Good morning, good morning! How are you all doing on this final weekend of May? I hope you're relaxing and remembering those who fought for our freedoms on this Memorial Day weekend here in the U.S. For me, Memorial Day always feels like the official start of summer--how about you? We're planning a picnic dinner complete with the traditional grilled burgers and kielbasa, baked beans, corn, and ice cream sundaes on Monday. Bring on the warm weather, I say! After a month of very up and down temperatures, things finally seem to be trending toward the warmer side and I couldn't be happier. Unfortunately, here in southwest Pennsylvania, the hot weather brings humidity which I can tolerate less and less as I get older. If there is any place in the world that has perfect weather, I'd sure love to know about it!
May, for my family, has traditionally been one of "those" months--the super busy ones with birthdays, anniversaries, gardening chores, spring cleaning, etc. July is the other one of "those" months for our family. This May was busier than ever with my grandson (and his mom and dad, of course!) visiting for two weeks. I spent the first week of May preparing for their visit: babyproofing the house, cooking and baking ahead, cleaning, buying extra groceries, making up beds, etc. This last week of May was spent doing laundry, cleaning and putting the house back in order, and simply recovering from the middle two weeks. Because, boy... does a 10-month-old exhaust you. What I wouldn't give for one tenth of his energy! Many nights I went to bed before the baby--honestly!
My needle and thread didn't see much action this month, but I did manage to get my monthly Christmas ornament finished. My ornament for May is from The Prairie Schooler Book No. 36: "St. Nicholas II." I call this one "Welcome Santa" because the pineapple has come to symbolize hospitality and a warm welcome throughout the world. The colors in this design are quite different--the purple of the grapes and bright yellow/gold of the pineapple and the pears certainly liven it up, don't they?
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Prairie Schooler Santa from Book No.36
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My May ornament was stitched on 32 ct. black Belfast linen with the suggested DMC colors. I kept the finish quite simple using only my handmade cording--a classic finish for a classic design.
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My May 2021 ornament
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The finish was the same as the one for another PS Santa from the same booklet that I stitched back in 2013 (you can read about the changes I made to the cardinal-carrying Santa in this post). The Prairie Schooler booklet contains six other designs and I'm sure I'll be stitching at least a few of them in the future.
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Love how the colors pop on the black linen!
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I just realized that I never shared my April ornament finish with you! I posted it on Instagram, but totally forgot to include it in my last post here on my blog. Well, you guessed it--it's another Prairie Schooler Santa. This one is the 2021 annual Santa and is, just maybe, my favorite PS Santa yet! I love all the sweet woodland creatures, especially the snowy owl and that quail perched inside Santa's sack.
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The 2021 annual Prairie Schooler Santa
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I didn't include the words "Winter Woods" that were charted and chose to simply stitch some random snowflakes instead. What do you think? I think all five look so nice lined up in the long wooden box. I've finished them all the same way with a checked bow and gingham fabric on the back. Will I ever get all of the annual Prairie Schooler Santas stitched? It is looking less and less likely, I'm sad to say...
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Do you have a favorite?
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In other stitching news, I received two wonderful gifts from stitching friends. Karen Y. from Indiana sent me the prettiest cardinal that she made into a flatfold. She did an amazing job on her finish and I have it displayed in the living room next to my dad's photo since cardinals always remind me of him. Karen sent the sweetest note saying she was sending me this as a "token of my appreciation for your wonderful blog." I was so touched and I am truly honored that you would send me such a thoughtful gift. Thank you so very much, my friend!
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Beautiful flatfold from Karen Y.!
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And from another stitching friend in Arizona came three lovely charts! Again, this friend wanted to thank me for all the time and effort I spend in writing my blog. Thank you so much for thinking of me--I truly appreciate each and every comment, gift, or kind email from my friends and readers. When I began writing "Stitching Dreams" way back in 2009, I never dreamed I would "meet" so many stitching friends--I feel so blessed to have you in my life! I look forward to stitching these cute charts very soon. Well, actually, I have stitched a couple of the little mittens from The Cricket Collection "Woolen Mittens" chart since I already own it!
