Cheery cherries on a gloomy day

Happy April, everyone--enjoying your "spring" so far? I say that a bit sarcastically because here in western Pennsylvania, we are still getting snow flurries from time to time. In fact, I spotted a few this afternoon... Yes, it IS April 16th, but it feels more like early November weather here. We had a taste of very nice 70°+ weather over the weekend, but it quickly vanished into gray skies, rain, and a bit of snow here and there. But, things are looking up--the forsythia is blooming along with the daffodils (well, those that haven't been eaten by the deer, that is!). The birds are returning and the grass is greening up beautifully!

I have a couple of finishes to share with you today--one big (for me!) and one small. The first is by La D Da and is called "Cherry Picker." It is stitched on 40 ct. pearled barley by Lakeside Linens--a new fabric for me as I generally use 40 ct. Newcastle. But, I enjoyed it very much--just wish the pretty taupey color of the fabric showed up a bit better in my photos. I used most of the suggested colors, but substituted GAST Country Redwood for the suggested red of the cherries. I also changed the color of the leaves to DMC 934 and 936. The charted leaves in the middle were black and that just didn't appeal to me at all!

La D Da's "Cherry Picker" finish

What drew me to this piece (in addition to the cute blackbird carrying his little, red cherry) was that gorgeous alphabet. I think this may be one of the prettiest charted alphabets I've ever seen, don't you agree? I sure wish I could write like this--just look at that stylized F and the beautiful Q and Z! I am someone who almost always prints except when I have to sign a check or legal document so I truly appreciate beautiful handwriting.

Don't you love this alphabet?

I had an issue with the colors of two skeins of DMC, believe it or not! It taught me a lesson, though--start with a fuller skein if you have a large area to stitch. If you look closely you'll see the top 2 1/2 rows of the lighter squares in the basket are darker than the remaining squares. Apparently, my new skein of DMC 612 was lighter than the older skein! I noticed it immediately, but decided there was no way I was going to run off to the store to look for a matching skein--it is a basket after all and they usually have imperfections in colors or the actual weaving. So, it's fine--I'm glad I let my inner perfectionist go this time! I plan on framing this one--it is long and thin, though, so I'll have to figure out where in the house it will fit best.

Look closely--you'll notice that the DMC 612 in the basket is two different colors!

Next up is my small finish--my Christmas ornament for April. Isn't this Santa adorable with his little pigeon-toed feet? And the tiny reindeer--darling! This is called "St. Noel" and is a design from With Thy Needle & Thread which I stitched "over one" on 28 ct. bay leaf Jobelan. I had trouble getting the white to show up so I switched the suggested color from ecru to B5200 and stitched the top of each cross stitch twice. That seemed to do the trick! I also switched the red to DMC 221 and the face color to DMC 407.

St. Noel" finish--such a joyful guy!

I fully finished the ornament this past weekend and love the final result... I combined two fabrics, a strand of homemade cording and a burgundy colored button to accent the stitching. The back of the ornament is also the burgundy and white checked fabric. So, on to my May ornament which I began last night... I'm so pleased to be on track this year with my monthly ornament finishes!

My April 2018 Christmas ornament finish

In other stitching news, I've received some lovely gifts which I'd like to share with you. First of all, I won a giveaway from Arlene at Nanaland. She was offering this cute patriotic chart and when it arrived, I found Arlene had also included a skein of the prettiest spring-colored thread from Colour & Cotton. I'm anxious to try it--it looks wonderful! I hope to stitch up "Land I Love" by Memorial Day and will then offer it as a giveaway right here--so watch for it... Thank you so very much, Arlene!

Giveaway win from Arlene

And from another of my readers (who doesn't want to be identified), I received a large package of charts that she said I can either keep and stitch or use as giveaways. Wasn't that sweet? I was so touched by her kindness and her desire to see these charts go to fellow stitchers. Thank you so much, my friend--I see several that I'll be adding to my stitching line-up and I know those of you who win some of these charts in future giveaways will be most appreciative as well. 

A wonderful grouping of charts from a blog reader and friend!

In the baking department... Easter brought another baking opportunity and the result was this tasty Strawberries 'n' Cream Cake Roll from Sally's Baking Addiction. I was a bit nervous about making this, but the instructions were so clear that it came together very easily... It used freeze dried strawberries which gave the filling a very intense strawberry flavor. My middle son, who is usually not a dessert eater, even had seconds!

