And a New Year Begins

Happy New Year to all my wonderful followers and friends.  This day is always a little sad for me because today is the 11th anniversary of my losing my dear Father.  I always try to be optimistic about the new year, but starting out on such a sad note can make it difficult.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends.  We went to Jacksonville to spend Christmas Eve and day with our grand son in law (to be) and his family.  His stepmother is such a wonderful cook and I swear all I did was eat.  I was glad to get home and maybe try and lose those pounds.....but so far no such luck.

Peyton and John treated my husband and I to a day at the Gaylord Palms Ice Show.  The Gaylord Palms is a very large expense hotel here in Orlando down near Disney World.  Every year they turn part of their hotel into a winter wonderland.  You must wear warm shoes, hats and gloves and they provide the parkas because inside this area it's a balmy 9 degrees.  Everything inside is made of ice and it's just beautiful.

This years theme was:

They had sledding for the children.

But hubby and preferred this type of sledding and wow did it make your butt cold.

They had beautiful statues made out of ice and these were larger than life size.

Here is another one.

And at the end they had a stunning life size nativity scene.  

Little John was too young to really appreciate it and he didn't understand being bundled up like he was.  It did feel good to get back out into the Florida sunshine afterwards.  I had forgotten how cold 9 degrees feels like but we did enjoy it and had lots of fun.

I started a new cross stitch project over the holidays.  I started the Patriotic Scissor Pouch by The Scarlett House.  I'm not making it into the pouch but just either framing it or a pillow.  Will decide when I'm finished with it.

I'm stitching it on 28ct. checkered fabric using DMC floss.  So far it's been a fun stitch and a fast one.  I've also finished one shawl that I just love how it finished up and how well it matches the top I made it for.

I fell in love with this raspberry colored top but wanted something to wear around my neck and couldn't find a scarf to match but I did find a yarn.  

I started a new one and this is being made using a gradient wool yarn.  It's fascinating to see how the yarn changes colors so very slowly and how it makes a design come to life.

This yarn is a sock weight and it starts out with shades of tan to pink to purple to teal and finally blue.   I tried to get a good picture of this and this is the best one.  They are very soft colors and I love how it's turning out.

Well that's about all I've been up to.  My husband's doctor appt. with the surgeon is this Tuesday so then we should know when the surgery will be.  I don't know how I would act if it was me having to go thru this but hubby seems to be taking it in stride.  He hardly every gets down in the dumps about something.  He just says he has no control over this so why worry.  

I hope each and every one of you had a very Merry Christmas and that 2017 starts out as a Happy New Year for you all.

Blessings, Barbara