer, more pleasant to be in, and the rain is an added blessing as well.  I love the fact that we will have apples and chile here to enjoy from the new crops, and those make this time of year fun. I already have plans to make some candied apples for the family soon so I can enjoy both the fun of seeing them bite into them, and of making them in my kitchen.   Since Roger is in heaven, I don't do a lot of cooking for myself -- but it is nice when you can plan a project in the kitchen and share it.   I also love putting up pies, though I don't have an extra freezer any longer, and if I did, I certainly would enjoy putting up some new pies with the fresh fruit from our area.  There is nothing like apricot pies, and fresh apple pie with custard worked into the mix and raisins, or blackberry pies (which were Rog's favorite).  Roger loved pouring milk into his hot blackberry pie and eating it that way.  The milk would turn blue, which was interesting, and he seemed to enjoy it so much.  So I have some plans to enjoy a little bit of that, but not nearly as much since I have no freezer to put them in. 
     Starting something new can be fun. Recently I took my great niece to the cross stitch shop and let her see the possibilities of what can be done with needle and thread. She had a great time, and she is working on her first cross stitch piece and is almost done with it.  It was fun to see her admire all the different finishing done with the pieces that were in the store, and then seeing all the colors of thread and how they work into the design when used.  The space dyed fibers are fun to play with and she is getting her first experience with that as well.  I am honestly glad to finally find someone in the family who is interested in this kind of hobby as I have wanted to share what I know with someone so that the art of needlework doesn't die. 
     In the next few weeks I will be teaching another great niece how to sew with a new sewing machine I purchased for her for her birthday. She will enjoy it as she has a home and husband and two children to create things for -- it will save her money in some ways, and give her options for decorating within her home that she has not had before.  Plus sewing is just a great way to create your own wardrobe and for children as well.  I am sure she will enjoy the process of learning and creating as she goes forward.  So, I am doing my part in helping the next generation learn the love of the needle, and I hope you are too. It's important to share our skills with the next generation -- I love to cook and sew, and even garden and decorate as well, so it is a good thing for me, especially in my current situation to have these young women to teach.   I  hope to take them into the kitchen too, though they are already good in that category, but I am sure we can still have some fun doing new things that we've never tried.  Baking bread is not something they do, so I will get that opportunity I hope in the near future to help them learn how to create that lovely aroma in their own homes.  It really can be a joy to do these things when you have children, or even just a husband to share them with.  Men love to eat, and I don't know anyone who doesn't like home baked bread right out of the oven!   Ummmm....so good!  
     Well, I am off to do some work here, and getmyself ready for another day.  God bless you as you prepare for yours and I hope it is a lovely one with good things happening all around!  The Kate!

Happy New Year!

I love this time of year -- and I celebrate Rosh Hadhanah, or the Jewish New Year.  It's a special time for planning new things, and closing out the old .  I also love this season becuase the weather is beginning to cool off, and the air feels moist and cool.  Though everything will begin to dry up and winter will come, this is a marvelous time for harvest and for looking back and seeing what you have accomplished.

My list of things to do for the Summer and some from Spring were listed, and I have actually managed to get a lot of the list completed, and even some a few things that weren't on the list <g>.   Though life is still a little sketchy in some ways since Roger passed to Heaven, I am doing better and managing to get back to living in some ways.  It's taken more time than I imagined it would take, but at the same time, I can see the progress, and am getting to feel like I want to do things, rather than I am making myself do things.  This week I will be finishing some projects in the yard before Rosh Hashanah, my way of adding an exclamation mark to the year!   I plan to paint a few walls as well, and see if I can't add some new life to the accent walls in the house in my bathroom, guest room, hall and dining room.  I've changed out some lights in the kitchen over the stove that look like they are 'angel feathers' on a globe.  Very pretty, kind of neutral colors, but nice for the space.  Previously I had red lights there, a sort of longer tube type.  I like the end result <g>.  Maybe I'll take a picture and post it here this week.

I've cleaned files, gone through drawers and rearranged things, boxed up things that needed to be moved out to the garage, and I still have some work to do in the kitchen, but that will go on my 'new year's list' of things to do.

Ending a year is good -- looking back to see your progress, and I have some, so that is nice -- and rewarding in some ways.  Having had to work through loss, grief, and the loneliness, confusion, etc., that goes with losing someone you love -- well, the work seems twice as hard sometimes as it really is, and you are sometimes mechanical in the way you approach life because you feel so empty.  Anyone who has been tehre doesn't need me to explain, if you haven't, thank God that you haven't!!  Seriously! 

Some things I have  completed:

•      Stuccoing the walls outside (a new experience for me)
•      Replacing the lights in the kitchen over the stove
•      Adding new ballasts in the kitchen ceiling lights
•      Cleaning out files, organizing office and rearranging furniture
•      Creating space for books in my bedroom cabinet
•      Moving things from drawers and closets to garage
•      Fixing the fountain outside, adding new pump, repainting bowl
•      Planted all sorts of flowers in pots and planters in front and back yard
•      Trimmed front bushes
•      Removed a dead holly bush, and two non producing crepe myrtles and replaced with new bushes.
•      Trimmed down rose bushes, fertilized and treated systemically
•      Sealed counter on outdoor barbecue
•      Trimmed half of back yard bushes (will finish the rest this week I hope)
•      Washed windows

What's left:

1.      Plaster areas in front and back porch ceilings, and paint
2.      Remove trim (wood) on pillars and replace with new pieces, water seal and then paint
3.      Treat lawn for Fall and porch flower bed areas and courtyard
4.      Paint accent walls in bathroom, hall, guest room and dining room
5.      Clean file cabinets / organize study files / 
6.      Give away some of your Christmas decorations -- unclutter the garage
7.      Clean garage / reorganize and mark containers
8.      Clean pantry -- make space for cookware / bake ware
9.      Add slide out units in lower cabinets in kitchen 
10.      Seal tile in bathrooms and kitchen again
11.      Organize closets - shoes and purses - 
12.      Put Green chili away for next year
13.      Buy Apples and put pies up for winter -- give a few away

Other things for fun!!

