November Already

What happened to September and October? How is it almost Thanksgiving already?  

Since early September, I've been fighting chronic sinusitis and a never-ending migraine that has been much worse.  Seems my allergy meds can't handle this year's autumn allergens and nothing helps my migraines.

I'm lucky that I still get to spend a lot of time with my grandson.  He is such a smart little boy.  

His days with me consist of coloring,

blocks,

books,

more books, and puzzles.

He is always wanting a snack! Fruit and vegetables are his favorites.

Riding his "bike" anywhere he can,

using Grandpa's "popper" as a mower, vacuum or mop, 

and watching Finding Nemo and Finding Dory multiple times, as in over and over and over, lol. 

Sometimes, a busy little boy needs a morning nap.

Hollie like her naps too!

Hazel was so excited for our first snowflakes last week.  I'm happy the snowflakes didn't last long!

Praying you and your family are doing well.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

  

September 2021

 Hello Friends,

I hope you are all doing well. It has been a rough few weeks for me and my family.  The end of July, we lost a dear aunt. She was 93 and took a bad fall. At the same time, my father-in-law’s heart condition worsened. He had been in a skilled nursing facility to get physical therapy. The facility went on lockdown due to COVID cases and he got severely depressed. After his stroke in 2008, he lost most of his ability to talk, but he very clearly said he wanted to go home. 

Robert
1937 - 2021

As his conditioned worsened, he was transferred to the local hospital. The doctors explained to Hubby, his sister, and his mom that my father-in-law’s heart condition was very bad and he didn’t have long. My FIL came home on hospice on a Tuesday. The family surrounded him with love, comfort, and peace. He passed away peacefully the following day. 

The following days were a blur.  During this time, we learned of the unexpected passing of three friends. Then came news of two aunts and a cousin who had passed. In three weeks time, we lost five family members and three friends.  

For several years, Hubby’s company has had a fishing trip in Canada for the top techs of the company. Hubby has always been in the top three and enjoyed these fishing trips. They couldn’t go last year, but the Canadian border was opened to vehicles just before the fishing trip was scheduled for this year. 

Hubby had a great time, except that it was very hot and humid there. He packed for much cooler weather, expecting it to be like past years. Instead, he came home with a sunburn. 

We had thunderstorm one evening and were treated to a rare, full, double rainbow. It lasted at least 30 minutes and was so vibrant. 

We have had some spectacular sunsets. This evening sunset filled everything with a gorgeous warm glow.

Do you have a “Tupperware drawer” in your kitchen? I do, and it’s the one drawer that I let my grandson, Baby L, play in. Hubby forgot to close the little lid on the gravy shaker before he put it away and, of course, Little Dude chose to play with that item. The little lid went missing and we looked for it for weeks.

I finally found it the other day, lol. I swear I looked in that container too!

Ha! Turns out the exercise bike is multi-purpose after all, lol.

School is back in session and I get to spend several days a week with my sweet grandson. He loves every kind of fruit and loves helping in the garden. The apples on our apple tree are ready for picking and Little Dude discovered them. Notice the doggy nose in the picture? Hazel(nut) loves apples too! Hazel and Hollie think anything Little Dude gets to eat, they do too. 

Flowers and tomatoes have been outstanding this summer.

Enjoy the last weeks of the season!

I pray that wherever you are that you and your family are safe and healthy.

Until next time,

Happy Stitchin’

Summer

Hello Friends,

I'm shocked that it's been so long since I've updated my blog.  

We've gone from winter coats...

to short sleeves...

Baby L and Hazel "talking" to Duke, the neighbor's dog, sticking his nose under the fence.

to playing in water on a hot day.

I've have not done any stitching or crocheting, but have made a few cards.

Hubby decided to try self-wicking flower buckets this year.  He watched a few youtube tutorials and scavenged through the shed for things he could use.  Hubby used some drainage tubing in the bottom of 5 gallon buckets and pvc pipe with cut water bottles as funnels for watering.  These are the buckets right after planting on May 15.

The pics below are how the buckets look today.  The flowers have filled in so much that the buckets are barely visible.

I have had good, consistent results with Proven Winners Supertunias so I purchased those again this year.  I usually stick with the various shades of pink, purple and white Supertunias and decided to try yellow and red Supertunias this year too.  

I also added some Superbena Sparkling Amethyst.  I love that each little flower has multiple shades of purple...

and Superbena Sparkling Rose with its little flowers of different shades of pink.

So far, we've been very pleased with how the self-wicking buckets are working.  We've had some very hot and humid days with very little rain (until this past weekend) and I've only had to fill the buckets every couple of days.  I do still use liquid fertilizer in the buckets once a week. 

I love it when a perennial reappears after being gone for a few years.  This Coreopsis (tickseed) was planted about five years ago, disappeared for a couple of years and reappeared last summer.  

It is doing really well this year too.

Wishing my USA friends a safe and

Happy 4th of July!

Until next time,

Happy Stitchin'

 

Catching Up

Hello, Dear Friends!

Gosh time is flying by.  

Can you believe it?  The Triplets turned 3 on March 16!

They are all doing so well.  

 

I get to spend four days a week with Baby L and I LOVE every minute of it, even the toys and stuff everywhere! 

Every day, Little Man is exploring and imitating what he sees others do.  

"Helping" me work.

Organizing lids.

Figuring out how to slip lids through the crate bars.

Sharing breakfast.  

No stitching to show, but I crocheted some slippers for my sister

and made a few cards.

Sad news...

Dottie Dog 

2005-2021

Dottie loved Peeps

and roasted hotdogs.

She had the best and biggest smile and she knew how to use it to her advantage, lol.

Forever in our hearts.

Have you seen the banners some towns are putting up to honor a veteran or active duty military personnel?  My brother-in-law is very active with his local VFW.  His VFW has sponsored our youngest daughter as she serves our country.  The VFW recently had a large banner made honoring her.  In addition to the large banner they are displaying, the VFW had smaller banners made for us and her grandparents.

This is the last week our daughter will be in Texas.  She is being transferred to Tennessee and has purchased a new home near the base.  She closes on her home on April 1 and moves in right after.  

Remember over a year ago, when the Army loaded up all her stuff for her to move to Virginia for Captain's training and then the pandemic put all that on hold?  Well, the Army has had DD's belongings in storage since early March 2020.  DD is planning for her belongings to be delivered and moved in on April 4.  

We're excited to have her 9 hours closer to us!  As it's only a 7 hour drive now, she has invited us and our oldest daughter and family for Easter weekend.  It will be the first time we've been together since Christmas 2019 and Baby L will get to meet his aunt.    

Happy Easter!

Until next time,

Stay safe and happy stitchin'