Seaside Stitcher

A Brief Update

2012-01-27T15:47:00.001-05:00

First off, THANK YOU so much, for taking the time to let me know that Ian (and our family) is being prayed for and thought of. I can't share how touched I am that in this great big 'ole world, how blessed we are to be connected.

After visits to two different Children's Hospitals (in as many days), we've received another referral to yet another Children's Hospital to a specialist that deals specifically with the problem that Ian has and we pray will hold the best answer and provide the most hope for Ian. We're still sort of reeling, but we're trying to keep our feet under us the best that we can. Hopefully, this next week will allow us to set a treatment plan in stone and begin the road to getting our not-so-little back to being even a little bigger.

It's been so hard to see my strong, healthy, vibrant not-so-little tennis ace get thinner and weaker and who now only resembles a shadow of his former self. We're grateful for the advice that we've been given so far and are grateful that we've been pointed in the direction that we've been led and are hopeful that the day isn't far off when our wee-bit snarky, not-so-little guy will be back to feeling like taking on the world again. We do know that surgery will definitely be postponed until he is able to gain some weight...we've been told that he wouldn't survive the general anesthesia for the amount of time needed for the type of surgery he needs in the condition that he is currently in. He's receiving nutritional supplements which will hopefully help build his body back to where it needs to be for him to be able to handle surgery and recovery from the type of surgery that he'll need.

I ask that you please keep remembering Ian in your prayers and thoughts. We take so much comfort in knowing that in your kindness, he is being held in many hearts.

I think this week-end will be filled with lots of embarrassing mom hugs, lots of cups of tea and maybe a few minutes of stitching here and there....

I "cherish" all your kindnesses to us - - -

Sharon

The post no mom wants to write....

2012-01-25T18:27:00.001-05:00

We've learned that Ian does indeed need brain surgery. At the moment, he's in such a weakened state that the Dr.'s don't think that he could handle being under general anesthesia for the amount of time required for the surgery to be done. Please pray for my not-so-little guy? We're heading to a new hospital tomorrow - the specialist there deals with the type of tumor that we think we're dealing with. No one can know for absolute certain until the mass can be sent to pathology. I'll update as possible, but in the meantime, we covet your prayers, vibes, thoughts, etc for our not-so-little sweetie!

I "cherish" being Ian's mama (even in the bad times_, a wonderful friend who is a Dr who can "pull in some favors", good insurance, a loving husband who's also a great dad and our special "angel", Julie, who has done more than I can ever say for us!

Sharon

Cyclops has a friend...

2012-01-20T12:33:00.001-05:00

This is the "Call of the Wolf" design that I'm stitching for our son. (Remember the "Dances with Wolves" movie? I think our son's name should be "Addicted to Wolves". LOL

Anyway, the last time I showed a progress pick, I jokingly started calling the wolf in the center, Cyclops, because all I could see as I stitched was his one eye looking at me. Well, now Cyclops has a friend! (The friend's name is "Friend of Cyclops". Can you tell that I haven't been sleeping well lately???? :)
I keep looking over my shoulder for the guys with the butterfly nets and straight-jackets to show up and escort me to the "happy place".... Between our son being sick....(he has an appointment with a pediatric neurosurgeon on Tuesday - YIKES!) and my mom and her increasing health and mental problems, it's been kinda "down in the dumps" days for me.

I "cherish" my stitching which comforts me.....

*Sharon

"Pink is my signature color"

2012-01-20T12:21:00.000-05:00

Anyone else remember that line from the movie, "Steel Magnolia's"? That kept coming into my head over and over as I stitched this piece. Holy pepto-bismal, Batman! :)

I did get brave and change out the recommended color of green but now, seeing the finish, I wish I would've had the courage to change the pinks to softer hues, as well. It's just a little "too" pink for me.

My hubby said "Good luck finding an HOA that will approve those colors" and my son said that this looks like a Key West house. Hmm....yup, should've toned down the pinks. :)

At any rate, I'm looking forward to displaying this with my Valentine's display.

I "cherish" a quick stitch and a finish!!

*Sharon

WIPocalypse!

2012-01-10T17:07:00.001-05:00

As I've said before, I've been meaning to paw through all my pretty stash and decide what I really want to see stitched in my lifetime (I'll wait while you roll on the floor with laughter....you finished? Good, We'll move along now).

I finally sat down and went through my absolute favorites. This, IN NO WAY, means that they will ever be stitched. It just means that I sat down and made a list....whew, that was a lot of work, in and of itself.

So, as part of my participation in WIPocalypse, here's my list, in no particular order (except for the monthly cottages - I reallllllly want to do each one of those as they come out! Oh, and the Call of the Wolf....I'm stitching that for my not-so-little sweetie, so it's a priority too)

My Dream WIPopaolyse list - (stash I currently own):

Monthly Cottages

- Country Cottage

Call of the Wolf

- Dimensions Kit

Live, Laugh, Love

-La-D-Da

Fruit of the Spirit

- Plum Street Sampler

Share a Cup of Friendship

- Gail Bussi (Just Cross Stitch Magazine June 2002...Yardsale find!)

Tea Time

-Gail Bussi (Just Cross Stitch Magazine January 2011)

Earth Gatherer

-Shepherds Bush

The Gathering Room

-Little House

Delicate Beauties

-Paula Vaughn

Happy Home Sampler

-(Cross Stitch and Needlework July 2008)

Good Foundations

- Rosewood Manor

The Snow Family

-Heaven and Earth Designs

America

-Blackbird Designs

Made in America

-Bent Creek

Easter Blessings

-(Cross Stitcher Magazine April 2006...Yardsale find!)

Patchwork of Love

-Stoney Creek

Everything Beautiful Seasons

-Stoney Creek

Peace and Rest

-Stoney Creek

Herbal Alphabet Sampler

-(Cross Country Stitching Magazine February 1994...Yardsale find!)

Beach Escape

-Pegasus Designs

Victoria's Quaker

-Sorry, senior moment here...can't remember the designer) :(

Family Love is Forever

-4 My Boys

A Gathering of Love

-Becky Boo's

Honey Bunny

-Doop Designs

Welcome Friends

-Lizzie Kate

Gather a Harvest

-Lizzie Kate

You still with me??? Whew, quite a list, isn't it? Now, before ya'all start thinking that I'm so filthy stinking rich that I must wipe my tooshie with dollar bills, (I DO NOT, BTW!!!) let me say that a lot of this wonderful stash was gifted to me by my even more wonderful hubby as birthday, Christmas, Mother's Day, Dinner-was-so-good-last-night gifts, and nearly everything on here was purchased on sale (I had a LNS go out of business and I hit her "kick everything to the curb for a penny" sale!) or was purchased from the "Bay of Evil" ("bay of evil" is shamelessy borrowed from the wonderful Edgar's blog). I "heart" him and his delightful sense of humor! :)

I hope you've enjoyed seeing my "wanna do" list. Here's hoping that someday I'll be able to shift at least a few "wanna do's to the "done did's" column! :)

I "cherish" this wonderful world of needlework that I love so much and I also cherish the ability to hope and wish and dream and paw the stash I love so much! :)

*Sharon

There's a little snowman at our house

2012-01-05T12:13:00.004-05:00

Okay, so he's made of fabric and floss and not the "real" white stuff, but I love him anyway! :) This is my first finish of 2012 and my first finish of the Country Cottage monthly cottage series. I joined the cottage SAL group and am looking forward to seeing what each month is going to offer. I'm stitching each of my cottages on individual pieces of fabric instead of one big piece. I have the perfect spot picked out to display each month, one at a time.

I do want to give a shout out to Amy at Down Sunshine Lane. (This isn't a paid endorsement. I'm receiving no compensation for this, I'm just a very happy camper customer!) With that said, I wanted to make some changes in my automatic monthly shipment orders and Amy was extremely accommodating! The shipping was very fast and I'm just tickled with her service. :)

I've been taking some time to write down my dream "want-to-stitch" list. I'll be posting it in the next little bit. I have some really pretty stash and I'm looking forward to changing it from "stash" to "finished". (LOL - remember, I said it was a "dream". I'm not sure that the "finishing" column is ever going to be as long as I'd like it to be, but a girl can hope.... :)

I "cherish" having a finish AND having stash to paw through AND being able to dream about all the pretties that are possible!

*Sharon

Cherish

2012-01-03T17:56:00.001-05:00

Last year around this time, I decided I needed a word to live by during 2011. The word I came up with was "cherish". I've been thinking a lot about what my word should be for 2012. As hard as I tried (and used my Bible, my thesaurus, and a couple of visits to google), I couldn't come up with anything better than my much beloved word, "cherish". So, I decided if it wasn't broke, I didn't need to duct-tape it! :)
Having "cherish" as my focus word was fun in the good times, humbling in the bad times and encouraging in the awful times. So, I'm going to stick with cherish... I have so much to cherish in my life and it just fits me!
Stay tuned as I find new ways to "cherish" 2012!

I "cherish" a fresh beginning to a New Year that is filled with promise, possibility, love and adventure!

*Sharon

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T21:25:00.001-05:00

I "cherish" God's greatest gift of love that we celebrate in this season!

Hugs,
*Sharon

It's Beginning to Look a Little Like Christmas

2011-12-19T21:59:00.000-05:00

We scaled way back on decorating this year...I think the issues with my Mom have sapped some of my Christmas spirit, but we still have a tree and some of our treasured decorations placed out here and there.
Enjoy the peek inside our humble abode!

My very first "real" cross-stitch piece ever...I saw this in a magazine at a yard sale and wanted to stitch this for our home. I loved it then and I love it now...

The very first ornament I bought for my sweetie. We were still "long-distance" dating and I wanted him to have something special for his tree, especially when we weren't together. We are both "eggnog hogs", so this seemed like a perfect ornament for him.

This angel is so precious to me. My dad bought this for me the year I was born. I was a Christmas baby and he wanted "an angel for his angel". This poor little angel looks older and more worn every year but she hasn't missed a year being the topper on my tree. I shed tears every year she goes up, I miss my dad so much. Now my dad is celebrating Christmas with the real angels in heaven.

I love my snowman lamps....

Could Christmas be complete without a dancing Santa? LOL My mom bought this for Ian when he was little...~~Unfortunately~~, this Santa has followed us on every move we've ever made. LOL

I bought these lighted "twigs" and the glass container a few days ago. It's definitely a work in progress...the bow is about as far as I've gone with this. I seriously need a trip to Hobby Lobby to get some "fillers". The container is filled with sand...hey, we live in Florida! It works! :) Our entryway is a round "rotunda". It's hard to find things to decorate round walls with - I thought the twigs/container were a nice solution...use your imagination, if you will. I can see red fillers and hearts for Valentines, greenery and shamrocks for St. Patricks Day. Wait, I'm getting way ahead of myself! For right now, just imagine these lonely twigs being interspersed with red and green for Christmas. :)

What would a pantry door be without Santa? (I made this old fellow from a bleach bottle years ago)

I hope you've enjoyed your tour of some of our Christmas cheer! May you all have a blessed holiday season!!! :)

I "cherish" Christmas memories - old and new....

*Sharon

Diary of a Christmas Tree - Florida Style! :)

2011-12-05T19:11:00.001-05:00

Ian had the most amazing opportunity last week and I want to share it with ya'all. Ian was able to take a sand-sculpting class with a professional sand sculptor. Jim Smith has won many awards and has sculpted for various Disney events and for lots of towns in Florida. Jim started by showing Ian the basics of the trade. Above is a pic of Ian's first "project" - an arch. :) I initially thought that this was just going to be a "play in the sand" class, but oh my, it was SO MUCH MORE!!!!

The business where Ian took the class is just opening up and is going to be offering sand sculpting classes as part of their artistic offerings. The owner of the business requested a holiday-themed display in the huge "sandbox" in the front of the store. After some basic design ideas, the hard work really began in earnest.
The guys had to build the foundation for a Christmas tree. When I saw this picture, I was a lilttle skeptical that it would ever amount to a "tree"...

The next day, the barrels of sand grew into this:

Can you see it now? You haven't seen anything yet!!!

But wait, there's more!!!

Don't you love the lights????

And don't forget the presents!

I "cherish" living in Florida on the beach and having such wonderful opportunities open up for Ian. We can't wait to see what we can build on our own, now that we understand the "basics". Anyone want to come wiggle their toes in the sand with us? We don't have snow or hot chocolate but we have sand, waves and sweet tea!

Hugs,
*Sharon

I think I'll name him "Cyclops"...

2011-11-30T22:53:00.001-05:00

Here's a progress shot of my wolf buddy. I am just having the most fun with this piece. Stitching this design for someone I love so much has just been a joy. Ian is so excited to watch this stitching grow...and his enthusiasm is definitely contagious! I'm stitching this in four sections, so "Cyclops" is going to be stuck with having just one eye until I get to section 3. LOL

I *cherish* having a son who "hearts" wolves.

Hugs,
Sharon

Bad Blogger Mama....

2011-11-30T11:45:00.001-05:00

First off, I'm sorry about neglecting my blog for the last little while...I mean it, I'm REALLY sorry! You want to know what a small part of the reason is that I'm sorry? Because I'm a mom. Yup, that's why. A homeschooling mom to boot. As Paul Harvey used to say, here's the "rest of the story".

As you know, my mom's health and mental stability have been on a rapid decline. Being real here, it has not been easy to be my mother's daughter. Because we're a family, it's been hard on all of us...not just on me. Ian has tried to be such a rock for his mama, but from time to time, the pain of dementia strikes a little too close to his heart as well. Since he is definitely his mama's son, he has an inherited tendency to hold painful things inside and let them build up and build up and so on, until, it all spills out in an unpredictable moment. He had one of those unpredictable blowing off steam moments this past week. Bless his heart. He's hurting in his own way and isn't quite sure how to express himself and let his emotions not be held inside so much. I suggested that he might want to start keeping a journal. He could write random things, whatever he feels like talking about, on the pages of his book. I really think it might help. Nice mom moment, BUT - the not-so-little smarty pants said, "Hey Mom, isn't that what your blog is supposed to be???????????" (Yes, I'm sure there were that many question marks behind the question when he asked it!) LOL "Mom, when's the last time you up-dated your blog???????" (There are those darn question marks again!) "Mom, you should really send yourself to the principal's office...because you have been a very bad blogger." Can you tell he wants to be an attorney?

Can you also tell that he's right?

So, I apologize - I need my little blog. I enjoy blogging. And I do LOVE my blogging buddies!! Could any of you possible know that sometimes when I have a few minutes, I'll go blog-hopping and just browse what you're up to and you cheer me up? I most often don't leave comments (please don't tell Ian - he'd probably want me to write, "I will leave comments on blogs" 100 times, by hand, and have it turned in by tomorrow). LOL

Anyway, I love just peeking in and checking on you. Your blogs never fail to brighten my day and put a smile on my face. (unless something sad has happened in your life. In that case, I stop right there and whisper a prayer for you - honest!) Thanks for being there: for sharing your lives, your talents, your abilities, your spirits, your blessings and your trials with me. AND, thank you for the great comments you leave for me. Sometimes, an awful lot of encouragement can be found in a simple sentence or two.

I will try to be a better blogger. Both as a writer and as a commenter.

Especially if it means that I won't be a "do as I say, not as I do" parent! :)

I "cherish" a reality check from time to time!

*Sharon

I HEART Our Son!

2011-11-05T18:45:00.000-05:00

So, our not-so-little guy played in a tennis tournament today. This was a tough tournament for him for a variety of reasons. This was his first tournament since July and the upset of my mom's issues. This also was a higher-tier tournament and his first time playing "up" into a new age group. He played two matches today and took both matches to tie-breakers. We were really proud of how well he stepped-up to the challenge! He didn't win - but to get both matches to tie-breakers was a great achievement for him. Having said that - the thing that we're MOST proud of .......drumroll, please........... Ian was awarded the Sportsmanship Award. How awesome is that???? Honestly, this award means more to us that any other trophy he could have brought home. Ian has a gentle soul and doesn't ever hesitate to congratulate his opponents on good shots and he always tries to be fair with his calls. His coach actually gets on him because he tends to a little too generous with his line calls...LOL. Ian may not have won this tournament but I'm glad he's living by the adage "nice matters". Now, if I can just remember to follow his example in my own life! :)

I "cherish" being Ian's mom!

