Wednesday, April 14, 2021

It's been a while...

It's been an entire month since my last post! Did you miss me? I know I missed a lot of news in the cross stitch blogging world and I hope to catch up with each of you soon. Although I returned from visiting my grandbaby in California over a week ago, jet lag and problems with a vaccination left me with little energy and no desire to sit down and write a blog post. And no--not "that" vaccination (my Covid vaccines were both fine)! It was a pneumonia vaccination that I got last Friday which left me with a very swollen sore arm, a rash, fever, chills, and general tiredness. But, I'm finally feeling normal again so here I am! 

Our visit with Baby B in San Diego was delightful and I'll tell you about that further on in this post. But, first, let me share the very limited stitching that I've been working on. I had finished my Christmas ornament for March before our trip to California and it's a good thing, because I got virtually no stitching done while out there. I was just too busy (trying) to keep up with one very busy 9-month-old! This pretty design is by Ewe & Eye & Friends and is called "White Christmas." 

Ewe & Eye & Friends: "White Christmas"

 

Don't you love the soft colors? Such a peaceful, simple looking finish. I used Sulky 712-1071 thread (just one strand because it is thicker) for this and stitched it on 30 ct. blue Murano linen. I did make a few changes to the design--mainly by making the windows on the house symmetrical because I knew they would have driven me crazy as charted! Who else feels the need for symmetry in your life? I also changed up a few of the motifs at the top and substituted a snowflake in the center top motif where you were supposed to stitch your initial. If you look closely, you'll notice a number of specialty stitches which really add to the charm of this design!

Love the specialty stitches

My other finish is one that I've stitched before for myself... a little freebie from Kissy-Cross that can be found right here. This was stitched "over one" on 28 ct. black Monaco using the following DMC colors: 223, 224, 3053, 611 and ecru (for the little Smyrna stitched bunny tails).

A little spring freebie

 

I finished it into a flat oval, added pink cording and a double pink and white gingham ribbon topped by a pink button. This was a quick and easy piece to stitch and makes a cute gift! It traveled to California with me and is now happily living with my oldest son, daughter-in-law, and little grandson. I try to give them a new little Easter finish each year so, someday, they'll have enough small stitched pieces to fill an Easter basket.

This cutie is now living in sunny California!

 

I do have a much larger finish which I'll share with you in my next post... I recently had a lovely package from my friends at Twin Peak Primitives which contained this very sweet kit called "Stitcher's Soul Journey."  This is a limited edition kit which can be found in the TPP Limited Exclusives Etsy shop. It came with the chart, a canvas project bag with beaded zipper pull, fabric, threads, wooden thread holder, and a little bag of extras that included nail files, a mint, and some tea and honey ( I forgot to photograph the bag of extras!). Such a wonderful kit! 

A beautiful kit from the twins at Twin Peak Primitives

 

I've made a start on the design using 40 ct. Woodland Newcastle and some overdyed threads that I'm substituting for the DMC threads. I'm really enjoying stitching this sweet piece!

My start on "Stitcher's Soul Journey"
 

My friends, Nurdan and Nursun, from Twin Peak Primitives, also included another very special item in their package--this sweet knit monkey for my grandson! Isn't he darling? This cheerful monkey came all the way from The Netherlands and I can't wait to introduce him to my grandbaby--I know he'll love him! Thank you so much for your wonderful gifts, my friends--you are both so thoughtful and kind!

A baby gift for my grandson from the wonderful ladies at Twin Peak Primitives!

 

I received some other wonderful gifts as well including this pretty card from my long-time stitching friend in Germany, Gabi. Isn't the bunny adorable? Thank you, Gabi--I'll be putting it out with my Easter decor for years to come...

Sweet Easter card from Gabi in Germany

And from my sweet friend, Nathalie, in France came a lovely package filled with chocolate bars, pretty Easter napkins adorned with pastel bunnies, and one of my favorites--a French Christmas cross stitch magazine! Thank you, Nathalie--that was so kind of you to send these gifts at Easter time!

