Sunday, September 29, 2024

Fall feelings and a new travel adventure!

Hello all of my stitching friends! I'm back after 2 1/2 weeks away... pretty much recovered from my jet lag, thankfully. I read that the older you get, the longer it takes to recover from trips across multiple time zones. We arrived home late last Saturday evening and by Friday I was feeling pretty normal again. So, where did we go? Well, I'll fill you in on my little bit of stitching news first and then begin a new travelogue. 

Finally, after finishing this wonderful Prairie Schooler fall design called "Autumn Leaves" way back in 2018, I've framed it! I purchased the frame last year from Franken Frames online, but it's taken me this long to sit down and frame it. I absolutely love this moulding for fall pieces, but, sadly, it has been discontinued. Luckily, I purchased three frames made of this same moulding, so I'll be sharing two more framed pieces in the future. 

"Autumn Leaves" finally framed after six years!

And here is a close-up with a better view of the frame and the stitching...

This charming piece is definitely one of my fall favorites.

If you'd like to read more about this finish, my post from September 30, 2018 has all the details.

I did manage to at least stitch my September ornament for the #12in24ornamentstitchalong which  I host on Instagram. Hopefully, finishing will take place this week! This is the annual Prairie Schooler Santa from 1995. I have to admit that when I first saw this design way back then, it wasn't one of my favorites. But, like everything in life... your tastes change and develop as you age. I thought this was the perfect Santa to represent my September since we traveled to various parts of the world. He is stitched on 40 ct. vintage country mocha Newcastle linen with most of the suggested threads. I did change the stitches in the border from the suggested blue cross stitches to red straight stitches, though. I also used Smyrna stitches for the eyes and the gold colored flowers on Santa's robe.

1995 Prairie Schooler Santa all ready for finishing

Giveaway time... I received two charming Prairie Schooler mini-cards from my friend, Stasi over at Bee-mused and Bee-stitching, as a little thank-you gift after I lent her a chart. Since I already owned both, I asked Stasi if it would be okay to use them in a giveaway and she kindly agreed. So, would you like to stitch these? If so, please follow the guidelines below and I'll announce the winner in my next post.

I'm having a giveaway for these two PS mini-charts. See below for the guidelines:

To be included in the giveaway for the two PS mini-charts shown above:

1) Specifically mention that you would like to win it in your comment 

2) Be a follower of Stitching Dreams (in my blog's sidebar on the right)

3) Make sure to leave your email address in your comment if I don't already have it

4) Tell me where in the world you would like to visit (that you haven't already been to). For me, it's the Canadian Rockies and Lake Louise--I'd love to take a train trip from Vancouver to Banff some day :)  

So... have you figured out where I've been most of September? Well, we took our first real trip since before Covid and it was a big one! We took a river boat cruise down the Rhine River from Amsterdam to Basel and then went on to Lucerne and Lugano in Switzerland, Lake Como, and then flew home after spending a couple of days in Milan, Italy. This was our second river boat cruise--the first one was a Danube cruise way back in 2019. Have you ever stopped to think how the weather can play such an important part in your holiday memories? Well, this trip will go down in history for everything from rain to cold to wind to hail to snow. And on top of that I got some sort of cold/flu for five days. Ugh! But, in between all that "stuff" there were some wonderful sights and memorable moments made with my husband, youngest sister, and brother-in-law. So, it was all worth it!

Since I have so many photos, I'll be breaking up the trip into sections and would love to have you travel along with me as we see the sights of five different countries: The Netherlands, Germany, France, Switzerland, and Italy. Are you ready? Let's get started...

AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS

We flew into Amsterdam a couple of days before the Rhine River cruise started both to help with jet-lag and to see a bit of this famed city on our own. Thankfully, the weather in Amsterdam (the first two days, anyway) was lovely--blue skies and sunny. It was the perfect walking around and exploring temperature. 

Our first stop was the lovely Vondelpark, the 116 acre largest greenspace in Amsterdam.  It was a good space to just relax and clear our heads after that overnight flight across the Atlantic. Such a pretty spot, but watch out for those bicyclists! We learned very quickly that they rule the roads!

Vondelpark

A relaxing morning spent in Vondelpark

We then went and explored the beautiful streets and canals of Amsterdam... With over 60 miles of canals in the city, there is no lack of beautiful photo opportunities.

