Birds, a Birthday, and Boating

Hope everyone has had a good month! March here started off great--warm with sunny skies--more like May weather. Sadly, that didn't last into the second half of the month and it's been cooler and rainy ever since. I'm hoping the weather improves in April! In spite of the weather (or perhaps because of it), the trees are already budding, which seems much earlier than normal. Our daffodils are bobbing their sweet yellow heads and the birds are singing up a storm. Yes, spring has definitely arrived!

What have you been stitching lately? I'm working on one of the larger Teresa Kogut Santas and my monthly ornaments, but in between them I've gotten addicted to these darling bird designs by Heartstring Samplers. They are just so sweet! Now, to be honest, I didn't stitch all of them this month. I began with the American Robin last year, moved on to the American Goldfinch and the Blackheaded Grosbeak, and recently finished my favorite--the Black-capped Chickadee. I had originally planned to frame them individually in a grouping on my wall, but some of them are so small (not even 4" square), that I'm thinking of little pillows displayed in a bowl instead. Or maybe I'll frame some and make pillows of the smaller ones... What would you do? 

My first four finishes from Heartstring Samplery's "The Bird Collection" charts

All are stitched on 40 ct. vintage country mocha Newcastle with most of the suggested overdyed threads. I did tweak a few colors here and there to show up better on my chosen fabric. Do you have any of these birds in your part of the world? Which is your favorite? Here's a closer look at each one...

We've been seeing more and more robins hopping around our yard lately--many of them appear to be pregnant. 'Tis the season!

 

I love seeing goldfinches--such a bright, happy bird. They really enjoy eating the sunflower seeds from our garden each fall before they migrate south.

We don't have these pretty birds in western Pennsylvania, but I wish we did--such vibrant colors!

The cheery chickadees are definitely one of my favorites--such lively spunky, little birds.

I would love to stitch all twelve of these! Which one would you stitch next? You know me--I'm such a lover of all shades of blue, I will probably pick a blue one. Perhaps the Tree Swallow?  You can click on the photo for a better look at all of these charming designs and let me know!

Twelve beautiful bird designs by Heartstring Samplery. I so hope she adds to the series and includes blue jays, cardinals, and hummingbirds.

We were away again this past week... drove down to Maryland for four days to help my oldest son celebrate his 43rd birthday (gasp--how can I possibly have a child that old!?!?). It was an "interesting" trip to say the least as their sewer backed up into their basement on the second day of our visit. UGH--the smell, the mess!! Having dealt with a sewer backup of our own 35 years ago, we knew how terrible experiencing something like that is. Oh, the joys of home ownership! My son was able to get a plumber to clear the blockage that afternoon and then Service-Pro arrived and cleaned, sanitized, and removed the affected drywall in the basement bathroom and furnace rooms. Luckily, the filthy sludge had not covered the entire basement.

 

On a sweeter note... I made some of our favorite chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting for my son's birthday. I've shared these links before, but for those of you who are new readers, I'm sharing them again:  Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes from the Celebrating Sweets website and Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting from the Peas and Crayons website (just scroll down underneath the cupcake recipe for a variety of frosting recipes). I only made half of the peanut butter frosting recipe for the six cupcakes. So, so yummy!

 

Lots of peanut butter frosting with a "bit" of chocolate cupcake :)

Mister B wanted to carry the plate with both my cupcakes and the two he especially picked out for his daddy from a bakery. He was so, so proud as he carefully (and very, very slowly--ha ha!) transported them to the table. We sang "Happy Birthday" once and began singing it again, but he stopped in his tracks, looked at us and commanded, "Spanish!" Too cute!  So "Feliz cumpleaños" was sung, too. I'm truly amazed at my little bilingual grandson. His caregiver and his mom speak mostly Spanish to him, so he's very fluent in two languages at the tender age of four!

 

Mister B proudly carrying the birthday cupcakes to his daddy.