A lovely package of Easter treats from Nathalie in France

 

I also won an adorable chart in a giveaway from blogging friend, Stasi. I love the little leprechauns on this piece--so playful and impish! Thank you so much, Stasi--I look forward to stitching this to add to my St. Patrick's Day display.

Giveaway win from blogging friend, Stasi

Giveaway winner... There were a good number of entries for the St. Patrick's Day Holiday Hoopla chart and even though there can be just one winner, I enjoyed hearing all about your various collections from those who entered. It really is fun getting to know a bit more about my readers and stitching friends--thank you for your answers to the "Getting To Know You" portion of my blog! The name of the winner for this chart is...

MARILYN (from Wisconsin)

Congratulations, Marilyn! Please send me your mailing address and I'll get the chart on its way to you!

Congratulations to Marilyn--you won this St. Patrick's Day chart!

 
New giveaway... Are the daffodils blooming in your area? We came home to some lovelies brightening up our garden. The spring flowers and trees seem to be especially pretty this year, don't they? I found this sweet chart in the  June 1999 issue of "Just Cross Stitch" and thought it would make a perfect giveaway for this time of year. Who would like to win it? If you would: 1) please mention specifically in your comment that you are interested in winning this daffodil chart, 2) be a follower of my blog in the sidebar, 3) answer the "Getting To Know You" question below, and 4) make sure to include your email address so I can contact you if you win.

If you would like to win the chart for the daffodils in the blue and white vase, please follow the directions above. Good luck to all!


GETTING TO KNOW YOU... Today's question is: How do you feel about gardening? Love it, hate it, can take it or leave it? I wish I could say I loved it because I truly do love the results--but... I tend to pretty much leave the gardening up to my husband who does enjoy it (his grandfather owned a nursery and he spent a lot of time with him growing up). Now that he has retired, he has the time it takes to  create a nice garden. I do love seeing little green shoots pushing up through the earth, but I leave the actual gardening to him... What are your feelings about gardening? Do you grow your own vegetables and flowers? Is it fun or a chore?

I'll leave this giveaway open until April 29th--good luck to all who enter!

On to my California visit... Many have asked if I felt safe flying with Covid still rearing its ugly head. Well, it was a very different experience from when we flew last in October. This time, the airports were more crowded and noisier, the planes were fully packed (not a single seat was empty on any of the four flights we took), and, although everyone still wore masks, there was not the sense of silence and fear onboard that I'd noticed on flights last summer and fall. Since my husband and I are both fully vaccinated (my daughter-in-law and youngest son, who was also visiting, are, too, and my  oldest had his first shot), we felt quite safe. I have to say how impressed I was walking around San Diego and 98% of the people were wearing masks, except at the beach.

Seeing the baby in person again was a delight, as you can imagine. It took a few minutes, but he soon recognized us as those "two old people" who talk to him every night on FaceTime! He felt totally at ease with us and we spent lots of time just making him smile (he couldn't stop laughing when I had the hiccups one day!), dancing to '70s rock music with him, singing "Wheels On the Bus" many, many times, taking him for walks and to ride on the swing at the playground, enjoying his "old man face" where he sucks in his cheeks and looks like an old geezer who forgot to put in his dentures, watching him cruise around the furniture and pull himself up on every available surface, and finally, just cuddling with him (when he would let us as he was mostly interested in being down on the ground exploring every single thing he could--much like his father was at that age!)

Not only did we celebrate my oldest son's 39th birthday, but also the baby's first Easter. My youngest son was able to fly in to be with us, too. Baby B quickly viewed him as much more interesting than Gramma and Grampa and they soon became best buddies. Here are a few photos of him in his darling smocked Easter romper adorned with wee embroidered bunnies and playing in his little tent. Such a sweet, sweet boy! ♥♥♥

My little sweetie!

We took the baby on his first trip (and ours!) to the renowned San Diego Zoo. It was a bit different visiting during Covid as many things weren't open, but we spent a few hours enjoying the exotic and unusual animals along with some old favorites. I'd love to go back when it is fully opened and we have more time--it's quite an amazing zoo!

Pretty in pink

 
Glad my skin isn't as wrinkly as this elephant's--yet!


