Another long overdue post...

So much for trying to get back to my goal of twice a month blog posting! I think about posting often and then tell myself: "Oh, I'll do that tomorrow." And then the next day I repeat those exact words again--and again the following day! I always thought that I'd get things done in record time when I retired almost nine years ago, but instead I find myself procrastinating more than ever. Sometimes, I truly believe that I got more accomplished when I worked because I knew my free time was limited. Oh well... at least I've stitched a few things this month which I'll share with you today.

I'm finally caught up on my Christmas ornaments for the #12in26ornamentstitchalong that I host over on Instagram.  My finishes for July and August are by a new-to-me designer, Shannon Christine. Although I've had the chart called "December Christmas Club" in my stash for a long, long time, I'm just finally stitching the duo. Isn't this the cutest pair? 

My ornaments for July and August are finally finished

Stitched 'over one' on 25 count black Lugana, they are so small! The finished stitched area is 2 inches square. They will be perfect for the very top of my tree. When I was growing up, my mom always told us kids to put the tinier ornaments at the top of the Christmas tree and the larger ones on the bottom and I still follow her advice. I used all of the called for colors except for changing the suggested Kreinik gold braid in the stars to DMC 729. I made a twisted red and white cording and hung little silver jingle bells from the very bottom. Here are a couple of close-ups for you.

 

I love to bake--especially cookies! So this was a perfect choice to stitch for my July ornament.

 

These are the first Shannon Christine Designs that I have stitched--love how they turned out!

I can hardly believe that there are only four months of ornament stitching left for 2026...  Time--please... slow... down! Every year I tell myself I'm not going to stitch another dozen Christmas ornaments for my tree, but I can't seem to stop--I'm addicted!

All ready for Christmas--which is four months from today!

Have you ever had a piece flow so smoothly that you felt sad when you were all finished? One where you loved everything about it from the colors to the motifs to the fact that not once did you have to rip out stitches? Well, this sweet design was that rare "perfect piece" for me. The Scarlett House designed "Simple Sampler Series #1" and I truly enjoyed every stitch. I stitched this on 40 ct. woodland brown Newcastle (sadly discontinued) with most of the suggested colors. I did change the gold of the hives and bees to Classic Colorworks "Queen Bee" (perfect name for a bee-themed piece of stitching, don't you think?) and GAST "Baby Spinach" for the green grass, stems, and leaves.

Aren't the colors lovely in this piece?

It is not a large piece, but I'm thinking a simple black frame might show it off nicely. I had hoped to find a frame the right size in my stash, but--no such luck! So, I'm on the hunt for the perfect one. This second photo is a truer representation of what the fabric looks like--I love how well white shows up on it.

Another bee finish for my collection

My six-year-old grandson, Mister B, visited us for a week earlier this month and we had a great time in spite of a lot of rainy weather. We played games (he and I played an endless game of Star Wars Monopoly--he is a major Star Wars fan), went to the zoo, visited a local farm to pet the goats and get some delicious locally grown corn and peaches, and went to my middle son's apartment in the city for pizza, video games, and a visit with Spike, the tuxedo cat. My youngest son (Mister B's uncle) was visiting us that same week and he and Mister B built the best space base and spaceships out of the old Legos that I had saved from my sons' growing up years. I'm not sure who had more fun... 6-year-old Mister B or my 38-year-old youngest son! 

Fun times at the zoo with Mister B! He was fascinated by the pair of cheetahs in the lower left photo. And that is a young wallaby in the lower right. 

 

My favorite animal was this anteater. Such an interesting color pattern and my, was he ever busy searching out ants and termites to eat. Did you know their tongues can measure up to 2 feet long?!

We took another outing to a local farm market where Mister B got to pet the goats. He was a bit hesitant at first, but quickly warmed up to feeding and touching them.

The corn we got at the farm market was locally grown and oh-so-tasty! I can't say the same for our homegrown corn... It was the first time my husband had attempted to grow it and let's just say, it's a "work in progress." The ears were so tiny as you can see displayed alongside the ruler below. The largest ear was just three inches long and the taste--well, let's just say I'm not sure I'd even feed it to cows! I think my husband might try growing corn again next year--we'll see. Do any of you have any tips to pass on? 

Okay... try not to laugh! This was our corn crop. Luckily, we didn't expect much since this was my husband's first attempt at growing corn :) 

Our tomato crop, though, was a whole different story. When I say "our," I actually mean my husband's--he gets all the credit! He had a bumper crop this year with plantings both in his fenced-in vegetable garden and in this large planter next to our house. Just look at how tall these tomato vines got... They would have grown up and over the roof if he hadn't cut them off! He actually had to climb a ladder to pick the tomatoes at the very top.

Sadly, I'm not a tomato eater, but my husband's tomato crop was certainly robust this summer.

 

Looking so pretty after a fresh rainfall.

 

Is it silly to cry over a tree? Well, if so, then I'm very silly. Please tell me I'm not the only one who cries over trees... We had to cut down a 55-year-old tree that had brought so much joy over the years. You see, it was growing much to close to our garage. The huge roots were causing the driveway and sidewalk and foundation of our house to heave upward bringing cracks and uneven surfaces. Cracks were even starting to appear at the corners of windows in our nearby family room. So, out it came... But, boy, did I cry as I sat at my bedroom window and watched the tree cutters dismantle it branch by branch. I think that it represented so much more to me than a simple tree--it meant change. And I don't like change. And I know that in these next ten or fifteen years even more major changes will be coming to our lives as we age and have to think about leaving this wonderful house we've been blessed to live in for the past 42 years. In every season, this old poplar tree on the far right in each photo brought joy. I truly miss it.  

Spring of 2021

 

Summer of 2019

Fall of 2023

Winter of 2020

What remains is a large pile of wood chips, a torn up driveway from the tree's damage to a drain pipe which had to be replaced, and a big vacant spot--both in the landscape and in my heart. We will be installing a new concrete driveway this fall (something my husband has dreamed of for years) and then working on the landscaping next spring. 

And today 🙁😢😔

I was going to take you on a tour of some more of our Italy trip, but I think this post is already long enough! Next time :) I'll leave you with a couple of family photos that make me smile--I hope you'll enjoy them, too!  Wishing you a September filled with sunshine and just warm enough to make for some special last days of summer 2026. Thank you all for visiting, for saying hello via email and your sweet comments, and just for taking the time to read my little blog! Bye for now...

My oldest son with Baby N on his very first visit to the Atlantic Ocean in early August. He absolutely loves the water!

  

This may be my favorite photo from my youngest son's wedding back in June. Baby N (then 13 months) with his big brother Mister B (almost 6). Baby N was with a babysitter most of the time, but he did join us briefly after the ceremony for a few photos.  Is his little outfit with the cap and tiny black shoes not the cutest?