Sunday, December 25, 2011

TUSAL

Here's the last for the year. Almost forgot! It's a little unusual because I've been knitting more than stitching.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

TUSAL AND SOME KNITTING....

Here is the latest edition of my TUSAL. There's actually some knitty stuff in this one as well as some of Linzie's hair (I trimmed her tail) and some thread labels.  The goody is the background is a bit of stitching that I finished a couple of weeks ago. It was supposed to be an Altoids tin topper, but I used larger fabby and some trim from my stash and made a label to hang on the candy jar.

Ta Da! My very first pair of knitted socks. The first one nearly put me in the hospital but the second one knitted up quickly and smoothly. It's Patons sock wool, knitted on Size 5 Needles and they fit great ( I have chubby legs, but don't tell anyone.). I'm about to start the second pair as soon as I finish a hat I started a couple of days ago. They are really more colorful than the photo shows.


David Beckham, eat your heart out! This is the slouchy hat I stitched up this week. It doesn't really look like it, but it fits pretty good. I'm working on a beret now. I did this one for the game next weekend, but it looks like the weather is going to be pretty bad, so Michael may inherit this one. It's in crimson and white, of course!

One week from today is the Showdown in Ttown. Bama vs. LSU. We're supposed to be there, but David has been in bed for two days now with a really BAD earache. And we're hearing that the weather is going to be very cold and rainy. That means I probably won't go to the stadium (the game is at 7PM). I would like to go to the Quad that afternoon. But Dave is also saying that we just may stay here in BR. We could sell those tickest for a LOT of money. We'll see. I think Alabama football will win in the end!!

Hope you all are staying warm!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

ROLL TIDE!

It's finally beginning to get a little chillified here, and it's great! We can finally go outside without breaking into instant sweat. But........."the" season isn't over and there are a couple of storms out there that may or may not see out shores. I think one of them is headed for the Yucatan. Not wishing anyone bad luck, but.....

It's about time for the Big Game. Nov. 5th is the day. It's Alabama  vs LSU. Both teams are undefeated and you know for whom I pull! We'll go up for the game, of course, and the weather will decide whether I'll go to the stadium or not. The game has been moved to prime time, so it will be COLD. That maybe I can handle. Rain along with that I can't. Tickets to that game are going for BIG bucks. But we are diehard Bama fans, so I'm  thinking we'll keep ours.

We also have a new member of the family in Tuscaloosa. He's an eighteen year old gelded Arabian named Robbie. Michael says he's super smart. Responds to hand signals and can be ridden easily without a saddle. I'm looking forward to meeting him. Planning to take some carrots, apples, and peppermints with me.

I've been knitting a lot lately. Just finished my first pair of socks. And I've finished a slouchy hat for the game. I've started a scarf in Christmas colors. There are about a million free knitty patterns on the internet and I've really enjoyed looking at all of them. I do need to take time out and work on some quilty Christmas presents. Think I'm going to make candlemats. They are quick and easy to do and look really great.

In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy this beautiful weather!

Friday, October 21, 2011

Well, I really am still around. Time gets away from me and, I have to admit, Facebook is a quicker fix.

Since the last time we met, I have turned another year older. I'm Medicare-official now. I was 65 on October 3. It is better than the alternative, though. I don't feel any older--sometimes--but I see clear evidence of my face and other body parts dropping daily.

Michael, my 37 year old baby son, has returned from the Philippines. He left on October 2 and returned on the 17th. I can't wait to see the photos. He's a Dive Master and that was the purpose of the trip. He has one of those mongo underwater cameras and told me he took more that 700 photos. I was doing pretty good until he told me about the sea snakes. Something like 3 times more deadly than a cobra. Not doing a happy dance here!!
This is a snap of  him enjoying the scenery.



It's finally football season and things are stepping up.LSU is No. 1 and we are No 2.The big standoff is two weeks from now in Tuscaloosa and I'll be there.The winner of this one will go to the BCS. Then in another couple of weeks we have the annual shootoff with It's Alabama all the way for me. I'm fairly sure we'll really mess them  up this year. The game is in Auburn, so we'll have to make do with the tv.

I've actually done a lot of stitching. And......I'm on a knitting binge! Haven't  picked up the needles in years. I'm about to finish my first pair of socks and I've knitted a boa. On the stitchy side, here are a couple of finishes:


Can't remember if I've shown you this one. The chart is by LK. The premade sack was a little expensive, so I got out the old imagination and the sewing machine and came up with this. I'm going to do a few others because they will made great gifts.

