A couple of patriotic finishes and a magical wedding!

Good morning, all! At least I think it's morning... We've been back from my youngest son's wedding for over a week now and my body and mind still haven't recovered from the effects of jet lag. Just when I think I'm back to normal, a wave of exhaustion hits me at random times during the day. That's what happens when you travel to a time zone six hours ahead of the one you live in! So, where were we? I'll share my stitching finishes with you and then move on to the wedding...

As soon as I saw this sweet design, I knew I had to stitch it! This is "She Stitched the Stars" by Needle Treasures Nook and it is stitched on 40 ct. raw natural Newcastle linen with the suggested colors. I did make a few changes, though. I aligned the stars in the arc to be symmetrical, stitched the dates using a smaller font, and added another little shoe instead of the draped fabric that was charted. 

"She Stitched the Stars" 

This stitched up very quickly and it was nice to have just two colors to keep track of! I debated as to what color of trim to add, but ended up with a simple ecru color cording tied in the corner with a rusty star glued on top of the hanging strands. Simple and sweet, don't you think? And a perfect way to commemorate America's 250th birthday coming up in July.

My second finish is one that has been a long time coming... I'm not quite sure when I actually finished the stitching on this one, but it's been a while. I came across it after we returned from the wedding and decided it was high time I fully finish it. "Grand Olde Flag" by With Thy Needle and Thread is stitched "over" one on 28 ct. black Monaco fabric with the suggested threads. I just love how tiny it came out! The stitched portion is only about 4 inches square. I debated about how to finish it and was leaning toward a pillow with ruched ribbon trim, but decided I would frame it instead.

"Grand Olde Flag" by With Thy Needle and Thread

This is a thrifted frame that I've used for two previous finishes--I just pop out the back checkered board and insert another. A great money saver... And another money saver is how often I repurpose my sons' old flannel shirts for backing a finish. That's what I used behind the stitched portion in this piece. Having had three sons who grew up in the '80s and '90s (when flannel and plaid shirts worn unbuttoned over a white t-shirt was so popular), I have a never ending supply of flannel. In fact I have a whole cupboard full of their old cut-up shirts just waiting to be used for future finishes!

How about my fellow Americans? Are you stitching anything patriotic for the 250th birthday this year? I have a few more tiny things I hope to have all finished up to share with you in July. After that, I'm moving on to fall and Christmas stitching.

   ♥ On to the wedding! ♥

A most special weekend... I had so many of you hoping to see wedding photos that I put together this little recap  for you. The wedding of my youngest son and new daughter-in-law was held in a fairytale setting at a castle in the beautiful hills of Tuscany.

Yes, their wedding took place in Italy!

Oh, my... I don't think any of us have come back down to earth yet. Every little detail was so well done--just perfect, really. I'll share some photos to give you a better idea of what this enchanting weekend entailed... 

Castello Banfi il Borgo was the perfect setting for my youngest son's wedding on June 6th. Some of the interior rooms have been renovated to act as hotel rooms and we were lucky enough to stay in a beautiful suite.

 

What a view! Our room was down on the bottom left of this steep slope--right across from an outdoor breakfast/lunch area.

 

Everywhere you look, the countryside provided picture-perfect views.

 

Me relaxing before the wedding on Saturday. I was, surprisingly, not nervous at all! By then, my attitude was, "What will be, will be."

 

The festivities began with the rehearsal dinner on Friday night which all 80+ guests were invited to. It was a fun pizza party with yummy salads, cheeses, and tiramisu for dessert. There was a three piece jazz ensemble playing background music and, of course, speeches were made toasting the soon-to-be-married couple.

This rustic courtyard was the setting for the rehearsal dinner.

 

The red checkered tablecloths lent a casual, cheerful atmosphere to the party.

 

The fresh tomatoes and white candles were such a fun, quick, and easy centerpiece. My little grandsons loved reaching over and plucking off the juicy tomatoes and popping them into their mouths!

 

The party went on into the evening accompanied by music from a jazz trio and speeches by family and friends. 

