A break from ABC's

I am not really taking a break from ABC's. Rather I am adding a new post not related to it.
Every year, the past 3 years, for my youngest grandson's birthday, we have gone to Grapevine Mills Mall Rainforest Cafe to celebrate. The kids and their mom come here to Waco and then we go up to Grapevine for his birthday.
We always take a picture in front of the Rainforest Cafe sign with James (my DH), the boys and myself. It is my main picture at the top of my blog. I have been amazed at how much it shows the boys' growth over the years.
Last year my youngest (and my tallest) grandson was just under my shoulder, a little higher than breast height on me. This year he comes up to my chin. Same photo each year, but just a little different. Soon he will be taller than me. He is 7 this year. The oldest will turn 9.
They are growing up so fast, esp. when I only see them about 3-4 times a year.
We had such a wonderful time. This year my son in law was able to join us for the first time. We rented a mini van and all rode together. We were all very tired at the end of the day, but it was a lot of fun.
Here are some photos:
James & I

Jen & Chris (acting like they were in love. LOL)

Jen & me (Wearing matching shirts. We got these for Valentine's Day, but have never seen them on each other in person)

Jen, Chris and the boys (acting silly)

And finally, the birthday boy blowing out his candle:

I am sure I will be back to stitching at the end of this weekend and will have more ABC's and insight to go along with it. But for now, I think I will play with some little boys while they are still little.
Hope you have sunshine and daffodils!

M is for Mend Fences

Once again I have finished a verse on my ABC's of Aging Artfully by Lizzie Kate. And once again I have given thought to what the verse means to me.
Here is the letter M which stands for Mend Fences:

Mend Fences. Hmm. Forgiveness. Letting go of past hurts. Not so easy. Sometimes downright, outright hard.
One thing I have learned in this life is that you must forgive. Trust me when I say this, you must forgive.
Forgiveness, believe it or not, is not for the person or persons that hurt you. It is for you. Spending time, sometimes years, not forgiving just takes it's toll on YOU. Many times the person that hurt you has gone on with their lives, never even thinking about what they did. They are sleeping at night. Enjoying life.
But unforgiveness is eating at you. It can cause depression, bad eating habits, sleepless nights and general unhappiness.
Now I understand that sometimes things happen that cannot be forgotten. Or really, shouldn't be forgotten, such as in abuse cases. I am not asking you to forget.
I am asking you to forgive. Reach in your heart and forgive that person. Write a letter, even if you don't send it. Then let it go.
I had a really good friend. Went to school with this person. Shared lots of good times with her. But one day she betrayed my trust. Or rather threatened to betray my trust. Friendship over. I couldn't forgive her. Never mind she was doing what she thought was right. Never mind we never talked about it. I just stopped talking to her.
Until some 20+ years later I saw her in passing. I then realized she had no idea I was so angry, so unforgiving, or even why I would be. 20+ years of MY LIFE spent not forgiving someone who didn't even have a clue. MY LIFE. At that moment I forgave. And we picked up our friendship. I have enjoyed her. She remembers me when I was young, vivacious, fun! We share laughs about the past and see our children making mistakes we could keep them from if they would only listen.
But 20+ years have passed. I can't imagine where we would be in our friendship if I had just forgave her.
I have seen people who can't forgive. They are not happy people. They are always looking to make sure no one ever hurts them again. They have walls up. They are missing so much happiness.
Mend fences. Something we all need to do. Now where is that emotional hammer and nails? I am sure there is someone I need to forgive...

I is for Ignore Convention

Here is the next verse in my "ABC's for Aging Artfully". If you have been following this blog, you know that I am stitching this piece by Lizzie Kate and while doing so, giving some input on my thoughts about the verse I am on. Here is a pic of the start of Ignore Convention:

Ignore Convention or better put, Defy Convention. This has taken some thought and some research, including talking to folks who know me.

I think the poem "When I am old I shall wear purple" describes me best.

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.

I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.