This one was a long time in finishing. It's by Grilles de Maryse. I stitched awhile and put it down awhile. Stitched, stopped. I finally got it out and decided to get me out of my misery.  I found the tray at Hobbly Lobby and painted it to match. The first go-around I got it in the tray caddywhoompased. I took it out and tried again.

So.......this is my world as of today.Hope all is great out there for all of you. It's Fall and the weather is great. Football season is here. And I've got my stitchy bag here and my Linzie nearby. Let it snow!!!!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

TUSAL: BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!

I'm late again, of course. It took forever to download this from my iphone!  And, again, a lot has happened. We'll talk later.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Saturday, September 3, 2011

TUSAL A LITTLE LATE

Better late than never! Here is August's contribution.

Friday, September 2, 2011

A LONG FEW WEEKS!

Wow! It's been awhile. So much has happened. And now I'm sitting here watching weather radar. We're about to have a bit of bad weather. Actually, not "a bit". More like "a lot". There's a tropical storm headed our way and is moving slowly. We're expecting some very strong wind and a lot of rain. We've had a marsh fire near New Orleans which is causing smoke and bad smell all the way up here. Officials are hoping the rain will douse the fire and make breathing easier.

We've made a lot of trips north to Tuscaloosa the past few weeks. We received a call on July 15th that my MIL was dying. We got there late on the 16th and she died early on the 17th. We were all there with her, even Linzie. She recognized us before she died. We came home and went back for the funeral on the 22nd. She would have been 99 on August 11th. We've made a trip since then. Yesterday David received an email saying my SIL was in the hospital in Tuscaloosa, so I guess we will be having more trips home.

I have been doing some stitching--have to maintain my sanity! My first quilting project (a quilt!) is being quilted as we speak. This is the second. It's a table runner that I made for my grandkids for Halloween. I downloaded the pattern from Clotilde. Halloween fabrics, of course. And I used a textile pen and added some sayings to be back. A quilting friend of mine says it the French braid pattern. It wasn't hard. Just a lot of waste fabric. I recycled it to the backing. It's quilted on my sewing machine.




This is a little goody I made from a LK pattern. I was going to order a pre-made cover, but it was a little expensive. A trip to the quilting shop and a lttle eyeballing later and I had made my own. I wish I had made it a little longer. Oh, well!


So....that's life here. I hope it slows down a little. But I have my stitching and that keeps me calm. And football season starts tomorrow. I do love me some Alabama football! ROLL TIDE!

Monday, August 1, 2011

TUSAL: A LITTLE LATE

Here's this month's collection of strings, needles and labels. I took the photo with my iphone and then went a little crazy trying to transfer the photo.

It's been really hectic here. I'll tell  you more in a day or so when my spirit catches up with my body!!

Monday, July 11, 2011

GOOD MORNING, STITCHY BLOGGY FRIENDS!

I''m sitting here sneezing. Allergies! And according to the local news the temperature will be (heat index included) 110. I'll make a much needed trip to Hobby Lobby and then stay inside for some coolness.

Kate and William have returned home. They are such a happy, relaxed couple and very much in love. I wish them all the best. I'm sorry they never made it this far east and south. But I've enjoyed the photos. Oh, to be so thin!!

I'm going to add some recipes to my blog. Check "Tasty Morsels" in the next few days. I made my first ever fig jam Saturday. It turned out very well. Only problem is that they were purple figs, so the jam is purple. So LSU!

I have a finish and some progress. And when I make it back to Cross Stitch Corner I have some goodies in my drawer just waiting for my hot little hands. So here goes:

This is a wonderful piece of fabric I bought when I was in Houston. It's stitched with DMC 930, 931, 932. The pattern is Blackbird's freebie. It's supposed to be stitched in red, but I chose to stitch it in blue. Sara Pilgrim Trimm is my great-great grandmother. Born in 1824.
 
 
This is Brenda Gervais' mystery SAL. It's not number one on the list, but it is interesting to stitch. The last of the patterns is due sometime this month. I'm using the fabric and threads suggested.


Blackbird's Anniversaries of the Heart. It's quickly becoming a favorite! I ended up tea dying the fabric because it was too white and not very antique-y looking. I haven't put any special people in yet. I'm still collecting names and dates. I have a little book I keep with the charts and I add thoughts as I have them. Last night I was looking through some stitchy magazines for small symbols representing members of my family. I found a wonderful little photo of a karate kid which will be perfect for my grandson! This piece is so much fun to stitch.

