HAPPY NEW YEAR!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy to begin anew. So far I have done the traditional New Year stuff. Washed my hands in money and got the broom and swept out the old. Pork, sauerkraut and Polish Sausage will be consumed today along with black eyed peas. Tons of football to watch. Going to my brother's for dinner at 5.

Last night I found the pattern for my first cross stitch of the year on luli's blog. This lavender heart will make such a pretty Valentine's Day ornament filled with lavender from my yard.

http://ioluli.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-06-01T17:41:00%2B02:00&max-results=7

I am still setting up the sewing area on the screened porch. Trying to figure out where it all needs to go. That will be the first project that gets completed. After that it is organizing the computer room. Tons of things to file and toss. Hope to get some of it done by this Wednesday for Thursday garbage day.

I plan more stitching this year, a small a month and a larger project every quarter. Developing stronger finishing techniques is also on the list.

Photography wise, a new camera body (still making up my mind between a Canon 7D and a 60D). May have to find a place to rent both and try it out. I want to continue with the racing photography and further develop my skills in nature photography.

Of course, there is always gardening. Catalogs are arriving daily and my mind in spinning with possibilities. So many ideas. I already bought my ticket for the Flower and Garden Show here in Cleveland. Maybe that will help.

Quilting. Yep, going to start that as well. That was the idea for buying the new machine. Have to figure out what else needs to be cut on 2 quilts. I find I need quiet when I am measuring and cutting. Still find that process scary. Sewing, not at all, since I have been behind a machine since I was 7.

Ok, time to close this and start cooking to tonight's dinner.

I wish you all a great day, a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.

Joanne

December 23, 2011

What to do, what to do.

Having a bit of a difficult time getting in the Christmas Spirit. Missing Mom so much. Have not gotten one thing out to decorate the house. Don't know how to decorate this year. Every year Mom planned it all out and I did all the work. Right now all I have is a vase of Christmas Greens and a huge red poinsettia like the ones in the photo. I'll figure it out, but for now, I miss Mom's plan.

Decided what to bake and what to bring for dinner on Christmas Eve. Shopping is done. Last of the cards and packages to mail will be done today.

No photography has been done is such a long time. Next weekend it is going to be a girl's get together at the Rockefeller Greenhouse and Cleveland Botanical Gardens. Both places have their Christmas shows, so I plan to blow off the dust off the cameras and myself. I'll post photos here.

Anyway, time to start. Errands to do, post office, butcher, Christmas Tree lots, maybe some evergreen roping for the picture window, JoAnn Fabrics and of course the grocery store.

Have a great day;
Joanne


EDIT: After going to 4 tree lots, I cannot drop $40.00 on a 5 foot tree, so I am going to use the 4 foot multi colored lights fake tree and use the fragrance, Thymes Fraser Fir Reed Diffuser Refill. I am amazed at how much this smells like the tree. I bought mine at the Orvis store. Looks like one can also buy it thru Amazon.The evergreen roping was all dried looking, also not worth the money.


EDIT AGAIN:


Went to my local LOWES and got a real Fraser Fir Tree (5ft for$29.00), a 24" Fraser Fir Wreath with Pine Cones and a 36" evergreen mantle piece. Also got a trunk load of free branches of Fraser Fir and Scotch Pine. I use them to cover my lavender bushes and to make some covering around the bird feeders. I may use the mantle piece on the cocktail table and put my little village around it.


Stay tuned, pictures to follow!

Rain

It seems like it has rained for 30 days.... No yardwork can really be done. Afraid to plant bulbs, as they may drown. It's just ugly here, plain old ugly. Had some sun yesterday, just enough for me to blow the leaves off the front lawn. Tried walking in the backyard towards the shed. Shoe just stuck in the mud. Turned around and came back in. Forecast for this week is rain every day. Ugh!

It's been a very long time ...

... but sometimes life gets too busy to sit down and blog. Work is beyond busy and I come home too tired. It is enough right now to keep the house clean, the laundry done and the grass cut. This year that garden has some very beautiful patches of weeds. Ugh!, but it is coming to that time when everything will get pulled and the perennials cut back. I am going to put down an extremely heavy coat of PREEN to help with fewer weeds.

No stitching has been done, no quilts have been cut out, but the Babylock sewing machine is up and having tension issues, so it will be off the the repair shop for her. Lucky for me, I still have the featherweight to use to finish finish ornaments I have stitched over the years.

One a personal note, it is 10 years today that my Dad passed. Miss him every day. Think abut him and Mom everyday. They were separated in death by 9 years, so at least this year they are together, continuing their love they had for 51.5 years of marriage. This photo was at her sister's weeding and they had just gotten engaged.

Friday morning, bright and early I was wheeled into a surgical suite and Dr Nida erased years of pain by straightening my hammertoes. Little did I know that the numbing medicine would hurt so much. See, I chose to be awake during the procedure and just have the left foot numbed. I am not a fan of anesthesia. Never have been, never will. I was out the hospital door and in my car in under 1 and a half hours. Drove home, slept for a couple of hours and was woken up by the numbing medicine wearing off. O.M.G.!! what excruciating pain! Got up, downed 3 advils and grabbed a bag of frozen peas, hobbled over to the couch, plopped down, threw the leg over the arm rest, tossed on the bag of peas and tried to take my mind off of the pain.

Saturday the pain was so bad, it interfered with my thought process. Again, advil to the rescue. (Yes, she prescribed Vicodin, but I do not like how I feel on the pain meds). The dressing got to come off after 24 hours and I did not know there were more shades of black, blue, red and purple than the DMC Color Card.

Today, I acted like an adult and did not go to the race track to do photography. It rained very bad during the night and me hobbling around in muck did not seem like a prudent thing to do. I do not want to risk infection. So today I read a bunch of cross stitch blogs and window shopped at various OLNS. Keyword: WINDOW shopped.

Tomorrow, I have a few things to read for work and I may pull some threads for a couple of stitching projects.

As always, I wish you a good week;
Joanne


Since the foot looks gross, I'll not share a photo. :-)