Quick trip to the Islands

Yesterday my brother Steve, Lizzie and her friend Sabrina and I went up to San Juan Island for my cousin's 50th wedding anniversary party. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, and we had a very nice day. Getting to the islands requires a 2.5 hour drive up to Anacortes, WA, then getting on the ferry for almost a 2 hour ride to San Juan Island. We walked on without the car, since the party was only 4 blocks from the ferry dock in Friday Harbor. Here's a picture of the Harbor from the patio of the party place. We spent about an hour browsing in some shops and took the girls to the Whale Museum, which was right next door...I took their picture sitting inside the skeleton of one of the local orcas that they had on display. (Lizzie on the left, Sabrina on the right). They were quite grossed out by a human brain they had on display...it was shown in size comparison to the whale brain. They kept going back to it and saying ewwww!!

My cousin Dale used to be a teacher at the Junior High school my brother and I attended, way back 35+ years ago, and Virginia was the librarian at my high school. Several of our teachers they were friends with were at the party, so it was interested to become reacquainted with our old teachers on an adult level and reminisce about the way things used to be. One of my old school mates was there also. I remember him, but he didn't remember me. Not that I expected him to as he was 2 years older than I am, and we had 1200 kids in the school.

But it was a fun day. One more week until I start my new job. I still have quite a few loose ends to tie up and some job knowledge transfer to accomplish at my current job this week...so it should go by quickly.

Von wanted to know where I found the pattern for the hardanger ornament I stitched (see previous post). I found it in Miniature Masterpieces by Janice Love. It is called Joy d'Love, on page 26 of the book. She has a note on the pattern page that an experienced hardanger stitcher who stitches quickly should be able to complete this design in 4-6 hours. It took me about 5, but I left off all the picots, or it would have taken me 10!!! (probably not, but like I said, I don't like doing picots). It took longer to pull all the threads for the lacy edge than to stitch them!! So over an hour of my 5 hours was pulling threads!! They hadn't seen the card yet when we left the party, so I wish I could have seen their faces when they opened it. My cousin Dale is quite a cross stitcher, and likes to do large, intricate cross stitch pieces. He enters a lot of them in the fair, and usually wins a ribbon. He also enjoys Swedish Huck weaving! I knew they would appreciate the stitching!

A quick finish

I finished the little hardanger ornament I was working on last weekend in about 5 hours of stitching. A nice little quickie. I just hope now the intended recipients don't see this before Saturday!!!! I scanned this instead of using the camera, so it is hard to see that the hearts are done with opalescent thread and there are tiny white beads in the corners. I am very pleased with the way it turned out. The original pattern called for picots all over everything...I don't do picots...ugghh. But I think it looks good without them.

I received my Just Cross Stitch Ornaments Magazine for 2006 this afternoon. I am a bit disappointed in the quality of a lot of the designs. But now I can do the next Shepherd's Bush ornament...boy is the pattern ever tiny this year...I am going to have to enlarge it 300% to be able to read it!!! Thea's design (The Victoria Sampler) is very sweet this year, I will probably do one of those for myself also.

It's been a whole year!

In honor of daughter Alli and son-in-law Chris, Happy First Anniversary!!! May your lives be blessed with many, many more!

Allison and Christopher

September 10, 2005

Deja Vu!

Back in 1983 when Amy was about 12 months old, she climbed up into the bathroom sink (via the closed toilet) and picked up the toothpaste and a toothbrush and was sitting there grinning at me when I walked into the room. Voila, picture number one.

Back a couple weeks ago, when Alana was 9 months old, she too climbed into the bathroom sink (tho I think she was already on the counter) and picked up the toothpast and toothbrush and sat there and grinned at Amy. Voila, picture number two.

Like mother, like daughter.....

So, okay, now I am exhausted!

I spent 3 hours working my tail off outside...mowed the lawn, pulled weeds, cut back the overgrown grape vine and moved all the debris in front of the shed to the back of the shed. Pictures here to show what I have accomplished. The big pile of brush in the left of the picture is what came out of beside the shed!!! I took the picture of the shed from the upstairs window so that you can see the new roof that John just finished putting on!!!

So, now I will shower, if I can move...man I am tired! Then I need to run an errand, then back home to stitch! Emotionally I am feeling a little better. I should. After all that work!!! GRIN.

Stress reducers

When your emotions are in a turmoil, what do you do to find relief?

I have tried shopping. I have tried eating comfort foods. But time and time again I come back to two tried and true relievers....

Pulling weeds

and

Stitching.

I had a great disappointment happen last night that I cannot share publicly, tho those nearest and dearest are aware of it. And all I want to do today is pull weeds and stitch. I think I will do just that!!!

John has promised to put the metal roofing and maybe the door on the shed today. Here is the picture I promised from last time. This picture is a little old, as there is plywood and tar paper on top of the rafters now awaiting the metal roofing!!! Maybe the lawn mower will get to spend the winter in it's new home!!

Busy couple of weeks....

It's been busy around here, and I haven't even taken time to stitch much at all. The weekend of the 24th I spoke for one session at our church's women's retreat...what a great time with a wonderful group of ladies at a beautiful place. Here is a picture of the grounds from the bedroom I stayed in...and a shot of the front of the "house" we were in. It's such a gorgeous place, Falls Creek, about 1.5 hours southwest of my home. I was busy preparing my talk the days before, so didn't do any stitching.

This last weekend was Labor Day weekend here in the States and Canada....Monday was a day off from work. Saturday I spent deep cleaning my kitchen and doing errands. On Sunday, on a whim, we decided we wanted to go for a drive, so decided to head up toward Mt. Rainier to see if we could find Von and her family where they were camping! We managed to find them without any trouble, and enjoyed the next 6 hours catching up with old friends! It was great fun to see them, and the old growth forest was sooooo quiet!!! Absolutely gorgeous! We didn't even leave for home until 10:15 PM and arrived home just after midnight! It was a treat to see Von without having to drive for 5 hours, and such a fun surprise too!

Monday my immediate family in town met at my brother's house on Lake St. Claire for a barbeque...the weather was perfect, and Alana had her first exposure to wading in the lake. We thought she would cry over the cold water, but she sat right down and started splashing her hands...she had a great time. Amy has some better pictures on her camera, hopefully she will get them posted soon.

John is still plugging away on the shed, and is putting on the roof now. Blogger has decided I have posted enough pictures today I guess, as it won't let me upload one of the shed. Oh well, you'll have to take my word for it!! GRIN>

Fall is definitely in the air here in the Pacific Northwest. Some of the trees have started to turn color and the asters are in bloom, the sun is lower in the sky casting longer shadows, and the air is getting a bit crisp in the mornings, and still very warm in the afternoons. But I know that fall means that soon it will start raining again...this has been the driest summer since the 1960's, so the lawns are very brown, and the forest and brush fires are everywhere. We need the rain badly, so I won't complain about it for at least the first week!! LOL! I do love to stitch on a cozy rainy day tho...won't that be nice?

Maybe next time I will have some stitching progress to share...