Mud, sweat, and tears

Hello, my friends... I'm slowly getting back to feeling more like myself, but the events of the last four weeks really "took the wind out of my sails," so to speak. First of all, I want to thank you all for your thoughtful words on my previous post on the loss of my mother-in-law and of our family home to Hurricane Ian in Florida. I truly meant to reply to each of you, but just couldn't gather my thoughts. I've been missing from both the blogging world and Instagram for almost a month, but am trying to get back to normal life once again. The good news is that I never lost my stitching mojo--that is one thing that has brought me true comfort over the past month. So, why not start with something happy--I have a finish! And it's a big one! 

I've mentioned time and time again that Prairie Schooler designs are my "comfort stitching." The designs are just so classic and special that I rarely change a color or anything in the design itself. You just pick up your needle, thread, and fabric--and stitch away! Their Christmas designs are, far and away, my favorites. I began "Christmas Village" last fall and got about 2/3 of it done. This fall, I decided my goal was to have it finished by Christmas. And here it is!

Prairie Schooler's "Christmas Village" finish stitched on 40 ct. antique white Newcastle linen

 

I love all the tiny details in this finish: the wreaths hanging from the houses and doors, the prancing deer in that never-ending forest of green pine trees, the flock of geese honking overhead, the Christmas trees all lit up and shining in the windows, the old-fashioned horse-drawn sleighs. And don't forget that cute snowman with his blue scarf blowing in the wind!

Love those leaping deer!

In the meadow you can build a snowman

 

The only change I made to this one (other than a few colors in the window frames) was to add a chimney and some billowing smoke to the schoolhouse. For some reason that was the only building without a chimney (perhaps school wasn't in session?).  The trees in this piece took on a life of their own! Oh, my--I counted 72 of them (including the ones in the sleighs)! Anyway, they really define the piece and were well worth the effort. This will be framed and I may just leave it up all year. It's a classic, don't you think? Which house is your favorite? Of course, I choose the one in the upper middle with the blue door and the Christmas tree lighting up the front window!

Now, that's a lot of trees! 72 of them!

Giveaway winner... It seems like a long, long time ago, but I did offer a giveaway in my September post. Thank you to all who participated and answered the "Getting To Know You" question on your artistic (or lack of as in my case!) abilities. It was fun to read your answers and learn some new things about you! This fall Lizzie Kate alphabet chart was up for grabs and the winner's name pulled from the hat was...

Leonore (in Germany)

Leonore--you are the winner! Please send me your mailing address and I'll get this chart sent off to you as soon as possible.

I have also been working on some little Christmas gifts in the form of ornaments and cards--such a nice diversion from thinking about the sadness that has overwhelmed our family for the past month. As I mentioned in my last post, Hurricane Ian flooded our family home in Naples, Florida (where my in-laws had lived for over 30 years) on September 28th. And just two days later, my dear mother-in-law passed away, thankfully never knowing that her beloved home was so thoroughly damaged. My in-laws hadn't lived in Florida since they moved back north for health reasons in late 2019. Both were residing in assisted living and then a nursing home where my father-in-law died in July of last year.

My mother-in-law's death has affected me more than I expected. Perhaps it is because she was the last of our parents. There is no one ahead of us--we're up next and that scares me a bit. I keep thinking of questions I should have asked of her (and of my own mother) and now will never get the chance. My mother-in-law raised four amazing sons and each gathered to say goodbye to her on that final day of September. As the sun slowly set and we knew her time was near, we turned on a small light in the corner of her room. Each son surrounded her bedside, holding her hands, patting her legs, and stroking her forehead. They told her they were all there and she could now let go and rest in peace. And within minutes, she took her final breath and passed away surrounded by the soft sounds of crying from family members. This was the only death I have ever witnessed and it was a very powerful experience. I felt honored to be there with her four beloved sons, my sweet sister-in-law, and several of her grandchildren. I'll never, ever forget the experience, I know that...