I shall go out in the slippers in the rain
And pick the flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practise a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

I think my whole life I have been "wearing purple". I have always walked a line between what society said I should do and what I wanted to do. Sometimes I crossed that line. Actually many times. But not so far over the line that I was "peculiar". I was just, well, me.
And I think that ignoring convention means also just thinking outside the box. For instance, when I started my Stitching for a Cure blog, I was thinking of a different way to fundraise for Relay For Life and for a way to include other stitchers who wanted a way to participate, but didn't know how. Thinking outside the box turned out to be a great winner for Relay.

Here is a list of some folks who ignored convention and were successful in doing so:

Guy Laliberte - reinvented the circus, making a leap from street entertainer to CEO (Cirque Du Soleil)
Coco Chanel changed the way women dress and re-defined the suntan
Ferruccio Lamborghini transformed his farm machinery company to a become a challenger brand to Ferrari
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greefield's uncompromising idealism meant a $4000 loan was all it took for Ben & Jerry's to become global players
Les Paul made the first usable, saleable electric guitar
Picasso new approach is of course another obvious example.

Countless people defy convention every day,and change the world.
So ignore convention every once in awhile and see if you can change the world in some way. I bet you will at least change your world!
Now where is my big red hat? I have earned it.

E is for Eat Chocolate

As in my previous post, I am working on the ABC's of Aging Artfully. I will not be stitching in alphabetic order due to the way I have the fabric on my scroll frame. I am on E today.
Ok, this is one I have a little problem with. Because even though a 50 year old menopausal woman is supposed to crave chocolate, I don't. Sweets are not something I crave except on few occasions.
With one really big exception. An exception that I can't have because the restaurant went out of business 10 years ago due to a divorce. Divorce hurts everyone, including restaurant patrons.
There was this little place called The Arizona. And they served a Kaluha chocolate chimichanga with tequilla cream sauce. I am not lying when I say this was a lick your plate kind of desert. It was a dark chocolate in a tortilla, lightly fried, served with this white cream sauce. I am getting goosebumps thinking about it.
I am sure even today I would love it. I have searched Google trying to find something similar, but I am sure it would only disappoint me even if I found it.
Here is the pic of the Eat Chocolate verse start:

On another note, today is the Daytona 500. I can't help but think about Rene. She was such a NASCAR fan. I know she is watching from her spot in heaven, but I would much rather have her here, chatting with her about the race and seeing all her wonderful stitching. Rene we love you.
You all have seen pics of my 70 year old mom. She is also a NASCAR fan. Her favorite driver is Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Her best friend Kristi, who is also her stylist and manicurist, helped her celebrate the 500 in style. She went to the supply store and told them she needed Mountain Dew/Amp Energy green nail polish (Dale's colors).
She painted her nails black and on one hand put a checkered flag and on the other put the letter "A" for Amp Energy and the number 88, Jr.'s number.
The pics are not very good (her little paralyzed hand would not cooperate) but here they are:


Mom knows how to party!
And for all my snow bound friends. It is in the low 80's here in Texas. Even though I have been sick, my dear husband took me for a ride. The daffodils (my favorite flowers) are in bloom. We will have them around for about 3 weeks before they are gone for the year. This is proof that my friend Phil was right-we will have an early spring.
I have photos for you, along with a picture of one of the roadrunners that live at the Arboretum I so dearly love to go to. I hadn't seen the roadrunners for some time and then when I did, I didn't have my camera. But my husband James got a great pic of one of them:



Now that the daffies have burst out with their sunshine yellow color, I know that bluebonnets and red bud trees are just a short time away! I love spring!
Here is to wishing all of you sunshine and chocolate! Keep on stitching!