 

The wedding day... More perfect weather couldn't have been scheduled for the actual wedding day--puffy white clouds dotted the sunny, blue skies with temperatures in the mid to high-70s.

The bride and groom couldn't have asked for a more idyllic setting in which to exchange their vows 

 

A close-up of the aisle and seating area. Pretty parasols were even provided for sun coverage. Honestly, there were so many thoughtful details sprinkled throughout the day.

 

The newlyweds! What a handsome couple--even with their faces blurred (at their request). And her dress--absolutely stunning! I loved the burgundy calla lilies adorning her bouquet and his boutonniere, too. My husband and I walked our son down the aisle and it wasn't until we kissed him at the end of it that I shed a few tears. 

 

My husband and I were all smiles after the ceremony. I think we clean up pretty well for two 71 year olds :) And almost 6-year-old  Mister B, my oldest grandson, was beaming as the proud ring bearer. After all my agonizing over buying a dress, I ended up with this simple black knit one with a pearl and rhinestone embellished neckline that I found at Nordstrom. (You can see some close-up views of it on their website right here). It was SO comfortable and the only dress of the ten that I tried on that felt like me. Most were either too matronly or too prom-like. This one traveled perfectly and had a simple, but elegant look that I thought suited a black-tie (optional) wedding.

The reception... After the wedding ceremony took place and the photographers finished with the family and bridal party photos, the reception was held in the courtyard of the castle. It began with "aperitivo,"  a traditional Italian pre-dinner cocktail hour with drinks and small bites.  Aperitivo is intended to "open your stomach and stimulate your appetite before the main meal." I don't think I had a single appetizer--I was too busy talking and catching up with family members I hadn't seen in years! We then moved on to the stunningly set dinner table for a feast of veal, eggplant parmesan, or turbot. 

 

One of the most charming scenes of the day was the shape of the table for the reception dinner--so soft and lovely. Can you spot my son and daughter-in-law checking to make sure all the place settings are perfect?

 

Beautiful crystal chandeliers, floral centerpieces, and personalized menus (with our names inscribed on the burgundy ribbons!) added an elegant touch to the table.

 

The meal was delicious and it was so enjoyable just chatting and relaxing as the sun set over the castle.

After the delicious dinner, complete with speeches by the matron of honor and the two best men (my two older sons shared that honor), we moved to a grassy area for cake and a big surprise!

 

Instead of a traditional wedding cake, an Italian Millefoglie cake was served. Oh, my! So scrumptious... My husband actually ate four (yes, four!) pieces of it. It was fun because my son and daughter-in-law got to help make it themselves! The cake consisted of two layers of vanilla cream custard layered between three layers of delicate puff pastry. That part of the cake was waiting for them on the table and then they smothered the top of the cake with fresh berries and sifted powdered sugar over the whole thing. I may just have to try making this at home! 

 

Surprise! Surprise! No one knew fireworks were coming except for the newlyweds and their wedding planner. As the cork popped on the celebratory bottle of champagne, the fireworks began lighting up the sky in the valley below. And yes... I actually gasped (and I wasn't the only one!) It truly felt like something out of a movie!

 

I have to admit, I teared up when the fireworks began. The surprise of them was simply breathtaking!

And finally, the celebration concluded with lots of joyful dancing on the black and white checkered dance floor as my oldest grandson, Mister B, showed us his (very impressive!) moves. A fun trio including a trumpet player, a saxaphonist, and a drummer played along to music chosen by the couple. Baby N missed out on the festivities--he was with two wonderful Italian babysitters who cared for him during the wedding and reception. 

  

Mister B showing all the grown ups how it's done! I think the videographers got more footage of him on the dance floor than anyone else. 

The band, the fireworks, and the entire weekend left us with huge smiles on our faces.