My mother-in-law was the opposite of me in many ways. She was outgoing and gregarious and loved to entertain and go to parties. I am shy and introverted and prefer my own company most of the time. She participated in sports such as tennis and skiing. And she was good at them! She also loved to cook and bake (I did have the latter in common with her!).  She absolutely adored babies--I remember being so envious of her ability to calm down my  oldest son when he was a crying infant as I hopelessly stared on as a brand-new, exhausted, and very nervous young mother. She and my father-in-law treated their entire family to a week's vacation at the beach in the Outer Banks of North Carolina for over 30 years. That is the main reason my sons know their cousins (who are scattered all over the U.S.) so well. She lived a very full 94 years, but had been in a great deal of pain for the past few years and she was very much ready to go. Even so, it's never easy to say goodbye, is it?

My mother-in-law meeting Baby B for the first time on her 93rd birthday in May of 2021.

One of my favorite photos of the two of us was taken in 2007 at a dinner before my niece's wedding.

 

This is how I want to remember my in-laws--sitting in the corner of their kitchen in Florida welcoming everyone who stopped by. This photo was taken in May 2018 on my mother-in-law's 90th birthday--the final time most of the family visited their Florida home together. May they both rest in peace...

So... Hurricane Ian. What can I say? There sure have been a lot of tears over the past four weeks. The hurricane made land north of our family home in Naples on September 28th, 2022. There was little damage from wind in the Naples area, but the homes near the beach (ours is just five blocks away) were severely flooded from the storm surge. All the older Florida-style one-story ranch homes like ours were affected, but the newer homes which were built up at least 5 or 6 feet higher came through with only flooding in their garages and cars. We had seen a video taken two days later (by the cleaning lady who helped with our Airbnb rentals) and it just made you shake your head to see the power and destruction of water. But, to see the damage in person, was so much worse. 

My husband and I flew down to Florida for a week in mid-October to assess the damage for ourselves. Fortunately, the one-bedroom/one bath apartment above the garage was not damaged at all so we were able to stay right on the property. We were just devastated when we first pushed through the storm-swollen front door of the house. The brown muck on the floors and carpets, the wretched odor, and the horror of seeing everything we had worked so hard for (in making the home a welcoming rental space on Airbnb) totally undone, was almost too much to bear. Furniture was toppled over and beginning to mold, mud was everywhere, there was even seaweed from the Gulf of Mexico due to a front window breaking during the storm surge.

Yes, that is seaweed! At least we didn't find any fish.

 

The water line was visible throughout the home and measured almost four feet high. I have it marked in the photo below. Just take a look around you and you'll realize what survives after a four-foot flood--not much! The water was above the kitchen and bathroom counters leaving only the upper kitchen cabinets and a few pictures hanging on the walls untouched.

The water level reached almost four feet

Our cleaning lady's husband had removed the couches, tables, and chairs for us. But, the sopping wet and smelly mattresses, bedding, towels, blankets, and carpeting as well as miscellaneous furniture remained for us to deal with. Along with the contents of every, single drawer and cupboard in the house!

This was a couple days in after we had already removed a lot of stuff and the mud on the tiles was dry--no more "ice skating" through that slippery "muck," thank goodness! We both almost fell many, many times.

Although that large television had been moved up to the counter it was too damaged to repair. In fact the only appliance that survived the flood was the refrigerator.

 

Every drawer and pot and pan was filled with foul-smelling water and I cleaned out each one. Some things like glassware and cookware were saved, washed, and taken to thrift shops. Most things--like the contents of the drawer below were thrown in the trash. On the final day we were there, we loaded up the bed of the pickup truck that we rented (you should have seen me trying to jump in and out of that big gray truck--what a sight!) and took an entire load of items we managed to salvage to Goodwill.

For some reason, I always think of the Titanic when I see this photo

 

The hardest sight to view was my father-in-law's old office which had acted as the locked "owner's closet" for our Airbnb rentals. This is where personal things were kept--some old papers, jewelry, the computer, the printer, good china, and meaningful family items. The cleaning lady also stored her extra supplies of toilet tissue, paper towels, rugs, and towels in there. Sadly, that pile of "stuff" on the white chair in the left corner was stacks of photos and photo albums--all completely ruined.