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Three cute charts from an Arizona friend!
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This was my finish from the "Wooly Mittens" chart back in 2014. He's one of my favorites with his frosty red button nose! So, what will I do now that I own two of these charts? Why, give one away, of course!
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My 2014 finish from the Wooly Mittens chart that I'm giving away
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So, who would be interested in winning The Cricket Collection "Woolen Mittens" chart? If you are, please 1) let me know specifically in your comment below, 2) include your email address if I don't already have it, and 3) answer the question in the "Getting To Know You" section below. I will pick a winner at random and announce the name in my next blog post in June. Good luck to all!
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If you would like to win this chart... just follow the directions above!
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Getting To Know You... For those of you who may be new to "Stitching Dreams," I like to pose questions now and then which allow me to learn a bit more about you. This week's question is, "When you were a child, what career did you want for yourself when you grew up?" My answer: When I was young I loved playing school--I mean truly loved it! And I always wanted to be the teacher when we played with other kids in the neighborhood... But, somewhere around age 12, I fell in love with libraries and books and everything that goes along with them and set my sights on becoming a librarian. I was fortunate that I had a goal so early in life and went on to achieve it. I truly loved my job as a reference librarian for 29 years (even though the salary was embarrassingly low!) and am so glad I had a job that enabled me to work part-time while I was raising my three sons. Now it's your turn... I'd love to get to know you better and hear all about your career dreams as a child! Did they come true? Do you have any regrets or wish you had taken a different path?
So, a bit about the busy, busy month of May... It actually was a bittersweet month for me as it was the first Mother's Day without my mom. It certainly helped having two of my three sons, my daughter-in-law, middle son's girlfriend, and my little grandson here, but, yes... it was difficult and there were tears... My day started out with a wonderful brunch prepared by my kids.
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Mother's Day brunch of blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, berries and orange juice
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My Mother's Day gifts included the prettiest blue hydrangea (and a box of pastel-hued macarons which I forgot to photograph) from my middle son and his girlfriend, some delicious cupcakes and a gift card to Michael's from my youngest son, and a very cute library-themed pouch, woven basket (where I'm now keeping some of my thread), and a set of lovely blue and white coasters from my oldest son and his family. I'm getting to "that age" where I'm very hard to purchase gifts for. At age 66, I'm trying to pare down my belongings and don't want to add much more "stuff" (well, except cross stitch stuff, of course!). I know it's difficult for my kids, but I think they did a great job! I remember racking my brain trying to come up with gift ideas for my mom as she got older. I still believe that the best gift you can give an older person is the gift of time, companionship, and help around the house and yard.
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Gifts from my family for Mother's Day 2021
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A mere five days after Mother's Day, another difficult day arrived--what would have been Mom's 94th birthday. Last year, I was with her for her 93rd while helping care for her and nursing her back to health after she nearly died in late April 2020. I'm so glad I got to spend her final birthday with her and will be forever grateful to have spent so much quality time with her during what were to be her final few months before her death in July. Boy, do I miss her...
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Me at age 4 months helping mom celebrate her 28th birthday
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The two weeks that my grandson spent visiting were, although exhausting, absolutely delightful. I could spend hour after hour simply watching him as he played and learned and took such pleasure in all of his little discoveries throughout the day. You can almost see the wheels turning as he absorbs new sights and sounds and learns how to do new things. While here, he learned "So Big," how to clap, and how to stand up (followed by clapping for himself while standing and looking around to make sure we were all clapping for him, too!). So adorable...
He took special notice of all the wildlife in our yard: the deer, the groundhogs, the chipmunks, and the squirrels, but he especially loved the birds so we took him to the National Aviary here in Pittsburgh for an afternoon. What beautiful birds--very exotic and colorful (although Baby B seemed to enjoy watching the other visitors even more than he did the birds!).