ABC's of Aging Artfully

"To know how to grow old is the master work of wisdom, and one of the most difficult chapters in the great art of living." Amiel
Turning 50 has had a great effect on my life. I believe my grandson's comment "that you are halfway to 100" might have had something to do with it. Or it may be the fact that I realize my life is more than half over.
Now granted, the years left in my life are most likely going to be the best years in my life, but still facts are facts. And so is the fact that I spent 18 years growing up and going to school. And another 12 years until I was really an "adult". I think at 30 I realized what being an adult really meant.
I have started stitching again. And I think it is appropriate while I am in this reflective time in my life that I am stitching on Lizzie Kate's "The ABC's of Aging Artfully". I think it pretty much sums up where I am in my life. Joyous, free, silly, and blessed.
As with the "Time for God" piece by Lizzie Kate I stitched a while back, each verse seems to have a special meaning for me.
I will be documenting my stitching on this blog and reflecting on what I am learning about life and myself as I stitch.
I have almost finished stitching the letter "A" which starts "Amaze Yourself". Now I amaze myself all the time. I amaze myself that I am this far in my career with no real college education. I amaze myself that I raised a child on my own. I amaze myself that after 44 years I met and married the man of my dreams. I amaze myself that I have picked up my stitching again!
But what really amazes me is the fact that my sister at the age of 40 something (or 20 plus, plus something)is going back to school. All while raising a 15 year old, having a relationship and working. She has completed her associate's degree with a 4.0 (amazing) and is working on her bachelor's degree. Amazing. Something I wouldn't dream of doing and frankly don't want to do. But she does it. She is doing it. She is showing a whole group of young people that she still has it.
Here is a pic of what I have done so far. It is on 28 count Silkweaver Lugana in "Days Gone By".

So go out there and amaze yourself. I know I will!

What is it?

Ok, so the whole question is "What is it about birthdays that inspire me so?".
I have always felt my birthday was a national holiday. And meant to be celebrated for weeks. Gifts weren't important. It was about the hoopla and celebration. The confetti and princess crowns. The singing "Happy Birthday" over and over. The talking about it so much that people start running the other way when they see me.
But there is something else. I think it happened when I turned 30. But I really remember my 40th birthday the most. I had my first limo ride and spa day celebration. Changed my hair color and did the whole nine yards, complete with a new outfit.
That really started a tradition. Since then, I have always had a "birthday shirt". And a pedicure and manicure. And even if my birthday always occurs in frozen February, I had a new pair of sandals to wear on my birthday to show off my new pedicure. This year was no exception. It was a record 16 degrees out and I wore sandals. Froze myself nearly to death, but boy my feet looked GOOOOODDD!
Every year, it seems I "make over" myself on my birthday. Not really make over, but kind of "pump it back up". Seems like I reach a point just before my birthday where I slack off on the make up and the hair, well, it just doesn't have a "punch" to it.
This year I did a big change and went blond. Well, not all blond. Red undertones with major blond highlights. I thought with my red face I couldn't do blond, but girls, just let me tell you I can do blond. And do it up right.
I have bought more nail polish and make up and face creams and hair stuff in the past couple of weeks than I have all year long.
Some people throw out the old and bring in the new on New Year's. But I think I do it on my birthday.
Whatever it is, it is really nice to feel pretty again. And spoiled. And fun. And cared for. And well, blond! I think fifty suits me really well.
I have ordered some fabric and will be stitching again really soon. I will post pics as soon as I can.
Now for those of you up north with snow and ice and freezing temps, what I am about to say is not to make you feel more miserable. We even had temps in the teens with wind chills at 0 and snow, ice and sleet in the past two weeks.
But, I have to tell you, the daffodils are in bloom. The green sprigs have been out for a couple of weeks and today I saw 2 yellow blooms. I think in the next week or so they will be out for real. I will post flower pics as they bloom.
I think my buddy Phil is right. We are going to have an early spring!
Here is wishing you sunshine and daffodils!

Let the celebration begin!

Well it is officially my birthday weekend. You know I believe it is a national holiday. I also believe in celebrating for at least a week, if not more.
My husband started it all off with a beautiful brooch that I had looked at but didn't purchase for myself.