 

My husband wanted to leave most things in the office as we will be selling the house and the buyer will simply be bull-dozing everything down to the ground. But, I just wanted to honor his parents and remove as much as we possibly could, so I kept chipping away at the sodden contents each day. And I'm so glad I did... Unbelievably, this tiny portion of a photo survived. It is of my husband's dear Grandpa Ralph--the man who began coming to Naples with his wife, Kathleen, in the 1950s when it was little more than swampland. They built a home and eventually retired in Naples where they lived until their deaths.

A shred of a photo remained, but a very special one.

 

And, these treasures were also found along with old marriage and birth certificates. I couldn't believe that I was able to save them! I carefully separated the papers, lay each one to dry, and was thrilled to see you can still read these sweet love letters from Grandpa Ralph and his then girlfriend, Grandma Kathleen written nearly one hundred years ago--in the 1920s! Part of her diary was also found and some of it was still legible. She talks about the death of her mother when she was just 15 years old in one entry... I'm thrilled to know this part of my husband's family history survived Hurricane Ian.

Love letters from my husband's paternal grandparents dating back to the 1920s

 

Anything made of paper that fell to the floor was absolutely plastered to it with the mud. I found it quite ironic that one of the books we had laying on the coffee table for our Airbnb guests was now on the floor opened to a page with the headline reading "Enduring. Restoring. Rebuilding." It was from a book about Hurricane Irma (which we had dealt with in 2017, although it was much less devastating to our home).

"Enduring. Restoring. Rebuilding." Well, in some cases...

Below is a photo of what things looked like on the final day after we had cleared out everything except for random odds and ends (like the toaster oven in the corner!). Notice that even the fan blades were drooping from the high humidity due to all the water. I really can't describe how horrid the air was in the house. We wore masks and gloves the entire time, but I still worry that some of the ever-growing mold may have gotten into our lungs. We didn't clean the floors--there was no point as the house will be bulldozed and destroyed. But, we both felt very proud (and truly exhausted!) at having cleared out the entire place. It is a miracle that neither of us 67-year-olds were injured, in my opinion! I know my in-laws would have been so proud of us.

A final look...

 

And this is what we took out front to be picked up by the garbage truck--the moldy, rotting, smelly remains of a once very special family home. There was another pile for electronics and a third pile for construction materials where my husband put various boards and all the doors that he removed. It was interesting to watch cars pull up throughout the day and pick up an item they thought they could salvage--good for them!

So many memories...

On our final morning in Naples, we took a short drive around the neighborhood and to the beach. Heaps of memories that looked much like the pile in front of our house lined the streets... Mattresses where folks had slept and dreamed, tables and chairs where families had gathered for meals, cabinets that had once held carefully chosen dishes and books, pictures and family photos that had adorned walls. It was almost too much to think about... so much has been lost by so many.

Loved this sign that one of the neighbors had put up in his yard!

 

When we reached the beach (just five blocks away), we noticed how empty it was. Large signs warned that no one should enter the water in the Gulf of Mexico due to its high bacterial content from the hurricane. The Naples Pier was still standing, but very damaged as you can see in the photo below. The damaged pier shown in the bottom photo now ends soon after the little house on the right side shown in the undamaged photo on the top from our visit in April. The entire end is gone. I'm actually surprised that any of it remained.

 

The once green foliage that lined the beach had turned brown and shriveled looking. As we turned to walk back to our rental truck, though, my husband suddenly stopped and reached for one of the branches of the sea grapes bush nearby. "Look, Care," he said, "new leaves are already beginning to sprout!" A perfect metaphor for the neighborhoods in southwest Florida, I'd say. Many will rebuild their homes, stronger and higher to withstand future hurricanes and floods. Some will sell their now badly damaged homes and move on to greener pastures. Others, like us, will sell when the time is right--we need a bit more time to process all that transpired on September 28, 2022. But, I have no doubt that southwest Florida will--some day--thrive and grow, once again, into that magical place that so many have come to treasure through the years. I'm certain of it...