Just one of many, many pretty canals

Bikes here, bikes there, bikes and bicyclists everywhere! I'd heard about the number of bicyclists in Amsterdam, but nothing prepared me for the reality! They were everywhere and they think nothing of plowing through crowds at high speeds. We saw two accidents in the short time we were there. Many of the bikes somehow end up in the canals and between 12,000-15,000 are pulled out each year! On one of our tours, we were driven by a huge barge piled high with what looked like scrap metal. Our guide told us it was actually filled with old bicycles that had been pulled from canals!

Most of the bridges connecting the canals had bicycles and baskets of pretty flowers placed in the middle.

The reflection of the lights at night was particularly lovely.


The next day, our destination was one I had been dreaming about going to since I was a young teen--The Anne Frank House. I can't even tell you how many times I've read The Diary of a Young Girl and after this visit, I plan on reading it again.

A small statue of a young girl who left a major impact on the world

The Secret Annex where Anne and seven others hid for over two years is in the back of this building at 263 Prinsengracht

Luckily, my sister had alerted me to the fact that you need to purchase tickets six weeks before the date you plan to visit, so I got up at 4:30 a.m. one late July morning to make sure I got them. They sell out that quickly! I was also able to get tickets for the 30 minute introductory program which was given in English by a young German woman. It was so interesting and the only place where we were able to take photos. 

The top photo shows a timeline of Anne's life from her birth in 1929 to her death at Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp in 1945. On the bottom left is one of the yellow stars that the Nazis forced the Jewish people to wear. The bottom right is a facsimile of her famous diary (the original is kept inside a glass case in the Anne Frank House) and a piece of the famous chestnut tree which Anne was able to view from the attic of her hiding place. That tree gave her such hope over the years each time it bloomed. The original tree died and fell to the ground in 2010, but saplings were started from it and new trees have been planted all over the world. Here is a list of the cities which now have their very own Anne Frank chestnut trees.

What a sobering experience it was to walk through that hinged bookcase and up into the tiny, dark, cramped rooms of the Secret Annex. The knowledge that Anne and her family survived in hiding for 761 days only to be arrested by the Gestapo in August 1944 and taken to concentration camps to die (only Anne's father survived) was heartbreaking. In one of Anne's diary entries from May 11, 1944, she wrote: “You've known for a long time that my greatest wish is to be a journalist, and later on, a famous writer. We'll have to wait and see if these grand illusions (or delusions!) will ever come true, but up to now I've had no lack of topics. In any case, after the war I'd like to publish a book called The Secret Annex. It remains to be seen whether I'll succeed, but my diary can serve as the basis.”  Oh, Anne... you more than succeeded. What a legacy you've left the world. This was a visit I know I'll always remember... If you would like a tour of The Secret Annex online, I highly recommend this one. There is also a wonderful 14 part series on Anne's life and death on YouTube right here.

On Saturday, we were able to check in to our lovely room on Avalon Waterways "Vista" ship. 

Our home away from home for seven nights

We enjoyed a buffet lunch on board and then headed out for our first excursion... a visit to Zaanse Schans which is like an open-air museum for Dutch life in the 18th and 19th centuries. Windmills and other buildings were relocated to this spot in an effort to preserve them and educate visitors on life in the past. It was a beautiful sunny day, as you can see!

Interestingly, my father's  earliest known ancestor in America came from The Netherlands (settling in New Amsterdam). His town of Wormer, is located only about four miles from Zaanse Schans. He sailed to a new life on the Dutch ship "De Trouw" back in the year 1659 and I love looking at the landscape in this photo and imagining what life must have looked like for him way back then!

 
One of my favorite photos of us in Zaanse Schans

Such a relaxing scene!

While at Zaanse Schans we saw a cheese-making demonstration, wooden shoe making demonstration, and climbed up into a working windmill

On Sunday morning, the Amsterdam canal cruise took place under partly sunny skies.

We were told that many of the canal cruise boats are gradually being replaced with electric models. I'm sure the residents who live along the canals greatly appreciate the noise reduction!

Many houseboats (which sell for huge amounts of money!) are docked along the canals.

The famous crooked "Dancing Houses" of Amsterdam

One pretty scene after another

In the afternoon, we had the choice of doing a bike ride in the countryside or doing a walking tour for some "Bites and Highlights" of the charming Jordaan district. We chose to do the walking tour and feasted on an assortment of cheeses, Stroopwafels (freshly warmed!), and these tasty Poffertjes.