Clockwise from the top left: a pair of cuddling camels, a Chacoan Peccary from South America, an Okapi from the Congo, and the always recognizable elephant


Clockwise from the top left: a Secretary Bird, a Takin from China, the delicate flamingos, and  Southern Gerenuk from Somalia

And then there were the lost wallets...  Saying goodbye to the baby was hard, but since he will be visiting us next month here in Pennsylvania, it wasn't as hard as it might have been. Unfortunately, a nice goodbye was not to be had. An hour before we were to leave for the airport, my husband couldn't locate his wallet. Oh, we turned my son's apartment upside down, looked under every cushion, and behind every door. We looked through suitcases, pockets, even the baby's toys! It was nowhere to be found. Panic set in as we weren't sure he would be allowed on the plane without his driver's license as identification. Finally, deciding we had nowhere else to look, we went to the airport to see what could be done. My husband had to go through a special screening at TSA and they asked him all sorts of questions and dusted all of his electronic devices. But, he was allowed on the plane for what was to be a long, depressing trip home. He was so upset with himself as he dwelled on all the headaches this would cause trying to replace his credit cards, insurance cards, and license. 

 

When we got home late Tuesday night, we were still on California time so we decided to unpack our suitcases. I was in the closet hanging up some clothes, when I heard my husband say: "There's my wallet!" I thought he was joking, but as I walked into the bathroom, I spotted it--just sitting in the middle of my open suitcase! WHAT?!?! We think what must have happened is after taking the baby for a walk my husband changed from his jeans into shorts. He, most likely, folded up his jeans and didn't notice that his wallet fell out of the pocket right into my open suitcase. I was doing laundry and placed the pile of clean, folded clothes on top of the clothing already in my suitcase without noticing his wallet sitting there! Even though we both felt around for it during our search, it is small and was packed squarely in the middle of piles of clothing. Whew--crisis averted! So, the moral of the story is... always know where your wallet is the night before you fly out! (And, it's good to know that you can still fly even if you do lose your driver's license).

That's not the end of our "missing wallet" story, though. My youngest son arrived in California from Virginia on Good Friday and was staying in a nearby hotel. He went for some coffee at a local shop and when he got back to his hotel, guess what?  No wallet! Of course, he called us right away and my husband and daughter-in-law went out to help him look for it. They carefully retraced my son's steps, but--no luck. Unbelievably, just a bit later, my son got a message through Linked In from a wonderful, honest young man who was also visiting California from the state of Virginia. He had found the wallet and used my son's ID to track him down through Linked In... Oh, happy day! It's so nice to know there are still good and honest people in this world. All's well that ends well--we'll certainly always remember our missing wallet weekend!

 

I'll leave you with a photo of some of our cheery daffodils that I placed in the lovely vase my daughter-in-law gave me when we were in California. She knows me well--blue and white always make me smile! Thank you all for visiting me today--I hope spring is warming up your part of the world and that even though this is such a busy time of year, that you're able to carve out some stitching time. It truly is good for the soul... Welcome to my new followers--so glad you're here! Bye for now...

33 comments:

Melisa- pinkernpunkinquilting said...

It sounds like your trip was fabulous except for the "yikes wallet incident", but glad that ended well. Baby B. is just a doll. It is hard to believe he is 9 months old. I just know you loved your cuddle time with him. I am so glad that you are feeling better from your vaccine shot; they can take the starch out of you. Your stitches are so pretty and what a precious Easter stitch. I am going to have to stitch that one. Have a great rest of the week, Carol.

MartinaM said...

A beautiful design, so very simple, but beautiful. And I love the little Easter motif. The little monkey for your grandson is so cute, he will surely like that.
Yes, the daffodils have been blooming here for a few days, but the cold frosts are bothering them.
I don't have a big garden, but I love to see the flowers grow, cut off the withered blossoms, even pull weeds.
Baby B is really a sweet darling and I wish you a lot of time with him.
Oh what luck - lost my wallet twice and found and got both times. How beautiful.
I wish you a good time. Martina

Gabi said...