New growth on a battered shrub

 

So, the "things" are all gone, but we will always have our memories... family trips to visit Grandma Jean and Grandpa Don, watching our boys scurrying around catching the little skinks (tiny lizards) that roam the yard, celebrating a special 90th birthday in 2018, annual March visits to attend the Naples Craft Beer Fest, Grandma Kathleen's special shell table, walking down the alley at night to the 7-11 to buy ice cold cherry slushies, eating Klondikes each night with Grandpa Don at exactly 8:30 PM, working crossword puzzles in the mornings during breakfast, putting together jigsaw puzzles on the dining room table, setting up the house and running it as a successful Airbnb rental this year. It was a small home, but one that always felt warm and welcoming--and I'll never forget it.

The way I'll always remember the little yellow Naples home--sunny and welcoming

Oh, boy... this was a tough one to write... I hope a few of you are still with me. My next post will be more up-beat--I promise! Until then, please take care my friends and know how very much I appreciate each one of you. Thank you for your kindness, as always. Bye for now...

Some sad September days...

 

Just wanted to check in as I've had a few folks wonder where I was and if I was okay, both here and on Instagram. Last week was filled with sadness for my family. On Wednesday, September 28th, the storm surge from Hurricane Ian flooded our family home in Naples with almost six feet of water. My husband, oldest brother-in-law, youngest niece, and I had worked so hard to get it back to livable shape after the same thing happened in 2017 with Hurricane Irma (apparently those "I" named hurricanes don't like us). We had finally gotten the house to the point where it was being rented (and very well-received) on Airbnb just this year. And now this... the idea of starting over is almost too much. My husband and I will be heading down to Naples very soon to see first-hand the damage that was done. It's been heartbreaking to watch all of the death and destruction caused by Hurricane Ian that took place throughout Florida and my heart goes out to all who were affected. It will take a long time to return to "normal" on the west coast--if ever.

As this was going on, my family was facing an even sadder time--my dear mother-in-law passed away just two days later on Friday, September 30, 2022. Thankfully, she never became aware of what had just happened to her beloved Florida home where she had spent so many happy years. At 94 she had lived a long, full life and is finally pain-free after 15+ years for which we are truly grateful. I'll be writing more about her life in a future post, but for now, I'm just too heartsick and sad over the events of last week to put much down into words. I can't bring myself to read blogs or comment on Instagram right now, but I simply wanted to write a short post today to let you know that I'll be back when I feel more like myself. Thank you for your prayers and positive thoughts. Bye for now...

A late summer finish

Brrr... it's another cold, September morning here in western Pennsylvania--proof that fall is slowly creeping in! Luckily, we'll be having some nice warm weather here again over the next week and I can't wait. It's been a busy two weeks since I last posted and the world has seen some major changes. I'm thinking, especially, of all my friends in Great Britain who have had such changes in leadership and I hope things go smoothly during the transition. I think the whole world was a bit shocked when on September 6th at Balmoral Castle, Queen Elizabeth II welcomed the new Prime Minister and less than 48 hours later... she was gone. I think that whenever an older person lives well into his or her 90s, we are all pulling for them to reach age 100. But, that just wasn't meant to be...

But, on to stitching... I've been teasing you over the past couple of months with a big summer piece that I've been working on since early July. And guess what?! It's finished! Welcome to Riley Harbor where horses roam the streets, birds are as big as doorways, and a large, friendly whale resides in the bay. 

"Riley Harbor"

 

I have very few summer-themed pieces in my collection so when I spotted this charming design by Kathy Barrick, I ordered it on the spot and began stitching it as soon as it arrived. (Well, right after I changed almost all of the colors, that is)! I've never changed as many colors as I did in this piece, but I'm so pleased with the final result. The original darker  houses were charted to be black, but that just didn't feel right to me, so I chose a lovely navy blue Kreinik Silk Mori.

It was such fun picking the colors for the houses!

Each house took a surprising amount of time to stitch! I honestly felt like a little girl with a coloring book and crayons as I selected the colors and filled in each one. The houses that are stitched in shades of golden brown are the only ones that I used the suggested colors for.