•    Organize your needlework -- start stitching again
•   Take time to read -- take notes on what you're reading
•    Plan a baking day with Bette -- teach her to bake bread
•    Make more time for cooking -- and invite people to have dinner or lunch now and then
•    Find a job!!  oh boy!
•    Plan projects that work with the frames you own, and get to work on them.
•    Start working on Danette's tablecloth project too
•    Create your work list and goals list for the new year -- stay on top of it

 My list of things to do in the new year are still in my head and not on paper, so I won't write them down now.  I don't have a huge list, thank the Lord!!!  I will be able to do a lot of different things with a list that is shorter next year, and hopefully do a better job at taking care of the lawn.  I have some 'repair' work to do next year -- but that's alright.  It's good exercise <g>.   I'll post my list of needlework projects and my plans and goals to some extent the next time, but I have gone alright this year.  A lot of other things I've done aren't on the 'finished list', but that's because they are not so much work but still things that were important to me to get done.  God is good and I am hoping for an ever better year, and more enthusiasm to go with it.  God bless you as you enter into this season, and celebrate the good things in life.

Godly Success - Unlocking the door of Prospetity in Your life

I"m reading again -- That was something I always made time for, and though I haven't done a lot of fiction reading, I am doing some of that too these days.

Wanted to review a book I read recently, it is really about finding your nitch in life, what you are called to do, and how to be successful.  No fiction here, this is real life!  Here is the author's information and book title for you to check out at your leisure...

GODLY SUCCESS BY MORNAY JOHNSON

Everyone has potential, but how to use what you have is sometimes challenging to discern and put into motion in life.   Success is possible and yet, in these changing times there seems to be a lot of confusion about what works.  Both Government and Society as a whole are swimming in a pool of confusion about what to do next, and what will take us past our present economic distress.   Success seems elusive, but is it?  Not as far as God is concerned!

God has never meant that his people be confused about life.  There are answers, and in this book you will find tools that will help you find your course in life that will foster success.  Learning to analyze situations, and see God’s way through the fog is imperative, and yet, we are impatient to get to the next place.   God is not.  He is willing to press in for the right timing in life to bring out a particular effect.  Man seems to miss this detail and often presses when it is time to wait, and vise versa.   Our job is to learn the voice of the Lord in our lives, find out what He is saying and the timing of our next move; then proceed as He speaks to us.  God will open doors, the word says so; but are we moving with Him or just in our own idea of what works?  Here you will find information and encouragement that will take you to the place of effective use of time, plans, and create a sense of purpose in what you are doing.  The elusiveness of success will begin to fade away, and you will begin to see clearly what you did not see previously.  We need to assess what is the right direction, plan for it, make the right investment of time, skill, networking, effort and do it at the right time so that we move forward in our plans for optimal success.

God is not confused about how to get you there, but we need His plan, and fortunately a lot of the maze has been made clear within the pages of this book.  Expect that you will move forward in life, and that you will change some long standing mindsets that have been hindrances to you in the past.  Move forward and read with expectation, as you will be taken to a new place as you apply the instruction and wisdom from the pages of this book.  I wish you blessing as you proceed, because God is faithful who promised, and He is the source of success and the planner of your destiny.  We need to flow with Him in understanding and obedience, and faith –- the rest He will impart!  Every open door is His doing!

One of the statements that stayed with me, and reinforced the truth about God’s work in our desires for success was  the following  -- “They will discover that the flow of the Spirit within them will carry them to the top” (page 48).  Let God now help you find your purpose, direct your choices and help you take the steps that will cause you to rise to the top!  Trust Holy Spirit!  God’s plans for you are good!

ENDING 2011 --

Hi all,
Well, life has certainly flown by again and we're logging in another full year. Hope you have managed to accomplish a lot this year, that you haven't had a lot of stresses or problems to clutter your life, and that you are at a good spot now, no matter what has happened.

I ought to be wrapping gifts, but I am playing on the computer instead. I have had a lot of things get piled up and I am slowly working through them now that the weather is cold. No working outside right now -- no decorations outside either for the moment, as it's been too cold to put them out. I may get out there next week early if the weather improves enough to be out there without freezing. We have had snow twice already this year, and I love the snow, but it is cold!!! I think I am also getting older as I seem to feel cold more readily than I used to. Unfortunately I have no snow pictures to show as I didn't take any this time, though we had 10 inches of snow, which is significant for us. I love the feeling that snow brings to the atmosphere. Something about snow that makes you want to cook and bake and enjoy toasty cups of cocoa and cider, or spiced tea. Those are a few of my favorite things -- and coffee!!! Lattes especially are nice for this time of year.

I'm in the midst of sorting through a lot of files and reorganizing spaces in the house and moving furniture in the rooms and cleaning -- though it feels good to get to this part of the work, it is still work . I will be glad when I am all done with it. In the meantime I am trying to do shopping and wrapping and mailing packages and such as well. Needless to say the clock is ticking and I am feeling a little like I am behind time. But oh well...I am learning not to stress about such things. Hopefully I will start earlier in the future and escape the stress that comes from getting down to the wire with the list still in process.

In summarizing the year, I have had a better year. Healing is happening in my heart and life but it is taking more time than I had thought it would. I still have my days when Roger is so on my heart and mind that it makes looking forward very difficult. Yet, the times when I am feeling more 'together' I seem to do alright, and even without a really clear view of what is next, I don't feel so stressed over the fact that I haven't all my ducks in a row. Roger was a significant part of my life and love and I sorely miss him. Family is busy with their own things, so I am finding I am alone a lot more than I was initially. Everyone has to return to their own plans and responsibilities, and I am finding that I am having to do more alone, and work on things on my own -- a new tack for me, but I am managing.