I love brooches and this one just screamed my name. He also bought a pair of earrings I will show later when I show off my new birthday shirt!
Then today I had my hair done. I had found a picture of me about 6 years ago when I had light red hair with highlights. I wanted to go back to that color.
My hairdresser went a little bolder and put quite a bit of strawberry blond highlights, so much so that my hair almost looks blond. It is so pretty! I also bought some new eye make-up and lipstick (you know you only turn 50 once!)
Here is the new me:

After we finished that, my sister's family, Mom, James and I went to a Japanese steakhouse where we watched them play with fire. It was so much fun! Here are some pics of the celebration:





All in all it was a fun day!
I will end this post with a picture of our new addition Honey:

Tuesday a friend of mine and I are having a spa party (facial, pedicure, manicure, the works!). And then on my actual birthday I have a new shirt and sandals to show off the new pedicure (even though it is supposed to be below freezing on that day).
So more celebrating is definitely on the way!

When did this happen (and a new addition)

Ok, when or rather where, did 49 years go? I cannot possibly be turning 50. I mean, 50? Really? FIFTY!??? But after checking my driver's license and searching in vain for my birth certificate (maybe they didn't have those that long ago!), I am indeed turning 50 on February 2, whether the groundhog sees his shadow or not.
Well, if I must turn 50 I will do it in the princess style I am accustomed to.
At a spa, enjoying a facial, pedicure and manicure, along with a friend (thanks Mom and Brenda for arranging and paying for this!). We are going the evening before my birthday so that I can look fabulous on my birthday. As we all know, I must ROCK this birthday!
In the past I have done things like have a birthday bash blood drive and fundraiser for my birthday. This year I am being selfish. It is all about me. Is that terrible? Am I wrong?
If so, well, I am going to be terrible and wrong. After all, you only turn 50 once (I know, I know, you can say that same thing about every birthday year!). And 50 is special.
Now for the new addition. Many of you helped me get through the loss of my sweet Alex puppy last spring. It was extremely hard.
But I have missed having a dog in the house. So for my birthday, my dear husband was going to get me a dog. But God (and my niece Sabrina) dropped one into my life. Her name is Honey and she is a mini dachshund. She is two years old and the owner had 5 dogs and just couldn't care for them all. James is going to pay for her shots update and getting her spayed. So he is still, in a way, paying for the dog for my birthday.
She is just precious. A lap dog. And even though she has been her less than a week, she is part of the family.
May I present Honey:

The dress came with her. It took her about 20 minutes and it came off. She is not much of a poser, but we will work on that.
On another note, this week the stitching world lost a great teacher and friend. Rest in peace Sweet Rene. You were one of a kind and I am sure heaven is enjoying having you!

Happy New Year

Let me start with a New Year's video from my family and me!

And if that wasn't enough fun, here are a couple of photos to make your day!


When my dad passed away 14 years ago, we realized we had very few pics of him. Because he was always behind the camera rather than in front. And while we have many, many memories of him, sometimes you just want to remember by seeing a photo.
So I made a vow to never let that happen to my family. And to make sure that my grandsons would remember the fun they had with their great grandmother, Papa James and myself, along with everyone else.
One of the best gifts my DH got me a few years ago was a Flip Video. If you are not familiar with this check out "The Flip" on Google. It is a small video camera that does a nice job, can fit in your pocket and at the end of the day, simply plugs into your computer for a simple download.
I want to wish you and your families a VERY Happy New Year. I pray this next year brings you peace and joy and lots of stitching!
Thank you for being my online friends. Each of you are very precious to me!

Did you have a good Christmas?