*Sharon

TUSAL - October

2011-11-05T18:10:00.003-05:00

I asked my little panda buddy to hold my orts for this month and he happily agreed. I love this little guy!
I'm participating in Daffycat's TUSAL. I love watching the colors of the orts on top change colors.

I "cherish" my panda friends. :)

*Sharon

The things you do for your kids.... :)

2011-10-14T13:49:00.001-05:00

This is my current project. I normally am not much of a kit person, but I am SO loving this for a lot of reasons....the main one being that my not-so-little son picked out this kit his very self and asked me to stitch it for him. :)

Ian LOVES wolves and anything wolf-related. He says that when he plays tennis he has the heart of a wolf (pack leader position, of course! LOL) so when he saw this kit, he claimed it.

I told him that he'd probably be about 27 before I get this finished and that after I put all the work into this, he'd better not ever stop loving wolves. Hee hee.

After my stitching sessions are over, he always wanders over to my stitching corner to see how my progress is coming along. It's fun that he's so encouraging!

This is my progress shot -

I know, it's looks more like a horse or cow or blob instead of a wolf, but I think I'm moving in the right direction. :)

I'm having so much fun watching a wolf grow out of my blank fabric and floss. I'm pretty sure that this will be my main focus project for a while.

I "cherish" stitching something so personal for someone I love so much!

*Sharon

A cartload of pumpkins

2011-10-06T17:46:00.001-05:00

I can honestly say that these were pumpkins stitched in pain. My mom's dementia has reared it's ugly head in a way that none of us saw coming. She has decided to shut members of her family out of her care. She doesn't want us involved in any way in her care or her life. I have had so much pain over this...the more I try to get in, the further I get pushed away. I've realized (after much prayer and many tears) that there is just nothing I can do at this moment...I am locked out of her heart (and her life and her medical decisions) and I don't have the key. She has changed her power of attorney, her will and her medical directive.

I have had more than a few rough days lately. Bless my hubby's heart - at my lowest point, he told me not to worry, his faith can be big enough for the both of us right now...that made me love him even more than I ever thought possible. I also want to say thank you to all those who have taken the time to leave a comment, e-mail me and think of us or say a prayer. I am more grateful than you could ever know, please believe me.

Some of the brightest things that have come out of this awful mess is that I've gotten close to my sister and brother-in-law and my sweet great aunt, who is an angel who walks among us. If you ever need to be lifted up, go visit my great aunt...she makes homemade candy that tastes like it should only be served in heaven AND she gives the best hugs in the world. When you leave her home, you know you're loved, no matter what. My faith is also growing - some days even when I don't "want" it to grow....it stretches to meet my needs. I am trying to "cast my burdens on the Lord" but in my human-ness, I keep trying to be a control freak and taking them back. My life and faith is a work in progress - - - I think I've finally started to accept that. The serenity prayer keeps coming to mind...

Now, on to my pumpkins! This was a fast, fun stitch for me and I loved stitching with the Autumn colors! The fall hues are always my very favorite colors to work with. :)

This will probably be my last "finish" for a while. Every year, I always stitch Christmas gifts for various people in my life. With all the on-going turmoil, we've decided just to go the gift-card route this year for everyone except hubby and son. I want to just stitch for fun and relaxation, not on a dead-line. Hopefully next year, I'll have lots of gifts made and ready to go.

Ian loves wolves and asked me to stitch a wolf for him. He picked a design that he really likes so I'm having fun getting started on that. I think I'm going to try and make 2012 the year that I really concentrate on finishing some of the designs that I have in my stash. Somehow, a lot of UFO's have made it to the bottom of my stitching basket and I'd like to get them finished. It's easy to say this now...just wait, I bet a bunch of designers are out there right now working their magic, creating more patterns that I'll "have" to have and make me blow my resolution right out of the water. We'll see.... :)

Again, thanks so much for all your support!

I "cherish" each and every one of you!

Hugs,
*Sharon

TUSAL - September

2011-10-06T16:52:00.000-05:00

I know I'm late with my TUSAL report this month...but I can honestly say that this September has been one of the hardest months of my life. I'll post more about it in a later post, but suffice to say, dementia stinks...both for the patient and the patients' family...

I like looking at the jar when it comes to this time of year...I can see the pastels of spring topped with the oranges, greens and rusts of Autumn.

I'm looking forward to happier times with more stitching time to add more orts to my 2010 collection.

I "cherish" the tough times that make us strong.... my faith has had to grow in ways that I never imagined that it could...

Hugs,
*Sharon

Rockin' the Happy Dance!

2011-09-17T20:05:00.000-05:00

This is such a special finish for me. The Battle Hymn of the Republic was my Dad's favorite hymn. He wanted it played at his funeral and to this day, hearing it can bring a tear to my eye because I remember my Daddy's humming this tune so often during my growing-up years... So, Daddy - this one's for you....

Battle Hymn of the Republic by Little House Designs...stitched on recommended fabric and using recommended floss.

I "cherish" memories of my Dad...

Hugs,
*Sharon

Finding Peace....

2011-09-11T18:18:00.002-05:00

I'm not quite sure how to start this post or even what exactly I want to say...but here goes. This is painful to write, but since my blog is part of our family history, I'm just going to be honest and write what comes to my heart....

As I mentioned previously, my mom was diagnosed with dementia. (I lost my Dad to Alzheimer's). Both are terrible diagnosis which can rob you of your loved ones in a long good-bye.

While we were in Ohio, my mom's disease spiraled out of control, to the point where we became a true irritant to her. The disease won and drew a "line in the sand" in our relationship. My mom is receiving the best care that can be provided at this point and from there, I'm placing her in God's hands and trust and have faith that He will bless her in meeting her needs that I just can't meet. There's a lot more I could write about how awful this situation is and how truly sad I am - but, I'm trying to be grateful for what I do have and not focus quite so much on what I don't have (and never again will have) in a relationship with my mom. It's a burden that we as a family have been challenged to deal with and we'll cope as best we can.

I have to say that I have the best hubby and son in the world...they have shown me nothing but compassion and unconditional love. I pray that I might reflect their grace with me onto others... Having said that, I just have to share what my sweet Ian did for me...my not-so-little son bought these beautiful flowers to help cheer up his mama. This was such a touching gesture on his part - and I might just have to remember this the next time he gets a little lazy and barks a little bit about keeping his room clean. :)

As I love to do, I have turned to my stitching for comfort. There's just something about the rhythm of putting floss to fabric that soothes me. This is my progress on Little House's "Battle Hymn of the Republic". I'm heading towards the finish line on this one and hope that I can do a happy dance before too long. :)

Hug your family and hold them close - let's never forget how 9-11-01 changed each of us... There truly is no place like home...

I *cherish* my faith that sustains me through the trying times...

Hugs,
Sharon

TUSAL - August (and my feline nephew, too!)

2011-09-02T22:11:00.000-05:00

Since we're on the road...my regular oer jar has turned into an ort baggie,,,So, I VERY humbly submit my pitiful little sandwich bag with this month's additions:

I want to give a big shout-out to my BEAUTIFUL, favorite (okay, so he's my only,,,) feline nephew, Max. Max allowed me to use a floor of his kitty condo to take the pic of my orts.
Max has generously allowed my sister and her hubby to share their beautiful home with us for a few days. (L-O-N-G story as to why we're not still at my mom's. but that's a post for another day)...Anyway, without further pause (paws??? LOL), please allow me to introduce his royal nephew-ness, Max.....

Our poor little pup, Tea Tsu is SOOOOO intimidated by Max, she just doesn't know what to do. Max out-weighs our dog by about 8 pounds, and literally has had our dog cornered on more than one occasion. LOL

Enjoy the pics and have fun envisioning our dog being "tree'd" repeatedly by a cat!

I *cherish* "my" Max and time spent with my wonderful sister and brother-in-law.

Hugs,

*Sharon

Okay God, You have my attention....

2011-08-22T19:18:00.000-05:00

What a dang-blasted, stressful week this has been! It's been one of those weeks when I keep asking "what else could go wrong?" and God, in His sense of humor, keeps showing me what else could go wrong....

First off, I have to say a great BIG thank you to all of my sweet on-line friends who took the time to write me such sweet, encouraging notes of comfort and offers to let me vent. Ya'all are treasured more than you could ever imagine! Just knowing that other people care and pray and understand and think of my mom and me makes a world of difference!

Okay, here we go.... I've learned that my mom is in sort of a "donut hole" when it comes to medical care. She has long-term care insurance, but PROVING that she NEEDS long-term care is proving to be head-banging impossible! She has been diagnosed with dementia and congestive heart failure and kidney failure, but apparently, that's not enough for the long-term care folks. I can't tell you how often I've had to literally sleep with one ear open so that I can hear the medicine cabinet door open (she goes in search of pain pills or pills that she's sure she's forgotten to take,,,I'm sure she hasn't). The pills have been hidden away along with the car keys. She can barely stand up without getting dizzy and short of breath - I can't imagine what she'd do behind the wheel of a car...so I'm making sure that WON'T happen. She's given me holy heck for "hiding" her pills and keys, but I have to do what I can to try and keep her safe.
Then...On Friday night, our little sweetie fur baby had a seizure. She seemed to recover okay, but we watched her closely through the night on Friday. When she woke up on Saturday, she had a stroke! She had no control of any of her legs, her head lolled to one side, her tongue hung out one side of her mouth and her eyes wouldn't focus correctly. We'd call her name and she'd try to look around but she couldn't focus in the right direction. She'd try to walk, but her feet would go out from under her...to say we were terrified is an under-statement! We were in a strange town and needed a skilled vet! We were so blessed to find the sweetest, most patient, skilled vet in the world right in this little town! Dr. S. was great! She gave our sweetie a very thorough going-over! Her theory is that the dog might have licked one of my mom's flowers which may have had fertilizer on it. (My mom has a HUGE yard that has LOTS of flowers!). Her second theory (which she said was less likely, but still possible, is that the dog picked up on our stress level and stressed herself out). Long story short, after an I.V. and careful watching, our fur baby seems to be getting back to her happy, attention-demanding self! We are so grateful on soooooo many levels. I just can't imagine what would have happened to us if we would have lost our baby in the middle of all the rest of the mess we find ourselves in. Who could not love this little face????

We're also a little also concerned about Hurricane Irene...we live right on the beach and if it gets a little too close to the coast of Florida, I'm not sure what we're going to do...

Anyway, it's been a bad/good week. We still don't know what we're going to do with my mom, but my fur baby is going to be okay and around to beg us for treats for hopefully a long time! We're praying that the hurricane heads off to sea and doesn't affect anyone anywhere! I know that the people in the Bahama's are in the target - I pray that they stay safe and suffer only minimal, easily-repairable damage.

Again, bless you all and thanks for all the love and support!!!

I "cherish" each one of you!!!!

Hugs,
*Sharon

Trying to adjust....

2011-08-15T19:44:00.001-05:00

Well, I made it to my mom's. I was really hoping that she would allow me to be a blessing to her and give her the help that she needs...unfortunately, it's just not working out that way.

When I got here, she was in the hospital because she had let her blood sugar levels go over 700. (normal is between 80-120, from what I understand). She's diabetic. When she was in the hospital, she was combative and confused and to quote a nurse, one of her more "difficult" patients in recent memory. When mom came home, upon discharge, the Dr.'s noted that she had issues with confusion. What we thought was alzheimers is really dimentia. Unfortunately, caring for my mom is becoming more and more difficult by the day. Her Physical Therapist came by the house today and told her that he could only help her as much as she would let him. She was very stubborn with him and on the way out, he told me that I should put some sort of warning notice sign on our lawn. LOL. We've hit the point where, in my mom's eyes, I'm doing nothing right and I'm just making her life difficult. She's having trouble with remembering when (or if) she's taken her medicine and gets obstinate with me when I try to help her.
Being honest, the stress is really weighing on me...I'm just praying, praying, praying at this point. At her appointment this morning, she actually apologized to the Dr. because I'm so "ugly". Argh! Her Dr.'s are working on a plan for her care for both the short-term and the possible long-term and I'm just waiting for the cavalry to show up. (BTW, there is no cavalry...I just keep hoping!) LOL

I haven't had any time at all to stitch, but I'm REALLY hoping that soon (VERY SOON!!!!), I'll be able to relieve some stress and put thread to fabric.

In the meantime, I'm trying to hang in there and realize that this is just a horrible disease with horrible consequences.

I'd really appreciate any love, thoughts or prayers you could send our way!

I'm "cherishing" being here to help my mom, whether it seems like I'm really "helping" or not....

*Sharon

You knew I just had to do it!

2011-08-02T16:23:00.000-05:00

A tip 'o the hat from the cutest not-so-little tennis player in our family!!! Plus, a pic of our ever-growing trophy shelf! Win or lose, this sweet fellow is a keeper!!! :)

I *cherish* this little sweetie more than life itself. I'm so blessed to be his Mama!!

*Sharon

August - TUSAL

2011-08-02T16:10:00.002-05:00

This should be called my "totally pitiful stitch-a-long" instead of "totally useless stitch-a-long". Gotta love Daffycat! I've put in a few stitches here and there but not nearly as many as I would've liked. Now, if you wanted to see our tennis ball hopper(s) - (yes, we have more than one), I think you'd be pretty impressed with the amount of little yellow bouncy balls we've collected. Not so much happening on the stitching front - but, someday, my needles may start smokin' again!
Our not-so-little fellow has been burning through tournaments this season! I have quite a few trophy shots to post of him, hopefully in the not-too-distant future! :)

My mom's heath is rapidly declining again, so I'm off to care for her as best I can. I'll be doing the next few blogging bits from her home.

In the meantime, keep hugging those loved ones, keep those stitches crossing, the tennis balls bouncing, and most important of all - keep "cherishing" each and every moment of the ride!

Hugs,
*Sharon

TUSAL - July

2011-07-11T19:24:00.001-05:00

Finally, a post from me! Whew - busy, busy, summer!! :)
There's been a just a tiny bit of stitching happening - here's my TUSAL...not much, but it's growing ort by ort.

I *cherish* the moments I get to fill my jar.

*Sharon

Pneumonia, Caffeine and Stitching!

2011-06-04T14:05:00.003-05:00

Whew - I think I just put my whole entire blog entry in my post title! First things first, my not-so-little guy has pneumonia. Ugh. He's felt kinda funky the past couple of weeks and then we went from funky to really sick in a matter of a couple of days. He's feeling better than he was - this mama is SO grateful! If you get a minute, please say a prayer, or think a good thought for him?

Now, as to the caffeine, my sweetie knows of my affinity for all things Starbucks. This was a good thing (in a way), because of a couple of health issues I have, my Dr. recommended that I add more caffeine consumption into my day. One of my biggest complaints (other than price!) about Starbucks is that I'd find myself wanting a tea or light mocha frappe' at weird times of the day (or night). Sometimes, it's just not convenient to get out of your jammies and head out to Starbucks. So, my sweetie ordered this little magic machine for me.

I LOVE it!!!! I can make any kind of frappe' I want at any time I want! Yes, I probably could make the same thing with a coffee pot and a blender, but this machine just makes it sooooo easy! It takes about 2 minutes start-to-finish and clean-up is a breeze.
(No, I don't work for Mr. Coffee or get paid in any way from sharing this) I just really love this little baby! My hubby knows just how to keep me a happy camper! :)

On the stitching front, I stitched a quick little gift for a friend, but because it's a giftie, I can't share it just yet. I DID have a finish though - yippee!! It's been a while since I've been able to say those words! In other stitching news, I'm still working on my Battle Hymn of the Republic piece. Here's the latest progress pic.

