Hello Strangers

 Here it is almost the end of September 2024 and I can't believe how long it's been since I posted.  I'm sorry that it's taken me this long to come back but Vallies death really hit me hard.  I had her at the Vet for an exam and they told me her kidneys were failing and she was in pain.  I took her home with me for one more night and my hubby and I loved on her and she was put down the following day.  My grand daughters husband went in with me (my hubby couldn't do it).  I have a beautiful wooden box with her name engraved, her footprint and some of her fur.  

This new one we have is nothing like Vallie.  For one thing she's smaller and nuttier.  She'll be two in January and I hope by then she calms down some.  We named her Dani.  This name comes the show Games of Thrones.  Dani was the to be queen and she had pure white hair.  She was a tiny thing but very strong willed.  Well that suited this dog perfectly.  Here are some pictures of this little rug rat

When we first got her

Her now

She follows me everywhere.  I have no privacy at all and I'm sure you ladies that have a dog or a cat know exactly what I mean.  

I hope all the ladies who use to visit my blog are all healthy and doing well.  I have received some emails from some of you and that made me feel very happy.  I'm sure everyone is still stitching up a storm but unfortunately I am not.  My right arm shakes too bad for me to do any stitching but I am knitting and crocheting instead.  I found a stitching group over in Winter Garden where my grand daughter lives and I donated all my charts to them.  I still have all my linen in boxes with absolutely no idea what to do with them.  The linen is a little bit more expensive than the patterns so I didn't feel right giving them away.  Maybe one day on Etsy.

Also I'm just about in a wheelchair permanently.  I can hardly walk and I'm sick of falling.  So far I haven't broken anything but it's just a matter of time.  I have two walkers and they're not much help.  I also refuse to have any surgeries that everyone says will help.  Not for me!  I remember my Mother went into hospital for hip replacement.  While there she had a heart attack, stroke and caught pneumonia.  She was never the same after that in her mind so I've decided not to take the chance.  I'd rather live my life in a wheelchair than not recognize my family.

I hope all of you have a wonderful week spent with your family, your pets and your hobby.

Many, Many Blessings!

Barbara

Vallie

2/14/2010 - 7/29/2022

 

Christmas Movies and Songs

 Here it is Christmas Eve and we're all getting ready for the big day tomorrow and I'm sitting here enjoying some wonderful Christmas movies.  I absolutely love the channel TCM because it always has some great "old" movies on that I use to enjoy with my Mother.  She loved movie stars and there was always those old magazines laying around like Photoplay and such.  Till this day I can name a host of old stars cut I can't remember what I ate last week.  LOL  So I got to thinking of Christmas movies and the ones I love the most.  Here's my list and see how it compares to yours.

1.  White Christmas

2.  It Happened on 5th Avenue

3.It's a Wonderful Life

4. Love Actually

5. The Nightmare Before Christmas

6.  Meet Me in St. Louis

7.  The Bishops Wife (1947)

8.  While You Were Sleeping

9.  Shop Around the Corner (1940)  

10.  A Christmas Carol (1984)

I think my list has some of the newer ones like Love Actually but my favorites are the old black and white movies.  This is something my hubby and I do not agree on.  He hates black and white movies and says I was born in the wrong decade.  Maybe so.....who knows.

 As I type this is 56 degrees outside and I think that's about as cold as it will get.  I envy the ones who get to have snow on Christmas.  

As far as carols go I love the old ones we sing in  church that sing about the Glory of God.  Although I found out something the other day and that's that Mike Rowe of the show Dirty Jobs can sing opera and has a marvelous voice.  He and John Rich wrote a song about Santa having a dirty job.  If you haven't heard it, here ya go.

I'd love to know your favorite Christmas movie and why.  Everyone have a glorious Christmas Eve and enjoy your day tomorrow with family and friends but please don't forget the reason for the season.

Blessings on All,

Barbara

The Holidays

I know I haven't been on here in quite some time but I thought the Holiday Season would be a good time to let you know what's been going on in my life.

I had the breast surgery  and I've had no problems whatsoever.  No pain nothing.  She did tell me to take a pain pill when I got home but I really didn't need it.  The one bad thing was is that I had to wear this special bra for 7 days and that was a killer.  It made me feel like my boobs were up in my throat. LOL

My darling husband bought me a new car for Christmas.  It's a 2022 Kia Seltos which is their small suv.  We were over at John and Peyton's for Thanksgiving and I bought it the day after Thanksgiving.  I'm not good on long distance driving so John drove it home for us.  I was giving them my Kia Soul so he just drove that back home.  The bad news is that the following week I was stopped at a red light and some 19 year old kid hit me in the back.  You cannot believe how angry I was.   So now it has an accident report attached to it.  Luckily he did have insurance and they are paying for repairs.  It just seems to me that in this day and age no one respects any one elses property.

We won't be celebrating Christmas with the kids next week because John (who wasn't vaccinated) brought covid home to the family.  So our Christmas has been moved up to New Year's which is fine with us.

I hope all of you have the Merriest of Christmas's and a very safe and Happy New Year.

All My Blessings for the upcoming year....