Hope you did! I know I sure did!
I went to my daughter's house on Christmas Eve to share Christmas with them and brought my grandsons back with me for this week to celebrate New Year's Eve with them along with my husband and mother.
Here is a video of my grandsons on Christmas Eve:



My mom, James and I went in and got each one of the kids a big gift. We got my oldest, Trent, a Legos Harry Potter Mansion set and the youngest, Craig, a Big Foot the Monster animated toy.
Here are some before, during and after photos:



They really liked their gifts. We woke up at 7:30am to find the oldest in his room. He had completed 7 of the 10 levels for the Legos Mansion and was on the 3rd instruction book (out of 3!). We asked if he had slept and he assured us he did, but who knows how early he got up!
The Big Foot monster was enjoyed by all. If you haven't seen it, type in "Big Foot the Monster" on Google and watch the video. Then imagine that it is twice as funny because it is!
This year was particularly special to me. My daughter's family got a new house this year and she has her own living area (they live with her husband's family). She has a fireplace and lots of space to decorate.
I brought down ALL of my holiday stitching, from Christmas through Valentine's Day through Easter and on through the Fourth of July, Halloween and Thanksgiving. I also brought a framed sampler I had made for her in 2000 that I had been waiting to have her have in her own home.
You can see some of the stitching in the photos (the little bears and the stockings). She also received all of my stitched ornaments, some of which were made from friends that are no longer with us (and with whom my daughter grew up around).
It was quite fulfilling to pass along my stitching while I am still around to see her enjoy it.
I pray this next year brings all of you plenty of great needles, patterns, fabric and threads and that all little froggies that would get in the way of your stitching stay away.
I wish you happiness and peace and all the good things life has for you.
I thank you for your friendship and support. You all are the best!

Merry Christmas (and I am back!)

Let me start by saying thank you to Meari! Her little e-mail reminded me I have neglected by blogging friends. Not only have I not kept up to date on blogging I haven't kept up to date on reading your blogs. I promise to do better on both accounts.
Work has been really busy. I have taken on more responsibility and by the time I get off, I just want to lounge in the chair and not do much of anything. Not even stitching, so I have none to show you.
My husband and I did get away (despite hurdling some obstacles) to Austin to a comic book convention. Yes I said comic book convention. My DH collects them and we had planned the trip awhile back.
This was not my first convention with him, but was the best one yet. If you are into people watching, this is the place to people watch. People in costumes, old actors and actresses from television and movies. We met the original Batman and Robin (Adam West and Burt Ward). James had his pic taken with them both and also in the Batmobile. Ghostbusters were there also along with many others.
There was one guy who I think really thought he was Batman was there also. He had a better costume than the original. When he left, he got into a 1969 black Corvette with the Batman logo and all the bells and whistles on the car. Clearly he wasn't married because a wife would say "you spent how much on the costume and car?!!!"
It was really good to get away with my husband.
My grandsons are good and are coming here next week. I will pick them up Christmas Eve and bring them here on Christmas Day to stay a week with us.
I do have a funny story about my youngest, Craig. He had a solo (he is 6) for the Christmas musical. He was supposed to sing the first part of Rudolph and then back off the microphone (and he doesn't need a microphone anyway he is so loud). But he sang and never left the mic. He was dressed in a tux and a top hat. His gestures and singing had the audience in tears. But the best part was the end.
After he finished singing, when the rest of the kids were leaving the stage, he bowed and said "thank you. I will be performing all week. Be sure to try the buffet".
What a hoot!
You might remember (or not it was so long ago) my last post that I had stitched something for a fellow staff member who was expecting a baby. Well she had that sweet baby girl last Sunday. So we have a new addition to our office!
We have kept pretty much low key this holiday. In fact we have already exchanged our gifts to each other. I got a mini notepad from James and James got a digital drawing pad from me. Mom got her favorite button down nightgowns from us and a new television from my sister & her family.
It's hard to keep presents from each other when they come in via Fedex, UPS, etc. I love online ordering. And we don't have a tree to put them under anyway.
James and I did manage to go to the company Christmas party last Sunday. Here is a picture of us:

And with this picture, I will leave you with a wish and a promise. A wish for you to have a very Merry Christmas and a promise that I will keep up with you all more in the coming year. You all are such blessings to me!