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Just a few of the colorful birds at the Pittsburgh National Aviary
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We also saw some other memorable feathered friends at the aviary...
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A handsome Bald Eagle
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A cuddly looking pair of owl finches
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Everyone's favorites--the African Penguins
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Back home, my grandson loved watching our colorful backyard birds, too, including the bluejays, a rare Baltimore Oriole, and the hummingbirds. At one point a hummingbird hovered right outside the kitchen window that Baby B was standing at--looking right in at him. I caught my breath as I watched it and honestly felt mom's presence...
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The hummingbirds returned to western Pennsylvania this month!
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Beautiful to look at, but the Bluejays are bullies to other birds!
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I've only seen a Baltimore Oriole twice in our yard--ever! Was thrilled to see this bright one in May.
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The squirrels were especially entertaining as they've discovered how to climb up the shepherd's hook that holds our feeders and gobble up the birdseed. The baby so enjoyed "talking" to them as he smiled at their antics each day.
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The squirrels seem to think this is their personal feeder/swing.
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When they're done eating, they shimmy down the pole like a fireman!
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A typical sunny morning in my kitchen (with the squirrels enjoying a breakfast of birdseed in the background!)
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In addition to spending time watching the wildlife, we took our grandson to meet his great-grandparents in Ohio where we celebrated his great-grandmother's 93rd birthday, to his first picnic in a local park to meet his parents' friends, and introduced him to his uncle and aunt (my middle son and his girlfriend who hadn't yet met the baby). He also got to meet my middle son's cat, Spike (and loved him just a little too much--the cat was afraid of that small human who crawled around at his level!). My middle son found a small plastic swimming pool that a neighbor was giving away and brought it over so Baby B could enjoy swimming in it during the very warm weather in the second week of their visit. My youngest son also came up from Washington DC for four days and we were finally (for the first time since November 2019!) all together once again...
Lots of firsts and I'm so glad I was there to witness them! We'll be heading out to California in July for the baby's first birthday (can you believe it?!), so, although it was hard to say goodbye, I know it won't be too long until we see him again. I have to admit, though, that I sat down and cried and cried when I saw his little toys just sitting on the floor of our sunroom after we dropped him off at the airport for the flight back to San Diego. It's so hard being so far apart--I hope you grandparents who are lucky enough to have your grandchildren nearby know how blessed you are!
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Baby B (10 months old) relaxing after a swim in his little plastic pool.
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Well, this post is long enough--I sure hope at least a few of you have made it to the very end! I'll leave you with this very special photo that I took in the middle of the night at 2 AM Thursday morning during May's "super flower moon." I got up to use the bathroom and as I glanced out at the backyard, I noticed a beautiful beam of moonlight shining down from the sky. I immediately thought of my mom. Luckily, I had just purchased a new iPhone earlier this week and I took this very cool photo of that moment with the Night Mode feature. I feel very blessed to have received so many "signs" from Mom during her birthday month...
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The super flower moon taken at 2AM in the morning
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Wishing you all a wonderful month ahead--it's hard to believe how quickly 2021 is flying by, isn't it? Thank you for visiting today--and a special thank you to those of you who take the time to leave a comment. I know your time is precious and I truly appreciate each and every comment and email. Take care, my friends! Bye for now...
Your Santas are so very pretty on the black fabric.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is the 2021 with all of the animals.
What a beautiful flat fold you received.
Glad you got to spend tome with all of your family.
Baby B is too cute!
Those are some amazing birds.
The hummies have been her for about a month already.
We take the feeders in at night because the Deer come & pick the flowers off & suck out all of the juice!
We did leave them out the past 2 nights because it got down in the 30's, so we figured the little guys need it for energy in the cold temps.
We have a lot of Orioles here, their song is so pretty.
We had the same problem with Squirrels, so we bought a cone to keep them off the feeders, it works well.
Have a great Holiday weekend!