What an interessted post. Good to read you had a wonderful time. Baby B is a darling!
Your stitching is as always beautiful.
Lost and found, the wallet story is really excited and with happy end.
Well, garden-time. Not my favorite work. Have ideas, yes, but work in it.. not with great joy. I leave it to the gardener. But love the result.
Wish you a wonderful week,
Gabi

butterfly said...

So lovely to have you back my friend .
What a trip you had with so many ups and downs , but great to hear it turned out so good.
Baby B is a lovely and growing each time we see him .
I am so happy you had a wonderful time with all your family.
Love your blue and white stitching .
Lovely gifts from friends .
You know I love gardening all my life from the age of 5.
Even now my daughter is growing seeds this year and passed over a few plants to me .
We all love nature that also goes with gardening , nothing better than sitting watching the birds and the bees .
I am so happy all went well in the end for you all .
You must both take a good rest now . Hugs.

Manuela said...

Hello Carol,
two wonderful finishes. The Easter one is so beautiful and a lovely gift for your son and his family.
A lovely giveaway. We have a garden and it is my job to gardening. I love my roses, they are my big treasure in our garden.
So glad that both wallets have been found.
Enjoy the rest of April.
Big Hugs, Manuela

Marilyn said...

That blue ornament is so pretty, as is the Bunny on black.
Looks like a very nice kit.
Oh! That Monkey!
I love, love, love that Bunny Gabi sent you, so darn cute, love his little belly.
I would like to have garden, but it was always a fail at our old house.
I really don't have spot for one here, but I do have a flower garden in back, so maybe I will stick a few seeds in & see if they grow,
I also love Sunflowers, but every time I planted them, they never came up.
Glad the wallet stories ended up on a good note.
Baby B is soooo cute! I'm sure it was hard to leave him.
Great Zoo pics.
I have sent you my address. Thank you for the chart.
Marilyn

Sandra said...

So lovely to see pictures of your adorable grandson and with you too!
Glad the double wallet stories turned out well!
Beautiful stitching. I especially love the bunnies!
I hope you are enjoying a beautiful April.

Sandy said...

Two wallet stores; one would have been enough to stir me up. I am glad both came up. I love your small blue ornament. It is just lovely. I do like to garden and dig in the dirt. I am not always successful, but I do love to dabble in it. I am finding though I need to cut back. I have a wee bit too much to water and tend to, so I am really trying to think about that.
That little boy is so cute!!!

Stasi said...

Carol, Your finishes are lovely, as always. I was able to pick up the White Christmas chart at Salty Yarns this past weekend.
Oh, Baby B is precious...so glad you got to visit with him and your family.
Glad the wallets were both found before cancellations had to begin.
I definitely don't have a green thumb and don't like the higher temps that come with gardening season...I always joke the only thing I could grow was my bottle tree!!! Luckily my husband enjoys it now in his retirement and I can enjoy the fruits of HIS labor.
Off to get our second Covid shot this morning...hoping not a bad reaction. Have a good one!

Jutta said...

Dear Carol,
Thank you for this interesting post, I look forward to reading from you again.
Your embroidery is beautiful, also the mail from your friends, I already like your new project.
Your grandson is so pretty, it must have been a great time with him. And the little monkey ;-)
The loss of the wallet was certainly very stressful for you, lucky! I’m glad there are still honest finders, your youngest son was lucky too.
I got the first Covid shot, no side effects, but the pneumonia shot really hit you, all the best for you.
Greetings, Jutta

Robin in Virginia said...

Awesome post, Carol! Baby B looks adorable; hard to believe he is 9 months. Glad the tale of the 2 wallets turned out with good endings! Your finishes are so pretty and the start on your stitching piece by the Twins is lovely. Your blue and white vase looks incredible with the yellow of the daffodils. Happy April!

Vickie said...