I just love this piece - give me my "mighty bright" magnifier, some lubricating eye salve and hey, I'm in forward progress mode. :) I'm hoping that this will move to the finish pile before "too" long. :)

Thanks again for good thoughts for Ian, for visiting my blog and for sharing all your blogs with me.

I "cherish" medicine that helps Ian feel better, a sweet hubby that is loving and generous and for too many other things to even list right now!

Hugs,
*Sharon

TUSAL - June

2011-06-04T13:19:00.002-05:00

It's growing! Now, if I just had finishes to go along with the orts! LOL, I'm working on it!! :)

Hugs,
*Sharon

There be stitching going on....

2011-05-18T15:33:00.000-05:00

FINALLY, a stitchity up-date from me!!! My eyes have been improving (I'm SO very grateful and feel SO very blessed!) and so, I've found a bit more time to stitch! Yippee and yee-haw! My eyes still get sore and let me know that I'm over-doing it, but the stretches of "good" times are improving. :)
This is my current piece. Little House Needlework's "Battle Hymn of the Republic". This was my Dad's favorite song so it means a lot to me to be stitching it in remembrance of him. Also, our guest bath has a red, white and blue theme, so it will be a perfect fit when it gets finished, framed and hung in there.

Ian's whack-a-doodle non-stop tennis schedule, practices, and season has started up again, so it feels like it's 24-7 tennis at our house. I have a small Bent Creek design that I take for "on the go" times...but, I usually get so caught up in yacking with the other tennis mom's, that I forget to stitch. Also, I've discovered that it's pretty tough to keep an eye on the matches and stitch at the same time. Ah...such is the life that I'm so blessed to live!

I "cherish" that my eyes are getting better!!

Hugs,
*Sharon

The Griswold Family Funeral

2011-05-14T19:52:00.001-05:00

Has anyone ever seen the "Vacation" movies with Chevy Chase? They're sort of an "everything that could go wrong, does go wrong" genre of comedy. They certainly aren't "high brow", but....sometimes, if you don't laugh, you cry. This past week, WE became the "Griswold's."
With that being said, let me tell you about our trip...

My sister-in-law's funeral was in Connecticut, so we flew into Boston, which was the closest major airport. The trip TO Boston was smooth as could be. We landed right on time, picked up the rental car, checked into our hotel and GPS'd our way to Connecticut. The viewing was lovely and it was great to see family members that we haven't seen for a long time. Just have to say here - doesn't my sweetie son look good in a suit? :)

After the viewing, back to our hotel. So far, so good. (In case I forget to mention this later, Connecticut is LOVELY in the spring).

Okay, cue the organ music (you know that music in really bad old movies that you hear right before something bad happens? Yup - that's the music that would begin playing on this part of our trip.)

First off, the minister that normally would have officiated was "elderly" and ill (bless his heart) and just couldn't make the funeral. So, the search was on for a stand-in. (Note to self - NEVER, EVER let someone eulogize you who has never met you). The stand-in was a lovely gentleman and I'm sure the service would have been beautiful IF he had gotten my sister-in-law's name right during the funeral. He kept calling her by another name the entire time! We kept looking at each other, wondering if we should stop the sevice and let him know that he was messing up the name...but the message was nice, (if not personal, LOL), so the family let it go.
On the drive back to the church from the cemetary, my hubby was struggling a bit. This passing was such a shock and I think it started to sink in at the burial. As hubby was releasing his sorrow, a HUGE goose did a MAJOR size "poo-poo" right in front of the driver's side of the windshield. My hubby immediately said, "Friedie, that wasn't nice - now cut that out!". We decided that that was his sister's revenge for us not speaking up at the funeral to have her name corrected. We laughed so hard, we were in tears. I have to say - that was a really nasty bomb - HUGE, I tell ya - HUGE! We were sure glad it happened on a rental and not our personal car. LOL (just an aside here - the church ladies put on a wonderful post-funeral spread - it was a yummy, sweet gesture and the family is much-appreciative that ya'all treated us so kindly). After lunch, we GPS'd back to Boston and got ready for a bit of sight-seeing and relaxing.
Minus the in-accuracy at the funeral and the MAJOR "poo-poo", we were still standing.

The next day was spent touring Boston. Here are some of my favorite pics - -

This is the "one if by land, two if by sea" church

Paul Revere statue

Boston City Skyline

The building that is shown at the beginning of the TV show, "Cheers"

Forget all the history stuff...the only place Ian wanted to go when we were in Boston, was to see Harvard Law School. His dream is to go to Harvard's law school. His dad and I are hoping the family budget will hold out through his first four years of college. :) Hold on to your dreams, son! Dream big, work hard and pray much - you can do anything your heart leads you to do!!!!

Entrace to Harvard

Harvard Law School

Tuckered-out tourist

(I think Ian picked one of the prettiest spots in Boston for a bit of a rest) :)

Enough with the pictures, already! :) After a busy day of touristy stuff, we headed back to our hotel for some rest and relaxation. (There was a minor incident involving our dinner, but compared with what was to come, I'll avoid mentioning the details of our "dinner that wasn't really dinner". I think food has to be un-frozen with NO ice-crystals before you can call it "food" - just my opinion, though.) Moving right along...the hotel we stayed at had a lovely indoor pool and hot tub...just what these tired tourists needed. (Don't forget that scary organ music - dun, dun, dun....

So, we're in the pool, having a grand time (and of course, I decided to go for it and get my hair wet and everything), when....the fire alarm goes off!!!!! Now, if I'm in a fire, I think one of the best places to be is in a swimming pool. Am I right?? Well, the hotel staff didn't quite see it that way and suggested that we get out of the pool. So, dripping wet, we head out to safety. Picture this with me, if you will....first off, we were the only ones in the pool during the fire "incident", so while all the other guests had the good sense to be in "normal" clothes, we were standing around in swim-wear. Can I just be honest here and tell you that a bathing suit is not exactly my best look????? Talk about feeling like a fish out of water (pun intended). Imagine making small talk with well-dressed folks while you're standing in your bathing suit and trying to cover yourself with about 60 towels in a losing attempt at making your hips and thighs look about 4 dress-sizes smaller than you really are. Sigh....

The fire turned out to be on our floor but thank goodness, it was VERY small with just some minor smoke damage. Shout-out to the folks at the Marriot suites. The staff was apologetic and very accomodating. They made a great effort at making up for the inconvenience.

Okay, now that that trauma was over with, it was time to head home. First off, I get pulled out of line for a security check. I get that security is what it is and that in today's world, it's a fact of life for an airline passenger - but me? Really??? I mean, I couldn't look any more like a soccer mom if I tried! I'm thinking that they were just looking for the crazy lady who was experiencing post-traumatic bathing-suit syndrome...my snarky hubby and my snarky son relished the thought that I was the TSA's poster girl and they walked away, no sweat. Anyway, I cleared the check-point and went on my merry way.

Time to board - whoops, weather delay. Time to board again - whoops, air traffic control delay. Whoops - new gate assignment, another delay. Then, the BIG whoops - the tail of our plane was struck by lightening, which took off an antena and put a hole in our tail. This was a BIG delay as there now needed to be a new plane sent to replace the one that had been damaged....this also put us in a position of missing a connecting flight. I'm sure grateful that this happened when we were readying for take-off and not in the air!! Again, we were blessed with a great staff - the airline folks worked really hard at making things as easy as possible for us. (Of course, I think it also helped that we weren't standing at the counter SCREAMING at the poor gate agents. I couldn't believe how some people were treating the agents. It wasn't their fault that the plane got a "boo-boo". So many times, the announcement was made that if people would just sit down, they would be called to the counter and all arrangements would be made once they (the employees) had all the information. (Did I mention that the computers all decided to slow WAY down at this time...Oh, I didn't? Well, they did...more organ music!!!) I understand travel frustrations, (believe me, I REALLY understand travel frustrations) but honestly, is SCREAMING any way to help the situation? Okay, off my soap-box...

We finally got on our way and landed at our connecting point with only ten minutes to spare. We ran (on my two bad knees, mind you!) to the gate listed on the monitors, only to find that the gate number had changed! Argh! Of course, the new gate was at the other end of the terminal, so off we went running again. Luckily, we made that flight and FINALLY started the last leg of our journey.

Once we landed in Orlando, we collected our baggage and went to get our car. (We had parked off-site of the airport, that made parking much cheaper!) Mind you, because of delays, we didn't land until about 1:00 AM. So, we called for the shuttle and waited. And waited. AND waited, AND WAITED. Still no shuttle. Umm...hello????? We called the shuttle again (seems that our message that we were waiting at the airport never made it from the shuttle desk to the shuttle driver. Whoops). Can I just tell you how good our own bed felt that night?

I'm still relishing our own bed and our own food and...well, there truly is no place like home!!!!

So, to review...wrong name at funeral, a MAJOR birdie "bomb", frozen food, a bathing suit and fire, major flight delays, including a hole being blown out in the tail and a shuttle "incident", I have to say, I've had better trips. BUT, we endured it all as a family and sink or swim, we were together. Just call us the Griswold's.....

I "cherish" funny memories.

*Sharon

While we're waiting.... (TUSAL-May)

2011-04-30T12:19:00.000-05:00

While we're waiting for final arrangements to be made and getting our flights, hotel,and car plans set in stone, I thought I'd post my TUSAL for this month. Due to my eyes, not much stitching has been happeneing around here - but I humbly submit my pitiful pic.

We're still reeling a bit after the news of our loss, but we're coping as best we can. We've decided that other than our smart phones, we aren't going to bother taking anything else computer-related. We're going to un-plug for a few days and just be in the moments. Since the funeral will be in a city full of history, we've decided to take a couple of extra days to sight-see. We're trying to make lemonade from the lemons. (This DOES NOT mean that I won't be taking my stitching along, however!) My stitching follows me everywhere. (Ugly reading glasses and all!!) :)

I "cherish" this precious time that I have to spend with family.

*Sharon

We'll miss you, Auntie Friedie.....

2011-04-29T21:51:00.001-05:00

My hubby's sister passed away VERY suddenly today from a heart attack. We had just spoken with her a couple of days ago and she sounded just fine. This is such a shock to our family. We're trying to be happy for her and realize that this is her "birthday into heaven", but it's still a little tough on those of us left "behind".

We truly never know when we or those will love will be "called home". Hug those family members and friends tight and let them know how much they're loved. We'll be heading north to the funeral next week. I'll up-date when we return.

(Btw, thanks for all the sweet well-wishes for my eyes - they're getting better with time and patience....LOTS of patience) :)

I "cherish" the memories of "Fredrecia" - she'll always be Friedie to me...

*Sharon

With apologies to Jackson Browne.....

2011-04-04T13:56:00.000-05:00

I know, you're all too young to remember the song, "Doctor My Eyes" by Jackson Browne. Maybe you've heard it on an "oldies" station?? Anyway - my right eye has been REALLY bothering me for the past couple of weeks. I finally went to visit an Opthomologist (who just happens to be one of our dearest friends!) and said "Doctor, my eyes.....". Apparently, partially due to the anemia issues that I have (and because I'm so darn near-sighted), my retina is having an issue right now. So, in the interest of allowing my eye to heal, I'm on MAJOR restrictions. I'm not supposed to bend over, reach for anything, carry anything, read, stitch, compute (I did get a "pass" to check my e-mails once a day as long as I have them on a "GIGANTIC" font - whoo-hoo!) or even walk very much!
I can watch TV (as long as I sit pretty far away)...I'm burning through the Netflix instant views like crazy!
I can also whine about my circumstances...(and I've found that I'm very good at that!!) :(
I'm trying to stick with my theme of "cherish" and I am cherishing the fact that I still do have my sight, that I just bought a new pair of glasses about three weeks ago, (so, they'll still be stylish for about four more minutes until the new "style" changes), also, for our AWESOME Dr. friend who loves my eyes almost as much as I do and for my family who takes such good care of me.

Hopefully, I'll be back to "normal" in about 10 more days. Okay, let me re-phrase that, hopefully, my eyes will be back to normal in about 10 days. I don't think there's any hope at all that the "rest of me" will ever be "normal". LOL

In the meantime, I'll be swinging back and forth from whining to cherishing....

"See" you soon!!!

*Sharon

TUSAL - April

2011-04-04T13:26:00.000-05:00

This is my ort jar for April. There's not been a lot of "orting" (is that a word?) this month. We had a wonderful two week "spring break" and I was having too much fun to stitch! I'm hoping that "someday", I'll "outgrow" this jar because it will be brimming over with orts, but in the meantime, I offer up my pathetic little offering for this month.

*Sharon

Being a Tourist in Your Own State

2011-03-28T15:00:00.006-05:00

Isn't it sad that sometimes we don't even know what treasures our own states hold until we have visitors? We are always on the look-out for the "off-the-beaten path" places to visit when we have company. Living in Florida, it can get pretty old to do the Disney, Universal, Sea-World, "lather, rinse, repeat" cycle, so it's fun to find some "new to us" things to do.

What follows are some pics of one of the fun places we found to visit during our "special someone's" visit. (There will be more to come sprinkled in with future stitching and what-not posts, as well.) I wasn't born or raised here, but we learn more and more that we live in an amazing state. I *heart* Florida!!! :) (PS - the weather is pretty darn awesome most of the year, too!!) :)

One of our first stops was http://www.wonderworksonline.com/ Wonderworks was a fantasic place in Orlando that was REALLY lots of fun!! I highly recommend it as a place to go as a "break" from the "go, go, go" of Disney. This is one of those places where adults can have just as much fun as the kids.

The premise of this place is that it was picked up (I think by a "supposed" wild weather event and then placed "upside down". In other words, the basement is the upper floor and the third floor is on the bottom floor. (Yup, I had to ask directions "more" than once! LOL There were lots of exhibits here - you learned about cold water (hypothermia killed most of the Titanic victims); you place your hand in a bucket of water that is the same temperature of the water the Titanic sank in, and a clock counts down how long you keep your hand immersed. I lost by ONE second!!!!! (My snarky 15-yr old was determined not to let me beat him!) You can also experience what it feels like to be in a hurricane, an earthquake, throw pitches to some of baseball's greatest, play with monster bubbles, lay on a bed of nails (you have a lot of control over this exhibit), "land" a space shuttle, go on a 4-d roller coaster, a really cool rope climbing adventure (I had to sit that one out due to my knee, but the guys said it was really fun!), do a virtual reality game, see yourself as an astonaut and with a "floating head" AND play laser tag on one of the world's largest laser tag courses! (BTW - please note....out of the eight people in our group, I kicked MAJOR "sit-upon" at laser tag!!!!! Got the highest score, I did!!!) :)

Ian's "floating" head

"Ace" looking like a bug-head playing one of the Virtual Reality Games

As a disclaimer, I don't work for nor do I know anyone who works for Wonderworks. (If I would have, I would've know how to score discount tickets - LOL). They do offer AAA and AARP discounts.

These pics bring back silly, happy moments. Thanks for letting me share.

Cherish your memories,

*Sharon

Same Airport, Different Emotions....

2011-03-22T13:59:00.000-05:00

Don't worry, there are LOTS of Florida tourism pictures that are heading this way in the next few days, but first, let's get one of my musings out of the way, shall we?

Have you ever noticed how ONE airport can have TWO entirely different emotions? When our "special someone" was winging his way across the country for a visit with us a couple of weeks ago, I couldn't get to the airport fast enough. It only takes us about an hour to get to the airport from our home, but I swear, getting to the airport to "pick up" seemed to take MUCH longer. When we got there, I checked the arrival board about every two seconds, waiting for that "at gate" sign to show itself. The joy and anticipation of hugs was over-whelming. Tears shed were the 'happy" kind.