I think the bunnies wish they could taste some!

Easter marked the end of my sweets baking for a while as we have no holidays until Memorial Day. But, that doesn't mean the bread-making stops! Sunday found this wonderful Multigrain Bread on our table... Very, very tasty--a great bread to serve with soup and a salad for a simple dinner. I used the multigrain hot cereal from Trader Joe's and added only 2 teaspoons of yeast. Next time, I would cut the salt to 1 teaspoon, too--it tasted just a bit too salty for me!

I'm being good--one slice a day! (Well, I did have 1 1/2 the day I made it!)

Little visitors... I think that's about it for today... I hope to be back at the end of April if I have any finishes to share. Until then here are two sweet visitors (well, the squirrel is just a bit naughty, if truth be told!) who frequent our bird feeders.

Poor squirrel--he spends much of his time perched on that rock looking longingly at the suet feeder!

The Carolina Wren--one of my favorite visitors

Perhaps spring will have sprung by my next post?! I want to thank  you all for your sweet comments and emails--you really are such a wonderful community, you know that? How lucky we are to be stitchers! As always, if you have a question--please make sure to include your email address so I can get back to you. Enjoy your week, everyone--make it a good one!  Bye for now...

Daffodils and chicks--but only in my stitching!

And another month has flown by! March certainly has stayed "lion-like" for us Pennsylvanians, though. I can't remember a more "un-springlike" month! Last week we had seven inches of snow on Wednesday and this week has been cold, rainy day after cold, rainy day. I've been enjoying the spring flowers many of you are showing on your blogs--but I have to admit, I'm a bit jealous! I guess the only positive in this dreary weather is that it's enabled me to have a lot of stitching time...

My big finish is Prairie Schooler's "Daffodils" (Book No. 146) which seemed to take forever! There is so much solid stitching in these monthly samplers, isn't there? I used the suggested DMC threads on 40 ct. raw natural Newcastle. BUT--I did make a change in the color of the large daffodil block in the upper left corner. The background of that block was charted to be dark brown and I didn't feel that it looked very springlike. So, I changed it to the lighter green, changed the color of the daffodil from white to yellow, and stitched the leaves in the darker green. 

Prairie Schooler "Daffodils" finished up for March

I had hoped to have some pretty yellow daffodils from my garden to photograph alongside my finish. Ha! Not this year--we'll be lucky to get any by mid-April. Here are a few close-ups for you...

I love the way the alphabet is spelled out in the grass--it reminds me of wildflowers!

I did make a design change to this chart--the two doors weren't the same size and I know that would have driven me crazy. I like symmetry in my life!  The door on the left was one square smaller than the window above. So, I changed it which meant I had to change the design of the gray steps under the door. I also left out the window panes in the tiny window in the peak.

A pretty in pink house!

I changed the background behind the largest daffodil from brown to green

And I made a new little ornament for my Easter collection of smalls. This sweet freebie is from La Comtesse & Le Point De Croix and you can find the chart right here. Actually, I made two of these! One flew to California to live with my oldest son and daughter-in-law and the other is staying right here. The softer colors in the second photo are much more true to life...

New freebie chick from La Comtesse & Le Point De Croix

There is a funny story that goes along with this one... I didn't see that the designer had provided suggested colors, so I went ahead and simply pulled my own colors from my overdyed stash. Then one of my friends on Instagram asked me if I had followed the suggested colors or used my own. I went back to look at the blog, and sure enough--all I would have had to do was scroll down a bit. They were listed after all! Oh well--I think I was so anxious to stitch this one that I simply printed off the chart and didn't look further. Anyway, it turned out very cute, didn't it? I used 40 ct. antique white Newcastle and the following overdyed threads:  WDW Sally's Sunshine, WDW Sweetheart Rose, WDW Ivy, and DMC: 819, 977, 3790.

Yellow gingham ribbon and handmade cording finished this one off

A finish a long time coming!! I really enjoyed reading all of your suggestions for replacing the words "No Vacancy" on my newly found Marjolein Bastin piece. In the end, I chose to go with more nature motifs rather than any words. And this is how it turned out... I added two more leaves and a large egg and I'm very pleased with the final look. The colors in this piece are so soft and soothing.