Love the blue and white of your Christmas ornament. The monkey from the twins is such a sweet gift. Good for you winning Shamrock Row! Stasi borrowed me that exact pattern. ;) Have fun stitching it. I did! And now Holiday Hoopla is headed back to Wisconsin. Ha! ;) I used to LOVE gardening very, very much. It became harder for me as I aged with my permanent hip injury and disc herniation. I do still miss it. I have pansies planted in pots in the apartment. :) They are my favorite flowers. I was so very glad to read that yes, there still are good people in the world, who will do the right thing!

Georgia said...

Oh Carol, I loved reading every bit of your blog today. I have missed your posts, but I knew you were in California. That little guy is adorable, and I understand why you couldn't get any stitching done. But you got back in time to stitch your April 12/21 ornament:) I agree with you that it seems that All of the Spring flowers and trees are beautiful. My Dogwood tree will be in full bloom soon. As for gardening, I would love to be able to do some gardening but my back is not allowing me to do so. My father, loved to garden, and he would spend the winter looking, at seed catalogs dreaming of what to plant next. My garden is in stitches, I love stitching flowers. But I don't need to be in your drawing this time, as I have the same magazine in my stash. My husband is not interested, he will grow a few vegetables, which is fine. I love fresh tomatoes. Carol, I am rambling, but like I said earlier the San Diego Zoo is on my bucket list:) Many blessings to you and yours my friend and again thank you so much for sharing your adventures.

Jennie in GA said...

Sounds as if you had lots of adventures!! The grandboy is adorable. Know you enjoyed your time with him. Your stitching and finishing is perfection...as always. And what a nice tradition...the Easter ornament for your son’s family.

Jo who can't think of a clever nickname said...

Sounds like you had a wonderful time being grandparents in real life and not just virtually! How great is the technology that lets him get to know you across the miles too?
I am glad that both wallets turned up in the end.
Love the two ornaments. An annual Easter ornament is a lovely idea.
I'm not really a gardener, I like bulbs because you put them in and leave them to it! My excuse is that we are rewildng the garden for the wildlife. We have deer, foxes, pheasant and a lot of birds too. Despite the best efforts of the neighbour's cats!

Barb said...

I am so glad both your wallet stories had happy endings. We had a similar incident while traveling. It just goes to show you that most people are good. Your little grandson is so cute. I hope he has a wonderful visit with you soon. I am pretty much the flower gardener in our family. My DH does the mowing etc. I do love my flowers! Your blue ornament is absolutely beautiful!! That inspires me to try something on blue.

April said...

Hi Carol,
So nice to see a post from you. Your ornament is perfection, and I loved the Easter ornament too.
Baby B is a handsome little fellow! I can't believe he is already 9 months old. I'm happy that you and your husband will see him again soon~more cuddles! :)
Your wallet stories had me on the edge of my seat! So thankful they had a positive ending, and that there are still honest people in the world.
My husband and I are actually putting out a vegetable garden this year. Growing up we had a huge garden. My Mom canned everything and made jellies and jams. I didn't appreciate it when I was young, but boy I do now! It's not my favorite thing, but I love the end result. I do like my roses and flowers. So nice to bring them inside and enjoy them in a vase or pitcher. I would like to be entered in your drawing for the daffodil chart. Congratulations to Marilyn on the chart win and beautiful chart with goodies from TPP(love that monkey-too cute!)
Have a great weekend,
April

Christel said...

