SAL

TheThreadBasket is hosting a SAL.  I decided to join it as I've been keeping up with Carol's SAL at iStitchaholic. I will post a picture when that one is complete.  I had bought a packet of 35 ct. linens from Vicki Clayton of Hand Dyed Cross Stitch Fabric etc. If I remember correctly, they were listed as dark naturals. JIC you are interested in them, they are not available now.  I hadn't used any of them yet so I pulled them out and started floss tossing.  I had already discovered most of  the DMC threads listed for the project were missing from my stash.  Actually, since I have all the DMC colors they aren't really missing, just pulled for who knows what.  Since I didn't feel like rooting through all my stash, I got out my trusty DMC color card and started matching up DMC to Crescent Colors. I LOVE Crescent Colors. So here are my flosses and linen - no linen name.

I had started out trying to stitch outside since we are enjoying a last Indian summer. It was a little too windy so I moved into the sun room.  Nice and bright, Buddy could run in and out, and the birds would feel safe enough to use the bird feeders.  Yeah, that's not all that would feel safe.  Here's one of the little buggers.

OH. And what is he feeding from?  The squirrel proof feeder, of course. What's worse is when they sit on top of it, hang down, and pull the lever down and dip in with their paw and scoop them out.  Raccoons are my real nemesis though.  Every night I have to bring all 3 feeders inside or the raccoons will clean me out and gnaw through the metal just to be ornery.


I had already prepared to entertain Buddy with his very own large gnawable treat. Yeah buddy, kept that puppy busy for quite a while. It's the only way I get to stitch.  Either that or I have to take him on long walk. Sometimes I just don't want to take a walk.  Here he is happy as a clam.  In fact, he was so happy he'd take this thing outside and just start jumping around before settling down to chew again.

After one afternoon and a whole evening of stitching, part I is complete.  Whew.  It was a lot of stitching. Hope I can keep up with 3 more weeks worth.  Especially with Christmas ornaments to be stitched.

Marsha

Buckhorn State Park

So, I'm a week late posting these pictures but, oh well.  At least with a new card in my camera I don't have to deselect hundreds of pictures.  I went to Buckhorn State park in eastern Kentucky with my poker buddies.  We usually do a January girls ski weekend and last year decided a fall trip would be fun too,  It requires endless games of poker, scrabble, Mexican train, oodles, buzz words, quite a bit of alcohol, a walk for our health's sake (snicker) and then do that all over again. Friday night is an appetizer dinner. Saturday breakfast is usually sausage gravy and biscuits, lunch is my black bean chili and leftover appetizers and dinner is grilled filet Mignon, salad, roasted new potatoes and apple pie.

While on our walk, (hike according to Gwyn) I snapped a few pics.  It was a gorgeous weekend with clear bright blue skies, full moon nights and just right temperatures for jeans ans sweaters.

Here's Mr. Buckhorn outside of the lodge.

The gorgeous view on the balcony of the lodge.  We actually had a two bedroom cabin down the road from the lodge.  More conducive to very late nights and raucous laughter.

Walking up to the lodge from the lake.  A hike on a trail would have required straight up hiking and then straight down again.  These Kentucky hills are crazy steep.  The mountain roads were stomach turning switch backs and hair pins with a couple loops thrown in for good measure.

Here are my partners in crime, Gwyn, Cynthia and Heidi.

It was a great get away.  Gwyn's saying at the start is 'soak it in girls, soak it in'.


This past weekend, I went to a stitch in on Saturday.  I was going to stitch on Christmas ornaments but decided I would like to work on 'I Sigh not for Beauty'.  I'm working on the over 1 verse.  Just two more lines to go and that area will be complete.  Lisa P of The Inspired Stitcher had decided to work on hers too.  It is a really fun sampler to stitch on.  We are both enjoying it.  She is way ahead of me but my excuse is Buddy, the rambunctious puppy. 

Toni, a stitcher friend, brought in a large DMC wooden box an ex-shop owner gave to her. It was filled with wool DMC threads.  She just wanted the box so the wool was up for grabs and so we did. We all got the colors we wanted and there was still some left.  I used to do crewel embroidery before I discovered cross stitch in the 70's but it looks like it's coming back and I'll be ready to make something pretty.

Marsha

Random pictures

One morning about a week ago it was foggy out and then the sun started appearing.  I hurried to get the camera as the pine trees were dazzling with sparkles. (I love sparkly stuff, just ask my friends)

As I got closer, I noticed thousands of spider webs all over the trees.  Here a few of marvels...

Notice the long web stung between the trees. It was very hard to take pictures once the sun started burning the fog off, I waited just a bit too long.

On to other things.

I had told my Mom I was on a search for glass flower frogs.  My parents like to go to flea markets and antique stores so she kept an eye out for me.  Here is what she found me within two weeks.  Wow.  Aren't they marvelous?

It's that time of year for Halloween cards.  Here a few that I've worked on lately. 

At the Tiara retreat I finally finished my Peony Hill.  I will be taking it to my LNS this weekend for framing and take a new picture when it is back home again.

I forgot to share a photo of the floss tag that the lovely Lisa made and gave to me at the Tiara retreat.  She and I have a 'thing' for bees. I just happened to say that I hadn't made a floss tag for myself yet as I was admiring one of hers and she dipped into her bag of treats and handed me this. She's one sweetheart of a woman.  I LOVE it.  It sits on my crafty, stitchy desk so I can admire it.

Last weekend we went to the Fall Festival at Blooms and Berries with DSL, DD, DH and Evan our grandson.  This slide is always a favorite.

And the hay bale mountain.

And shooting pumpkins and gourds with paint balls with DH.

Then it was off to the hayride to go to the field to pick out pumpkins.  To get there, you go through the woods and see the funny pumpkin scenes.  This one tickled my fancy.  Those are knives.  On a tree across path was the pumpkin knife thrower.

Here's my lovely daughter Dana and her handsome husband, Joe.

I came home from swimming one day and the light was shining through my sweet and low container.  I love the autumn light.

Not too many stitching pictures.  But maybe next time.

Marsha