Marilyn
You have a beautiful collection of Santas Carol, no matter the final number. ;) I am so glad you were surrounded by family for Mother's Day and your Mom's birthday. So very hard. I am so sorry Carol. My heart just swells with such emotion, as you can imagine, as you describe all about your little grandson. I enjoy hearing about him so very much. When we lived further up north, we did get Baltimore Orioles. Aren't they stunning?! I am so glad you were ALL together again!! :) :) And once again you will be out in San Diego! :) How wonderful!
ReplyDeleteCarol, it sure sounds like you had a busy and fulfilling month. I'm sure Mother's Day was tough but hope happiness far outweighed the sadness.
ReplyDeleteYour PS Santa's are all wonderful...so hard to pick a favorite. Being originally from Baltimore, I am surprised to say I don't think I've ever seen a Baltimore Oriole in person, except on the ball field. :)
Enjoy your Memorial Day!
You certainly had a busy May and I hope that the good memories and times helped with the sad. You were in my thoughts and prayers for both Mother's Day and the 14th. It sounded like you had a number of wonderful adventures while your California family was in town. Your PS Santas are adorable, Carol. What lovely things you received from your family and your stitching pals! Have a blessed day!
ReplyDeleteThe Santa ornaments are all so beautiful...but if I have to pick a favorite, I think it would be the one with Santa and the reindeer. I'm glad you enjoyed your time with your grandson...and that you get to see him again very soon. You asked what did I want to be when I grew up? When I was really young, I wanted to be a librarian. I was an avid reader. When I was in my teens, I wanted to go into accounting as I loved numbers. I was lucky enough to get to work in banking and investments for a number of years...and now get to enjoy being a travel agent. Now that the libraries here have fully reopened, I hope to get to volunteer there a few afternoons a week. Thanks for sharing your beautiful stitching and photography of all those lovely birds! -Andrea
ReplyDeleteI guess I will always be the one who sits very quietly in the back of the room, but I love those mittens, so need to speak up! I always wanted to be a secretary but life got in the way and at 78 years to late to change now. Also love to cross stitch and reading about yours. Take care!
ReplyDeleteCarol,love your blog. I have stitched a few PS Santa's & your finishes are so nice.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to be a biologist but ended up an accountant. Please enter me in your giveaway. Keep blogging!
Hi Carol, what a wonderful post!!!
ReplyDeleteYour Santas are so beautiful. I have stitched some of them, but not all. But some day they are stitched.
I can imagine that the time with your grandchild was not easy but very happy and you enjoyed every minute.
Have a happy week.
The picture of you and that sweet boy say it all. I know I am blessed to have mine close by. I didn't know how much being a grandmother would really mean. It is so amazing. I know that having family close by had to have helped with those anniversaries of things that we wish we didn't have to go through. The little hummingbird showed up to give you comfort.
ReplyDeleteThose sweet PS Santas are like no other ---just so classic. They do speak for themselves. I think you are going to need another tree though.
As for what I wanted to be. I was always playing teacher -ALWAYS. When I started college I really didn't plan on teaching. I wanted to be an extension agent. I had a good friend whose mom was our local extension agent. I loved that she wrote a weekly column. There would have been teaching involved in that as well with 4_H. I had done 4_H as a kid. That didn't work out as those jobs are hard to find. I go the teaching degree isn would have pursued the masters to become that agent. Marriage came along and I ended up at the beach which honestly has always been in my heart. Teaching took over so really I probably did what I was meant to do and got to live at the beach.
Loved catching up with you in the post.
I love all your PS Santa's, don't they look great altogether like you have them!
ReplyDeleteWow you have some really colourful birds visit your garden, I wouldn't get any work done if they were at my feeders, lol.
Sounds like you had a wonderful time with your grandson, I can imagine how hard it was to say goodbye for now.
