How can it be the end of February already? I don't know, but I'm more than happy to bid it "adieu!" Lots of gray and dreary days here... March certainly has to be better, doesn't it? This week was another busy one with my six-month dental appointment (thank goodness I had no cavities this time!) and an informational meeting about Medicare thrown into the mix. I have to sign up for Medicare by April 16th so time is getting short. I'm slowly beginning to understand it more, but any helpful advice would be much appreciated by those of you "over-65ers!" My husband and I are leaning toward signing up for a Medicare Advantage plan--just need to pick the one that best suits us at this stage in our lives. I was relieved to hear that these plans can be changed each year during certain months--doesn't make it quite so stressful in making our selection. I feel like I'm a reasonably intelligent person, but this Medicare process has made me feel really dumb. Thank goodness, I have my stitching to relieve the stress, right?
That "big" (for me, anyway!) finish that I've mentioned in previous posts is finally done and I love it! May I present "Winter's Wisdom" by Cottage Garden Samplings. Oh, what a delight to stitch (although those pine cones about made my eyes permanently cross!). I'm using 40 ct. pearl gray Newcastle for this series and stitching each one individually. The suggested overdyed threads were used, except I painted the door on the teeny house a teal blue color.
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"Winter's Wisdom" all finished up! |
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The "argyle forest" is so unique, isn't it? |
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The tiny houses in this series are so sweet... I changed the door color to the teal blue found in the trees. |
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I saved the darling birds to stitch until last--these are Gold-Crowned Kinglets, which I've never seen. Have any of you? |
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The colors in this piece perfectly capture the mood of winter! |
This is the second of the series that I've stitched... Last year brought "Forever & Ever" (which you can read about
in this post) with the cardinal couple. I'm planning on stitching each of them on the same linen, framing them individually, and hanging them together.
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Forever & Ever finished in February 2019 |
So, how many of the Songbird's Garden series will I stitch? Probably six or eight of the dozen offered... I need to step up my stitching if I want to have them hung in my home before I'm ancient, though, so I've decided to attempt to stitch two or three each year. For the next one, I'm trying to decide between these three. Which one do you think I should start next: Faith, Gratitude, or Simplicity? I just love the colors Vinniey (the designer) chose for her Songbird's Garden Series and I can't say enough about the high quality of her charts. Well done all around!
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Help me decide which one to stitch next! |
In other stitching news--I just received my latest blog book back from the publisher. Every two years I order a new book created through the
blog2print.com site. I suggest signing up for emails as they often send you discount codes for your blog book printing. This year, I had one for an amazing
60% off! The book arrived quickly and I'm so enjoying reading through the memories of the years I had printed (2017-2018). Yes, I can read it online, but there is still something so comforting about a printed book--especially when it contains
your own words, photos, and recollections. Here are some photos of my latest book's cover and a few inside pages (not the best photos--as I mentioned above: gray and dreary weather here!).
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My newest blog book--all 329 pages of it! |
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My only complaint is that the captions are not directly under the photos. (But, I knew that would happen before I ordered the book). |
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The print is clear and easy to read and the color on the photos is quite good. |
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I especially like having the memories of our trips in book form. Here is a portion of my post on our "Hike From Hell" from our Panama trip in 2018. |
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And here are all five of the blog books of my "Stitching Dreams" journey dating back to 2009. As I mentioned, I order two years per book so at the end of this year, I'll order the book for 2019-2020. |
There were just a few entries for my last giveaway and the winner of the cute snowman and bunny chart is...
Carol Is Sewbizzy
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Carol Is Sewbizzy is the winner! |
Congratulations, Carol! Please send me your mailing address and I will get this mailed out to you as soon as possible. (My email is in my sidebar under "A Bit About Me.) Thank you to all who entered. And please keep an eye on this space for future giveaways!
GETTING TO KNOW YOU... It was so much fun reading your answers to my
question on my last post about how long you spend stitching each day! I
have often said that blogging is a one-way street--you know a lot about
me, but I know little about most of you. So, in an attempt to rectify
that, I'm beginning a new little feature called "Getting To Know You." On each post I will pose two simple questions--and I'd love to hear your answers in an effort to get to know you. This is just a fun way to get to know each other a
bit better--participate or not. It is up to you! I'll answer the given questions for all of you, too...
1)
What is one small living thing that you are scared of? For me--it's
bats! I am absolutely terrified of those beady-eyed flying things. Having grown up
in an old house with bats in our attic (who sometimes made their way
down to our bedrooms and living areas), left me with a definite fear of
them. Watching my dad try to chase them out of the house with a tennis racket that he kept near his bed just for that purpose is a memory I'll never forget!
2) What is one healthy food you couldn't live
without? For me--it's nuts! I love, love, love nuts of any
kind--walnuts, pistachios, pecans, almonds, cashews (well not Brazil nuts or
hazelnuts so much!). I often start my day with a small handful of walnuts or pecans. I add them to granola, oatmeal, yogurt--so many things... Can't imagine life without them!
I'll leave you with a few photos of my feathered friends (and one very unwanted visitor) at our bird feeder last week. I guess you can tell from this post--I love birds, too!
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A Tufted Titmouse visiting the feeder right outside my kitchen window. As you can see our snow disappeared almost overnight! |
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This teeny chickadee is carrying a sunflower seed larger than his beak! They are among my favorite visitors each day--so sweet and delicate. |
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We had to move the bird feeder due to raccoons repeatedly knocking it down at night and, unfortunately, the squirrels have discovered just how easy it is now to jump onto the window ledge, bypass the cone-shaped squirrel buffer, and leap from the pole to the feeder. |
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There's the little devil enjoying the birds' lunch! |
I want to wish a warm welcome to my new readers--so
glad you've joined us! As always, a special thank you to those who take
the time to
comment. There were over 500 views of my previous post, but very few
comments compared to the "good old days." It does get discouraging, at times...
