An Accomplishment to Share

Finally here and updating this poor blog! I've been so busy settling in with life here. Volunteer work, a hobby "job" and then a retinal hemorrhage that really put a damper on things, so you know what usually suffers - the blog, diary, etc.

Well, the retina is clearing up, and I am slowly getting back to stitching. It's been soooo long since I picked up a needle. I think I almost forgot how to stitch.  I have been working on this piece for years on and off. It's an official UFO (UnFinished Object) but it is now seeing the possibility of becoming finished. I put the final stitches in of The Bent Creek December Snapper and am now working on the border. Now, hopefully I'll have it done before the New Year and if not, well there's a new year right around the corner :)

It doesn't seem possible that it's been almost a month since my last entry. Life here has been busy, but I didn't thing it was that busy. So much for my time management skills. LOL

DH has been doing job searches, but hasn't come up with anything that he really wants to do. He's trying to match a job and a location, and at times it seems to really frustrate him. I wish I could make things easier, but I know that this is something he really needs to do on his own. One thing I know for sure, is he's concerned he may make a mistake with his choice. He's stated that this is such a change and it worries him some. I guess all will come together when it's supposed to.

My youngest brother has been bugging us about selling our house to him for years. He claims he adores it and really, really wants it. Finally we all got together and sat down to talk - seriously about him buying it. It sure would have made things easier for us. DH & I had talked about selling it to him under market value, and was ready to offer a good deal. He informed us he would pay us X amount - and no more. We were stunned, as it was below the amount the house was worth more than 20 years ago! He got really snotty when we said no - that we needed more. He basically told us it was a crap hole and that there was no way we'd get anything more from him. HUH? Well, he got up and left and we haven't heard anything from him since. I'm sorry - family or not, I'm not going to give it away. We've done up-grades on the electric, put in 2 types of heat - indoor oil and an outdoor wood boiler. Then we've done over a couple of rooms, new plumbing, new roof, painted the house, some new appliances. I mean - I know it's not as much as it could have been, but we were concentrating on paying off the place and getting out of debt. But honestly - did he really think we would "give" it to him? Brother or not, we have to get at least our investment back out of the place. I really believe that he thought we were going to be stupid and sell it to him at an unheard of price, then he was going to put a couple of thousand into it and turn a nice profit on it. Well, when we didn't appear to be as stupid as he thought, he got angry. Sigh.....

Oh well. On to more interesting things... I've been working on my Bent Creek Monthly Snappers and am almost caught up. I'm working on June, and have almost 1/4 of the border done. Sadly I ran out of some thread, so I hurried and placed an order at Needlecraft Corner. It should be here in a few days. Darn it - I really thought I had all the threads I needed. I must have miscounted them somehow.

We have been in need of a new bath mat, but I haven't wanted to pay what the stores are asking. I pulled out my leftovers from dishcloth and washcloth knitting, and made a "rag rug" looking type of bath mat. DS says it's ugly, but I told him it will work - and that's all that matters :)

I finally finished up part 4 of the Marquoir's Story Sampler. It has gone back in the box for next time it comes up in my rotation. It is going to be a gorgeous sampler when it's done!

I also finished up my Moonlight Slipper Socks and am looking forward to picking out another pattern to knit soon. I scanned them - but the scan just doesn't do them justice.



I also have put a couple more "bars" on my Log Cabin Afghan. It's quite bright and a great way to use up scraps. It's been really too warm to work on it though. The temps have been in the 90's and humid. That makes it just unbearable to knit a blanket.

Well, that's all for now. I'm off to make dinner....

I'll post pictures of the other projects soon. The camera batteries are charging, so no photos to post today.

Restful Weekend

Memorial weekend was very restful for all of us. The kids went with DH camping, and I stayed home to take care of the animals and catch up on work. I got a ton of things done, and actually even had time to cross stitch!! The nicest thing about the family all gone was that I didn't have to stop what I was doing and make dinner, or take care of other things. I could go as long as I liked, and boy, was it productive!!! The kids said they had a great time, and DH enjoyed himself with the kids. He doesn't get much alone time with them, so it was extra special for all of them. It was also a great excuse to have a fire, and DH and the kids love to cook and sit by an open fire.

While the crew was away, I got all caught up on laundry, and with the nice weekend, I could hang it all out. Oh, there's nothing like bed linens dried on the line. The sheets smelled so good when I crawled into bed. I not sure if it was the great smell or just being tuckered out, but I fell asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow.

I also got the end of our winter squash out of storage and put up. I can't believe how well they all stored! All of it is now in the freezer, except for the 3 cups I put aside to make pumpkin muffins and pumpkin dinner rolls with. I was finishing up at 11:30pm, put the squash aside to put in the fridge to use up the next morning, and don't know how it happened, but I never put those 3 cups of squash away. SIGH.... It all had to be tossed. The chickens didn't mind one bit, though. They cleaned it all up. Between those birds, the dog, the cats and the compost pile, we don't waste a thing! It was still such a disappointment not being able to bake those pumpkin muffins, though!

I did have some R&R, even with all the work I got done. I had pulled out a XS pattern that I had kitted up a couple of years ago. I've been wanting to start it, but like everything else, something kept coming up. Finally, I decided it was just time to sit down and do something for me :)



This is "Full Winter Moon" by Katherine Moser of Brown House Studio. Stitched on an unknown 32-ct. linen using the recommended DMC and Stranded by the Sea colors.