That House on the Hill

Block #2 of Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow totally captured my imagination. The entire time I was stitching it, I conjured up what life might be like inside this mansion. I think many towns have "that house on the hill"--that grand structure that just stands out from other homes. The small village in which I grew up had just such a house...Not brick like this one, but a large white-columned colonial perched at the top of a hill at the end of my street. There were no peacocks strutting around in the front yard, but there were the most handsome horses. The estate was even surrounded by a wrought iron fence much like the one pictured here. As a girl, I would often pause during my walk to school, peer through that fence, and wonder what life was like inside. I would picture beautifully decorated rooms, fashionably dressed women chatting over tea and little cakes, and fresh flowers on every tabletop. I imagined that everything inside that house was perfect and that the people who lived within led perfect lives. It wasn't until I was older that I learned of the family problems and soap-opera like events that the owners faced. Eventually, a fire destroyed much of that outwardly beautiful home...

In the years since, I've learned that it really is the simple things in life that bring me the most pleasure--the sight of a robin's nest filled with tiny, sky blue eggs; the first sentence of a new novel as it begins to capture my imagination; the brilliant colors of floss spread across a lovely cut of linen waiting for my latest stitching to begin. Oh, and I can't forget to mention my daily piece (well, okay, I admit it--pieces)of chocolate! Simple things that don't cost much, but always bring me pleasure. What are the special little things in your life that make you smile?

I feel lucky to have managed to finish this very stitch-intense block in the short month of February. By the time I stitched the final black bars in the fence, I was looking at them as if they were bars in a jail cell! I was just so tired of stitching all of that black and white... For any of you who are planning to stitch this, I just want you to be aware of two problems in the charting that I found. The chart showed the left side of the house stitched one full row above the right side and the right lamp post was charted one stitch above the left. I don't think this was intentional, but I know if I had left it that way, the lack of symmetry would have driven me crazy... So, the left side of the house got a re-roofing job and the two sides are now balanced. The chart also called for backstitching around the windows, but after trying it on one, I decided I liked it better without. This block is one of my favorites in Christmas at HRH, and I'm so pleased with the way it turned out. "Only" ten more blocks to go!

I was touched to read all of your remarks regarding my Fa La La carolers last week--thank you each so very much for taking the time to comment. I truly value your opinions and supportive comments and love discovering that a new reader has popped in to say "hello." Have a lovely week everyone!