These mini Dutch pancakes, known as Poffertjes, were so tasty. I just may have to try my hand at making some here at home.

 

A final look at one of the beautiful canals

The Amsterdam portion of our trip was over and it was time for our ship to set sail. Overnight our ship cruised to the next stop on our itinerary:

COLOGNE, GERMANY

I can't say this was one of my favorite stops, but that may have had a lot to do with the weather, which turned gray and cool. The fact that so much of the city was destroyed during WWII didn't help either. 95% of the buildings in the old part of the city were damaged and the landscape of the city forever changed.

Pulling into port in Cologne

 
I thought these pastel houses in front of Great St. Martin Church were so pretty. This beautiful Romanesque church was just reopened in 1985 after being badly damaged in WWII.


I know nothing about this sculpted wall--just thought it was interesting. Perhaps they are celebrating Carnival (Kölner Karneval) which is such a big part of life in Cologne each year?

One of the most charming statues (and stories) in the city of Cologne is The Heinzelmännchenbrunnen (or Pixies' Fountain) which depicts a group of hard-working little pixies/gnomes baking bread, sawing wood, and doing all sorts of chores secretly at night so that the citizens of Cologne could relax and take it easy during the day. This all went well until the tailor's wife (at the top of the statue) became determined to see what they looked like that she scattered peas on the steps causing the pixies to all fall down. They became so infuriated that they left the city forever, leaving the residents to do their own chores. You can read about this charming tale right here.

The Heinzelmännchenbrunnen Fountain

Some of the little gnomes hard at work

The tailor's wife (at the very top of the statue) placed peas on the steps causing all the little gnomes to tumble down the stairs and leave the city forever

Of course, the Cologne Cathedral is the iconic sight in this fourth largest German city. In fact, it is Germany's most visited landmark. Construction began on the cathedral in the year 1248, but was stopped in the mid-16th century. Finally in the mid-19th century, construction resumed and was completed in October of 1880.

Even after damage from repeated bombings in WWII, the Cathedral remained standing. Today, it is the third tallest church in the world.

The stunningly carved West Entrance

Just a few of the many stunning art works, stained glass windows, and sculptures inside the Cologne Cathedral

We bravely decided to climb the 533 steps up to the bell tower--and we paid €6 each to do so. Were we brave or simply crazy? Whew--those winding, aged stone steps were exhausting (at least to me!), but we did it! And the views at the top were wonderful.

 
Views from the bell tower


I think that is a good stopping point for today's post! Whew--these posts take me many hours to sort through and edit my photos, look up facts, link to more information on the sights, and then write the actual content. I do hope you enjoyed Part 1 of my Rhine River Cruise travelogue. I always enjoy seeing parts of the world that I might never get to and I hope you do, too! Next time, we will visit two more destinations in Germany and I'll share some of the actual scenes from cruising down the Rhine River.

Don't forget, if you want to enter the giveaway for the PS mini-card charts, please make sure to include your email address in your comment! Sending hugs to those of you who are grieving loved ones or battling health issues right now. And to those of you affected by Hurricane Helene, my heart goes out to you. Thank you to everyone who sent me a message wishing me well in my latest health concerns. The Holter monitor that I wore for 48 hours last month did pick up some irregularities in my heartbeat so I'm heading to the cardiologist in October. Hopefully, it is nothing serious and just something I have to learn to live with.  Here's to a better month for all in October. Bye for now...

Tuesday, September 3, 2024

A simple September check-in

Good September morning to you, my friends! I hope the first few days of this new month have been treating you well. I'm sad that summer days are winding down, but hoping for at least a few more weeks of warm, sunny weather ahead. Oh, these nights, though--so very chilly. I think it's time to bring out the flannel sheets for our beds--how about you? 

This will be a very quick post (for me, anyway!), as I only have one ornament finish to share with you today. It's been a quiet couple of weeks since my last post so I have little to report. I did finish my ornament for August, though, and it turned out so cute! To make this sweet piece called "Gathering Holly" (by Annie Beez Folk Art) a suitable size to fit on my tree,  I had to stitch it "over one." (I really prefer to keep my ornaments on the small side and this one ended up being just about 4 inches square). I ended up choosing 25 ct. vintage country mocha Lugana and I love how well the white threads show up on it. 