Fast forward through two absolutely wonderful weeks (minus one or two tourism "turkey's". Hey, every state has 'em!) Same route to the airport...but this time, the trip seemed to take only minutes. I was trying so hard to cling to every last second. This time I was staring at the departure board and dreading every minute that ticked by.

Those last final hugs were gut-wrenching and this time the tears were definitely not the joyful kind. If you happened to be at the Orlando airport on Saturday, I was the lady who was holding on probably a little too tightly and soaking in tears. I was, however, appropraitely attired in black; that wasn't intentional on my part at all. In fact, it kind of gave me a giggle when I got home and realized how I was dressed for "mourning") I'm sorry if I happened to be your first impression of Florida - generally speaking, we're mostly a happy bunch!

The tears have stopped and looking at the pictures and remembering the fun memories has begun. Lots of pics will be posted here in the coming days and weeks. As my dad always used to say, here's one to whet your whistle....(what's Florida without a plastic pink flamingo?)

Cherish every moment,

*Sharon

Look what I won!!!!!!

2011-03-03T23:53:00.000-05:00

Due to issues that have become necessary to deal with involving my mom, I've been a little "down in the dumps" lately. I usually am one of those annoyingly perky people, but "losing" more and more of my mom has been taking a toll.

I've really missed my "annoying" self and was in need of a "pick-me-up". A couple of weeks ago, Becky hosted this incredible give-a-way. She asked us to share what samplers mean to us. I left a comment sharing how samplers link the generations. I love samplers and this design in particular reminds me of a sampler I remember my Grandma had hanging in her home. I was shocked and so happy when Becky notified me that I had won her drawing!!!!! Becky is so generous and talented and I feel so blessed to have won this beautiful piece! :) This was just the blessing I needed! Thanks so much, Becky. You'll truly never know what a precious gift this is to me. I cherish this pattern!!! (Victoria's Quaker)

Once I get "houseguest central" in order, I'm hoping to pay Becky's generosity forward and host a give-a-way of my own. Stay tuned and thanks for sharing in my joy and blessing!! :)

TUSAL - March

2011-03-03T23:29:00.001-05:00

Long time, no blog. Things have been busy, busy, busy around here for the past couple of weeks. You can tell by my ort jar that I have been doing a *very* little bit of stitching.   As part of the fun at Daffycat's blog, I'm sharing my orts for the month.

Tomorrow starts the beginning of my favorite season - houseguest season! :)   Our nearest and dearest will be visiting from now through the middle of April. (not all at the same time - only by onesies, twosies).

The fellow flying in tomorrow is such a sweetie - I can't wait to get my arms around him and hug the stuffing out of him. We only get a couple of weeks a year with him, so I have to get all the hugs in I can while he's here. (I'm sure this mortifies him, but it's the way I roll!) :)    I cherish him!
We have some fun trips planned for his visit, so I'm sure I'll have some travel photo's to post before too long.

As always, thanks for the sweet comments. I am grateful for everyone who takes a moment to spend with me.
Hugs,
*Sharon

Better Late than Never

2011-02-15T11:56:00.000-05:00

I actually finished this on Thursday and sweet hubby framed it just in the nick of time! :) We hosted a party on Saturday night and this was on display. (It's not as bright as it shows in the picture....the white "dots" are pearl beads. IRL, it has more of a pink tone).

We had such a good time with our friends on Saturday night - we have the best friends and neighbors! Due to Ian's tennis coaching schedule, (tournaments start again before too long!), this was the first and last free Saturday we've had in quite a while. We had a yummy dinner (Hawaiian Haystacks) and even yummier cupcakes from the Publix bakery for dessert. Snarky Ian mentioned that we should have Publix goodies more often - not just when we're having company! (I cherish him!) LOLOL

I hope you each had a lovely Valentine's Day. My hubby isn't necessarily a "romantic holiday" kind of guy. He's more of an "every-day" romantic. He likes suprising me out of the blue with flowers, or leaving little treats or notes on my pillow at random times. He's also is one of those guys who see things that need to be done without being asked...golly, I love that about him. If my hubby says he's going to do something, you can rest assured that it will be done. He has an uncanny knack for doing things in the background (I'm president of our HOA and there's always something that needs to be done and so many times I feel that I'm in over my head...hubby will help steer me in the right direction and help take care of things behind the scenes - he's a keeper!!!!!) :) He keeps my life on an even keel and I can't imagine being any happier with him! (Most days, anyway!) :) I cherish him!

Thanks to each of you who wrote about my mom. You're so sweet. I'm so sorry that we have this common link of Alzheimers to tie us together, but I'm glad that we can encourage and share and support each other through this awful disease. I cherish my blogging buddies too!!!

Have a most delightful Tuesday!!!

Cherish,
Sharon

TUSAL - February

2011-02-04T13:13:00.000-05:00

Here are my orts for the month. It may look like a messy nest, but I like watching the different layers "grow". The mix of colors is random, funky and fun. I can't draw a straight line with a ruler nor a circle with a compass, so for me, this is about as artistic as I get. Sad, huh? LOL

You can tell I've been on a Valentine kick lately, look at all those shades of pink! :)

Thanks so much for visiting with me....I really appreciate your time and each of your comments. I "heart" ya'all!!!

Cherish,

Sharon

Will you be mine?

2011-01-26T18:24:00.002-05:00

This is just a fun little stitch I whipped up this week-end. I love Lizzie Kate's designs for those quick, on-the-go project's. :)

Thank you so much for all the sweet comments you left about my mom's birthday gift. Her birthday is next week. Dealing with her and her issues is never easy...I lost my Dad to Alzheimers and now watching my mom head towards the same "rabbit hole" is gut-wrenching to say the least.

I don't know what I'd do without my sweet hubby and son. They remind me to always keep looking upward and forward and they help me to laugh along the way. They keep me more "blessed than stressed". (They also encourage my stitching.) :) Who could ask for anything more?

Again, thanks...

Cherish,
Sharon

TUSAL - #1

2011-01-08T14:38:00.000-05:00

Just for fun, I'm participating in Daffycat's Totally Useless Stitch-a-long ort jar show and tell. Every year, I save all the little orts from all my stitching projects and keep them in this jar. Every December, I pull out all the orts and put them in one of those clear glass Christmas ornaments. On the outside of the ornament, I put Ian's name, age, height and weight. It's great every year to pull out the ornaments and see how he's grown. It's also a great way to tie us together since we both have Christmas birthdays. My love of stitching tied together with my love of him. The projects I work on always have lots of different colors and therefore, I always have lots of different colored orts, which always makes for pretty ornaments!

These are my orts that I've collected so far from my "Love Spoken Here" project. Speaking of which...here's a progress shot....

I still have to put the border on but I'm loving working on this piece. This is a gift for my mom for her birthday, but I see a strong possibility of stitching this again for myself too. :)

Cherish,

*Sharon

I Cherish This Face! :)

2011-01-05T14:16:00.000-05:00

In keeping with my New Year's theme of "cherish", I thought I'd share a snap of this little sweetie! I do cherish her! She loves me unconditionally (okay, she might love me just a "wee" bit more if I'm holding a "treat") but she always loves me and always wants to be wherever I am. (or wherever her "dad" is or wherever her "brother" is - they're her other favorite people!! She also likes this snazzy winter coat. I think she cherishes being WARM! :) We had a bit of a cold snap here in the "sunshine" state a couple of weeks ago and before she needed to go out, she would go and drag her coat out of her coat/toy basket...she'd be a champ at charades, don't you think????

Yup, an 8 pound bundle of "cherish". :)

*Sharon

Cherish

2010-12-31T23:27:00.001-05:00

Since I've been knocked on my "sit-upon" by this nasty flu, I've spent the day stitching, blog-hopping, sneezing, coughing, drinking tea, and thinking about my resolution(s) for the New Year.
In my Nyquil-induced fog, I've come up with one word that sums up my plan for 2011. CHERISH. That's it, just "cherish".

Whether it's a tough time where nothing but knowing God is carrying me, celebrating time with loved ones, enjoying stitching, tennis, reading, blogging, or eating the last 3 m & m's in the bag, I'm going to try to cherish.
If I burn dinner, at least I have an oven in a home to cook in - I cherish my home. If I get stuck in traffic, I'm going to try to cherish the fact that I have a car I can drive and senses that allow me the priviledge, If my hubby or my little guy get on my last nerve or my last hormone, I'm going to try to cherish that they are here with me to bug me. I may not always get it right, but I'm really just going to try to "Cherish"....yup, that's my resolution for the year. (Please feel free to remind me of this post anytime I start wandering away from my goal - keep me accountable!) and truly, I do have plenty to cherish...I don't take this lightly.

May you each be blessed with more joy than you can imagine in 2011.

Cherish,

*Sharon

I have been stitching.....

2010-12-16T21:29:00.001-05:00

This piece landed in my mailbox just as we learned about Ian's illness. I decided that it would be fun to start something new as we were waiting and waiting and waiting to find out what we needed to do what he needed fixing. I've stitched this is Doctor's offices, waiting rooms, hospital rooms and recovery rooms. It's my comfort piece. For some reason, "hospital tv" never really strikes my fancy, so it's been good to have something for me to concentrate on, I've changed this piece quite a bit. The piece is supposed to have four colors, (I'm using three) and of those three colors, I've changed out all the called-for DMC colors for specialy flosses. We'll see how it turns out - even if it turns out "yucky", it's still been good therapy for me and that's what really matters anyway, right? I'm kind of liking it though and thinkinig that it may go live with my Mama when I get it finished. She's been hinting that her room may need a new piece to hang to cheer her up a bit. This may just do the trick! (Here's hoping!!!!)

Again, thanks for the love, prayers and blessings sent our way!!! They're definitely helping - we're going to have our tennis-playing, messy-room making fellow back soon! :)

Hugs and Love,

*Sharon

Hugs,

*Sharon

Thank You Hillary!!!!

2010-12-16T21:17:00.001-05:00

When I came home from the hospital today to make Ian his soup, this LOVELY package was waiting for me!!! I was lucky enough to win Hillary's give-a-way. Can you believe all the goodies she tucked inside??? The hardest part will be deciding which one of these pretties that I'll start stitching first! Thank you SO
much Hillary. This package couldn't have come at a better time for me. To say it cheered me up is a HUGE understatement. Thank you so much for sharing the love in your heart - your kindness will always be remembered!!! May you be blessed as you have blessed others!!

Hugs,
*Sharon

Thank You doesn't begin.....

2010-12-16T21:11:00.001-05:00

I can't thank you enough for the wonderful messages that we received for Ian. I made sure that he saw everyone before he went to surgery. We have been blessed with the best blogging friends, the best "real life" friends, the best doctors and the best nurses. We have had so many people praying for him and we are a huge praying and believing family! There is nothing sweeter than knowing that people who don't really "know" you are praying for your child. Bless you all so much. We were also blessed with Dr.'s and nurses who joined us in our family prayer circle before Ian was rolled off to surgery. Even though this mama broke down in tears after he dissapeared behind "the" doors, I had peace. Thanks to everyone who helped us all through this difficult time.
Ian came through surgery just fine. He again, got a little "junky"-sounding due to his asthma issues combined with the anesthesia, but he received great care and we're hoping that the Doctors are right and that the liver enzymes will begin to drop back to normal and the liver will being to return to normal size now that the surgery is over.
Ian slept almost all day yesterday...today, he is starting to wake up more and is missing his new best friend, anesthesia. LOL. He's had ice pack and pillows and pain med by I.V. early today, but has now been weaned to pain meds by mouth. This afternoon, after the special popsickle treatment, the staff told him that he could have anything he felt like eating. He wanted Mom's homemade chicken soup. I went home and made a big pot. I brought it back to the hospital tonight and he did a pretty good job making a dent.
We're still hoping that we'll be home by Saturday (or probably most likely Sunday). We're all looking forward to just being "normal" again. He's feeling much better tonight and is starting to walk up and down the halls a bit. We're so grateful and feel so blessed. Our thoughts and prayers are with those parents and young ones who aren't sure how their "release" date will come. Please pray for all parents everywhere tonight who have children in a hospital, especailly in this "season".
Again, thank you for your prayers for us and for Ian. Your kindness will NEVER be forgotten. Bless you all!!!

Hugs,
Sharon

Prayers Needed Please!

2010-12-14T20:36:00.001-05:00

Dear Friends -

Our not-so-little fellow is scheduled for surgery tomorrow. For the first couple of weeks in December, he would complain of slight stomach pain, but would gripe if I suggested a trip to the Dr. A few days ago, he collapsed in a heap of tears due to pain. We rushed him to the hospital and found out that he has a hernia and that his liver is enlarged and his liver enzymes are elevated. He's been on a week's treatment of antibiotics (in the hospital) because the Dr. didn't want to do surgery with his wacky numbers in combination with the liver enlargement without antibiotics being on board first. Our sweetie has lost over seven pounds in a week (and he was a little thing to begin with!) His poor little cheeks are so sunken in and his ribs are actually showing. The Dr.'s are hoping that he'll be able to go home in a few days once his issues resolve. (The surgeon is hoping that the enzymes and enlargement will be remedied by taking care of the hernia). Our not-so-little guy's birthday is at Christmas so we're all hoping to be home way before then.
We would so appreciate prayers for our Sweetie's safety and the surgeon's skills and the resolution of all the problems.
Our Sweetie is named Ian and again, we would be MOST grateful for all your prayers or thoughts. I'll up-date as soon as I'm able...I've pretty much been living in the moment in this one room for the past few days. I'm hoping that changes VERY soon!

Blessings to each of you!!!

Hugs,
*Sharon

I'm thankful for a finish!

2010-11-28T16:16:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone in the U.S. had a fabulous Thanksgiving. (and, if you're not in the U.S., I hope you had a happy Thursday!)

I'm thankful for soooooo many blessings, working on this piece at this time of year has been extra sweet, because our home truly has been blessed. This is a Christmas gift for a friend (no blog). The original design has a border around it, but my husband, the framer, likes the simplicity of the piece without a border. My framer is just the BEST and only "charges" me for "fringe benefits", so I like to keep him happy. I'm quite okay not stitching the border on this one! :)

I know I should be really good and work on a WIP next, but La-D-Da's "Love Spoken Here" just landed in my mailbox and it makes me not want to be good. I also have some fabric on order for other pieces that make me not want to be good. :)

As always, thank you so much for taking a peek at my blog. (If you're from the WIP police, move along, nothing to see here.) :)

*Sharon

The first 16 years......

2010-11-18T15:17:00.001-05:00

Today is our 16th anniversary. 16 years!! It's not always been perfect but it's always been right. After I came out of a disastrous first marriage, I was VERY reluctant to be a "Mrs" ever again. My world had been pretty much shattered and I was sure that no one would ever be able to help me put it back together again. (and I was pretty determined that I was never going to let anyone ever get close enough to even try), but as always, God knew the plan He had for me way before I did. As corny as it sounds, my hubby is honestly the wind beneath my wings. He helped me to eventually trust and believe and fly my way back into "myself"....and he loved me all along the journey.
We've had a few bumps and bruises but who hasn't? We've made it through the best of times and the worst of times and through it all, we've done it together. There is no one on earth who is more "in my corner" than my Sweetie...he truly is my "forever, for always and no matter what".

I can't wait to see how much more fun we can get into!!!!! :) I love you, "Bear".

*Sharon

Another trophy for the shelf (and I want a slurpee!)