We left the party close to 1:00 AM tired, but fulfilled... The whole weekend couldn't have gone more perfectly. It still amazes me at the amount of planning and decision-making that goes into a wedding and, suddenly, it's all over in 8 or 9 short hours. My son and daughter-in-law went through a lot of ups and downs working with the Italian wedding planner over the past year... There was the time difference to contend with, the language barrier now and then, and different expectations on both sides. Would they do a destination wedding again? I don't know... but, for those of us lucky enough to attend, it was truly a magical experience to remember forever! ♥ I am so happy to have a new daughter-in-law in the family and I wish them many years of love and laughter ahead! ♥

I'm a small-town girl having grown up in a village with just one traffic light in southwestern New York. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined having a son who would some day get married at a castle in Italy. There is something so peaceful and calming about the Tuscany region... My husband and I were blessed to be able to stay on for another week after the wedding and explore many of the small hill towns in the area. I'll be sharing more photos in future posts of our post-wedding travels so I hope you'll come back soon!

 

Until then, I'll leave you with a few final photos taken at the wonderful Castello Banfi il Borgo. Tuscany has captured my heart and I truly hope to return some day!

 

This was the view from our bedroom window at the castle.

The castle: enchanting from every angle

 

 

Thank you, Tuscany, for providing the perfect setting for a magical wedding weekend for all!

Thank you so much for visiting me today! After two weeks away, I'm doing my best to catch up on reading your blogs and seeing what you all have been up to. Enjoy this last bit of June, my friends--another year is passing by way too quickly! Take care of yourselves. Bye for now...

Stitching the summer away

Hello all! How is your July going so far? Ten days in and it's been a hot month here so far... But, I'm not complaining--after the horrible flooding rains in Texas, New Mexico, and North Carolina and the wildfires burning up parts of California,  I feel very lucky to live in a part of the country that rarely has to deal with natural disasters. It's been heartbreaking reading about the girls' camp and loss of so many lives in Texas hill country, hasn't it? Almost beyond belief that this could happen in the age of modern communications, cell phones, and such. That river rose so very fast (26 feet in 45 minutes), that many stood no chance at all. 

I turn to thoughts of my sweet grandsons to bring me peace during these sad, sad times. Mister B just celebrated his fifth birthday this week and Baby N, now two months old, is growing by leaps and bounds. I so look forward to the daily photos and videos that my son and daughter-in-law send--I'm just itching to see those darling boys again. And it won't be long! We'll soon be gathering for our annual triple birthday celebration for my husband, my youngest son, and my oldest grandson--we all look forward to it every year!

I've been busy finishing up Baby N's birth sampler. My plan was to finish it by Christmas, but I should have it framed and gifted by the end of August. I'm actually ahead of schedule for a change! My daughter-in-law chose this vintage-looking sampler pattern for her youngest son, and although that checkerboard border tried my patience, I really loved stitching the little trucks and train. May I present "Fire Engine" by Historical Sampler Company in England. Luckily, I was able to purchase and download the chart from The Fat Quarter Shop which made it quick and easy to obtain. There was a cross stitch alphabet included for personalization, but Baby N's name is too long to fit, so I chose to do a simpler straight stitched and back-stitched alphabet which is one of my favorites. I did make a couple of minor changes, but if you like the look of this font, you can find it right here. 

Baby N's birth sampler: "Fire Engine" by Historical Sampler Company

It is stitched on 40 ct. soft ivory Newcastle with all of the suggested colors. Here is a close-up of the border and two of the trucks. I'm thinking about getting a dark blue frame for this one. What do you think?

Such cute little motifs--I hope Baby N likes cars and trucks as much as his big brother does!

I do have a question for you, though... Look at the train--each car is sitting separately. Should I join them with straight stitches or leave as is? As my husband pointed out, there are two engines going in two different directions so which one is pulling it? I keep going back and forth as to what to do! I'd love to know your thoughts! 

I'm planning on framing this in a simple dark blue frame.

I also stitched a couple of cute designs and made them into birthday cards. The one on the left, "Hello Spring," (by Cherry Hill Stitchery) can be found in the Spring 2023 issue of Punch Needle and Primitive Stitcher magazine. I used 40 ct. soft ivory Newcastle with my choice of threads. For interest, I added little gold beads to the centers of some of the flowers. And the blue bird on the right is from a JBW Designs kit called "Sweet Springtime Songbird. I used most of the suggested colors for this one and stitched it on 40 ct. soft ivory Newcastle (I seem to be using that fabric a lot lately!). Adding some simple bows and pink gingham ribbon to the card fronts helps make them a bit more special, don't you think?

