Easter is Around the Corner

Easter is around the corner and I can tell you why:

• the day's are longer
• the time is changing one hour ahead this weekend
• the weather is getting close to 70 this weekend
• the Dogwoods are budding
• the pollen is starting....and hence..............................Zyrtec and Singulair weather
• our house is yelling for a Spring cleaning
• the daffodils have bloomed

Oh, how I"m ready for Spring 2009. I know it seems early and we will always have a cold spell until Easter but I hope to enjoy the 70 degree weather this weekend. It was wonderful to walk out in warm weather after work today. I take some pretty rural roads home and let me tell you ....the cows are sunning in the their pastures! They were loving it today.

My allergies are on high alert now though, that's the downside of Spring. We have a Dogwood tree outside the kitchen window, quite large too. I looked hard and could see the buds beginning. I like to watch this tree during the Spring.

While the weather is getting prettier, the economy is not. The news is pretty gruesome each day. The war in Afghanistan is adding to the gloom. God, please help us through all this time. You know, I think there are manythings that are coming to pass, predicting in the last days before the tribulation. I remember studying Revelations in the 70's and wish I could take a refresher course now. I think we are going through alot in the world that is in the end times.

All we can do is take one day at a time. I think everyone I work with can think of at least one person who has been laid off from work. Times are stressful. People I work with are asked to take at least 8 hours off each week now, without pay.

I was thinking on the way home about a design that says "Live Simply so that others may simply live". I can't remember the designer's name but the saying keeps coming back to me. I think if everybody could think of just one thing they could do to cut back, then the whole world would be a better place. However, I have to say that from what I see mostly these days is that people are still spending on extras. Instead of paying for a personal trainer or a gym fee, just go walking every day. Instead of eating out at Appleby's every night, eat at home. Things like this are common sense but things like going to the tanning beds and complaining about a copayment on meds for 20.00 monthly is something that baffles my mind still. Oh well, everybody has their thing.............I need to quiet my mind now and maybe go stitch or something so that I can remember........today is Friday and its going to be a beautiful weekend! That is priceless!

Stay safe,

Jennifer

Things that Make My Heart Sing

Here are some things that make my heart sing~~~~~~

1. sunset over the mountains
2. Waverly curtains
3. silk floss
4. the library
5. any bookstore
6. any stitching shop
7. I must confess.......The Young and the Restless
8. a hug from my honey
9. a footrub from my honey
10. a long soak in a hot tub with some really good bath salts
11. calls from my kids
12. a day off from work
13. looking through my stitching stash
14. walking on a nice warm day in the mountains
15. watching Nancy Grace cases on TV and finally getting closure on finding the perps and/or missing individuals
16. a trip to Chicago to visit
17. Little House Needlework designs
18. looking at reproductions samplers online
19. sleeping late.......really being able to sleep late
20. New shoes
21. cinammon rolls, hot and gooey

Update on Stitching Projects

Here is a new start from The Scarlett Letter. I just had to start another sampler. The colors are very pretty and are varied in blues, rust, black, and browns. The stitches include the herringbone stitch, which I am having some difficulty with but plan to learn better. The herringbone stitches will comprise the borders of seven layers. These are two very early reproduction samplers, Francis Bliss and Lydia Hinckley. Guess what? The J is missing again. Of course the dates are in the 1700's so again, the J was not even yet in the alphabet. The fibers are regular DMC floss on 25 count fabric. This is a reproduction of 2 small samplers in a museum.

The Twiggs sampler, number 1 and number 2 small samplers. I stopped to take a break with one over one thread on the second one. Its very tiny and I can only do with magnifying light. These two will be separated when finished and framed as a pair. They are from The Scarlett Letter reproduction samplers.

This is a couple of pics of my almost complete Dutch sampler. I have one and a half letters to go! 2001 is the year we got married and moved here in the mountains.

The drive to work today was pretty cold but we are supposed to be having some 70 degree weather by Friday, Sat and Sunday. I'm off tomorrow and will enjoy sleeping in and then hopefully will get some cleaning done. I've put it off too long now.

I went to the library on Tuesday and got a sequel movie to Love Comes Softly which I returned. We enjoyed this movie over the weekend. I did not realize that there were actually a series of 7 movies following it and can't wait to see the next one. That's one good thing about checking out movies from the library~~2 weeks to return them!

On the cooking scene this week, I finally made some corned beef and cabbage. I have to say that after watching it boil for 3 hours I didn't have the appetite to eat it! It's something I can eat in a restaurant already cooked but if I have to cook it then I just can't eat it.....until next time.......

stay safe and warm!

Jennifer

No Snow Today

Well, the snow didn't come to White County, Georgia......that is to stick at all. We had a few flakes and got excited....then it stopped......then it started again......then we got excited.....then it stopped.....Tom is huddled in one of the front porch chairs and can't believe we didn't get snow. He is absolutely disappointed! He has been saving up for winters like this. He has gotten a little broader, don't ya think?


But Phil was busy reading in his corner of the world........of course, if you could see him closer, you would see one eye to the right out the window..... waiting on the snow......

And Tom, well Tom is still huddled in his chair, gazing out the front yard........

It's a good thing it didn't snow for a week because I have just cooked and cooked all weekend. After I had some chocolate cake today, I"m bouncing all over the living room from the caffeine and sugar.......while Phil says....."I can't believe it didn't snow!" He is stunned and I am hyper.......our usual opposite reactions......LOL
But there's nothing that hot tea or a glass of wine won't cure...........but oh, how, I wished it would have snowed.