And finally my newest experiment. I've knitted since I was in high school, but never tried socks. It seems to be the upcoming thing. I have a friend, Tammie, who brings her latest knitty project to Tuesday stitching. So this is the first sock. I have made more progress since this photo. I'm ready to start turning the heel. Kinda fun. Hope they fit my fat legs.

So this is life here in the tropical South. It does seem strange for my Down Under Friends referring to this as winter. And the humidity! But onward an upward......

See you guys later!

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

TUSAL FINALLY!

Here's this month's contribution to my ort collection. There's quite a collection here: overdye wrappers, ribbon......

I don't know how to begin to understand what happened in Orlando yesterday. I do know that a beautiful 2 year old child is dead. A 25 year old woman is free today, ready to plan the rest of her life. And she bought that life at a very high price. Rest in peace, Caylee, in the arms of God.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

HAPPY BIRTHDAY,
AMERICA


MY HOME, SWEET HOME


Friday, June 24, 2011

ANIMAL FARM AND OTHERWISE...

Boy, I just keep getting lazier and lazier! I think the hot weather is getting to me.  I forget to blog sometimes!!

The nice thing is that the hot weather is bringing the nicest Creole tomatoes. I have one every night for dinner. Have about five chilling as we speak. And Washington Parish watermelons are ready. Now that's summer!

Been doing a lot of stitching and framing. I'll have photos later. I"m being slow about downloading them from my camera.

In the meantime........

These little beauties appeared on my gazebo a few hours ago. It's unusual for raccoons to come out during the day. I'm thinking Mama was showing the babies the lay of the land. I would love to pet one, but they are a little dangerous. And usually carry a hefty dose of rabies. Still ....the little ones are cute. I made the photo with my iPhone thru the den window.


   
And here's Linzie. It's been raining for a couple of days and she doesn't like the rain or the thunder and lightening. She sticks close to me, but when I'm stitching I don't need close company. She climbs into the chair nearby and sleeps or watches me. She's such a little love! Look at those eyes!


Well, I'm off to stitch again. I've just finished the first part of Anniversaries of the Heart. I've already taken a few stitches on February. It is an absolutely fantastic piece.

So......stay cool, everyone and Happy Stitching.

Monday, June 13, 2011

HOME FROM HOUSTON

It was a quick trip this weekend. We went to Houston for Grace's dance recital. Friday to Sunday. We enjoyed it, but  are glad to be home. This trip brought home to me just how much I'm missing by not being able to miss too many Sundays at PBC. I've got some major thinking to do!!! We saw the video of their piano recitals and some great video of their church play.

Here's some photos made with my iPhone. I'll download the camera photos later.




The waters haven't completely gone down yet. This was made going across the Whiskey  Bay Bridge. It crosses the Atchafalaya Basin.

Linzie is at attention and ready to get there!

We stopped at the Texas rest stop just across the state line. Yep, that's me petting a baby alligator. His name is Jessie. He's two years old and of course his mouth is taped shut. Michael says how could I pet an alligator and not a snake. They, he says, feel alike. Right!!!

David and Linzie bellying up to bar at John and Laura's. I love this photo.

Laura.

Ann enjoying a cupcake at the crawfish boil for the swim team.


The guys just before we left to come home.

Linzie was worn out!!!

I made a trip to 3 Stitches for some additions to my stash.

I got the last skein of DD's Mardi Gras, two skeins of DD's Aussi Pride, a skein of Watercolors.  Two Anniversaries of the Heart charts, a Rosewood Manor chart of the Quaker Compass. Also three pieces of fabby: two are for a gift and one is just because I thought it was pretty. Got some freebie charts and just enjoyed looking at the goodies!

That's all the news to report today. Gonna stay in and avoid the heat, I think.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

IS THIS CUTE OR WHAT?


A friend posted this on Facebook. They are
SO wonderful!

Friday, June 3, 2011

TUSAL AND A START!

Here's the latest edition of my TUSAL contribution. Yes, it was a busy month. Maybe that's why I had a lull in the action. There's a little bit of everything in the jar: DMC, overdyes, a couple of needles (it's painful to part with the good ones even when they break), gold cord, a little bit of linen and some thread labels.


And.....I've found something I want to stitch. It's Bent Creek's Quaker Easter Egg. I'm using the WDW and GAST threads called for and I'm stitching it on some ash rose linen. Very pretty! I hope BC continues the egg series.

So that's about it. At least I'm feeling a little more "normal"--whatever that is!

Stay cool.  We've been breaking some records here with the heat.