A couple of sweet stitched birthday cards

And! I have another framed finish to share with you today. I had stitched "Fourth of July Picnic" back in 2023, and, for me, a two year wait is not bad at all. I think this is one of my all-time favorite pieces--it's just so charming with that sweet girl, the little brown pup, and the button flowers. If you'd like to read about my finish from two years ago, you can find it right here. 

My framed finish of "Fourth of July Picnic" by Samplers Not Forgotten

 

I ordered the ridged gray and white frame from one of my favorite online stores, Franken Frames, which I've linked to many times before. This isn't a huge piece so the framing was quite easy and I love how it turned out! I always use the framing tutorial that Brenda Gervais offered on her old blog which you can still find by clicking here. It's really not difficult at all--and what a huge money saver it is to frame things yourself! Give it a try! 

The newly framed piece fit in perfectly with one of my patriotic displays in my kitchen corner cupboard.

Due to our over-abundance of rain earlier in the summer and now our very hot temperatures, our garden is not looking all that great. Some of the plants and flowers that my husband planted didn't even come up  and he's had just one lone ripe tomato so far (with very few on the way). Oh, well, some years are like that... There are some pretty flowers blooming in the fenced in vegetable/flower garden, though, which have made for nice cutting flowers to brighten my kitchen. I'm so appreciative that my husband puts in all the effort for us when it comes to flowers. I am just not a gardener :) 

Some of the pretty daisies, hydrangeas, and bachelor's buttons that we cut and bring inside for our table.

We have milkweed growing in the garden in an attempt to lure  monarch butterflies. I was so excited to see one perched briefly on the milkweed (even if I was too slow to get a photo of it).

And, I'd like to introduce you to our two newest residents... 

We so enjoy seeing the spotted fawn twins romping around our yard. They have the best time leaping and prancing as they chase each other around the pond.

Hope you all have a relaxing weekend ahead and can stay cool inside and just s-t-i-t-c-h! Can't imagine my life without this wonderful hobby, can you? Thanks so much for dropping by and taking the time to say "hello!" And thank you for all of the kind comments on my Milan, Italy post last time. I owe several of you emails--hope to get to those soon! I'll be back at the end of the month with my Christmas ornaments for June and July--fingers crossed! Bye for now...

One last summer finish...

And suddenly... summer is drawing to an end. I know, I know, summer doesn't technically end until September 22nd, but, to me, it ends today--August 31st. The way the light filters into the house is changing, there is a nip in the air in the mornings, the sounds of the school buses fill the air, and darkness falls earlier and earlier with each passing day. Oh, how I'll miss the summer season... But, I know many, many of you are counting the days until you have much cooler, less rainy weather. We've had a beautiful summer here in western Pennsylvania with more sunshine and less rain that usual--and much less humidity which is always a win-win in my book! The older I get, the less I can tolerate the humidity. It's been such a nice summer here that we've only used our air conditioning maybe five or six days! 

It's been a while since my last post (a whole month to be exact!), but I assure you, I have been stitching. In fact I have one last large summer finish which I've been working on for almost two months. This patriotic piece "Land of the Free" is by Willow Hill Samplings and is stitched on 40 ct. vintage country mocha Newcastle linen. I did change some of the colors: the blue house is stitched with GAST "Old Blue Paint," the red house is done in GAST "Old Red Paint with a roof in CC "Baking Tin," the white house is WDW "Light Khaki" and the greenish/gray house is painted in the called for colors of GAST "Old Hickory" and "Chamomile." I changed a few of the doors and windows here and there--I felt like a little girl with my crayons and coloring book at times!

A beautiful late summer finish

 

This is such an endearing design, don't you think? My favorite motifs are the charming little couples--a young woman saying farewell to her sweetheart in scenes from four different eras. Below, you can see the long blue gown, lace cap, and tricorn hat of the Revolutionary War couple on the left. And then next to the red house are the Civil War garbed man and woman.

Aren't those little people the cutest?!