First baby gift

I have started stitching baby gifts for my office friend who is having a little girl around Christmas.
This is a little DMC finished girl bear doll that I found on Ebay. I remember when DMC made these and I wish they still made them. I have a set of Christmas bears that are really cute.
The only problem I had is that you just stitch the bib part of it and it was 18 count. I haven't stitched on 18 count in a very long time and it was challenging to me.
Here is a pic of the finished bear:

This is just one several projects I am going to be working on. I forgot how much fun it is to stitch for a baby again!

And the winner is...

KAY!
But alas, I don't have an email for you! So if you would shoot me an email at dwooleybooger@yahoo.com, then I can have 123stitch send you your prize!
Thanks for all the nice compliments of my pictures. The butterflies must have been on their way south. Monday morning we had record lows and I haven't seen a handful of the lovely beauties since Sunday. Glad I got the pictures when I could. They will have to last me through the winter until next spring!

Butterflies and a blogversary!

I didn't stitch this weekend, but rather spent it outside in perfect weather, watching butterflies! Our local arboretum has a butterfly garden and I bet there were 30 of them on one bush alone. I saw so many different colored ones and different sizes. Sometimes they would just take flight together and flutter around. Breathtaking!
Here are some pictures:





I also discovered that on October 6 is my 2nd blogversary! Wow! How time flies by when you are having fun.
I have so enjoyed the online friendships I have formed from this blog and my other, Stitching for a Cure . You all have been a blessing to me.
To celebrate, I am giving away a $20 gift certificate to my favorite ONS, 123 stitch!
You don't have to jump through any hoops to win. Simply post a message on this post and give me a way to contact you if you win! I will be drawing on the morning of Oct. 7th.
Good luck to all and thank you for two great years!

Another finish

I finished this little piece off this weekend. It is the last Stitching For a Cure project I will do for 2010. I still have to do the binding around the piece and put a bow on it, but the stitching is done.
Again I changed the fabric and the colors for the freebie, C is for Cure from Just Cross Stitch Magazine by Lizzie Kate.
If the fabric and colors look familiar, they should be. I used the same fabric and threads on Lizzie Kate's Chicks Rule.
I just loved the colors and thought they were very appropriate for Relay For Life.
I can now focus on some stitching "just for fun". We have a new recruiter in our office and she is expecting a baby girl at Christmas. I have been really wanting to do some stitching, esp. for a baby girl. And since I think my daughter is through giving me grandchildren, harassing the office staff to have babies has become my new hobby.
I found the cutest patterns to stitch and am going to do a little pair of white lace shoes, a hooded towel, a diaper cover (so cute!) and a little sign that says "Shh! Baby's Sleeping". I really hope since she is new and doesn't know me as well as the others do that she won't think I am a cross stitching stalker!
On another front, the cooler weather (if you can call 94 degrees cooler!) has made my garden go back into full bloom. I have a BUNCH of grape tomatoes and a couple of larger tomatoes on the vine, the peppers (yellow banana and green) are growing like crazy, my basil is just taking off again, the strawberries are in bloom and I have the tiniest little mint leaf starting. And oh yeah, I have this giant "Jack and the beanstalk" bean plant that is taking over everything. It has blooms all over it and I hope it produces some beans.
I even sat outside this morning with my DH and had our coffee in our lawn chairs without dying from a heat stroke. It is so nice. Rain is on it's way tonight and will cool off things even further.
Hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

Finally stitching

I am finally stitching in my new chair. And as I anticipated, it is a great stitching chair!
Just Cross Stitch Magazine has a freebie pattern by Lizzie Kate called C is for Cure. I stitched it up on Strawberry Milkshake lugana by Silkweaver and changed the colors. I think it is really cute!

I am so looking forward to fall and cooler weather so I can stitch outside again. It has been almost unbearable here. We had 23 days of over 100 degree temps. It just makes you miserable when it is that hot for that long.
We have a new employee in our office that is expecting a little girl around Christmas. I have been waiting to stitch for a baby for so long! I could hardly wait to pull out the baby stitching stuff I have socked away. I hope I don't overwhelm her! Seriously though I have a little cotton baby blanket with 6 1/2 inch by 6 1/2 inch squares in each corner. I bought it for a really good price and it has been just waiting for me to pull it out and stitch on it.
Hope you all are having a good start to the school year and looking forward to the fall season ahead of us!