And Nancy:  http://www.nola.com/ for news on the flooding, etc. Great photos. Morganza is still open-just not as many bays.


Tuesday, May 31, 2011

OKAY. I'M BORED.

I've been lazy about blogging. I've had some finishes, but have been lazy about posting photos. So......I can't find anything I really want to stitch. Planning to go through my stash tomorrow to see if anything catches my fancy.

Sheeze. Too bored to stitch. This is a first.

It's been an interesting month. My beautiful, wonderful son Michael turned 37. He's my baby and I think he's finally got used to my calling him that.

We survived the flooding here. Not all of Lousiana was so lucky. The Morganza Spillway was opened to drain waters that were too dangerous for Baton Rouge and New Orleans. The sad fact is that thousands of others had to suffer for our good luck.

Yesterday was Memorial Day here in the States. It's the day we honor our fallen heros of combat. It's a big thank you we owe to them, as well as those who fought and lived to give us our precious freedom.

So I'll go in search for some photos now. Maybe it will spur me on to other things.

This is Michael with the three grandkids. They belong to a Mutual Admiration Society.


A dear friend's daughter is getting married this weekend. This is the biscornu that I made for Jessica as a wedding keepsake.
Her wedding colors are red, purple and black, so I used them in the biscornu. I wasn't really sure how it would finish up, but it really is very pretty. I like it.



Two Royal Wedding keepsakes. The first is by Kelmscott. I used the materials called for. I actually finished stitching it during the wedding.


This is the keepsake from the Sampler Girl. I used DMC threads and fabric from my stash.


I couldn't end without some photos of my Sweet Baby. Yesterday I made my first puppy treats. She really likes them. Very simple to make with very little mess. And not all those additives that store-bought treats have.



So that's it. I hope my mojo comes back. Yuk. Sheeze. A revoltin' turn of events!

Thursday, May 5, 2011

TUSAL...I REMEMBERED! AND THANKS!

Stupid here woke up in the middle of the night and realized that I forgot the photo for the TUSAL. Not that I don't have 20 or so things on my mind!

Thanks for all the kind comments on my last blog. It was so heartbreaking and I couldn't even get into the area where I was born and raised. The damage was so bad.

But now we pick up and go on!

Thanks a bunch!

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

HOME, REUNION, TUSAL


 It was a bittersweet weekend. I had been planning
the trip for a couple of months: new clothes, new shoes. The whole shebang. Then last Wednesday a tornado hit my hometown, Tuscaloosa, AL. We went on anyway. Places that I knew as a child are gone. Many are dead. These are some photos I snapped from the car. The area of Tuscaloosa where I grew up--Alberta City--was not open to traffic, so I guess we were spared that sight.

The University was okay. My MIL, BIL and SIL were okay and had no damage. This thing stayed on
the ground for 175 miles and was selective in what it touched.

Words can't describe the emotions.




The reunion went on as planned although the crowd was way down. One of our classmates was in her house when it disappeared. Another classmate brought his mother to live with him because her house was destroyed. We all had a good time and will meet again in 3 years for our 50-year reunion.
We stopped in Columbus, MS on the way home to visit my cousins Doug, Ellen and Wanda. It was a great visit. We haven't seen each other since the late 90's. They're all in this photo along with son Michael.

Linzie went with us, of course. Here she is playing with big brother Michael.

There's nothing that I can say about Tuscaloosa except to ask everyone to pray. There are still 80 people missing. Many are homeless. But people are good and supplies are arriving.Estimates of damage range from $75-100 million. Life won't be the same now.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

I DON'T ASK WHY. JUST WHAT CAN I DO?


By now most of you have seen videos of the tornados in Alabama. Tuscaloosa is my hometown and I'm watching these videos and looking at the photos with great sadness.

Places that I knew as a child are gone. The church where I was baptized and where we were married is almost totally destroyed. The death toll is mounting. Last report was that the hospital--where my son was born and my parents left for Heaven--is damaged and has run out of body bags.

I am absolutely numb. Plans were to go home Friday for my class reunion. Friday plans are cancelled but Saturday is still on. I have to go. I have to be close to this place that was my home for so long. Whose university gave me my education. I have to see if my parents' house is still standing. I have to see that their resting places are okay. What a bittersweet trip.

From the beginning to the end, God is in control. He knows why. It is so beyond our feeble minds to understand. I know this, but I don't think God would begrudge me just a little grief.

Here are pictures of the church where we were married. It's the Alberta Baptist Church.

Please pray. Please donate what you can.

I thank God for all you, my friends.