And in the photo below are the couples from World War I next to the white house and World War II on the far right. I just think they add so much to the entire piece!

Such a pretty border, don't you think?

 

And, of course, I love the sentiment: "The land of the free because of the brave." Now, let me tell you one thing (or a lot of things to be exact!) that I did not love:  those tiny little leaves about drove me crazy! Yikes! But, I persevered and got them done and I'm so pleased with the final look...

Which house is your favorite? You know me--I love the blue one!

I purchased "Land of the Free" from  this Etsy shop, but sadly, it appears that the designer has closed her shop as she recently lost her husband. I hope Kim and her family are healing and that she'll reopen her Etsy shop at some point--she is such a talented designer.

The land of the free because of the brave

 

Have you ever noticed that sometimes little surprises come into your life when you most need them? To be honest, I've been feeling a bit "down" this entire summer. All of the horrible natural disasters going on in the world have really affected me. Growing older has affected me. Lack of sleep has affected me. I just haven't felt quite like myself. Well, imagine my smile when I opened this wonderful package from my sweet friend in Arizona? She sent me three wooden frames that she thought I would like along with a wonderful ceramic cardinal frame which she said reminded her of me. Won't it be perfect for a photo of my dad? She also sent a collection of the cutest little floss tags--they are all dairy-themed which bring back memories of my childhood. I grew up in a very small town with many dairy farms in the countryside that surrounded it. A visit to one of the local dairy farms was always a staple for class field trips during my elementary school years. I want to thank my friend so very much for her random act of  kindness--it really came at the perfect time!

A surprise package of goodies from my sweet friend in Arizona!

Giveaway winner... Way back at the end of July, I offered this cute Lizzie Kate kit as a giveaway. I enjoyed reading everyone's answers to the "Getting To Know You" question about one thing that instantly makes your day better.  Thank you to all who participated! I had quite a few entries, but the name drawn from the hat is... 

Barbara from Wolverine Lake, MI

Barbara from Lake Wolverine--you are the winner!

Congratulations, Barbara! You are the winner of this sweet Lizzie Kate kit. I hope you enjoy stitching it! Please send me your mailing address (my email is in my sidebar under "View My Complete Profile") and I'll pop the chart in the mail to you early next week. And for those of you who didn't win this time, please check future posts as I'll have more things to pass on.

Any advice on... insomnia? Oh, it's gotten bad this year. I can usually fall asleep just fine, but I wake up around 3 AM and can't fall back to sleep for hours--sometimes not at all. This is really taking a toll on me. My mind just won't shut off and I worry about everything under the sun. Does anyone have any advice? I have taken those little melatonin gummies from time to time and they seem to help a bit, but I don't want to become reliant on them. Reading does help sometimes as it distracts my mind for at least a little while. But, it's a real problem that seems to be getting worse. I hope someone can tell me what has helped them.

I'll leave you with a few photos of my end-of-summer flowers to brighten your day...

Amazingly, now that summer is almost over--my hydrangeas have decided to bloom!

Some pretty phlox also made an appearance. It had been hiding behind some ferns for years and when we removed some of them, this beauty made its appearance!

I'm not sure what these are. Does anyone know? They look like some sort of petunia and they've really put on a show in the window box on our garden shed.

A busy little bee gathering pollen from one of the few remaining sunflowers.

On to September! It's going to be a busy month for my family... Believe it or not my little grandson is going to be starting pre-school next Tuesday! I know... how can that be? He's going to be attending just two mornings a week, but it will be a big change for him. He and his mom and dad (my oldest son) will also be moving into their newly renovated home the following week so that will make for lots of changes at the same time for one little 3-year-old. Luckily, the new house is just around the corner from the house they were renting so at least his neighborhood and friends will remain the same. Next weekend my entire family will be home for a few days and we'll then be traveling to Ohio for a memorial service for my in-laws. It will be nice to see some relatives that I haven't seen in many years. But, it will be a sad time, too. Hard to believe my mother-in-law has been gone almost a year now... What's on your calendar for the new month?