I'll be honest with you. So, to those of you who comment--I truly thank
you!
Wishing each of you a happy, healthy month of March ahead--I'm counting
the days
until we turn the clocks ahead and have more daylight hours! Yippee!!
Bye for now...
Lovely stitching, this is a work of art and I love the colours. This is a series that I haven't seen anywhere else, to everything comes to England. Looking a the others I am drawn to Simplicity. My answers to your questions are spiders and dark chocolate. x
ReplyDeleteWow a great motif, no I've never seen this species of bird with us. But the picture with the cardinals is also beautiful. A great series. Difficult decision they all look great, I would probably choose faith.
ReplyDeleteTo your questions 1) I am afraid of small animals of wasps, if they buzz around my head I will be very scared.
2) I believe there is no food without which I could not live. But I could hardly do without butter and coffee. Sure, if there were to be, there are certainly alternatives, but it would be really difficult for me to consciously avoid them.
Oh how cute, the little squirrel is always welcome to visit us, it always gets the sunflower seeds. How cute it looks when it holds her little paws.
I wish you a good time, Hugs Martina 🧡
Gorgeous stitching, Carol. The details are wonderful. You must have excellent eyesight to be able to work on such fine linen. Out of the three patterns you show for the one to stitch next. I love the one with the word Simplicity the best! I love the daisies and the yellow bird and it looks so fresh and springlike! An ideal pattern for the month of March!
ReplyDeleteI didn't answer your questions!
ReplyDelete1) I dislike big spiders very much
2) Healthy food: fruit
Your finish is lovely, such detail. I love feeding the birds although we don't get many. Your blog book is a great idea, I'll have to look at that.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful new stitch Carol , I would stitch Faith next that's the word
I love and Bluebells .
I hate ants and wasps, and love strawberries .
Love your books , what a great way to keep your stitching records .
Love your header too.
Have a fun week.
Carol, I'm one of those awful people who always read your blog, but never leave a comment, but I shall try in future. I love your recent finish and the one you did earlier too, you are certainly a very neat stitcher. I shall have to have a look for those charts, I'm thinking 3 of them in a row may just fit into a frame I bought at a charity shop recently. Happy stitching.
ReplyDeleteHi Carol. My first comment here, I believe. I'm Paula, from Portugal, a cross stitcher too and have to thank you for the efforts you made to share with us all the lovely freebies you stitched already. Being a blogger myself (have a blog currently called "Ponto Aqui! Ponto Acolá! - A stitch here! a stitch there! " and have had two or three since 2004), I see the decrease in comments too, even if there are views of the posts. It seems that writing is becoming increasingly difficult (and I love to do it and miss it). The immediate is easier so "likes" and "clicks" are the favorites.
ReplyDeleteMy fear is of rats (although love the Disney characters and the movie "Ratatouille") and shame on me, no healthy food preferences. >Try to eat healthy but...
Happy stitching all the way from Portugal
Paula Lima
Winter's Wisdom is beautiful Carol :-) I'm glad you mentioned how you were going to display them because I was wondering what to do, I may 'pinch' your idea :-) I love all these charts but I think Simplicity is so lovely and cheery, I think you should stitch that next :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea with the blog books, i've never done that, i'm getting photo books done each month for each of the grandchildren at the moment, just their first year to begin with.
Healthy food I could't live without, mmm I suppose it would have to be a bannana, I have one every day, although I too love nuts!
Small thing I'm afraid of is easy, Moths! ugh, i'll run screaming from them lol, also butterflies, I think it's the flapping wings (shudder).
Have a great weekend x
Wisdom is just breathtaking, The colors are gorgeous, great stitching.
ReplyDeleteI would pick Simplicity for the beautiful Finch & Daisies, for Spring.
Those blog books are a great idea, especially for your trip memories.
I am terrified of Spiders.
I could not do without Popcorn!
We have those pesky Squirrels too, they are trying to get over the gone, they are so persistent!
I've been putting a plate of peanuts, bread & small nuts out on the Balcony. The little Chickadees are so darn cute.......pick up a small piece of nut, go in the three, come back, repeat!
Yes, Daylight Savings is not far off!
Marilyn
I love the blog books, Care! So great to have all of your writings and images together in this way! Love this current piece and the one from last year! The pine cones are so pretty! As for bats, great recollection of horrible events! I’m not sure what I’m deathly afraid of—I don’t like heights (mainly being on ladders) but I can deal with them.
ReplyDeleteWinter's Wisdom is gorgeous Carol. A collection of these stitched pieces on your wall is going to be stunning! I vote for you stitching Gratitude next. I suppose that does not surprise you, but honestly, it is those roses! They are gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteOne thing I am scared of? I hesitated to even type this. I did not know if you wanted a true answer. I thought of just putting centipedes, but honestly centipedes don't come anywhere close to scaring me as much as the fear I have of living to be old with this pain I have. My lower back pain has very suddenly increased. And I have the daily migraines. I know I remain upbeat outwardly. I try very hard to do that. It is hard. So anyway, that is what I am scared of. Being old and in a LOT of pain.
Carol that piece is amazing....love love love it. And your books...what treasures for you. I just signed up for my Medicare supplement and thank goodness Marvin guided me through it. I am set and it starts May 1st...a milestone for sure. You and I are much alike in our fear of bats. Ugh...and yes I love nuts too. They are good for you! Most things I love are NOT good for the body.lol I am finishing up my October Word play...it had been in time out as I tired of working on it but I took it up with renewed interest this week. I had an appointment for a teeth cleaning in Huntsville so I visited Patches and Stitches and picked up some nice soft Aida to start Summer Breeze by Prairie Schooler. It is a store that is a combination quilting and cross stitch shop so I got some fat quarters for finishing as well.