Just had to share

Just had to share these two new pictures of my grandsons and daughter. Aren't they just cute as a bug?



Hope everyone is staying cool (HA! If you live where I am, the coolest it gets is 80 degrees and that is at 5am). But think cool thoughts and soon it will be fall.
I finished Time For God and took it to the framers. It is going to the family I spoke about earlier that lost a child and their home to fire. I think they will love it. I will post a pic when I get it back.

What's wrong with this picture? (and also the winner(S) announced!)

My grandsons, daughter and son in law came to visit this past weekend. Here are some pictures:



These pictures were taken at a local amusement park we have here. I took my daughter there many times from just less than age 1 until she refused to go anymore. In fact, they have some little boats that go around in a circle. When she was a baby I put her in the boat in the back and there were two side by side steering wheels. She had never stood up before so I felt safe. Imagine my surprise, when the boats were going around, she grabbed both steering wheels and pulled herself up for the first time. Scared me to death!
It was fun seeing my GRANDSON enjoy this park now. It is different when you are a grandparent.
They have a train that goes completely around the 1 block park. My grandson and daughter really enjoyed themselves on it.
What is wrong with the picture you might ask?
Well I actually have TWO grandsons. At least I think I do. I barely saw the 8 year old this weekend. When he was in the house he was in my spare room watching TV or on my husband's PS3. But he mostly wasn't in the house. My son in law and husband took him to a video gaming place called Lansharx here. He loves going there with "the guys".
What happened to my little baby? The one that I held and rocked and who later sat on the arm of my chair and told me everything about his life? Eight must be the magic age when they turn away from "little" boy stuff and go on to "big" boy stuff. Granted, when he was here he did tell me a number of times he loved being at my house and he loved me! So that is good.
Right before he left, I made him stand still to take a picture so I could prove he was really here.

While my daughter was here, we decided to make it a "girly" weekend along with the visit from the boys. Friday we got our hair cut and then that night we colored each other's hair. My daughter went a strawberry blond color and it is very pretty. I did my usually reddish brown color but this time I tried something daring! I put a frosting cap on and highlighted my hair. It turned out great. Not very light highlights, just real subtle caramel colors. Next time I will leave the bleach on for a little while longer.
Then on Saturday we went to a nail spa and got "the works". We both got pedicures with a mask, hot wax and hot stones. Then I got a manicure and she got solar nails. Very, very nice.
We then went shopping and I found a couple of blouses that I liked (you know I have lost 39 pounds now! So new blouses were in order!) and I bought a new pair of sandals. She found some sandals and a lot of jewelry!
We had lunch with friends. One of my former co-workers was in town and so we had lunch with her and also my manager from work. We went to Panera Bread and had a blast. Here are a couple of pics:


After we went to the park that evening we topped the day off with facials. So now I feel very pampered!
And now for the moment you all have been waiting for! My grandson chose a name at random and the winner for the LK Scissor kit is: DEBRA! I will send you an e-mail to get your mailing address.
BUT WAIT! I decided it was so hot we needed some sunglasses to keep the sun out of our eyes. And to keep us focused on cooler weather, we need Mrs. Bones to remind us Halloween is on it's way. So we did another drawing for these Mill Hill kits:


The winner for these two kits is: CAROLYN!
And, I decided I would give away the pattern for Time For God (it is gently used) and that goes to JANET of Cross Stitch Bibs!
I will shoot an e-mail to all the winners asking for mailing addresses! Congratulations to all the winners!

Time For God (oh and a giveaway also!)