2010-11-12T16:16:00.002-05:00

As you can see by the tired look on the winners' face, this was a tough week-end, but our not-so-lttle guy pulled it off again!! Woot!! This was Ian's first "national" tournament - playing kids from all over the U.S. We honestly weren't expecting him to walk away a winner from this one, but we're sure proud that he did!
His hardest opponent this week-end was an asthma attack. It was a cold, windy week-end and both of those things can trigger attacks. The poor guy would hit, run, cough, hit, run, cough...lather, rinse, repeat. I felt so bad for him. I wanted to pull him out but he was determined to hang in there. Thank goodness the inhaler helped and the nebulizer was with us. God heard this mama's prayers - and then next day he was feeling much better!
I just get so amazed watching him play. I played tennis through my pregnancy with him and then when he was around 3 months old, we had him in a stroller watching as his dad and I played. He would bob his little head back and forth watching the ball - soooo cute! Little did we know at the time that he would grow up to kick our butts! :)
When he was about 3, we would "pay" him either a dollar or a slurpee to shag balls for us. This worked great for a long time - he was scoring big bucks off of us as we played on nearly a daily basis. Now we're the ones shagging balls for HIM. (and I just realized, we're NOT getting paid for it!!! Hey dude, where's my slurpee??????) :)
Trophy or not, the thing that we're MOST proud of is that every single player our fellow has played has complemented him on his honesty. He has earned a real reputation on the circuit for being a polite, but tough opponent. Even a few parents have stopped us and told us how nice he is. Praise like that makes me thankful again for the most wonderful gift we've ever been given. Keep dreaming big, Ian....we're behind you all the way!!
(P.S. Now can you be polite and go clean your room??? Oh, by the way son, I like the banana slurpees the best!!!)

Hug your favorite tennis player!
*Sharon

2010-10-29T13:13:00.000-05:00

One of my most-favorite "foodie" blogs is Jamie Cooks It Up. She has some of the yummiest (and easiest!!!) recipes ever. My family *hearts* her and we don't even know her. :)
Each year around this time, we like to take treats to our favorite library people and to our local firefighters and policemen. It's always fun to find new goodies to try for gift-giving and this year, I went straight to Jamie. Can I just say how happy I am that I did???? Her white chocolate popcorn is so easy and so tasty! I kept making batch after batch as the applause came in. (blush, blush). I say it's always good to have a happy library staff (shh...they have been known to wave the occasional 10 cent late fee for me), as well as happy policemen and firemen. We really do appreciate all the work these folks do for us behind the scenes
So - can I entice you to visit Jamie and make some of this heavenly goodness? This takes about 5 minutes per batch to make - couldn't be any easier! Popcorn and chocolate and m & m's. Need I say more??? :)

Enjoy a treat!
*Sharon

Treats for Everyone!

Finally Fall in Florida!

2010-10-05T22:35:00.000-05:00

Yup, the temperatures are finally falling! (Was only 89 today - clear DOWN from the mid 90's of last week! That means it's "fall" right?
So...to celebrate the new season...I pulled out my pretty pot. Can you guess what's inside??? Okay, I'll let you peek....

The yummiest, EASIEST chilli you could ever wish to call "homemade".... I'm serious, you just take some browned ground beef, a couple cans of tomato soup, a can of water, a couple of cans of beans, some "un-yuns" and garlic, some chilli powder and one "secret" ingredent and our home almost smelled like Paula Deen was cookin' at our house!
Of course, we also had the REQUIRED cornbread and it made for a very yummy night!! :)

Also seen around our house this "fall"....

The Welcome sign that hangs just to the side of our front door - right above our doorbell. Yes, it does have those "funky" cracks in it - but it looks great against our stucco. We bought it this way - love it, love it, love it!

A stone that we have leaning against a fountain in our yard.....

The flag that hangs from our mailbox - I had to take this picture while it was lying on the driveway instead of on the mailbox...darn wind kept blowing it all over the place. Who doesn't love Snoopy and Woodstock?? Besides, this is about the only pile of leaves you'll see in this part of Florida. (Two things we DON'T miss about the North; shoveling snow and raking leaves).

Our front door - every wreath needs a home!!! :)

A wreath on the door to my pantry...did I mention that I *HEART* wreaths?????

I hope you enjoyed your brief visit to our piece of heaven. This is where we live and love and make memories. Be it ever so humble.......there truly is NO place like HOME!!!!!

*Sharon

Friends for All Seasons finish...

2010-09-22T10:25:00.001-05:00

This is by Lizzie Kate. This was a quick, fun stitch. I love how the birds are included in each season. This will be a Christmas gift for a dear friend of mine...it now passes on to my Sweetie for framing. I can't wait to see what he comes up with!

*Sharon

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!!!

2010-09-22T10:14:00.002-05:00

As you can see, this tired, slightly-sunburned, not-so-little fellow won again! This was his first tournament after our all-too-brief respite from tournaments. He's been chomping to get back to competing, so this was great fun for him. As long as he's having fun and is willing to put in the needed work to do well, we're happy to support hm in his goals. This tournament was extra-fun for us beause lots of Ian's friends were also in this tournament. The extra-good thing is that the kids were all participating in different age groups and levels, so none of them were playing at the same time. This enabled all of us to go cheer for each other's kids when they played. It was so much fun to have our own built-in cheering section!! We were all pretty fried by the end of the tournament, but I wouldn't trade the memories for anything! I was suprised at how nervous we all got for each other's kids...I always get nervous when Ian plays, but I thought that was just "mama love". I got almost as nervous and excited for the other kids in our group as I did when Ian is on the court. Fun, fun, fun! :)

I sometimes moan about all the coaching and practices and running here and there and getting tournament-ready, but at the end of the day - this is my life and I love it! I really do love it! I am blessed beyond measure - and I'm not taking that for granted.

I hope that each of you can say that you love your life too!!!! :)

Game On!!!!

*Sharon

(PS - yes, I do nag him all the time to wear sunscreen. His body was fine, but his face got burned. We just purchased a separate face cream , sun-block to protet his face when he plays - here's hoping the cream helps!)

A wee bit of stitching...

2010-09-05T17:49:00.001-05:00

We've had a great time just taking some time off...but it's also been good to get back into our school/tennis(and for me, stitching!) vibe. Ian's league play starts on Friday night and we'll be back to tournaments in a couple of weeks! Homeschool is going great - homeschooling is definitely not for everyone (10 years ago, if someone would have told me that I would ever be a homeshooler, I would've thought that they had gone "around the bend" and not come back!) It works for us though and we're enjoying the opportunities that it provides us. We're getting back on a roll...and it feels good.

I'm trying to get myself in gear and get started on some Christmas gifts - this Lizzie Kate design will be for one of the sweet folks that help with my mom. They don't do the "internet" thing, so I feel pretty safe in posting this. (If you're my sweet "D" in Ohio and you think I'm making this for you for Christmas - please forget you ever saw this, okay???) :)

We've been having fun enjoying the awesome waves that the beach has been offering here this week. Hurricane "Earl" got close enough to give us some "gnarly" waves - the highest in our county in a few years, but not close enough to do any damage. (great situation!) Due to my knee issues, I didn't get the courage to take my board out, but I live with a couple of "surfer dudes" who think this was a WONDERFUL week!!! :)

I've really been having fun doing a bit of blog-hopping, I just love seeing what everyone is up to - there are some lovely, talented people in "blogland". I also SO appreciate the wonderful comments that have been left for me. Ya'all just say the sweetest things! May ya'all be blessed in bunches!

No, you may NOT wear your blue outfit two days in a row!!

2010-08-12T12:52:00.001-05:00

How's that for a weird blog title? What a week-end this past Sat & Sun turned out to be. Ian had another tournament...it's summer, he's a tennis player, we live in Florida - there's always another tournament!!!
Anyway - here's the scoop! Early Saturday, he breezed through all his matches to make it into the quarter-finals. (BTW, you KNOW that he was wearing his "lucky" blue outfit!) The quarter's took about 40 minutes...still not bad. So, we happily breeze along to the semi's. Hmmm....the semi match started at 11:00. During the match, the lightening detector went off four different times. No one is allowed back on the courts until 30 minutes after the last lightening detection. There's two hours of sitting around, right there. When the kids would get back on the courts, the rains would come. (The lightening and rain could never get their act together...it was either one or the other, but not both at the same time). After the rains, it took at least 30 minutes to squeegee the courts off so that they would be safe to play on. Oy vey! The parents were tired, the kids were sore from all that starting/stopping, starting/stopping - that can really wear on the muscles....Ian was finally able to get the semi going again and only needed one more game to win the semi's match when the lightening detector went off again. So, the matches were called for the day at 5:15 and we were starting where we left off on Sunday.
The tournament was far enough away from where we live that we had already made arrangements to stay in town overnight, so we were prepared for the hold-over. Our hotel was three miles from the tennis complex and there hadn't been any rain or lightening at all there all day! Argh! Anyway, we decided to splurge a bit and went and had a wonderful steak dinner, then back to the hotel for the pool and hot tub time. (The hot tub really helped work out Ian's soreness) :)
After a good night's sleep, the next morning, Ian went into the "dirty clothes bag" and wanted to pull out that icky, stinky, sweaty blue outfit to wear again. Ewwwwwww.........................................................
Mama Bear stomped her foot down and reminded him that he wins because he works for it, not because of luck or outfits or.....well, you can imagine the lecture. After the wrath of Mama, he wisened up and decided to wear a clean outfit.
As you can see - - - winner, winner, chicken dinner!!!!!!! Ian easily won that last game of the semi's and went on to the final. He was up early in the final, then "faded away" for a couple of games and then came storming back (whoops - poor choice of words after Saturday's experience) and pulled off the victory!!! Another cool trophy to add to his growing collection of hardware! (This one's not even weird - doesn't glow or anything - just sits there looking cool!) I spoke of the "disco ball weird trophy" in an earlier post.
As always, we're proud of him - but he knows that we love him "for always, for ever and no matter what"!
The wins are nice and open up some good opportunities for him - but the best thing at the end of the day is that we're family.
We have decided (okay, his Dad and I have decided), that we're going to take the rest of August off as far as tournaments go. We're tired and are looking forward to just having some free time on the week-ends to just follow the rhythm of life - - plus, our homeschooling starts up again on Monday, so we need some adjustment time to allow for that as well. Ian will still be receiving his coaching sessions and practice sessions - but I think some extra rest will do us all a world of good.
Come September, we'll be back out doing the tourney's - but for now ----- we're basking in the glow and enjoying the moments.

See, I TOLD you he had other outfits!!!!! :)

Thanks for all the notes acknowledging Ian's hard work! He thinks it's cool that he has a"stitcher's" section cheering for him!!

*Sharon

He honestly does have other outfits..... :)

2010-08-03T21:56:00.002-05:00

Another Saturday, another win!! Whoo-hoo!!! Instead of the weird, "dancing with the stars" disco ball disguised as a tennis ball trophy, this tournament awarded medals. Here are pics of Ian w/ his champion's medal, the medal pic by itself and Ian with one of his favorite coaches! As always, we're proud of his win...but we'd still love him and be proud of him just because he's the best gift that God could ever have blessed us with.
He's not perfect by any stretch - but, who among us is? (Although our room is MUCH tidier that his is!!!)
Okay, notice the outfit? Remember seeing it before??? (see those earlier posts). I promise it's clean - well okay, it's not clean in these pics, 'cause he had just finished playing matches in the end of July, Florida, mid-day heat...but it WAS clean when he first got to the tournament!! He's still in his "this is the winner's wear" phase. I should probably take a picture of his closet just so I could prove that we honestly do buy him other clothes...or not - that closet of his just ain't pretty (remember - he's not perfect!!!) You'll just have to take my word for it - we do buy the kid other clothes....
Anyway - I just wanted to share his latest photo's of his success. Now, I'm off to discuss that closet situation with him! (I hope he doesn't think that having a messy closet is also "lucky") LOL :)

*Sharon

And he scores!!!

2010-07-27T12:43:00.002-05:00

Ian had another tournament...he didn't win this one, but he did reach the finals round!! He had to work hard to get to the finals - so we think even getting that far was a pretty big deal. (Hey, even Roger Federer and Raphael Nadal have been in finals and finished 2nd before - it happens!) I wish I could show you the trophy "up close and personal". It's so neat - the tennis ball in the center of the trophy actually rolls around and also has a motion-sensor that lights up the ball whenever anything moves it. (Although, I have to admit that part can be a little creepy at night whenever you get up to raid the fridge for a drink in the dark and a tennis ball starts glowing at you from the shelf in the dining room! ) Ha ha.
In case you're wondering, yes, that is the same outfit that Ian wore at the other tournament. (Scroll down to my other trophy entry) He's decided that this is his lucky tournament wear, so he insists he keep wearing it as long as he keeps winning (or making the finals!). I told him that he's going to look pretty silly when he's 22 and trying to play Wimbledon in this same outfit...ha ha ha!!! At least he lets me wash it between wearings - 14 yr.old male athlete smell - take my word, not so great!!! :(
Thanks for letting me share the hard work pay-off...

*Sharon

She stitches, she actually stitches!! (and finishes once in a while, too!)

2010-07-27T12:25:00.001-05:00

Lately, by the time we get home from all our summer activities, I've just been too tired to stitch, but I did manage to eek out this small finish. My sweet hubby framed this for me, but neither one of us are sure whether it fits the design or not...think the frame over-whelms the design?
If I had the energy and a good knee, I'd happy-dance! Since I have neither at this point right now - please feel free to dance for me! (The big deal about this finish is that I now feel entitled to go out and buy more stash, right???) :)

*Sharon

(PS - I'd really appreciate your opinions on the framing)

P.P.S. - Ian REALLY appreciated all the congratulations you sent! He was so tickled that folks would take the time to share his victory!)

Proud Mama Moment!

2010-07-07T15:53:00.001-05:00

Okay, so this isn't stitching related in any way, size, shape or form...but can I take just a "mama moment" here? Ian worked so hard to win this tournament. The kid would play four hours in the Florida heat, do an hour of conditioning n the same heat, and then run laps on top of that, so that he could build his endurance. (Hey, I can do laps too - it's just that mine are usually from the couch to the refrigerator and back again. LOL). Anyway, Ian won the championship in his age division and brought home the trophy. (Think he looks just a little tired in the photo?) :)

Way to go, Son! Your Dad and I are so proud of your efforts. Win or lose - we feel so blessed that God gifted us with the honor of being your parents. God gave us a son to raise - that's our most-important job ever. The fact that God gave us a son to raise who also loves tennis is a wonderful bonus! I tend to spend a bit of time grouching about your messy room - I want to make sure that I spend even more time telling you

just how great you really are!! Love you, love you, love you!!!

(Hey, I stitch and I'm the mama of the trophy-wielding fellow - maybe it's a tennsy-weensy bit stitching-related?? Nah!!!) :) Thanks for sharing the joy with us - the win has definitely been a bright spot in our rough patch of life lately.

*Sharon

Happy 4th!

2010-07-04T12:02:00.000-05:00

I hope all my Amercan friends have a wonderful 4th - filled with food, fun and fireworks! To everyone else, have a great week-end...filled with food and fun - you can make your own "fireworks"!!! :)

(Oh and just a proud Mama moment warnng alert - I'll be back soon to love on and to embarass someone just a wee lil bit. Hint: it involves my not-so-little fellow, a tennis racket, a tournament and a trophy that says "Champion".) :) :) :) :)

*Sharon

For Cohen...

2010-07-01T10:30:00.001-05:00

Sending love and prayers to Megan and Brent as they walk where no parent should have to walk.

*Sharon

Thank You!!!!