ReplyDeleteCarol, A grouping of the stitches is a very huge undertaking but it is going to be amazing on your wall. The birdlover in me wishes I had the time to devote to a project like this. Wisdom is stunning and is a fall theme stitch with the pinecones, Love is Spring to me so I vote for Simplicity, it certainly reminds me of the Montauk daisies that bloom in Summer. Then, I would stitch one that reminds me of Winter after that, if there is one!
ReplyDeleteI think having a blog book is a great idea and RJ and I will have to look into that. I just signed up to get their emails as the 60% off is enticing.
Well, if it's a healthy food that I can't live without, I'm right there with you. I have nuts every single day. Walnuts and pecans are my favorites. I don't even make a salad without having nuts in it.
I am totally afraid of bedbugs!!! You should see the inspection I do when I go to a hotel!! The thought of bringing them home terrifies me!!
I hope your days get brighter, it's the same horrible weather in NY. Although the winter has been warm it's so dreary day in and day out.
Hello Carol,
ReplyDeleteyour finish is so beautiful. I like this series too and I have some pattern here. I would take the Faith pattern.
Lovely little photos from the birds and the squirrel in your garden.
To your question:
1. I hate mouse and ants.
2. I like to eat pineapple and in the summertime I love strawberries.
Have a nice time. Manuela
I have been reading your blog for quite some time, but this one prompted a comment. I agree with you the argyle trees are a really unique idea. Your stitching on this one is fantastic, as usual. I think I might do something using just the pine cones, they are beautiful. Thanks for the closeup on them. I live in Fredericksburg TX and we are fortunate that lots of "traveling" birds pass thru here. I have seen every red colored bird in my book and the colored buntings are quite a treat! Soon, this years crop of hummers will arrive. We have 3 feeders and a constant stream of diners. There are swarms in the fall as they head to the gulf to make their trip South. I love sitting on the porch stitching and bird watching. It is enjoyable to just listen to them as I stitch.
ReplyDeleteYour stitching is lovely! A bit of bird watching from feeders is always fun. We have humming birds every year that come to our feeder. It's always fun to watch them. What am I scared of? Spiders! No matter what size they are. My favorite healthy food is bananas.
ReplyDeleteWinter's Wisdom is stunning, Carol! My pick for your next one would be Simplicity unless you wanted to save it to stitch next winter for its bright color scheme. I love the cover of your new blog book. Your bird shots and even the squirrel are lovely.
ReplyDeleteHmmm, inside it would be spiders and outside it would be snakes! Your healthy food question is tough because I go in spurts, so I am going with broccoli/spinach followed by apples.
The stitch is lovely. Those little houses are adorable and the colors are superb together. Choosing the next one is hard but maybe the simplicity for spring stitching. All are so pretty.
ReplyDeleteI love the real birds too. I don't have a place watch birds like that. At our Auburn house, the next door neighbor has a bird feeder that I can see from the living room couch. I love watching them. I have witnessed a super large make cardinal there. He may the world record for size. I kept a bird feeder outside of one of my classroom windows and it was always fun watching them.
I am terrified of any reptile which of course puts snakes at the top of the list, but also little lizards which abound here in Florida. I love walnuts and almonds but I am also a banana nut. I probably have a bunch a bananas weekly followed closely by a small dose of nuts most days. I love chips which are unhealthy so having some nuts to munch on helps with that.
I am working on digitizing my old home movies and then I am going to put my blog to books. I need to sign up for emails. That is what I have done with my home movies. I was watching the Super Bowl and just happened to check in on the site I am using and they had a great sale for the duration of the game. I got lucky there.
I'm afraid of insects... I couldn't live without fruit!
ReplyDeleteYour "winter" is gorgeous. I vote for "faith" next, I love the flowers on it and the colors look so serene.
I love reading your blog as well as following you on Instagram. I don't usually comment since I read this during my lunch hour at work. I am not really fond of frogs & snacks, and I do love a healthy salad with fruit.
ReplyDeleteLeslie
I don't often leave a comment but your work is lovely! To answer your questions, 1. I am afraid of worms and snakes! I grew up on a farm with 4 brothers who delighted in scaring me with them! 2. I love beets. They have to be my favorite vegetable and they are healthy too!
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I are signing up for Medicare this Spring also. I was told from a couple of people to stay away from the Advantage plans. It could be an issue if you travel; there are high deductibles - fine if nothing ever goes wrong but if you break a bone, or have something else serious you could end up with large medical bills. I'd rather spend a bit each month and know I'm covered. Just one opinion... We met with our County Office of the Aging and they helped us with all of the "parts". Good luck!
I rarely comment on your blog, but I interact with you on Instagram all the time! (I'm trajane there.) This Wisdom stitch is so elegant. I think Gratitude would be my next choice to stitch. Let us know what you choose to do!
ReplyDeleteI have an irrational fear of bats and am always worried I'll find one in our house when my husband is out of town. Most of our neighbors have had one in their house, so it really could happen. If I found one, I'd get rabies shots. They can bite you in your sleep without you knowing it, and the bite is so small it can go undetected. Maybe my fear isn't irrational after all!
My favorite healthy snack...Hmmm. I like blueberries, nuts, and avocados, but I don't need to have them every single day. Maybe tea is the healthiest thing I must have every day. I drink it all: black, green, and herbal. At least three cups a day!
Beautiful stitching - love the series you are doing. Simplicity is the one I like but they are all beautiful. The smallest living creature I am afraid of is mice - I have had this fear my entire life and just thinking of them makes me silly. My favorite health snack would be fruit - any type raspberries would top the list but could any type all day long.
ReplyDeleteCarol, Winter Wisdom is so lovely and I too love the argyle trees. With spring/summer coming, I think I'd choose Simplicity to do next. I don't like mice, except Mr. Jingles from the Green Mile, or snakes up close and personal...they're okay at a distance. I too love nuts...pretty much any kind.
ReplyDeleteI love your books and have been thinking of doing something like this as a record of my stitching, but never thought of just printing out my blog---great idea that I must investigate.