Toa answer your question as to what I wanted to be when I grew up, well, I always wanted to be a secretary, I loved my play with my typewriter and, I suppose I got to do what I wanted to, (until covid hit and I got made redundant 😥
Have a lovely week x
April and May Santas are beautiful! You had such a busy May but how nice to have time with the family especially with the wee one.
ReplyDeleteThat was a very long and very lovely post! I feel like I've lived through May with you and the adorable Baby B.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many Santa designs Prairie Schooler have done? And whether anyone has stitched them all?
My childhood career ambitions were to be an astronaut, an actor or a teacher. I also wanted a job where I had a date stamp like a librarian! Unfortunately you have to join the Air Force to have a chance of being an astronaut, I can't act well enough to be an actor but I do volunteer in a school and have worked as a librarian in a High School. The date stamp? I got one in my job as an insurance broker so I fulfilled that ambition LOL
Hi Carol,
ReplyDeleteSo nice to hear that your whole family could be together once again. Baby B has really grown! What a handsome little fellow. Good to hear you all will see him soon.
Beautiful display of your PS Santas! Like you, I love the woodland creatures.
Beautiful gifts on Mother's Day and from stitching friends.
I wanted to be a flight attendant when I grew up. My Mom did not drive, so we were always at home. I figured that way I could travel and see the world. I ended up at a Bank instead. It all worked out :)
(Please don't include me in your chart raffle)
Cool picture of the super flower moon.
Hope you have a great week!
April
Quel bonheur de voir bébé B dans vos bras. Merci pour le partage de cette belle photo. Les écureuils, je crois bien que j'aurais été comme lui en les observant, ce sont des acrobates ! Nous en avons deux qui viennent dans le jardin, ils sont plus gros et roux. Je ne savais pas qu'il y avait des colibris dans votre région, un oiseau superbe.
ReplyDeleteVous avez été gâté par vos amies. C'est toujours merveilleux de recevoir ce genre de courrier.
Bravo pour votre finition de l'ornement de mai. C'est vrai que sur la toile noire les couleurs ressortent très bien mais je trouve que c'est fatigant pour les yeux de broder sur de la toile foncée, même avec une lumière ou un linge blanc en dessous...
J'aime tous les pères Noël de PS, ils ont tous du charme.
Je participe volontiers pour tenter de gagner le leaflet. Merci pour votre générosité. Enfant je voulais être maître-nageur sauveteur ou policière ou bibliothécaire... L'amour des livres ne m'a jamais quitté, j'ai obtenu mon diplôme de maître-nageur sauveteur et réussi le concours pour entrer dans la police.. Comme je voulais vite prendre mon indépendance (j'avais 19 ans...) et ne voulait pas connaître le chômage j'avais passé également des tests d'entrée à la banque.. C'est elle qui m'a appelé en premier c'est comme ça que je suis devenue banquière... J'ai aimé mon travail (malheureusement je ne peux plus exercer d'activité professionnelle en raison de la maladie..) mais je pense que je me serais mieux épanouie dans la police. Je regarde d'ailleurs très souvent à la télévision des reportages sur les différentes force de l'ordre dans le monde..
Aujourd'hui c'est la fête des mères en France. Nous avons déjeuné avec nos enfants, notre belle-fille et petite fille ma princesse Lara... Le soleil était là et nous avons passé une magnifique journée. Mes garçons m'ont offert un livre et une bougie parfumée. Je suis ravie.
Amitiés de France,
Christel
http://toilesetfils.blogspot.com
Baby B is one handsome little guy! I know your time with him was precious and passed much too quickly. Although I have five of my seven grands close to me (and yes, I know how fortunate and blessed I am), the two that live far away are the two I think about the most. I think I realize how much I'm missing out on with them far away more because of all I get to do with the ones who live here. Great finishes! Beautiful photos of the wildlife outside of your window.
ReplyDeleteLoved this newsy post Carol. The picture of you with your grandson says it all...the joy on both faces is so sweet and precious. Love all the stitches.....Prairie Schooler is still my favorite designer and always will be.