I didn't get a chance to thank each of you personally for your sweet comments on my last post, so I want to do that now. Thank you so very much--each and every one of you! I do appreciate the time to you take in commenting (or "trying" to comment as I know Blogger can often be temperamental in even allowing some of you to comment!). Take care everyone! I hope you have a wonderful month ahead! Bye for now...

Six months down, six to go!

And just like that... the year's half over! Can you believe it? Tomorrow marks the first day of July and the beginning of the second half of 2023. I really can't say much good about the first half of the year so here's hoping the second is better! Anyway, it's been one busy, busy month. As always there has been some good and some bad happenings in my world. Both, have led to very little stitching time, though, and I only have one teeny-tiny finish to share with you today which is my Christmas ornament for July. If it looks familiar--yes, I've stitched it before. But, it was stitched way back in 2011 and given away as a Christmas gift. 

I'd never forgotten that sweet Jeannette Douglas design (from the 2011 Just Cross Stitch ornament issue) and decided this busy month would be the perfect time to stitch it for myself. It measures a mere 2 inches by 3 1/2 inches and will be perfect for hanging near the top of my Christmas tree where I like to place the smallest ornaments. This only took me one day to stitch up and the following day, the purple beads were added and I made it into a little pillow. The fabric wasn't my favorite--a mystery 32 ct. gray linen that was very floppy. I prefer my linen to be stiffer. There was some 'over one' stitching including the word "Noel" and the tiny chickadee in the upper right corner.

"Noel Stamp" ornament finish for June

Here is a closer look at the cute chickadee and some of the purple Mill Hill beads. I finished this one very simply with some purple cording in DMC 3740 and then added a bit of black and white checked ribbon in the left corner. I was going to go with purple ribbon, but decided I liked the way the black and white picked up the colors of the bird.

Look how adorable that tiny chickadee is!

So, there you have it--six months of ornaments down, six to go! Time to look through my ornament charts and pick out my next design. I have an entire folder full of smaller Christmas charts that I'd like to stitch as ornaments one day, so it makes it easy.

What else kept me busy this month? Who knows what this stack is?

I'm going to be busy with framing!

I've been framed!  I finally took the time to measure some of my finishes and order frames for them. I've gotten a bit more confident with my framing through the years and have decided to tackle more of my framing myself. Oh, I'll still send out the most special pieces for professional framing, but many I'll be attempting to do myself. I've ordered this bunch of frames from Franken Frames online and I'm very happy with what I received. Each one was precisely made to my exact measurements (within 1/16th of an inch!) and the whole turn around time took under took two weeks. Franken Frames has some great sales and this one was for 30% off the frames plus half price shipping. They also send out free samples (1-2" lengths) upon request making it easy to decide what frame will do justice to your finished stitching. For these seven custom-made frames I paid just $70 plus $24 shipping. Isn't that great?

Seven new custom-made frames just waiting for my cross stitch.

You can tell I really liked this particular style as I ordered three frames in various sizes. It is such a pretty moulding and I think some of the fall Prairie Schooler pieces that I've stitched will look perfect in them. No, I'm not being compensated by Franken Frames in the least--I just think a good company deserves recognition and I love that they're made right here in the U.S.A. Their communications and customer service were both excellent. I will definitely be ordering again... Check them out if you need any new frames!

Won't these be lovely filled with autumn-themed stitching?

And do you see the silvery frame on the right front corner in the picture of all seven frames? It's already been matched with a piece of stitching from last year. I stitched "All American" by Primrose Cottage Stitchers last summer with the best of intentions of framing it and giving it to my oldest son and his family for the Fourth of July 2022. But... you know how that goes! So, I was thrilled when I noticed that this frame fit that piece of stitching perfectly. You see, I had actually ordered that particular frame for another piece, but it was just too heavy looking for the delicate stitching in that one. Thankfully, this worked out just fine and I can't wait to give it to my son, daughter-in-law, and grandson next week! If you'd like to read about the details of this patriotic piece, please check out my post from July 2, 2022 because I did make a few changes.

I framed "All American" yesterday and it will be going to its new home next week.

When I stitch framed pieces and give them as gifts, I like to cover the back of the frame with a pretty scrapbook paper. I then add little tags that I've created online to the back to make the gift even more special. (This one has July 2022 as the date because that is when I actually stitched it).