We did manage to get a couple of trips in this year, which were a blessing. I visited Glory of Zion twice, and enjoyed it thoroughly. It is much more fun gong with other people. I also visited IHOP in Kansas City and enjoyed my niece, her husband and son's company for both trips. Gabriel stayed at IHOP as he is an intern there, and we came home to carry on with our own individual responsibilities. It's been a very different kind of year, lots of things to pray through and stresses we had not expected, but they are working their way out of our lives and we are finding our new assignments in life. I for one have worked at changing out my back bedroom to an office, which I can work at, study, watch my DVDs from Glory of Zion, and listen to music while I read, or even stitch. The room is small, so I don't have a lot of room there. I managed to squeeze the things I wanted in the room and it is taking shape. What I struggle with most is finding spaces for everything I want to keep in the house. Some things have had to make their way into the garage -- and eventually I will go through all the containers in the garage and give away, sort through and either sell or donate things so I can clear up the space and have it in a more orderly arrangement. That is part of next year's goals as it's far too cold to work out there right now.

So at least the office is being completed, and I will now work in there instead of on the dining room table . A nice change, and he room is very inviting, and restful.

I attended on line classes with Glory of Zion -- their Center for Advancement -- and enjoyed the classes. I have certificates from these classes, which I have framed and placed on the walls in my office. These frames originally were bought to hold Quaker sampler pieces, but I decided that it was time to do something different and use the frames, so that is how I have filled them. Right now I need to find a few more frames the same style or coloring at least so I can finish framing all the certificates. I have 7 thus far. These classes by the way are Christian Courses -- something I truly enjoy participating in.

I've rearranged my guest room and cleared it out. I had started just stacking things in there that I didn't know what to do with -- space for storage is a problem - so I finally got everything out of there and rearranged and I am so glad that that is also done. NOw if I can get the wrapping done for Christmas the room will really be where I want it to be. I am planning on getting my Yamaha keyboard back and start learning how to play chords on it. I can't do the same or have the same affect with a regular piano, so I am going to work on that as a high priority for the coming year and see if I can't get proficient enough so that I can play at Church. If so, that would be a significant asset in my life. Certainly something I really want to do in my future. So that is a priority for me in 2012.

I have also a large project in my kitchen -- refinishing my cabinets. I have had a different cabinet added over the pantry and to the side. These hold my trays, bowls and spices on the side cabinet. It works really well, but it is not finished as yet. So I have to sand the cabinets in the kitchen, then stain them, and get them all to match, and once that is done, seal them with polyurethane and add new cabinet handles. A fairly big job for me as one person, but something I will get done this year or by the end of January. That is one of my major goals as well. I am setting a time table for it so that the work gets done fairly quickly. I figure it will take me at least 2 weeks to sand everything down; two to three days to do the staining; one to three days to polyurethane the cabinets and let them dry between coats; and a couple of hours to replace all the handles. The stain, polyurethane and handles are the only materials required -- and I hope to get to the job quickly once the holidays are over. The kitchen will be sealed off while I work on this, and I'll sand the wood outside as much as possible so I don't create a lot of mess in the house. Still, it will be a fairly big job for me to do on my own. I'll take some photos of my progress and process so you can see the whole thing. I'm actually looking forward to getting the job done.

I would like to paint my guest room -- it is a very light pink, and I haven't decided what color to use in there. I am thinking that I'd like to still use a rose tone in the room, but as an accent color, and I may go back to the pecan colored walls in there with a deeper rose tone on one wall. That is my "February" job probably as I would like to get it done before the weather warms up.

I'm trying to just work on a specific project for each month so that I stay focused. If I do it this way I might actually get more done and feel less stress over the whole. Not sure how other people do it but I get stressed with too man things going on at once, or feeling pressure about having to get a lot of things done. I am trying a new tack -- and hopefully pigeon holing each job to a specific time frame will help me get it done better with less anxious moments. So this is a new strategy for me .

I have some sewing I want to finish -- I have extra fabric (purchased pieces, and some left over from upholstery, curtains, etc) that I want to use up. It will clear up my garage, give me some gifts I can give away as presents, and I'll enjoy the process of creating them. So I want to pull out my serger and sewing machine and get them both humming in February and March. I figure that I can work on these indoors and enjoy the process while Winter is still in effect. I'll end up with some nice pieces to give away -- from purses, and totes to decorative pillows, sham covers, and bolster pillows that I know will be nice presents for family and friends. I also have some towels that I want to add fabric pieces to match my bathrooms -- if these turn out well, I may make some additional ones for gifts to give later to my family. Sewing is a great way to create!! I have always enjoyed sewing by machine and I hope to use it more in 2012 to create one of a kind gifts.

The number of projects really has diminished -- especially work projects, for that I can say a hearty "Praise God"!!! Really!!! You can enjoy working on projecs for a while, but there comes a time when you really want to see them come to an end, and the number of new ones also be fewer and farther between. I am getting there, finally!!!

Here are the minor outdoor projects I have to work on in Spring: (a total of 18)

• Stucco patches on the house where water or 'workers' have affected the walls.
• Clean out and repaint the Fountain bowl, also replace the pump (hired out)
• Trim all the bushes, fertilize and especially pay attention to the wisteria and spruces
• Reseal the counter on the outdoor barbecue counter
• Create a space for your wood to be stored outside
• Treat the pine trees and get them thriving and healthy again
• Treat the arborvitaes on the upper terrace and get them healthy and enough water so they look healthy and grow better
• Clean the courtyard of pine needles, either add more rock there or clean out and add cement
• Buy a better blow/vac machine to use for this purpose
• Reupholster 6 outdoor chairs (create the seat covers)
• Reupholster the swing seats (include canopy, side pockets for storage, center storage container top and back panel/sun shield) -- move to front patio area
• Remove the dead Mugho Pine in front yard and replace with an Arborvitae, fix the water line
• Remove the dead holly from courtyard. Do not replace it.
  