"No Vacancy" by Marjolein Bastin finally finished after 13 years!!

I have to say, though, that I didn't enjoy stitching over two on the 28 ct. antique white Monaco fabric at all! I am so used to 40 ct. (or over one on 28 ct.) that this just about drove me crazy even though I was stitching only three small motifs. I just hate using two threads anymore--my stitching isn't nearly as neat as when I use one thread...  But, I got it done, ironed it and now just need to find a frame. It really is a darling piece--here are a couple of close-ups for you of the sweet little birds and flowers...

I love the tiny bird perched on the pencil in the foreground!

Lots and lots of brown in those birdhouses!

BLOGGER OF THE WEEK! In other stitching related news, Jo at Serendipitous Stitches, chose my blog as her "Blogger Of the Week" last week. If you'd like to read my interview with her--please check out this post. Thank you again, Jo--that was so sweet of you to include my blog!  

A gift from a friend... For Easter, I received a sweet package of goodies from my friend, Nathalie, in France. It included a cute LK Easter finish, a lovely French Christmas cross stitch magazine, and some very cute bunny tags. Thank you so much, Nathalie--I loved your thoughtful gifts!

Cookies and cake and bread--oh, my!! With my youngest and oldest sons both home two weeks ago, I got more chances to bake--yay!! Cookies, homemade bread, and this Fudge Filled Vanilla Bundt Cake got gobbled down in no time. The cake was so pretty...

And the inside had a decadent surprise... fudgy cream cheese filling! It was "pretty" good, but a bit dry for my taste. Somehow it still disappeared! And a generous portion of my oldest son's favorite ice cream (Turkey Hill "Double Dunker") certainly helped :)

Daily visitors... Our deer have been coming to our yard all winter--they are attracted to the food that spills from the bird feeder hanging outside our kitchen window.  We see these guys (plus one more not in the photo) on a daily basis. And that is why we can't have many pretty flowers in our yard--they devour everything in sight! In the photo below, I simply tapped on the window and they all looked at me with very slight interest--and simply went back to eating our grass! They aren't afraid of us in the least...

If only they would mow the lawn for us!

A few tears were shed... So, my family continues to scatter; my youngest son moved from Washington, DC to Panama City, Panama last week. Sigh... He will be gone six months on an assignment with the U.S. State Department and will live in a hotel! Luckily, it is a beautiful hotel and he has this view from his room--not bad, eh?  Will we go down to visit him? We're not quite sure, but are definitely considering it. Have any of you been there? Surprisingly, it would take us less time to fly to Panama than it would to go to southern California to visit our oldest son (as there is no direct flight to San Diego for us). All I know, is that is is 90° and humid in Panama pretty much year-round.  Hmmm... I'll keep you posted!

My youngest son's daily view in Panama City!

So, what are your plans for Easter? Ours will be quiet--just our middle son and his girlfriend... Thank goodness at least one of our three sons lives nearby--we would be pretty lonely without his almost weekly visits for Sunday dinners. He is our rock in so many ways... So, what are you making for Easter dinner? I think we'll grill a pork tenderloin and, hopefully, I'll get to bake another decadent dessert! Anyway, I hope you each have a lovely Easter weekend...

I truly appreciate each and every comment that you left for me on my last post (so glad you loved seeing my old family barn!).  And, as always, if you have any questions--please, please make sure to include your email address in your comment so I can reply to you... In my renewed interest in Marjolein Bastin art, I came across this darling work--wouldn't that be a wonderful cross-stitched piece?  Bye for now...

HAPPY EASTER TO EACH OF YOU!

One bunny, two sheep, and something new

Good morning all! Hard to believe March is nearly half over... It's been a good month for me so far and it's about to get better as I'll have my oldest and youngest sons home for a few days this weekend. That is so very rare these days now that one lives in San Diego and the other in Washington,DC... I can't wait! 

My stitching, as usual, involves seasonal pieces and, just in time for Easter, I have this sweet Blackbird Designs finish called "Easter Parade" to share with you. I honestly can't remember when I enjoyed stitching a piece so much--the overdyed colors, the eyelet stitches on the bunny and one of the stars, the purple checkerboard border. The whole piece just came together so well... (I want to thank a very special blogging friend for lending me her chart--it will be flying home to you very soon!).