Quel plaisir de vous relire. Les joies d'être grand-mère, comme je vous comprends, je ne me lasse pas de jouer et rire avec ma petite-fille. Lara est adorable, pleine d'amour et de tendresse. C'est du bonheur. Votre petit Baby B est tout mignon, comme nous disons en France, c'est une bouille (visage) à bisous, à calins.
J'aime beaucoup le Noël blanc, c'est plein de douceur. J'ai du mal avec les points spéciaux, mais sur ce modèle ils ne sont pas trop nombreux. La symétrie, je comprends également votre point de vue, je suis un peu comme vous.
Les lapins de printemps sont adorables, et toujours vos finitions parfaites.. Je suis vraiment admirative...
Vos amies vous gâtent, c'est merveilleux. Le magazine français est bien mais ce n'est pas des éditions que j'achète. J'étais abonnée aux Mains et Merveilles mais hélas il n'est plus édité depuis 1 an environ. J'ai quasiment toute la collection (quelques numéros manquant mais je garde espoir de les trouver d'occasion un jour).
Les jonquilles fleurissent dans la forêt pas loin de notre maison. C'est toujours un régal d'en faire un bouquet pour égayer la maison lors de promenades.
Ce bouquet que vous offrez est superbe, le ciel étant gris aujourd'hui, il apporte une touche ensoleillée par écran interposé. Le jardinage j'adore, c'est apaisant. Nous avons des fleurs, et cultivons quelques légumes. Les récoltes sont petites mais nous sommes toujours heureux de manger ce que nous avons plantés.
J'ai bien ri avec l'histoire du portefeuille de votre mari, nous avions eu une histoire semblable... Depuis nous vérifions que nous avons bien tous nos papiers avant de partir et également au retour.
Mais oui, il y a encore des gens honnêtes, et heureusement !! Cela évite bien des déboires et puis il faut toujours croire à sa chance aussi.
Le printemps a bien du mal à s'installer dans notre région. Il fait encore froid, des gelées le matin... Nous ne sommes pas certains d'avoir des cerises et des pêches cet été, les arbres fruitiers ont beaucoup souffert de ce froid soudain après 2 semaines de douceur printanières.
Amitiés de France,
Christel
http://toilesetfils.blogspot.com


Donna G. said...

What a beautiful grandbaby! Sounds like you had a great trip.....except for the lost wallet scare.

Arlene G said...

First off, B is just precious and I know you kissed those sweet cheeks all day long!! So glad the crises with the wallets were averted. Those things can really ruin a trip. Last, I love that blue and white stitch....my colors. I need to get Sara's Christmas ornament done...first to HL to see if I can find some matching fabric. Since the stitch is busy I just want some coordinating colors. And I need to get busy on the Grands ornaments.....Christmas will be here before we know it. So glad your trip was a good one. Praying those children move closer to the grandparents. I do believe grandparents provide that much needed love in the family.

Barb R. said...

Hi Carol - first of all, Baby B is just too precious and too adorable!! I’m pretty sure that we are all in love with him!! I’m so happy to read that your visit to San Diego to visit your family was a happy event (with very happy endings to the wallet events, WHEW! ). The zoo looks so interesting. I’d like to go visit that zoo sometime, too. Is your oldest son, DIL and Baby B coming to visit you soon? Did I read that right in your post?

Your stitched pieces are beautiful. I’m always so impressed with your work and just how special they always turn out. Gorgeous and truly a treasure!

Welcome home - I think all your readers truly missed you.

Vicki said...

Baby B is one handsome little man! So glad to hear your trip was successful (in spite of the wallet mishap). All's well that ends well. Maybe they'll get to come visit you this year.

moosecraft said...

Oh my goodness!!!! Baby B is SUCH a cutie pie!!! Yes, it would be so difficult to leave him.... maybe a move will happen one day (from either side)? lol! ;-)
The lost wallet stories made my tummy flip! It's always such a horrible feeling when you misplace valuables! Thank goodness both were found!
Love your White Christmas! I'm especially admiring the finish! LOVE that neat bow with the snowflake....and of course the cording is perfection! Simply beautiful!
Flowers are my passion.... if I'm not admiring, picking or planting them... then I am drawing, painting, quilting, hooking or stitching them... it just depends on the season! So, I would definitely enjoy stitching up those happy daffodils in the vase! Blue and yellow is also one of my favorite color combos. I sewed a quilt in those colors last year. moosecraft at optonline.net

Jennifer said...