Which house would you live in? I'd pick that little blue one on the far right. I just noticed the houses in the back row have no doors... Perhaps they are on the other side?

There was such a wonderful variety of motifs in this one: the houses, waves, birds, horses, sea creatures (I'd never stitched a lobster, crab, or seahorse before)... And don't you love that trio of ships with their billowy sails?

Sailing, sailing!

 

Last, but not least, just look at that humongous whale stitched in Weeks Dye Works Confederate Grey (which I just noticed has been re-named simply "Grey" on many websites). He seemed to take forever, but he is most certainly the star of the show. For the waves, I used a Belle Soie Silk: Chester's Blue (stitching with only the lighter blue portions).

All I can think of when I look at the whale is the Raffi song "Baby Beluga"--one of my grandson's favorites!

I plan on having this piece framed next year--really looking forward to seeing it hanging in my family room year round!

"Riley Harbor" stitched on 40 ct. Stormy Night Newcastle linen

So, what do I stitch next? I seriously need to buckle down and begin my Christmas stitching--I have several gifts to make, a few cards and ornaments to stitch, and I'd love to at least start one of the larger Christmas charts that I purchased earlier this year. And then there are a couple of Thanksgiving charts that I've put off for way too long. Oh, if there were only more hours in my day! How about you? Are you moving on to Christmas or still doing autumn or Halloween stitching? 

We had a wonderful four days with my grandson! I was a bit disappointed as they were supposed to arrive on a Wednesday night, but work got in the way so they wouldn't be able to get here until late Thursday night. Imagine my surprise when I heard a noise at my kitchen door early Thursday afternoon and turned around to find Mister B and his mom and dad standing there smiling at me. Oh, the joy! They had rearranged their schedules to surprise us! We played and played with all of the old toys my husband and I had recently brought down from the attic and cleaned up. Oh, how my grandson loved them--he didn't even want to take a break from play-time to eat. It really made me smile as I recalled my sons happily playing with those very same toys over 30 years ago...

Fisher Price toys from the 1980s were a big hit with my grandson--I'm so glad I saved them all these years! Do any of you remember these?

Mister B named this quintet: Nonna, Pompaw, Dada, Mama, and baby

A new experience... We also did something my husband and I had never done in spite of living in western Pennsylvania for over 45 years--we took a little river cruise on the Gateway Clipper. Now keeping a two-year-old entertained for more than ten minutes on an hour-long riverboat ride was not the easiest thing, but we managed. It was a fun way to see the city and enjoy some lovely fall weather at the same time.

The sights of Pittsburgh and its three rivers as seen from The Gateway Clipper cruise.

The fountain at Point State Park with the Pittsburgh skyline behind

PNC Park, the home of Pittsburgh Pirates baseball

Looking up to Mt. Washington from the riverboat. Can you spot the two red and yellow cars on the Duquesne Incline? (I'd sure love to get rid of that beer sign, though; I think it really detracts from the beauty of the hillside!).

I took this photo from the top of Mt. Washington in July when my youngest son and his girlfriend were visiting. Honestly, what a beautiful view of the city from up there. If you ever visit Pittsburgh, taking the Duquesne Incline to the top of Mt. Washington and photographing the city is a must!

If you love peaches... I wanted to share a recipe that I've made a few times this summer--it's one of our favorites and I think you'll love it, too (assuming you like peaches!). Iva's Peach Cobbler from the Taste of Home website is quick and easy (the hardest part is peeling all those peaches!)--you can find the recipe right here. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Peach Cobbler--and don't forget the ice cream!

 

The end of an inspiring chapter in history... I mentioned the passing of Queen Elizabeth II earlier and I'm honestly surprised at how many times I've shed a tear or two since word came of her death on September 8th. I'm not British (although my mother's paternal ancestry goes way, way back in England), but I feel that her death truly leaves a large void in the world. Just think of all the wondrous sights and changes she witnessed in her 70 years on the throne! All the famous people, world leaders, and just plain common folk that she greeted. All the inventions that have  appeared and changed lives. All the countries she visited and unique experiences she had... Her witty humor, her sense of steadfastness, and that famous twinkle in her eye will surely be missed by many. May she rest in peace...