I used most of the suggested colors, but did make a few changes. I thought the little maiden looked a bit chilly in the sleeveless dress that was charted so I added some sleeves (bonus: the sleeve color shows up much better on this fabric than the flesh-toned DMC 950 would have!). I also added additional snowflakes to the bottom of the design, added eyes (just using tiny straight stitches) to the woman, and used straight stitches for the bird's legs rather than the called for cross stitches. 


After adding the cording made of DMC 3777, I attached a black and white polka-dot bow and some "holly" that I crafted by snipping off leaves from a garland and gluing on some red berries. Everything, including the cording, was attached using Aleene's Tacky Glue (original). I've had several folks on Instagram ask about my cording so I'm linking to my 2019 post that outlines the way I do it (I am certainly not a professional finisher!) right here (you need to scroll down a ways in that post). Here is a close-up which might help you see the details a bit better.


Lyme Disease update: I had several of you ask about the Lyme Disease updates for my husband and myself. I'm happy to report that he is doing fine (so far) after his positive diagnosis and taking the antibiotic for two weeks. If you recall, my doctor didn't test me right away and just put me on the antibiotic. Because I've had some unsettling symptoms for the past six weeks or so, I finally was tested for it and it came back negative. Whether I had had it and the antibiotics took care of it or what, I don't know. But, I'm still having symptoms so more tests are ongoing... Nothing is showing up so I'm hoping it is just residual effects of the virus I had back in July or possibly, anxiety. Hopefully, I'll receive some answers soon--it always shocks me how long it takes to receive certain test results!

And that's it--a drive-by posting today! I am going to be taking a blog break for most of September so, if you don't hear from me on your blogs or through email, please don't worry. I will be working on my September ornament and a charming design by Scarlett House in the meantime. Thank you for all of your kind comments on my previous post--so glad you enjoyed my travel photos from New York and Maryland. I never know whether you'll be interested in them or not, but since this blog serves as a sort of journal of my simple life, I just include them anyway. Wishing each of you a beautiful month ahead! Bye for now...

Thursday, August 22, 2024

A fun Christmas finish and water, water everywhere!

Brrr... we are going through a cold spell here in southwestern Pennsylvania and I woke up to a chilly 49° (9.4° C)  morning. It was so cold that, when I woke up, I put on my cozy winter bathrobe and promptly went down and baked a batch of my favorite chocolate chip-peanut butter-oatmeal cookies in an effort to warm up the house! I know I've complained about the heat this summer, but I'm not quite ready for fall. How about you? Are things cooling down in your area? The children in this area resumed school today which, to me, always marks the end of summer. (At least it did when my sons were of school age). It's been a very busy three weeks since my last post--lots of trips involving lots of water! Before I share my vacation photos with you, though, I wanted to show you my new finish. Yes, I  finished one of my favorite Christmas pieces ever--"Santa Stops Here" by With Thy Needle and Thread. 

"Santa Stops Here" by With Thy Needle and Thread

Oh, how I loved stitching this one--even that endless brick house! I love that the colors of the brick aren't the traditional reds and pinks. These remind me more of a stone house. It is stitched on 40 ct. woodland brown Newcastle with most of the suggested threads. I did end up using only WDW "Red Rocks" for all of the reds rather than using the two different reds that were charted. But, other than that, the colors are exactly what were called for. Below is a better view of that pretty house... According to the designer, it was inspired by the German houses in the Amana Colonies in Iowa where the businesses are often brick buildings with a simple black and white sign advertising what they sell. She mentioned that this "Candy Haus" is where Santa just might shop for the sugary treats to fill the stockings for all the good little boys and girls at Christmas time. Who has visited the Amana Colonies? I've never been to Iowa at all, but it looks like such an interesting area. If you'd like to read more about it, just click here.

Love the satin stitches on the door and the little beaded wreath. It gives this finish a nice bit of texture. I also added a trio of beads to the center of the red bow.

 

In this final photo is the jolly, old fellow himself with his little snowman buddy. Love all the sweet details from the candy cane laden tree to the tiny red cardinals to the wee trees sprinkled about the design. I will be framing this one--or possibly sending it out to be professionally framed. I think it's such a charming little piece!