Wow, Carol, what a full post and I am sure I will miss something - love the vase from your DIL, seems like you two have a special relationship. And the missing wallet stories are crazy - what are the chances both would lose their wallets within days of each other and then both be found? I remember a trip to the San Diego Zoo as a kid - it was memorable for me to see the koalas and I’d love to go back now as an adult. Gardening is not something that’s come to me naturally, but our home came with a large flower garden which I’ve always taken semi-care of until last year. I really enjoyed some longer days weeding, planting and pruning last spring when there wasn’t anything else going on. I have added a small veggie garden on the side of the house where I’ve grown basil, dill, tomatoes (without much success) and tomatillos (with lots of success!). This year I couldn’t wait to get my hands in the dirt - I planted a few flowers and some spinach seeds earlier this week and hope they will both grow! Love your stitching too - the ornament on the blue linen is so pretty! Hope you have a nice weekend and get over the vaccine reaction. I am laying low here after a bit of a reaction to my second shot of “that” vaccine. Hoping I can get some good stitching or sewing time in today.

Mary - Lecoeurceltique said...

Your White Christmas finish is beautiful and I love your Easter finish on black. I've bought 28ct Black linen to stitch some ornaments similar to your black fabric finishes as I like them so much. You received great stitched/stitching gifts.
Your trip to California sounds great. No wonder you hated leaving your grandchild to come home.
Thankfully the lost wallet stories ended well for your husband and son.

Cathy H. said...

I love your March ornament. Sampler motifs and blue are my favorites. Other than the lost wallets, it sounds like you had a wonderful time with you grandson! He is so precious! Now, do I like gardening? Not so much. I have taken the easy way out with shade gardens filled with azaleas and hostas.

Faith... said...

Oh my goodness he is soooo handsome! What a lucky grandma you are. I am glad you and your husband are getting in visits with him despite COVID. Wow what a wallet ordeal! Glad they were both found and everything turned out with a happy ending! That indeed is a very pretty ornament you have made for March.

I do not garden. Tucson is just to hot and we have a lack of rain. When it rains (very rarely) it gets soaked into the ground quickly. The dirt at our home is just not conducive to planting unfortunately.

Lillie said...

Gorgeous stitching and finishing as always Carol . That lil'man is a heart stealer. Glad all ends well with the wallet and sounds like you had a fantastic trip. Thank you for coming by my blog.

Sheryl said...

Sounds like you had a wonderful trip Carol and thank you for sharing your precious photos with us all. How Baby B is growing and getting to the dangerous age of being able to stand and reach for items. Love your gorgeous White Christmas design with its pretty finish and the adorable stitched bunny from Gabi. Generous and precious gift of the cheeky monkey - ideal.

Mylene said...

Hello Carol, first of..thank you so much for stopping by and leaving me a comment. I really appreciate it and now i feel better i know my blog is still open as i thought it cannot be read by anyone anymore since i stopped blogging nearly 5 years..
I always enjoy reading your post. Such a lovely visit and wonderful time with your grandson. Sorry to hear about the wallet's but do glad they both turned out well.
Such great goodies you received from friends. Love the blue white christmas ornament, it is so lovely and always neatly finish.
Unfortunately, i don't have a garden now but will do with potted plants.
Happy days.

Mary said...

Carol, your White Christmas is lovely, with the beautiful soft colors. I have the bunny pattern in my queue to stitch for spring. Love it! Your little grandson is so adorable, and I know you enjoyed every minute with him. The pic of the two of you is so sweet. I got a chuckle out of the wallet story! You'll have to check out my latest blog post and see what I "lost"! HA HA

Leonore Winterer said...

How nice to hear from you again - looks like you have a lot to share after a long time away!
Your stitching is lovely as usual. I really like the white and soft blue of the Christmas Snow ornament. Your new start looks really good as well!
Gardening...uh...it's complicated. I don't have a garden of my own, but I tried growing some things on my balcony two years ago. That wasn't very successfull, though. And I have a real bad history with house plants! But helping out in my grandma's garden, I really enjoyed that lately, and I have all kind of plans to implement there.
Glad that all went well with your trip to California, even under still a bit scary circumstances. I'm very happy for you that you are all vaccinated and could enjoy your trip and family time. What a scare about the wallets, though!

An Arizona Stitcher I said...

So glad the wallet crises were averted. It really is a pain to cancel all the credit cards, etc. Your grandson is just adorable! I garden just a little. I'm buying tomato plants to try container gardening. I think I may try that with zucchinis too. The pneumonia shot results sounded horrible! Glad you're on the mend!