Barbara

It seems like years since I posted anything and I think I'm coming out of my funk.  The other day I made myself go to Needle Orts, my LNS, and while there I came across these two new Nora Corbett designs.  I love stitching Halloween because of Little John's birthday and I thought these might be ideal for getting me back into the swing. They only have three different fibers.....black silk,  a Waterlillie and a kreinek braid  plus some beads.  

Evanora

Claire

I am starting with Evanora and so far so good.  I'm stitching them on 30ct WDW Guacamole linen and I'm not having much trouble with it.

I do have to undergo surgery because the Oncologist wants those bad cells removed in my right breast.  I know I will feel better once they are so I'm wasting no time in seeing this done.

Now for my bad news.  Peyton, John and the kids are moving over close to Tampa 2.5 hours away.  They don't like living in Orlando anymore, neither do I. so next weekend they shall be on their way.  They found a house to rent till their house sells here and they get use to the area.  I'm going to miss them dreadfully.  I've grown use to having them only 10 minutes away and it's going to take some getting use to.  I did find that a Amtrak train runs once a day from Orlando to Tampa so that's house we will get over there.  Neither one of us can drive for a long period of time.  Peyton promised that they will come home once a month but that's not enough for me.  It seems that the older I get the more I hate change.  Is it just me or am I with others in this.  

I hope everyone has stayed  strong in this year so far.  I am so sick of having the CDC or the idiots in Washington changing their minds from one day to another about masks, vaccinations and anything else to do with Covid.  Please God help them make up their minds.

Blessings to All,

Barbara  

 Well I got the results back from my mammogram and they're not looking good.  They aren't calling it cancer but "abnormal cells".  Now that's a new one on me.  I have to have an MRI and then I have a discussion with the surgeon about the removal and then we'll see about an oncologist about follow up treatment.  To me that sounds like cancer.    I got the news yesterday only after I called them to see if they got the results back yet.  I asked the nurse when they had gotten them in and she wouldn't tell me.  I'm just wondering how long would they have waited to call me.  Have I ever said I hate Doctors!    If not well I do and this is going to be a difficult road for me so I'm asking for some prayers to help me get thru this.  

I hope spring is happening in your neighborhood and showing a sign of rebirth.

Blessings, Barbara

 It's been quite awhile since I posted and I just want to thank the ladies who emailed me to make sure I was okay.  Other than being bored, depressed and worried....I'm alright.  I went this past Monday for my annual mammogram and they found something that wasn't on last years.  I go in on March 1st for a biopsy to be taken to see what it is.  The doctor is pretty sure that it's a cyst but she wants to make sure.  I'm not real comfy with just a biopsy because when my husband had cancer in his lung, the biopsy came back negative but the doctor, bless his heart, had a bad feeling and decided to operate.  We are very happy he did because it was cancer and if we had gone by just the biopsy Lord knows where my hubby would be today.  So I'm just not having a happy moment over this development.

Question.....how many of you have had the vaccine?  I have decided not to get it in any form.  Hubby is waiting for the one shot from Johnson & Johnson but I'm not a very trusting person when it comes to medicine.  I really don't want anything to do with any of them.

I haven't been doing any cross stitch but I have been cleaning up my sewing room and doing some knitting and crocheting.  This first picture is of my storage bins for my yarns and yes each one of those bins is full of yarn.

Here are some of the projects I've finished in the last two months.

The above is a 100% alpaca yarn that is gradient from dark periwinkle to white.

The above is a yarn made out of milk and merino wool.  It feels like butter.

The above two pictures are of a very lacy one made out of merino wool and silk.

The above is made out of merino wool and alpaca.

I've always wanted to make a very large shawl so the yarn below is for making that.  It is a fingering weight that is made of merino wool in a great taupe color.  I look forward to starting it.

.On January 31, husband and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary and the kids bought this beautiful frame for us.   

and here is a picture of all of us out at dinner celebrating.

I hope everyone has been well during my absence but I have been keeping up with my reading room.  I might not comment all  the time but I do read.

Stay healthy, stay happy and most of all  be Blessed,

Barbara

 I know this year has been rough on everybody and here's hoping that 2021 is better for all of us.  For those who lost loved ones due to the pandemic, my heart goes out to each and every one of you.  

Blessings Upon Each and Every One of You,

Barbara

 I know it's been a rough year for all of us and for those who lost loved ones due to the Covid pandemic my heart goes out to you.  I just wanted  to wish all my lovely followers the merriest of Christmas's and here's hoping that 2021 is a better year for all of us.  

Blessings Upon Each and Every One of You,

Barbara

I'm Still Here.....But Barely

 I can't believe it's been a month since I posted last.  Things have been a little crazy around here and our health hasn't been the greatest.  I think I'm on the mend so hopefully I'll be able to get some stitching done and posted.

I hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving with family if you were able to.  We went to the kids because they are close by and Peyton did all the cooking.  LOL  She makes a sweet potato casserole that's to die for and there was no way I was missing that.  Here's a  picture of the three rugrats dressed and ready for bed on Thanksgiving night.

I also wanted to draw your attention to a free sal that is starting tomorrow.  It's being offered by Jardin Prive and the subject is the 12 Days of Christmas.  Here is where  you can find all the information about it.

https://www.jardinprive.com/pages.php?page=12_jours

I'm going to save the parts and maybe start it for next year.  

Until I get enough energy to post again,

Blessings, Barbara