So, let's get to all that water that I mentioned earlier! Lots of lakes, rivers, and waterfalls were enjoyed this month. In early August my whole family gathered for a few days at Deep Creek Lake in Maryland. We've enjoyed trips there before, but always in the winter for my January birthday. This was the first time we vacationed there in the summer. The weather could have been warmer, but the sun peeked out between the clouds enough for us to enjoy kayaking, paddle boarding, swimming, and fishing. That water was a bit too cold for me, though, so I was the official picture taker :)

Lots of kayaking, paddle boarding, puzzle making, and fishing at Deep Creek Lake in early August.

My little grandson, Mister B, caught the one and only fish of the trip--his very first one and he couldn't have been prouder. As he pulled it out of the water, he excitedly shouted, "I caught a fish for mommy!". He thought she could cook it up for his dinner, but, sadly it was too small to keep so back into the lake it went. 

Mister B with his first fish! Just look at that excited little grin.

This mama duck and her seven babies were frequent visitors

We all enjoyed ourselves and agreed that we'd like to return for a longer vacation next summer! Have any of you been to Deep Creek Lake? It's such a beautiful area nestled in the mountains of western Maryland. Just sitting on the dock gazing at the water and the mountains beyond was so relaxing. For more information on the lake and adjoining state park, you can click here

Our next trip was to upstate New York to visit one of my sisters. On the way to her home on Lake Ontario, we stopped in my tiny hometown (on the border of New York and Pennsylvania) to visit my parents' gravesite. It was the first time I've been back since my mom's funeral in 2020. A very bittersweet moment with a few tears--I'm sure many of you can relate. After lunch at a favorite local restaurant we were on the road again.

Our next stop was Letchworth State Park, a place I had visited in the past, but my husband hadn't. Again, the weather wasn't the best, but it was nice enough that we could get out for a short walk to see one of the parks three waterfalls from Inspiration Point. Letchworth is such a beautiful park comprising 14,350 acres. It is sometimes called the "Grand Canyon of the East" and is certainly worth a stop. We definitely want to go back and do some hiking in the future. To hear the roar of the waterfalls and feel its misty spray is really something!

The view of Middle Falls from Inspiration Point in Letchworth State Park

 
The Genesee River running through the gorge in the park

Me! A bit wind-blown, but still smiling!

After we left the park, we began the drive to my sister's home on Lake Ontario. On the way we spotted several rainbows due to the constantly changing weather. One minute it would be lightly raining, and the next the sunshine would break through--perfect rainbow weather! This one was so vibrant even though it was just a partial rainbow. 

It was a perfect day for rainbows.

My sister's home is set right on the shores of Lake Ontario, the smallest of the five U.S. Great Lakes, but the 14th largest (by surface area) in the world. Often, when you gaze out her window, it looks like the ocean with whitecaps topping the water and seabirds soaring by. She gets the most beautiful sunsets (and yes, I'm quite envious, as we never get them here being in a valley) almost nightly. 

The view from my sister's front door! Beautiful skies over Lake Ontario.

The day after we arrived, we took a hike to Chimney Bluffs State Park--a fascinating area filled with spire-like drumlins created by the erosion of glacial deposits from the last ice age. It was a chilly, bit muddy hike up to see them, but well worth the view!

Chimney Bluffs State Park

 
That water was so blue and the landscape so interesting.

There is also a beach below that is open to the public.

File:Chimney Bluffs near Great Sodus Bay.jpg
An old 1907 postcard of the view of Chimney Bluffs from the water. Over the years, the bluffs have eroded quite a bit due to the weather.


There are so many wonderful things to do in western New York--we'll definitely return for future visits! When I was growing up in that area, I don't think I fully appreciated all of its beauty. Now that I'm an adult and look at things through older eyes, I truly do.

So, that explains why not much stitching was done in August. I do have a couple smaller things which I hope to share with you soon, though. What is everyone stitching on these days? Have you moved on to fall stitching or is it too early? I've been so bad about pulling out my summer bees and sunflowers--in fact, I'm ashamed to say I still  have my 4th of July/patriotic stitching and decor out! I've just not been home enough to be motivated to change it.

Anyway, that's about it for this post. I'll leave you with our sunflowers as viewed from our kitchen door. My husband sprinkled the seeds throughout his fenced in vegetable garden and I just love how cheery and bright this corner of our yard is--in any kind of weather. Wishing you a sunny day with lots of stitching time. Bye for now...

Our cheerful sunflowers (can you spot one of our ever-present deer lurking in the background?)