• Level the one planter in the front yard
• Create a growing stake for the Trumpet vines on the side yard
• Trim back the two large photinia bushes in back yard
• Clean out the path near the pine trees and set up the table and chairs there for use.
• Add a new shade to the back porch
  

These are the major outdoor projects: (only 5)

• Sand all outdoor woodwork on doors and windows and porches
• Water seal twice each of the woodwork areas outside
• Paint the woodwork twice outdoors
• Replace the wood trim on the pillars in the back porch as well
• Caulk all windows and door frames outside

Indoors there aren't a lot of new projects -- mostly going through my closets to sort things out and either give away, or organize what I have. I plan to go through all cabinets and dressers as well and do the same thing. These are Winter projects though, and ought to be well out of the way by March.

I'd like to reorganize my kitchen cabinets and where I keep things once I get the restoration on the cabinets done. That won't be a big project, but certainly will take me a few days to figure it out and get the work done. I plan to add some of those slide out gadgets on the lower sections of my cabinets so I can get to thins without having to get on my hands and knees to reach back there. I've always thought that these lower cabinets should be built that way!! All the ladies say "Amen"!

One of the things I have always thought I'd enjoy in my kitchen is a baking area set up in my kitchen where the majority of my baking supplies and gadgets would be kept. I am hoping to do that and set up a spot for cake pans, baking sheets, pie tins, and glass baking dishes; also the flavorings, spices and small appliances to accomplish any baking task. My kitchen doesn't ahve that much storage space so I am going to concentrate on keeping only what I use regularly in the cabinets and everything else will go in a separate pantry in the laundry room. It will give me what I need at hand, and hte others will be easily accessible if I need to use them. I am definitely a kitchen gadget kind of person .

My dentist told me recently that I was a shoe person, -- I added to that that I am also a purse person, and an electronic gadget kind of gal - not so much that I own a lot but I like them . If I could I'd be a watch person and a jewelry person, but that's a bit more expensive so I don't have a lot of those kinds of things.

This coming year I'd also like to take at least one trip. Not sure where it will be, Arizona, Texas, Pennsylvania? Who knows. I am just thinking I'd like to do something new and enjoy the time, and even maybe go alone and see how I manage. It's a new thing going on vacation by myself. But I have to learn how to do this as I don't have Rog to take me anymore. Also, I can't always be asking my family to go with me, as that can put them in a spot and I don't want to do that. So, we'll see how it goes. I may ask one of my sisters who is also a widow and see if we can't go together and have a nice time. So that too is in my thoughts for 2012, God willing.

Otherwise, I have loads of unfinished stitching projects to work on and I'd like to get involved with doing a lot more of that. I've already pulled out several projects that I am keeping handy, and some smalls that I want to finish stitching and assembling so I can use them, and some to give to friends.

I plan to work on some ornaments too, for fun, and seasonal things -- I like door knockers and i like creating small decorating accents that you can use without having a huge commitment of time to get them finished.

There are a few large projects I want to work on as well - needlework oriented. A hardanger tablecloth, a crocheted tablecloth that are 60x108; I have some pre-made tablecloths that I want to add a crocheted edging to about 4" deep. I also plan to stitch a crocheted edge of 1" on the napkins.

I plan to work on crocheting a round tablecloth as well, and possibly a withdrawn thread/special stitches tablecloth 90" round. Whether all these will see a finish in 2012 is doubtful, that's a lot of work!! But I do hope at least to get one or two completed, and then just keep working on them.

As for other goals, personal, I am not sure where I am going with that, except that I want to start working out more, depending on the weather. I will walk when it's good weather, and otherwise work out in some other fashion when it's cold. I'd like to get consistent with that as well, just to get back to a healthier weight and strength.

So that's it for me...a fairly substantial list when you put it all together, but I have done more than this before in one year's time, so I know the biggest part of this is just staying with it until the list disappears. Diligence is the key, and hopefully I will find more enthusiasm as I go along and get to the jobs on my list. HOpe you are working on your goals and that you will succeed at getting them accomplished in 2012. God bless you in the new year!

Miss Kate....

Moving Forward!

Below are some of the UFOs that I pulled out to work on. The one shown below is the Permin Celle sampler. I am working it in a black Cherry Vikki Clayton Silk. I really like the way it is coming out, it's a sort of purple/brown color in the thread, though the picture didn't quite pick it up. I took these with my phone as opposed to a digital camera. I get better pictures with my digital camera, but I hadn't put batteries in it and decided to save time I'd use my phone.






















Below here are the rise and Shine from Bent Creek that I stitched on a long while ago. I only have the cup and the beek to stitch and part of the sun beween the words. When I purchased this I actually ordered the frame as well, so I have tha ton hand and framing will be a snap!

Lower on the page here, you can see the Marquoir Sampler that I have been working on it seems for ages. I love it though, the colors are really pretty together, and as I have added some of my own motifs to make this 'my own' and some over oen to fit in designs that otherwise would not look right, it has really taken on it's own character and I really like that. I'm lookign forward to finally gettin this finished nad it will be framed and hang in either my bedroom, or in the guest room so that it will be seen easily. I have really enjoyed working on this sampler, why it has taken me so long to get it done is strange in some ways as I have had such a hard time putting it down when I do actually stitch on it. One picture is a close up of the last section I worked on, and the picture below is the full design as it stands now.






















Here in this section you see two more projects-- One is the Six mains sampler or six hands, and I have to locate the other page of teh design -- it was missing from the project bag. I did pull some fibers that i may use, and I am not sure if I will change out the fabric as well. I am not certain that that is the right color. To the right of that is the antique blue linen that I have for a 60x108 sized tablecloth. I plan to do this in hardanger and some pulled thread stitches. It will be fun to see it come together.