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful blog post with many interesting pictures on a variety of topics. I especially like your stitching pictures. Right now I have no time nor inclination to stitch but I truly enjoy seeing that you have been sewing.
ReplyDeleteCarol,
ReplyDeleteI love to read of and see, your monthly ornaments. They are always a delight and your finishing just adds to their beauty.
I do love the colours in the most recent Santa and the pineapple and apple one, I think it is my favourite of those. My favourite of the CEC Mittens is also the Santa face, very cute, along with the beautiful tree a close second. I always wanted to be a teacher as a child,just loved the idea of imparting knowledge and sharing with others. After rearing my 3 children I was able to be a Patchwork & Quilting teacher, designing several of my own creations to teach.
It is true about the joy of being with Grandchildren, it is such a blessing and Baby "B" looks like a little sweetie. I miss two of ours that live across the Tasman, so I haven't seen them for nearly two years, with all the travel restrictions.
I'd love to enter your CEC Mitten pattern draw, my email is kay@kaysan.com.au
and thank you for this opportunity. Kay.
I like your new ornament very much, I always admire the fact that you can work on black fabric. The TPS Santa 2021 is also beautiful, I would embroider it too, and just like you, I particularly like the animals.
ReplyDeleteget to know - as a child I also wanted to be a teacher or kindergarten teacher, just work with children. However, things looked different later and I went into retail. I've never regretted it, I had a lot of nice colleagues and good working hours.
What a wonderful time with your grandson. I am very pleased, the time is so precious. My children also often had more fun with the live animals and visits to the zoo were always a highlight.
How nice to hear that the whole family was together.
Enjoy the new month. Hugs Martina
I Babbo Natale di Prairie Schooler sono tantissimi! Ma doro lo stile e prima o poi li ricamerò, belli sulla tela nera. Sai che sono bibliotecaria anch'io? Lavoro in un centro documentazione privato :)
ReplyDeleteI am so happy for you Carol that you had time to spend with your GS they grow up so quick in the first few years ,it's wonderful to see your happy face with your little one on your lap.
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful PS stitching I love them all and they look fantastic.
I wanted to be a hairdresser , but no everyone wanted to do it .
So there were no spaces at the time so I got a fill in job at Cadbury's until I could get in to hairdressing , I was only just 15 I had so much fun there and many many friends I stayed there . Still write to one of my friends even today .
Then I got married and family came along and many other goals were set for our future and we have had such a wonderful life .
I could fill a book ha.
Hallo Carol,
ReplyDeletewieder ein sehr schöner Post.
Deine fertigen Stickarbeiten sind alle wieder so schön geworden. Ich mag sie alle. Die TPS Santa haben ihren eigenen Charm. Einge mag ich nicht besonders, aber der großteil von den Santas gefällt mir sehr gut. Auch der Neueste mit den Tieren ist wieder ganz bezaubernd.
Ich wollte als Kind gern Kindergärtnerin werden. Schließlich bin ich im Büro gelandet. Ich habe meinen Job sehr gern gemacht, aber als die Kinder kamen, bin ich auch sehr gern zu Hause geblieben.
Hab vielen Dank für die liebevollen Geschichten zum Besuch deines Enkels. Nicht mehr lang und du siehst ihn schon wieder und wer weiß vielleicht läuft er dann schon.
Genieße den Juni and a big Hugs, Manuela
What a cute grandson. So glad you were able to spend time with him. What did I want to be when I grew up? An interior decorator! Ended up having a career in banking instead. I enjoyed your blog post!
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time I’ve read your blog and thoroughly enjoyed it. I wanted to be a pathologist when I was growing up but realized I would be about 36 years old before I could have that title. I’m sure student loans would be astronomical. So I got married, had 3 children, now have 9 grandchildren, have been a mom, wife, secretary, phlebotomist, yarn shop owner and now do background checks. Even tough I never cured any diseases or found the cure for cancer, I wouldn’t have traded my life for anything. I look forward to reading more of your blogs.