"Easter Parade"

I stitched the bunny holding his egg-filled Easter basket on 40 ct. antique white Newcastle with the suggested overdyed threads except I substituted Gentle Arts "Sweet Pea" for the border. He would have been a bit large for one of my little pillows so I mounted him on some purple and white polka dot fabric, surrounded him with ecru pompom trim and glued some felt on the back.

Loved everything about this one!

To attach him to the chicken wire frame, I glued two d-ring picture hangers on the back and then simply wired those to the chicken wire with regular old twist-ties. So easy! In the corner, I added a polka-dot yo-yo topped with a couple of buttons and glued it onto some berries and vine trim that I found at a local craft store. A gauzy pink ribbon was then intertwined with the vines.

"Easter Parade" all finished up

Here is a close-up of the yo-yo embellishment... I was so pleased with how the berries complemented the pompom trim and resembled the stitched berries in the rabbit's pack! What do you think? It was nice to have a "bigger finish" for a change although my first love will always be making ornaments and small pillows.

I am on a yo-yo kick this year!

My Christmas ornament for March is the exceedingly popular "Little Red Barn" by Little House Needleworks. It seems that virtually everyone is stitching this on Instagram! I won't be stitching the entire series, but will pick and choose throughout the year.  I forgot to take a "before" photo, but this is how I finished it up--black gingham, red twisted cording, another yo-yo and some black felt glued to the back. The fabric was 35 ct. natural Northern Cross from my stash and, unfortunately, I used two strands of floss and it about drove me crazy--it was just too tight! But, I love the final look and I'm pleased to be doing a better job at keeping up with my monthly ornament stitching this year.

"Little Red Barn" finish

This design called to me because I grew up with a barn right behind my house. No, I didn't live in the country or on a farm. I grew up in a very small town in western New York, but in a house built in the early 1900s before cars were common. So, this pretty white barn once held horses and buggies! By the time my family moved in, in the early 1960s, the horses were long-gone and the lower floor of the barn held our cars, dad's tools, the lawnmower, etc.

But, it was the upper floor where all the magic happened... long afternoons spent playing the "Wizard of Oz" with the neighborhood kids (I always insisted on being the witch!), shooting hoops with my brother and his friends, and when we were older, building floats for the Homecoming parades each fall. So many wonderful memories... I took this photo from my upstairs bedroom on the last day of the estate sale we had after my parents sold our home in 2012. I can't help but look at it with tears in my eyes--that was the last time I slept in my childhood home.

If those walls could talk--wonderful memories were made in our old barn!

Here is a close-up of the wonderful cupola and the tilted weather vane that had turned in the wind for so many years. My mother always said it was that beautiful barn that sold her and dad on purchasing the fixer-upper of a house in 1960. I can see why...

Loved this old cupola and galloping horse!

In December, when my middle son and I drove home from visiting my mom, we took a detour and drove down through my old hometown. The new owners had painted the barn doors black and were obviously taking very good care of my old home. It warmed my heart to see the old homestead was being loved and cared for so well... And that same tilted horse was still galloping away in the wind on the tip-top of our old white barn. 

The new owners are maintaining our old barn so nicely!

Okay--enough of my walk down memory lane! Do you remember my last post about the extensive cleaning that has been taking place around my house--the "Swedish Death Cleaning?" Well, I've been finding more goodies! Look what I found all rolled up in the back of a drawer... this beauty called "No Vacancy" by Marjolein Bastin that I stitched way back in 2005... I'd forgotten all about the poor thing! I'm sure I used the suggested DMC colors because I was too afraid to change colors back then--I've come a long way! I also used evenweave which I rarely use any more except for "over one" stitching or smaller pillows/ornaments. Pardon the wrinkles--I just unrolled it to photograph it for this post. I really would like to get this framed, but I am not sure about the "No Vacancy" words and am trying to think of something different, or perhaps just stitching one or two of the motifs in place of the words. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Any suggestions for replacing the words "No Vacancy?"

Baking has been taking up more of my free hours and I've been experimenting with the new bread machine we got for Christmas. So far I've made a Seven Grain Bread, homemade hamburger buns, Buttermilk-Oatmeal Bread, and this very tasty Sunflower and Grains Bread. Yum!! I am being really good and limiting myself to one piece a day--my husband, on the other hand, is having a hard time stopping at one piece (or two or even three or four!).