The little label that I made for the back of "All American"

Giveaway winner... my last bit of stitching news is to announce the winner of the Patriotic Angel chart which I offered last time. Thank you to all who entered and answered the "Getting To Know You" question--it was fun reading about your favorite foods (and I applaud many of you who seem to be much healthier eaters than I)! The winner's name pulled from the hat this time is...

Catherine

Congratulations to Catherine--you are the winner of "Patriotic Angel"

Congratulations, Catherine! You are the winner of this beautiful angel chart--can't wait to see her all stitched up. Please send me your mailing address (my email is in my sidebar under "View My Complete Profile") and I'll pop the chart in the mail to you early next week! 

 

RIP dear Honda CRV--you served me well for 13 years.

So, I mentioned some bad happenings in my life this month and the worst is that my 2010 Honda CRV is gone. It was recalled by Honda for rust underneath the chassis so we took it into the repair shop two weeks ago. Little did I know that that was the final time I would be driving that car. When the repair shop examined it, they deemed it unfixable--apparently I'd been driving around in a death trap for who knows how long! The suspension could have just completely broken or fallen out at any time the rust was so bad! We were very upset as the car (in our eyes) was in excellent shape. It had never been in an accident, the interior and (what we could see of) the exterior was perfect. I drive so little these days that we had planned on keeping it as long as possible because it was doing just fine. Or so we thought... Honda said they will be "buying back" the car from us, but we've received (after a full two weeks!) absolutely no information as to how much they'll be giving us. The whole process is very frustrating to say the least.

Whatever the amount, it won't be enough money to compensate for losing a car that we had expected to keep for several more years. All those memories... a car that had safely carried me through 11 years of 600-mile round-trip travels to visit my mom and dad in New York as their health was declining, a car that had seen us make many trips to the beach and to visit colleges with our sons, a car that I was truly comfortable with and didn't want to lose. I am one of those folks who hates change and to have to purchase a new car at this point in my life is upsetting. Whatever we end up with, it will, most likely, be my last car as we tend to keep our cars for years and years. I'll keep you posted... And for all of you Honda CRV owners (years 2007 to 2011 models), please be aware of this recall. For more information, you can read this article.

Cough, cough... We've been dealing with terrible smoky air from the Canadian wildfires again this week; in fact Pittsburgh was one of the worst cities in the world for air quality over the past two days. The entire state was issued a "Code Red" warning and yesterday morning the reading from the Environmental Protection Agency was 247--even worse than the Code Red warning! 

The main thing I noticed over the past few days was the smell... Not a smoky smell, but a distinct odor of chemicals in the air. The retired librarian in me kicked in and I did a bit of research... Apparently, the smoke from the wildfires includes Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that interact with UV radiation. When this interaction occurs benzene and formaldehyde compounds are created in the atmosphere, toxic air pollutants that can be very hazardous to human and animal health. And the smell that is created when this happens is one of chemicals and plastic. Very sad to think that this might be a problem we'll be dealing with for a while... They say the Canadian wildfires will be burning all summer. Needless to say, I've stayed inside with the windows closed. I did venture out to check on the garden and had to come inside after a mere 5 minutes as my eyes started to burn.

I always try to end my posts on a positive note, though... We so enjoyed our grandson's visits this month--Mister B was here for a total of 10 days over two visits. On this last visit we took him to a local farmer's market (twice!) where the photo below was taken. He absolutely adores animals and he  loved feeding the baby goat and seeing the gigantic black and white pig that reside there. What you can't see in the photo below is that, with his other hand, he is holding his nose--he may have loved the goats and pigs, but he sure didn't enjoy their odor! It was so funny!

Mister B feeding the baby goat at a local farm market

I hope all of my U.S. friends have a relaxing and fun Fourth of July on Tuesday. We are going to be getting a lot of rain over the next four days so I hope to find more time to stitch. Thank you for stopping by today and for saying "hello" in your emails and comments! I really appreciate hearing from each one of you.  Hope July is a good month for all!  Bye for now...