There were so many beautiful remembrances of the Queen online--these were some of my favorites.

And meaning no disrespect, but my family thought my mother looked more and more like Queen Elizabeth as she got older. Born just a year after the Queen, my mom witnessed many of the same world events--although certainly not in the same way. One day a few years ago, my youngest sister was visiting mom and found her sleeping on the couch with this issue of Vanity Fair laying across her stomach. When my sister saw that mom was dressed nearly identically to the Queen she knew she had to take a photo of her. She ran to get the photo that had been taken at my niece's wedding of mom sitting in a fancy chair in the church pretending to be royalty. After placing it in mom's hand, she then snapped this sweet photo. All mom needed were a few corgis and it would have been a perfect match! (And no--my mom hadn't dressed like this on purpose. It was pure coincidence)!

My family's own "Queen"--my dear mother with her beautiful smile

 

Giveaway... I have a very cute Lizzie Kate chart to give away today! Would any of you like to stitch it? This was given to me by a very sweet reader named Linda (in North Carolina) who sent a couple charts to me to use as giveaways. Thank you, Linda--I so appreciate your kindness! This chart, called "Autumn Alphabet" also includes the squirrel and moon charms and the tiny button that are needed to embellish the finish. I'll pick the winner at random and announce the name the next time I post.

If you would like to win this Lizzie Kate chart, please follow the guidelines below.

To be included in the drawing for the chart, please...

1) Specifically mention that you would like to win the chart in your comment 

2) Be a follower in my blog's sidebar (to the right)

3) Make sure to leave your email address in your comment if I don't already have it.

4) Answer the "Getting to Know You" question below.

Getting to Know You... Today's question is: "Do you have any artistic talent--specifically, can you paint or draw?" Ha! For me, that is simple--no, I have absolutely no talent in those areas. When I was growing up, I so longed to be good at art. I would try my best in art class in elementary school, but always come away with a mediocre grade. I just have no talent in the drawing or painting arena. When my family plays board games that involve drawing--no one wants me on their team! I am in awe of people who can sit down and paint a landscape or draw a cartoon or funny face. There is some signal just plain missing between my brain and my hands. Thankfully, I feel like cross stitching is "kind of" like painting with threads and, at long last, I do feel at least a bit artistic. How about you?  I'd love to know your thoughts...

I want to thank each of you for taking the time to visit "Stitching Dreams" today! I know blogging is fading, but I truly appreciate each of you who still visits and takes the time to say "hello!" Thank you so much for your comments on my previous post--I'm touched that so many of you enjoyed my recollections of visiting my mother's university. Many of you mentioned you've had similar experiences of a loved one guiding them so I guess I'm not crazy. I hope you each enjoy the rest of September! Bye for now...

Mister B is back in California this week for a visit. I wonder if he remembers the first 15 months of his life spent in San Diego? It was just a year ago this month that he and his parents moved to Maryland and we are so happy they did!

More angels and a visit to mom's past

Good morning, all! How is everyone feeling on this final day of August? Me? I'm a bit down--I will miss summer, especially those longer periods of daylight. As I walk in the garden, I can't help but feel a sense of sadness as the blooms fade and the plants begin to wither and die. The leaves on some of our trees are already turning brown and falling--it seems way too early, but I suppose the hot, dry summer we've experienced has a lot to do with that. The older I get, the more I seem to need the sunshine and carefree days of June, July, and August. The nights are creeping in earlier and earlier and, I have to admit, it makes me dread the coming winter. I know fall is the favorite season for many of you, but I'd love summer to last forever!

I've finished up the remaining two angels from the Birds of a Feather chart "Christmas Angel Ornaments." This chart was lent to me by a most generous Instagram friend and I can't thank her enough! I truly enjoyed every stitch of these little cuties!