Hi Carol, just a quick note...First of all I loved your Crowned Kinglet. I don't think this is native to our area. I have never seen one in Ohio. However, our friend at,"Garden Grumbles & Cross Stitch Fumbles," has posted some pics of hers in Oregon. They are indeed a fascinating little bird.
ReplyDeleteSecond, I am a retired nurse, and I spent the last 3 years of my career reviewing hospital charts for medicare compliance. Always remember "The Rules Change." You have to always be on your toes. When I retired we signed up for an expensive supplement. It was great for medical expenses (i.e. no copays). But, it did not cover dental or vision.
I changed mine to a Medicare Advantage plan which is much cheaper, but there are co-pays. I just had physical therapy for my back. It was $35.00 per visit (2 visits per week x 4 weeks). There is a $35.00 co-pay for specialty physicians. Dental cleaning is free, but if you need something done like a filling there is a co-pay.
At the end of the day I thought, This is no worse than my insurance when I was employed.
I would like to add. With the political atmosphere i.e. "Medicare for All." Medicare is not Free. I pay $144.60 per month that comes out of my social security. You have to pay for supplements and advantage plans out of pocket. These all seem to be a little different from state - state. You also have to look at your prescription benefits. When we had the supplement we had Humana, who not charges $69.00 a month and this also comes out of your social security check. With my Advantage plan all of my meds are generic with a $0 co-pay. If you get into teir 3-4-5 medications there is a charge but it is out of pocket.
I hope I didn't confuse you too much I know it can be overwhelming. I wish you the best and you can DM me of you have any questions.
I love your books, I wish I could sit down a go thru all of them. What a treasure.
Sincerely, Georgia
Again, such beautiful stitching. It's always fun to see your pictures, in this case your bird feeder. I've had my bird feeder up all winter but no birds visited this year. Very strange, especially with the snow covered ground there isn't much to be found there.
ReplyDeleteI think the next in that series to stitch is Simplicity. It is so spring like and happy and gay ...... and I'm partial to sunflowers.
To answer your questions, I really hate any type of spider. As for a food it would have to be peanut butter. I have peanut butter every day and pretty near anything goes with peanut butter! :)
What a lovely entry, Carol. Your big finish is stunning: I love the composition, the colors, and of course the birds! It's making me want to stitch some samplers myself. For your next project I would go with "Gratitude", because I love the colors, the spring vibe, and roses are my favorite flower! It'll be amazing to see them all framed, absolutely.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I did not know that you could print your blog entries!! What a wonderful idea, thank you for sharing and showing us what the books look like inside... I am very, very tempted to turn my blog into a book too. Knowing that it can be a book also inspires me to write a bit more about my personal life! We'll see... Thank you for the idea :)
Ok, getting to know you, here we go: 1) I'm terrified of spiders. They simply have too many legs! And you won't believe it, but I actually really like bats, I find them fascinating. And 2) olives, fish, nuts, all sorts of fruit... I really can't decide, I love them all!
Finally, thank you for sharing the pictures of the lovely birds that come visit you- and the cheeky squirrel! We used to have a bird feeder in Belgium and I really miss seeing the birds come by every day.
I hope you have a great week, happy stitching xx
Robin
Hi Carol -what a happy surprise to find your new post today. Just as your other Commenters have said “Winter’s Wisdom” is beautiful! Those pine cones are gorgeous and I can only imagine how much work they must have been. Are you stitching these on 40-count over one (1j thread each? That certainly explains why your eyes are now permanently crossed! About how large (or should I say small?) is each one? But ... your work is wonderful and well worth all of your efforts. I love the idea of stitching them individually and hanging them all together - what a beautiful group to have hanging in your home. How do you ever decide which one to stitch next? They are all just so beautiful and charming.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing your blog book, too. What a wonderful way to keep all those memories safe and truly treasured. The books look like they are very well made. I can imagine that they will become a family heirloom and so much fun for your family to read and look back on and learn so much about you and your family. What a great idea and a great way to truly save all of your efforts and memories.
You did ask what is the one small living thing that we are scared of? I read through a lot of your other Commenters answers and I would have to agree with many who said “spiders”. I really don’t like spiders - they really give me the creeps! Okay, maybe they do good things outside in the garden, but when I see one in the house . . . Well, you know, they don’t belong there. ICK!
As for a favorite ‘healthy’ food - I love apples and a really good orange. YUM. It’s good you included the word “healthy” or the favorite food list would be a lot longer. Ha! Ha! (Oh, that may be true for most of us!)
All the best to you.
I thought the bird series was nice enough until I saw this one for the first time today. Winter Wisdom is definitely my favourite out of the ones I have seen so far. Out of the three you've shown, I think I like Simplicity with the daisies and the lovely Spring colours.
ReplyDeleteI seem to be a bit different, in that I often comment but I just realised I had never officially followed you! I just added your blog to my Feedly Reader. Remember the old Blogger Reader where you just followed someone and they automatically appeared in your feed?
I love the idea of printing your blog out, great to have a paper record of everything.
Wonderful finish, i think you'll choose Faith next as it is the blue one and we all know you love blue.
ReplyDeleteQuite a few bloggers have printed books, i'll have to go and look for myself.
Spiders are a bit scarey, but I'm getting better at dealing with them
I was going to say do the Gratitude one first because we all need it but then my eye was caught by the Simplicity one. SO gorgeous! So maybe that one should be first.
ReplyDeleteAs to your two questions I'll answer the second one first-I love avocados. I'll eat them three times a day if they're available. And for the first question I hate even to write the word. Rats. They creep me out in a major and serious way. I'm usually a confident person who is able to handle any situation (I'm a librarian too!) but late one night one of my dogs reluctantly came when I called him. Guess what was in his mouth? I can honestly say it was not my finest hour!
Wow...your stitched pieces are just beautiful!!!!!! The books are such a great idea....someday they will be a family heirloom!!!