2010-06-24T12:39:00.001-05:00

Dear Friends - -
There just aren't enough words to express how grateful I am for all of your sweet comments. I could feel the love and hugs and thoughts that were being sent my way.
Not long after I posted my last blog entry, I got the news that my mom had been admitted to the hospital. She was in for a week, came home for a day and then needed to be admitted again. She's home now and hopefully on the mend. She has good care and I'm determined that for as long as possible, she'll be able to remain in her home. I realize, however, that her health will ultimately be the deciding factor of how long she can stay "home".
This has been so tough - I feel like when I'm in Ohio that I should be home here in Florida and I feel like when I'm home here, I should be in Ohio. Our "not-so-little" guy is just at the beginning of tennis tournament season and I love watching him play. We have a little communication sign between us when he plays his matches...anyone old enough to remember when Carol Burnett would tug her ear to let her grandmother know that she loved her? Ian and I have a sign just like that - not ear tugging, but a little sign we make. He really misses that when I'm not there. He "gets" that sometimes Grandma needs me, but it's still sad for him. I started that little sign years ago when he was little - way before the tennis days. I never realized just how much that meant to him.
I haven't even felt much like getting on the computer lately. No matter what, my mom is in the back of my mind...it affects so many decisions that I am making these days. Bless my sweetie, he is really pulling and pushing me along. I don't know how I'd manage to slug through this without him. He has given me much wise counsel - such as "don't borrow trouble" - tomorrow will bring what tomorrow will bring and no amount of my worrying about things will stop them. He also reminds me that no matter what I go through - both he and God will always be there waiting for me. Why is it so easy for me to forget that?
Thanks to hubby's support and love, I am slowing jumping back in to "normal". My knee was really giving me trouble, but at this point, I'm unable to have the replacement surgery. My anemia is still an issue that would delay surgery and the long rehibilitation the surgery would require just wouldn't be practical if my mom would need me on short notice. My wonderful Dr. has said that he will help me any way he can to keep me as comfortable as possible while I "wait things out". I had an injection a few days ago and right now, my knee is holding really well. Hubby signed us up to play in a fun mixed doubles tennis league. I'm really looking forward to getting back on the court. Doubles are much easier on the knee than singles. Plus, my hubby is a GREAT tennis player! I figure he's strong enough all by himself to carry our "team". Okay, so I haven't told HIM of my "plan" yet, but I figure his favorite meal and dessert will help to bring him on board, right? LOL. Ummmm yea, I'll keep you posted on how that goes.... :)

I did pick up my needle again this week. I should have a SMALL finish to show by tomorrow. For the past couple of weeks, I just didn't feel like stitching. I did do a lot of reading though. Not too many things in life are better than sitting on the beach with a good book. I highly recommend it for cheap therapy...it's worked wonders for me. :) Like the saying goes...location, location, location!!!

In summary, I'm making my way "back". I know that MANY other people have come through MUCH worse situations and have blossomed and bloomed. I can make it through this -

Again, thank you and bless all your sweet hearts for your love and caring. I've read and treasured every comment. You'll never truly know how much I appreciate your time and visits.

*Sharon

Accepting Reality...

2010-05-21T15:33:00.003-05:00

Dear Friends -
I can't even begin to thank you enough for the wonderful hugs and thoughts that you've sent my way during this tough path in my life. You are so precious to me - thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
We arrived home from Ohio late last night and we're just starting to de-compress all that is happening.
The past couple of weeks have been draining and difficult and heart-breaking. God has walked with us every step of the way. I have prayed at times, minute-to-minute...gut-wrenching, driven to my knees, pleading prayers. I haven't always received the answer I would have chosen - but God has held me while I've had to deal with the answers I've been given.
I left here knowing that my mom was facing tough medical issues, but I was totally un-prepared for what really awaited me. Lately, when I had talked to my mom, I had noticed her "wandering" during some of our conversations and several weird, "off-the-wall" comments here and there...but things were SO much worse than what I imagined. My mom does have kidney and liver problems and symptoms of congestive heart failure...but in the past three weeks, her mental faculties have declined with lightening speed.
My beloved dad passed away due to alzhimers-related issues. (He died due to a stroke and pneumonia, but suffered most from the alzheimers.) I can't believe I'm losng another parent due to brain disease. has passed . . Most hurtful, I think, is that my mom's brain-issue has caused not only memory problems, but is also causing rage outbursts. When I would bring mom her medicine, she would scream that she had already taken her medicine and that I was trying to over-medicate her and hurt her or I would catch her trying to take her medicine (not rememberng that she had already taken it) and she'd accuse me of depriving her of medicine she needed to stay alive. Everyday we were there, mom would erupt in horrible fits of rage...about everything from the tv remote, to clean sheets on her bed, what I fixed to eat, my sweetie's shirt, Ian's reading a book, etc. We never knew when she would "flip". It broke my heart. She would have quite a few lucid moments and would be kind - but then she'd "dissapear" again. She has become compulsive about cleaning everything...I would clean her house spotless...and then she'd scream for me to clean up her house...every cupboard, drawer, bottle and spot. She'd get so adjtated and I couldn't calm her.
We finally decided to get the best care we could for her - it's all we can do. This has upset Ian's heart to see his Grandma like this - and he needs to have as normal a life as possible through all of this. We're trying to use this as a teaching moment for him - to have a servan'ts heart. He's far exceeded my expectations for the most part. He does get angry that this happened and we let him know that that's just fine. We're angry at times too. Bless his heart, there's just no getting around that this is difficult. We're going to be floating between Florida and Ohio as often as possible and try and make the best of this situation. (Sure wish my mom and dad had headed south like other retirees! Why did they have to do the northern thing?? LOL) It could go on for a while or it could be over in an instant. The doctors seem to think it will be the latter, but only God knows the number of our days.
I have been blessed beyond measure with my amazing husband. He has endured so many of my tears and so much of my mom's wrath the past two weeks and has been a champion for our family. He's has been everything we need and more. I'm so grateful for he and Ian and all that they do to make sure that I'm okay and always find ways to make me smile and laugh. Even in the midst of the pain, God has sent angels to comfort me...
With all that said, it's good to be home. I think this week-end, I will hold on to the phrase - "my needle and thread comforteth me" and do some stitching therapy. We're also planning on sitting on the beach all day tomorrow...nothing like sun and surf to comfort a soul.
Again, your kind words have been so treasured...
Hugs,
*Sharon

Sorrow, a finish and a work in progress...

2010-05-04T16:46:00.000-05:00

This is a sign that sits near my stitching chair. Usually, it make me laugh...today, it has much more meaning.
We've received word that my mom is really not doing well. Her Dr. has said that there's nothing more that they can do. We don't if she has weeks or months, but the news isn't good.
We're heading to Ohio tomorrow....I'm bracing and praying for what lies ahead. but I guess you can never truly prepare yourself for situations like this. I haven't told her that we're coming, so I'm hoping the suprise visit will cheer her up. Prayers for my mom and for our safe travel would be greatly appreciated.

I do have a finish to show: This is "Comfort and Rest" by 4 My Boys. This will now be handed over to my Sweetie so he can work his framing magic.

I've also started pouring myself back into my "older than dirt" WIP. "Delicate Beauties" has come back into my heart. This is a confetti-type design that requires a lot of attention. It's been healthy for me to have something that let's me dive in and stitch and forget my troubles for a whle. I'm determined that eventually at some point, this piece WILL be hanging on the wall in our study.

I'm also going to start a smaller take-along design that I can grab and go. I'm leaning towards Family Threads by My Big Toe designs.

As always, I appreciate your lovely comments and support.

Hugs,

*Sharon

The posies have bloomed! :)

2010-04-20T17:39:00.004-05:00

I have a finish!! (Blue Posey by Jeanette Crews "Hydrangia Leaflet".) (Yes, I know that there's a "yellow" posey in the "blue posey" project - I'm not sure about that one either - LOL) I completed this project for my mom - it will be part of her Mother's Day gifties. I actually enjoyed this piece much more than I thought I would. Mom has been having a hard time medically lately, so I'm hoping this might cheer her up a little.

Thanks so much for all the great comments about our Gatorland pics. It was really fun to find some off-beat places for us to visit...I have a whole new list for next year's visit from our buddy!

(For those who would be interested, Gatorland is located in Orlando, near I-4 and Orange Blossom Trail. It's about 15 minutes from downtown Disney. For four of us, after discount coupon, we only paid $24 total! When have you ever gone anywhere as a family in Orlando for $24???)

This is my next project..."Comfort and Rest" by 4 My Boys. This is a fun stitch...can't wait to hang this one in our house - I have just the wall that needs a piece of needlework. Hey, wait...don't ALL walls NEED a piece of needlework????? :) I've played with trying to lighten this pic, but so far, no luck. I'd rather spend my time stitching than fussing over "cleaning up" pics, so this is the best I could do...

The space shuttle landed here this morning. Everytime I watch a launch and a landing, I'm just amazed. Just another of the "cool beans" perks of living in "paradise". :) Yes, you can remind me I said that when we're facing our next hurricane! :)

Here's a question that I'm sure that's been asked before - but....if I'm a stay-at-home mom, why am I hardly ever "at HOME"??? Seems these past couple of weeks have been go, go, go. After our homeschool time is finished, Ian has lots of fun activities and I'm happy he's so involved - he definitely inherited his mom's "social butterfly" tendencies! :)

Last Friday night, he had a scavenger hunt at the mall with his teen group. He had a blast - and we had fun chaperoning. He's also starting to think that not all girls are quite as gross as he used to think they were... my not-so-little guy is growing up. :)

As ever, I'm so inspired by your blogs. Thanks for visiting - your thoughts are so appreciated!! :)

*Sharon

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...."

2010-03-28T15:52:00.004-05:00

With all apologies to Charles Dickens, this quote perfectly sums up the past couple of weeks of my life. We were blessed to spend a week with one of the dearest people in my life. (I was forced to promise that I wouldn't tell any embarrasing stories from his childhood on my blog, so I'll avoid that - but suffice to say, this fellow is a real sweetie to me!)
He took vacation time and escaped from the snowy west to come spend time here in sunny Florida. Thank goodness, the weather cooperated with our plans. The week he was here was just lovely!! :)
Rather than do the crowded, "normal" tourist stuff, we decided to head a bit off the beaten path.. We wound up fishing in the ocean, (all we caught was a "kelp" fish (in otherwords, just a bunch of sea-weed). We call sea-weed a "kelp fish" 'cause that way, it sounds like you actually caught something (even if you didn't) :)

One of the stops we made was Gatorland. My expectations for this place were SO low, but I have to say, we had a really fun time there. We learned a lot about 'Gators and Crocs and nature in general.
Judging from this sign near the entrance, I was expecting a really "cheesy" day - but it was really a great way to spend a day.....

Here are some other photo's of our adventures with the Gators..............

He's just sleeping...honest!

We also went to the National Police Hall of Fame and NASA/Kennedy Space Center and the Astronaut Hall of Fame. We took a couple of "down days" just to relax too. All in all - just a great week! I'll post more pics of our various trips/tours later. I don't want to bore you with ALL my wacky pics on one post!:)

Now for the worst of times part....I MISS HIM!!!!! I spent all this past week moping and being sad cause I miss all the extra laughter and extra hugs. I'm feeling better now and getting my groove back - stitching really is good therapy! (Not to mention my sweet hubby and sweet son who are giving me extra loves!!)

This is a piece that I'm working on for my mom. This is SOOO not my style - but she asked me to stitch something for her that was small, blue, spring-like and flowery. I found this design and think it fit her request nicely. I'll be glad when it's finished and can start on something that's more "me" - but I feel priviledged to

stitch for my Mom.

This is "Blue Posey" from Jeanette Crews "Hydrangeas" book.

Thanks so much for all your visits and kind words...ya'all are just the sweetest bunch of bloggers anywhere!

Happy Dancin' (and a doggie too)

2010-03-04T16:00:00.003-05:00

Can you believe that this is the "best" pic that I could get of this finish? It's bright and sunny here today, so I should have been able to get my camera to cooperate, (maybe it's the cold!) but no such luck...(the cherries really are red - you'll just have to trust me on this one!) Anyway, this is "Home of a Needleworker Too" by Little House Needleworks. I used the sampler threads that were called for, except I substituted "Blueberry Tart" for the "Old Blue Jeans" that was suggested. For some reason, I had 4 skeins of "Blueberry" and no skeins of the "Blue Jeans", so I decided to "economize" and just use what I already had.

Btw, when I say cold, I mean COLD!! Can you believe that here in Florida, we've had wind chills in the 30's????? I feel sorry for the folks that chose this week to visit Disney World and that are here for Bike Week in Daytona Beach...definitely not having much "fun in the sun" here in the "Sunshine State".

Oh, and since she was being such a little snoop and just HAD to nose- in while I was trying to take my finish picture, may I present an up-close and WAY too personal shot of Tea-Tsu.

Can I just tell you how much we love this face????

Thanks again for your visits - they're much appreciated!!!

*Sharon

Wanna come for cheesecake?

2010-02-16T15:56:00.001-05:00

Okay, so I am dumping ("personal responsibility") for the moment and I'm laying the blame for my calorie disaster on George Washington! Years ago, when Ian was younger and just learning about the presidents, I started making cherry pie or cherry cheesecake on President's Day...it became a yummy tradition. This year, we voted to go with the cheesecake. I don't even want to think about the calories involved - but it was so yummy, it was worth the splurge.
There's plenty of slices left - wanna come and share?? :)

*Sharon

Just an update.......

2010-02-12T17:36:00.003-05:00

Just an update from our humble, happy abode. I'm SOOOO grateful to say that Ian is feeling like his old chipper self again AND my mom is feeling better too. She still has the kidney problem, but the treatment she's receiving seems to be working.

As for the new car - I'm lovin' it, but I must confess that I'm still in that "white-knuckle" driving mode. I'm so afraid of putting a scratch or ding on it that I haven't relaxed yet. I'm sure that once the new car smell wears off, I'll be driving "normal" again...I'm expecting the "new" smell to wear off soon - hauling Ian around from one sweaty activity to another should do the trick - rapidly!! :)

I've been stitching a bit here and a bit there - homeschooling takes the lion's share of my day, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I know that all too soon, it will seem mighty quiet around here and I dread trading in the spontaneous hugs for quiet times.....

This is my current project - Little House "Home of a Needleworker Too".

This design has been sitting in my stash pile for a couple of years. I am loving stitching this - I'm not sure how it got pushed to the bottom of my "to do" pile. (I've GOT to make time to have a MAJOR stash-clearing soon!!) I'm sure, that being honest, I have quite a few "what was I thinking when I bought this?" patterns in my cabinet...and I probably have a lot more "can't wait to stitch" patterns, as well.

It's chilly and rainy here in my part of Florida, (thank goodness we're far enough south that we don't need to worry about snow or cold - chilly is bad enough, thank-you-very-much!) so I'm off to bundle up with a BIG cup 'o tea, my stitching and the TV. I just love all things Olympics - so bring on the Opening Ceremonies and off we go!!! :)

*Sharon

When life hands you lemons....

2010-01-27T20:19:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite sayings (and I heard this from a lady at church, mind you!) is: "when life hands you lemons, throw them at someone else". So, since I've been handed a few lemons lately, I'm ready to start tossing them on their way elsewhere!
Oy Vey...let's take stock, shall we? First, Ian has been sick - really sick. The "pneumonia - asthma - hospital" kind of sick. Poor kid - he looks so tired and pale and thin. For the past two weeks, I haven't been able to tempt his appetite with any of his favorite foods. Tonight, he finally started really eating again - so I'm taking that as a good sign. Any prayers sent on his behalf would be MUCH appreciated!!
Secondly, I found out that my Mom is starting to have issues with her one remaining kidney. (She lost one to cancer a few years back). The cancer hasn't returned (and I'm oh so grateful for that!!!), but her remaining kidney is beginning to show signs of failing. My mom is one tough cookie, but this seems to be taking the wind out of her...I'm worried and hoping that the Dr.'s can give her an effective treatment plan.
Third - my car decided to die a painful, EXPENSIVE death. I was in one of the busiest (naturally - it's been that kind of week, I'm telling you) intersections in our city, and my car just died! Okay, so there's no "good" place for a car to break down - but being in a busy intersection is defintely one of the "worst" places.
Praise the Lord, my car re-started long enough to get me across the streets to a safe spot. After being towed, we learned that it would be VERY expensive to get the car up and running again. (Of course, it's "just" out of warranty!) The repairs were going to be nearly as much as the car was worth, so my sweet hubby made the call to buy me a new car. Can I tell you that I HATE shopping for a new car? (I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE driving a new car - I just hate shopping for them!) Don't you hate pulling into dealerships and the salesmen are standing around like vultures, waiting to swoop in and attack??? Anyway, LONG story short, I am now the proud mama of a new car (and I'm loving my choice - this baby purrs!!!)...but this also means, I'm a mama on a MUCH-tighter budget. I will definitely be stitching from my fabric/charts/floss stash for the forseeable future...no new purchases for me, but that's okay, I have lots on hand to choose from! :)
So, to sum up - my lemonade could have tasted sweeter this month, but I still feel blessed. Maybe I'll make some lemon meringue pie before I toss those lemons on their way.... :)

*Sharon

How much is that doggy in the basket?