A freshly baked loaf of sunflower and grains bread

And for my son's girlfriend's birthday, I made the cutest little carrot cakes in a baby Bundt pan. My mother-in-law gave me this six-cake pan probably 30 years ago and I had never used it! So happy that it didn't become a victim of my purging rampage as it made the sweetest cakes.

Baby bundt cakes!

A pink-tinted cream cheese and maple syrup glaze topped them off quite nicely. (The two with toothpicks had no nuts in them since my son's girlfriend doesn't eat them). Next time, I will make the glaze a bit thinner.

Happy Birthday carrot cakes with pink tinted frosting

I've also been moving out the snowmen and moving in the spring decorations (even though it is still snowing off and on here in western Pennsylvania!). My pink bunnies have really cozied up the bottom shelf of my corner cupboard. I have to admit the color pink is starting to grow on me :)

Pretty in pink bunnies

And the five St. Patrick's Day smalls that I made back in 2012 are back for March. I feel bad that I haven't added to my green collection, but there's always next year! I don't have an ounce of Irish blood, but I do enjoy the little leprechauns, four-leaf clovers, and luck-themed pillow on display to break up this long, often unpredictable, month of March.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Now for my "something new" that I mentioned in my last post! I've begun dabbling in English paper piecing--I'm making hexies... What will I do with them? Well, I'm not sure. I don't think a quilt is in my future (but never say never!), however I can see myself using them for a smaller wall hanging, pincushion, project pouch, mug rug, or table runner. I've made them in three different sizes and, you know me--I'm extremely drawn to the smallest ones. Below you can see the 1 1/2 inch hexies, the 3/4 inch hexies, and my favorites, the teeny pink 1/2 inch hexies. I haven't gotten brave enough to stitch each piece of the flower together, but I hope that I'll have that done by my next post! I love making them and am using the glue-basting method which seems quick and easy. We'll see if I have trouble getting the papers out when the time comes! If any of you experts in hexie making have any suggestions, I welcome them!

Hexie happiness!

Oh, my--that was a long post! I hope some of you are still with me... Thank you, as always, for the wonderful comments and emails! I truly appreciate each and every one. And if you have any questions for me, please make sure to include your email address so I can respond to you. Enjoy your week, my stitching friends! Bye for now...

Two new ornaments and more random thoughts

Hello, everyone! How has February been treating you? I can't believe it's been more than three weeks since my last post--I guess my goal of two posts per month isn't going to be met for February, is it? I spent a wonderful week in New York visiting my mom (who is doing very well--thanks to all of you who ask about her!) in early February. Since I returned home, I have been stitching a lot, but since several things are for gifts, I have only two new finishes to share with you today. 

My February Christmas ornament is Little House Needleworks' "Needlework Shop" stitched "over one" on black Monaco... So tiny and cute! Because it was done on such a tiny scale (and on black!), I had to change a few things. I changed the lettering just a bit to make it readable, omitted the window panes in the door and substituted a simple red valance, left off the backstitching around the quilt in the window. I also changed the color of the roof so it would show up on the black and satin stitched the cute little spool underneath the peak of the roofline.

Another Little House Needleworks shop on black

And this is how I finished it off... I just love the green flannel--I think it is perfect for a winter scene. The little details in this series are so sweet--the wreath in the window, the quilt on display, and that brilliant red cardinal atop the pine tree. I think the black shows them off even better, don't you?

Needlework Shop finish

If you think this finish looks familiar, it's because I finished "Tree Lot" in the Hometown Holidays Series in the same manner. In fact, I've decided to stitch and finish each chart in the series in a similar fashion with various flannel colors. There are 15 charts in this series and I only have two done--at this rate it will be a three or four year project! Think I can do it? Wish me luck...

The first two finishes in the Hometown Holidays series

My second finish was made for a former coworker's new baby girl for her first Christmas. As usual, I was just a bit late with my gift and she didn't receive it until late January, but it was so well-received. This is "Snowmen" by Country Cottage Needleworks with quite a bit of rearranging (you can see the original chart right here). I actually took the snowmen, lined them up and spelled out the baby's name. I then used the snowflakes that were on the chart and rearranged them and put the pine needle border along the bottom. 

Give me an "A," give me an "L," give me an "I"...