I've been slowly bringing out my Easter/Spring decorations. That's the only way I seem to be able to get anything done these days as I've gotten older--bit by bit.  I'm always shocked at how many bunny-themed pieces I have when I let these cuties out of their storage drawer each spring--I swear they multiply over the winter :) 

 

Bunnies galore! Do you have a favorite?

So, that does it for the stitching and family news for this post... On to the next-to-the-last stop on our European adventure that we went on last September. This time we'll visit the beautiful...

 

Lake Como, Italy

 

This was an add-on trip to our Rhine River cruise and I jumped at the chance of going to this part of northern Italy. I think we've all heard about the beauty of the area and read about the wealthy residents that are lucky enough to live on the shores of this lovely lake. But... there was a problem with this particular stop on our journey--I was sick! I began getting a scratchy, sore throat while in Lucerne a few days earlier, but tried to ignore it hoping it would go away. Sadly, that was not the case and by the time we arrived by bus in Como, I was miserable--pale and feverish and just plain sick. I felt even sicker when we got to our hotel room and discovered that it was not overlooking the water, but faced an alley with a McDonald's at the corner! Yes--a McDonald's--not exactly what you travel 4265 miles for! Now, I grant you--it was not the typical red and yellow, golden arches type of McDonald's--there was just a small sign identifying it as McDonald's in a pretty stone building, but still... The hotel was all filled up so there was no hope of getting a better room. I actually flopped down on the bed and cried, telling my husband I just wanted to go home. We realized that flying while sick (I don't yet know if it was a bad cold or Covid) was not the best idea, so I agreed to stay. I went straight to bed, missing dinner, and slept and slept. By morning I felt a tiny bit better--well enough to venture outside.

 

That first morning, we went on a walking tour of Old Town Como. I barely recall what I saw being so ill, so I'll let the pictures speak for themselves...

 

Como's Old Town with La Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta (Duomo di Como) in the background

 

Such a picturesque alley!

 

Many of the ancient buildings had tiny balconies with attached flower boxes.

Oh, my! These cakes (seen through a bakery window) look too pretty to eat, don't they? 

One of the interesting stone murals found in Old Town Como.

After lunch, the famous lake called our names and we enjoyed a wonderful (although a bit chilly and windy) boat ride where we saw many breathtaking sights and homes.

Boating on the lovely Lake Como.

 

One mansion after another lines the shores of Lake Como.

Villa Oleandra, owned by actor George Clooney, is one of the most photographed spots on the lake.

Another must-see destination! The stunning gorge and waterfall that separates the two sides of the little village of Nesso. I so wish we would have had the time to explore this charming place.

A hillside view of the delightful village of Nesso

Looking like something out of a fairy tale, Villa La Cassinella, is the estate of billionaire, Richard Branson.

Another magnificent beauty gracing the shores of Lake Como.

We eventually reached our destination--the enchanting town of Bellagio, sometimes called "The Pearl of Lake Como." Oh, it was wonderful... filled with so much history and character. Sadly, the boat had to be back in Como by a certain time so we were limited to a mere 45 minutes of exploration time. Our group was very unhappy (to put it mildly)! This is a sad truth when you go on a guided tour--your time is not your own for very long. I truly hope to get back there some day for an extended visit, but it's not likely that will happen.

Pulling into port near the town of Bellagio, Italy.

Such a beautiful view at the top of this steep stairway. Lake Como is in the distance.

Loved the pastel walls and pots of flowering plants seen in Bellagio.

Lots of steep stairs and pretty alleyways greeted us.

Isn't this a pretty little scene with the top of an old church peeking out through the soft foliage?

I wish it had been sunnier and I had felt better, but I still enjoyed our day on Lake Como very much!

I think that's a good stopping point for today. I hope you enjoyed both my stitching and my travel photos! I always enjoy seeing other blogger's travel posts as there are just so many beautiful spots in the world that I will never be fortunate enough to travel to. I'll (finally!) wrap up my travelogue in my next post--hope to see you there. Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit today--your comments and emails certainly brighten my day when I see them. I truly appreciate each and every one of you! Wishing you a Happy April--may your days be sunny and bright. Bye for now...