ReplyDeleteLove your work! So pretty. I finished Simplicity in December and gifted it to my Pastor and his wife. It was hard to part with...I loved it so much.
ReplyDeleteMice...horrible little critters, especially when the cat corners it and we open the door and it runs in the house for safety.
Love a nice big garden salad!
Hi, Carol! I must have missed your last post. As soon as I finish this comment, I'm going to go read it. How in the world did I miss it? I get so excited whenever I get an email from Blogger that you have a new post.
ReplyDeleteI agree - the colors in "Wisdom" are superb. Perfect muted shades of brown and teal and yellow. Knowing how much you love blue, you may want to stitch "Faith" next, but "Simplicity" is so pretty, too, and a good springtime stitch.
That WAS a good coupon from Blog2Print! I've never seen one for 60% off. The best I've seen is 40% off, but since you've been ordering from them for years, you are probably a VIP. I got my 2019 book in January, and I love it, too.
Congrats to Carol for winning your giveaway. That is a darling snowman.
One small living thing I am scared of (besides spiders, but who isn't?) is rattlesnakes. When I was four or five, my family moved into a log home at the base of a rocky cliff, and there were tons of snakes living in the rocks. I was five or six and home with a babysitter and her husband when a snake got into the house. I climbed up on top of the kitchen table and my babysitter did her best to shoo the snake out of the house. Her husband was waiting outside the back door with a shovel and he chopped its head off! Another time I was out riding a bike and ran over one accidentally - I still remember both ends of it coming up toward me and I'm thankful I didn't get bit. My brother and I used to play in the rocks, building forts and climbing the hill up to the cliff and sliding down on cardboard "sleds," and I shudder now to think of how many times we must have been in danger and didn't know.
Hmmm. The healthy food I could not live without would probably be sweet potatoes. I love to make hand cut, oven-baked sweet potato fries. They taste like I'm eating something naughty but I'm not, so I love that!
That is one darling squirrel. Daredevil, too!
Enjoy the last few days of February and remember, spring is coming!
Love the gratitude pattern, my vote for your next pick! Your blog books are such a great idea. What a great way to capture memories, enjoy!
ReplyDeleteShelly
1. Spiders. 2. Watermelon. Nothing cools my burning mouth like it.
ReplyDeleteSimplicity. Only because the other two have blue and pink, so I'd go with yellow. They are absolutely beautiful, the stitching, the design, the colors. I don't know how you could wait long enough for them all to be stitched before displaying!
Those books are a great reference and you're right about having them in hand to browse.
What a lovely post! I so enjoy all the birds you stitch! One small living thing I detest is the cockroach. Living in Florida, I find it difficult to avoid them but my biggest help is keeping all cardboard boxes out of my house! Those buggers love to hide in Amazon boxes, so as soon as a package is delivered to the front door, it is tossed out the backdoor to the recycling bin! My husband and I started eating a mostly Paleo diet since the new year. I have come to adore cauliflower rice which I did not think was possible! I cook it in a pan with a little ghee, fresh pressed garlic, and Himalayan pink salt as a side dish a few times every week. I also love to roast veggies like broccoli and brussel sprouts. Thank you for making our world more beautiful with your blog, Carol! Kristina
ReplyDeleteYes, Medicare is confusing and we’ve had our ups and downs with it since we signed up a few years ago. We thought we had it figured out but finally ended up working with a Medicare consultant. These people are free for us; the insurance companies pay them when customers sign up.
ReplyDeleteBefore you sign up, be sure the plan you want is accepted by the doctors in your area.
Yes, you can change your decision from October thru early December of each year. With our move to a new state in 2017 and then another move after that to another part of the state, we ran into some problems. We have had a Medicare supplement plan in the past and are now on our second Medicare Advantage Plan.
The Medicare consultants we have worked with don’t just recommend one company. They look across at the various companies to help us understand the differences and then we make the decision. They then helped us to sign up for the one we chose.
As for the personal questions:
1) I would be afraid of bats; my sister and her husband have battled them for years in their pre-civil war house. I also don’t like snakes.
2) Dark leafy greens. I’ve been making a daily breakfast smoothie with a huge handful of dark lettuces and other dark green veggies since 2013 and believe that one habit has helped me to be a pretty healthy person.
Your stitching is superb, as always. Boo!!! to the squirrel! And thanks again for gifting me with "Mr Shivers"!
The two pieces you have stitched from that series are absolutely beautiful. The colors and the details are amazing. I am really afraid of the little snakes we have out here. There are no poisonous snakes in Western Washington but I am still very afraid of them! Salad is my really necessary food. I think it is good for you at least the way I usually eat it, no cheese or croûtons, just all kinds of veggies!
ReplyDeleteI love all the bird patterns-too hard to pick. I would have to put their names in a bowl and pick one. Love the birdies. Squirrels get hungry too but they are such hogs. We are up to 9! Today I seen my very first Brown Creeper going up the tree. I heard an odd bird sound today and it must have been the Creeper. 1. Bed bugs. Never seen one and don't want to. I've read about how hard they are to get rid of-you literally have to have your house wrapped and heated up. I hate cockroaches and earwigs too. Wasps are such a pest. Strangely enough I like to cross stitch bugs of all kinds. 2. Health Food? I don't eat very healthy. I do love collard greens and brussel sprouts but I ruin the healthy aspect by putting bacon grease in the greens along with smoked turkey legs and some wine and the brussel sprouts I love butter or a cheese sauce on them.
ReplyDeleteAnother great blog post, Carol, so beautiful and interesting to read. I love your finish of Wisdom and I would choose to do Gratitude next, if I were you. I love your blog books, I must consider it. Is it a lot of work choosing what to go in each one? Good luck with Medicare - we have had it here for decades in Australia and it a great boon for us as a society. To answer your question, I am scared witless of snakes! Not that we have ever had one on our actual property but if you go walking along the paths near the Yarra River in Melbourne it is quite common to see one from September to April (any month with an R in it). And as we have many of the most deadliest snakes in the word in Australia, it is not an unreasonable fear. The healthy food that I couldn't live without are berries - in our summer (now) we have the most beautiful strawberries, blueberries, black berries and raspberries, I love to have them with some greek yoghurt and granola for breakfast - yum!