So as you can see I have a lot of things going on, and these are only a few of the many UFOs that I have to work on. I have some other WiPs like The Many Years Sampler, a few ornaments in progress, and The Plymouth Sampler that i want to work on and Dutch Beauty. So it will be interesting which gets my time first. I have already stitched some on the Permin Celle sampler and one of the Ewe and Eye projects that i didn't photograph. I will add it soon as I hope to get it finished before too long.

Well, until I have some updates for you this is where I am at with my UFOs and I will get some updates on here as soon as I have something significant to show.

Thanks for looking!
Cathy/Kathy/Kate......

Many years Sampler -- Another UFO in circulation.

HI,
I have been trying to get back to my old projects. They have been sitting awaiting my attention for 21 months now, and I am finally at a place where needlework interest is returning to my life, and I am actually glad about that. I used to do a lot of needlework at one time, and I have missed it in some ways, but for a long time it was just too difficult to even go there. Right now I am picking up an old favorite that I hope to finish. One of the things I want to do is put both Rog's initials and mine in the sampler somewhere, though I haven't thought far enough ahead to say where that will be. Here is a photograph of my sampler as it stands today and I am looking forward to getting back to it. It is one of my favorites and I hope to frame this in a really lovely dark brown frame when it's completed, or a cherry wood, depending on waht I find and how big this ends up being in the end.



thankfully I have found more thread for it. I started it out with a 'mystery' spool from Vikki Clayton and we didn't know the name of the color, so I couldn't get more of it. I had struggled locating the right combination. Fortunately, when I checked back on the Hand Dyed Fibers web site, I found a new color that matches this perfectly. Roger always liked commenting on my needlework progress and the designs I selected. He actually learned a lot about needlework so he could talk to me about my hobby. He is and was such a sweetheart! I was so blessed to have him in my life and I treasure everything about our lives together.

Well, I am off to the next thing on the list, so until I have an update on my progress, this is it for today. Hope you have a good one as well!

My UFO Projects I want to resurrect - ha!

Well, I said I would get on here and post some of the UFOs, and for now I only have two photographs that I can share with you because I will need to either download the pictures from another computer or dig the UFOs out and take new pictures -- which really might be the best way to do this. That way I would have accurate pictures with current status of stitching completion. So I may do that sometime in the next week if I can and update the blog with a few pictures of what I plan to work on. For now I can only give you names, and I will give you some photos to go with them and update the post when I have them. That works for me at least for now . -- Quaker Round Robin is shown above -- I really want to finish this one this year if possible and get it framed. --


-- The Marquoir Sampler -- This is an oldie, and I really have loved working on it when I was more active with my stitching. The colors are fun and I have just picked them as I went along, no real rhyme nor reason to the way I chose them, just what I thought would work. It is different when you are working on a design this way, takes more time, and when you are picking elements that are meaningful to you to add to the sampler. Still, it has been one of the most enjoyable projects I have ever worked on and I am sure Roger would love for me to finish it as he saw me when I started and as I progressed at least until this point. Actually I think it is further along than this photo represents, so I will try to get an update for you very soon.

Trinity Sampler by Eileen Bennett -- This is a lovely piece an fun to work on -- Sorry that this picture is not very clear. Hopefully I can get a better one and replace it. I have this about half way done I think. It is fun learning the stitches as you go though I will say that a few of them stumped me until I figured them out.


The Redwork sampler that I have on my front page is the one I really want to finish. Part of the reason is I love red! It's my favorite color; and I have a lot of red in my house as well. I just adore the colors in this piece -- the variegated reds are so gorgeous and it was a spool I got from Vikki Clayton with no color name....so I have had to search for a match. Unfortunately I don't have the photo on an album where I can download it here -- so you will have to look at the banner on the side that has the picture. The piece is actually further along than in that photo, but I want to dig it out and get back to it. When I locate it, I will take another picture and get it posted here for you to see. Regarding the threads -- thankfully I found a color that works when I placed my recent order with Vikki - the color name was Primitive Barn Red and the other color that I know would work with this is the Perfect Red 6217. This is a free sampler that I got from Gudi on line -- it's her own creation and I love it! I don't have a full photograph to share with you so you can see the finished project, but eventually I will get this completed and show you mine! How's that?

Isn't winter lovely sometimes -- This was a few years ago, we
had 22 inches of snow in two days I think, and it stayed for a while.
We just had a storm here, and it lasted as well, though we only got
about 6 inches of snow, and ice! The temps were really low though and nothing melted for days and days!

We may be getting another storm coming in -- it's really cooling off again, and so we'll see what the rest of the week brings!

In the meantime, stay warm!!! Go make yourself a cup of hot cocoa and add some marshmallows for fun! And a dash of cinnamon too, it's good like that! I love my coffee with cinnamon in it too.

I'll catch up with you again soon...til then...be blessed!!!! Cathy

2010 Goals and Accomplishments -- How did I do?

Well, I have certainly been gone from my blog a long time, but it is time to get back. I k onw that life has had certain challenges for me that you 'grow' out of at some point, and though I'm not quite there, I am working at getting there.

That said, I wanted to just cover what I managed to finish last year. I will even post some pictures if I can later on so you can see the results of some of the projects. It has been different, working through the different upgrades and repairs, changes to the house and yard that I have done in the last 12 months, but getting them accomplished is also a BIG relief. I have not yet quite found myself; that sounds strange, but seriously losing your spouse has to be up there somewhere near the top on the most difficult life challenges. At least for me it is, or has been.

Getting on with the subject though -- I did get a lot done, and so glad for it.