2010-01-07T15:46:00.002-05:00

Thought I'd post a pic of Tea-Tsu hanging out in our Christmas "book basket". She just hopped right in and called it her own. Come to think of it, she calls most everything around here, "her" own! LOL

Enjoy!

*Sharon

Happy Home Sampler Progress....

2010-01-04T19:45:00.000-05:00

This is a progress shot of my "carry-over" project from '09. I'm going to be working on this AND adding in some new projects for 2010. I can't wait to see what stitches the new year brings... :)

*Sharon

Happy "Flu" Year...

2010-01-04T19:34:00.001-05:00

Yup, let the coughing and sneezing begin... :(

We have a white board on our door that leads from our laundry room into our garage. Usually, one of us will grab the marker and write family "I love you's", favorite scriptures, holiday messages or quotes on the board. It's been so fun to try to "sneak" the messages when no one is looking...and even more fun to find messages that someone else has written. Ian's message today was to erase the "Happy New Year" message and change it to "Happy Flu Year". I sure do love that not-so-little guy. He keeps me laughing even when it's the LAST thing I feel like doing.
Ugh - bring on the tea with honey and lemon - I'm off to sneeze and stitch, and sneeze and stitch and...well, you get the idea.

Stay healthy!

*Sharon

Happy New Year

2009-12-31T16:40:00.002-05:00

It's been quite the Holiday Season...my goodness - such a wonderful time spent with precious family, lovely gifts, fun and laughter with just enough passing of kidney stones (OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!), and a jug of frozen water falling on a foot (more OUCH!!!!!!!) thrown in just to keep things "normal". :) But, I digress....

I think things on my blog are going to be changing up just a bit. For the most part, this has been a stitching blog - and it will still continue to contain updates about my passion for ALL THINGS stitching. BUT, I think this is also going to become more of an everything "blab blog". Somedays, it may be ONLY about stitching, and other days it may not contain anything but the words, "Oh Crap". Anyone else ever have days like that?
Some days, I'll share my faith - it's so important to me. Other days, books and recipes that I love. Who knows - - - I'm not exactly sure where I'm going with this - but I am going somewhere...and I hope you come along with me on my journey of "blogdom self discovery".

In the meantime, I wish each of you a New Year filled with all that makes you happy and peaceful!
Hugs and Blessings.....

*Sharon

A Finish, A Start AND the cutest dollar bill you've ever seen!!!

2009-11-03T13:05:00.010-05:00

Though not necessarily in that order....
First, introducing the best-looking George Washington on a dollar bill - EVER!
-not that I'm prejudiced 'cause I'm his Mama or anything... :)

See, I told you he was a cutie!!! Ian loved this halloween costume - 'course the fact that he scored a MAJOR haul of candy didn't hurt, either... :)

Now, for the finish...I humbly present, "The Angels Sang"... stitched on recommended fabric and using recommended threads...

This will be going off to spend Christmas with a dear friend of mine. "D" loves angels, so I hope that this piece will bring a blessing to her home this Christmas.

Now on to another start! I've been in love with this "Happy Home Sampler" since I first saw it in the July '08 issue of Cross Stitch and Needlework. I love samplers, so this had to go into my ever-growing "to do" pile. I'm including a pic of my progress so far, and a pic of what I hope my piece will eventually look like!

Thanks for checking out my up-date. I love your visits and sweet, sweet comments!!

Stay Happy and Well,

*Sharon

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.....

2009-10-05T16:32:00.008-05:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...in my stitching room!!! I got bit by the Christmas stitching bug early this year, and now I can add another finish to my pile! This is "Cold Hands" by Lizzie Kate. I just love this little guy - he'll be going to live with a friend in Ohio.

Currently, I'm working on "The Angels Sang" by Little House Needleworks. Not much progress to show on this one, but at least I'm headed in the right direction. (I think!) My son asked if this was going to be a ghost!! Me: "Nope, it's going to be an angel." Snarky Son: "All-righty then, if you say so - sure looks like a ghost to me though." :)
You'll have too stay tuned to watch the "ghost" grow wings and a halo!! :)

*Sharon

Around Our Home - - Getting ready for Fall

2009-09-22T14:21:00.024-05:00

See what happens when you leave the crazy lady home alone with a camera? You get pictures, pictures and more pictures! Good thing we don't have to pay to have them developed anymore! :)
Anyway, I've started putting out some fall decorations around our home and I thought I'd share some of my favorites.
This is a sign that hangs in our foyer. Our entry is "weird" in that it is a "rotunda" shape. It's a neat visual effect to have a "round room", but it's hard to hang things on circular-shaped walls.

Next up, my pumpkin welcome - this also hangs on one of those "round" walls in the foyer.

Last, but not least, is my favorite!! An autumn oil-burner teapot. This "lives" in my tea-themed kitchen. I burn this everyday with a lucious pumpkin-scented oil. Love it, love it, love it!!! :)

I hope you enjoyed seeing a few of my fall favorites...for more fall fun, check out Rhondi's "Welcome Fall" party.

*Sharon

Tea Tsu Strikes Again!

2009-09-22T14:09:00.005-05:00

My little sweetie just came home from the groomers...I thought I'd share her latest look with you. Okay, so there's not much difference between her "old look" and her "new look", but she's been strutting and stylin' around here like she's on the red carpet, so I decided to take advantage of her "posings". Enjoy! :)
Four-legged friends rule!
*Sharon
(Edited to add - Sheesh, I just realized I just took her picture on the same rug that I took her picture on last time she went to the groomers'. I've gotta find doggie some new digs!) :)

Stitching a Snowman...

2009-09-22T13:56:00.004-05:00

I'm just having a blast stitching this fine fellow. This design is Lizzie Kate's "Cold Hands, Warm Heart". He's one of about 6 Christmas gifts I'd like to make for holiday giving this year. I love doing Holiday stitching, but I also have a stack of everyday "just for me" designs that I'm itching to get started on. Ah well, all good things in due time.
Sweltering and Stitching, (still in the upper 90's here - where's fall????)
*Sharon

Please pass the chocolate.....

2009-09-17T16:38:00.004-05:00

Okay, this is a definite "I MUST HAVE CHOCOLATE NOW!" time of my life. So, here's the situation I find myself in re: my knee. Ortho doc said "sorry dude-ette, you need a total knee replacement". Okay, okay...such is life. I'm tired of having so much pain. Compared to pain, my future tennis "career" (ha!) can now take a back seat. (Did I just say that??????) So, off I go to see regular doc to get my medical clearance for surgery. I get told, "So Sorry Cookie - you can't have joint replacement surgery, because that would entail being on a course of blood-thinning meds (heparin, or coumadin, etc) for 4 - 6 weeks to avoid blood clots and with your anemia issues, that just can't happen." Argh!
My ortho doc's sweet nurse is going to find out if we could bend protocol just a bit to avoid the prolonged blood-thinners, since I'm still very young to have joint replacement. I have no history of blood clots, so we may still be able to proceed, pending Ortho docs reply. Sweet nurse did say that I may have to agree to stay in the hospital for a couple of extra days so that they could closely monitor me to make sure that I won't need an extra transfusion after the surgery. I can deal with that - just bring me chocolate (and LOTS of it) - and I promise to be a good patient!
So anyway, I'm still on hold right now. I am a huge control freak, so it's hard for me to be in a holding pattern, but sometimes, all you can do, is all you can do.
If Ortho guy does decide that I can go ahead with surgery, I'd like to do it ASAP. First off, if I know I have to do it, I just wanna do it and get it over with. Secondly, our anniversary is in November, and I'd really like to be up and dancing and not limping at our celebration. (Okay, so I probably won''t be dancing by then, but I would like to be off the walker and at least onto a cane - wow, that made me sound old!!!) Also, with Christmas on the way, I'd like to be as close to 100% as I can be by then. I'm a huge Christmas gal (on top of Christmas - my son and I share Christmas birthdays) and I REALLLLLLY want to be able to do all my fun, traditional Christmas stuff that I love so much.
So, please pass the chocolate - as I sit and wait to learn my fate.
*Sharon
(PS - I'll post stitching and homeschool up-dates later. I'm spending lots of time doing both!!) :)

Remembering.....

2009-09-11T17:04:00.002-05:00

Sometimes, words aren't needed...
Hugs,
*Sharon

Merry Friends Finish

2009-08-28T14:26:00.006-05:00

Whoo-hoo! I think this is FINALLY the year that I "get it" - Christmas is coming!! Yea I know, most folks already know that - but this year, I "get" that I need to start my Christmas stitching now and not wait until December 1st to put in the first stitch on my Christmas "wanna-do's". So, with that being said, I proudly present my first "stitched for Christmas '09" finish! :) I just love Lizzie Kate's designs - they stitch up so fast and easy!
It feels sooooo good to have one gift under my belt. Next up - Lizzie Kate's "Cold Hands". This will be my 2nd time for stitching "Cold Hands"...I had a friend put in a special request for this design, so gift #2 will be soon underway!!! :)
Thanks for taking a peek!
Hugs,
*Sharon

Bosco is ready to trick-n-treat!

2009-08-24T11:31:00.005-05:00

All-righty then... Bosco is finished!! :) This was a fun stitch - Mosey and Me has some of the cutest designs! Add the fact that there's no back-stitching and whoo-hoo, it's a wrap!!! In the original design, Bosco has "trick or treat" above his head, but hubby has an idea for framing and wanted Bosco left sans wording. I bow to his greatness!!! :)

Now, it's time to work on some Christmas stitching - here's my progress on Lizzie-Kate's "Merry Friends"...

On the knee front - - hurumph!! Dr.'s agree that my best option at this point is total knee replacement, but that would be a death nail in my tennis life...I''m having a hard time facing that option - tennis really defines us as a family and I can't imagine not being part of that. Also, my "relatively" young age creates a problem...(I'm spending $$$ on wrinkle cream and saving for botox and a facelift - but now I'm "young"???) Seems that knee replacements typically last 15- 20 years, so "technically", I would be ready for another replacement before I even hit age 65 - not a good scenario...though it would provide much-needed pain relief and much-better mobility. Plus, because of my "young" age, I would probably have a great recovery and do well. So, I feel like I'm sort of stuck right now...I'm in decision mode. The last-ditch effort I can try is to go into an up-loader brace and do synvisc injections - that might enable me to extend my tennis days a bit longer, which I see as a HUGE plus!!! Dr. says that the syncvisc amounts to putting a band-aid on a severed artery, but I'm just not ready to hang up my racket yet. :(
I always think it's better to try the conservative route first - Synvisc might be my miracle cure!!! Pray or cross your fingers for me?

Have a "not too young, not too old" kind of day!!!

*Sharon

In "kneed" of encouragement....

2009-07-15T12:47:00.011-05:00

Hi Kids -
Long time, no communication...I've been busy (for the most part anyway), having fun and enjoying summer. Up until this past week, that is....
We've had such a good time having some "free" time - the best was our celebration of July 4th. A sleepover for kids and adults which included an always-to-be-remembered water balloon fight!! (For the record, the ADULTS won!!!!) (That's my story and I'm sticking with it!!) :)
Moving on - (or should this be moving back?), about 20 years ago, (when I was VERY young!! hee hee) I had knee surgery. (Bad skiing accident). In the past couple of months, I've been experiencing more and more pain in that same knee. For the most part, I tried to ignore it other than taking an occasional tylenol. On Monday, I stepped out of bed and had agony shoot through my leg. The whole knee gave way and I honestly saw stars. I waited the pain out for a day, then limped off to the Dr. I had x-rays which didn't look promising, so I then went for an MRI. I had an appointment with a sports dr. this morning. Long story short, my knee is now bone on bone and my options for relief are narrowing. I'm no weight-bearing on crutches for the next two weeks while my knee dr. consults with my anemia dr. as to whether or not I am up for handling a knee replacement surgery. Bummer, huh? Crutches + Cast + July + Florida and all I can say is that it stinks to be me!!! :( Due to the type of surgery I had before, I'm fairly limited to what surgery can be done to give me enough mobility to ever play tennis again. Dr. says as it is, I'll probably never be back to being able to move enough to play through 3 sets - but at this point, just getting back to the court at all is a huge goal for me. (Sob, sob, sob...)
On the bright side, my hubby and my son are just such sweeties - look what they just came home with - - (along with some pretty good pain medicine!)

Pretty,aren't they? Best thing is - the flowers were my "not so little" guys' idea -that makes them even more special!

So now I have lots of time to sit and stitch (though probably not while I'm under the influence of that lovely pain medication I just mentioned) and go blog-visiting to my hearts' content.

Here's a pic of my latest "Delicate Beauties" progress - two pages down, two left to go! I sort of "hit the wall" with this project, so I've reduced it into my a one-day-a-week rotation.

I've started a project for halloween, Mosey and Me's "Bosco Booberry". Here's a progress shot of this one - -

Next up for me today is to go through my Christmas project binder and pick out some ornaments/gifts for the upcoming Holiday season. We stitchers always seem to be "stitching out of season", don't we? Golly, it's nearly time to get started on those Valentine projects, isn't it? LOL :)

Sometimes, life just stinks and apparently, somewhere along the line, I signed up for this to be one of those times for me...Well, that's it for "Stitching Confinement: Day 1" I'll keep you posted and be around to visit with you soon.

Prayers/Thoughts would be SO appreciated!!!

Limping Along....

*Sharon

Paula Vaughn would be proud! :)

2009-05-04T14:19:00.010-05:00

After much stash fondling, I decided that I was still enjoying stitching on Delicate Beauties, so I decided to put off my rotation for a bit and just keep plugging away at DB. I'm really happy with the progress that I was able to make! (check my last post to see the *before* pic.)
I've also managed to do one of my own "honey do" list items. (Yes, I have my own honey-do list!) I finally painted both sides of the entry door that leads from our garage into our laundry room. (The builders' did a less than stellar job of painting this door before we moved in... (they only put on one coat and you could see the brush marks! The rest of our doors and trim were great - but this door? Yuck! I've been meaning to "pretty up" the door for a quite a while. Don't worry, I didn't take any boring before and after pics of a plain door but believe me, what a difference it makes to walk in that door that finally looks finished! This was one of those "chores" that I wish I would have found time to do sooner. Amazing what a difference a little properly-applied paint can make!
Thanks so much as ever for all the wonderful comments - they just make my day! I've so enjoyed making many new blogging buddies...

*Sharon

My apologies to Delicate Beauties...(and a clock picture too)!