ReplyDeleteP.S. I must ask, how do you take such gorgeous photos for your blog? Do you use a digital camera? or your mobile? Mine are just not a patch on yours.
ReplyDeleteWell, my vote is for Gratitude for your next stitching project. I enjoy your posts and will try to comment a bit more. I was gifted the same bird feeder for my birthday and I fill it with sunflower seeds. Mr. Squirrel and all his brothers better watch out—whenever I see them near the feeder, I jiggle the storm door handle to shoo them off! And I may shout at them. Mr. Cardinal is my favorite bird friend. I also love the tufted titmouse, but have seen one...exactly once!
ReplyDeleteBonjour,
ReplyDeleteJe suis admirative, votre ouvrage "Wisdom" est vraiment très beau, félicitation,♥ moi je brode en ce moment "Peace in Earth" de Cottage Garden également, j'aime bien cette collection.
Vos amis à plumes et à poils sont adorables !
Monique
Your Wisdom finish is stunning! Such a beautiful series and always nice when you add a personal touch! As for the next one....I'd stitch Simplicity! Love those goldfinches and the daisies (reminds me of Summer)...in fact, Simplicity is the one I was eyeing to stitch myself! :-)
ReplyDeleteThe one little creature I'm "afraid" of is spiders...because they can quietly sneak up on you anywhere...particularly when a person should walk through a spider web during an evening stroll? Eeeek! I always wonder "Where's the spider"?!?!?!?
One healthy food? I'm going to have to say cheese. I think that's healthy if consumed in moderation, right? lol!
My plug on SS is not which policy but timing. Assuming your birthday is APril 16 then you need to sign up by April 1st. Then can be penalties for signing up late not even thinking about the paperwork nightmare.
ReplyDeleteI signed up a few days before my drop dead point. 30 days later I had to have something done and luckily my card had arrived but the lady at the desk still didn't get it. SO she filed it wrong, then it went to medicare who denied it because not all the paperwork had still been processed. BY the time it went to medicare the second time, it was approved and paid.
THe main problem was the fact that I waited to a few days until my start date and it truly was too late.
Medicare always starts on the first of the month in which you were born. It never starts any other time. Sign up sooner than later.
che meraviglia di colori, magnifici!
ReplyDeleteHi Carol! Love all your stitching! I’d pick “Faith” for the next stitch. As for the 2 questions: Roaches! Oh my gosh! We built a house when I was 5 years old in Georgia, among the tall pines. They fly, you know. I remember walking into our newly constructed house and they were flying around! They live in pine trees, you know. Which is why I never use pine straw in my flower beds! Which is why I have my house treated every 3 months, regardless of whether I’ve seen one or not! Which is why I’d never , ever, move to a coastal place! They’re so big there that I think I’d move out of my house if I saw one. Also, when we go to the beach yearly with our family, we treat around the house before we move our stuff in. Also, it’s documented that if there was a nuclear disaster, they’d survive! (Can you tell how much I HATE that insect?!) LOL! Also for the second question, I’d say lettuces. I love a good salad every single day! Happy stitching to you. I feel like I need to shower now, just talking about those aweful things!😆
ReplyDeleteHello!
ReplyDeleteI vote for Simplicity because we always have gold finches at our feeders during the late spring and summer months. They are so brilliant and cheery!
Questions:
I am terrified of big bugs...praying mantis and grasshoppers especially and those big red-eyed cicadas (thank goodness THOSE only show up every 17 years)!
I would not be able to survive without fruit. ANY fruit. I love all of it. And veggies too.
Say hi to Wesern PA for me...
Carol,
ReplyDeleteI had not realized that you have collected these blog books for so long...what awesome memories you have! And what a legacy to someday leave for your family!
The Cottage Garden Samplings stitches are lovely....small, but so classic instead of cute-sy....love them!
Hugs, Susan Lankford
Lovely post Carol!Congrats on a lovely finish.
ReplyDeleteI choose Simplicity..love the colors in that one.
I love love the idea of a blog book...nothing beats the pleasure of reading a hard bound book.
I love the new section of "Getting to know you". I use social media to make friends and meet them in real life if possible.
Don't worry about the number of comments or followers, I'm still stuck at 54 followers and max 8 comments after 4 years.
I don't think I'm scared of any small creatures , but I dislike lizards.
One healthy food I can't live without is curd or yogurt as you guys call it.
I have survived on curd when travelling or where the food isn't good.
I have to have curd two times in day.
Oh my.....I have never heard of blog2print. I love the idea and think I may investigate doing the same. Yes, we know we can look online but as we are from the same generation (Medicare next year lol) it is nice to have the book in hand.
ReplyDeleteAs for your questions.....first I agree with you and bats! Ewww! The visual of your dad and the tennis racket is priceless. Second, I could not live without salads. Lettuce, spinich, whatever. So many ways to make them different and always so much better when they are made by someone else.
We are also first-timers with the Medicare issue. There is a woman in Franklin, PA that we talked with and who explained everything quite well. I know it's a drive for you, but there's always the phone if you need her.
ReplyDeleteWe had trouble with BEARS in our bird feeders until they went into hibernation. Who would have thought that living in a city we would have bear problems.
I hate snakes. When we go to the hunting camp, I'm always steering clear of the shed where they like to hang out. I love eating fruit. I've been eating cleaner and exercising regularly for the past 2+ years. As much as I'd like to give up sugar (candy) altogether, I don't see that happening; so fruit is a good substitute - sometimes!
Always a joy to see a new post and new projects from you.