• Did I smell the roses? R & R -- Well, I did get out on a vacation with my niece and her husband in May, and it was nice to get away, even if it was not all that far away. We attended a Christian Confernece in Arizona, and it was nice to just not have the work list going as has been the mode the majority of the time in 2010. I am always glad to get away -- and to enjoy things I love, and I really like to hear people minister the Word of God. My niece and her husband also had a great time -- since there are ample golfing locations in AZ, my nephew was in his element! We had a nice time and a good trip. I hope to do it again this year, if I can work it out. Otherwise, there were not a lot of R&R times in 2010, but then, I never had a lot of them before either.

• FINAL TOUCHES -- I completed the office space in the back bedroom, moved our old computer there, but it has no internet connection. The thing is so old that it runs very slowly, and I can't upgrade the number of Gigs in it. It will only hold 1G, which is amazing in itself, and tells you how ancient the unit is. I don't want to get rid of it because it was Rog's computer, and I just want to keep it for now. But the room is set, has a TV with a DVD and Video connected to it now; no cable back there either due to the problem of running cables to the location, so I enjoy the local Christian channels and watching a video there now and then while I work on my paperwork. It is just nice to have it all arranged. I've added a new electrical connection in there that allows me to turn the lights on in the back yard and provides another outlet for me inside. Works for me. My nephew did the work for me, and I am glad for that. So those loose ends were tied, and a few others as you will hear as I go on.

• Stitching: Somehow there was no real enthusiasm for stitching, and I only managed to put in a few stitches on a leaf in one of my projects last year. I did actually purchase a few things, but they are still sitting waiting for me to get to them. So no real stitching in 2010 -- the enthusiasm just hasn't come back yet.

• GIFTS TO STITCH -- Yes, now that I am thinking about it, I did do more than the leaf in tha tone project. I did also stitch on a few more smalls, but none of them have been assembled, so maybe this year I will get to that. I have added pics of some of the ones that I worked on and need finishing.

• Smalls -- In progress, and yes, I did work on these a little bit. I actually finished a couple more, but I don't have photos of them. they are still not assembled into their final form, so tha tis on the schedule for 2011.
  

• DECORATING TOUCH UPS -- The Stash Room/Back Office have been painted; looks great in a dark gray taupe, and a lighter gray taupe. Didn't need to change draperies -- thank goodness! I bought a desk at a consignment store, and at a good price which came with a nice two drawer file cabinet that fits below the desk. Works well for keeping a few things and supplies that I can work from. I added a large file cabinet in there as well and it holds some of my stitching files . You would know that I'd do that wouldn't you? I need to clean the files there as well and will get that done as part of Spring cleaning this year.

• Spring -- Spring hit late, it was cold in 2010, and it's cold now too. Looks like we might have the same situation again, and if that happens, it means no planting for a while. In 2010 I did manage to get things done outside quite quickly -- planted flowers (dahliah's were gorgeous) -- I even have a picture for you of some of the blooms --
  

Spring sounds like such a good therapy for me right now. It's been very cold this winter, and we just got through a bad snow storm the last 10 days. Very low morning temps of 7 to 12 below zero, and highs of 7 and 12 degrees! BRR!! I will enjoy seeing the yard green up this Spring and get to the planting, but it may not come any earlier than last year -- which about late April/ early May.
This plant (jackomani Clematis) is beautiful until the heat really hits in the Summer, but while it is blooming, it is spectacular! I also have a photo of my new wisteria plantings ( I have 2)...they actually bloomed!!! They are not supposed to for 4-5 years per normal information on this variety, and the bloomed a lot through summer! I was so thrilled!

• CROCHETING -- Though I had good intentions when it came to the idea of crocheting all my yarn and clearing it out of the garage -- that didn't happen. I hope to do some of that this year and see if I can't fulfill my wish to clear up all the stock of yarn I have in the garage and give them as gifts. So this goes back on the 2011 Goals list.

• Digging up my UFOs: This is also on the list of things I want to do this year -- NOPE!! I didn't get to this either. So they are all still in the garage. The good word in regard to stitching is I have actually started stitching again! I had not stitched in 20 months for the most part -- but I have started a La D Da project and I even purchased Vikki Clayton silks and some charts in the last month (January 2011) -- so I think I can call that progress in the right direction! Right? As for digging up the UFOs, they will come out and just to remind you of a few of them that I want to work on here are a few photos.

• UFO STITCHING -- The UFOs didn't see daylight -- except for the smalls, and I only worked on a few motifs, but no finishing has been done. Here are a few of the things I want to pull out of my UFO containers in the garage and get back to.

• EXERCISE ? -- Do we even want to mention this? Ig's one of those subjects we all want to avoid, but I do need to get back into the swing of things and put some time into getting in better health and shape. So, walking will be part of my agenda for this year, and some light weight lifting/stretching exercises to keep this body limber and strong. I've lost a bit since May 09, maybe somewhere in the neighborhood of 18 pounds, so I won't complain, it's progress, and it's stayed off. Eating more nutritiously is probably on the list and taking the right nutrients are the bigger part of the agenda right now, until the weather warms up! I do not like being out in the cold that much. Still, I have every intention of continuing the weight loss and exercise for health more than anything else.