ReplyDeleteThank you
Cindy (klcenlnahn@aol.com)
What a wonderful May you’ve had! Nothing better than experiencing the world through a child’s eyes. The first thing I remember wanting to be was a mom so I could volunteer in the school library. Ha! My Grandma was a teacher so I spent hours plying school with her leftover dittos. I taught elementary school until my second was born. I stayed home for awhile while my children were young and volunteered in many organizations. Now I teach preschool part time. Friday began summer break so I’m looking forward to family time, relaxing, long walks and more stitchy times. I would love the Cricket chart. It’s on my wsh list. Happy summer!! 🌻🌺☀️
ReplyDeleteI so enjoy reading your blog. It is always informative, up beat, and relaxing to read. I love seeing your stitching and family pictures.
ReplyDeleteI would love a chance to win your mittens leaflet. My email address is ndavis2124@gmail.com.
When I was young, I wanted to work in a corner's office, but chemistry was not my best subject although biology was. I instead, attended a business school to study being a medical secretary. I didn't work as a medical secretary, but I did work for various companies as a secretary/administrative assistant. Friday, June 4th will be my last day as an executive assistant for a non-profit working with at-risk-youth. I am retiring after 23 years there.
Please keep writing your blog. As I said, it brings my great pleasure reading it.
It's always a pleasure reading your blog. You have such an exciting life with your family and surrounding nature. I'm glad you enjoyed your visit from all your family and had special times with Baby B.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you had a wonderful Mom's Day with a little bit of bittersweet rolled into it. You are right on with the "what to do about a gift" for older parents/grands. What my Mom enjoyed most was all of us (total 4 plus grands) visiting her and cleaning up her garden, turning soil, good lawn raking, etc.
My favourite of your P.S. Santa's is the newest 2021 Santa. As soon as I saw this chart I just knew I had to have it.
When I was a kid, I always wanted to be a police officer. Back then there was a height restriction, and since I'm short in stature, I would never reach the required height. I also wanted to be a hairdresser. I couldn't do anything with my own hair but I loved styling other peoples.
I would love the chance to win the mittens leaflet. The designs look awesome. e-mail teddypat@gmail.com
Hi Carol
ReplyDeleteI am new to your blog and came across you whilst browsing through Pinterest. I have a nearly 3 year old grandson and I have been thinking about what legacy will grandma leave for this little one when that time comes that I am no longer here. They live a distance away so it won't be the time I got to spend with him but my family know me for my crafting. They have all had knitted or crochet garments or blankets. In the last year I have taken up machine sewing but very much the novice. What they will know me for mostly is my cross stitching which I have been doing for nearly 30 years on and off. I have some pieces that I am so very proud of. Back to the grandson. I have started making him a cross stitch ornament for every year as these he can put on the tree himself now and hopefully if they are looked after they will last him a lifetime and be passed onto his own family one day. I have nothing of my mothers or grandmothers apart from memories so it would be nice to think that a little part of me will stay with him forever. Your ornaments are beautiful and you have given me even more inspiration to achieve this goal.
Thank you Mitzi
Oh my goodness, Grandbaby is so big! Love your PS Santa finishes... I need to get mine stitched.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful Post, Carol.
ReplyDeleteYour newest Santa is so lovely.
And i love to get to know new Birds in your posts. I didn't knew about the Baltimore Oriole and the Bluejays.
How beautiful the Hummingbird visit was. Someone loved above was certainly smiling at you.
I'm so glad your Family was ALL together and that you were with some of them on mothers day and your mothers Birthday, to mend your broken heart a little bit.
Your Brunch looked delicious <3.
As i was younger i wanted to be a lawyer, but i always knew i was to shy and not so tough :). I'm working now in Marketing as an Assistant and have a second Job as a Relaxing instructor for people who experienced Burn-out, having troubles with their sleep or anxiety.
Have a wonderful June, too with hopefully lovely weather and many lovely moments!