Charity and Love angels ready for my tree

"Charity" is my ornament finish for August--absolutely love that shade of green in her dress. I used Weeks Dye Works "Dried Sage." I also made her a brunette rather than a blonde as I wanted all four angels to look similar. The words were supposed to be done in gold metallic, but I honestly think I like them better stitched in the same colors as the angels' dresses. (Plus the less time I have to work with metallic threads, the better, in my book!). I had a perfect green polka-dot ribbon in my stash to top off the cording. And can we talk about those little legs dangling out of her dress--precious!

To make the word "charity" fit into an oval shape, I had to eliminate the spaces that were charted in between the letters.

And last, but not least, comes the "Love" angel which will act as my September ornament. Isn't she pretty in her sweet pink dress adorned with mauve hearts? The dress is stitched with GAST "Victorian Pink" and the mauve is GAST "Pink Azalea." Again, I gave her hair a dye job--I hope she likes her dark brown hair! I had trouble settling on a bow color, but finally chose to coordinate it with the darker mauve color. What do you think?

The little heart she is holding is also surrounded with gold metallic thread like in her halo and wing.

 

And here are all four together! Which one do you like best? I am still partial to the "Peace" angel--just love those colors in her dress and the soft grey dove carrying the olive branch in his mouth. 

A quartet of the sweetest little angels!

I certainly wish BOAF would reprint this one--I know it would sell out in minutes. I am beyond grateful to my Instagram friend for lending me this sweet chart--thank you again! Can't wait to see these on my Christmas tree in December!

So, who is putting out their autumn decor? I just can't quite get there yet, so I've pulled out my bees and sunflower stitching to act as a transition to the fall decorations (which will probably appear in late September). After all, fall doesn't really begin until September 22nd! I found this very small (it is only 12 inches high) woven tiered tray at Target (for only $5.00!) earlier this summer and thought it would be perfect to showcase my tiny bee and sunflower creations. 

Bees and sunflowers now occupy the side table in my kitchen

 

Here are a few close-ups for you... If you would like more information on each finish, just click on the description and the link will take you to my blog post with more details on that particular piece. 

Front hive and pink flowers, alphabet with hive, white birdhouse with sunflowers, round bee and hive

 

Front long pillow with two crows; six hives; sunflower; pink corded bee pillow; lone bee in back was a gift; crow and hive on right

Round bee piece on black; hive in black frame

Pillow on far left with crow and sunflowers

 

GIVEAWAY WINNER... There were a number of entries for the pretty "Summer Time" chart, but there can be only one winner. If you didn't win this time, please keep an eye on this space as I will definitely be offering more charts in the future! The winner's name pulled from the hat is...

EVELYN L.

Congratulations, Evelyn! Please send me your mailing address and I will get this chart off to you as soon as possible!

I want to thank all of you for your well-wishes for my little grandson and his family. Mister B has fully recovered from Covid and is back to his old self... Well, not quite as he has definitely entered the "terrible two" stage! Oh, my! His favorite word is "NO!" (said loudly and with great force). He is wanting to do everything himself and seems to love testing us. (His molars are coming in, too, which is probably adding to his discomfort). But, in between those trying moments, he is just the sweetest, most entertaining little boy! We were down visiting him in Maryland last week and he (along with his mom and dad) are coming today for the long weekend. He hasn't been here since April, so I know he's very excited to see all of the toys and books at Nonna and Pompaw's house that we share with him on FaceTime each night!

Thank you, also, for your nice comments on my photos of our Hocking Hills anniversary trip that I shared with you last time. While we were there, I realized that we were just a half-hour away from my mother's college alma mater: Ohio University in Athens, OH. I knew we'd never get another chance to visit, so we decided to stop there on the way home and I'm so glad we did. 

Ohio University where my mother went to college from 1945-1949

I know this will sound strange, but I honestly felt like my mother was there guiding us as we explored the campus. I wanted to find the School of Journalism where my mother, a journalism major (like both her mother and father had been), would have spent much of her time. After a bit of digging, I found that, at that time (in the mid-1940s), the School of Journalism was in the basement of Ewing Hall. As my husband and I sat in our car in a random parking lot, he put "Ewing Hall" into his GPS and excitedly said, "Carol--it says it's right there!" We looked up and could actually read the sign on the building from our car. Thanks, mom!