Love, love, love the new stitch! The patterns and colors really hop off the page. Simplicity is my favorite of the next three, but maybe you should start with Faith to get a little more color variation? Love your questions - I wouldn’t say I am really scared of any small things, but I certainly don’t like to be surprised by snakes or mice. And growing up in TX, I hated cockroaches, but rarely see one in Indiana. As far as foods I love, don’t know if it is considered healthy, but I love cheese - shredded, chunks, slices, and almost any kind of cheese. If that doesn’t count, then I’d go with apples. I especially love the great Michigan apples we can get here most of the year. Gala, Fuji, and Pink Lady are my favorites! Hope you have a great weekend Carol!
ReplyDeleteYour finish is a favorite of mine. The colors are Winter perfect. I would say white rice is a favorite 'healthy' food. Brown rice would be better but I like white with soy sauce drizzled over it. Roaches are what I'm afraid of and I also loathe them! Why they've been put on this Earth, I'll never know! Snakes, spiders..they don't scare me!
ReplyDeleteQuelle merveilleuse série tous ces oiseaux. Pas encore trouvé en France. Un jour peut-être... Pour le prochain ma préférence va à Gratitude pour ses jolies couleurs qui font penser que le printemps arrive...
ReplyDeleteConcernant l'assurance maladie, je ne peux vous être d'aucune aide. En France nous avons la chance d'avoir un système qui nous permet d'être soigné sans des dépenses énormes. Beaucoup hélas ne reconnaisse pas cette chance que nous avons.
C'est merveilleux ces albums ! Que de beaux souvenirs qui resteront. Il faudrait bien que j'en fasse moi aussi....
Nous avons des mangeoires comme vous dans le jardin avec beaucoup d'oiseaux. J'ai tout mis en hauteur car nous avons 5 chats et cela me rend malheureuse lorsqu'ils chassent ces petits oiseaux. Outre les mangeoires ces petits malicieux vont picorer les graines directement dans le poulailler. Nos 2 poules sont en liberté donc ils en profitent.
Concernant vos 2 questions, j'ai très peur des insectes (sauf les coccinelles et les papillons...) plus particulièrement des araignées.
L'aliment dont je ne peux me passer sont les fruits et les légumes.
Amitiés de France,
Christel
http://toilesetfils.blogspot.com
Wow, what a stunning finish, it is just gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI really, really don't like snakes (by which I mean I'm terrified of the slithery little beasts), and I absolutely couldn't do without fruit
This finish is just so gorgeous! Wow! The details in this one are amazing! I hope you stitch at least as many as you hope to. As for which next? For me it's a toss up between Faith and Gratitude. But I love them all! I do the blog2print thing too! I get one every year -- makes it cheaper, with the sales. lol! Your questions. Oh my. I'd have to say I'm pretty close to you on the food -- I love nuts!!! Love them! I usually have a handful of pistachios or cashews with a small lunch. :D I think the one small thing I'm scared of is probably bees or wasps. I've only been stung once, but once is enough. lol!
ReplyDeleteHi Carol! I take my hat off to you being able to stitch such intricate patterns on 40 ct! These almost 72 yr old eyes can just about handle 32ct! The Golden Years are getting a bit tarnished! lol
ReplyDeleteThe next pattern you should stitch is definitely SIMPLICITY. I just love the colors and the pretty daisies. It really spoke to me.
To answer your two questions....
I am deathly afraid of snakes!!
One healthy food I could not live without is Cheese I love just about any kind of cheese. I REALLY wanted to list Chocolate as the one food I cannot live without daily but I guess it doesn't come under the heading of healthy! hahaha
Oh Carol your Wisdom stitching is just wonderful! I remember your beauty with the cardinals from last year. I just love seeing your stitching on these! What a wonderful thing to have your blog books! Such a fabulous record of everything from the past decade! I love your February ornament, too! As for fears, I guess it would be wasps. I am perfectly fine with bees but wasps can be downright nasty. And berries are my favourite. Raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries...love them all! Happy March, my friend!
ReplyDeleteHi again. Just wanted to tell you how lovely your Spring blog header is wonderful! Love the “Happy Spring” pillow, the adorable bunnies and those beautiful blue Robin eggs - a great reminder that Spring is on the way - hurrah! Thanks so much for sharing with us.
ReplyDeleteWinter's Wisdom is gorgeous! I adore the teal door. Love is very pretty also. Most obviously Faith should go next! :) though I love them all.
ReplyDeleteAs for the two questions, I think this is a great idea and my answers are stray dogs (because you just never know) and chicken! There is so much you can do with chicken so I don't think I could go without it.
Your February finish "Winter's Wisdom" is beautiful. I dropped by Cottage Garden's website to see the whole series. You will have a gorgeous collection when you've finished them. Of the three charts you showed I would pick "Simpicity" to stitch first. It's the daisies! I love daisies! I used them in my 1970's wedding.
ReplyDeleteLet's see . . . I fear yellow jackets and red wasps. We have many around here and they do hurt when they sting! I'll join you with nuts being the healthly food I couldn't live without. I eat them everyday, either by themselves on on something.
Our days have been grey and raining here for most of this year, too. So, I'm wishing us both a lovely, sunny March!
I know this year is already flying by isn't it? I just love your new finish. So beautiful. I've never seen those type of birds here in Indiana. They are sure pretty. I love the pine cones. Either on of the next ones you pick will be beautiful. I don't think there is a bad option there. I get my blog printed for Christmas every year. I love reading them over and over. So worth the price to cherish them. Plus I always worry something will happen to this site and all my posts will be lost. Congrats to Carol. I love the getting to know you idea. 1) Spiders. They amaze me but scare me to death. I wish they didn't. 2) Hm..I don't eat healthy enough to know haha. I do like dried cranberries, cherries, and strawberries. I'm trying to eat more dried fruit. It's better than chocolate haha. Love your bird photos. We love squirrels too though. He's so cute. How can you not love him haha. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteI know, right? Only 118 months left to go in the decade (somehow, listing this by decade makes me feel much better, haha). At least, we're finally getting closer to spring and warmer weather and sun! I don't know a thing about Medicare, but Ido hope you'll figure out what to do soon.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your big stitching finish! It's so pretty, as are all of these bird-virtue patterns really. It must be really hard to choose the next one to stitch...they are all so pretty! I really like Gratitude, but Simplicity has such nice spring colours, so I'd probably go with that one.