I am pleased to announce I am now through with my pity party. And I am stitching again.
Many of you will remember I had been stitching on Time for God by LK. I only lacked a little on it, but I lost my stitching mojo and hadn't worked on it for awhile. Well, I worked on it today and I am almost through. All I need to finish it is the little border at the bottom.
Here is a pic of it:

This has been a very spiritual piece for me. It seemed like during each verse I was stitching, something in my life was occurring that related to that. Such as when I lost my little dog, Alex I was working on the verse "Hard times, Trust God".
And while I was stitching on it, I kept thinking this piece was meant for someone special, but I didn't know who. I debated on friends, on the minister that had married James and I, and on my daughter. And while I know all would appreciate it, I just kept thinking it was meant for someone else.
Last week God spoke to me. There was a family in our area that had a house explosion. They lost their 18 month old son and the father was seriously burned rescuing his sons. Their 3 year old son was also burned in the fire. And the house, well, it was bad. Really bad.
This family lives in Gatesville, the little town that I worked on one of my Relays with. A little town I have fallen in love with.
And while I don't know this family, I have come to know about their lives because we have done a number of blood drives for. Here is a video clip of one of the stories about them.
Gatesville Family
I now know this piece is meant for them. I plan on finishing it and then giving it to the family in the next few weeks. I know it will mean as much to them as it has to me while I have worked on it.
And also last week, I couldn't help but read on many of your blogs that this heat is taking it's toll on you. So I thought it was time for me to do another giveaway.
Since generally Christmastime means cold weather, I decided it would be a Christmas related giveaway.
I am giving this Christmas tree shaped scissor holder to one of you who leave a message on this post. I will draw a name from all the entries on July 31st. Christmas in July! Here is a picture of the kit. By the way, it is a limited edition Lizzie Kate kit that has the bells and stuff with it. All you have to do is provide a couple of strands of DMC. And it could easily be made into an ornament.

So just leave a message with a way for me to contact you (your blog name or email addy) and maybe you will win a little cool in the summer!
PS. Thanks to all of you for your support during my pity party! It is good to see I have friends in the good times and the bad!

A change

Well, since it is hotter than Hades here in Texas now, I decided my spring background for my blog was a little outdated.
So I searched and I thought this one screamed my name. I wish I had the money to redecorate my house the way I redecorate my blogs. Oh well...
Hotlips had her last bloom yesterday and I meant to get a picture of it, but messed around until it was too late. Now last year she surprised me and popped out more blooms after her initial stalks. We shall see what her highness decides to do this year.
I have been very bored at home. Not bored enough to stitch or clean (LOL) but bored none the less. Since it was raining so much the past few weeks and now has been so hot, I can't sit on my patio and enjoy my back yard. And for the most part, my zucchini have bit the dust and the tomatoes, well let's just say I am highly disappointed. I still have blooms but no tomatoes. And don't even get me talking about the peppers. But we do still have cucumbers.
I think part of the reason I am so bored is that I am still trying to find my way through this "less stress" lifestyle. When I had 3 Relays going at once it was almost like a high feeling. And now, I have to watch how much I do outside of work. My job is extremely stressful. Fun, but stressful. And the roller coaster of high blood pressure, normal blood pressure, high blood pressure, normal blood pressure is driving me crazy.
My dear, sweet husband got me a new chair just after I got out of the hospital. This is the absolute best chair. It is wide enough for me, low enough to the ground that my rear end can sit all the way back in the chair and my feet still be on the ground, it reclines, it rocks, it reclines and rocks, it goes all the way back, almost like laying down and the fabric is fake leather so it doesn't get hot or stick to me.
I have sat in the chair, slept in the chair, rocked in the chair but not stitched in the chair. I did get my stitching out and found that the chair is absolutely fabulous to stitch in, but alas I still did no real stitching.
So what is up with me? I should be enjoying this freedom of all this extra time, but no. I. Am. Not.
My daughter and grand kids are coming on the 30th of this month so I can tell you I will be busy then. And most likely, no most definitely, not bored!
So how is your summer going? Lots of stitching, cold drinks and air conditioning? Or are you too busy with kids and family to stitch?
Definitely check back here to see if I get out of my slump and see new pics of the family. I am sure there will be some!