• SEWING/DECORATING -- Well, I didn't get to my nephew's red/black/gray pillows, but I did do a lot of alterations for my niece Danette who is a size 2, -- she's also 37. She's as cute as a button, and the apple of my eye, so I'd just do about anything for her. I love to sew, and even alterations are fun, if you like sewing to start with. I had a wonderful time, and I repeat that -- a 'wonderful time' doing the sewing. I purchased a inexpensive Brother machine that I used for the alterations and I also used my serger from Bernina, which I dutifully took in for cleaning and oiling -- not that it has had so much use in the last couple of years. Anyway, it was wonderful using both machines and I experimented with the blind hem feature on the Brother machine and loved using it. She also had some belts that needed alterations and I did that as well, and had fun making them fit her size. When I was 16 I used to do a lot of my own sewing and enjoyed making my dresses, skirts, and slacks, jackets and belts to match to wear to school, and then later to the community college and work. Now t hat I have sort of 'bit the bullet' and gotten back into sewing, I plan to take some Quilting classes so I can make Roger's pants and shirts into quilts to use at home. I'll love doing that, and it will be a sort of bittersweet experience, in that I will have his clothes to wrap myself up in, which will always be a reminder of him and our lives together, but at the same time, the loss is real, and remembering has a sting to it as well. I'm grateful that I had so many wonderful years with Roger, and so many special moments that I will never forget. I am truly blessed and fortunate that there are no bad memories to recall -- yes we had struggles, but we never caused each other grief and I am grateful that we had such a wonderful loving relationship as husband and wife. -- Oh, my nephews pillows will also be sewn in the process when I pull out the machines again. It will be something I will enjoy doing as sewing is a very therapeutic sort of activity for me.
  

• LEARNING - I spend a bit of time through the week in the Bible, reading, studying, reading books about spiritual growth. I only wrote one newsletter for the church this past year. Both life being busy and the projects I had to do, plus working through the emotional things has had an affect on me and my productivity in some areas. I still am involved in m y church, and spent a nice time ministering to the elderly at some of our nursing homes this Winter. I plan to make that part of my work this year as well, and will be making all those arrangements before long. Learning is fun -- I enjoy the bible and study and teaching at church, so I am going to do more of that I hope in this coming year. I have also signed up for four college courses (Christian college) which I will be able to do at home, and enjoy the process of that as well. So life goes on and I am not dropping my efforts to continue to learn. The church newsletter will also be back but maybe in a smaller format than before so it is manageable for me.
  

• POSSIBLE EARLY CHRISTMAS PROJECTS -- The nightgowns didn't see daylight, but this might be the time to do that since I will be learning to quilt and sewing pillows before long here. I enjoy sewing and it is a useful past time, something you can use to produce items that can be enjoyed as clothing or decorating elements in the home or useful things like totes and purses, or belts and caps. Though I have certain goals -- things I want to work on -- I want to spend a little time learning new things in sewing and maybe make a few Christmas projects so I don't have to buy gifts this Christmas. We'll see how it goes. There are a lot of useful things you can create with a sewing machine, scissors, thread and needle.
  

• PICTURE PROJECTS - Scrap booking -- though an interesting hobby and fun I would think, right now I just don't want to clutter my life with more stuff. So I am going to try to work on things that I can make from supplies I already have on hand. if there are any picture projects here, they will be canvas pieces that I work on. I enjoy painting, and I like modern art as well, so I am going to see what I can do with the paints on hand, the blank canvas pieces I bought last year and ideas I have in my head. There hasn't been time to do it, but now that I am working my list down to 'manageable' I am considering working on a few pieces of my own art for my bathrooms, and back office. Hopefully they come out well and I can share photos with you.
  

• PICTURE ALBUMS -- Though I won't be scrap booking, I will be working on a few albums of photos that were my Mother's, and scanning them for making CDs for my family. Hopefully I will be able to plan a family reunion this Summer and give the CDs out then. I also plan to take all of Rog's pictures and put them in an album with all our memories and comments, so depending on how things go I men end up scrap booking a bit too as I develop my albums with Rog's and my pictures. I've always thought it was fun, but just didn't have the time or space to do all the collecting of elements that go with it. Who knows...maybe this summer after the sewing is done I can concentrate on doing something else that I've never done before.

• SEWING/CLOTHING -- The fabric I had bought for the tunics never turned into anything. I still have it all though, and the intention to sew the tunics. Right now it's cold enough that if I do sew them they would come in handy, so who knows. I may be getting to that before long. Right now I have a greater desire to clean closets, and drawers and do a bit of painting on the ceiling in the kitchen before I do anything else.
  

• MAJOR PROJECT -- REFINISHING KITCHEN CABINETS -- OH my! Yes, I am going to do it myself. -- and I bought a tool that will hopefully make getting the sanding done a bit easier. I also have found that though the cabinets were looking pretty faded; using a Stainless Steel spray on them brought out the wood nicely, so for the moment, they are looking alright. I still plan to get the job done on my own, mix my own stain to get the right color (which I have done before for the window sills) and get them stained and then finished off with a good sealant that will keep them from losing their beauty. It is a "Big Project" -- but it is not impossible. It will also save me a lot of money. Another thing that I am glad about. The counters are okay, but I hope that I can eventually get those replaced with something new -- just a matter of time and finding the right source for the job. Life goes on, and I am spending time on the house because I really like it -- and I want it to last in good shape. If I do the work now, I will save myself a lot of difficulty later. Nobody is getting younger, and at my age, I need to consider getting jobs done while it is still easy to do them . I am having a top cabinet and one narrow one made for my kitchen and that I hope will be installed by the end of February. That will close up the work in the kitchen -- Another Hurray moment!!! Did I mention I bought some new appliances after 25 years -- yes. I know, it was a long time and they were dated, but they worked. I'm glad they lasted as long as they did. Hopefully what I have bought to replace them will also last my lifetime and beyond . I hadn't done a lot of cooking before, but with the new stove I have gotten back to doing some cooking and it is enjoyable. Cooking was always fun for Roger and me, and it was hard getting past the hump of not having him to cook for. Right now I am cooking because it is just more economical than going out to eat, and honestly you get tired of restaurant food after a while. I still just like the basic things I grew up with and they are healthier to eat anyway . In putting in the stove and vent we lost the top cabinets so I am having to rearrange some things in the kitchen to make it work for me. The top cabinet and long side cabinet will help for storage and keeping spices and small food items stored. I'll just be glad to get the work on the cabinet refinishing done!!! That's one of those things you just take on like a bull dog as there is just no other way, it's not one of those 'fun' kind of projects necessarily, just necessary that I complete it and do it well.
  