2009-04-26T16:10:00.009-05:00

Have you ever felt the need to apologize to a piece of needlework? I love this piece so much and have always intended to finish it, but somehow it just keeps getting pushed further and further down into my "favorites" pile.
I started this piece in 2006, for crying out loud!!! :(
Anyway, I'm setting up a loose rotation schedule for myself in hopes of making some real progress with this. I'm still "floss-tossing" and "fabric fondling" to choose the next smaller piece I will do in my rotation. I'm stuck between choosing "Bosco Booberry" (he's so cute!) or "Killer Dust Bunnies". (that piece cracks me up!) Of course, "Bless Our Home" and "Cups of Friendship" are also calling to me to stitch them too. Do I dare live large and (GASP!) start them all??? Nah, remember Delicate Beauties, remember Delicate Beauties....(you don't have to read that over and over - that's just a reminder to me not to get too far off target - lol)
I think I'll sleep on it tonight and make my decision later this week. 'Course by then, some of you lovely people will probably entice me with your wonderful projects and then I'll want to start even MORE stitched goodies. Honestly, the web can be hazardous for stitchers...so many gorgeous designs that call my name when I see your work. :)
Our town had a spectacular art fair this week-end. The town shuts down to traffic and is filled with block after block of every type of artwork imaginable. The talent always amazes me...if I look at a log, I see a log. These artists look at a log and see a dolphin or a fish or a manatee. The wooden bowls are so smooth and just unbelievable with their many blends of wood. The jewelry, glasswork and ceramics are beautiful too. AND, the BEST PART??? Just look at what my sweetie bought for me!!

A teapot (w/ cup!!) clock! (Now, did you really think you were going to get away from my blog w/o reading "something" about tea???) :) Isn't this just the cutest?! The lady who makes these does the most amazing ceramic pieces - mostly large table tops, etc. She just happened to have this little pot and cup and we knew it was destined to come home with us. The colors are a perfect match for our kitchen colors/counter-tops. This was just made to hang over the door to our pantry! (Yes, I know - we have lots of clocks already in residence in our kitchen - think coffee pot, microwave, etc...but come on, a teapot clock!!?? Gotta have it, baby!!! :) Don't think my sweetie's kindness will go un-noticed, I see a few of his favorite desserts very soon in his future!! :)

I hope you each had a wonderful week-end and are ready to jump in to a mah-velous Monday! :)

*Sharon

Iced Tea Finish

2009-04-22T17:18:00.003-05:00

Okay, so it's not a BIG finish...but it IS a finish! (And BTW, please try not to notice how LONG it took me to do the "not a BIG' finish!) :(
This was a fun stitch - life just keeps getting in the way of my stitching times. I wouldn't have it any other way though...'cause life, in addition to sometimes causing trouble, also carries with it the bonus of unexpected hugs from loved ones, time spent talking about important "nothings" with friends, and a lot of times, life includes good food! :)
Anyway, this little fellow will go (all together now - ya'all know the answer to this one!) - into my tea-themed kitchen. There's a spot on my kitchen island that just cries out for a snowman in a teacup. :)
Now, I'm going to treat myself and start something new AND pull out my long-standing (or is that long-suffering?) UFO, "Delicate Beauties". I'll post my new project and my latest DB pic later.
Thanks for all the lovely visits and comments. I appreciate each of you visiting!
Hugs,
*Sharon

Details:
"Iced Tea" by Midnight Stitching
28 ct. hand dyed fabric - "Sky"
Specialty Threads as called for in design (including that always dreaded Kreinik metallic)

Brrr....Iced Tea

2009-04-07T11:22:00.005-05:00

The next piece that caught my stitching fancy is "Iced Tea" by Midnight Stitching. Isn't this just the cutest little fellow? (Now that he has eyes, anyway - before that he was just a kinda creepy-looking white blob! lol) I'm posting before and after pics so that you can see that I'm heading in the right direction with this! :)
Speaking of "cold", (we were? well, snowmen are cold, right?) Darn Nyquil must be kicking in...I seem to have caught that nasty cold bug that's been making the rounds...I am totally enjoying the irony that I'm stitching on a piece called "Iced Tea" while in "real life", I'm sipping EXTRA HOT tea w/ honey and lemon. :)
Must be the Nyquil again - but that just strikes me as being VERY funny. (Don't worry, I'm not out in "public" saying this lame stuff - I'm home all day today!) :)
Stay warm!
*Sharon

Come and Share is Finished!!!!

2009-04-03T10:48:00.006-05:00

I just put the final few stitches into "Come and Share". This is one of those pieces that I started "many moons ago". Somehow, this mysteriously made it's way into my UFO pile and spent a couple of sad years there. (I'm still not sure how that happened - lol). Anyway, since I "rescued" it, it's been such a joy to work on. I've loved the colors and the saying and the bunnies and the....well, I REALLY like it! :)
This will be hung in my (where else??) tea-themed kitchen...(can you believe I purposely saved wall space in my kitchen for this piece - even while it was still a UFO???) Go figure... lololol
I recently did my part to stimulate the economy...I bought some lovely designs and fabrics and threads and.... :) (oh the dangers of blog visiting - I have been seriously enabled!) I've recently added Blackbird Designs to my ever-growing list of favorite designers - so I bought a few of their designs just to get the party started (among all the other "goodies" that made their way into my basket).
I can't wait to get started!! I'm happily off to fondle floss.... :)

Thanks for visiting my blog and enhancing my journey!!

*Sharon
(PS - as always, I jumped the gun while posting my finish...the rubber still needs to hit the road on this one (aka ironing and adding the lovely embellishments) then it will be handed over to my Sweetie so that he can work his framing magic!)

And so she stitches...

2009-03-19T11:47:00.002-05:00

I'm having the truly wonderful experience of enjoying this piece more and more with every stitch I make! Usually, by the time I reach this point in a project, I'm itching to move on and start something new...not so much with this one! I'm just loving the colors and the "spring" feel - I'm gonna be sad to put this one onto the finish pile!
'Course, I suppose I could always "cheer myself up" by going stash shopping, right??? (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) :) :) :)

*Sharon

Pictures - I got pictures!!!

2009-03-14T21:02:00.010-05:00

Just sharing some fun Florida photo's. The beach shot pretty much speaks for itself...gotta love my "backyard"! :)
The lighthouse is Ponce Inlet Lighthouse which is just south of Daytona Beach. Due to my anemia issues, I couldn't climb it this time...I had a great laugh 'cause the gift shop actually sells a shirt that says I "almost" climbed the lighthouse. :)
I felt kinda bad because there were a few "older" folks that ripped up and down the steps without missing a beat - they put me to shame! :)
The other shots are from our local zoo, and Disney World's Epcot and Magic Kingdom parks. (along with my favorite not-so-little fellow!)
I hope you enjoy seeing some of our "famous" scenery...come visit Florida - you just might want to stay!! :)

*Sharon

Finally!!!! A finish!!!

2009-02-25T15:41:00.003-05:00

Finally, I have time to post a pic of this finish! Whoot, Whoopie and Yahoo!!!! :)
This is Heart and Hand's "Inspiration Series". I just loved working on this piece...the design does have a border, but my framer (also my very best friend, a.k.a. my hubby!!) has an idea for framing this piece and his line of thinking is that the border would conflict with his framing idea...so, no border stitching for me for this one!! :)
I can't wait for this to start "living" it's life above our door...I'll post a follow-up pic when it's framed....

*Sharon

A most AMAZING day!!!

2009-01-11T16:56:00.012-05:00

We had the most AMAZING day this past Friday! Our not-so-little guy's tennis coach is also a certified pilot and flight instructor...Casey asked us if we'd like to go flying with him sometime. Of course, we jumped at the chance and Friday was our lucky day!!! I've flown infinite times commercial, but I've never flown in a small puddle jumper. To say that it was AWESOME is one of the biggest understatements of my life! God NEVER ceases to find ways to take my breath away!!!!!
Because of our location (right on the Atlantic Ocean in Florida), it made the flight that much more incredible. The ocean was a perfect turquoise and not a cloud in the sky - breath-taking doesn't begin to describe the experience!!!
Of course, we had to find our house (it's here in the pics, believe me! lol) and the tennis courts that we love to play on most often.(they're here too!Check the last pic for the courts!) :)
I just had to share the pics and experience with you. I honestly am now looking forward to getting my OWN pilot's license someday (once my health troubles are solved!!) Getting my pilot's license is now OFFICIALLY on my list of "things to do before I die" list. I can't wait to fly again - we'll be pestering his coach more about flying than tennis (NEVER thought I'd say that!!!) :)
Do something AMAZING SOON!!!!

*Sharon

First finish of '09...

2009-01-01T18:40:00.007-05:00

Happy New Year!!! What a fun day this has been...we started out playing tennis this morning, and I'm ending my day with watching football and stitching! I just put the last few stitches in on this piece. I'm off to a great start!! :) The other pic is a progress shot of my Heart in Hand Inspiration series. I haven't had much stitching time lately (the holidays were BUSY!!!), but I'm looking forward to settling down a bit and stitching more.
BTW - Santa brought me a gift certificate for a stitching floor stand and some stitching stash! Woo-Hoo!! :) I'm looking forward to trolling the 'net and going on a shopping spree!!! ('Course I ought to finish some pieces from the stash that I already have before I add anything new - yea, like that's going to happen - NOT!!) :)
Well, it's time for me to head back to the pizza and football -
May you each be blessed with family, faith, laughter and love.....

*Sharon

Design Details:
Happily Ever After - Glory Bee
28 ct caffe mocha

Inspiration Series - Heart in Hand
32 ct Summer Khaki

Happy New Year!!!

2008-12-31T15:46:00.005-05:00

It's been a hectic, HAPPY holiday season here - it'll be fun to do my first "official" update for 2009. In the meantime, I just wanted to hop in and wish all my sweet blogging friends a Happy New Year! I hope you each have a blessed start to a New Year filled with love, laughter and happiness!!!!
Celebrate safely!!!

*Sharon

Finishes Framed....

2008-11-26T11:46:00.005-05:00

I wanted to share pics of the way that my sweetie framed my finishes for me. I just couldn't be any happier with the work that he did. He always amazes me with his ability to look at a piece of my needlework and "feel" the way that a frame would accent it the best. (I especially love the lights that he drilled into "Deck the Halls" and his perfect red and white candy-stripes on the snowman box!) These are the gifts for my mom's neighbors...I must admit that it was a wee bit hard to box them up and send them away - I just adore them and think that I might just be re-stitching them for me eventually! :)
Have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving! (I give thanks that calories don't count on turkey day!!!) :)

*Sharon

Some finishes for Christmas...

2008-11-13T10:59:00.006-05:00

Here are pics of the last two finishes that I really needed to complete for Christmas gifts for this year. It feels SO good to have these under my belt! Right now, I'm working on Glory Bee's "Happily Ever After". This piece will be staying in our home!! :)

It's nice to know that I can move along on a couple of my WIP's (definitely want to get back to "Delicate Beauties" and "Come and Share" and maybe start a new project too!!! :)

Completed Projects Info:
LK's "Winter boxer"
28 ct "sand" linen
Christmas gift for one of my mom's neighbors

Shepherd's Bush "Deck the Halls"
28 ct "sand" linen
Christmas gift for another one of my mom's neighbors

To catch up on my last post...our homeschool "frog" adventure ...umm...didn't go so well...as the words of the song say..."another one bites the dust". How should I put this? The best equation we could come up with was "tadpole in mailbox, left in hot Florida sun for a few hours = froggie funeral." Never mind that the words in bright red, BOLD letters on the box reminded the mailman NOT to place the box in the mailbox but to do door delivery - - grrr.....we'll be trying this experiment again once a "Florida chill" moves in later in the winter. In the meantime, we've moved on to studying geology...and I'm happy to say that nary a rock has been harmed thus far in our journey!! We're really enjoying this study and I'm sorry, I just can't resist adding this, "Geology rocks"!!! :) :) :) :)
Can you tell my health (though apparently NOT my humor!) is improving?! Thanks for all the love and prayers - - -
"Rock" on!!!

*Sharon

Catching up - - - (again!)

2008-10-23T12:59:00.005-05:00

Nothing much new to show - I'm about 1/3 way finished with Lizzie Kate's Winter Boxer design. I'll post a pic when it's completed.
I'm VERY happy to report that I've not needed a transfusion since my last post!! :) It feels so good to be "up and at 'em" and "cautiously optimistic" again re: my bone marrrow. Life is good!!!
Ian and I are going to be "growing a frog" for our next homeschooling project. So far, I've seen my way through an ant farm, hatching butterflies and blowing up a volcano - I'm certainly not going to let a frog get the best of me!! (Am I????) :)
Ribbit, ribbit!!!
Thanks for sharing a piece of my day,
*Sharon

Getting Better Every Day!!!

2008-10-11T15:05:00.004-05:00

After a few more "unfortunate setbacks", I'm now VERY happy to say that I'm finally up and feeling better!!! I REALLY AM!!! I think I've had enough blood transfusions the past couple of months to keep any vampire happy for a lifetime - but I'm glad that the technology exists - these transfusions have completely turned my life around! I still tire out faster than I used to (wow - does that make me sound OLD - lol), but at least I'm up, around, out and about again.
I'm even back to stitching and I have a finish to show. This little fellow is another "thank you" gift to one of my mom's neighbors. Mom has been so blessed to have the nicest neighbors and I just wanted to make a little something to say "thanks" for all they do for her. I have two more "neighbor" gifts for Mom, then I'm back to stitching for ME!!
We're also back full-speed ahead at our homeschooling. Right now, we're studying "scientific inquiry", which means LOTS of experiments! This week will be the "floating egg", "surface tension", and "what does soap do to water" experiments. Inquiring minds want to know! lol :) We're especially enjoying our current reading, "Hans Brinker". I KNOW that I read Hans when I was in school, but it's been a lot of fun re-visiting him and sharing him with Ian.
Keep blogging - I so enjoy my "visits" with each of you!
*Sharon
(Edited to add - the snowman piece is from a Bucilla kit called "Snow Buddy". I usually don't like kits, but I just couldn't resist this little guy!)

Seaside Stitcher

A Brief Update

The post no mom wants to write....

Cyclops has a friend...

"Pink is my signature color"

WIPocalypse!

There's a little snowman at our house

Cherish

Merry Christmas

It's Beginning to Look a Little Like Christmas

Diary of a Christmas Tree - Florida Style! :)

I think I'll name him "Cyclops"...

Bad Blogger Mama....

I *HEART* Our Son!

TUSAL - October

The things you do for your kids.... :)

A cartload of pumpkins

TUSAL - September

Rockin' the Happy Dance!

Finding Peace....

TUSAL - August (and my feline nephew, too!)

Okay God, You have my attention....

Trying to adjust....

You knew I just had to do it!

August - TUSAL

TUSAL - July

Pneumonia, Caffeine and Stitching!

TUSAL - June

There be stitching going on....

The Griswold Family Funeral

While we're waiting.... (TUSAL-May)

We'll miss you, Auntie Friedie.....

With apologies to Jackson Browne.....

TUSAL - April

Being a Tourist in Your Own State

Same Airport, Different Emotions....

Look what I won!!!!!!

TUSAL - March

Better Late than Never

TUSAL - February

Will you be mine?

TUSAL - #1

I Cherish This Face! :)

Cherish

I have been stitching.....

Thank You Hillary!!!!

Thank You doesn't begin.....

Prayers Needed Please!

I'm thankful for a finish!

The first 16 years......

Another trophy for the shelf (and I want a slurpee!)

Finally Fall in Florida!

Friends for All Seasons finish...

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!!!

A wee bit of stitching...

No, you may NOT wear your blue outfit two days in a row!!

He honestly does have other outfits..... :)

And he scores!!!

She stitches, she actually stitches!! (and finishes once in a while, too!)

Proud Mama Moment!

Happy 4th!

For Cohen...

Thank You!!!!

Accepting Reality...

Sorrow, a finish and a work in progress...

The posies have bloomed! :)

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...."

Happy Dancin' (and a doggie too)

Wanna come for cheesecake?

Just an update.......

When life hands you lemons....

How much is that doggy in the basket?

Happy Home Sampler Progress....

Happy "Flu" Year...

Happy New Year

A Finish, A Start AND the cutest dollar bill you've ever seen!!!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.....

Around Our Home - - Getting ready for Fall

Tea Tsu Strikes Again!

Stitching a Snowman...

I HEART Our Son!