To make this ornament sized, I stitched it "over one" on a dusty pink evenweave that I found in my stash. I am thrilled with how it turned out and think the pink and white twisted cording adds a perfect touch. I hope sweet Alice enjoys hanging this quintet of smiling snowmen on her Christmas tree for years to come. This may give some of you a new idea for a baby gift... As someone on my Instagram post commented "Carol, you've just started something new!" I'm sure I'll be using this idea for future baby gifts or Christmas presents...

The finished gift for baby Alice

So, what else have I been up to this month? Well, lots of organization / re-purposing / purging  has been going on in our house. We are turning our middle son's bedroom into a proper guest room which meant purchasing a bigger bed and new mattress. While mattress shopping for the guest room, we decided it was long past time for us to replace our own mattress (which is, I'm embarrassed to say--at least 25 years old!). It is just so weird testing out mattresses in public, isn't it? But, we both agreed, very quickly, on two mattresses to purchase and they will be delivered in a couple of weeks.  So, that set off a chain reaction... we moved the daybed in our middle son's old room to the youngest son's room and gave that bed to Goodwill. And, that led to cleaning out under the beds, reorganizing drawers... well, you get it! But, it is such a good feeling to be getting rid of so many long-unused items. 

When I mentioned what was happening to one of my sons, he said, "It sounds like you are doing "Swedish Death Cleaning." WHAT?!?! I had never even heard of such a thing! It sounded a bit crazy, but then I read up on it and it is a real thing called "döstädning" which means "death cleaning"  in Swedish. In fact, there is even a book about it called "The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning and How to Save Yourself and Your Family From a Lifetime of Clutter" by Margaretta Magnusson.  It sounds rather morbid, but it really makes sense when you think about it... It basically involves going through your possessions one by one and paring them down so that, when you pass away, your family isn't burdened with disposing of them. It is not cleaning or organizing--it is literally getting rid of what you no longer use or want... What do you think? I know my sons will appreciate our efforts some day (hopefully, many, many years from now!). We have just begun, and have a very long way to go, but it is such a freeing experience!

Found treasures! Anyway, while doing my purging, I came across four old cross stitch kits (pictured below) that I didn't even remember I had as they were stuck way back in a cupboard behind my fabrics. I was so excited as I still love each of them and really should get started on one. But, which one? What would you like to see me stitch? After all--they are kits with the fabric and floss so I have no excuse not to start one, do I? 

Which one should I stitch next?

Randomness...

*** Thank you for all of your caring comments about my sadness and feelings of uselessness now that I've retired. They honestly meant a lot to me...  I did a bit of reading on the subject and discovered that retirement is a process and involves steps similar to those in the grieving process. I am feeling better each week and I know I'll find my way as I journey deeper into this new chapter of mine.

*** I've been slowly dipping my toes into a new craft--one that involves pretty fabrics. Can you guess what it is? I hope to have some photos for you next time.

*** Thank you for your prayers and positive thoughts for my son's safe return from abroad. His trip to Pakistan went well, other than a bout with food poisoning, and he is safe at home in Washington, DC (until mid-March when he is off on yet another extended work adventure!). 

*** I just finished listening to a very good audiobook called "Night Road" by Kristin Hannah. Has anyone read books by her that they recommend? I listened to her book "The Nightingale" which was excellent, too, so I think more of her books are in my future.

*** Did you see any new Nashville Needlework Market releases that called your name? My favorite four were three With Thy Needle and Thread designs: "Basketful of Summer Time," "Indigo Lane," and "Welcome Spring" (oh, that design is just the cutest!) and one La D Da piece called "Love Abide." I also love "Pear Tree Sampler" by Chessie and Me... time to start a new wish list!

My favorites from the Nashville Market releases

♥♥♥ I'll leave you with a belated Valentine's Day photo that I posted on Instagram (if you would like to follow me, please click here)... These are all older finishes from 2012, but I know I have a lot of new followers who may not have seen these before. I am generally not a pink girl, but I do love it at Valentine's Day! ♥♥♥

Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

So, that ends my lone February post! I hope you all enjoy a lovely weekend. We are due for a lot of rain so it looks like a good weekend to do more "Swedish Death Cleaning" and some spring stitching... As always, thank you for visiting with me today--and a special thank you to those who take the time to comment. It really means a lot to me to know there are people giving up their free time to read my blog. And if you have any questions, just be sure to include your email address so I can reply to you. Bye for now...