Sending a big hug to you
Amara
Wonderful post Carol and super photos. Sounds like you have had a busy month, always such a lot to do when visitors arrive and then a lot to do again when they leave. Glad to hear you had lots of fun with Baby B, the National Aviary a wonderful place to visit and then other birds in your garden to admire.
ReplyDeleteLovely Mother´s day gifts and generous details from your followers. Love all the Santa needlework, so I haven´t a favourite.
Hope you have an enjoyable June, now that the weather is improving.
Love the ornament- especially the little pineapple. The finish is perfect- highlights your stitching. Definitely a hard month with mom gone. I’m so glad that we were alll able to make it back last May to be with her. I’m eternally grateful for the love and compassion you shared with mom in your care for her those last months. I imagine that Spike was probably Mt the only one happy to see Baby B head back to San Diego. I’m so glad you all had this time together and that he was able to finally meet all his uncles, his aunt, and great grandparents. ❤️
ReplyDeleteWhat a cute chart! I’d love to win it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a child, I wanted to be an accountant. I idolized my bookkeeper mother, and I loved all things spreadsheets, accounting books, and playing with numbers.
Nutbrown dot Greene @ gmail
Oh, dear Carol, what an interesting post!
ReplyDeleteI love all your stitcheries, your garden fotos, but your little grandson is the best ;-) 10 month, wow!
Have a nice new week, hugs, Jutta
Honestly I don't think I could pick a favorite PS Santa if I tried! They are all so cute and while you don't think you will stitch them all I am sure you will be able to stitch many more. Will you stitch B an ornament each Christmas of his very own? It sounds like you were spoiled on Mother's Day! I love your little basket you received. I can certainly understand the sadness surrounding the day. They say that "firsts" seem to be the hardest but to me they still seem hard, probably not as hard but still... That is a great picture of you and your Mom.
ReplyDeleteWhat a precious visit Carol! I am so glad they were able to come up for a few weeks to visit with you. And then magically everyone was there! I bet you were so happy to have everyone there. Beautiful backyard visitors too!!
When I was growing up I wanted to be a teacher. I taught preschool while I was going to college and enjoyed it a lot. When I graduated I was asked to teach a semester of junior college and I hated every single minute of it! Standing in front of a room full of strangers, many of whom were older than me had me terrified and I couldn't wait for that semester to get over! When it was over I got a job in an office and never looked back!
Enjoy your week!
What a wonderful post, and so much going on! I'm glad to hear you had a great, if exhausting, May. Love your stitching of the Santas, especially the woodland one, all the animals are so cute.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to enter your price drawing this month, so here is my answer - as most people, I went through different 'phases' of what I wanted to become as a child. For a while I wanted to be a teacher (Maths and either English or German), but suddenly, and pretty early for such an idea, I decided I wanted to become a banker! No idea where that came from, actually, but by the time I finished highschool, I had thought better of it.
I love all the pictures of the pretty birds - ours are much more 'monochrome', lots of blackbirds and sparrows and ravens, and maybe a robin or two. I can see why your grandson would be fascinated with them! So nice you got to spend time with your family, and those wonderful presents for Mother's Day. I sincerely hope these kind of moment will become more common again in the months to come.
What a lovely post filled with all of the things you love most!!
ReplyDeleteWow, that grandson is just getting big! He looks so big in your arms, Carol. I would say my hometown of Prescott AZ is nice but it's been so hot this past week, over 100 and wildland fires all over Arizona. It's been bad. Your PS ornament is wonderful but I love the santa with the raccoon in his arm, too cute! The menu for Mothers Day sounded scrumptious! So glad your entire family was together.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely post Carol - it does sound like your mom was with you for the month - at least sending signs of her love. Your newest ornament is great - I really like the additional colors with the fruits. And how great to read about your family visits and great time together. Your trip to CA isn’t far away now - hope you have a wonderful time celebrating your grandson’s birthday!
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