AN OFFER I CAN'T REFUSE...

This whole week has been a celebration of the 40th anniversary of The Godfather. Being totally obsessed with the films, I've completely enjoyed the week. Today is the Godfather Saga, which is a compilation of all three movies in chronological order. Now I've got to order this one.  It has some added scenes. Only problem is, I've got orchestra rehearsal at 6PM tonight and this continues until 7PM. Have to order have to order......

Good thing is, I've been stitching and finishing while watching TV. Here's what I did:

This is from the 2011 JCS and it's by Charlotte's Web. It took FOREVER but was worth it. I changed some of the colors and added some beads. It caught my attention because it reminded me of all those wonderful, old churches I visited on my trips to England.

This is a freebie by Blue Ribbon Designs. It's called "Cardinals for a Cure". I finished it like all the others because it will hang on the same tree.

Here's the last. It's a LHN and also came from JCS. It took almost no time at all.

My mojo still isn't back, so I'll keep plugging along on my ornies. Only have about a dozen to finish by the end of the year! I have all of them-including JCS- except the newest out. I'm also doing the CCN ornies, too, because it's a mother-daughter thing.

Now if we'd just have a Jane Austen Week..........

HAPPY NEW YEAR, MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY THANKSGIVING.....

Did I forget any? I am SO bad. I'm so attached to Facebook that I forget I should stop by here more often.

This is a crazy place. This morning it was 28 degrees. When I left the nail salon at noon it was nearing 70. And it's going to be warmer for a few more days. Then we start again.....That's why everyone stays sick around here.

I have to be glad this year is over. It doesn't top the list of the finest! The worst was in July when David's mother died. She was 98 and would have been 99 in another month. It truly was one of the cases of where it was time. The only enjoyable part was seeing family that we hadn't seen in awhile. We went back to the cemetery to check on things before we came home. Guess Michael got a little tired in the heat!

My favorite LNS has closed. Last Saturday was the last day. I will miss indulging my addiction so often, but I think the worse part is not seeing Diane or any of the other girls so often anymore. Of course, there's enough stuff in my stash to last me several lifetimes. Then again, Houston and New Orleans are nearby, so I'll get a fix every now and then.

I was 65 this year. Where did it go? And I've already had the first visit to the doctor for the year.  I've had back trouble for years and during the Christmas holidays it went south! Sooner or later I will have to have it fixed and I really dread it. Sometimes back surgery makes things worse.

As far as crafty stuff, I will try to get some photos up. I've been knitting a lot and have pretty well focused on two stitchy projects: ByGone Stitches Christmas carol sampler and also Anniversaries of the Heart. My goal this year is to catch up on my LHN's ornies. I have a lot done, but need to catch up as I stitch the ones for this year.

Linzie is still the light of our lives. She is so cute and so smart and doesn't like fireworks. She has us trained beautifully! Giselle and Mia still spend a lot of time with us. And I'm glad to report that I didn't see too many of our resident serpents this year. Not that I looked for them.

Since my back has had me waylaid for a few weeks, I've been obsessing on Cranford.  Don't know how many times I've watched both series. Now if  Downton Abbey will just start..

So that's about life here. Dull, I suppose, but keeps moving along. I'm considering setting up a cooking blog. Well, baking, mainly. I'm still thinking of names and how I will organize it.

We're all anxious around here. Monday night is the BCS Championship game. LSU vs. Alabama. We all know where I stand. We lost to them in November, but I don't think we will this time. ROLL TIDE!

Until then, smooth sailing ahead for all of you.

TUSAL AGAIN AND THE FAMILY SAMPLER

Two days in a row! I'm doing good here. Maybe it's because I've got the sniffles and am homebound, but it feels good!

Daffycat has re-instated the old Totally Useless Stitch A Long. I really never stopped the old one-you'll see in a minute- so I'm glad to be back as a part of a group.

And some photos of the Family Sampler. This one has overtaken my life. I'm thoroughly enjoying it. More on it, too.

It's only the 5th, but I have quite a few thingys. Some thread labels and some orts. I found the glass pitcher at the Goodwill store (I love those places. I'm glad the ladies that work there sometimes don't know what they're holding!!). The big glass jar behind the pitcher hold all my orts and stuff from 2009 and 2010. They are in glass Christmas balls that I purchased at Hobby Lobby. And I've labeled them as to the year. They've outgrown the jar, so I'm thinking I may hang them from a silk ficus tree in my breakfast room. It's already wired with fairy lights. Cute idea, huh.

The funny stitchy things to the left are the Quaker months from Plum Street Samplings. It took FOREVER to finish stitching them. I did okay on the motifs, but the words are stitched one over one. Quakers wouldn't refer to months by their given names. They were named after mythological people and were considered heathern. So.....January is "First Month" and so on. They were finished as pinkeeps and may actually be hung.

Here's the sampler. Grace is to the right and the crazy redhead is next. Then David, Linzie and Michael. On the other side is the beginning of Ann and then Laura. Bradley will follow and then John. Michael will eventually have a red A (for Alabama, of course) and John will have some reference to LSU. We're a divided family! But SEC all the way.

That's about all for today. It's rainy here-stormed all night. Every time it thundered, Linzie got a little closer. Eventually she was on the pillow by my head. And this morning she didn't want to go outside to do her thing.

David prodded her a bit!