Ewing Hall sign where I assumed my mother's School of Journalism was. Nope! It actually was demolished in 1974 and this Ewing Hall is now a residence hall.

We got out of the car and began walking across the college green. I took great comfort (and got a bit teary-eyed!) knowing that my mom had once walked these grounds, too. She loved her four years at college and I can see why. It is a lovely, lovely campus and the setting reminded me so much of western New York where she (and I) grew up!

The beautiful rolling hills that surround the campus are so reminiscent of where my mom, dad, and I grew up!

 

Ohio University buildings and landmarks

After we walked the campus a bit, we decided to get in the car and drive into the town of Athens where the university is located. I was so excited when I spotted this cute, old theater as I just knew mom had spent time there when she was a student. 

The Athena theater has been operating since 1915 and is today owned by Ohio University. "Miracle on 34th Street" came out in 1947--I wonder if mom happened to see it here?

As we drove down a side street, we were suddenly stopped by construction that had blocked the road so we had to turn around. We parked the car on the side of the street and I told my husband I wanted to try to find my mother's sorority house where she had spent so many happy days. I found the address of the Chi Omega house online and my husband, once again, plugged it into his GPS. He said, "It says we're already here!" I looked out the window to my right and (yes, I had shivers at this point), the sorority house was right there--literally right outside my car window! I was so excited as I got out of the car to take a photo. If I had been a braver soul, I probably would have walked up the stairs and knocked on the door, but...

My mom often talked about how much she loved sorority life in this house (except for freezing in her attic room during the winters when she was an underclassman!)

We drove on and I said to my husband, as we were stopped at a traffic light, we can go home now, but I'd just like to find one last building with Ohio University  inscribed on it so I can get one final photo. Just then, the light changed to green and as I looked up, I saw this...

Haning Hall was originally the Athens Post Office, but was acquired by the university in 1964. Surely mom walked those steps as she mailed letters to family and friends back home.

I truly felt that mom was there guiding us as we stepped back into time on her college campus. It gave me such a sense of peace as I pictured her there young and happy and full of life. I'm so glad we drove out of our way a bit to get a better sense of her life during those four special college years. She graduated in 1949 with a degree in Journalism and went on to work for a magazine in Cleveland, Ohio before she married my dad four years later. A real career girl at a time in history when most women didn't attend college, married young, and immediately started a family. She never stopped loving the written word and, until her eyes failed her in her late 80s, she was an avid reader. She will also be fondly remembered for those epic poems she wrote each of her nine grandchildren on their 16th birthdays!

From the top left: Mom (sitting on the left) reading with her sorority sisters; Mom (in the middle) wearing typical 40's fashion with the bobby socks, loafers, and saddle shoes--and don't forget the string of pearls; in the lower left is mom with the all-male editorial staff of her college newspaper. I'm sure she felt right at home since her dad owned and published a small weekly newspaper where she was put to work during the summer.

I know many of you won't be that interested in the above account of my side-trip to mom's university, but I treat my blog as a bit of a personal journal, too, and I'm so happy to have all of these special memories written down to look back on!

I'd like to share one more special photo that I took this month. I've been having a great deal of trouble waking up in the middle of the night and being unable to fall back asleep for hours. On this special night, though, I was glad... Just look at the sight that was outside my window! This was taken at 2:59 in the morning of August 13th. I know--it looks like daylight! The moon was so brilliant and spectacular and the cross formation took my breath away!

It was the middle of the night, but the moon shone so brightly, it illuminated my entire back yard!

Well, that winds up another long post! I hope you all enjoy your month of September and find more stitching time as autumn approaches. I feel like I haven't done nearly as much stitching as normal--part of it is that I haven't been home as much and part of it is getting distracted by other projects (like cleaning out the attic!!).  Enjoy your Labor Day weekend, everyone! Bye for now...