These blog books are really cool! I guess they wouldn't work as well for us who post more frequent, but much shorter updates, but with your style of blogging, they are perfect memories! I always like to have something in hand instead of 'trusting' the online-ether to keep everything safe for me.
I don't think I'm really scared of any animals (well, other than the "reasonable" fears, like wild bears or something), but speaking of bats...I once stepped on a dead bat as a child that, for some reason, had decided to lay down and die right before my bed! Eeek!
I'm certainly not eating as healthy as I should, so this one is hard to answer. I do love food in general, but I don't think I could pick just one thing I couldn't live without, I need some variety! Nuts are great, though, especially walnuts.
Beautiful stitching. The colours are so vibrant. I'm not sure at all which one you should stitch next, they are all so wonderful.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 1). Not really sqeamish about anything but … maggots.
Question 2). Fruit.
Great stitching on the beautiful Winter´s Wisdom piece Carol, such a lovely design, I would choose Simplicity next. Love the idea of your blog book, a real treasure.
ReplyDeleteDear Carol,
ReplyDeleteoh, what a wonderful finish, I have never seen these birds here in Northern Europe, great!!!
My favourite is Faith, it goes with spring!
A nice idea to have the blog books bound, I'll remember that.
To your questions:
1. I grew up on a little farm, I am never afraid of small animals.
2. I can do without everything, except the coffee in the morning ;-)
Have a wonderful week, hugs, Jutta
Hello Carol,
ReplyDeleteI love the Winter Wisdom pattern. Such beautiful colors, and you're stitching is perfect! I really liked the ones you did last year as well. Also, that you are doing the same fabric for a cohesive look if you group them together. The designers for Blackbird Designs will do a series all in the same frame, which I think is cool. I'm torn between the Simplicity and Gratitude chart, but all are amazing.
Let's see, I don't like spiders, small ones, okay I can handle those. When they get big, then no, I need help there. The biggest thing would be snakes. Funny story (sort of) one late summer evening my husband was on the computer with it plugged in on our front porch. I came out to join him on the rocking chairs. I sat down for a few minutes, kinda looked back behind the chairs, and did a double take! There was one too many "cords" there! I was unbelievably calm as I told my husband, I think there is a snake behind us! We still laugh (I shudder!) at that big snake just hanging out behind us.
The healthy thing I love is a good salad-I usually have one every day for lunch.
Hope you have a great week! :)
April
Hello Carol!
ReplyDeleteI apologize because my comment is a bit late, but I have been busy these past days. Congratulations on another perfect stich work! I love how neatly the birds turned out (your stitching is superb) and the subtle colours of this piece. As for the next, I'm sure you have already started it, but anyway my vote goes for Simplicity; anything with yellow on it easily wins me in. ;-)
My biggest fear are roaches. I don't remember them as a child, but I found one inside a beer glass bottle when I was 17. The bottle was part of a still-life I was painting as preparation for my art college entrance exam, and suddenly that big thing with lots of legs started to move upwards the top looking for an exit. I fainted from shock. Needless to say I never had a beer in my life after that.
As for my favourite healthy food it would be olives. I'm very lucky because my country is an olive producer and we have many varieties and flavours. There is always a small plate of olives on my dinner table. :-)
I wish you a lovely March, full of blooming flowers and feathery visitors in your garden.
Carol, your stitching is beautiful! My answers to the questions - #1 - spiders and #2 - fruit.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to medicare, all I can tell you is make sure you choose a plan with prescription coverage. My MIL wasn't on any medications when she went on medicare so she didn't take the prescription coverage. A few years later, her medical situation changed and she now takes several medications daily. However, since she didn't originally take the prescription coverage (in her case, Medicare D), she now has to pay a penalty for the rest of her life.
My mom has a Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) supplemental plan with one of the Humana Medicare D plans. With her complicated and extensive medical history, BCBS has covered everything and my mom has not had to pay anything out of pocket other than the premium. The bottom line for my mom is that she doesn't have to worry about paying for doctors visits, testing, procedures, hospitalizations, etc. The amount of coverage she gets from the supplemental plan by far outweighs what she pays in premiums for the plan. She takes many medications, mostly tier 3 & 4 and the prescription costs are high. So far, we haven't found a Medicare D plan that covers all the medications she takes.
Hope I didn't confuse you any more. Feel free to email me if you have questions.
Awesome design and excellent stitching, Carol !! I would want to start stitching sometime this month. The thing I am most scared of is being lonely. I want noise all around, especially the voice of my little ones. Well, for the healthy food, I might vote for the spinach. Yes, I am the Popeye of my house. I loved reading your post, Carol!! Have a nice day
ReplyDeleteHello, winter's wisdom is really lovely. I do like the settle trees, but it is the bird that drew me in. If I had the pattern i would choose Faith next, I do love blue jays!!
ReplyDeleteYour stitching is so fun to see and I am always impressed with your writing. I am trying it out myself. You can find my blog at sweet tea stitches and samplers.blogspot.com
My fear is spifers, but I just try to avoid them!
To answer your question, I hate worms! I can't even stand to look at them, like on a rainy day when they are everywhere. When I was very small my brother put a big earth worm on me and from then on I have hated worms. They give me the creeps. My favorite healthy food is an apple. But it has to be a yellow apple. I just don't like the red ones at all.
ReplyDeleteI love reading your posts and seeing your stitching.