• FRAMING -- I bought some new pieces to hang in the hallway and put Roger's pictures and mine in different places in the house because I just wanted his pictures everywhere. That's kind of understandable. Anyway, I have the Master bedroom to finish -- I have frames and all the hardware, I just need to get the pictures in the frames and rework the back of the frames so they can be hung on the wall. I'm hoping to get that done soon and finish up the wall over our bed. I did finish the frame shopping last year, and have several photos hung throughout the house -- only one more room to go.
  

LANDSCAPING -- The rock was moved, and the driveway cleared -- I had two humps of rock (two different types) and one smaller pile of river rock. Those I used, or gave away when I was done with the spreading I needed to do. It was hard work, doing it alone, but I got through it, and the yard looks nice now. All the areas on the perimeter of the house were done where needed, and I filled in spots in the back yard as well where we had removed a bush, and roses, and the areas needed to be reworked with liners and rock. I did all that work on my own, and it was heavy work but it is done!!! Hurray for that!
Repairing the fountain bowl -- you can see the picture here of what it looked like. The wear was caused from snow that froze in the bowl and popped some circles out of the bowl. I had to first find a solution, not as easy as one might think. Learned that you need to mix an epoxy with cement to get it to be dense enough and capable of dealing with contracting and expanding with weather. Had to remove the paint and all the rough areas had to be smoothed with a grinder, cleaned, then sealed with an epoxy a few times. Allowed to dry and then mix the cement with water and epoxy and apply it evenly, spray again with epoxy after it was done, and let it cure. Then, finally apply pool paint over the whole thing. It is fixed and the fountain works nicely. I will enjoy that feature this Spring and Summer.....I have not used the fountain for over 2 years now.
Leaf raking. Well, it never lasts done, and I only have one tree in the back yard -- you can see it's not very large. The leaves I get are from the neighbors who live above me -- at higher elevations, and who have large trees. So I just diligently rake them up. It's done, but more have blown into the yard from my neighbors again, so I will be doing yard work again once the weather warms up.
Bush Trimming, as you can see needed to be done! I trimmed all the bushes in the ayrd, front and back! A big job as there are a lot of them. So that is done for a while. Though this isn't a landscaping job, replacing the screens on the windows really needed attention. I did get the materials and did it all myself! One more project out of the way and something new learned. Lastly will be plants for the fountain, and two flower beds that are new in the front yard, and the individual flower pots that are in the front yard. Bush trimming and a little fertilizer and that's about all that needs to be done outside, thank goodness!!!

• Repairing the Barbecue Counter Area --This was a big project, not just because it took time and had to be taken apart before it could be fixed, but we had done it once before and the repair didn't work well!!! Life and learn!! Hopefully anyway. I had h ad the area built, installed, and it looked so nice, but the winter came and the snow caused the tiles to loosen and they started to fall off. It also sagged because we used the wrong board on the base. That's why I said live and learn. We redid the whole structure but again put the wrong board the second time, so it started to have the same issues -- and the grout cracked and tiles were again falling off the sides. So another nephew came to repair it for me, and hopefully all is well now. We used cement board on the wood structure base that we had built, took out the other stones that we had had there and they ended up going to my nieces for her landscaping -- at least we could reuse them. The tile had to be completely removed, and redone, and we bought a grout that works like bubblegum and cement worked together. Strange stuff, but it stretches and shrinks and is waterproof. The bottom before the tile and grout had to be sealed with a red sealant and looked hideous but it protects from water damage should there be any issues with the grout. That by itself will help tremendously. So we had to take it completely apart at least the top 3 layers and then redo the thing again. It is fine and withstood our recent storm, so I am happy. While it was in disrepair, I just covered it with a tarp and left it sit until we were ready to work on it. Looks good now, and hopefully will also endure in good condition.
  
• New Cemented Area to Increase Patio Space -- This is just part of the whole process of redoing the back yard a bit. We cut down the sod by 6 feet and worked cement around the patio that we already had placed. It worked out nicely and we also added a driveway at the double gate in the back which makes it much easier to place items in the back yard when I am bringing in bushes and all the different yard items that are needed through the Spring and Summer. I should have a nice area to sit and relax in this Spring and Summer. And yes, I will show updates of the yard when I have the plants in and established. I actually enjoy working outside, even though it takes a lot of time and effort to keep it looking nice.
• Last but not Least! -- The fnial thing on my agenda is to find myself a job! Yes, it's time to think about working and I hope to find something local and maybe just part time at first to give myself a chance to accustom myself to being in the work world again! Oh my! That is not exciting in many ways for me, I have not worked in 15 years, not at a job that I was paid for -- I've worked, and you can see from the photos that that is a true statement! It will be like riding a bicycle, right -- you never forget how to do it? We can hope -- and I am sure that the Lord has something out there for me as well that will be a good match for me in convenient location and work schedule. I am praying to that end anyway. Life has been an adjustment for me in a lot of ways and I'm not where I need or want to be yet in some ways, but in the process of working through that I am getting a lot of work and repairs and maintenance done that is just part of having a home and yard. I'm certainly not complaining about the work, I've always worked hard, and I don't mind that part. The part that I find harder is learning to live without Roger and that I may never quite accustom myself to. He was such a huge part of my life and my joys in life. Thank God for being busy! it's one time I won't complain about it -- in some ways it helped me hang on while my heart and emotions were in turmoil and keep body and limb together. I intend to find my way and at some point this will all feel like life and like normal living and I pray a few joys along the way too. Well, that's the end of the update for now. I will try to get some stitching things in here soon and a few photos of the UFOs I pull out.
  

Wish you all a wonderful New Year 2011! spend your time wisely and remember to make good memories! Stitch a lot too! Hugs all around, Kathy